Meena comes transitioning in as if she was timing Val's return to the house.
　Today, she was dressed in a black-based maid's outfit and a white apron.

'Oh, are you going to make me dinner?'

'Yes. I didn't think you'd have eaten today.

　Meena knew the pattern of his behavior and had decided that if he came at this time today, she could serve him a home-cooked meal.

'I'll be grateful,'

　Val decided to return the favor today.
　His kitchen was too small for both of them to stand at the same time, and the kitchen and eating room had to be separated.
　The kitchen and eating room had to be separated, and the eating room was only about six square meters.
　This was common for houses in the second class area and it wasn't that he had chosen a poorly built house.
　Meena hummed as she got permission to cook.
　Her back is quite a sight, Val thinks.

'Oh, by the way, Meena, I heard you made a donation to the relief station?

'Yes. I didn't mean to be obtrusive, but now that I know Master Val is doing it, I can't bring myself to pretend that I don't know.

　Meena's answer didn't stagger.

It's a good thing that you're not the only one. As long as you're running the big, big organization called the state, there may inevitably be places that you can't reach.

　Baru wonders if there are limits to the politics of the ungodly body.

'I foolishly believe that it is the role of the state to deal with it,'

　Meena, on the other hand, replies that it's the country's job to fix it.
　He chooses to use very gentle words because he is the one, but it doesn't change the emperor's attitude of shunning him.
　No wonder the emperor calls him noble and difficult to deal with.

It's certainly not a good idea to just do what you have to do. It's true that there are people who need the government's support but aren't receiving it, and they need to do their best.

　Val also admits that she has a point.
　Running a state sounds really difficult, and he doesn't want to get involved in the future.

'Here you go.

　Meena arranges the food on a silver plate she brought with her before bringing it to us.
　It's a sumptuous dish that you wouldn't see unless you went to the first class area: vegetable-laden soup, steamed clams, grilled fish, and a herb wrapped monster bird.
　Her witchcraft prevents smells and other odors from leaking out of the house, otherwise the neighbors would have rushed in when they noticed the smell.
　The taste was light, taking into account Val's preferences.

'Thanks, Meena. I don't mean to be stingy, but I'd be happy to have some fruit.'

　When he made his request in a reserved manner, Meena replied with a smirk.

'I figured you'd say that, so I've got some apples and bananas for you.

Thank you!

　He thanks her again, and she smiles happily.
　The scene is like a married couple, but none of them know this.
　They taste their food in silence and in good company.
　Seeing Meena munching on a herb packet of the monstrous bird, Val said.

'I never knew elves ate meat until I met Meena.

I didn't know that people thought of elves as meatless creatures either.

　As he speaks to her, she finally speaks up as well.
　'As you can see from this exchange, elves usually eat meat too.

'It's just that they don't kill unnecessarily, and there are times when they share it with animals that want sustenance out of consideration for the ecosystem, but at some point, a false image was created.

　Val nodded at Meena's words.

'I suppose it was conveyed through a change that sometimes the meat of a killed beast is shared with other beasts. Perhaps.'

'It's just part of the balancing act, so when there are no beasts to share, they eat themselves. A situation where there is no one to feed on the animals they kill is exactly what the elves should avoid.

...... That hurts my ears.

　Val murmured with a mysterious face.
　The preparation and disposal of uneaten food is done by the imperial aristocrats to show off their wealth and prowess.
　They are not doing it out of necessity, they are doing it on purpose, so it is an unforgivable act from the point of view of the elves.
　It's not without reason that Meena is bitter towards the emperor and the others.

''Why won't you stop, Bal-sama?''

　She asked him curiously, and he decided to answer.

'It's because when the nobles stop spending, the common people don't get any real income. One aspect of it is that some people are able to feed their families because the nobles buy in bulk.

　For better or worse, the economy of the empire is supported by the aristocracy and the rich.
　When they cut back on consumption, the domestic economy suffers, and the first to be affected are the common people, who are in a weaker position.

It may be called a blasphemy against life, but the first priority is to feed their own people.

...... I understand for the moment that this is not a meaningless and useless folly.

　Meena says with a divine expression.

'Even we are not perfect. There are times when we have no choice but to cut down on life for the sake of protecting our fellow man, for the preservation of the ecosystem, and because of our own immaturity. I learned a good lesson.

'I'm afraid there aren't many who are as sincere in their approach to life as Meena is. Humans aren't even close to the elves in that regard yet.

　Val shrugged.