“Everyone, thank you so much for your hard work today! As a small token of appreciation, I went ahead and hunted down a Dark Tiger! Oh, and also a Rock Arachlan and a Hecaton Bear, so tonight you can eat your fill and restore your strength!”
With that announcement, I declared the start of the grand barbecue feast. As if on cue, Dee and the others rolled in with wagons carrying the massive carcasses of the slain beasts. Not one or two, but four wagons, each pulled by a team of four horses. Even the usually composed knights couldn’t help but break into chatter.
“A Rock Arachlan!?”
“No way, even Dark Tigers and Hecaton Bears are the kind of monsters you throw a thousand knights at!”
“And without a fire mage, killing a Rock Arachlan should be impossible!”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd. I hadn’t counted precisely, but with thousands of soldiers packed into the fortress grounds, the sheer density of people felt overwhelming.
Well, obviously. Even if the place is massive, jam several thousand people inside and it gets cramped. Honestly, it reminded me of those baseball domes back on Earth, where they fit fifty thousand people in at once. Thinking about it now, that’s insane.
I let my eyes sweep over the crowd.
Up front sat nobles, mages, and knight commanders. Behind them were the captains and officers. Further back, rank-and-file soldiers gathered around campfires, visibly restless.
Some of them looked about ready to tear into raw meat if I kept talking any longer.
“Then, without further delay—let the barbecue feast begin! Everyone, grab some meat, stick it on a skewer, and grill it to your liking!”
I raised a skewer already loaded with meat, and the soldiers erupted in cheers.
Patience had clearly reached its limit. They surged forward, grabbing skewers, roasting meat, and as soon as the aroma filled the air, a few couldn’t resist biting straight in.
“Oh, and for seasoning we have salt! I couldn’t prepare much else, since we’re far from home, but please enjoy it!”
After that quick note, I joined in myself. Bear meat, apparently a high-class delicacy, turned out surprisingly tasty. Granted, it was my first time eating it, but it reminded me of lean pork. Different from Earth bear meat, I guess.
While I savored that thought, I noticed the nobles quickly swarming the scorpion meat.
“It has been long indeed since last I partook of Rock Arachlan. What say you, my lord?”
“Alas, I must confess—I have not so much as laid eyes upon the creature until this day.”
“Is that so? Then by all means, partake. It is a rarity of singular savor.”
They seemed almost giddy about the scorpion meat. To be fair, it looked a lot like shrimp or crab, and when you frame it as “mountain seafood,” it did sound exotic.
It was an interesting discovery—monsters around here were completely different from those near Seat Village. Which made me wonder: what about the ones near the sea? That definitely warranted investigation.
“Lord Van! Have you tried the scorpion meat yet?”
Kamshin came bounding up, eyes shining, holding multiple skewers loaded with freshly grilled Rock Arachlan.
He’d clearly grilled them himself, just to serve us. Till and Arte exchanged smiles at the sight.
“Thanks. I hadn’t tried it yet.”
“Might I also be permitted one?” Arte asked politely.
Kamshin, practically vibrating with excitement, crouched down and presented the skewers like sacred offerings. We gratefully accepted them, and sure enough—yep, it tasted just like crab. My mood instantly shot upward.
The feast continued in peace—until shouts suddenly rang out from the Wolfsburg mountain side.
“Monsters! A herd of Horn Boars is descending the cliff! Estimated fifty in number!”
The watchmen shouted from atop the walls, and a pale-faced messenger sprinted into the feast.
At once, the knight commanders snapped into action.
“Setanta Knights! Form ranks before the wall, immediately!”
“Pinin Knights! Ready heavy arms and armor!”
“Farina Knights! Prepare the horses! Mage unit, standby for support!”
As the other knight orders scrambled, Ceat Village’s knights moved with calm efficiency, dashing to the walls and quickly setting up the ballistae and repeating crossbows I had built earlier. Practice makes perfect, after all.
The barbecue ground emptied, soldiers flooding to the walls—when another messenger ran breathlessly to me.
“Report! The Van Baronial Knight Order has completed the monster subjugation!”
The nobles still seated at the feast widened their eyes in shock.
“Y-you there, make your report with precision! Horn Boars, fifty in number—surely they were but repelled, not defeated!”
“Indeed! As you phrased it, one could take it to mean that Lord Van’s private retinue alone accomplished the subjugation!”
The messenger bowed deeply, trembling but resolute.
“Th-that is correct! The monsters were all subjugated by the Van Baronial Knights alone! Not repelled—subjugated!”
The second report silenced the nobles completely. Their mouths flapped like fish out of water, but no sound came.
As for me, well—I simply thought, yep, figures.
“Ah, Till, another cup of tea please.”
“Yes, at once,” she replied with perfect composure.
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