The Figurehead Queen Is Strongest At Her Own Pace

by Yu Sakurai

  “Excuse me. Could I borrow a bit of milk, or anything else a cat might like?”

  “What’s this about, Your Majesty? Have you found yourself a pet cat?”

  “Well, I’m not quite sure yet… I thought milk might be a nice way to show my appreciation. There’s a metal container I made for transmutation practice that I believe I left in a corner somewhere. Do you think you could use it to make something for me?”

  “Very well. Please wait here for a moment. I believe it was over here…”

  The chef quickly returned with the jug of milk.

  I thanked him and decided to use this opportunity for another purpose as well.

  “Thank you for your help. Actually, there’s one more thing I’d like to ask of you. Is now a good time?”

  “What can I do for you?”

  “I found these delicious fruits in the forest. Do you know what they are?”

  When I opened the handkerchief and retrieved a strawberry…

  “A D-Demon Gem…?!”

  The response I received was both hard to believe and also somewhat troubling.

  “Demon Gem…”

  As I repeated his words, various pieces of information started to float to the top of my brain.

  “Beautiful gem-like fruits.”

  “These berries contain poison that can cause intense pain when consumed.”

  “Death can occur after ingesting only a small amount.”

  “Beautiful in appearance, yet toxic to humans, much like a demon.”

  “These purple berries are known as Demon Gems.”

  I’d seen this name from time to time in my history books. It was a beautiful fruit that made for a deadly poison.

  Elltoria had eradicated these berries decades ago due to their danger.

  That meant I never got to see one in real life, but apparently, this strawberry-like fruit was the real deal.

  “…Poison?”

  I felt the blood in my veins turn cold.

  The chef standing in front of me started to grow pale too.

  Just before my shock turned to panic, the red color of the berry caught my eye.

  “Wait, no! This fruit is red! Demon Gems are supposed to be purple!”

  “Ah!!”

  The chef’s eyes went wide. He stared straight at the crimson berry.

  “…It just looks red to me… But I’ve seen that shape before. One of the chefs once brought a Demon Gem in for research, and it looked just like that…”

  “I see… So this isn’t likely to be a Demon Gem. It’s the wrong color, and the poison would be affecting me by now if it was the real thing.”

  “I believe so. You sure know your stuff, Your Majesty. I apologize for jumping to the wrong conclusion…”

  The chef bowed his head in apology.

  As I tried to calm him down, I heard a voice from behind me.

  “These Poor Man’s Gems are pretty rare. I’m surprised to see you bring them here.”

  “‘Poor Man’s Gems?’”

  The response had come from Gilbert. He had entered the kitchen and stopped to take a look at the red fruit.

  “Gilbert, do you know this fruit?”

  “Yes, I’ve had them many times. I personally like their flavor…but that appearance leaves something to be desired, so they’re not very widely consumed here. It’s quite natural for you to be unfamiliar with them, Your Majesty.”

  “This shape… Do people avoid them because they look so much like Demon Gems?”

  “Indeed. The color may be different, but the size and shape are spot-on.”

  Gilbert continued with the history lesson.

  A few decades ago, when the Kingdom of Wolfvarte began trading goods with the southern continent, “Poor Man’s Gems” were first introduced into the land as food. The fruit was well-loved by the southern continent, but here in the west, it was a different story, due to our long history with the much-hated Demon Gems.

  The Poor Man’s Gems, which resembled Demon Gems in every way but color, weren’t accepted by our continent

  I could see why so many people were reluctant to take to a completely unknown food—all the more so when that food looked exactly like a poisonous plant.

  It reminded me of the circumstances surrounding tomatoes back on Earth.

  In my past life, tomatoes were a staple of Italian food and other Western cuisine, but it had a surprisingly shallow history in Europe itself.

  During the Age of Discovery, tomatoes were first brought to Europe via South America, but the people of the time didn’t think much of the fruit. Tomatoes were tasty and nutritious, but they had a problematic appearance.

