Reincarnated into a World Filled with Dungeons, But My Blessing Turned Out to Be the Most Challenging Dungeon - Chapter 60

“This… this is incredible freshness and flavor…”

The head chef of the castle couldn’t hide his astonishment at the vegetables before him.

“These vegetables are on par with the finest produce I’ve ever encountered. No, they might even surpass them.”

The princess had handed them over, saying, “I received these from an acquaintance, so please use them for tonight’s banquet.” The head chef had accepted them with a grim expression.

He took great pride in overseeing the selection and procurement of ingredients. To be given produce from an unknown source and instructed to prepare a meal with them felt like an insult.

His initial intention had been to use his own carefully sourced vegetables for the royal table and relegate these unfamiliar ones to the staff’s meals. But as he examined their vibrancy, his curiosity got the better of him.

“These are the ultimate vegetables… Harvested at the perfect moment, neither too soon nor too late. Any deviation would surely diminish their flavor.”

Had these truly been grown by human hands?

Decades of experience in the castle’s kitchen had never presented him with ingredients of this caliber.

“Even vegetables that are out of season are at their peak quality…”

Every crop has its optimal season, and if harvested outside of it, the taste suffers. Chefs meticulously select ingredients with this in mind. Yet these vegetables defied that logic, reigning supreme over all others, as if mocking the common culinary wisdom.

“Truly incredible… If we could find the farmer responsible, I would sign an exclusive contract with them immediately.”

Even if it came at a higher cost, the prestige of supplying produce to the royal castle would be valuable for the farmer as well. Hearing this, one of the junior chefs nodded in agreement.

“Indeed. Such exceptional crops must be secured for regular supply.”

With that, the head chef began preparing the meal—for the sole purpose of serving the king the finest dish imaginable.

“Let’s see… I need ten short swords as spares, right?”

A soldier entered a weapon shop.

“I should’ve brought at least one more person to help carry them…”

A single sword was manageable, but ten had considerable weight. The soldier had been ordered by his commander to restock their dwindling supply of short swords. However, there was one particular request his commander had made:

“Get the highest quality short swords you can find.”

Easier said than done. Menos iron short swords were typically forged by apprentice smiths as practice. There was little variation in their quality.

Menos iron was cheap, easy to process, and ideal for training blacksmiths. As such, it was widely available and commonly used against weak monsters like goblins and kobolds.

For skilled blacksmiths who could work with superior metals, spending time forging Menos iron weapons was a waste. High-quality Menos iron swords were rare.

“I can’t really tell the difference by just looking at them… Well, these ones are a bit pricier. That probably means they’re of better quality.”

When he drew one of the higher-priced short swords from its sheath, he felt something—an indescribable presence. The craftsmanship was different. The blade had a smooth, polished finish, and when he gripped it, it seemed to cling to his fingers.

In the end, the soldier decided to purchase the expensive swords and return to his commander.

“Commander, I’ve brought the swords.”

The soldier addressed a man with an imposing presence.

This man had served the kingdom for years, surviving countless battlefields, and had risen to the rank of a battalion commander. Unlike nobility who ascended through status, he had climbed the ranks through sheer skill. His combat prowess placed him among the strongest in the kingdom.

“Well done.”

Because of his commanding presence, his soldiers were always on edge around him.

He took a sword from the soldier and unsheathed it.

“Hmm?”

The air around them tensed.

“This sword…”

“Is there a problem, sir?”

Had he made a mistake and bought a defective weapon? Fear gripped the soldier as he awaited his commander’s response.

“No… Hold on.”

Without another word, the commander swung the sword at a nearby wooden training dummy.

“Ohhh!”

A collective murmur of awe spread among the soldiers.

The dummy had been cleaved cleanly in two, revealing a flawless cut.

“Where did you purchase this short sword?”

“Sir! From a weapon shop in the city. Is something wrong?”

The commander examined the blade once more. His skill was undeniable, but even so, this level of sharpness was unexpected.

“For a Menos iron short sword to be refined to this extent… This is the work of a master blacksmith. Whoever crafted this possesses an extraordinary talent. If they were given proper facilities and rare metals, they could likely forge legendary weapons.”

“T-That’s incredible…”

The surrounding soldiers were astonished. For their commander to make such a bold declaration meant the swordsmith behind this weapon was exceptional.

“I’ll go investigate immediately! I’ll find out who sold these!”

The soldier rushed out, and the commander smirked.

“If we can find this blacksmith and have them forge weapons for us, the balance of power will surely shift in our favor.”

He chuckled to himself, already envisioning the possibilities.