Roland was working on the design of the medal for tomorrow's award, a task that should have been done long ago, but he had been in a bit of a state of uneasiness since the afternoon. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 ｉｎｆｏ

After the nightingale kissed him, to be exact.

Although he had a faint premonition before, the other party didn't make it clear, and he didn't take the initiative to speak, and now that it's confirmed, how should he respond to the other party's feelings?

The nightingale's question also made him understand that he didn't hate the nightingale, and even a little complacent. Who would be disgusted by a beautiful and touching woman who has a calm heart and gets along with him day and night? Roland's inability to respond positively lies in the preconceived notions formed over the past 20 years, the practical problems he will face in the future, and his ...... Anna's thoughts. Especially the last point, he can't ignore Anna and only act according to his own preferences.

Perhaps these answers will only be left to time.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Come in, it's unlocked. Roland shouted, and at the same time a little surprised, who would come to the office at this time?

Pushing the door in, it was Anna who saw her holding two plates in one hand and a crockpot in the other. Before she could speak, Roland could already smell the enticing scent.

"Food?"

"Well," Anna smiled as she placed the plate on the table, then removed the bowl from the crockpot and poured out the milky soup, "This one is called honey-roasted mushrooms, one dish is made by me, the other is made by Nightingale, and the jar is made with mushroom soup, all seasoned with the usual herb leaves. ”

"It looks delicious," Roland licked his lips, "and you can sit down and eat together." ”

Anna nodded and sat down across the table.

"What about the nightingale, why didn't she come?"

She said...... I don't know what to look at you," she replied, "and I don't quite understand why she cares. ”

"......" I see, Roland sighed softly in his heart, although he said it rightly, without any regrets, and said that it was not your fault, I just did what I wanted, but in fact it was not much better than the squirrel who plucked up the courage to poke out of the hole. Really, is this bold or cowardly...... "In that case, let's eat first." ”

Picking up a slice of mushrooms and putting it in his mouth, the sweetness of honey melted in his mouth instantly, followed by the juice contained in the mushrooms, which was staggering in the days when there was no MSG...... A little salt enhances its freshness, and finally the chewy taste of the mushroom itself, which is delicate and tough, and the taste is impeccable.

"These ...... Isn't it an ordinary mushroom?" Roland swallowed and immediately discovered its difference, it is good that ordinary mushrooms can remain slippery and refreshing after being grilled, how can they bring their own juice?

"Well, it's a specialty of the Hidden Forest, and the townspeople call it the bird's snout mushroom," Anna recounted the origin of the mushroom with a smile, "and that's why I want you to try it too."

Roland tasted another mushroom used to make soup, which was also delicious, and the juice contained was much richer, as if he was eating a soup dumpling, and it had a crispy feeling when chewing. This long-lost taste reminded him of an extremely common all-purpose seasoning that can be added to any dish in later generations - MSG. Before the discovery of monosodium glutamate, chefs had to enhance the umami flavor of dishes in indirect ways, such as making stock with whole chicken, bones, mushrooms and soybeans. Although later generations of cooks prefer to use the original flavor to reflect their exquisite cooking skills, it has to be said that even if you are a lame novice, as long as you add MSG, you can enrich the taste of food by more than one level.

If the bird's nose mushroom is naturally fat and juicy, it is an ideal MSG extraction material. It grows on trees and is difficult to pick, so it is not promoted?

"Is there a lot of this mushroom?"

"I don't know...... But it's probably a lot," Anna took a small bite," said Maisie, who had only flown around the edge of the forest before she helped me pick up a large bag. ”

"That's good news," Roland said cleanly, slicing Anna's roasted mushroom slices and reaching for his chopsticks to another plate, "I'm worried about the steak either peppering or honey, and I'm getting tired of eating it." ”

"What's wrong?"

"No...... It's nothing. He burst into tears, and oh my God, this piece was so salty that the nightingale had accidentally dropped it into the salt shaker? Later, Roland found that the rest of the mushroom slices were either mushy or undercooked, and there were brown on one side and half-raw on the other. Luckily, the mushrooms themselves are delicious, which largely overshadows her poor cooking skills.

"I ...... "He put down his chopsticks, finally finished the second plate, and drank the soup again, his stomach was already swollen. "Thank you. ”

"Well, and the nightingale," Anna laughed cutely, and Roland couldn't help but reach out and pinch her nose. And the latter whimpered, leaned forward and kissed the prince on the cheek, "Then I'll go wash the dishes, you remember to go to bed early." ”

After the witch left, Roland exhaled softly.

Although he didn't want to ignore Anna's thoughts...... But some things are not so easy to say. He thought helplessly, probably this also had something to do with his identity as a mechanical dog, after all, he rarely had any contact with the opposite sex throughout his studies. Even after graduation, he successfully entered a large design institute and had a decent salary, but this has not changed.

Luckily, there was still a long way to go before the church was completely defeated, and he could think slowly about what to do next. For now, it's better to concentrate on getting the job done at hand.

......

The next morning, when Roland boarded the temporary wooden platform in the square, he was surrounded by a sea of people.

Today's border town has changed dramatically from its previous desolate and poor appearance, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it has taken on a new look.

The town's sparse old houses have been demolished in favor of ground-breaking construction sites and brick houses, all of which were built according to the overall plan of the community, which at first glance looked neat and tidy – taking up only a third of the town's land, but enough to accommodate the original 2,000 aborigines.

When the three- and four-story residential buildings are put into construction, and the subsequent development of the community, the population living on the same piece of land will only increase. For now, the name Frontier Town is clearly not quite true, and no other town can boast a population of nearly 20,000 and a professional army of 600 men. He plans to wait until next spring to officially elevate the place to a real city.

Under the effect of the ability to echo, Roland's voice quickly quieted the crowd.

"Today is the first honour ceremony in Frontier Town to reward and encourage those who have made significant contributions to the region. It's been almost half a year since I arrived, and we've defeated the beasts, defeated the Duke, and built the town into what it is today. Many people have paid a lot for this, and there are a few of them who are not nobles, nor are they rich merchants, but just ordinary people before they worked for me, just like you!"

He looked around and exclaimed, "But now, they will be rewarded handsomely, including a medal made by my own hands, a hundred golden dragons, and five acres of land!"

This news caused a wave in the crowd, not to mention the medals and land, the hundred golden dragons alone were an enviable amount of money.

"There will be no more than one such ceremony - every year after that, a ceremony will be given to you for all your birth, no matter your wealth, if you have made great achievements, you will receive this highest honor!"

As soon as Roland's voice fell, the echo of a simulated salute resounded throughout the audience, and in the continuous roar, Iron Axe, Chemo Stoil, and Nanawa Pine ascended the wooden platform surrounded by the First Army. (To be continued.) )