The Dwarf Republic kept its promise in a fiery manner. Just as we returned to Lionheart Fortress, they immediately sent numerous pieces of equipment and top-notch supplies as promised. whoosh
Thanks to them, our previously empty warehouse was nearly full. However, the problem was we didn’t have a blacksmith to manage the weapons. But let’s put that aside for now and just be satisfied with what we have. sigh
Fortunately, it turns out everyone had some basic knowledge of weapon maintenance. They say if you’re someone who handles weapons, that’s just the basics. I felt a little pinch of embarrassment, though. snap
My experience with firearm imports from the military and the side-eyed glances I’d picked up while observing helped me somehow manage. Just then, Helia came running up to me.
“Teacher! The maintenance is all done!” cheer
“Is that so? You did great.”
“Could you take a look, please?”
Oh Helia, why are you putting me through this trial? I was the one who got scolded for messing up firearm maintenance! How am I supposed to know anything about swords? gulp
But I couldn’t ignore Helia. She was sitting in front of me, gazing up with sparkling eyes. What shone in them was nothing but expectation. twinkle
I took the sword from Helia and gave it a once-over. It looked clean enough… but I couldn’t tell if it had too much or too little oil. It’s just giving me a headache. thud
“Looks great. Have you done this kind of thing before?”
“Today was the first time.”
“You have a natural talent for swords.”
“Oh, right. Haven’t you noticed how much stronger I’ve become recently?”
“That’s just because you’re getting weaker, Kanf.”
While Clara and Ruby started bantering, Helia had begun chatting comfortably with others. Have they grown closer? I hope so!
As Clara and Ruby said, Helia’s growth was becoming evident. Her skills showed during sparring as well. In the past, she faced clean defeats, but now she was able to trade blows on roughly equal footing. Of course, Ruby, Clara, and everyone else used swords instead of their main weapons, but it was still a tremendous achievement! ding
“Has it really been a year and a half since you started learning swords? What incredible talent!”
“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have made it this far.”
“You’re not just skilled; you have an eye for talent, which is very reassuring.”
“I just stumbled upon you by coincidence and helped. There’s no relation to having an eye for talent.”
“I think humility to that degree is a poison, Commander.”
Yeah, yeah. You all chatter away as you please. I’ll be stepping down from my position as commander in half a year anyway. Right now, we were maintaining and repairing the weapons provided by the republic in the armory.
And incidentally, I instructed that we could each take one weapon we wanted. They say a craftsman never blames his tools, but if there’s a good weapon, why not use it? There’s no reason to let it rot!
Clara took a usable bow, Ruby chose a specially crafted giant hammer from the Dwarf Republic, and Helia opted for the finest longsword. Cluna and Yuren chose not to take anything. Why on earth? huh?
“I’m too strong for the weapons to handle! Can’t just let a good weapon go to waste.”
“I prefer to make my own weapons!”
Yeah, sure, you all are amazing. sarcasm
I couldn’t voice my thoughts, so I picked a decent sword for myself and strapped it to my waist. Naturally, my gaze fell on the last remaining member.
Bayard was staring blankly at something in front of him. It was a whip made of chains. According to Viral, there was a rare case for it, so they sent it along.
Surely, that rare case isn’t what I’m thinking it is? Gripped by a silly thought, I approached Bayard. She noticed me and jumped in surprise.
“Oh! C-Commander!”
“Do you want to use the whip? If so, feel free.”
I wanted to see the team choose their weapons directly. For the efficiency of our next mission, I thought it would also bring a bit more psychological stability… thinking
Comprachico was relatively manageable as an enemy. Sure, they were a Blood Demon, but their stats weren’t that impressive. However, the slime I faced before was a problem.
If I made even a single mistake, it could easily lead to death! That’s enough to cause stress to return to me. Fighting was that frightening!
Of course, I couldn’t whine about it. After all, I was the commander of the Royal Knights, and with my ridiculous ability to stop time, I couldn’t be complaining about petty fears. swish
“Oh, um, it’s nothing.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really! Commander!”
