Duke Langton (2)
Tick, tock.
Jeron was finally putting the watch to proper use.
Previously, he hadn't been able to use it due to a lack of button cell batteries, but he had managed to scavenge a few during his farming runs on Earth.
Thanks to that, he had discovered for the first time in eighteen years that a day on the Karen Continent actually lasted twenty-six hours.
Now that he had a working watch, it would undoubtedly be of great help in his daily life.
For now, he was using this precious timepiece merely to track the cooking time of instant meals, but even if he went back to Earth to farm right this moment, finding four servings of instant food was no easy task.
And on the Karen Continent?
It was a culinary marvel without equal.
The dish Jeron was preparing today was "3-Minute Spaghetti."
Normally, one would simply use a microwave for convenience, but there was no way such a modern appliance existed in this era. Therefore, his best option was to boil the pouches in hot water for about five minutes, just as the instructions directed.
In addition to that, he planned to bring out his ultimate trump card: a bottle of cheap wine he had found tucked away in the corner of a pantry during one of his farming trips.
Regardless of the era, what man disliked alcohol?
In fact, a man of power would have tasted countless varieties of liquor throughout his life. However, wine brewed with the concentrated technology of Earth was on an entirely different level compared to the crude spirits of this world. In an era where even sugar was a luxury, how fantastic would a sweet, cheap wine taste?
He would probably have a splitting headache the next morning, but that was none of Jeron's concern.
When the young lord himself entered the kitchen, the maids could not hide their sheer consternation. Among them, Violet was the only one who dared to nag him.
"My Lord! Cooking with your own hands? Such chores should be left to servants like us."
Are you out of your mind? You think I'd entrust this precious stuff to you guys?
Jeron clicked his tongue inwardly.
This place didn't have a proper chef; the maids simply threw meals together.
To the people of this era, who viewed food merely as a means of survival rather than an art form, he could not possibly entrust his precious 3-minute meals.
"Hush. This is a legacy of the ancestors. How could I leave such a precious dish to a maid?"
"Ah, is that so?"
"So stop nagging. You might not fully grasp it, but the man sitting in our dining room is the most powerful minister in the kingdom. If he so much as sneezes wrong, our family will vanish without a trace. I would do far more than just cook to keep him pleased."
"No wonder... The aroma is so savory and sweet. It doesn't smell like anything from this world!"
"..."
As Jeron plated the 3-minute spaghetti onto a wide dish, the distinct aroma of tomatoes, sweetness, and the savory richness of milk and cheese wafted through the air.
It was an aroma completely foreign to this world, making everyone's mouth water.
Bubble, bubble!
The scent was indeed hard to resist.
"Wow... What on earth is this?"
Violet leaned closer, practically sticking her nose into the pot where the pasta was heating. She only behaved this way because of her closeness with Jeron, but in truth, everyone else in the room felt the exact same urge.
Jeron naturally nudged her head away with a ladle.
"You'll burn yourself."
"I-I'm sorry. I've just never smelled anything so heavenly before."
"If the opportunity arises, I might make some for you one day."
"Really?!"
"I said if the opportunity arises."
"I could wait a lifetime!"
He felt like he had spoken out of turn.
Leaving Violet behind, Jeron instructed the servants to carry the dishes to the dining room.
Inside, the former lord Ark Farrow and Duke Langton were engaged in conversation.
"Good heavens! If you had only sent word ahead, I would have come out to greet you personally."
"Nonsense. How could I expect that of an ailing man? You must focus on your recovery. It is a miracle you are even alive... Sniff, sniff?"
"What in the world is that smell...?"
The Duke and Ark abruptly cut their conversation short.
Even Jeron's mother and sister, who had been quietly listening to the men speak, began sniffing the air, their eyes turning toward the kitchen entrance.
For a moment, Jeron wondered if humans in this world possessed canine DNA.
It was a comical sight to see all four of them turning their heads in unison to stare at the plates.
