The Abandoned Duchess Seems to Want a Peaceful Life - Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Security Appreciation and Meat Pies

In the square adjacent to the servants’ quarters, a short five-minute walk from the lord’s mansion, erected during the autumn construction rush, the echoes of soldiers’ training resounded today as well.

Currently stationed in Enkar Village were just over twenty soldiers—a precise count including two knight-commanders overseeing the soldiers, one squire, and twenty soldiers under their command, totaling twenty-three personnel sent by Alexis to patrol the surrounding area during Serleine’s stay.

They took turns patrolling the outskirts of Enkar Village and spent their days in training as soldiers in between.

“Lady Melfina!”

One of the knight-commanders, Roland, noticed and hurried over. Stopping a few steps away, he placed his left hand over his chest, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword, and lightly bent his knee—a formal knightly gesture.

“Thank you for coming all this way.”

“No, thank you for having me. I brought a barrel of ale for the carriage. Would you like to share it with everyone?”

“Thank you! Hey, it’s a treat from Lady Melfina. Someone, help bring it over!”

As Roland called out, the soldiers raised their voices in agreement, swiftly and securely carrying the barrel from the cart.

“The ale from the lord’s mansion is truly renowned, and it’s a personal favorite of mine.”

“I’m glad to hear that. Is Sigismund on patrol?”

“Yes, but he should be back soon… Ah, speak of the devil.”

Roland gestured towards a figure waving at them, mounted on a horse. It was Sigismund, followed closely by his squire and the soldiers assigned to patrol duty, all trailing behind.

“Lady Melfina, what a pleasant surprise.”

Roland, with his grey hair and blue eyes, and Sigismund, with his silver hair and darker blue eyes than Roland’s, both bore the unmistakable appearance of the northern upper class.

Roland is courteous and amiable, a true knight in every sense, while Sigismund, typical of northern men, maintains a stoic demeanor that makes it hard to read his thoughts at first glance.

Both were highly skilled knights, handpicked by Alexis for Serleine, as Cedric had put it.

“I wanted to see how everyone was doing. Would you join me for a meal and share some stories? I brought meat pies as a treat, and I’d love to have lunch together.”

Melfina proposed.

“Of course, we’d be delighted.”

Roland responded warmly, despite the potential restriction of dining with his lord’s wife. Sigismund quietly nodded in agreement.

“Please ensure everyone gets a share.”

Melfina added.

“The dishes from the mansion are exquisite, so I’m sure they’ll enjoy it. Would the dining hall in the quarters be suitable?”

“What do you usually do for lunch?”

Melfina inquired further.

“With such fine weather today, and considering the mild temperature, we often purchase flatbread sandwiches and snacks from the village stalls and eat at the training grounds.”

Roland explained.

“In that case, training grounds it is.”

Melfina decided.

She noticed several stacked wooden crates, likely serving as makeshift chairs for breaks.

“However, I don’t think it’s suitable for Lady Melfina to dine outdoors.”

Sigismund voiced his concern.

“Oh, during the festival, I sat on crates and enjoyed sandwiches and ale with everyone from the village. It’s not a big deal.”

Melfina reassured them.

After a brief exchange of glances between Roland and Sigismund, they both nodded. Dirk, Sigismund’s squire who caught up with him, took charge and distributed the freshly baked meat pies among the soldiers.

“They’re still warm from the oven. Let’s eat them while they’re hot.”

Melfina suggested.

“These pies have an unusual shape.”

Roland remarked.

“I thought individual portions would be easier to distribute. Plus, the thick crust helps keep them warm.”

Melfina explained.

These pies were made without molds for easy distribution, using a dough mixed with wheat flour, butter, and lard. Inside, roughly chopped pork, carrots, and leeks mixed with a bit of flour and salt were shaped into half-moon forms and baked in the oven.

Though they resemble Cornish pies from my past life, the filling has been quite altered.

