Chapter 56

Chapter 56: The Use of Dinner and Seashells

When I went to the dining hall, everyone was already gathered there.

"I apologize for being late."

"No worries, Leon-kun. Did you prepare dinner? It can't be helped if you're late. More importantly, we're looking forward to your cooking."

"I'm really looking forward to it too. It's my first time trying Leon's cooking."

It seems that Richard-sama and Catherine-sama are quite excited.

"You used what you bought earlier, right? I'm looking forward to it."

"Will it be different from what we usually eat? I have high expectations."

Lucian and Frederick-sama also seem excited. It's kind of nerve-wracking! What if they don't find it delicious...

Just as I was about to say, "Please don't expect too much!" the dishes were brought in.

I can only pray that everyone will like it.

The dishes brought in by the servants were beautifully plated, looking like gourmet cuisine. I can't believe I made these. Well, let's try a bite of everything.

First, I'll start with the salt-grilled yellowtail.

*Chomp*... Mmm, delicious. Grilled with salt is the best after all. But I want rice!! No, this won't do. I want white rice.

Next is the oven-baked scallops.

I cut it with a knife and eat with a fork. It starts with a crispy texture, but soon a rich flavor spreads in my mouth. Oh no... it's incredibly delicious... The garlic is also working. This is extraordinary.

The oven-baked scallops are perfect. Next is the fried dish. I'll pour some tomato sauce on it, *crunch*... So tasty! The crispy texture is amazing. The tomato sauce is excellent too. Well done, Nasel-san, it's delicious.

Now, for the last one, the fried octopus. *Chomp* Oh, the more you chew, the more flavor comes out. It's better with soy sauce, but salt works too.

Phew~ Everything is incredibly delicious. I'm relieved; it's a great success. I looked around to gauge everyone's reactions.

Huh? It's so quiet... Could it be that it's not tasty?

"Um, um, did it not suit your taste?"

"Leon-kun!"

"Y-Yes!"

"This is too delicious! What's going on? Especially this dish, the oven-baked scallops, I could eat any number of them."

"I love this crispy dish. The texture is so interesting, and it pairs well with the tomato sauce. It goes well with bread too."

It's a relief if it's delicious. Richard-sama seems to enjoy the oven-baked scallops. I understand.

Catherine-sama seems to like the fried dish.

"Leon, I'm surprised you can create such delicious dishes up to this point! I like fried horse mackerel."

"I prefer fried octopus. It has a different kind of deliciousness compared to just grilling octopus with salt."

Lucian likes fried horse mackerel, and Frederick-sama enjoys fried octopus. I'm glad they find it delicious.

Feeling reassured, I continued eating.

Richard-sama murmured things like "If we had an ice-making machine in the capital, we could eat this dish there..." It seems this dish might be available in the capital too. Hang in there, Richard-sama!

After a satisfying dinner, I went to bed immediately that night. I was quite tired from making unfamiliar dishes.

And the next morning, since I'll be returning to the capital after having lunch today, I'm thinking of processing the scallop shells before that.

After breakfast, I headed to the garden.

I remember using scallop shells, roasting them, and then crushing them to make fertilizer. Wait, was it soaked in water before that? I think I soaked it in fresh water.

Hmm, I don't remember it very well.

For now, I'll have to try it out over a longer period to see the effects. Let's roast about one-fifth of them and turn them into powder. I'll also need to experiment by varying the number of days I soak them in water.

I picked up about one-fifth of the shells and placed them on the ground, creating a small depression with earth magic. Then, I used fire magic to ignite them and thoroughly roasted the shells. There might be a better way to roast them, but this should do for now.

Since I don't remember well, I'll just have to try different approaches.

Next, I need to crush them into powder. I created a sturdy stone-like vessel with earth magic, placed the shells inside, and used a sturdy stone stick I created with earth magic to crush the shells.

Oh, they're breaking quite easily. But making them fine might be a challenge. I continued crushing them absentmindedly for a while.

Alright! Is this enough, I wonder?

As I stood up, I noticed Roger looking at the crushed shells with a puzzled expression.

"Lord Leon, what have you been doing?"

"It's an experiment."

"What kind of experiment?"

"I'm trying to see if this crushed shell can be used as fertilizer. I wanted to make a little to show Richard-sama and Christoph-sama. It's easier to explain with something tangible."

After hearing my explanation, Roger seemed to understand somewhat.

"May I bring a bag to hold this powder?"

"Of course."

Roger brought a bag, and I placed the crushed shell powder inside. That's enough for now. I'll need to return to the capital and try soaking other shells in fresh water. Maybe I should try turning them into powder without roasting them? I also need to experiment with the amount and frequency of use. There's a lot I need to test.

