Compensation θ ~ I might be late for reincarnation, but since I was born as the talented eldest son of a prestigious noble, I might be on the winning side.

I knew it. After all I’m Japanese at heart.

What a revelation. I couldn’t help but shout it out loud. The surprised nanny came flying over, followed by Moriss-jii.

Well, you see, I don’t have confidence in my conversational skills. It’s impossible to smoothly talk around the adults who have been by my side since birth.

So, reluctantly, I used the “Spirits talk to me” move.

“I heard the voice of a spirit. That’s why I suddenly shouted.”

With this, things should settle down more or less.

Now then. Still, in the surge of excitement when I laid eyes on my soul food, I kind of forgot that I’m being watched. I need to be more careful.

Actually, this isn’t the first time I’ve messed up.

‘I want something light to eat.’

I made that request about two years ago.

After a that, a new chef arrived at the mansion. He was sent from the Lloyd family, a branch family that rules the southern part of the Glass region.

Along with the chef, ingredients were sent, and meals were promptly provided.

“It’s an honor to meet you. I am Pamir Mart, who served as the head chef at the Lloyd family.”

“You’ve come from a distant place. I’m looking forward to southern cuisine.”

Unexpectedly, it was the head chef. I felt apologetic and wanted to express more appreciation. But, due to my position, that wasn’t feasible.

Especially for those under a branch family, I had to wear an expression like being pampered was a natural thing. That’s what I’ve been instructed. Nobility is tricky in that way.

Lyon Hydra Valenfield Kilyam.

That’s my current name. Hydra is the second name given to direct male descendants of the Kilyam Duke family, and Valenfield is a middle name that only the heir apparent can use.

If I didn’t have the [Spirits’ Grace] or an equivalent lower-level covenant, my middle name would have been changed. Thankfully, I have a spirit mark, and my covenant is the superior [Beloved by Spirits], so without a doubt, it will remain as it is.

In other words, unless there is a significant political upheaval, I am destined to inherit the Kilyam Duke family. Standing at the pinnacle of the Kilyam Duke family, which governs vast territories, I’m reminded that I shouldn’t be underestimated, both by myself and others.

I wasn’t underestimated, but at this time, I was unaware that a significant misunderstanding had occurred.

The word “light” had been replaced with “representative southern cuisine”, and due to that, the dish the earnest Lloyd family chef prepared for me turned out to be something quite unexpected.

＊

I’m feeling a bit restless.

Because, you know, it’s intriguing. I can smell it. That incredibly appetizing aroma that’s making my hunger intensify.

No, this won’t do. Is southern cuisine really light? I think it’s quite heavy, at least according to my expectations.

But if it comes out, I’ll eat it. Even if my expectations are correct, I’ll eat it. Even if I’m wrong, of course, I’ll still eat it. I can always throw it up later. So, for now I will definitely eat it.

My mouth is flooding already.

“Your meal is ready.”

When I went to the dining room, the table was already set. It looked like a high-class setting in a main dining room of a luxury city hotel, with a sparkling square table on a pure white cloth.

Wow. They even replicated the dishes. This must be the work of a reincarnated person, probably a Japanese one.

As I sat down and looked closely, my conviction deepened. A pear-finished ground with an old pine and a flying crane, both auspicious patterns symbolizing longevity.

A lacquered box-like container with a black ground scattered with gold particles. This undoubtedly looks like that. The inside of the lid is probably vermilion lacquer.

This is lacquerware, right? Or perhaps a paint job that closely mimics lacquerware.

Next to the tiered box was a soup bowl with the same pear-finished hexagonal tortoiseshell pattern. This is also a symbol of longevity and good fortune.

There were several small bowls made of pottery. They seemed not so different from what I usually use in my past life.

My grandma brought a wide tray with pear-finished maki-e as a dowry. It had a depiction of a carriage. Even though I’m not an expert on lacquerware, I could tell at a glance that this was a valuable piece, an exquisite item adorned with black lacquer pear-finish, gold maki-e, and mother-of-pearl inlay.

I researched lacquerware and auspicious patterns when I saw that.

Honestly, the impact of these dishes is not as overwhelming as that tray. But this is a different world. Even though the vegetation is similar to Earth, it must have been incredibly challenging to make something like this.

“That’s an impressive set of tableware.”

“It’s a specialty of the southern region called ‘Koami’ lacquer.”

The lid of the tiered box was opened. At that moment, an indescribable fragrance wafted out.

The inside was indeed vermilion lacquer, but more than that, my eyes were fixed on the dish inside.

