The Possession-Spoon Chef Feeds the Empire - Chapter 85

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 85
Osborn clenched his teeth as he watched Cain.
A cur of a son.
When had he started blocking his path like this?
Rare Mana Stones had always been Osborn’s domain.
Attending every auction and spending lavishly to acquire them was routine work.
The problem was that Cain had begun participating in the same auctions a few years ago.
That wretch snapped up every item of interest the moment it appeared.
Since they both heard the same high-grade intelligence from the Nobility Council, it wasn’t easy for Osborn to stay ahead.
Moreover, Cain held the Barony of Bellaon, which meant he could spend his funds far more freely than Osborn could.
Information was also a problem.
In the past, Osborn had sought Melina’s cooperation and purchased information from her, but at some point, she had begun passing information to Cain faster and of superior quality.
Though resources still remained, he was growing impatient by degrees.
And amid all this, the relationship between the Imperial Family and House Bellaon…
“Let me be direct.”
The Emperor’s words broke through his thoughts.
“I wish to reconcile with the Duke of Bellaon.”
“Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Bellaon is not quarreling with the Imperial Family…
“Who said anything about reconciling with Lord Osborn? I said reconcile with the Duke.”
At the Emperor’s rebuke, Osborn’s expression darkened further.
“I know the Duke dislikes acceding to the Crown Prince’s requests. And I know misunderstandings have accumulated over these years. So let us resolve them. Let us not be so petty with one another.”
Yes, the relationship between the Imperial Family and Bellaon was also a problem.
Osborn pressed his temples.
Five years ago, when the Crown Prince came to the Mansion and demanded Luciel be handed over, the Duke had begun openly hostile toward him.
He hated the future Emperor so much that Osborn, as his son, was appalled.
The Duke readily cooperated with nothing, surrendered nothing. Rather, he seemed progressively to sever even the business partnerships with the Imperial Family.
It was only natural that the Emperor felt uncomfortable.
If they became enemies with Bellaon, a massive source of funds, the Imperial Family would become quite financially precarious.
“Here is what we shall do.”
The Emperor made his declaration.
“The war in the Northern Region is winding down, is it not? Once everything is concluded and Bael and Arnen return, we shall hold a grand banquet.”
His expression suggested he was quite pleased with his own proposal.
“A banquet, you say…?”
“I am thinking of holding a competition. A culinary competition. After all, what matters most at a banquet is fine dining, yes?”
One of the nobles spoke, and the Emperor replied.
“Let each house present one chef. The Imperial Family shall do likewise. For the winning chef, I shall grant one wish in the Emperor’s name. What do you think? Does it not sound splendid?”
“Ah, that is a most excellent proposal, Majesty.”
An elderly count said this.
“Our House Kaledbel has just hired a renowned chef from the Western Continent.”
“We have one as well.”
“Our head chef is the finest.”
At the mention of the “Emperor’s Wish,” the nobles reacted with fervent enthusiasm, each declaring their resolve.
A pleased smile spread across the Emperor’s lips, and watching this, Osborn’s brow furrowed more deeply than ever.
He knew all too well which chef the Emperor was hoping for.
“I have business to attend to, so I shall take my leave first, brother.”
As the council adjourned, Cain passed Osborn with a greeting that was barely a greeting at all.
Osborn’s face, once marked by composure, hardened instantly.
“You grow more arrogant by the day, acting as though the sky is within your reach. And you of the Branch Line, no less.”
“How stern of you to speak thus, when you yourself possess no title. Strictly speaking, you ought to address me as the Baron.”
“How long will you harp on that?”
“Perhaps until the day you receive a title, brother.”
……
Osborn ground his teeth together.
“Are you so elated because you think Bael will return?”
He called out to Cain, who was trying to pass him.
“…What do you mean?”
“Reports from the battlefield come through Serion. Though His Majesty receives optimistic reports, the true situation in the Northern Region is quite different.”
He twisted his mouth as he spoke.
“We shall see if you smile when Bael’s corpse is returned.”
…Ah.
Cain turned back to face Osborn.
Contrary to Osborn’s expectation, his face seemed utterly unmoved.
Rather, he appeared to wear a faint smile.
“Are you still clinging to such thread-thin hope?”
“What?”
“Bael cannot be killed by such crude schemes anymore.”
……
“Have you not tried countless times? Both you and the Crown Prince.”
Osborn’s clenched fist trembled slightly, but Cain’s face remained serene in contrast.
“That child will not die. Even if you attempt it dozens, hundreds of times, Bael will always return alive, as he always does.”
Watching Cain leave after speaking, Osborn struck the table with a sharp bang.
Rage threatened to consume him entirely.
For Cain’s words were not wrong.
* * *
“So basically.”
Bael muttered as he looked down at the Snow Plain.
“Should I call this the Border Defense War or Magical Beast subjugation?”
“…Is that really important right now?”
Elion Peiton, his aide and friend, asked with an incredulous expression.
“Did you actually get a good look at what beast they were riding?”
“Yeah, I saw it. That’s a Kragon, right? The one I saw back then?”
Bael lifted his gaze, recalling the enemy soldier he had seen days ago and the beast it had ridden.
A monster with four horns and a body resembling an ox clad in iron plating.
Its horns, capable of tearing through snow fields, exerted enormous force even on the battlefield.
Though it was known to be too wild-tempered to tame, it seemed to respond to the enemy’s whistle.
It was formidable military strength, all things considered.
Even three mounted knights struggled to face a single Kragon.
“You were far back then, so you didn’t really experience it, but when you actually meet a Kragon, your body just freezes up, no matter who you are. So don’t joke around.”
“I’m not joking.”
Bael chuckled as he replied.
“I’m just saying the approach might be different from a typical war. If their only military strength is magical beasts, then if we neutralize those creatures…”
“If that were easy, the Torguard Forces would have collapsed long ago.”
Elion Peiton let out a weary sigh.
The noble youth of House Peiton, known for his charming bright smile, showed no lightness in his expression.
“Anyway, the fact that you’re spouting nonsense means you’ve stopped fearing death, but I’m different. I’m the only Direct Line of House Peiton, and I need to make it home alive.”
“A man who went to war at ten years old talks like he’s scared.”
“On my end, father just took me a few times and I managed the proper aristocratic dodge-and-retreat. But you’re systematically driven into desperate situations by the Crown Prince. Our circumstances are different.”
Elion shook his head firmly.
“Well, I’m in the same boat as you now anyway.”
“I owe you a debt.”
“Just make sure you make it back alive, yeah? And if I run, you bug out quick too.”
Elion suddenly spoke with fierce determination.
“Why bring that up now?”
“If you don’t die again this time, the Crown Prince will be so furious he’ll bounce. At this point, I actually want to see that face. How many times does this make?”
“He’s not really the bouncing type…but I agree about making it back alive. I want to live too, after all.”
Elion tilted his head.
So this fellow actually thought about living and dying.
He had always seemed like someone who happened to survive desperate situations by sheer luck, someone who had never contemplated mortality at all.
“Wait, something’s coming.”
Elion, who had spotted something approaching in the distance, tapped Bael’s shoulder.
From far across the Snow Plain, roughly a thousand black dots appeared.
Bael narrowed his eyes.
Looking closely, they were not dots but a massive herd of beasts.
Four-horned Magical Beasts carrying Torguard Forces on their backs.
“Oh, so you managed it after all. You lured them all the way here.”
Elion clicked his tongue in admiration. Bael too wore a faint smile.
“That’s right.”
He murmured.
“Complaining the whole way, but you pulled it off, Arnen.”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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