LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 105
Catherine and the wizards under her command, along with Karem, learned about their destination a day later.
Blackwood Village.
A place where the entire village is practically a lumber mill, living off the surrounding Blackwood Forest for generations.
The reason was surprisingly simple.
It was said that Iona’s courier reported the location in the very first news delivered to Winterhome.
The reason the location was omitted in the order handed to Karem was also simple.
Due to the urgent situation, some details were left out for brevity.
This indicated that Alfred, who was giving the orders, was equally flustered.
It’s only natural that Alfred would be panicking.
After all, when it comes to Iona’s position, who would just send a random escort?
The knights and soldiers assigned as an escort could collectively slay most monsters with ease.
Yet, the fact that Iona was fleeing was beyond everyone’s expectations.
Thus, it was only reasonable for Alfred to be perplexed by the unforeseen situation.
As the rescue team was assembled, its size gradually increased as it passed through the estates and territories.
The reason for this was simple as well.
“Goodness, Tutatis! How dare you threaten the elder of the Triad religion! The Stonefist family offers their support to defeat such pathetic monsters!”
“Your Grace the Duke must be feeling quite troubled. Sir Melbird will lead his soldiers to assist in the rescue of the survivors.”
“The great elder helped us with food when our tribe was in dire straits. It’s finally time to repay that debt! Men of the Fleet tribe! Raise your axes!”
“Ahem! I only just saw the request but what about the payment and bonuses?”
Some came out of faith.
Some came to repay their favors.
Some came out of loyalty.
Some just wanted to look good to the Duke’s family and snag a few crumbs.
As various merchants caught the scent of money, the rescue team gathered enough strength to potentially wipe out a considerable-sized territory.
After all, the more people gather, the more chaotic it tends to get.
Let alone with this many people suddenly inserting themselves into the mix, it would be strange if no problems arose.
However, upon arriving at Blackwood Village, things were resolved quite simply.
“Wow, are you really a human?”
In a makeshift wide clearing in the village.
Karem murmured in a daze while looking at the duel ground.
Not just Karem, though.
Knights, soldiers, mercenaries, adventurers, and nobles surrounding the clearing.
With the exception of a select few, including Catherine, everyone stared at the center of the clearing with the same look of astonishment.
“This… this is not reality!”
“Did you really believe you could force your opinion on me with just this level of persuasion!!!!”
Lightning Pound!
Boom—something shocking was happening.
The star of the duel ground was a burly middle-aged man whose beard covered his chin.
Clad in intricately adorned clothes on top of heavy armor, the giant bore no weapons whatsoever.
Only his arms and legs, and his body.
Plus, the sheer strength.
“Haah! Nowadays, knights are weaklings!”
With raw strength alone, he lifted a charging knight off his horse and sent him crashing to the ground.
Beside him, the other knight and horses that had surged forward were flailing from the shock.
Truly, a creature sculpted with the form of a human but with the might of a bear.
No, Karem rejected that thought.
“Uh, Sir Atanitas? How many were there, including those knights?”
“Adventurers, mercenaries, soldiers, tribesmen, nobles, and knights—a total of twenty? No, including those three you’ve just thrown down, it makes twenty-three.”
“Is that man—no, is he really a human?”
Karem hastily corrected himself as he nearly blurted something unintelligible.
No matter how much he seemed like an ogre molded into a human shape, he was actually Sir Giant Churchill, the commander of this rescue team and a Swordmaster.
Though it sounded like a nickname, Karem had heard his actual name was Giant.
“Did he say to knock them down if we have complaints?”
“Well, it might be a bit strange, but regardless, since it was a fair duel, anyone who fusses now will likely keep quiet.”
“But is it okay with nobles and knights involved?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“I mean, like the nobility’s dignity or honor.”
Nobles and knights live and die by their honor.
To see such people being dominated so one-sidedly, Karem couldn’t help but worry that there might be some backlash.
Catherine silently gestured to the center of the clearing.
It seemed his worries were unfounded.
Through the luxuriant lion’s mane of facial hair, the intense smile on Churchill’s face was visible as he conversed with the knights.
As if children become friends after a fight.
The scene resembled a moment from a shonen manga, met with loud cheers from the surrounding crowd.
“Oh, it’s so noisy.”
“Iceland respects and reveres the strong. Even those who stepped forward out of discontent didn’t genuinely mean it.”
“Excuse me? Then what’s up?”
“They only wanted to have a chance to fight against that famous Swordmaster under the Duke of Iceland.”
“So, they picked a fight on purpose?”
“Mm.”
Catherine nodded, indicating that he was right.
“Indeed, the Giant from the Felwinter family lived up to expectations!”
“My horse may be formidable, but even my legs are quaking!”
“Truly, this is the essence of a Master! I feel enlightened!”
Indeed, those who were previously menacingly glaring at Churchill now behaved like adoring fans meeting a world-renowned idol.
And despite the dissipating tension, they were clapping and cheering incessantly in admiration.
“By the way, speaking of Swordmasters, that damn mercenary comes to mind.”
“A mercenary out of nowhere?”
“Well, you know, that guy who was hanging around when we first met.”
“Oh, you mean Gordon?”
But wait, why is Gordon being mentioned while we’re talking about Swordmasters?
Catherine clicked her tongue softly.
“Typical wandering knight. Why would a Swordmaster roll around as a mercenary?”
