“I traveled alone for some time, so I picked up the skill naturally. I was in charge of the main dish, but Sayo made all the other side dishes. Please eat up before they cool,” Rio said, looking at Sayo, prompting all the male attendants to liven up.

  “Ooh, a woman’s cooking!”

  Sayo ducked her head in embarrassment. Rio smiled wryly, and Hayate scolded his aides in shame. “Quiet down, all of you. Now, we shall dig in immediately. You have my deepest gratitude for your exceptional hospitality.” Hayate cleared his throat and sat up straight.

  Yuba took that as a sign. “Then, let us eat,” she said, and everyone began their meal.

  “If I may so inquire, Lord Rio, what kind of meat dish is this? I can tell it some sort of avian meat, but I am not familiar with the scent. The aroma is most appetizing, I must say,” Hayate asked, having picked up a slice of the meat between his chopsticks and brought it to his nose to smell.

  “This recipe is one that I acquired during my travels through foreign countries, which involved grilling the meat with herbs. The somewhat-unique aroma is characteristic to that recipe, but the main ingredient is the Lenou bird.”

  “I see... The Lenou bird, hm? Ah, this is indeed... how shall I put this... delicious!”

  Hayate swallowed his drool and placed the slice of meat in his mouth. The instant he bit down, the juicy flavor of the meat — with its perfectly complimentary seasoning — exploded in his mouth, making his eyes widen.

  Seeing his reaction, the aides reached for the herb-grilled meat in a hurry, groaning in unison at the delicious taste on their tongues. They gobbled down their rice with it.

  “How did you create such a wondrous taste?” Hayate asked with great interest.

  “The main seasoning is salt and pepper, but I’ve also used some special herbs and oil that aren’t native to this area for flavor. The secret ingredient is a little bit of honey,” Rio explained.

  “Ooh, you used pepper? Such a valuable ingredient... Was it really okay to use all these ingredients that are not native to our kingdom?” Hayate responded in surprise with a tinge of remorse.

  “That’s all right. It’d be pointless to hold on to it forever, anyway. I decided to use it when I heard that an important guest was visiting the village.”

  Salt was harvested in certain kingdoms with temperate climates across both the Yagumo and Strahl regions, so while it was pricey, it wasn’t impossible to obtain. While Rio had all the ingredients he could ever want preserved in the Time-Space Cache, he wasn’t foolish enough to openly reveal that, so he made up a lie that was suitable for the situation.

  Well, that wasn’t the only reason. If he could use this opportunity to gain their guests’ favor, it might benefit the village if anything were to happen in the future. It appeared that everything was going exactly as Rio had planned, as Hayate seemed to be revising his evaluation of Rio in a positive way.

  “Umm, is pepper an expensive ingredient?” Ruri asked, still unsure of the value of the item.

  “Well, it’s not as big of a deal in the areas where it is produced, but it isn’t cheap to purchase in our kingdom. The last time I saw it in the markets of the capital, it went for ten times the price of salt,” Hayate replied thoughtfully.

  “Huh?!”

  “Fweh?!”

  Ruri and Sayo’s eyes widened in shock. While Yuba hadn’t made any noise, her eyes had widened by a fraction, too.

  Rio had used pepper in his dishes for Yuba and Ruri several times before, but he had never disclosed the value of the seasoning. It wasn’t the kind of item the villagers would have any interest in during their lifetimes, so it was only natural that Ruri and the others were unaware of its worth.

  “Rio, have you been using something that expensive on us the whole time?! You should have said so!” Ruri yelled in flabbergasted shock.

  “...Erm, didn’t I say I had a lot less pepper than salt?”

  “Y-You may have mentioned that, but you never said it was so expensive! Ugh...”

  “Umm, I purchased it in one of the production areas, so it wasn’t that expensive.”

  “E-Even so. If it was such a valuable item, you could have kept it for yourself...”

