Chapter 20: Square 16: The Taste of Dragon (1)
Being Elizabeth’s mansion, I figured it would probably be gaudy gold everywhere, blinding to look at. That’s what I’d assumed.
"Whoa... this looks straight out of a fairy tale."
White outer walls with black spiked fencing along the top. Beautiful flowers bloomed all over the garden, and when I opened the carriage window, the scent of flowers alone was enough to calm my nerves. At the center stood a striking fountain, water spraying from a sculpture of a dragon playing with a spirit. Beyond that, a mansion built of cream colored brick came into view. Sunlight glittered and reflected sharply off stained glass depicting a heavenly maiden.
"You actually live here?"
"Obviously, wouldn’t I?"
"...Rich people really don’t share the same sense of normal as the rest of us."
Thinking back on the one room apartment I used to live in nearly brought me to tears. And here I was, happy just having a separate bath and toilet.
"Well, here we are. Welcome to my estate."
The heavy black gate let out a sound the moment we arrived. As it slowly swung open, rows of maids formed neat lines just beyond it.
"Welcome home!!!!"
Their voices rang out together, all directed at the carriage. At a glance, there had to be at least thirty of them. Maids and butlers lined up on either side in tidy rows. The carriage passed between them, heading straight for the front of the mansion. It circled around the fountain by the entrance and came to a stop right in front.
"Welcome home."
"Yes, I’m back."
Stepping down from the carriage, a dignified old butler greeted her.
"My lady, the shoes you purchased earlier have arrived."
"I’ll take a proper look later. Could you have them put in storage?"
"Understood."
"Is the meal ready?"
"It is."
Once Elizabeth had walked past him, the old butler turned his attention to me, stepping out of the carriage.
"Ah, right, this is the guest I mentioned earlier. Please show him in."
"Understood. This way, please."
The old butler bowed toward me immediately, then reached for the golden door handle and pushed open the double doors. The view through those opened doors took my breath away.
"...Something like this actually exists in real life."
Staircases split off to either side, laid with red carpet, and at the center stood an ornate glass sculpture reaching upward. Looking up, a chandelier scattered light like falling gold dust. There were paintings of dancers so vivid you could almost hear their breathing, a silver suit of armor with intricate handcrafted detail, vases arranged with vivid color to set off the flowers inside them, and a sword that clearly existed as a work of art rather than a weapon. Even the feel of the carpet under my feet made me feel completely out of place, like the whole room might just push me back out the door.
"What’s the matter, looking around like that. Something unusual catch your eye?"
"No, it’s literally everything. Every single thing I’m looking at is something I’ve never seen before, I don’t even know where to look first."
"Is that so? Then feel free to take your time looking around! Ohhohohohohohohoho!"
They say rich people love to show off, and Elizabeth was apparently no exception. But looking closer, there seemed to be a certain bias in what was on display.
"There’s a lot of armor and weapons around. Your dad’s hobby or something?"
At my words, Elizabeth’s face went pale as she turned to look at me.
"D-don’t tell me... you asked for my help without even knowing who I am!?"
From the way she said it, she must be someone fairly famous. Even if she was as famous as Bill Gates, there was no way I’d know that with zero prior knowledge of this world. Before Elizabeth could sulk any further, the old butler stepped in to explain.
"Lady Elizabeth was born into one of this country’s most distinguished knightly bloodlines. There are only a handful of people in this entire kingdom who could beat her in a fight."
Hearing that, I was honestly stunned by my own dumb luck. The noble girl I’d happened to call out to turned out to be some kind of elite superwoman.
"Wait, so does that make Elizabeth a knight?"
"I wouldn’t say that’s wrong exactly. Given my age and my sex, I’m not really considered suited for combat. So by the country’s arrangement, I handle behind the scenes work instead, paperwork, organizing, restocking supplies, that sort of thing."
"...Even though you’re strong?"
"Strength has nothing to do with it. Even with power and authority, I am still a woman. Having a woman stand above the people brings all sorts of complications."
Sounded a bit like old feudal Japan style thinking. That whole notion of valuing men over women never quite made sense to me.
"Sounds rough for you too... hey, does something smell really good right now?"
The old butler reached for the large door ahead of us. A plate on the door read "Dining Hall."
"Please, right this way."
Sunlight poured in through the window as the doors opened. Blinking against the sudden brightness, I opened my eyes to a sight that pulled my gaze in completely. A wide, spacious hall stretched out before us, with a long table draped in a pure white tablecloth. The array of dishes laid out on it looked less like food and more like art. A whole shrimp sat plated intact, alongside vividly colored carpaccio. Fresh, glistening vegetables were tucked between slices of freshly baked bread that smelled of butter. At the center of it all, a steak sat steaming gently on the main plate.
"What are you standing there staring for."
Before I noticed, Elizabeth had already taken her seat across the table, pointing at a chair.
"The food will get cold. Your seat is there, across from me."
"Oh, r-right... pardon me, then."
Once I’d awkwardly taken my seat, the old butler bowed and quietly left the room. Eating with him watching over us would’ve been awkward, but this was probably a deliberate courtesy on his part.
"Ufufu, we’re about to discuss something important. It would be a problem if an outsider’s presence made you hesitant to speak freely."
"R-right... yeah... makes sense."
My hunger had hit its absolute peak. There was only so long I could hold back my stomach. Sorry, but conversation was going to have to wait a bit.
"Well, that aside. ...Shall we eat, then."
"Y-yes, let’s eat!"
Normally the proper thing to do would be starting with the salad, but the irresistible aroma of that thick steak in the center had my mouth watering uncontrollably. Giving in to temptation, I cut straight into the meat. The knife slid through without any resistance at all. It felt almost like cutting into a hamburger patty, but the cross section was unmistakably a juicy, tender steak. The faint pink at the center made my hand move faster toward my mouth.
...Delicious. This was incredible!? What even was this!? The moment it hit my tongue, rich juices spread across my mouth. Rather than melting, it felt more like the meat was unraveling apart on its own. A strong sweetness lingered in my mouth, and the aftertaste stayed vivid even after swallowing.
"...Was it really that delicious?"
...Oh. What kind of face had I been making just now!? I probably had my mouth stretched into some pathetic, completely slack expression. But it couldn’t be helped. Without question, it was the best thing I’d ever eaten in my life. ...Come to think of it, Elizabeth had also been going at the meat with plenty of enthusiasm herself. Apparently table manners didn’t exist in this mansion.
"I’ve never had meat like this, what kind of meat is it?"
"Dragon."
...I’d just eaten something absolutely unbelievable. I mean, dragons were even edible in the first place, apparently.
"Now then, feel free to keep eating while we talk. Shall we get started?"
Elizabeth’s eyes shifted noticeably. The relaxed, food enjoying look from a moment ago was already gone. The way she looked at me changed, from a comrade who’d fought alongside her, into someone weighing the possibility that I might be an enemy.
"Information, huh?"
"Yes."
Answering wrong here could get me killed. It had already nearly happened once, back when we first met. But I’d already braced myself for this the moment I asked Elizabeth for her help. As long as I didn’t rush, there was nothing to worry about.
"...What do you want to know?"
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