Of course, he is not wasting money. It is precisely because Duke Emehart spends so much money on art and culture that artists from all over the Eura continent flock to the city. And as a result, the art and culture that blossomed in the city circulated to the world again and generated money.
This is not just a luxurious hobby but a neat investment.
However, it is an investment that will not yield any profit unless it is practiced over a hundred years.
This is something that cannot be imitated. Although noble powers from generation to generation can cause corruption, it can also be said that it plays a proper role as a guardian of culture.
Now, about the food. I thought there would be a lineup of gorgeous dishes but the maid first asked me what I wanted to drink.
「Ehto, what do you have?」
「Anything you like.」
It sounds like a tavern that has no menu.
In other words, they are saying they can serve anything.
I asked for mead while Herman asked for a cold barley ale. Oracle-chan and Kaara asked for wine.
Without waiting for too long, the pleasant drinks were served with walnut cookies and roasted chickpeas.
We were also served with salad and potage as appetizers but it seemed like we could select the main dish ourselves.
Indeed. This is more sophisticated than being lined up with random dishes.
「Is there anything you would like to eat?」
「Hmm」
While I was wondering what to say, Eleonora began to say, “Hero should eat the same food as me.”.
I said I’ll have the same dish as Duke Emehart.
Salmon with honey and poppy seeds.
I thought it was a rather ordinary fish dish but when I cut it with a knife, I found that it was a complex dish as the salmon was gutted, stuffed, and seasoned. The taste is perfect.
The dish that was the same as Eleonora was, to my surprise, sausage and black bread.
Those are very common foods in Germania. Of course, it fits my taste too. While eating the crispy sausage, I ordered an ale like Herman, who’s eating meat dishes without holding back.
「I knew it, my taste doesn’t change just because I became a king. As a hero, I always run around the battlefield so this kind of food suits my palate.」
「I certainly prefer this kind of food to the more pretentious ones.」
Eleonora said that with a sullen expression on her face which made me curious a little. When I asked her about it, she proudly told me that as part of her warrior’s training, she eats the same food that soldiers eat on the battlefield to train.
I somewhat feel some kind of discrepancy with what she was saying.
「Eleonora…..」
「Hnn? What’s wrong?」
I decided not to say anything extra to Eleonora, whose cheeks are bulging while eating the sausage deliciously. I’m sure she’s in a wild mood while thinking she’s a soldier fighting on a battlefield.
After all, Eleonora is treated like a general everywhere so I guess she doesn’t know what real soldiers eat.
Soldiers don’t get out of their way to eat black bread when they can eat wheat bread and the bread they eat on the battlefield, whether white or black, is dry and hard.
Moreover, because they are milled in a rough stone mill, pebbles are mixed in them.
The rye bread served to Eleonora is a luxury item, carefully made and freshly baked.
From my point of view, it’s something you can only get at high-end bakeries and it’s more expensive than bread.
What’s more, the sausage is roasted with silver mesh, making a nice sizzling sound. The juices are oozing out and the aroma is so strong.
I can only say that they use good pork and they stuffed it with herbs and aromatics.
Expensive pepper and mustard are used and on top of that, the freshly grilled sausages are served with fresh asparagus as an accompaniment, which no one would see in a battlefield meal.
Hmmm, the sausage is delicious.
「Can I have some bacon too?」
「I’ll grill it right away.」
Everything’s really available.
I wonder if they would serve manga meat if I ordered it.
Incidentally, I have made it myself but manga meat is an ancient method of making ham using a pig’s thigh.
More specifically, orc meat has more well-developed bones so it’s easier to make manga meat using orc meat.
The bacon is so delicious that I found the taste nostalgic as if I’m eating at home. The ale is also delicious and I would like to eat it with german potatoes but unfortunately, potatoes have not yet been introduced to this part of Germania.
When I ate sausage and bacon sandwiched in high-quality rye bread, umami flowed out.
It’s been a while since I’ve had such an enjoyable meal and I think this is one of the luxuries.