  “I said there was no point in holding onto it forever, didn’t I? Don’t worry about it, really. Come on, let’s eat dinner before it gets cold.” Rio shook his head with a wry smile.

  Thus, they settled down and resumed their meal. Eventually, the village’s specialty brew was served, turning the scene into a lively commotion. By the time Rio and Sayo prepared additional side dishes for the drinks, the male attendants were already flushed red with liquor.

  “You all are going to feel it tomorrow if you drink too much now,” Hayate, their superior, said with a sigh.

  “Haha — we know, Sir Hayate,” the aides replied with a strained laugh.

  At the moment, the conversation was split between Yuba and the male attendants in one group, and Rio, Ruri, Sayo, and Hayate in another group.

  “Are you not going to have even a single cup, Lord Hayate?” Rio asked.

  “It is not that I do not want to, it is simply that I try to refrain from drinking when out on a job,” Hayate replied stoically.

  “I see,” Rio replied with admiration.

  “Ruri and Sayo aside, why are you not drinking, Lord Rio? There is no need to hold back just because we are here.” Hayate asked Rio the same question.

  “I have my daily training to do after this, so I’m practicing self-restraint for today.”

  “Oh, so you are studying some form of martial arts. I had surmised as much from the way you held yourself.”

  “Yes. It’s just a hobby, though.”

  “Hahaha. There is no need to be modest about it. You have traveled around the world at such a young age — I am sure you have considerable skill. Would you tell me a few tales from your travels? I rarely ever have the chance to leave the kingdom and travel elsewhere myself,” Hayate said with a soft laugh.

  “It may not be very interesting to you,” Rio warned him in advance, nodding.

  Hayate went ahead and began to question Rio about his journey. Ruri and Sayo listened intently for the most part, occasionally interrupting with their own questions for Rio. He answered their questions with as much as he was comfortable revealing; eventually, they asked about his parents’ hometown, which he named as the Karasuki Kingdom.

  “So, your parents were born in this country. Then, it’s possible that you were named after the person who appeared in the legends of our kingdom.” Hayate nodded in understanding.

  “Aah, you mean the legend of Ryuo the Hero? That sure brings back memories. My father used to tell me about it,” Ruri said nostalgically, the story in question immediately coming to mind.

  “Is it a famous story?” Rio cocked his head and asked Sayo, who sat beside him.

  “Yes. All of the villagers hear about it when they’re children.” Sayo nodded.

  “What kind of legend is it?”

  “Let me see. If I recall correctly...” Hayate began to relay the story.

  Once upon a time, over a thousand years ago (before the kingdom of Karasuki had been formed), evil beings ran rampant all over the land, threatening the livelihood of the people. They devastated the land, leaving a huge trail of death and despair in their wake. That was when the hero, who the people would later call Ryuo, appeared.

  Ryuo was a strong, kind, and exceptional person. He was able to single-handedly take on and defeat the evil beings that the people of the time were helpless against. He shared his food with anyone on the brink of starving to death, and would heal anyone’s severe injuries in the blink of an eye.

  It was said that he also taught spirit arts to the people of the Yagumo region, back when there were barely any users at all.

  People from all over flocked to these lands to rely on Ryuo. They placed him on a pedestal as their hero, and it was only a matter of time before a new kingdom was established around them.

  However, Ryuo was only one man, and there was a limit to what he could do alone.

  No matter how many evil beings he defeated, they continued to spawn out of nowhere. At the same time, surges of poverty-stricken citizens that had heard the rumors came calling, seeking his salvation. Despite this, Ryuo continued fighting without rest, and continued to act as a savior without respite. He continued saving without rest. Because he was so strong and so kind, he alone remained the perfect hero for the people.

  No matter how much he suffered, Ryuo maintained the image of a completely flawless hero... until a time where there were mass casualties.

