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226. Childhood Friend – Egg Pudding!

“Wow, what a treat this is.”

The dwarf inspector with thick eyebrows grinned. After washing his face with warm water on a winter morning, he was in a good mood.

He was stuffing his face with a lavish banquet that could warp the legs of the table, happily thinking he had made the right choice following the Captain.

It was Ruben Bijan.

One of the twenty young men selected by Reb, he was a candidate for the next great warrior of the Bijan Tribe.

As the third son of the tribal chief, his voice carried weight, and the warriors gathered around the table nodded in agreement with Ruben.

“Don’t get too cocky; think about earning your keep.”

But there was a sharp-tongued female warrior. Vann Bijan, struggling to use her fork, said.

“The Captain said if you don’t work hard, you’ll get kicked out of the sword squad. Ruben, you should be a bit nervous, don’t you think?”

Hahaha. Laughter erupted.

Ruben turned beet red and muttered.

“You always have to say things like that… Just you wait. I’m just getting used to the sword, and I’ll catch up in no time!”

“Catch up and say that.”

Ugh.

Ruben scratched his head.

He looked like he might slam the table with his arms as thick as those buckets over there, but Ruben held back. After shoving food into his mouth, he grabbed Vann’s arm and pulled her along.

The skinny female warrior Vann followed without a word.

The other inspectors in the sword squad didn’t stop them. They were just impatiently waiting for the dessert to come, and today’s breakfast dessert was…

Egg pudding!

For the young barbarians living disconnected from civilization in the valley, it was tearfully wonderful. They took a bite of the soft pudding and cried.

Don’t say they’re making a fuss over just pudding. Sophisticated cooking is indeed the finest result of human civilization, and the effort that went into creating this pudding was nothing short of remarkable.

The primary ingredient of egg pudding is, well, eggs.

There aren’t many ingredients that excite a chef’s desire for challenge like eggs do, and that’s because of the distinct elements of egg whites and yolks, the texture of which can vary wildly based on the cooking method.

However, with egg pudding, you don’t have to worry about how to handle the fascinating whites and yolks. Just mix them together! But the question remains: how will you cook it?

Eggs solidify when cooked.

The texture is determined by how and to what extent they solidify, with salt, acids, high cooking temperatures, and protein concentrations promoting solidification. In contrast, sugar, fats, low cooking temperatures, and low protein concentrations hinder solidification.

Pudding must be smooth.

The more you suppress solidification, the better. You add sugar (sweetness) and milk (fat) to the yellowish egg mixture. It’s best to stir it slowly to avoid creating bubbles and strain the egg mixture to eliminate the strings, preparing it for cooking.

When cooking, do it slowly and on low heat using a water bath (placing the cooking vessel in boiling water). This way, the texture becomes smoother.

Once cooked, letting it cool by the window in the cold winter breeze creates a firm and sweet pudding.

If it’s topped with sweet syrup when served, it would only be a matter of time before the barbarians became slaves to the chef.

However, it wouldn’t apply to Reb’s apprentices. Bound by the ‘master-servant relationship’ and absolute loyalty, they…

“Ugh, that was good.”

Rinsing his mouth with his tongue, he stepped out into the training ground.

In the training ground were Ruben and Vann.

Having already had a bout, they were sweating profusely, and Ruben and Vann were the official couple of the Bijan Tribe. They had no custom of engagement, so while they didn’t promise a future, they would marry someday.

Vann Bijan advised Ruben, who couldn’t shake his habit of swinging the axe.

“Use a thrust. Just swinging down makes your trajectory obvious.”

“…Seriously, do you think I don’t know? How can I change a habit?”

“Then fix it.”

Vann replied curtly. Ruben felt her cool demeanor was tough, but he obediently followed her advice.

The hot-headed man and the cool woman, along with the young barbarians newly wielding their swords, immersed themselves in training. When the sun was high in the sky, their captain arrived at the training ground.

“Captain, how did it go?”