“Well, Gordon’s a Swordmaster? Wasn’t he referred to as a wandering knight level?”
Though it was several months ago, Karem faintly recalled it.
Thinking about it left him a bit confused.
Karem knew what a Swordmaster was.
He had heard of real historical Swordmasters from his past life, as well as Swordmasters in novels. But what on earth was this Swordmaster dealing with?
“Well, I suppose it’s understandable you wouldn’t know, since all the places you wander around are basically the same.”
“Is there a subclass like user or expert?”
“There are subclasses, but the terminology is all wrong.”
Just starting out as a knight and learning the basics. Page.
Once you’ve mastered the basics and learned how to operate mana, you become a squire.
Proven through experience with mana and battles, you become a page turner.
A Swordmaster is someone who can singlehandedly subjugate several knights and decisively change the course of battle.
Karem was explained kindly with fingers counting off the steps.
“But keep in mind, there’s no absolute standard; it’s just a reference.”
“Why does it seem so specific? Is there a reason?”
“Well, the truth is, beyond Swordmaster, all classifications are pretty meaningless.”
“Excuse me?”
“Because even knights can be knocked out by a rock to the head or die from a poorly aimed arrow. It’s just a classification that derived from the ancient Palatino Empire’s categories.”
Anyway, the little broadcast had set a jubilant atmosphere.
Not resisting the tide of departing spectators, Karem followed Catherine toward their lodge.
“Wow, we spent so much time watching, we missed lunch by a long shot.”
“Since the timing is awkward, shall we whip something up quickly and light?”
“If we take too long, we might miss dinner, so make it fast.”
“Yes!”
As soon as they arrived and unpacked, they realized they hadn’t prepped anything while watching the rescue team’s strength display.
However, a specific dish suddenly popped into Karem’s mind.
Answering Catherine, Karem rushed straight towards the supply officer.
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Once the rescue team had arrived and the performance called a duel ended, search squads were organized, and they were bustling about clearing out the monsters from the forest in Blackwood Village.
However, that had nothing to do with the chef.
Karem began cutting one of the two ingredients he obtained from the supply officer.
A loaf of bread, crisply baked on the outside and soft on the inside in the style of Bersengzeto, intended for the noble ladies.
Every time the bread knife moved, crumbs of crust and soft filling crumbled onto the cutting board, filling the air with its nutty aroma.
The bread itself could make for an excellent meal or snack just by spreading some jam on it.
It would have been even better with fresh milk, but he hadn’t brought jam just for that.
Karem began to scoop out the soft inside, shaping the bread into an arch.
“Should I cut the inside and fry it to make a rusk, or could I grind it and throw it into a soup instead?”
In an instant, the insides were scooped out, and the bread became a makeshift long bowl.
To an unknowing onlooker, they might have scolded him for wasting such precious bread, but those who knew a thing or two about sandwiches would definitely disagree.
This empty space was merely preparation for more filling.
The true stars were still ahead.
Karem grabbed the jar of jam he had obtained from the supply officer.
A fine grape jam, generously infused with sugar, famous for its grapes from the Bersengzeto mountains.
He turned it upside down and poured it all over the bread.
Following the laws of physics, it plopped down on the bread with a splat.
The grape jam, unable to withstand its own weight, glistened in a rich purple like fine amethyst.
Anyone watching might question if he was just eating jam rather than making a jam sandwich, but the recipe from his past life confirmed this was correct.
The reason for scooping out the insides was to make room for even more fillings.
It was just that the filling he had was jam.
But Karem’s outrageous act didn’t stop there.
This time, he raised another jar of jam.
Almond butter that he made with his own hands, which he had packed when departing from Winterhome.
Of course, peanut butter would have been even better, but one must be content with what they have.
In that sense, nut butter was a wonderful substitute for peanut butter.
The quality was unmatched since it came from the Duke’s family; the almonds were top-notch, promising excellent flavor.
Once again, he repeated the process.
He spread an entire jar of almond butter inside the remaining hollowed-out loaf.
Now it was almost time to combine them into one.
No, there was still one critical step remaining.
In cooking, combining sweet, salty, and savory is essential.
Karem pulled over a plate stacked high with crispy bacon that he had prepared in advance and pressed it down onto the bread layered with almond butter, leaving no gaps.
Had it been an ordinary loaf, it would have burst forth by now, but with the filling scooped out, there was so much packed in it that it could stack high.
But there was no issue whatsoever.
Because it was covered by the slice of bread with grape jam.
What you have here is the Fool’s Gold Loaf.
Another name for which is one of the reasons Elvis Presley met his untimely end.
Of course, once he made it, it appeared incredibly heavy, looking like something only a fool would eat, so hefty you could probably skip meals for two days.
Karem placed the Fool’s Gold Loaf on a plate with the bread knife and carried it out completely.
“Well, even if you can’t finish it, you can save it for later, so there’s no problem.”
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Karem could see that fool right before his eyes.
That gigantic Fool’s Gold Loaf was strikingly vanishing.
Crunch-crunch!
“Mmm, hmm! Who would have thought that delightful and aromatic grape jam mixed with the salty bacon! The subtle richness and aroma of the almond are wafting through!”
Suddenly, the Giant Churchill, who had appeared as an unexpected guest.
The leader of the rescue team chomped off the remaining piece intended for Catherine in one bite, leaving nothing spare.