Thanks to the healing magic, the pain had completely vanished, so Abel returned to the kitchen to resume his work.
But one person was clearly out of place.
It was Kashe.
She looked around curiously, her eyes sparkling with interest.
The chefs eyed Kashe in her light-purple dress with visible annoyance. One of the apprentice boys even stood there with his mouth hanging open.
Even so, she was still a member of the main family, even if she was just a young girl, so they couldn’t treat her poorly.
“Um, Lady Kashe, this really isn’t a place for nobles to be.”
“Oh, come on, Abel. I don’t like those kinds of places where older men just sit around drinking.”
“Still, you didn’t have to come here of all places.”
“No way. There are people in that hall who keep staring at me.”
Abel could tell that she was likely being sized up.
In about three years, Kashe would be old enough to be considered for marriage.
As the daughter of a Count and a remarkably beautiful young lady, she would no doubt attract plenty of suitors.
Feeling it would be a bit cruel to kick Kashe out when she was watching the kitchen so happily, Abel decided to leave her be.
He then turned to help Pierre, who had reached the critical stage of preparing the cutlets.
After all, they were cooking for two hundred people. It was a truly massive amount.
A large pot had been filled to the brim with oil, and breaded cutlets were being dropped in one after another.
Over-frying would ruin them, so Pierre focused all his attention on getting the timing just right.
Abel plated the fried cutlets, added grilled vegetables on the side, and finished with Pierre’s special sauce before signaling to the servers.
The dishes were swiftly carried out.
He felt like a mother watching her son go off to war.
“I hope they like it…”
“Hey, Abel. What was that dish just now? I’ve never had it before.”
“That’s called a cutlet. It’s a dish from my hometown. Want to try it?”
Kashe nodded happily.
Abel plated a portion, drizzled it with sauce, and handed her a knife and fork.
There were no seats available, so Kashe broke all etiquette and ate standing up.
“What is this!? It’s delicious!”
Kashe’s face lit up with delight.
She polished off the whole thing in no time.
A bit of sauce clung to her cute, pale pink lips.
Amused by the sight, Abel completely forgot about having been kicked by Monke.
Even after that, Kashe wanted to stay in the kitchen, but Keifard who had rushed in once he understood the situation gently persuaded her to return to her room.
The banquet continued well into the night.
The servants of the main castle worked to make sure the candles never went out.
Drunken men sang in chorus, brawled, and made a wild noisy mess of the place.
The banquet hall and corridors were so cluttered with collapsed men that walking through them was a struggle.
The cutlets were met with enthusiastic praise, and the requests for seconds never stopped.
Pierre kept making cutlets nonstop.
Abel continued to assist him.
Without a single break, they endlessly chopped vegetables, pounded meat, and plated the food.
Eventually, they ran out of ingredients, and cooking became impossible.
That was when Abel and Pierre completely burned out.
Not just the two of them; everyone in the kitchen either sat down on the spot or collapsed.
Pierre who was completely exhausted was now sleeping on the floor.
No one was working anymore.
Just as Abel was thinking of heading back to his room to get some rest, someone appeared in front of him.
It was a man of about fifty with an air of authority, whose name Abel didn’t know.
A black beard extended from his mouth down to his chin.
His eyes were sharp and intense.
He gave off the aura of a workaholic.
“You’ve got some skills for a kid.”
The man said this in a low voice.
Abel wondered if he was being intimidated.
“When I was your age, I was doing everything from washing dishes to peeling potatoes. Brings back memories… over forty years ago.”
“And who might you be, sir?”
“I’m Jacques Druid, head chef of the Highwand County. Are you Pierre’s apprentice? Though you seem to know Lady Kashe… Doesn’t quite add up.”
“I’m Abel, squire to Lady Ise Ark. Pierre has been kind to me, so I’m just returning the favor today.”
“Hmph. I see. A matter of honor, then. Whether it’s cooking or knighthood, in the end, it all comes down to that. I should be the one thanking you. If you ever need advice, come find me anytime. And this is a token of thanks. Take it.”
The head chef Jacques Druid handed him a sack big enough to fill both hands.
Inside was a white powder…
—What the heck is this? It’s not something illegal, is it…?
Abel tasted a bit. It was sweet.
It was sugar.
A rare luxury in this world. It was worth a gold coin, maybe more.
Abel bowed and left the kitchen.
He exited the main castle and returned to Ise’s room.
Walt was sleeping in the hallway but woke up as Abel approached.
“Welcome back, Master.”
He wagged his tail.
The door was unlocked.
Inside, Ise was asleep on the bed.
She too stirred awake.
“I’m late.”
“No, it’s fine. Good work. Tomorrow is the departure ceremony. All we, the ones staying behind, can do is see them off.”
“Yes. I cooked with everything I had today. They were happy.”
“They may never return again…”
Abel slipped into bed beside Ise.
“Abel, you looked good cooking. That’s something I could never do.”
“I’d rather be praised for my sword than my cooking.”
“Then don’t slack off in your training.”
***
The morning bell rang.
Abel got dressed and left the room.
But outside the building, he ran into an unexpected person.
It was Rick, who had come with him from Tenana.
He wore a shabby iron helmet and carried a spear.
None of it fit his body. The gear was far too loose.
“Rick? You…”
“Abel! Finally found you. I heard you were living here.”
“What’s with that gear?”
“Looks cool, right? I got picked as an apprentice soldier!”
Rick was brimming with confidence.
“Huh!? What are you talking about?”
“After we parted ways, I tried all sorts of jobs, you know. A greengrocer. A furniture store. Then some job I couldn’t even figure out. None of them suited me. I quit after a day or two. Then, while I was waiting for you at the gate, Captain Simon called out to me.”
“Wh-Who? Captain Simon?”
“He’s a centurion in the spear unit, under Commander Berle! He said I had potential! I swore on the spot to become a soldier!”
Rick grinned with excitement.
“…So you’re joining the deployment unit?”
“That’s right! I’m gonna crush those Royalists out on the central plains!”
“Can’t you reconsider? Actually, I finally found a knight I could introduce you to. A good man named Baron Gatu. It’s not too late. You can talk to him first.”
“No way. I owe it to Sir Simon, the first one who saw something in me. But Abel… thanks. You pulled me out of Tenana and even looked for a knight for me.”
“Rick… listen. This war with the Kingdom….it’s not just dangerous. It’s something else entirely. You should wait and see a little longer.”
Rick’s expression turned sour.
“Abel, this is my big moment. I finally found my path….I can’t just throw it away!”
“Your father’s worried about you. He told my father in a letter. At least let him know before you go.”
“I don’t know how to write. Abel, write a reply for me. Tell him I’ve found my chance. If I give up now, I feel like I’ll be a failure forever. And no matter how many times I think about it, I just can’t stand the idea of being a farmer in Tenana. So I’ll work as a soldier, even if I’m just an apprentice.”
“……”
“It’s almost time for assembly. See you. Next time we meet, you’ll be a knight and I’ll be a centurion.”
Rick waved with a smile and walked off.
Abel couldn’t make sense of the tangle of emotions inside him.
He had never been to a battlefield, but even calling it harsh felt like an understatement.
Still, all he could do was watch him go.
He just couldn’t bring himself to crush someone who had finally found his purpose.
If he forced him to give up now, Rick would carry the resentment and frustration for the rest of his life.
Even if the other person was still a child, there were lines one shouldn’t cross.
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