“It went as planned. Everyone gear up; we’re leaving again.”

Reb looked back at the lord’s castle.

Marquis Gaidan was still hesitating. Even though he had awakened his closed-off wife’s heart and helped his daughter regain some clarity, he couldn’t decide without a justification for a rebellion.

Reb didn’t pressure the long-eared marquis. After all, he had many preparations of his own to deal with.

“When summer comes, Prince Aton de Lognum will march on Akinne. From then on, you’ll be pressured more seriously. Delay the time as long as you can. Think of me as insurance, and we’ll meet in Nevis this summer.”

He left some room for the marquis. He already had a plan to light a fire under his feet.

Cesar.

Now it was time to go find that bastard.

With murderous eyes, Reb looked south. As he tried to gauge his enemy’s location using {Tracking Skill}, he soon turned his head in another direction.

“Leah… I wonder if she has arrived.”

It was to the northwest, where Lutetia and the Monastery Church were located.

Reb gazed longingly in that direction. He then thought of Leo Dexter and Lena Ainar, who were even further north. Unlike Leah, who had recently stopped moving slowly, they still showed no signs of activity.

“Less than a year remains.”

However, the engagement scenario had already begun.

Leo Dexter would have started moving since late last year and would aim for the battlefield to become a Swordmaster. He would arrive in Lutetia this autumn and stay until before winter.

Before Leo and Lena returned to Abrival Castle, they had to arrive in Lutetia. Reb counted the days in his mind and then thought of Lean and Reriana.

Perhaps because of his advice to proceed slowly, the beggar siblings were still in Oberg.

With the mirror broken and having no means of contact, Reb guessed that Lean was likely planning to depart to align with Bart’s arrival in Noyar Port.

…They’ll manage it.

Reb finished his train of thought. Vann arrived with the horses, and after receiving the reins, he hopped up onto the horse.

Hirie, gazing down from that high window with vacant eyes, caught Rebs’s attention, and he spurred his horse.

Thud thud thud thud.

His sturdy relatives followed behind, but Reb felt as if he were running away.

*

On the slopes overlooking the southwestern coastline, a considerable group was hiding.

Neatly lined-up square wagons without windows, guarded by nearly four hundred men…

It was not a merchant group.

The wooden walls of the wagons were too thick to be considered merchant vehicles. Feces and urine dripped below, and faint whimpers could be heard from within. The attire of those surrounding the wagons was neither that of mercenaries nor merchants.

Freshly tattooed slaves on a spit.

The thugs of the Dorph Family had come out on an expedition to capture slaves.

One thug, who looked like the leader, questioned Cesar.

“Why are those wagons so clean?”

“What do you mean?”

“Why did you clean those wagons so well? I saw you only selected the pretty ones to put in there. I said I wouldn’t let it slide if I touched the goods, didn’t I?”

The thug spat on the ground.

“Ah, come on! It’s nothing to get riled up about. Can’t you see the kids are struggling? It’s for a little motivation.”

“Motivation my ass. Go do that with your wives. You planning to mess up the business again this time?”

“The prettiest girls are kept aside, so it’s fine. But this jerk keeps poking around…”

“If you keep this up, I can’t work. Last time, because you messed up all the goods, I didn’t earn a single penny.”

“Then get lost.”

“What?”

“Get lost! We don’t need you. I’ve been curious about this map; it’s all on here. Why do we need a guide? Thanks for all the guidance so far; should I cut off one of your arms as a thank you?”

“You little shit…”

“Wait! Why are you all acting like this, comrades?”

As the giant thug and Cesar squared off, a skinny thug intervened. He wore a friendly smile as he turned the leader around.

“Hey, if you mess up managing the kids again, the captain will not let it slide this time. It won’t just end with a kick to the shins.”

“I know, I know. But what can I do? The kids are all going crazy! Am I supposed to guard the wagons all night?”

“Then you better guard it to keep your neck. At least secure the latch or pull a few out to rotate. If we don’t make money again, we’re really dead.”

