The Possession-Spoon Chef Feeds the Empire - Chapter 92

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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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Episode 92
“That’s impressive. I should’ve gone too.”
Celinde spoke while popping a marshmallow from her hot chocolate into her mouth.
“So you do have a knight order? This is the first time since Uncle Cain that Bellaon’s produced an Imperial Knight Commander.”
“I suppose that’s one way to put it.”
Cain nodded, lifting a spoonful of whipped cream to his mouth.
“Though I haven’t held the position long. The rank was granted to me during the Monster Subjugation campaign, if memory serves.”
The hands of the two who’d just sipped the rich hot chocolate groped through the air and simultaneously seized the last remaining bowl of hazelnut powder.
“…Let go, Uncle.”
“I grabbed it first.”
“I’m younger than you! And Uncle took more hazelnut powder than everyone else to begin with. I saw the whole thing.”
“That never happened.”
Bael watched the two bicker childishly with a baffled expression.
“So anyway.”
He drew his hot chocolate toward himself defensively, as if shielding it from some unexpected assault.
“You two seem to have gotten close. Even your tastes are similar.”
“Well, Mother told me to get along with him.”
Celinde shrugged.
“There’s no such thing as a young child being difficult to get along with—I’m simply looking after my niece as an adult should.”
Cain said the same.
As he pushed half of the last hazelnut powder toward her.
The smaller half, naturally.
Luciel observed them and found herself reflecting on the past five years anew.
In Bael’s absence, the family had grown considerably closer—all except Osborn.
Devron, busy traveling with his wife, didn’t spend much time at the Mansion, but he often sent letters to Cain offering advice on political matters.
Along with the nagging about finding a good woman soon, how time spent with one’s wife was the greatest happiness a man could know—that sort of thing.
“One out of every ten pieces of advice is worth hearing.”
That was Cain’s assessment, though in any case, goodwill was goodwill.
Of course, Melina’s goodwill operated on an entirely different plane.
Through her business connections, she lent her strength to Cain, and whenever Osborn attended Magic Stone auctions on the Southern Coast, she would provide funds from behind the scenes or supply goods the barony needed.
When Luciel was occasionally busy, Melina had even given permission for her to come to Maestel Cafe and enjoy desserts.
She didn’t seem to mind at all that Celinde, her successor, came with Cain to eat Luciel’s cooking.
‘Is she apologizing, or…?’
Luciel’s assessment of her psychology came down to two possibilities.
One was that she regretted having been excessively cold when she first met Cain in the past.
And.
“By the way, Uncle Osborn seems to be at the Imperial Palace every day. Mother said the Crown Prince doesn’t need a separate dog.”
Her hatred toward Osborn had grown.
Moreover, she seemed to have been quite shocked by Cain’s remark that he’d once considered Melina and Osborn as comparable in rank.
She’d given much thought to Cedric’s death, and her attitude toward Bael had become softer because of it.
It had been easy to deliver the chocolate Luciel made to the Northern Region precisely because of that.
Melina had helped with the delivery using her company’s distribution channels.
“That seems to be the case. He doesn’t head straight back to the Mansion after leaving the Council.”
“Grandfather would hate that if he knew.”
Celinde answered with a smirk.
Surely at the next luncheon, she’d subtly leak this story to the Duke.
Now an adult, Celinde was putting her talents to use in many ways. Her greatest talent among them was bringing down those she’d made into enemies, no matter how dirty the methods.
“Anyway, Luciel.”
She turned her head back toward Luciel and spoke.
“You said you were looking into the origins of the 7th Imperial Knight Order’s knights, right? Mainly those from the Southern Sea?”
“That’s right.”
Luciel nodded.
“It seems like ‘those people’ might be among them.”
“The Southern Sea…”
Cain murmured, folding his arms.
“So the Crown Prince ultimately became interested in knights from the Southern Sea?”
“Probably. He’s been searching for a way to cross dimensions all along.”
Luciel laughed softly.
“It’s not just we who’ve heard rumors that there’s something in the Southern Sea that makes such a thing possible.”
“So there was a reason Osborn was so eagerly searching for Magic Stone auctions on the Southern Coast. He’d judge that obtaining more Special Magic Stones would be necessary to use that thing.”
Cain nodded.
Serion’s obsession with uncovering the secrets of dimensions was enough to make even Luciel shake her head in disbelief.
He didn’t doubt anything he’d seen once, and he couldn’t bear the fact that it wasn’t in his possession.
His original plan had been to obtain Luciel first, and then uncover the secrets of dimensions—but he seemed indifferent to reversing that order.
“Whether the rumors are true or not, letting that mad Crown Prince get what he wants is dangerous.”
Celinde said.
“On that note, here.”
She retrieved several documents from the bag beside her and laid them before Luciel.
“The origins of the 7th Imperial Knight Order’s knights. You said finding them was difficult.”
“Oh, you were faster than I expected.”
Luciel beamed with praise, and Celinde lifted her chin proudly.
“Well, it’s nothing special. I found half through the company’s information network, and half I stole from Teo’s room.”
She said it casually.
“Teo really seems to believe he’s going to become the commander of the 7th Imperial Knight Order. He’d done quite thorough preliminary research.”
Luciel’s eyes brightened as she rifled through the documents laid before her.
The Imperial 7th Knight Order.
A rather special knight order, particularly skilled in naval warfare.
Though they were often deployed in sea monster subjugation operations and had earned merits, they were considered odd fellows within the capital, and as a result, they had a stronger internal bond than camaraderie with other knights.
“Fifteen of the thirty are from the Southern Sea. Seven are commoners, and two of those are probably noble bastards by any other name.”
Celinde spoke without hesitation.
Through years of experience, Luciel had learned that Celinde was rarely wrong when it came to investigations.
“Five with potential, then.”
Luciel nodded.
Her eyes fell upon rough sketches at the bottom of the documents.
Faded brown hair, lean and muscular frames, sun-darkened skin.
Their features were remarkably similar.
“Bael, you can find them?”
At her question, Bael, who had been sitting and listening to the entire conversation, smiled broadly.
“Easy.”
He answered.
“How much time do you need?”
“Probably a day.”
Bael answered decisively.
“Then let’s go tomorrow.”
Luciel made her decision.
“I’ll introduce you to my knight order.”
* * *
The Imperial Palace’s Training Grounds.
Thirty faces darkened by the sun fixed the girl before them with somewhat sullen expressions.
“So, in other words…”
The vice-commander scratched his head.
“The new commander, or rather—the new commander is you?”
“That’s right.”
At her manner of speech, which possessed not the slightest air of a knight commander, the vice-commander let out a deep sigh.
“We heard an Honorary Commander was coming, so I was hoping…”
Alf, the vice-commander of the Imperial 7th Knight Order.
He was genuinely profoundly disappointed.
The Imperial Knight Orders didn’t necessarily dislike the arrival of an Honorary Commander.
They were usually of royal or high noble blood, and for the sake of their own dignity, would provide knights with money or goods.
He had watched the recently appointed 1st and 2nd Orders strut about under the Crown Prince, boasting loudly everywhere.
There were rumors that they had to grovel like the Crown Prince’s dogs in private, but in his judgment, such rumors were likely just rumors.
‘So we might finally get a patron…’
He looked again at the commander before him, eyes wide.
A small-framed woman, a striking beauty.
…But a commoner.
There was no aura of authority that should emanate from a knight commander, and she clearly didn’t look wealthy.
Alf’s expression grew increasingly grim.

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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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