As of today, Chapter 2, “Repeated Trials,” has also come to an end. Now it is time to move on to Chapter 3, but first I must apologize to my readers. I am thinking of going on hiatus for a rest.
I do go on hiatus rather often, don’t I? ^^
The truth is, writing has been very difficult for me lately. Because I was writing it alongside the side stories, I don’t think I was able to plan things out very much. So I intend to rest a little, recharge both body and mind, and then begin Chapter 3. Also, many of you have offered criticism regarding the material already serialized. Because of that, I intend to revise those parts on a large scale. I will probably have to be bold in cutting down the flashback scenes. Then I will return in a few days with Chapter 3. That will be all for now.
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Whether he had tripped over a chair or not, he clutched his aching knee and groaned for a while before finally getting to his feet.
Judging by his insignia, he was a soldier of higher rank than the one who had been speaking with Damon. He hurriedly approached Damon.
“Are you perhaps one of the guards under Mage Doyle?”
Damon nodded.
“That I am.”
A look of delight rapidly spread across the senior soldier’s face.
“I-I will give it to you. Please wait just a moment. But what sort of meat would you like……”
“Well, is there anything here besides pork? If possible, I’d like a tender suckling pig, but if you don’t have one, there’s nothing to be done……”
“I will prepare it. You, right now— No. I’ll go myself.”
He had been about to give the earlier soldier an order, but instead left the barracks himself. Damon furrowed his brow slightly at the soldier’s sudden change in attitude, but did not particularly concern himself with it.
It was not long before the senior soldier reappeared in the barracks. In his hands, however, was a fairly large suckling pig. Its head and entrails had been removed, but judging by the warm steam still rising from it, it was clear it had only just been slaughtered. At the sight, Damon’s brow drew together faintly.
“Is it all right to give me this?”
“Th-there were orders from above. They said to spare nothing for Mage Doyle, who achieved such great merit in today’s battle.”
At the senior soldier’s stammering reply, Damon felt that something was suspicious. But since there was no particular reason to doubt him, he silently accepted the suckling pig.
“Thank you. Then I’ll be going.”
Immediately after Damon left the barracks, the supply soldier looked at the senior soldier with a somewhat dissatisfied gaze.
“But isn’t this too much? A pig that hasn’t even fully grown yet……”
Since, if raised a little longer, it would have become food that could be provided to even more soldiers, the supply soldier’s complaint seemed reasonable. But the senior soldier paid little attention to his words and hurriedly left the barracks.
“I’m going to stop by the commander’s tent for a moment. Guard this place well until then……”
Soon, inside the supply depot, only the supply soldier who had dealt with Damon remained. But he could not understand the senior soldier’s sudden behavior at all, and merely tilted his head in puzzlement.
When Damon suddenly arrived carrying a whole pig, the guards under him swarmed over. One guard received the meat with a delighted expression.
“Where did this pig come from all of a sudden, Captain? Could it be tonight’s dinner……?”
Damon smiled and nodded.
“I think that ‘could it be’ is right. You can look forward to a special menu for dinner tonight.”
At Damon’s response, the guards all cheered at once. They, too, had long since been captivated by Damon’s cooking. Their eyes soon began to gleam with a certain expectation.
“But Captain, what dish are you planning to show us today?”
“If I told you the name of the dish, would you lot even understand it? Just wait quietly and taste it when it’s done.”
The guards did not mind Damon’s blunt answer in the slightest. If their experiences thus far were any indication, their captain would undoubtedly satisfy their expectations splendidly today as well.
One guard with a bushy beard deliberately began to flatter him. Of course, his words were full of the intention to curry favor.
“When you think about it, we really are lucky men. Not only are we serving under a captain with such fighting skill, but his cooking is this good too.”
“Don’t make me laugh.”
Damon answered coldly, then shook his head and headed behind the barracks. There, he had secretly prepared cooking utensils.
As the guards watched him, their hearts slowly began to flutter. However, because of their anticipation for a wonderful dinner, they did not notice one guard quietly slipping away.
It was the guard named Lloyd.
“Yuxiang Rousi (魚香肉絲), huh…… Since the seasonings aren’t complete, I wonder if it’ll turn out properly.”