…The key flavor, potatoes, are currently unavailable. Also, I recall that outside of Cornwall, pies made elsewhere in England couldn’t be named Cornish pies.

In this world now, even if named such, I doubt anyone will complain. Though, those made without beef and replacing potatoes with pork are already clearly different items.

“I made them easy to eat and carry. Because they’re pies made in Enkar, I think they’re fine being called Enkar Pies.”

“I see. Duke had said occasionally that Lady Melfina’s behavior was unusual.”

“Oh, did he say something like that?”

“He praised it. Saying you had ideas he hadn’t.”

She didn’t answer that, and took a big bite of pie.

To not be eaten by those of the highest status, others could not eat. As for her, Melfina now touched the cuisine first wherever it was.

“Hot! It’s really hot!”

Dirk, the squire, exclaimed in amazement as he crunched away at the pie. Roland and Sigismund also took bites and let out satisfied sighs.

“This is delicious and quite filling.”

Roland remarked.

“Yeah, easy to carry too. If this was served on the battlefield, it would surely boost morale and spur us to take care of any monsters right in front of us.”

Sigismund added.

“Sigismund-sama, this goes incredibly well with ale!”

Dirk, Sigismund’s squire, hurriedly refilled the barrel, including Roland’s share, and dashed towards it.

“Doesn’t he just want more for himself?”

Roland quipped.

“Given how good that ale is, I can’t blame him.”

Sigismund replied with a chuckle.

Cedric, with a composed expression, interjected.

“The ale from the lord’s mansion is indeed exceptional. Can’t blame him for wanting more.”

The three knights, close in age and all knighted under the Oldrand family, were familiar faces and had known each other for years.

“You’ve found yourself in a good position, Cedric.”

Roland remarked.

“Truly enviable.”

Sigismund added.

As they continued chewing on their pies and exchanging banter, Melfina paused with her mouth full.

“Are there any inconveniences living in Enkar Village?”

She asked.

“The villagers are kind to us, and the seven trainees we’ve taken in are dedicated to their training.”

Roland answered.

“Yes, there are some promising individuals. Most importantly, everyone here is motivated by the fact that they can eat their fill.”

Sigismund added.

“That’s good to hear. Since this area hasn’t seen much trouble, I was worried.”

Melfina said.

Shortly after winter began, they recruited fifteen to thirty young men from Enkar and Melto villages as soldier apprentices. Alongside the stationed soldiers, they would receive basic combat training throughout the winter.

“This is part of the ‘debt’ owed to Alexis. Cedric, always standing guard as Melfina’s escort, had no time to train soldiers, so the stationed forces for Serleine could be considered a godsend.”

“It’s not particularly unusual for a lord without military resources to rely on a neighboring lord with blood ties. Melfina and Alexis are technically married on paper, and there’s also a business relationship where technology developed in Enkar is wholesaled to the Oldrand Duchy.”

“Regardless, when the corn harvest starts, many hired by Oldrand will come and go, like the end of last summer. So Melfina doesn’t resist the presence of Oldrand knights and soldiers, but whether she can rely on them for the long term is another matter.”

“…If Maria confirmed anyone besides Alexis, I’d feel a bit more at ease.”

“If Maria chooses Alexis and eventually divorces Melfina, relying on Oldrand’s military strength won’t lead to a good outcome.”

“At the very least, the soldiers currently stationed will leave with Serleine if she moves to the royal capital.”

“To avoid panicking at that time, I decided to gradually train soldiers from the youth of Enkar, but so far, it seems to be going well.”

“However, eating such delicious food and repeatedly patrolling and training in this tranquil village makes me feel a bit guilty towards my colleagues and other knights.”

Roland murmured suddenly. Sigismund’s expression remained unreadable, but his gaze lowered slightly.

“This time of year, not just Pluina, but also small northern monsters appear. So during winter, it’s natural that we’re constantly fighting.”

He continued.

“I can’t help but feel a bit ashamed when I think others are risking their lives fighting monsters that ravage their lands and fields.”

