Chapter 45

Chapter 45

#45. The Returnees of the North (3)

A grand feast for the returned expeditionary forces was held both inside and outside the inner castle.

Even though the Northern Region’s military organization differed greatly from other countries, it was still impossible to accommodate thousands of soldiers in the Palace of Glory.

Thus, a significant number of soldiers had to eat their meals outdoors, braving the wind.

However, no one complained about this arrangement.

On the contrary, they found it more enjoyable to eat without restraint.

What good would it do to be squeezed into the palace where His Grace the Duke resides?

For the soldiers, dining while constantly flattering the High Knights, nobles, bureaucrats, the Legion Commander, and most importantly, His Grace himself, was nothing short of a new form of cruel punishment.

To the soldiers, what mattered most was only the taste and quantity of the food.

And this banquet exceeded their expectations by over 200%!

“Madness! This is pure madness!”

“This is truly heavenly flavor!”

Munch munch munch munch

The soldiers were ecstatic. The feast surpassed all their expectations.

The taste, smell, and quantity were all beyond anything they could have imagined.

“Spices! There’s definitely spices in here!”

“His Grace must’ve generously seasoned our food with spices just for us!”

“Aaaaaah! I can die now without regrets!”

“If only my brother Hans could’ve tasted this food while he was alive….”

They were the ones who embarked on the expedition before the birth of Arad Salt, enduring starvation throughout their journey.

Thanks to this, any dish seasoned with Arad Salt—be it stew, meat, or even grass—was nothing short of shocking.

To the soldiers, this wasn’t merely about taste.

It felt like opening a whole new chapter in life.

“What is this thing called chicken…? Who made it?”

“Fried potatoes are this delicious?”

“How does meat emit such a good and appetizing smell? No gamey odor at all! What did you do to this food?!”

Even Arad himself lent a hand for this banquet.

Of course, he didn’t prepare all the dishes personally.

Arad simply designed the menu, shared his recipes and special Arad Sauce with the palace chefs, maids, and servants.

“What kind of meat is this? It looks unfamiliar. Is it from a chicken…?”

“But it’s so chewy! Especially when dipped in this sauce, it’s amazing!”

“What is this plant? Can it actually be eaten?”

“No idea, but once you sprinkle some seasoning and fry it in oil, everything tastes great!”

In Arad’s recipes, there was an effort to stretch the budget while increasing the quantity.

This banquet introduced cooking methods that utilized parts of animals and plants people usually discarded.

‘They’re absolutely flipping out. Well, given that it’s none other than Sir Arad’s craftsmanship, it makes sense.’

Roji, the High Knight guarding Arad alongside Eopte, wandered around the outdoor banquet hall with a proud smile.

He couldn’t help but recall the first time he tasted Arad’s stew back in Haven and empathized with the soldiers shedding tears while eating.

“Eat and drink as you wish! But don’t cause trouble! No trouble-making! Especially those who harass the maids or servants will face the whip!”

Roji shouted the same warnings repeatedly as he patrolled outside the inner castle.

“Just focus on eating, drinking, and resting. Don’t engage in useless chatter!”

He wasn’t scheduled to work today since it was his day off.

But how could he relax when the High City was celebrating the return of the expeditionary force all day long?

Especially since he knew quite a few knights in the returning army.

So Roji decided to welcome them in his own way: voluntary inner castle duty.

“If you need anything or feel uncomfortable, speak up immediately! If the servants seem busy, tell me! If you have any questions, ask away! I’ll answer whatever I can!”

Wherever people gather, accidents happen 100% of the time.

Let alone hungry, energetic soldiers gathered in one place with alcohol involved—it was predictable chaos.

Even knights trained in chivalry weren’t exempt from this rule.

“Hey! You there! She clearly doesn’t want your advances! If you want to relieve yourself, go to the brothel later!”

Upon spotting a regular knight harassing a serving maid, Roji issued a stern warning.

“What?! Wha… Oh?! My apologies. I must be a bit drunk.”

The warned knight flared up initially but quickly quieted down upon noticing Roji’s armor, symbolizing his rank as a High Knight.

High Knights themselves significantly contributed to maintaining order and military discipline.

“Brother Roji!”

While performing his voluntary duty, someone suddenly called out to him from afar.

“Huh? Theo…? Theo! You’re alive! Theo!”

Realizing who called him, Roji greeted his half-brother with a genuinely warm smile.

Despite Theo being the child of a concubine, Roji treated him like a real brother.

“You finally became a High Knight, huh? That’s great! Really great!”

Long-lost brothers Roji and Theo met joyfully.

“But… wait… Your arm…!”

“Hahaha… Yeah, it turned out like this.”

However, Roji couldn’t keep smiling.

Seeing his younger brother’s missing right arm filled his heart with sorrow.

* * *

One-armed knight Theo led his half-brother to a secluded corner of the inner castle.

This was the ward where wounded soldiers were gathered, being treated by healers and witches from the High City.

“Aaaah!”

“Stop whining! Just endure it a little longer!”

“Aaaaah! The witch! The witch is trying to turn me into a rat!”

“Seriously, will she actually turn you into a rat?”

“Hiiik!”

“After the treatment, go enjoy that delicious food over there!”

“Yes! Yes sir!”

“Tuck in quietly. Healers! Are the herbs ground yet?”

