LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 106
Giant Food
It’s something that you wouldn’t even dare attempt unless absolutely necessary.
Even so, there aren’t many who would charge headfirst into it; it’s a romancing spectacle that overwhelms people just by its sheer presence.
Because of this, people watch videos of dozens of kilograms of roasted meat, their eyes sparkling, and it’s only natural to be curious about the unrealistic cartoonish giant food seen in comics and anime.
A sandwich could easily fall into that category as well.
Anyone who eats sandwiches has, at least once, dreamed of a thick and long sandwich.
Karem was no different.
And the Fool’s Gold Loaf was a sandwich that fulfilled Karem’s dreams to the fullest.
A thick bread that’s crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.
A sandwich hollowed out to be filled entirely with a jar of grape jam and peanut butter, sandwiched between dozens of crispy bacon strips.
Though it was made with almond butter instead of peanut butter because they were out, Karem could assure one thing about the taste.
The sweet grape jam, salty and crispy bacon, and nutty almond butter created a flavor that transcended the truth of deliciousness.
“Mmm! Usually, sandwiches are just too small, leaving you unsatisfied, but this one is huge and extremely satisfying!”
“Ah…”
The head of the rescue team, sitting beside Catherine, was rapidly devouring it in his giant hands, just as his name, Giant Churchill, suggested.
(Though the cooking time was short,) I felt a sense of emptiness as the lovingly prepared food vanished before my eyes in an instant.
“Hey, kid! Kid! Why are you so flustered?”
“Oh, I’m sorry.”
Startled by the urging voice, Karem quickly held out a piece of the Fool’s Gold Loaf that he had already cut (to save himself from the giant’s grasp) towards Catherine.
Taking a bite, a smile spread across Catherine’s face as the harmony of flavors filled her mouth, and she immediately began chewing and swallowing the contents.
“So, Sir Churchill, what important matter brings the commander of the rescue team all the way here?”
It wasn’t surprising for Catherine to ask such a question. After all, a powerful person’s steps should be deliberate.
Still, Karem felt that Catherine had been moving about too often, but times were dire (with staff shortages and urgent situations), making such activity unavoidable.
Indeed, a powerful person’s every move and gesture holds hidden meaning.
That’s what Catherine was pointing out.
However.
“Hmm? I just came by to sneak a peek because I heard Sir Atanitas’s cook is exceptional.”
That wasn’t true. Occasionally, there are those in this world who act on their whims.
The giant casually shoved the last piece of sandwich (which was still much larger than what Catherine would’ve had) into his mouth and answered.
“Wha, what?”
The resolute reply also left Catherine flustered.
Her long instinct and experience confirmed that all of this was indeed true. And it was natural for her to feel even more bewildered.
“You came all this way for such a trivial reason without any notice…?”
“Hmm? Let me ask you in return.”
“What do you mean?”
“Is there any reason not to? I’ve heard that Lord Godwin also visits here from time to time.”
Our adorable little princess, too.
With that addition, Catherine was left speechless by the undeniable fact.
As time went on, Godwin’s presence became more and more imposing, and Alicia’s appearances—who would deftly bypass the latest security measures set up at the Wizard’s Tower—had become a natural occurrence.
“In that spirit, this… Karem, was it?”
“Yes, sir. That’s correct,” Karem replied.
“Right. What is the name of this sandwich bread?”
“It’s called Fool’s Gold Loaf.”
“Hmm? Is it just a coincidence that such a deliciously gigantic sandwich has a name like that?”
Karem could not provide an answer to that.
Well, he had an inkling.
But he wouldn’t voice it.
It’s only natural for something as ridiculously large as this sandwich not to be consumed in a single sitting, after all.
“That’s why it must be called that—because no sane person would eat an entire sandwich of this size in one go.”
Catherine’s straightforward answer made Karem flinch.
Surely, she couldn’t be reading my mind, could she?
Of course not.
She simply had the same thought as Karem.
“Erm, that feels a bit too much like a jab at me, though.”
“I never specified you.”
Catherine urged Karem again and took another bite of the sandwich.
“So, is that really the only reason you came all the way here? Just to taste a dish made by my personal chef?”
“Hmm, actually, there’s one more reason—”
“Hmm, good. Finally, a serious conversation—”
Sir Churchill—
Suddenly, from outside the lodge, a faint but thunderous voice echoed.
The owner of that voice was searching for the giant, repeatedly calling his name.