“Tch!” ─ The friend who clicked his tongue was sent back, and the skinny thug turned to Cesar this time, trying to calm the angry guide with practiced flattery.

“I’m sorry. I’ve talked to them. But we might need to use a few of the goods. Otherwise, the kids might cause a bigger accident. Let’s just think of it as transport costs and take a few out.”

“…Do you not know that women are three times more expensive than men?”

“Come on, honestly, that’s just for the plump ones. I’ll guarantee it; let’s just use some of the slightly older goods.”

Cesar grumbled. But what could he do? To deal with these ignorant thugs, he needed to learn to let go of his greed.

“By the way, Mr. Cesar, why the hurry for a raid tomorrow? The map says that… what’s the name again… Ah, the Yellow Tribe is holding a meeting in the ‘beginning of the month’…”

The thug pointed to the barbarian village by the distant shoreline. Cesar didn’t even wet his lips before lying.

“They moved it up. There’ll be a meeting today. By tomorrow morning, everyone will be in a daze, and then we can catch them.”

“Oh, I see. Thanks to you, it seems we’ll have a decent haul again this time…”

Oops. The thug quickly shut his mouth. But it was too late; Cesar’s eyes were already lit with determination.

The barbarian tribe, captured from the southern swamp last year, was large. Due to Cesar’s diligent observations, he had a clever timing for the hunt, yielding decent rewards, but these fools had ruined it.

Just when Cesar was about to start complaining, thirty or so horses rushed in.

“Slave hunters! Wipe them out!”

“What, what… a, a knight?”

If someone was riding a horse and wielding a hard-to-find broadsword in this world, they were most likely a knight. The leader thug quickly stepped forward and pulled out a document.

“Wait! Knights, just a moment! We have permission! Here’s the document signed by Count Amus…! Huh? Wait, they aren’t knights!”

No signs of a knight’s affiliation were visible. Just looking at their skills made it clear they weren’t knights, causing the thug to scream.

“Damn! Kill them all! What could these lowly guys be pretending to be knights…?!”

“C-Captain! Th-there…!”

We have almost four hundred men. It was a bit surprising, but the leader thug was about to lose all his fighting spirit in an instant.

Sound of conch shells.

The barbarians of the Yellow Tribe approached, blowing their nautilus horns. Like the sea noise, they swept over the thugs like a tidal wave, and determining the outcome was pointless. While Reb’s newly formed sword squad experienced their first combat, Reb looked for Cesar.

Cesar quickly dropped to his knees and shouted.

“I-I’m… M-my goodness! Thank you! I’m a merchant. I was captured by these wicked slave hunters. Please do not forgive those bastards!”

“Stop your nonsense. You don’t look like someone who’s been captured; your clothes are too neat. I bet you know these guys well.”

Reb deliberately engaged him in conversation. As the surroundings turned into a bloodbath, he held his sword towards him, protecting him from anyone else who might poke in.

“N-no! I just was captured not long ago… Ah! Chief! Chief! I’m here!”

“Oh, Cesar! Long time no see. Why are you here?”

The female chief of the Yellow Tribe waved happily at Cesar.

“I got caught by these guys on the way here. I thought they were going to attack the Yellow Tribe and was going to warn you… Thank goodness, Chief.”

“Haha! Even if these lowly bastards tried to attack our village, we could have repelled them. But thank you. Reb Bijan, thank you for informing me too. This is our first time with the Bijan Tribe. Shall we go have a drink? Today’s meeting means there will be plenty of drink.”

“Do you know this guy?”

“Yes, he’s a merchant who often visits our village. It’s been more than ten years. He’s my friend, so can you put your sword down?”

“Hmmm… Is that so? My apologies. Are you hurt anywhere?”

Reb sheathed his sword.

He smiled broadly as he lifted Cesar, but although his lips curved upward, his eyes were cold as ice.

He was the one who led me to kill my younger brother. Reb had no intention of killing this man gently.