The Possession-Spoon Chef Feeds the Empire - Chapter 93
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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 93
“So you came to watch us train?”
“Is that alright?”
Why was her manner of speech so polite?
Her gently smiling face put those who saw it in good spirits, and the arrogance one typically found in an honorary commander was nowhere to be found, even if you looked hard for it.
Even as Alp felt disappointed, he found himself instinctively drawn to Luciel.
“Let’s just finish up quickly.”
One of the knights standing in the back grumbled.
His gaze looked far fiercer than the vice-commander’s.
“Right, since we’re already at the training ground, just watch and go.”
“It’s not like you’ll spar with us, and I doubt you’ll understand much just from watching…”
“Of all people, why our order? So the 7th Knight Order is just a toy the Emperor bestows on a cook?”
Watching words cut through the air with dangerous sharpness, Luciel took a deep breath.
It was all as expected.
“Miss—or rather, Commander—why don’t you just cheer us on while we run laps, then head back…”
“I want to watch a sparring match.”
“Huh?”
At Luciel’s words, Alp tilted his head in confusion.
“You do know what sparring is, right?”
“No, that’s why I want to watch it.”
She replied matter-of-factly.
“I’ve heard it’s the most efficient way to assess someone at a glance, the best method for evaluating a person’s abilities.”
Ah.
Alp understood what she was thinking.
This girl, barely twenty years old, harbored illusions about what knights were.
He didn’t know Luciel in detail.
All he knew was that she’d been a culinary prodigy favored by the Emperor for several years, and that she’d won the recent competition.
Meeting her in person, she didn’t seem particularly ambitious.
Yet despite that, she had the audacity to demand the position of 7th Knight Order commander directly from the Emperor.
So the answer was clear, wasn’t it?
Her dream was obvious.
She’d walk the Imperial Palace escorted by dashing knights, and if luck favored her, she’d catch the Crown Prince’s eye.
The Crown Prince was, conveniently, considered the most handsome man of the century, and near her in age.
Alp examined Luciel’s appearance anew.
‘She’s certainly remarkable.’
By all accounts a commoner, yet she’d risen to honorary command of a knight order—her dream was within sight.
It would probably end here, but Alp found himself wanting to give her some satisfaction anyway.
“Then stand right here. I’ll give you a chance to watch a real sparring match.”
Alp spoke with a friendly smile.
“Me and… let’s see, that friend over there—the two of us will fight with real swords. You’ll hear the clash, and it’ll be quite thrilling…”
“No, the sparring I’m talking about isn’t between two of you.”
“What?”
“I brought someone. A person to spar with the knight order.”
“But…”
“It will be an excellent training opportunity.”
Luciel’s green eyes, which had seemed innocent to the point of naïveté, glinted with sudden brilliance.
At the same moment, the training ground’s door creaked open, and a tall silhouette entered.
As the figure’s features began to reveal themselves, the eyes of Alp and the other knights widened.
“Bael… Bael Bellaon.”
Someone murmured.
Tall frame, elegant build, silver hair gleaming cold even under full sunlight, a face carved as if from ice, eyes cold and blue.
“The Sovereign of the North, Bael Bellaon.”
“The one who single-handedly annihilated the Torggard Army this time?”
“That… that madman who doesn’t use ordinary tactics.”
“I heard he won’t die even if you stab him with a sword…”
The murmurs grew louder, but Bael’s expression didn’t change as he approached and stood beside Luciel.
“Let me explain the rules of the sparring match.”
Luciel announced.
“Everyone here will have the chance to spar against Bael Bellaon,”
Excited cheers erupted from various corners.
“and anyone who lands their weapon on him even once will receive a reward of 100 gold.”
“100 gold?”
“Where would she get that kind of money? She doesn’t look it…”
“I… I’ve heard rumors about that person.”
A younger knight shook his head in bewilderment.
“The Bellaon Family’s cook and dessert development manager for Maestel…”
He murmured.
“Well, I don’t know much, but anyway, that person has way more money than us!”
A roaring cheer filled the training ground.
Many began wildly swinging swords at empty air, burning with fighting spirit.
“One last thing!”
At Luciel’s voice, everyone refocused their attention on her.
“Since we’re pressed for time, you can challenge three at a time. Together.”
“Yeeeeeesss!”
The knights roared.
Three at once.
In other words, three to one.
No matter how strong a knight was, each fighter only had two arms.
Few could handle six arms at once, but especially not on an open training ground.
Moreover, from what they’d heard, Bael was a strategist.
He used terrain to his advantage, lured enemies from place to place, and struck at their weaknesses—that’s why he’d won battle after battle.
Except for being outnumbered, in a fair fight, it didn’t seem like Bael could lose to all of them.
“Alright! Let’s start right now!”
Three large knights immediately stepped forward and raised their swords.
“Hiyaaaa!”
With a resounding shout, they charged at Bael, but their voices cut off abruptly.
“Done! All three of you lost your swords.”
They returned dazed, clutching their tingling wrists as they made their way back, unsure what had just happened.
“Our turn!”
This time, three fighters came forward wielding a spear, a sword, and a mace.
“Hya!”
Clang—
“Oh, all three of you took a sword-flat strike to the back of the neck. Too bad, that’s over.”
In a real battle, that would have meant death.
Everyone on the training ground swallowed hard.
Isn’t this a monster?
You couldn’t even see what he was doing—you just had to take it.
The next group ended the moment Bael’s magical power activated, and the one after that ended when one person was hit hard enough to lose consciousness, forcing the match to stop.
“Next?”
“…”
Those remaining gradually began to exchange cautious glances.
They wanted the money, but they didn’t want to get injured taking a reckless gamble—that much was clear in the looks crossing the training ground.
‘There are still more coming.’
As Luciel narrowed her eyes, surveying the remaining knights—
“We… will challenge you.”
Three lean young knights stepped forward.
They shared a similar appearance.
Faded brown hair, tanned skin, thin and muscular builds.
None of them carried a sword.
One had a chained harpoon, one had a trident, and one had… a net.
At these unusual weapons, Luciel tilted her head but gave the signal to begin the match.
“Start whenever you’re—”
“Hiyaaaaaaaa!”
As if ambush were a defining trait of the entire knight order, two of the three rushed forward.
Whoosh—
Clang—
Bael’s eyes widened slightly.
The harpoon and trident flew toward him simultaneously, at perfectly calculated angles.
Dodge one, and you’d have to meet the other.
As Bael evaded the harpoon and batted the trident aside, the trident wielder pressed forward.
‘Powerful force.’
Difficult to shake off with a single strike.
During their exchanges, the chained harpoon flew again, its chain arcing past Bael’s cheek.
‘Magical power infused.’
Perfect control of the weapon’s characteristics, precise adjustment of power and angle. Bael barely managed to deflect the attack again.
“Did you think we worked well together by chance?”
The trident wielder grinned and asked.
“That’s impossible. We three are brothers.”
Ah.
Bael let out a soft laugh.
Two things were certain.
First, the claim of being brothers was false.
Second, the person Luciel was looking for was among these three.
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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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