For dinner, we were served a dish of large, bone-in chunks of salted meat that had been boiled with carrots, onions, and other vegetables before being sliced. I had no idea what the dish was called, mostly because it wasn't something I had ever taught the staff. It was simply the result of the High Ogre Maids doing their best to make the salted meat I had ordered from the Goroun Company palatable.
Because they had worked so hard, I didn't want to complain, but… it was incredibly salty. Without disguising the flavor by eating it alongside something else, finishing a single portion was a struggle.
I was the one who had purchased this meat from the Goroun Company. I had gathered a wide variety—beef, pork, goat, and mutton—and even requested various cuts. As for the taste, every single piece was salty. That was to be expected, of course; salted meat was fundamentally a preserved food. To prevent spoilage, salt was applied so excessively that flavor became an afterthought. Because of the massive amount of salt required, it actually cost more than raw meat. Still, preserved food was a necessity.
As for why I had ordered it in the first place, it was because I wanted to learn more about the diet of adventurers. I had heard the basics from Galf, but my mistake was letting my curiosity get the better of me. Since I knew they relied on preserved rations, I had ordered the salted meat without thinking things through.
"Salted meat is a luxury item, so adventurers rarely eat it," the man from the Goroun Company had told me when he delivered it.
While salt wasn't quite as scarce in Shashato City, it was still a precious commodity. Salted meat, which required huge quantities of it, was correspondingly expensive. Apparently, what adventurers actually ate was dried meat made by rubbing the flesh with herbs instead of salt and sun-drying it. During their travels, they carried slabs of dried meat roughly the size of a notebook and sliced off tiny pieces to eat during meals.
It was a total blunder on my part. I should have consulted with Galf before placing the order. However, since I had already bought a significant amount, I felt too awkward to send it back as a mistake. That was how it ended up on the dinner table, but…
Wait, everyone seemed to be taking it quite well.
"Ah, this brings back memories," Lu remarked.
Tia and the other Angels agreed. "The salt is quite strong, but after combat, you find yourself strangely craving that intensity."
"The taste is one thing," the High Elves added, "but this was always an ingredient we looked up to."
The Lizardmen were equally satisfied. "It's a good way to replenish salt. Not bad at all."
"There was a time when we used to make and sell this," the Mountain Elves said. "We never actually ate it ourselves, though. So this is what it tastes like."
Even the liaisons had their own thoughts. The representative from the Minotaur Race looked quite moved. "In my old village, when we were working hard on silkworm cultivation, salted meat was distributed once a year as a special treat. We only got a tiny bite at a time… it’s very nostalgic."
The Centaur representative shared a similar sentiment. "At the mansion where I used to work, it was stacked high in the storehouses as military rations. Of course, I wasn't even allowed to touch it back then."
It seemed many of them had personal memories or special attachments to the food. However, as expected, not everyone was a fan. The dragons, in particular, looked miserable.
"It’s not that we can't eat it, but we’d much prefer it if you just grilled some normal meat for us," Draim said, speaking on behalf of the dragons to the High Ogre Maids.
Kuro, Yuki, and the other Inferno Wolves were also struggling; the high salt content made them lose their usual enthusiasm for eating. As for Zabuton's Children, they were carefully picking out only the center of the meat. I suppose the outer layers were just too salty for them.
In contrast, the dwarves were in high spirits.
"This goes with beer! It goes incredibly well! Why didn't I ask for this meat sooner?"
"Bring out a new barrel! I want to see how it pairs with different brews!"
"Aye!"
It looked like I would have to keep ordering a certain amount of salted meat just for the dwarves. By the way, because of the salt, I didn't serve any of it to the children. They were currently watching us with envious eyes. It certainly looked delicious, but the flavor was overwhelming.
I felt bad for the High Ogre Maids who had tried so hard, but it seemed the bone-in presentation was the real draw for the kids. I understood.
"All right. Tomorrow, I'll make something with bones… maybe spareribs."
I had properly stocked up on ingredients other than salted meat, so we were all set.
The next day, I spent the afternoon doing the prep work for the spareribs. That night, the dwarves were even more delighted than the children.
"This is delicious in its own way! It really hits the spot with a drink!"
To be fair, considering how much alcohol they brewed, it would probably be harder to find a meat dish that didn't pair well with their drinks.
My sudden interest in adventurer meals had actually been sparked by a consultation with Galf, alongside Yoko's dining hall project.
"Rumors of the Lord Demon King's plan are spreading, and the adventurers are getting anxious," Galf had explained. "They’re worried their work will disappear."
While adventurers were often imagined fighting monsters and magic beasts in dangerous lands, the majority of their work actually consisted of serving as bodyguards for companies or escorts for caravans. They feared that if the Demon King's short-distance teleportation gates were installed, the need for escorts between the Royal Capital and Shashato City would vanish.
It was true that caravan escorts would likely decrease. However, the Demon Kingdom side anticipated that the need for guards to protect the gates in the villages and towns along the route would increase to compensate. Those jobs would be safer than individual escort missions, and the income would likely be comparable.
Still, it was a different type of work, so some resistance was expected. For those people, we planned to recommend taking up escort jobs for caravans heading east from Shashato City. The Demon King’s gate project was only possible because the route stayed within his direct territory; things became much more complicated the moment noble lands were involved. Since there were many noble territories to the east of Shashato City, a network of short-distance teleportation gates wouldn't be built there anytime soon.
I explained all of this to Galf.
"Is it all right if I share that information?" he asked.
I had already received permission from the Demon King. It was fine, but I was curious. "Who are you going to tell?"
"The Adventurer Guild Masters of Village Five and Shashato City."
"The top brass again, huh?"
"Well, the two of them came to me saying they had something to consult about. That’s how the topic came up."
"I see. They heard the rumors, got worried, and went to you… but why you, Galf?"
"I suppose it's because I'm an acquaintance of Lord Randan."
"So they were checking if you had any inside information?"
"It was more like they were hoping I’d go and ask him for them."
"Right. I thought the Demon Kingdom would have laid the groundwork with the Adventurer Guild, but maybe they haven't? Or perhaps it was just low on the priority list."
"The Adventurer Guild is an independent entity and tries not to get too deeply involved in the Demon Kingdom's internal politics. I suspect there might not even be a designated liaison on the Kingdom's side."
"Could that really be the case?"
"It's just a guess, but it felt like the two Guild Masters didn't even know who they were supposed to talk to within the government."
"Is Randan not an option?"
"He's far too high-ranking for them."
"And that’s where you come in."
"It seems so."
"Giving a report after the fact is just asking for a fight. I’ll make sure to tell the Demon King to officially reach out to the Adventurer Guild."
"Thank you very much."
After that, our conversation had drifted into idle talk about how adventurers lived, which led to me getting interested in their food and impulsively ordering all that salted meat.
I really need to reflect on my habits.