The air was filled with the scent of herbs and cries of wounded soldiers…

Gobble gobble chomp chomp

Yet, strangely enough, in a corner, soldiers with newly changed bandages were enthusiastically enjoying their meal.

It seemed Theo was also dining with his companions there.

“Alright, let me introduce you. This is my half-brother, Knight Roji. He’s only five years older than me, but he’s already become a High Knight of the High City.”

“Wow… Meeting such a distinguished person. I’m Bill.”

“I’m Bjorn. Nice to meet you.”

“Our Theo knight has such connections! If we’d known this earlier, we should’ve behaved better, huh? Hahaha!”

The people Theo introduced all gave Roji a mix of shock and bitterness.

They were all war-wounded soldiers like his half-brother, missing arms, legs, or eyes.

“Bill, can you peel this for me? My hands aren’t in good shape.”

“Sure, and can you fetch some wine for me? My leg’s not doing well.”

They helped each other during the meal. Those with hands took care of the food for those without, and those with legs fetched extra food for those unable to move.

“Brother, are you also handling executions?”

“…”

“Wait, judging by your uniform, did you join Frosthaven?”

“…”

“Ah! That’s right! So, what happened while we were gone? The witches said these foods contain not spices but something called ‘Arad Salt’? Is that true?”

“…”

“Also, what’s this about Mary’s blessing and the potato fields scattered around the High City? I heard vaguely from the healers and witches, but it’s still hard to believe.”

Theo’s chatter continued nonstop ahead.

But Roji couldn’t hear it.

All he could see were the disabled soldiers, including his brother.

‘Arad, surely Lord Arad might have some solution?’

One name popped into his mind.

* * *

Inside the largest area of the Palace of Glory, a banquet was held in the space where high-ranking officials and knights of the High City usually dined.

Since it had always been used as a banquet hall, there was nothing unusual about it.

The returning expeditionary force’s banquet, held every few years, was just another big event.

“In the end, we failed to exact revenge. We thoroughly searched beyond the Arctic Circle across the Ice Sea for those white Orcs from back then… but they were nowhere to be found.”

With exquisite food likely spiced better than ever before placed before him, Sun spoke somberly to Ariana.

An expedition driven by vengeance, but the results were unsatisfactory.

They ended up only clearing out some northern Orc tribes, monsters from the Ice Sea, and barbarian villages, forcing them to retreat.

Although this pruning operation deserved praise, Sun perceived it as a mission failure, neither here nor there.

“If I had gone, they would’ve shown up, wouldn’t they?”

At Sun’s report, Ariana wiped crumbs from her mouth with a napkin and replied.

“That’s absolutely unacceptable.”

“Unacceptable? I’m an adult now. Things are different from back then.”

“Still, it’s unacceptable.”

A strange standoff between Ariana and Sun.

“Haha! Come on, Sun! Such conversations can wait until after the banquet. I’ve already received detailed reports via carrier pigeon.”

Witnessing this, Valkyrie interjected, holding fried chicken legs in both hands.

“My apologies. I shouldn’t have brought up unnecessary topics during the meal.”

Following Valkyrie’s reminder, Sun bowed to Ariana.

“Not at all. In any case, your efforts have been immense.”

Ariana then smiled gently at the commander, as if nothing had happened before.

“Don’t sit around feeling gloomy. Eat the food. While you were away, many things happened here. Food underwent the biggest change.”

Encouraged by Ariana, Sun began eating the stew with his large hands.

His hands were so big that he had to use a ladle instead of a regular spoon.

“Mmm…”

The stew was incredibly delicious.

Delicious enough to elicit an exclamation from someone who rarely showed emotion.

But at the same time, worries arose.

“By the way, isn’t this too extravagant? Using so much spice…?”

Sun cautiously asked, unaware of Arad Salt.

“Oh! I haven’t told you about Arad Salt yet, have I? Ho ho ho ho!”

“Thinking about it, that’s why I wondered why you looked so worried despite eating such delicious food!”

“Indeed, there were many strange things since you came to the High City, weren’t there? General Sun, I’ll explain everything step by step. Feel free to ask anything.”

Isabel, Valkyrie, and Haytai laughed in turn and responded.

“I should’ve written down at least a brief note in the carrier pigeon message, knowing this would happen.”

“That was our Great Witch’s plan to surprise everyone by keeping it secret, wasn’t it?”

“Oh dear~ How did my words get so distorted? I merely said the troops on the front lines shouldn’t be shaken. Information from carrier pigeons tends to spread regardless.”

Their conversation left Sun completely bewildered.

“Don’t worry. I am always frugal. None of the familiar spices you know are in this food. It’s merely flavored using weeds unique to the north and salt rocks.”

Ariana reassured Sun with a gentle smile.

“Is that so…?”

“That’s right.”

“At this point, Your Highness, perhaps it’s best to inform Sun and the knights of the expeditionary force about everything that’s happened so far.”

“That’s a good idea. It would make for an appropriate banquet topic.”

“Alright, what shall we start with? Ask anything, my friend.”

Valkyrie, the old knight, asked his long-time comrade and junior first.

“Then… I’d like to inquire about the changes in Your Majesty’s aura and presence. Somehow… you seem purer yet weaker.”

Surprisingly, Sun started with something entirely unexpected.