Nevertheless, Jeron maintained his composure as best as he could.
"To welcome our distinguished guest today, I have brought out a legacy of our family."
"A legacy?! Truly?!"
Ark Farrow gave Jeron a look that clearly asked what kind of nonsense he was spouting, but Jeron merely winked back.
Just play along with me, Father.
Ah, I see. Very well.
"I hope you enjoy the taste."
"Well, let us see..."
Faced with the overpowering aroma, the Duke completely forgot his noble decorum.
The others were no different.
Though it felt like a waste, spaghetti wasn't actually Jeron's favorite food. After the world ended, he had scavenged and eaten whatever he could find. While Earth's food carried a premium in this fantasy world, it couldn't compare to instant ramen.
His stash of Neoguri ramen was still safe.
No matter how noble the Duke was, Jeron couldn't bring himself to serve the king of instant ramen, Neoguri, so easily. He also worried that the intense, spicy flavor of ramen might be too shocking for the palates of people in this era. In comparison, pasta was a relatively safe, universally appealing dish—even if he couldn't guarantee how they would react to the processed taste.
Still, even a 3-minute meal was precious, and he had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to use it. That day had finally come.
He was tasting a 3-minute meal for the first time in eighteen years.
Slurp!
The Duke twirled the pasta around his fork, took a bite, and his eyes widened in shock. Then, he began devouring it like a man possessed.
Jeron took a small bite of his own portion. The sweet, savory flavor seemed to make every cell in his body dance with joy.
Ah, this is the taste!
This was a reward to himself for enduring eighteen years in this primitive society.
It was the pinnacle of modern Earth's food processing technology.
If a simple 3-minute meal could cause this much of a shock, how would they react to the taste of Neoguri?
They would probably faint on the spot.
The rush of memories from his past life almost brought tears to his eyes.
The nobles looked as if they were ready to lick the plates clean.
"Ahem. Your Grace, to commemorate this day, I would like to offer you a glass of wine."
"Wine?"
"Naturally, it is no ordinary vintage."
"My word! This old man is truly being pampered today."
It was a wine heavily loaded with sugar.
On Earth, it was the kind of cheap cooking wine used for culinary purposes, but its sweet taste, crafted with advanced food science, was something that simply could not be found in this world.
Pour...
Jeron elegantly filled the glasses.
Four glasses in total.
As soon as the liquid settled, a sweet aroma filled the room.
It was bound to be sweet due to the high sugar content, but since it had aged for quite some time, Jeron hoped it would suit his palate as well.
When the Duke took his first sip...
"Ah! This taste must have been brewed from the tears of a goddess. How can such sweetness exist?"
"This is unbelievable."
"Brother!"
Even Sharon, who rarely showed any emotion, gave him a firm thumbs-up.
With this, the dinner was an absolute success.
The meal proceeded like a whirlwind.
The wine served as a palate cleanser vanished in the blink of an eye.
Everyone ate with a fierce intensity, and the Duke expressed his deep gratitude for the hospitality.
"Thank you! It truly deserves to be called a legacy of your ancestors. I feel fortunate to have tasted such a thing before I die. Since you have treated me to such a precious meal, I cannot simply sit back and do nothing."
This was exactly the response Jeron had been aiming for.
The nobles of this era were incredibly transactional.
If they received something, they felt compelled to return the favor with something of equal value.
Of course, this also meant that if you offended them, they would harbor a grudge and seek vengeance until the day they died. Thus, one had to tread carefully around them.
Jeron delivered his prepared response.
"I am merely glad that Your Grace is pleased. I only ask for a private audience to inquire about a few matters."
"Hahaha! Granted!"
The Duke nodded readily.
This was enough.
Now that he had secured the Duke's favor, it was time to throw the bait and see how he reacted.
His father and mother had returned to their house by the lake.
The Duke had been given the finest guest suite in the lord's castle, and the entrance was heavily guarded by the White Horse Knights.