The soldiers within earshot, who were cheerful just moments ago, now looked a bit subdued.

“I’ve only come to the north this spring, but are monsters really that prevalent here?”

Melfina asked.

“Yes. Though their appearance places and times are mostly fixed in winter, the common approach is to wait and then strike them down.”

“It’s similar to Plamia in the south. I heard Pluina are blizzard monsters.”

“Pluina appear in the wild near the northern sea, resembling upper bodies of monkeys with sharp fangs and lower bodies like snake tails. They move by dragging their lower bodies since they have no hind legs, and their tails are troublesome as they knock down knights and soldiers with each move.”

“They’re about the size of three adult men, emit unpleasant cries, and each time, hailstones fall like arrows. They bring nearly a hundred monkey-like creatures as their entourage each year, which attack people and livestock.”

Sigismund demonstrates their size with his hands, indicating about fifty centimeters wide. They’re noticeably larger than the Japanese macaques I knew from my past life.

With nearly a hundred of them and a more powerful main creature, they’re truly fearsome beings.

“How do you go about defeating such large monsters?”

“We use fire arrows soaked in oil and swords to kill the entourage. Therefore, Oldrand knights learn not only swordsmanship but also archery. Sigismund, for instance, is exceptionally skilled, capable of hitting the bullseye even in strong winds.”

“That’s impressive.”

“Melfina, if you’re willing, perhaps you could organize an exercise or a martial arts competition once. The soldiers would surely appreciate it.”

Cedric suggests in a subdued voice, and Melfina nods.

For knights and soldiers, demonstrating honed skills before their lord is a form of honor. Especially for Oldrand’s knights and soldiers, a winter expedition would have been the perfect opportunity.

Those currently stationed in Enkar this winter have missed that chance. Instead, showcasing their skills before Melfina and receiving praise from her to Alexis would be a modest compensation.

“We don’t know when it will snow again, and there’s preparation to be done, so how about hosting a martial arts competition next spring? We’ll invite everyone from the village and prepare plenty of ale from the ducal estate.”

“Oh, that sounds wonderful.”

“Melfina, how about offering a barrel of ale as a reward for the winner?”

Melfina nods at Marie’s suggestion and claps her hands in agreement.

“I’m still in the trial and error phase, so I’m not sure if it will work out, but I’d like to offer one more gift from me. Once the item I’m currently working on is finished, I’ll present the first one to the winner of the martial arts competition.”

Setting a goal to complete the round cheese by the time of the martial arts competition gives Melfina something to aim for.

Having a deadline tends to motivate people more than having none at all.

“Lady Melfina, are you making something again?”

“It’s still a secret because it might not work out as planned. If it doesn’t, I’ll prepare two barrels of ale instead.”

“Even with ‘Appraisal’ ensuring a certain level of safety and selecting yeast and molds, fermented products are fundamentally a matter of trial and error and improvement.”

If it doesn’t go well, they can substitute the relatively stable ale they can produce.

“If I receive two barrels, my comrades will likely make fun of me.”

“It’s fine. The winner should have that kind of generosity.”

“Lady Melfina, if it’s alright, may I also participate in the martial arts competition?”

Roland looked up, a little flustered by Cedric’s words.

“Cedric! You’re Lady Melfina’s guard knight, not a soldier!”

“I share the same desire to showcase honed skills before our lord.”

“If Cedric participates, I won’t stand a chance…”

“Did you think you could beat us?”

After Dirk’s words, Sigismund returned with a bright laugh.

“With the lord’s ale and Lady Melfina’s new creation at stake, our winter training will be more intense.”

“Yes, I’m looking forward to spring.”

Melfina nodded with a smile at Roland and Sigismund’s words.

It’s good to have hope for the future.

… I hope that by then, Serleine will have recovered and we can celebrate spring together.

They were sent to protect Serleine. Showing their skills before her and receiving even a word of praise would be the greatest honor.