A man among men... Rest Clover performed the most profound dogeza of his life, successfully securing Celestine’s forgiveness for his insolence.
In truth, Celestine hadn't been angry from the start. She had merely watched him with her usual, serene smile.
After a quick rinse in the open-air bath to clear his head, Rest left the ryokan, hoping the fresh air would blow away the lingering awkwardness.
"Sigh... I really did it this time."
Once he was alone, Rest let out a long, heavy sigh. He never imagined he would get so utterly wasted. Having tasted the true terror of alcohol for the first time, he felt a genuine chill run down his spine.
Distilled spirits were incredibly potent by nature and were meant to be diluted with water or carbonated water. For a novice to knock them back neat was a reckless gamble that could have easily ended in acute alcohol poisoning.
"I have to be more careful from now on... Well, at least I secured the liquor. That's something."
This should be perfect for the party. While he hadn't been in any state to judge the flavor, Celestine had assured him it was excellent. It would surely satisfy even the most discerning noble palates.
"Now for the food. Since I'm by the sea, I might as well see what kind of fish I can find."
With that thought in mind, Rest turned his steps toward the beach. Ideally, he would have loved to haul in another Sea Dragon, but he’d be more than happy just finding something rare or unusual.
As he reached the shore, a boat was just pulling up onto the sand.
"Hard at work, I see."
"Whoa, if it isn't Lord Rest! What brings you out here!?"
Rest approached a tanned, middle-aged fisherman, who looked up with a start of surprise.
"I was hoping to buy some rare fish if you caught anything interesting. Do you have anything?"
"Nah, nothing that special today, I’m afraid."
The fisherman scratched his head, glancing down at the nets heaped in his boat.
"Just the usual local catch. Of course, you’re welcome to whatever you like if you don't mind the common stuff."
"Do you mind if I take a look?"
With the man's permission, Rest inspected the day’s haul. The small fishing boat was filled with familiar sights—standard fish he had seen many times before. There were no exotic species or high-end delicacies among them.
"Oh... Wait, is this...?"
However, nestled among the mundane catch, Rest spotted something unexpected. It was a bizarre creature with writhing tentacles, its grotesque form likely to trigger a visceral sense of disgust in most people.
"Is this... an octopus?"
It was a Devilfish—better known to him as an octopus. It was the first time he had seen one since reincarnating into this world.
"Oh? You recognize that thing, Lord Rest?"
"Yeah. I've eaten it before."
"Well, that’s a first. I didn't think it was the kind of thing a noble would ever put in his mouth."
The fisherman looked baffled as he explained the local perception. It seemed that even in this world, octopuses were widely loathed. While coastal villagers and fishermen might boil and eat them, merchants refused to touch them. Any attempt to sell them was usually met with a look of revulsion and a demand to take the "creepy thing" elsewhere.
"Ah... I figured as much."
Since his reincarnation, Rest had never seen an octopus dish in the Royal Capital. Back in his previous life, they were only a staple in a handful of countries like Japan; in this world, they were apparently even more of a niche food.
(Thinking back, Japanese people really did eat anything. I never gave it much thought before, but who was the first person to look at a sea urchin or a sea cucumber and think, ‘I bet that’s delicious’?)
"If you don't mind, could I have it?"
"Sure thing, take it! If you want, I can have my wife boil it up for you?"
"No thanks, I’ll handle the cooking. There’s a specific dish I want to try making."
Rest took the still-wriggling octopus and let out a small grin.
"Since I have the ingredients... I think it’s time for an octopus party. In a way, this is the rarest delicacy of them all, isn't it?"