Damon hummed softly as he focused on cooking. Perhaps because it was a suckling pig, the meat was tender and tore apart easily. As one could tell from the character si (絲), this dish was made by shredding pork thinly and seasoning it. It was a dish unique to the Sichuan region, with the three flavors of sourness, saltiness, and spiciness all very strong due to the addition of various spices. Of course, there was no way he had proper seasonings, so he could not bring out its true flavor, but Damon had already become highly skilled at combining inadequate seasonings. After all, even during the days when he led the Guardian Demon King Army and wandered the Central Plains, seasonings had always been lacking.
“Rather than orthodox Yuxiang Rousi, this version will probably suit Master’s palate better. Sichuan food has too strong an aroma and tends to be too spicy, so it might not suit him……”
When he generously sprinkled and mixed in the hard-won seasonings, the meat began to take on a reddish hue. After letting this marinate for a while, he would steam it thoroughly over low heat, then add seasonings and vegetables again and stir-fry it for some time. That would complete the Yuxiang Rousi. The problem was that he had to control the steaming time well. After placing the meat into the steamer, Damon let out a low, sinister chuckle.
“By now, Master’s body must be quite heated up. But it can’t be helped. Only when one is hungry does the flavor of cooking double……”
Glancing at the steamer as it slowly began to boil, Damon put the pig fat he had set aside in advance into a frying pan and began to render it. Originally, he should have used pea oil, but in the present circumstances, he could not expect that much.
At that moment, Doyle found himself in a very awkward situation. He had been sitting with his guards, gripping their tableware and waiting only for the food to come in, but instead of the expected food, uninvited guests had suddenly arrived. And in a whole group, at that.
“Oh! You were here after all. Excellent.”
If the uninvited guests approaching with smiles across their faces had been of any ordinary status, Doyle would have mercilessly ordered them out. But he could not do so, because they were none other than the high-ranking powers of the Eighth Legion. The uninvited guest was Marquis Hauzen. Beside him were also the aides who commanded the soldiers. Doyle had no choice but to receive them with a deeply reluctant expression.
“Welcome. But what brings you here……”
Marquis Hauzen continued speaking as if nothing were out of place.
“Today, Sir Doyle, you achieved truly great military merit. Therefore, we intend to dine together with Sir Doyle and commend your achievement.”
After finishing his words, Marquis Hauzen gave a signal with his eyes to the commanders he had brought with him. Then they drove out the waiting guards without hesitation. It was like a rolling stone driving out the stone already embedded there.
“We will be having a very important conversation here. So today, you men should go to the legion headquarters tent and have your meal there.”
To the guards who had been waiting with their eyes nearly popping out for Damon’s cooking, this was literally a bolt from the blue. But from the beginning, they had no courage to defy the stern orders of their commanders. One by one, the guards rose weakly and left the tent with drooping shoulders. Doyle could only watch their backs with a troubled gaze.
‘What on earth is this fellow scheming by coming here?’
But Doyle could not possibly discern Marquis Hauzen’s true intentions.
‘Heh heh heh. That man called Damon said he was preparing a special dish today, didn’t he?’
Marquis Hauzen let out a sinister smile as he fiddled with the tableware he had prepared in his pocket. Since he had already received an initial report from the supply soldier and even confirmed it through Lloyd, he could not help but have high expectations. At the same time, he recalled the moment when he had tasted the dish Lloyd had brought him before.
“What is this?”
When Lloyd, a spy who was acting as a guard for the black mage Doyle and tasked with monitoring his every move, suddenly brought him food, Marquis Hauzen was quite puzzled.
“Please try it first. It is food made by a man named Damon, who serves as the leader of the guards, and once you taste it, you will be astonished, in a word. It was a pity, but for your sake, Commander, I hid away a little of my own portion and brought it.”
Marquis Hauzen looked over the dish Lloyd offered in such a confident tone with doubtful eyes. At first glance, it did not look particularly appetizing. Being soaked in a dark, murky liquid, it did not seem especially delicious. But because Lloyd kept urging him, Marquis Hauzen had no choice but to pick up one piece of meat and place it in his mouth.
“Mm?”
Marquis Hauzen’s eyes suddenly widened. The taste of the meat melting softly in his mouth was truly superb. He guessed it was pork, yet there was no trace of any unpleasant smell. And how could the texture be so tender…… In the blink of an eye, he emptied an entire plate of the dish. Even after eating, the subtle aroma of the dish continued to linger in his mouth. It was a flavor that could easily be called the finest among all the dishes he had eaten until now.