  At that time, the belladonna plant was feared around Europe for its poisonous properties.

  I’d seen the fruit of the belladonna plant in pictures before, and it was dark, glossy, and round, much like a tomato. For that reason, tomatoes were avoided as food for a long time to come.

  “…I see. So that’s why these red fruits are called ‘Poor Man’s Gems.’”

  “What do you mean?” the chef asked inquisitively.

  “It’s about necessity. These fruits are hated for their similarity to Demon Gems, but if they’re all you have, you’d be forced to eat them to avoid starving, right? For a hungry person, struggling with poverty, these berries are as valuable as gems, hence the name. I would guess it’s meant as a bit of a joke, yes?”

  “That’s correct. I’d expect nothing less from you, Your Majesty.”

  Gilbert met my gaze and answered with a compliment. I was glad.

  “The two fruits are often confused for each other, so most people destroy the Poor Man’s Gems immediately upon discovery. It seems to grow well in Wolfvartian soil, so they sometimes appear in the wild. During famines, the impoverished have been known to eat them, and I’ve heard that’s where it got the nickname.”

  “If it’s a nickname, then that means there’s a proper name as well?”

  “Gilvieure Gimavinna Gabunne.”

  Was that some sort of spell?

  Or so I thought for a moment, but that appeared to be the official name.

  “Gilvieure Gimavinna Gabunne… That’s quite the tongue twister.”

  “Indeed. Most people don’t memorize that name as quickly as you, Your Majesty.”

  Memorizing the complicated names of hundreds of aristocrats was another facet of the rigorous education I received from my brothers.

  “I heard the name means ‘crimson blessing’ in the native language of the south, but no one uses that name here. ‘Poor Man’s Gem’ is the norm on this continent.”

  “I didn’t know that… Then, in that case, I’d like to call these fruits ‘strawberries.’”

  “Strawberries?”

  “That’s right. I remember seeing these red fruits referred to as ‘strawberries’ in a book I read many years ago. ‘Gilvieure Gimavinna Gabunne’ is long and hard to pronounce correctly, and the nickname ‘Poor Man’s Gems’ doesn’t have very pleasant origins, so would you agree that ‘strawberry’ is a better name altogether?”

  “I would. It still sounds a bit unfamiliar to me, but it’s not hard to say, so I’ll follow your lead, Your Majesty.”

  He repeated it three times: “Strawberry. Strawberry. Strawberry.”

  Gilbert, a grown man, was muttering the word strawberry to himself with extreme intensity. It was slightly amusing.

  “Queen Laetitia, where exactly did you find these strawberries? I’ve never heard of them growing in the woods around the palace.”

  “I followed a cat who led me to them.”

  “A cat?”

  “Have a look for yourself. Do you see the gray-striped cat by the door, peering into the kitchen?”

  The cat blinked its light-green eyes at us, observing the humans. I tried once again to approach it, but the tabby was adamant in keeping distance between us.

  Gilbert nodded as if he’d come to understand everything now.

  “I see… My queen
, would you be so kind as to let me borrow one of your strawberries?”

  “By all means. Do you think it will make for good bait?”

  The gray tabby was still on high alert around us.

  I couldn’t imagine there was anything that could lure the creature in our direction. However…

  “Well, that was quite the success…”

  “What a simple creature,” Lucian whispered quietly, just loud enough for only me to hear.

  Gilbert was crouched down with a strawberry in one hand. The cat’s whiskers twitched curiously. This time, each of Gilbert’s steps forward wasn’t met with a retreat. The cat’s only concern seemed to be that single strawberry he was holding out.

  The tabby cat took step after slow step toward the strawberry. Just as it was about to lean in for a bite, Gilbert raised the berry up in the air.

  And then, as if its body could meet any challenge in following that strawberry, the cat stood up on its hind legs.

  “What…?”

  Trot. Trot. Trot.