“If something’s bothering you, don’t hide it—speak up!”
I wouldn’t just say I was sure; it was 100% clear there was something wrong. Anyone with half a brain could see her gloomy face. gasp
But I also didn’t want to pry too deeply; that would just make her bolt. For now, I’d let her share her story slowly. I contemplated this and addressed everyone.
“That’s all for today. You’ve all worked hard!” clap
“I’m so hungry.”
“Who’s on cooking duty this week?”
“Helia and the Commander!”
At first, Cluna was responsible for the meals among the members, but it felt too burdensome to put it all on one person. So, I suggested we take turns cooking.
Cluna said it was fine, but since others seemed a bit guilty, my suggestion was accepted, which resulted in me having to eat last week’s charcoal-flavored dish. So what does that mean? annoyed
I deeply regret having made the proposal to rotate the cooking duties. Ah, this is such a hassle… Damn. However, unlike me, Helia looked super happy. smile
“If I can be with you, Teacher, anything is enjoyable!”
Oh Helia, oh Helia. When you say that, what does that make me, who is grumbling beside you? Your dazzling smile feels like it’s purifying my very existence. glow
Well, since we agreed to do this, let’s do it properly. Plus, it’s true that Cluna shouldn’t bear the burden of managing the fortress alone. We headed to the dining hall to prepare.
The dining hall in Lionheart Fortress had everything. Various facilities, including ovens and grills, were there, and even a primitive freezer! I gathered the ingredients.
“First and foremost, hygiene is the foundation of cooking. After that, a balanced diet is important.”
“I’ll definitely remember that.”
The problem was, I didn’t know much beyond that. We were the Royal Knights on the front lines, so I thought maybe I could make it somewhat like military food. I pulled out vegetables and chicken.
It was a bummer there was no gochujang, but oddly enough, there was soy sauce! I heard this is an alliance of various races, so they had ingredients and seasonings each race actually eats available. wow
Today, I was going to make spicy chicken stew. Typically, it’s made red, but there are also cases where you stir-fry it with soy sauce. I got the cooking tools ready.
“These spatulas and grills are harder to use than I imagined!” thud
“Leave it to me if it needs strength!”
“You just watch from the side…”
I tried to brush Helia off. The grill, which is the familiar term for frying pan, was tougher to handle than I thought. Plus, there’s a fire hazard. I decided to just let Helia know how to handle it.
But lo and behold! She seemed to be using the grill much better than I was! Staring at her, jaws dropped, Helia explained.
“I asked Cluna for help and learned a lot about cooking.”
“You learned? You, doing it yourself?”
“Yes. I’ve even made dishes for you a few times.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Now that she mentioned it, I’d always found her sticking close and asking me relentlessly about how it tasted. I’d wondered about it at the time… so that’s what it was! But why cooking specifically?
“That was when I realized: just seeing the person I like eat the food I’ve cooked with care brings me so much happiness.”
While I was battling the grill, she had already placed the prepared ingredients on it. Grabbing the flame and skillfully frying the ingredients began. sizzle
Suddenly, I was just watching from the side. At least I could ask questions about the cooking from time to time; otherwise, I would have become a complete moron who couldn’t do anything. sweatdrop
Honestly, it didn’t end up being all that helpful. I kept making mistakes because the recipe was vague. With a faint smile, Helia served the food onto plates.
“It’s finished! How is it?”
“I, I think it’s way better than what I would have done.”
“You flatter me, Teacher.”
It was food I couldn’t possibly believe a 13-year-old made. Helia leisurely started cleaning up the kitchen. I could only stare at her in awe, feeling like I was bewitched by a spirit. whoosh
Is that really the same Helia who was once so wild?
My heart swells with pride. heart
My site has received a lot of DMCA notices, lol. From now on, I will update the MTL on https://darkmtl.com/.
The site is fast and lightweight because there are no ads yet. However, the theme is different from Cybor-TL, so take some time to familiarize yourself.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.