Chapter 69

Chapter 69: Welcome Party and Swordsmanship

When I returned to the mansion, it was almost time for dinner. Quite some time had passed.

After resting in my room for a short while, I immediately headed to the dining hall. Upon entering the dining hall, I saw Lord Richard, Lady Catherine, Lady Lucien, as well as Lord Christoph and Lady Sophia, Lord Julian, and Lord Frederick.

Why is everyone gathered here? And am I the last one!? I don't think I'm late...

I greeted everyone with a bit of haste.

"Everyone, it's been a while. I apologize for being late."

"No, we were just early, so don't worry about it. Please, take your seat."

"Thank you."

Lord Richard said that, so I took my seat.

"Now then, once again, welcome to the Townshend Duchy, Leon. We consider this a small welcome party for you. We hope you enjoy it. It may be modest, but we're delighted to have you."

My welcome party!? I never expected something like this... It's a bit overwhelming, but I'm truly happy. Until now, there has been a barrier between me and the ducal family, but it feels like that barrier has become a bit thinner. There's still a difference in our statuses that can't be bridged, but it feels like I've been accepted among the ducal family's companions. I'm really happy.

I used to be nervous every time I came to the ducal mansion, but now I feel a bit more relaxed.

"Thank you all so much for holding a welcome party for me. I'm truly delighted. I'll do my best to be of service to the ducal family, so please continue to support me."

I said that and bowed my head. When I looked up, everyone was watching me with kind smiles.

It feels like this has become my place too.

"We're looking forward to working with you as well. Now, please enjoy the delicious dishes."

With Lord Richard's words, the dishes were brought in. The first dish brought to the table was a shrimp soup, and it smelled fantastic.

Shrimp soup!? But we're in the capital...

Maybe Lord Richard understood my confusion because he explained.

"Leon, it seemed like you really liked seafood, so I asked His Majesty to let us use the ice maker. We sent it to the capital, and Christoph and Lady Sophia brought seafood when they came. Nacelle even provided the recipe, so it should be a delicious meal. Enjoy it."

I'm so thrilled!! I thought I wouldn't be able to have this for a while.

"Thank you very much! I'm really happy!"

"We didn't know what Leon liked, so we asked Nacelle, but we're glad you're pleased."

Christoph said that with a somewhat wry smile.

Oh no... I might have gotten a bit too excited...

I regained my composure a bit.

"I like all kinds of seafood, so it's perfectly fine. Thank you very much for bringing it. Christoph and Lady Sophia, did you come to the capital for the party?"

"That's right. Every year around this season, there's a party hosted by the royal family. Even the nobles in the provinces gather in the capital. Albert is still too young to attend."

Come to think of it, they did mention going to the capital at the end of winter for a party. Even though they call it a party, I'm sure it's a tiring gathering with plenty of behind-the-scenes politicking. Nobles have it tough.

While discussing this, the next dish was served.

Oh!! Baked scallops! We couldn't bake them at home, so I really wanted to try them!

Nom... It's incredibly delicious...

"It's very delicious."

"I've never had this before, but it's really delicious."

Lady Sophia said in surprise. Since she didn't go to the port town with us, she probably hadn't tried it yet.

"This is... I knew seafood was delicious, but this dish is particularly tasty."

That was Lord Julian. He must have had seafood as a child, but he seemed surprised by how delicious the baked scallops were.

"Leon came up with this dish. The chefs in the port town were also very surprised."

"What... Leon can cook too? That's amazing..."

Julian seemed to have an exaggerated idea of how impressive I am. But that's not the case.

"My family runs a restaurant, so I'm familiar with cooking."

"Still, coming up with recipes is a talent."

I'm just recreating Japanese dishes, so I can't be too happy about it, but I can't deny the truth either.

"Thank you."

While talking about this, we enjoyed a delicious dinner. It was incredibly tasty... I'm so happy.

And just when I thought it was time to disperse after finishing the meal, cookies I had brought were presented.

The members of the ducal family are having them!

"These are from Leon-sama's parents."

"From our parents, we offer you handmade sweets as a greeting. We initially wished to greet you in person, but lacking proper etiquette, we hope you will pardon this approach."

I continued after the servant who had served us, and everyone gazed at the cookies with great curiosity. Cookies seemed unfamiliar in this world.

It appeared that sweets were still in the early stages of development here. Even in the city center, one could only find things like French toast, jam bread, or simple sugary treats.

"I've never seen these before. What do they taste like?" inquired one person.

"These are sweet treats made with sugar. They're called cookies," I replied.

"Cookies, huh? There seem to be two types. What's on top of these?" another asked.

"That's almond, recently imported, it seems. They're delicious on their own, but I thought they'd complement the cookies, so I added some."

"Very well then," Lord Richard said.

Lord Richard hesitated slightly but eventually tasted a cookie. His face transformed into one of surprise.

"This... is delicious."

Lord Richard spoke only those words and fell silent.

"Please, everyone, do try them as well," I suggested, and everyone eagerly reached for the cookies.

"These are delicious! They have a crispy texture, not overly sweet, a delightful aroma – wonderful!"

"That's great to hear," I replied.

Catherine appeared incredibly excited. I had never seen her like this before. It seemed she had a sweet tooth.

"Yes, these are delicious."

"I could eat these endlessly."

"It's a marvelous taste."

The cookies seemed to be a hit with everyone. I was relieved.

With confidence, I reached for one of the cookies in front of me. Hmm, as expected, they were incredibly delicious!