  The gray tabby was walking upright, following Gilbert and the strawberry around the room. Its gait was perfectly human. It took one step after another without any sign of wavering.

  “It’s…not a cat?”

  Cats don’t walk on two legs.

  Even if they could, it shouldn’t be able to move more than a small distance. The cats I knew of this world were no different.

  “I thought so. This is a Gardener Cat.”

  “A Gardener Cat… Aren’t they a kind of Mythical Beast?”

  Mythical Beasts.

  These are creatures much rarer than beastfolk or demons. Mythical Beasts possess magic powers of their own, which give them certain mysterious abilities. I’d never actually seen one before, but even dragons and griffins existed in this world and were of the same mythical variety.

  Now that I knew I was reborn into a world of fantasy, I had been hoping to see one in real life at some point in my life. This unexpected encounter with a Mythical Beast wasn’t what I was expecting at all.

  “Gardener Cats are a very rare form of Mythical Beast in this land. They have the power to accelerate the growth of all plants. If a flower would normally take over a year to grow and bloom, these creatures can accomplish that in only a few days, from what I’ve heard of them.”

  “And yet, it’s so small. How impressive.”

  “They may look like regular cats, but they certainly earn the title of ‘Mythical Beast.’ Unfortunately, those powers, combined with their charming appearance, made them a prime hunting target hundreds of years ago. Now, they hardly ever show themselves around people, save for a few beastfolk.”

  I wasn’t surprised to hear this.

  Mythical Beasts, who often possessed both useful powers and appealing looks, were often hunted to extinction by humans. These days, the only types that remained were the ones who were tough enough to survive against humans, or those that lived in uninhabited areas, or creatures skilled in mimicry.

  Aside from walking upright, the Gardener Cats resembled normal cats in every way. Perhaps they disguised themselves as cats to avoid being hunted by humans.

  “…Then why did this Gardener Cat reveal itself to me?”

  “Maybe it wanted to eat the strawberry?”

  “What do you mean? I watched it eat strawberries just a bit ago…”

  “Well, some Gardener Cats are said to be little gourmets, so to speak. They like to offer to humans the plants they grow, hoping to receive a meal out of that plant in return.”

  “A meal…?”

  In other words, this Gardener Cat wanted me to use the strawberries to cook with? But the people of this kingdom hated strawberries too much to even think of eating them.

  Was this cat wandering around, looking for the one person who would use them in a meal? When it met me, someone who didn’t hesitate to eat one, maybe it finally saw its chance.

  “It followed me, hoping I would make something with its strawberries…?”

  So this cat knew it could be hunted by humans, but the desire for strawberry foods overruled all that?

  This catlike Mythical Beast, who walked on its hind legs, appeared to be out for a taste of fine dining.

  ◇　◇　◇

  WE’D managed to figure out that the gray tabby was a Gardener Cat—a type of Mythical Beast.

  We decided we wanted to observe its powers for ourselves after that, so we headed into the woods. The four of us—Lucian, Gilbert, the Gardener Cat, and myself—traveled as one group.

  Eventually, the trees opened up to reveal a clearing, and with it, the strawberry patches. Gilbert’s mouth fell open. He was clearly impressed.

  “I’ve never seen it myself, but I’ve heard that strawberries are grown differently than Demon Gems.”

  “How are Demon Gems grown?”

  “They grow at the very tip of short trees, but these strawberries are different. Their plants are close to the ground, and the berries grow on the ends of vines.”

  “I see. So it’s unlikely anyone would mistake Demon Gems for strawberries in the wild.”

  This was good news indeed. If the actual appearance of the berries was the only similar aspect, there was less of a chance that someone would mistake the two.

  “The strawberries on all three of these plants look ready to eat. I believe they’re supposed to be at peak ripeness a bit later in the season, so the Gardener Cat must have grown these itself.”

  These cats, with their methods of artificial growth, were truly amazing creatures.

  Wanting to see such power for myself, I reached into my breast pocket and took out a small glass bottle. Inside were the seeds I’d taken from one of the other berries.

