Chapter 114: Seeds

Ethan had anticipated this long ago.

Regracio studied him earnestly, then burst into loud laughter. "Hahahaha, such confidence! Good... very good, I have nothing more to say. You might want to seek out a High Elf. They have nurtured a World Tree before and should be able to offer you some help."

"Where are the High Elves?"

"As far as I know, there is currently only one High Elf left. He lives in a small village north of the royal capital. If you go find him, you should be able to get some useful information. Perhaps you can even learn the whereabouts of other High Elves from him."

"I understand. Thank you."

’My journey just got extended again.’ Ethan looked at Leon, Leon smiled and nodded, indicating he was willing to come along.

Their main business was concluded, so there was no need to stay in the royal capital any longer, just as Ethan and the others were preparing to take their leave, Regracio called out to stop them.

"Ethan. Now that you’ve handed the Mana Grass to the royal family, Marquis Karloitz will definitely not let this rest. Are you sure you’ll be alright?"

Ethan simply smiled and said nothing, seeing that confident expression, Regracio couldn’t help but smile in return.

"By the way, there’s one more thing," Ethan said.

"What else do you need?"

Ethan smiled and asked, "I’d like to make a trip to the seed vault. Is that possible?"

"Wait until you return from the High Elf, and I will tell you the method to enter the seed vault." A hint of slyness flashed in Regracio’s eyes.

"Of course, I won’t help you for free."

"What do you want?"

Ethan smiled wryly and pulled a ring from his pocket — the one Walter had given him.

Seeing it, Regracio’s expression shifted. He sighed. "It seems you already know my family’s past."

"I heard your family defied the will of the gods and tried to develop agriculture."

"Hmph, that’s only because we failed, sigh, since you brought that ring, I can’t well make any more demands." He waved his hand with a resigned look.

"Go on. I will have everything prepared and waiting for your return."

After leaving the Royal Tree, Ethan walked straight toward the carriage. Both Leon and Elara were surprised by how quickly he wanted to leave.

"Are we leaving this soon?"

"Y-yeah, it was so hard to finally make a trip to the royal capital — aren’t you going to look around a bit?"

The royal capital of the Elven Kingdom had many places worth seeing. And they both knew Ethan had been fighting Dark Elves the entire journey. They hoped he could get some proper rest while the capital’s defenses kept him safe.

"Meow, let’s rest for a few more days, meow." Even Pearl chimed in to persuade him.

Ethan shrugged. He didn’t feel particularly tired, but since everyone put it that way, he couldn’t well refuse.

"Meow! I want to see what delicious food the royal capital has!" Pearl said excitedly.

Leon smiled. "Alright, the royal capital’s cuisine is famous far and wide, I’ll take you to a great restaurant."

"Oh hahaha, every time I come to the royal capital, I go to this one restaurant — the food there is quite good too."

Led by Leon and Elara, Ethan and Pearl arrived at a simply decorated restaurant.

"The mutton in this restaurant is all sourced from my territory, the taste is excellent." Leon raised his voice.

"Boss, an old friend is here."

"Oh my, if it isn’t Count Leon? Welcome, welcome."

Leon was clearly a regular, the boss ushered them in enthusiastically and, before they even ordered, served up several dishes.

"This is the restaurant’s signature dish, Omurice. The boss raises a lot of chickens himself, so the eggs here are always very fresh."

"Meow, Omurice? Can you make that, meow?" Pearl had eaten Ethan’s Omurice before. Because of that, it was very curious about which was better — this restaurant’s Omurice or Ethan’s.

Ethan didn’t answer, he just smiled.

Pearl couldn’t wait any longer and took a bite. Then it patted Ethan’s arm. "You win, meow~"

"Oh? Is that so? I’d long heard that Mr. Ethan’s culinary skills are superb, but I didn’t expect your Omurice to be even better than ours. If the opportunity arises, I definitely must taste your cooking." The boss spoke with genuine admiration.

"As long as there are ingredients, I can cook for you anytime."

Back on the road, limited supplies had restricted Ethan to simple dishes. Now in the royal capital, where ingredients were abundant, he could finally show what he was truly capable of.

While Ethan and Leon were chatting, Elara took a bite of the Omurice herself. Then she asked, puzzled: "The taste of this Omurice can already rival our family’s chefs... Can you really make a better one?"

"Meow! Have you forgotten the dishes we ate on the road, meow?"

To keep everyone’s strength up during the journey, Ethan had frequently made meals for the group. Elara had eaten them too. But she had always assumed those dishes represented the full extent of Ethan’s culinary skills.

An awkward smile crossed her face. "Oh, oh hahaha, the restaurant I recommended seems to be closed today..."

"What, are you scared?" Leon hit the nail on the head regarding Elara’s thoughts, she turned her head away, flustered.

"Then... then should we go to the restaurant Mr. Leon recommended for dinner?"

"Hmm... besides this place, there doesn’t seem to be any other good option."

"Ethan, how about this — we go to the market to buy some ingredients, and you cook for us personally. How does that sound?" Leon suggested.

This was a good idea.

Back in the Great Forest, limited ingredients had confined Ethan to simple home-style meals. Now in the royal capital of the Elven Kingdom, all sorts of ingredients could be bought. It was the perfect opportunity to truly show off his skills.

Ethan took a bite of Omurice and asked, "Where is the market?"

"It’s just nearby. However, you’ve only just arrived in the royal capital — you should get some proper rest first..." Leon had originally wanted Ethan to rest for a few days. He hadn’t expected Ethan to actually want to cook. He worried about the fatigue.

But Ethan shook his head, he loved cooking, and strolling through the market would give him a better understanding of local ingredients, which would help with future planting plans.

Seeing his enthusiasm, Leon relented. "The lands around the royal capital are all blessed by Goddess Gaia, so the variety of crops here is extremely rich, there will definitely be many good things at the market."

"That’s wonderful, once we finish eating, let’s go take a look."

After their meal, Ethan and his group arrived at the market, the market here was incredibly bustling, besides all sorts of vegetables, fruits, and meats, there were also many elven specialty goods on display.

"Oh..."

"What is it?"

"There are so many fruits here."

Ethan stopped in front of a fruit stall. The stall was piled high with various kinds of fruits — brightly colored and fragrant, enough to make anyone’s mouth water. Several elves were already picking through the selection.