A man was dancing in the main thoroughfare of Shashato City.
It wasn't a graceful performance; it was a violent, high-energy display. He was spinning on the ground using his head as a pivot—breakdancing, perhaps. Well, the specific style didn't matter as much as the reason behind it.
Judging by his looks, he was a human in his forties. His clothes were of high quality, suggesting he had a steady income. As I watched, the city guards arrived, apprehended him, and hauled him away. He resisted, but he was no match for a group of armed men.
To be fair, his dancing was quite the obstruction for pedestrians. I hadn't been able to move past him either. Still, I figured whoever he was, he had nothing to do with me. I continued toward my destination, the Maruura. Miyo had summoned me.
As it turned out, the man had everything to do with me.
The street dancer was Libic, a human from the kingdoms of men. Apparently, he was an exclusive cook for a certain royal family. He had evidently clashed with Alfred out in the human lands, and Progenitor-san had dropped him here in Shashato City.
Was it a sentence of exile? Not quite. It seemed it was a measure intended to broaden his culinary horizons. To that end, Alfred had provided him with funds—about ten silver coins and a generous amount of large and medium copper.
Alfred had also sent a letter to Miyo, asking her to assist Libic with his transition to life in Shashato. Consequently, Miyo had arranged for his lodging and other necessities.
I appreciated the help. If this had been the old Miyo, she probably would have slammed the letter in my face and told me not to bother her when she was already understaffed. However, the Kissinlee couple—who had caused such a stir during the auction—had apparently become quite the asset to her staff, giving her some much-needed mental breathing room.
Still, Libic’s eccentric behavior had reached a point where she felt she needed my input. The reason Miyo hadn't simply visited the Village of the Great Tree to consult me was likely because she didn't view it as a high-stakes responsibility, nor was it particularly urgent. She seemed genuinely surprised that I’d arrived so soon.
For my part, I had wanted to check on the Kissinlees anyway, and Beezel happened to be at the village to provide a quick teleport.
So, Miyo brought me up to speed on the situation.
"Have you asked him why he's dancing?" I asked.
"The problem is that he only talks about food," she replied. "He just goes on about how this dish was delicious or how that flavor was incredible..."
"I see."
"Alfred-sama's letter said that if he caused trouble, I should ask Progenitor-san to take him back."
Contacting me was partly a way to reach Progenitor-san. Ever since Alfred left for the human lands, Progenitor-san had been visiting the village every few days to give us status reports. His next visit was scheduled for three days from now.
"Should we just leave him be until then?"
"Hmm..."
While he surely had his reasons for dancing, it was a problem if he was inconveniencing everyone else. I decided to have a word with him.
"I am a proud cook!" he declared when we met. "It is inconceivable that I could lose to common street food!"
"Right."
"It’s impossible! Utterly impossible!"
"Yes, I get it."
"And yet, I cannot lie to my own palate! Delicious food is delicious!"
Well, at least he was honest.
"I don't expect them to just hand over their secrets, either! One must learn through labor!"
"Is that so?"
"But as a proud cook, I cannot simply work in a commoner's shop! I am bound to the royal house. I would have to return home and formally resign before I could even consider it."
"I see. Then do you want to head back? I can make the arrangements."
"No! I haven't tasted everything yet! I've only made it this far down the menu in this shop alone!"
I listened to his ramblings for a while, but the topic of dancing never came up. I wondered if he was just trying to work up an appetite.
"No, there is a different reason for my dancing," he eventually explained.
"I'm listening."
"I haven't always aspired to be a cook."
"I see."
"In my youth, I wanted to be a dancer—someone who could energize those around them through movement. But making a living through dance was difficult. I started working in kitchens just to pay the bills, but somehow, I kept getting promoted."
He clearly had a natural talent for it.
"Perhaps. But somewhere along the line, I forgot my 'beginner's heart.' This dancing is a way to rediscover that passion. At the same time, it's a dance of gratitude for the cuisine! The curry is delicious! The katsu-don is delicious! The oden! Oh, the oden is supreme! I have to take that flavor back with me at all costs!"
I had to admire his enthusiasm.
"And," he added, "people throw money when I dance."
So there was a financial motive, too.
"Alfred-dono gave me a sufficient sum, but expenses do tend to pile up."
I understood his plight, but I told him he had to stop street performing in the plazas and thoroughfares.
"Then I shall dance inside the shop!"
I was being a bit roundabout, I suppose. I had to explicitly tell him not to dance at all.
"How tyrannical!"
We eventually settled the matter with me providing a small stipend to cover his living expenses. I don't usually hand out money like that, but given his connection to Alfred and Progenitor-san, I made an exception.
"Thank you. Now I can research the cuisine of Village Five as well as Shashato," he said.
I figured more people researching food could only be a good thing.
"By the way... pardon my rudeness, but who are you?"
Oh, right. I hadn't introduced myself.
"Miyo-sama only said you were her superior."
"Sorry about that. I'm Hiraku, Alfred's father."
"............"
He clearly didn't believe me. He immediately went to verify my identity with Miyo and my guards—Galf, Daga, and Reginleiv.
"My deepest apologies. You seemed... far more sensible than what I had been led to believe."
Wait. What exactly had Alfred been telling people about me?
"He said you were... a magnificent father."
"Is that so?"
"Yes... or something along those lines."
I wasn't sure I could trust that.
"He also mentioned... that you subjugate legions of dragons and blow away entire mountains with a wave of your hand."
"Ah... please don't believe any of that."
"Ah, so it was all lies?"
"Exactly. I have dragons as wives, but I certainly didn't subjugate them. And as for mountains, I might have carved one out before, but blowing them away is quite impossible."
Despite my firm denials, he still looked skeptical.
Miyo, Galf, Daga, Reginleiv—please, do a better job of explaining that I'm telling the truth.