“Oh dear—has he truly followed me all the way here?”
Calmly brushing off the excess flour from his palm onto a plate, Churchill seemed startled, and uncharacteristic for someone of his size and stature, he deftly sprang through the lodge window like a Swordmaster.
“Keep the fact I was here a secret!”
And with that, he disappeared beyond the window.
In the split second of that absurdly bizarre situation, Karem and Catherine exchanged puzzled glances, silently questioning each other about what had just happened.
Knock knock knock knock! Knock knock knock knock!
Then, someone knocked politely yet quickly at the door, and Karem turned his gaze and promptly opened it.
“Good afternoon!”
“Is that you, Rimus?”
“So, you must be the famous chef Karem!”
With a quick greeting exchanged with the giant’s attendant, Rimus, Karem immediately got down to business.
“I apologize for the abrupt situation.”
“By the way, what’s the rush—”
“Hmm! Has Sir Churchill fled—excuse me, arrived here?”
“Oh.”
It was only then that Karem realized the real purpose of the giant’s visit.
He casually gestured toward his employer seated at the table.
“Sir Atanitas? Rimus just said so.”
“Sir? Just call me Rimus.”
And Catherine picked that up and turned toward one side of the lodge, more specifically, to the window that had just swung open.
The curtains were gently swaying towards Rimus.
“Oh no! Did I arrive a moment too late?”
“Not too long ago, he was sitting there, stealing Sir Atanitas’s snack.”
“Hmm, I will apologize on behalf of my kind. For this rudeness—”
“Wait, what in the world is going on here?”
Upon those words, Rimus’s face aged a decade, and wrinkles appeared as he realized that Karem was just a few years younger than himself.
“Phew, this may be rude to say, but Sir Churchill, to speak plainly, really does delegate everything that requires brain power to his aides and subordinates and runs away.”
“Wha, what?”
“So now I’ll have to pursue Sir Churchill. I apologize, Sir Atanitas. Excuse me.”
With a slight bow to Karem and a nod of his head to Catherine, Rimus, living up to his lineage as a giant’s attendant, moved like a gust of wind in an instant.
Thinking for a moment about the peculiar relationship between the two, Karem closed the door.
After he finally returned to his spot, feeling kind of deflated, he also closed the window and turned back.
“Well, is that what a Swordmaster is like?”
“Don’t generalize hastily. That mercenary before had a light attitude, but not to this extent.”
“Was that really the case?”
“Right. So, let’s eat the rest of the sandwich.”
Karem immediately brought the abandoned sandwich to Catherine’s mouth but suddenly thought.
Huh, isn’t this all just relatively normal?
When you think about it, it’s not unusual for Catherine and Olivier to be hurling magic at each other constantly.
Compared to those cases, neither Godwin nor Sir Churchill were anything particularly special.
Finally having come to an understanding, Karem felt considerably lighter as he took out a handkerchief to wipe off the crumbs from Catherine’s mouth.
*
*
*
The rescue team’s captain continuously escaping meetings was becoming a trend.
Yet, the mission itself was functioning normally.
After all, the purpose of the rescue team was crystal clear, and Alfred also hadn’t particularly expected the giant to lead the rescue team anyway.
The reason Alfred had placed the Swordmaster, Giant Churchill, in the rescue team was not to lead it.
Rather, his nominal position as the head was due to his high rank and exceptional skill.
All thanks to his strength alone.
Not because of his leadership skills.
In other words, the rescue team was practically run by the aides.
Nothing was particularly obstructed.
The strategies devised by the aides were all executed in the name of the giant.
Originally, the scene would run smoothly even without a high-ranking individual present, after all.
Unlike the giant, Catherine didn’t have the luxury of freedom and leisure.
It had been two days since they arrived at Blackwood Village.
During this time, it felt almost incessant as either the lord on this side would extend an invitation or the lord on that side would, followed by a small noble holding a small banquet.
Casual invites were sent, and once again this time, Catherine, having been invited, returned to the lodge, letting out sigh after sigh as she pondered the atmosphere after passing time as suitable.
“If it’s bothering you that much, can’t you simply refuse?”
“That’s exactly what I’m planning to do from tomorrow.”
Taking a deep breath, Catherine glanced at Karem, who was carrying the gifts she had received and nodded.
“Well, I’ve met enough suitable people to consider this a good point, so afterwards, it’ll be fine to decline any further invitations.”