With this vague knowledge, I wonder if Richard-sama will be puzzled too? Well... Since there's a possibility of effectively using something that was once considered waste, I'll consult with him and see.

Actually, I've refrained from sharing this knowledge because people might wonder how I know such things. But according to Martine, Lord Richard and Lord Alexis seem to think of me as their apostle. In that case, they might not question my diverse knowledge.

It's not like I've lied about being their apostle, but if they're misunderstanding even when I deny it, that works in my favor. I'll use this slight misconception to try and improve this world for my own sake.

For now, if it can contribute to making seafood available in the capital city, that would be a good step. If this fertilizer becomes a specialty of the harbor town, it might draw attention and improve the status of seafood. With increased demand, the supply should rise as well. I've also created an ice-making machine, and transportation shouldn't be an issue.

Well, things might not go perfectly, but it's better than doing nothing.

Since I had some time until lunch, I thought I'd talk to Lord Richard and asked Roger if I could meet with him. He replied that I could come anytime.

Roger and I carried clam shells and clam shell powder and visited Lord Richard's room.

"So, what's the topic this time?"

As soon as I sat on the sofa, Lord Richard motioned for me to continue. I wonder if he always thinks my conversations are risky... Well, I won't deny it.

"This time, it's about scallop shells."

"Scallop shells, as in the ones we had for dinner last night?"

"Yes, when you roast and crush scallop shells, they become fertilizer."

"What... Is that true!?"

"Yes. Is there a need to be so surprised?"

"Well, I thought shells were just useless clutter. If we can put them to good use, it's a welcome discovery. I've heard they pile up as trash on the coast."

Indeed, something bothersome could turn into a treasure.

"How does it become fertilizer?"

"I can't give you precise details, but generally, you crush them and mix them into the soil. It might change the effects if you roast them before crushing or soak them in fresh water for a few days. I don't know the most effective method, so trial and error will be necessary..."

"No, having that much information is enough. It's natural to experiment when starting something new. The fact that scallop shells might be useful is already appreciated. We'll have to see how much to use through trial and error. We should also consider combining it with the fertilizers we've been using..."

Lord Richard seemed lost in thought, especially during the latter half of his response.

"May I continue, Lord Richard?"

"Ah, yes, sorry. I got lost in thought there."

"No worries. Also, I can't give a clear answer about how much to mix into the soil or the ideal frequency, but is that acceptable?"

I recall that too much fertilizer can be detrimental. In the home garden my mother had back in Japan, she once mentioned that over-fertilization ruined the plants.

"Well, naturally, trial and error is expected when starting something new. Just having the information that scallop shells might be useful is great. It's true, we won't know how much to use until we try. Perhaps we should test a few patterns during winter and then try with summer vegetables. Starting with the estate's fields in the capital might be a good idea. If it works well, we could have the town produce it. It might even become a specialty of the town..."

Lord Richard completely sank into his thoughts during the latter part of his response.

"Lord Richard, this bag contains the crushed shells that were roasted without being soaked in water. And the wooden box holds the shells we obtained from the market."

"I see. They're quite finely crushed."

"I'd like you to experiment with the degree of fineness as well, but I think it's not good if it's too coarse."

Lord Richard stared at the shell powder for a moment before looking up.

"Leon, thank you for this valuable information. You've been a great help. I wish I could do something to repay you."

He said this with a tinge of regret.

"No, I've received a lot of kindness from the Townshend Ducal family, so it's only natural. In fact, I feel I should be doing more to repay the kindness. I apologize for the vague information this time."

If the first noble I encountered wasn't as kind as the members of the Townshend Ducal family, they might have taken my family hostage and forced me to do something. I might have even been imprisoned myself despite having magic, as magic isn't all-powerful.

Initially, I didn't feel much urgency, but I'm truly lucky to have met the Townshend Ducal family. I feel I owe them a lifetime of gratitude.

"It's really nice to hear you say that. Once I'm back in the capital, I'll discuss this with Christoph. Is it okay if I come to you for more information later?"

"Yes, please feel free to ask anytime."

And thus, my conversation with Lord Richard concluded. It seems he'll have the servants bring shells from the coast. We need plenty for various experiments.

I should seriously consider how to repay the kindness of the Ducal family. They've been so good to me, yet I've given back so little. If I recall more knowledge that could be useful, I'll be sure to share it with Lord Richard.

Afterward, I returned to my room and relaxed for a while before having lunch with everyone and leaving the harbor town.

It was a very fulfilling two days.