“G-good heavens……”
Of course, as he possessed the noble rank of marquis, Marquis Hauzen had experienced countless dishes. He could pride himself on having sampled innumerable foods, from court cuisine to specialties from various regions. But this was undoubtedly the first time he had ever eaten food this delicious.
“You mean that man called Damon made this dish?”
“That is correct. Contrary to how he appears, his cooking skills are truly remarkable.”
Lloyd, who had been looking at the empty plate as though it were terribly regrettable, quickly answered. It was a great pity that he had not been able to taste it himself, but since pleasing Marquis Hauzen came first, he had no choice but to force himself to accept it. Marquis Hauzen glanced at him and made a very regretful expression.
“This is troubling. If I had my way, I would keep him as my personal chef, but he is a guard assigned to protect a mage……”
Of course, if this had not been wartime but peacetime, he would have made the man named Damon his chef without a second thought. But now, circumstances did not allow it at all.
“It can’t be helped. In that case, I will give you one more duty. Continue to monitor Doyle’s every move as ordered, but if that man Damon shows any sign of preparing food, report it to me without delay. Understood?”
“Yes, sir.”
Watching Lloyd bow his head, Marquis Hauzen smacked his lips.
“I should notify the soldiers at the supply depot in advance. If Doyle’s guard leader asks for ingredients, they are to issue whatever he needs.”
Recalling that taste, Marquis Hauzen secretly smacked his lips. When he thought about it, it truly was fortunate that Doyle had achieved great merit today. It allowed him to slip in like this under the pretext of commending his achievement. Of course, it was only natural that Doyle would not be pleased by his arrival. Sensing this, the marquis soon began to pour out empty praise.
“Your skill was truly magnificent. Among the black mages belonging to our Ikarot Empire, Sir Doyle must undoubtedly be the foremost expert.”
“You flatter me.”
While they were making idle conversation, another group of uninvited guests barged into Doyle’s tent.
“What? Damon is making food……?”
“How dare you leave us out……”
The ones who stormed in with shouts were none other than the mid-ranking unit commanders. Each of them commanded about a hundred subordinates, and they too had become gourmets thanks to Damon.
In order to make time to learn magic, Damon used his skill to win them over, and for that
reason, Damon was able to free himself from every kind of duty.
Of course, it was a trick he had devised to learn magic during that time, but it seemed they had planted informants
as well. However, the moment they entered the tent, they froze solid.
It happened after they saw Marquis Hauzen and his aides glaring beside Doyle.
Soon, Marquis Hauzen’s roar burst out.
“What is the meaning of this?”
“N-nothing, sir.”
Like the guards, the mid-level unit commanders had no choice but to withdraw weakly from the tent.
Only then could Doyle dimly guess Marquis Hauzen’s intentions.
‘Oh no…….’
His strength drained away, but that did not mean he could drive them out. In any case, they were
the commanders of the unit to which he belonged. While Doyle was fretting like that,
Damon finally opened the tent flap and came in. The moment he stepped inside holding a steaming plate,
Damon’s eyes suddenly widened.
For some reason, commanders of every rank, including Marquis Hauzen, were packed into Doyle’s tent.
Of course, there was no way he would not know Marquis Hauzen’s face. The commander of his unit,
who usually behaved with such solemn dignity. And yet now, was he not drooling as he stared fixedly
at the plate Damon was carrying? While Damon hesitated, Marquis Hauzen quickly
approached and took the plate.
“Welcome. You’ve worked hard. Come to think of it, I hear you rendered great service today as well. I
came to commend your achievement. Smack, smack.”
Perhaps he had been in too much of a hurry, for even as he spoke, he was picking up a piece of meat and putting it
into his mouth. As soon as the marquis set the plate down, the commanders rushed at it all at once. Their usual authority and
majesty had vanished without a trace. Doyle, unwilling to miss his chance, also reached his hand
toward the plate.
Unfortunately, however, only a few pieces of the dish made it into his mouth. Since the marquis and his aides
were mostly seasoned knights, their movements were far quicker than Doyle’s, who was a mage.
In the blink of an eye, the plate was empty.
“Smack, smack. Somehow, it seems the quantity was a little lacking.”