“This is grilled Nāgi fish. It’s excellent for nourishment, fatigue recovery, preventing loss of appetite, and is said to be good for the eyes. Underneath, there’s a bed of southern specialty rice barley. When eaten together with the fish coated in sauce, it should have just the right amount of saltiness.”

Since there were no chopsticks, I picked up an unfamiliar black fork. It felt light, maybe it’s made of wood?

I thought of going straight to the main course, but my attention was drawn to one of the side dishes.

“Uzaku?”

“You’re quite knowledgeable.”

Ah, oops. I blurted that out without thinking. But, you see, I loved this dish.

Pickled cucumber and grilled eel. In this world, there’s a vegetable that looks like cucumber. Since Nāgi fish looks and smells like eel, if this is the same uzaku as in Japan, it should be delicious.

The remaining two side dishes were eel rolls and pickles. The soup, not surprisingly, wasn’t liver soup but had leaves with a scent like trefoil and something resembling wheat gluten.

But, after all, the main course had to come first. I couldn’t wait, so I’ll leave the others for later and dig into the eel bowl!

Eating an eel bowl for the first time in years, even though it’s from another world, it tasted amazing. The thickness of the Nāgi was just right, it was grilled to perfection, and the umami and sweetness that seeped out as I chewed spread across my entire tongue. The sweet and savory soy-based sauce. It was just like grilled eel. The fat melted in my mouth. Such a nostalgic and blissful taste.

＊

Oops, just reminiscing it made me drool.

At first, it was such a shock, but the eel bowl turned out to be a special dish among the southern cuisine. I expressed my desire to try the food that common folks eat. Slowly, various dishes started appearing—teriyaki, salt-grilled, nikujaga, gyudon, kinpira, miso stir-fry, yakitori, chawanmushi, and many more.

Since soy sauce and miso were available, naturally, miso soup and udon also made an appearance. Surprisingly, there were dishes resembling modern Japanese home-cooked meals, such as meat-stuffed dishes and rolled cabbage.

The achievements of the past reincarnator were remarkable.

Now, today, a popular menu item from festival stalls that commoners enjoy is expected to be served.

When Moriss-jii showed a bit of reluctance upon hearing that it’s a street food, I cutely persuaded him.

The ultimate puppy-dog eyes. Even though I’m already six, I still find myself cute. Moriss-jii might be the only one I can make this request to. And it works, it really does. However, going overboard can evoke excessive protectiveness and backfire, so I need to be careful.

“Well, there’s no problem. However, there’s a concern about dishes with a lot of spices or fried foods with oil, as they might be a bit harsh on your body.”

“My stomach doesn’t get upset anymore, and I haven’t thrown up recently.”

“Indeed, as you say, but that’s only been the case recently. Therefore, you can eat it, but let’s keep the portion moderate.”

Negotiation complete. I can’t contain my excitement.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Here is the southern street food, ‘Famichiki’.

Th-this, this is!

As I had remembered, the spicy coating with dripping bird fat. Crispy and juicy when you bite into it. Certainly oily, but that’s good. The fried coating is incredibly delicious.

“Actually, ‘famichiki’ is a dish created by my ancestors. It’s said that after many years of trial and error, they settled with this blend of spices.”

The first generation of the Mart family sold this famichiki, as well as fried sweet potatoes and croquettes (vegetables boiled and fried) at street stalls, gaining fame and eventually becoming the Lloyd family’s official chef.

The legendary chef, Pamiry Mart.

The name sounded so familiar that I almost burst out laughing.

What surprised me even more was the term famichiki. I had thought it was a name coined recently. However, upon listening carefully, I found out that it dates back to the southern colonization era, just after the Lloyd family branched off. I couldn’t help but exclaim,

“Eh!”

I hadn’t delved into history in much detail yet. However, the Lloyd family’s separation must have happened a long time ago, likely more than a hundred years ago. Pamiry Mart alone could have been a coincidence. But Famichiki? In this world, chicken meat isn’t called chicken. So, what does this “chiki” stand for?

The possibility of the reincarnate being someone from an English-speaking country can’t be entirely ruled out…no, then “croquette” would be odd. If it was derived from croquette, it would be because the French term “croquette” evolved into that.

A naming reminiscent of a certain convenience store. Likely a joke. Probably a modern person, and a Japanese at that.

I don’t know the cause. Maybe the flow of time differs between Earth and this world. Or perhaps, reincarnates are sent to random eras. However, if that’s the case, the influence given to this world by the reincarnated individuals might be unexpectedly significant.

I still lack information.

Just by exchanging culinary culture with the south, this much happened. If I go to the capital, will I see more things?

But, I’ve come this far. There’s no need to rush.

Because I’m turning seven soon. And when that happens, the day of the [Rite of Manifestation] will arrive.