"Have you tried the Rikel of El Santo?"

"No."

"Why didn't you try something so delicious?! Anyway, after I perfected making bullets in the Kingdom of Graze, I went around asking around for more delicious things. I went to bars, inns, and everywhere. Many people looked at me wondering why I was so picky about food. But I couldn't resist the temptation. After improving my sword skills in Bilderna, I went around trying all kinds of different dishes in between my bodyguard duties. I heard that in some parts of El Santo, it's customary to eat insects. When I first heard I couldn't believe it when I saw it. That hard looking insect. But curiosity can't be resisted. I imagined what it would taste like. That insect was a riekel. First, I researched riekel insects at the El Santo National Library. They are nocturnal and have three spines on their back. I asked around asking about their habitat. Everyone looked puzzled as to why I asked them such a thing. Then I headed to the habitat, cut a tree that riekels like, let out sap, and waited for night. Deep in the mountains with only a torch, I felt really lonely. I could hear the cries of animals. I wondered what I was doing. Then I found the tree that was producing the sap I was looking for. When I went there, I found five riekels. I put them in a basket and headed back the way I came in triumphant excitement, but I guess I let my guard down because I slipped and fell off a cliff. It wasn't a very high cliff, only about two meters. But I seemed to have broken my leg and couldn't move for a while. But since I'd managed to get hold of some riekels, I thought I'd eat them before I died. My mistake there was that I hadn't researched how to cook them. Anyway, I picked up one of the riekels there and then and removed the thorns. You can't eat thorns, after all. I'm not that stupid. I removed the thorns with a knife and still I put the moving rikel in my mouth and chewed it. It was a mistake. The hard crunching shell was in the way, and it was impossible to eat. I lamented, "This is my last meal, I can't die even if I die." So I crawled down the mountain somehow. Just as the morning sun greeted me, a nearby villager found me. I managed to survive. The four rikels were also somehow safe. While the village doctor was treating me, I was thinking about how to cook the still-living rikel. First of all, I decided to remove the thorns. I tried cooking the rikels while they were still fresh and with splints on. Since there were only four of them, I had a hard time thinking about how to cook them. Steam, bake, or boil them. I tried all three, but it was impossible to eat. The hard shell was just in the way. So I hardened my heart and took only the shells of the still-living rikels. Even now, it's a horrible story to remember. I must have been broken somewhere. Only a few internal organs were left. But even then, the choice of steaming, grilling, or boiling was a challenge. But I chose to eat it raw. That's because I could taste the ingredients. I made up my mind, put it in my mouth and chewed it. It was very bitter. I was eating the life of a living creature, so I had no choice but to spit it out. Three hours after swallowing it, I was hit with a violent stomach ache. It's a funny story. I had to go to the village doctor again. He asked me why I had a stomach ache, and when I answered that I had eaten the innards of a rikel, he got angry. He told me to eat it at a proper restaurant. That's true. I gathered information and went to a restaurant in a certain village. Then, they told me to come back in six months because it was not in season. I worked in the village for six months, and finally the time came. I was numb. So I went into the restaurant, ordered, and what came out was a larva. I never thought I would eat a larva. I was shocked. But it smelled good. Unable to resist, I grabbed one with my hand, popped it into my mouth, and chewed it. It was irresistible. It was creamy, had a fragrant aroma, and melted in my mouth. I was hooked. I ordered seven servings. I thought this was art given to us by God."

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"Belhard, the ship has arrived."

"Yeah, we'll be right there."

"Information is important."

Belhard parted ways with Anabas Berland, who was looking out over the Ittsukuni Strait.

"That was awfully long. What were you talking about?"

"I don't know."