As if thoroughly satisfied with the taste of the dish, Marquis Hauzen wore an extremely pleased expression. Today’s
dish tasted even better than the one he had tried before. Of course, because he had
received a report from the supply soldier, he knew the main ingredient of the dish was pork, but not only was there none of its distinctive
gamey smell, the taste itself was completely different. Strangely, a faint fish flavor lingered,
and it melted softly in the mouth—a truly delicious dish. He did not know how it had been cooked, but it was not
fishy or greasy at all; in a word, it was a first-rate dish.
Doyle stared blankly at the emptied plate. Seeing him like that, the marquis, feeling somewhat embarrassed,
quietly rose to his feet. At times like this, a swift retreat was the best policy.
“That was excellent. Burp. Then I shall expect your continued efforts from now on.”
Marquis Hauzen turned and went over to Damon, who was standing there blankly, and patted him on the shoulder.
“It was truly splendid. I hope you will show us your skill often in the future. Well then, I shall take my
leave.”
With that, his aides all streamed out, and soon only Damon and Doyle remained
inside the tent. Immediately afterward, the guards hurriedly rushed into the tent. But what they saw
was only the empty food plate and Doyle sitting there in a daze.
“Damn it. We waited so long, and we didn’t even get to taste it…….”
The guards, utterly drained, plopped down where they stood. They had been ordered to go to the headquarters tent
and eat there, but not a single guard had obeyed. The dishes Damon made
were that alluring.
Just then, Doyle, who had been sitting there blankly, suddenly had a glint in his eyes. He slowly drew in his mana
and glared fiercely at someone.
“It was you who told Marquis Hauzen, wasn’t it?”
Where his gaze landed, Lloyd was standing in an awkward posture. Soon, all the guards’
eyes focused on him.
“I, I……”
Lloyd, flustered, tried somehow to make an excuse. But before he knew it, even his fellow guards
were approaching with murderous intent.
“Don’t even think about deceiving us under any circumstances. You were the only one who left your post…….”
“You ruined the feast because of you. You know the price for that, don’t you?”
Doyle was gathering mana, and at the sight of his comrades approaching while cracking their fists,
Lloyd reflexively threw himself into motion. He instinctively realized that if he was caught,
there would not be enough of him left to pick up.
“Catch him!”
“We’ll break that bastard’s legs!”
The excited guards tried to rush out of the tent all at once to catch Lloyd. Just then,
Damon, who had been standing blankly, stepped forward.
“There’s no need for that.”
“What?”
As the guards who had been about to run out came to an awkward halt, Damon smiled at Doyle.
“It seems an awful lot of gnats were drawn to tonight’s dinner.”
“Y-yes, so it seems.”
Doyle’s face took on a resigned expression. Damon had gone to the trouble of displaying his skill and preparing
the dish, and yet before they had even managed to try more than a few pieces, it had all gone into the bellies of uninvited guests.
Just then, words that made Doyle’s ears perk up reached him.
“True Yuxiang Rousi must be steamed for at least an hour for the flavor to come out properly.
Only then does the seasoning soak in evenly.”
“W-what do you mean?”
Damon smiled gently.
“When I saw how easily the supply soldier provided the ingredients, I had a rough guess.
You can consider what they ate a hastily made bait to drive away the gnats. The real Yuxiang Rousi
is maturing nicely in the steamer right now.”
By the time those words were finished, a light of joy shimmered across Doyle’s face. That was
the best possible news not only for Doyle, but also for the guards clutching their hungry stomachs.
“Then the real one is……”
“Please wait just a moment. I’ll have it ready within a minute.”
As soon as Damon finished speaking, Doyle and the guards grabbed their utensils and gathered around the table.
In their glittering eyes, their determination to snatch even one more piece was plain to see.
A short while later, Damon served the Yuxiang Rousi into which he had poured all his skill, and its taste
could not even be compared to the earlier dish. Enchanted by the flavor, they began devouring the food
in a frenzy.
“Smack, smack. That foolish Lloyd. To think he couldn’t even wait that long and tattled…….”
“Exactly. How bitter must he be, missing out on this taste?”
Even as they spoke, they kept stuffing meat into their mouths. It was as if someone else
might steal their share. Since Damon had prepared a fairly generous amount of food,
they were able to fill their stomachs well. By the time Doyle and the guards had eaten their fill
and were patting their bellies, poor Lloyd had no choice but to sit alone in the headquarters tent and eat food
that had grown cold.