"Leon, did you come up with this recipe?"

"Yes."

"Amazing!"

"Lord Richard?"

Lord Richard suddenly clenched his fist, looking up at the ceiling. What was happening to him? Had Lord Richard broken?

"This recipe is a revolution! With this, confectionery will rapidly evolve."

"Is it really that significant?"

"No doubt! Clearly, this is made in a way that has never been done before. Until now, sweet treats were limited to adding sugar to bread, dissolving sugar in eggs and soaking bread in it, or adding sugar to jam, and that was it."

While it might indeed be a new recipe, I wasn't sure if it was that revolutionary. French toast and jam already existed, and similar treats would likely be developed soon.

"Would you be willing to share this recipe? Of course, I'll offer proper compensation."

Lord Richard seemed to have calmed down a bit and asked me as he took his seat. The recipe wasn't something grand that required compensation, but...

"I'll gladly share the recipe, but there's no need for compensation."

"But you've developed it, shouldn't there be some compensation?"

"No, I'd like to offer it as a token of gratitude for the kindness the Duke's family has shown me. It's not that extraordinary of a recipe."

"But..."

"Well, then, instead of compensation, I'd appreciate the opportunity to serve cookies regularly."

"Is that truly acceptable?"

"Yes."

It wasn't such an incredible recipe, and I wanted to repay the Duke's family in some small way. Besides, I planned to continue creating new dishes and sweets from now on. I was more pleased with the idea of spreading culinary culture than earning from the recipe.

"Very well, please share the recipe with the head chef later."

"Understood."

In the week leading up to the entrance ceremony, Lucian and I spent every day practicing dance and swordsmanship together.

Today, the day before the entrance ceremony, was the day to showcase our one-week progress. We began with dance.

"Now, let's assess the results of your practice. Leon, you've had only one week of practice, but I'd like to see your current abilities," the dance instructor said.

"Of course, please watch."

We danced a basic routine, which was a social dance, and for this, we needed partners. The dance instructor had arranged for a girl to be my partner, who was apparently his disciple.

Lucian went first. He danced elegantly, gracefully gliding through the steps. To my eyes, it already seemed perfect. However, after finishing one song, the instructor gave him numerous detailed pointers, indicating that there was still room for improvement.

At this level, I wondered how I would fare. I'd barely had a week of practice, after all. Well, there was no helping it.

I danced with all my might in a defiant manner. It was awkward, but somehow I managed not to step on my partner's feet and maintain my posture. I was satisfied with myself.

"Leon-sama's dance is still quite awkward, giving off a strong beginner vibe. However, I could sense the effort to adapt to the partner, and most importantly, your posture remained intact. If you can achieve this much in a week, it's sufficient. With continued practice, I believe you'll dance well soon."

I did it!! I was unexpectedly praised!! I'm so happy.

"Thank you. I will continue to practice."

Since I had never danced in Japan before, this was the result of my current efforts. I was pleasantly surprised to be acknowledged!

"Well then, both of you, please continue your practice. This concludes the lesson."

"Yes, thank you."

"Thank you."

With that, we finished the dance lesson, and Lucian and I went to the garden for swordsmanship.

"Today, I will assess both of your progress. The assessment method is a simulated battle with me. Let's start with Lucian."

Jack-san said this and faced off with Lucian, both holding wooden swords.

"Here I go!"

Jack-san took the initiative. He attacked Lucian from the upper right. Lucian blocked it with his sword, tried to move to the left, and launch a counterattack from there. However, Jack-san quickly twisted his body, intercepted Lucian's sword, and gained the upper hand.

Lucian was at a disadvantage in terms of strength and was gradually pushed back. Lucian tried to push Jack-san's sword away and step back to regain his posture, but Jack-san had the upper hand. When Lucian attempted to deflect the sword, Jack-san slightly relaxed his grip, causing Lucian to lose balance, and he struck Lucian's neck with the wooden sword.

"I win."

"Jack is indeed strong. I can't win against him yet."

"No, we don't know what the outcome will be when Lucian-sama grows bigger and stronger."

After that, Jack-san explained the strengths and weaknesses for a while, and it seemed that Lucian had finished.

Next, it was my turn. I was getting a bit nervous.

"Next is Leon. You probably haven't learned the forms yet, but give it your all. Swordsmanship grows through full-fledged battles."

"Yes! Please take care of me!"

"Let's begin!"

As soon as I heard that voice, I attacked Jack-san from the upper right. Jack-san tried to deflect it, but just before our swords clashed, I stopped the downward swing, lifted my sword again, and swung it vigorously from the left, aiming for his neck. If I could win, it would be through a feint; that's what I thought.

However, Jack-san reacted instantly, easily deflecting my attack from the left. He then struck my unbalanced neck with the wooden sword.

"It's over."

Sigh, I guess I still can't do it. I didn't expect to win, but I hoped he'd be a bit more surprised.

"Leon, what you did just now was quite good. Using a feint was interesting. However, you also need to think about what comes after it's defended. You still have a long way to go."

"Yes!"

I still have a long way to go, but it feels good to be praised. I'll keep doing my best.

"Well then, tomorrow is the entrance ceremony, so let's call it a day. Even after enrolling in the Royal Academy, make sure not to neglect your swordsmanship training."

"Understood."

"Yes!"

Feeling a pleasant exhaustion, Lucian and I returned to our room. Tomorrow is the entrance ceremony.