"Halt!"
The knights immediately placed their hands on the hilts of their swords.
Seeing Jeron arrive at this late hour carrying a strange box, it was only natural for them to be on high alert.
From inside the room, the Duke's voice rang out.
"Let him in. I have scheduled a private meeting with the Lord."
"But Your Grace, the Lord of this estate is carrying a suspicious box."
"Have you forgotten who I am? Let him in."
"Pardon our intrusion."
Duke Langton was known as the strongest knight in the kingdom.
He held the title of the Kingdom's Greatest Sword, and he was a knight capable of manipulating mana, albeit in small amounts.
A Sword Master.
Of course, he couldn't unleash massive waves of aura to slice through enemies like in fantasy novels, but he could manifest a faint blue light around his blade.
In the context of Earth's web novels, Duke Langton's level would probably be equivalent to a novice knight or an apprentice.
However, mana was extremely scarce on the Karen Continent, and magic was a dying art. Being able to manifest even a tiny amount of mana was considered an extraordinary feat.
Jeron presented the box to Langton.
"This is a gift for Your Grace."
"Haha, I have already been treated so well today. To receive a gift on top of that... I am starting to feel a bit burdened."
The noble instinct of needing to repay a debt was kicking in.
The Duke opened the box, and the moment he saw the contents, he gasped as if he were having a fit.
"Cough!"
"Your Grace!"
Hearing his gasp, the knights outside burst into the room. Jeron simply sat quietly across from the Duke.
In truth, Jeron had been quite worried.
He had no idea what the tastes of the people in this world were like.
Just because a cheap dragon ring was treated as a family heirloom didn't guarantee that a tacky dagger decorated with cubic zirconia plum blossoms would receive a favorable review.
Fortunately, his gamble seemed to have paid off.
The Duke was astonished, and the knights who had rushed in could not hide their amazement either.
Thank goodness. As expected, that tacky dagger was the ultimate treasure in this world.
With trembling hands, the Duke drew the dagger.
It was a piece of junk Jeron had found in a scrap heap at a blacksmith's shop on Earth—a piece so embarrassing that its previous owner had buried it deep in the back.
However, the appreciation of art varied by era.
Above all else...
The gap in craftsmanship between Earth and this world was over a thousand years.
Unlike Earth, where machines could precisely cut and polish gems, the craftsmen of this world did everything by hand.
Could they cut gems with such precision? Absolutely not.
In an era where synthetic gems didn't even exist, embedding cubic zirconia with such precision was something even dwarves would struggle to replicate.
"W-What on earth is this? It looks like an ancient relic."
After staring in awe for a long time, the Duke finally managed to speak.
"Your assessment is correct. It is a family heirloom, and we believe it to be a dagger bestowed upon our ancestor by the family's guardian dragon. Of course, this is merely a legend passed down through generations, so we cannot verify if it is truly a dragon's relic. We also do not know what kind of power is sealed within it."
"Haha, it is truly a magnificent piece. It wouldn't be surprising if it possessed some hidden power."
Jeron spun his tale with a straight face, while the Duke listened with absolute gravity.
From Jeron's perspective, no matter how he looked at it, it was just a tacky dagger. He had to suppress his laughter at the contrast between his own thoughts and the Duke's solemn expression.
Ting!
The Duke flicked the blade with his finger.
A clear, resonant sound echoed through the room.
"Exquisite."
He could only marvel at it.
The Duke straightened his posture.
"To offer such a treasure, a relic of a dragon... What is it that you want in return?"
Jeron stood up and bowed deeply.
"Your Grace, I humbly request your assistance in securing trading rights for the Farrow family."
"Trading rights?"
As Langton reacted, Jeron bowed even lower.
The laughter he had been holding back was threatening to burst out.
But he quickly composed himself.
Now, Duke. I've shown my hand, so it's your turn. Will you exchange trading rights for this 'dragon's legacy'?