  One day, Ryuo declared that he had located the place where the evil beings were spawning from. His plan was to head there immediately in order to eliminate them, but no one else was capable of standing and fighting alongside him. So, accompanied by only one travel companion, Ryuo departed for the place where the evil beings originated from, leaving the people behind to wait for his return.

  That was when tragedy occurred.

  While Ryuo was away, hordes of evil beings ambushed the humans in full force. Those that faced the evil beings did so with their armies, but without Ryuo fighting alongside them, their death toll only continued to climb higher and higher. By the time Ryuo had returned, the lands were thoroughly ravaged by the war that had broken out in his absence.

  Ryuo used his mighty strength to annihilate the advancing evil beings in an instant, but once the war was over, someone spoke up.

  Why?

  Why didn’t you come to save us sooner?

  Why did you leave us here to die?

  Although Ryuo apologized for his late arrival, someone else insisted:

  The dead won’t return.

  The dead won’t rest in peace just because you apologized.

  Of course, it’s not like we haven’t had any casualties until now...

  However, there had never been a single battle that brought about as many deaths as this one, and the people’s expectations had been betrayed. The discontent that had built up during the war amongst the people grew as a collective mass, and exploded all at once.

  While there were some within that mass that tried to calm the others, there was no way for the voice of the few to reach through to the rioting mob.

  Ryuo did not fulfill his duty as a hero — the people saw him guilty of that sin — but he bowed his head before them and accepted their criticisms at face value.

  As a result, Ryuo declared himself unfit for the title of king, and renounced himself from the throne.

  The new dynasty began shortly after — the antecedent to the current Kingdom of Karasuki.

  Life continued peacefully henceforth, with no further attacks from the evil beings. Once an extended period of time had passed with no conflicts, the people finally realized that Ryuo had destroyed the origins of the evil beings, precisely as he said he would.

  Thus, the people started pondering out loud in recollection. Where might Ryuo be at this moment? they wondered, but by that point, Ryuo had already disappeared from the land.

  “The threat of evil beings attacking this land has diminished, but they still exist. I must eliminate the dangers that remain,” he had told a select few people before leaving the kingdom.

  The king publicly announced the truth to the people: an admission that they had committed an unforgivable crime in driving Ryuo away, which prompted the people to reflect.

  After time had passed, they would speak of the legends of Ryuo, passing his stories down from one generation to the next. They acknowledged their faults, and prayed that one day, their hero would return.

  Once Hayate had finished his story, he let out a small sigh.

  “I do not know if this folk tale truly happened or not. I do not even know if this Ryuo truly existed. However, I believe the story is one that should be passed on. There is much that can be learned from it,” he said.

  “I always felt sorry for the king in that story and cried over him when I was little. It still makes me feel a little gloomy, even now,” Ruri murmured with a helpless smile.

  “I think I cried the first time I heard it, too...” added Sayo. “But the Great Ryuo from the story sounds lovely.”

  “His name really is similar to Rio’s, after all,” Ruri teased.

  “T-That’s not the reason why!” Sayo said, blushing.

  “Ahaha,” Ruri laughed. “But, if Rio’s parents really did name him after this story, I wonder what kind of meaning they wanted to put behind it. Did they want him to become someone like Ryuo?” Ruri said, pondering to herself.

  “...Who knows?” Rio said with a soft, somewhat fond smile.

  The four of them continued to chat for a while longer.

  “Here you are, Sir Hayate. Please have some tea.” Ruri poured some tea and offered it to Hayate beside her.

  “Ah, right. Thank you,” When Ruri’s body approached his, Hayate offered his gratitude. He took a sip of his tea before expressing his strong impression of the taste. “It is delicious.”

  “You don’t need to exaggerate. It’s just the cheap stuff the villagers drink.”

  “No, that is not true at all. Lady Ruri poured this tea. Your average tea cannot compare.”

  “Ahaha. You flatter me.” Ruri perceived Hayate’s words as a compliment, and laughed in amusement.

  What a fascinating person, Rio thought as he watched their antics with a smile.