  By putting the surface of the fruit into water and stirring, I was able to separate out the actual seeds. Then I placed them in salt water for a while, resulting in sturdy seeds that were well packed.

  In Japan, it was normal to grow strawberries by diverting the roots of the parent plant, but I couldn’t find any such roots on the plant in front of me, so I decided to use seeds instead.

  I dug into the dirt a bit, placed a seed down, and covered it back up. When I looked at the Gardener Cat, it approached the seed, seeming to understand me.

  “Oh, it stood up.”

  Now standing upright, the Gardener Cat stretched its front legs out toward the seed. I could see its round paws and the black lumps sticking out just slightly.

  “Its paw pads are glowing…”

  Ultimate Toe Bean Power!!

  Stupid made-up terms came to mind.

  A faint light took form in its paws and poured out into the ground, causing the dirt to shake and a green sprout to emerge from within. It was only as big as the tip of my finger at first, but the longer we watched, the bigger the sprout grew.

  Then leaves began to appear, and the vines drooped heavily with weight. It was already as big as the original strawberry plant.

  The cat finally dropped its paws over the now-grown strawberries. It approached me and started to tug at the hem of my dress.

  What does it want?

  I picked the tabby up off the ground and felt the cat cling to my chest. I wrapped my arms around it tighter. The creature closed its eyes and leaned its weight against me.

  “It’s sleeping…”

  The Gardener Cat was curled up perfectly in my arms, occasionally twitching its whiskers.

  Through my dress, I felt the limp, warm creature resting peacefully.

  Did that spell tire it out?

  Begging for a tasty treat. Taking a nice nap in the middle of the day.

  In appearance, wariness, and spontaneity, this creature resembled a cat in every way.

  ◇　◇　◇

  I walked back home to the villa, carrying the wonderful little furball in my arms.

  Once I arrived, I set the Gardener Cat down on a cushion to sleep, then headed for the kitchen.

  I was ready to make something with my new fresh
strawberries. I wanted a meal that could also serve as thanks to the cat for its generous gift.

  “Those are Demon Gems…”

  “She’s not going to eat them, right?!”

  “You’ve got it all wrong. They’re strawberries!”

  “Strawberries?”

  “That’s what Gilbert called them.”

  “Are they edible?”

  “Hmm, I’m not so sure about this…”

  The kitchen staff were gathered around me to observe.

  They were scared of the perceived “Demon Gems,” and yet, as chefs, they were intrigued at the same time.

  I was eager to have them try a dish made with strawberries for the first time. Hopefully, my plan would be a success, and they would all come to love that delicious strawberry flavor.

  If I was the only one cooking, I wouldn’t be able to test out very many methods with trial and error. The way I saw it, the most efficient thing for me to do was get the rest of the chefs interested in using the strawberries like I was.

  I knew exactly what I needed to make too.

  The chefs’ reluctance to try strawberries was all due to their appearance. They looked exactly like the poisonous Demon Gems.

  So to start, I’d make the strawberries lose their shape entirely.

  “A copper pot is best for strawberry jam.”

  Luckily, I’d already made one in advance with transmutation. I usually carried out most of my transmutation with iron, but I still practiced with other materials on occasion.

  Today’s copper pot was simple enough, but someday, I wanted to attempt something as challenging as porcelain cookware. Transmutation work required trial and error to master. I still had a lot of learning to do.

  “First, we have to prepare the strawberries to eat…”

  I ran them under water, removed each stem, and started slicing the berries into small sections.

  Personally, I enjoyed strawberry jam made with larger chunks of fruit, but my goal for today was to hide the natural shape of the berries.

  I placed the sliced berries in the pot and squeezed lemon juice over the top.

  To be sure the chefs could taste the strawberries’ natural sweetness, I wasn’t going to add any extra sugar. This meant the jam wouldn’t keep as well, but since the strawberries were very fresh, the sweetness shouldn’t be an issue.