It seems like we were the last to enter the room, and the lunch meeting began right away.

The opening started with a simple greeting from Liesel, mentioning various things related to the raid and how it was safely settled.

The subsequent security measures in the territory were discussed, focusing on returning to the lives of the people in the city, villages, and highways, far from the hunting grounds, with the first squad taking over these tasks, among other things.

The executives of Riana’s territory often work in this mansion, but surprisingly, opportunities to gather like this are rare, making it a good chance for everyone.

Then, at the end, Monica was introduced.

She had gained the 【Green Shoeskeep】 and would begin high-altitude work in various parts of the capital city under Fiora’s supervision starting in spring. This might include moving city walls, building rooftops, and other tasks.

It seems some of those gathered knew a bit about the basic features of the 【Green Shoeskeep】, but they were surprised to learn that it also increases jumping ability.

Even though they worked at the same place, it’s surprising how little information is shared… I can see now why such opportunities are arranged.

…Well, Monica, who had just been mentioned, was made to greet everyone and was lightly panicking, but at least she was remembered by face, and things should go more smoothly for her from now on. Elena and Teresa are helping her out, so she should be fine today.

◇

After the greeting, everyone chatted while eating. Since it was lunch, only light alcohol was served.

Perhaps because of this, the atmosphere was quite refined.

The attendees were using this opportunity to talk to people from other departments, but it was surprisingly quiet. The conversations were mostly about work, with not only the civil officials but also Alec and Zighart involved.

It seemed like everyone was talking about where they had looked around and how many monsters they had defeated—harmless small talk.

My seat was among the women, so I was a bit too far to join the conversation, but I wondered if there were any interesting topics…?

As I focused on listening, I absentmindedly took a sip of soup.

It was surprisingly delicious.

The base was creamy, with spices providing a perfect accent, and there was no heaviness at all.

In the past, when I was in Old Lortle, dairy products were not common in this area, and even after the waterway to Riana’s territory was established, menus with dairy often didn’t turn out great. They weren’t bad, but they were heavy or overly rich, and to mask that, they used a lot of spices, which didn’t suit my taste.

But this… maybe they hired new people?

“Apparently, she studied during the winter when there were fewer visitors. There are chefs from other territories in the city, right? She learned from them.”

“…Oh, really? Was it that easy to be taught?”

Seriana, sitting next to me, explained this. But knowledge and skills aren’t often shared easily in this world, even among those who work together. While she works here, she’s still just a chef, and she doesn’t have the authority to extract information from others.

And besides, she doesn’t seem like the type to do something like that.

How did she manage it?

“It seems she accompanied them in exchange for arranging ingredients and making visits to the commercial guild, helping with various things in the city.”

“I see… You seem to know a lot about this, Seriana.”

If you’re going to work in an unfamiliar land, having backing is reassuring.

But when did Seriana find out about this? We’re usually together, but did she meet with him?

“Did you forget the work I handled last year?”

Seriana’s work…?

“Last year… Oh, the food stall in front of the Adventurer’s Guild?”

It seems I was right, and she gave a satisfied smile.

That makes sense… Even though she has the backing of the head chef, it wouldn’t be easy for an outsider to set up a shop in the growing capital. But a small stall could be possible. There are many adventurers from other places, and some might not be used to Riana’s cooking.

They wouldn’t drink too much in that area, so serving well-made food would be a good idea. People from the area might visit out of curiosity for something different.

While Seriana doesn’t directly interfere with the stall, as one of the people in charge, her personality would make her investigate the shop thoroughly.

That’s how she knew about it.

I had been avoiding dairy dishes lately because they didn’t quite suit my taste, but… I’ve been missing out. I’ll make sure to enjoy them from now on.

At first, I thought there was no real reason for me to attend this lunch meeting, but I ended up gaining some unexpected insights.

—————————————————————————————————————————————————————–

Sera ・【Hideout】 +1【Prayer】【Mira’s Blessing】【Wind’s Garment】・【Floating Orb】 +1【Shadow Sword】【Scarlet Bee Needle】【Fairy’s Eye】【Dragon’s Lung】【Amber Sword】【Danrem’s Thread】【Serpent’s Tail】【Ankle Bracelet】【Amber Shield】【Purple Wings】【Red Sword】・32 cards

Seriana ・【Range Identification】・【】・38 cards

Elena ・【】・【Green Fang】【Amber Sword】・4 cards

Alec ・【Strong Strike】・【Red Shield】【Fierce Horned Trumpet】・9 cards