  While Hayate could be a bit blunt and awkward, he was an honest and genuine person. He was the 18-year-old heir to one of the kingdom’s advanced martial arts families. Despite wearing the mantle of his family lineage, he never used his position to domineer over others. He normally carried himself with dignity, but when it came to Ruri, his reactions seemed somewhat innocent and naive. Rio’s impression of Hayate was quite favorable.

  On the other hand, Ruri was already a girl of marriageable age and favored highly by many of the male villagers. Even as her cousin, Rio found her to be charming. He hoped she would marry someone who didn’t have any baggage, but Ruri herself never brought it up, and therefore did not seem interested.

  Along came Hayate — a young man with a highly promising future, who already seemed to have fallen for Ruri. Of course, while the final decision of marriage was ultimately up to the two of them, Hayate certainly had no shortcomings as a candidate to become Ruri’s husband.

  With that thought, Rio nonchalantly struck up a conversation with Sayo beside him, hoping to give Ruri and Hayate the space to speak to each other alone. Sayo seemed to be thinking along the same lines as Rio, springing enthusiastically at the chance to talk to Rio.

  Thus, time passed in the blink of an eye.

  “If we chat any longer than this, we will all be exhausted come morning. Let us end the party now,” Hayate suggested. He had been thoroughly enjoying his conversation with Ruri, but at the same time, he knew when to back off.

  “Yes, let’s. Sayo, you should stay over tonight. It’s already late, so you can sleep with me.” Ruri said, deciding that Sayo would sleep over; there was no need to inform Shin, as he already knew that there was a chance of this happening.

  They quickly cleaned everything up and retired to their beds, with the exception of Rio, who went to complete his training practice.

  ◇◇◇

  Rio swung his sword under the cover of night in the garden of the village chief’s house. His breaths came out harshly, his body emitting heat as a white steam rose from his skin. After attentively swinging his sword for several minutes, he took a deep breath and returned his sword to its sheath.

  “Phew...”

  It was already late into the night, so he decided to wrap up and immediately headed toward the bathhouse nearby. However...

  “Hm?” Rio froze on the spot, feeling a presence hidden in the darkness.

  He turned his eyes toward the direction of the presence; at the same time, he manipulated the wind with his spirit arts, blowing a light breeze in the same direction.

  Wind-related spirit arts were also good for detecting essence, as a high level wind spirit arts user was capable of releasing wind embedded with a faint amount of their own essence. This tactic allowing the wind to detect the essence of anything it touched.

  Rio couldn’t visually confirm someone’s figure due to the darkness, but he could detect the slight amount of essence coming from what was most likely a person walking down the road in front of the village chief’s house.

  Is someone walking around at this time?

  It was late enough for most villagers to be asleep already, but not late enough to say there couldn’t possibly be anyone out and about at this time.

  There was only one essence reaction, and its owner was getting further and further from the village chief’s home.

  ...Well, whatever.

  If it wasn’t getting any closer, then there was no need to pay it any more attention. Rio picked up the towel he left next to him and wiped his sweat away.

  With Gon’s group of outsiders staying in the village, Rio had secretly set up sorcery barriers yesterday that could detect intruders around the village chief’s house. If anyone entered the grounds, he would know immediately. Specifically, if a living being with a certain amount of essence crossed the barrier, the spirit stone being used as the source of essence for the barrier would react by giving off a huge amount of light and heat. The efficacy of the barrier could be toggled at will, and the barrier would fail to activate if the spirit stone was carried outside of the barrier.

  Since many people were always going in and out during the day, Rio kept the barrier off during the daylight hours and activated its effect at night.

  At the moment, the spirit stone core of the barrier was silent.

  After Rio washed the sweat from his body and cleaned himself in the bath, he retired to his room and fell asleep.

  ◇◇◇

  Not long after Rio fell asleep, in a small cabin on the outskirts of the village...

 

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