“Should we then just decline subsequent invitations as they come?”
At those words, Catherine waved her hand dismissively.
The meaning was clear even without a word.
Catherine’s reason for receiving invitations from the nobility and hustling about was unknown.
Her status equated to Alfred’s direct knight commander.
Traditionally, that put her in a position higher than a mere count, so wasn’t it the other side that should be longing for her presence if she were to decline?
Of course, Karem wasn’t curious enough to ask her about that, so he rummaged through his mind to lighten her mood.
“Sir Atanitas, do you have a sweet craving for a snack?”
“Sure, I’d wish for something so sweet it could melt my tongue and brain.”
“Hmm, if that’s the case, what we have now won’t suffice. Should I rummage through the warehouse again?”
“No need for that. Just dig through the heap of gifts stacked in the lodge.”
Catherine tapped the earthen floor with her staff.
“There must be honey or sugar among them.”
“Oh? Gifts of yours, Sir Atanitas?”
“Correct. A huge pile of boxes sent since the first day.”
“Should I really look into those?”
Even if they were gifts from others, Karem considered them presents.
But Catherine showed no sign of wavering.
Seeing her firm resolve, Karem had no choice but to agree.
It felt more like he was acting as her personal gacha agent.
Though prior to that, if something food-related were to be included, it would likely crumble and disappear at an instant when Catherine touched it, making it a justified choice on her part.
“Ah… Ah? Ahh—”
“Hmm? What is it?”
“Nothing at all.”
And Karem finally understood why Catherine persisted in attending invitations from dawn till midnight, despite all the annoyance.
When inviting someone of higher rank, a favor must be exchanged.
And Catherine was, of course, a diplomatic treasure struggling to drag powerful figures eager to forge connections.
After all, she was one of the closest companions of a practically royal figure in Iceland, ranking among the top five, and the dynamics among lower-ranking powerful figures in Iceland were rather apparent.
Amidst the buzz—
As Karem followed Catherine toward the lodge, the commotion near the palisade grew louder.
“Hm, sounds quite noisy.”
“Could it be that monsters have come near the village?”
“We’ve deployed quite a few search teams and adventurer parties.”
“Still, let’s go check it out; it’s been quiet for a while, after all.”
Curiosity piqued, Karem followed Catherine toward the barricade.
*
*
*
Given the commotion atop the barricade, there were quite a few soldiers, mercenaries, and adventurers present.
And thanks to the soldiers who recognized Catherine, Karem got to see the reason for the palisade’s activity beside her.
Or rather, he couldn’t possibly have missed it.
When the forest right in front was shaking as if the wind was howling, a haze of dust was rising.
“Could it be a monster attack?”
“Possibly, but it doesn’t seem like I need to jump in for it.”
Then, people came charging out from the dark woods.
Not just one or two, but an entire horde.
The horde came running, seemingly being chased by something, and as they spotted the barricade and the village, their faces brightened as they sprinted even faster toward them.
Shortly after, a rather rotund old man wearing what looked like a tattered priest’s robe appeared from the woods.
“Oh! Isn’t that Elder Iona?”
“That stout figure and that flowing beard—definitely him.”
And Karem caught sight of an astonishing spectacle.
Elder Iona’s fist, covered in ice as he emerged from the woods, managed to grab hold of a nearby tree.
With a grunt, he pulled it out by the roots and toppled it over.
“Wha? Just wait a second? Huh?”
“Despite his body and age, being a High Priestess must count for something.”
“Does that really explain it!?”
“Then how do you think a religious leader could get tossed around via political maneuvering and money? Out of the city, where the law is nothing compared to the axe: this rugged Iceland—”
Before finishing that thought, the tree crashed to the ground.
In the meantime, a man with a longsword burst out from behind. Karem recognized him as someone he could never forget.
“Wait, is that Godwin?”
“He must have come to make some money. But now, the main culprit of this uproar is appearing.”
Drum drum drum drum—
Everyone on the barricade, including Karem, felt a slight tremor.
No, it wasn’t just a tremor.
What they felt were the footfalls of countless living beings.
And the clouds of dust rising from the forest hinted at the scale of the creature.
Suddenly, a massive swarm charged out from the woods.
With a bulk as hefty as a bear and fur that looked thick, not as fast as a horse, but with the weighty force of a bear’s charge.
Its formidable tail swatted through a withered tree as if it could snap it with a single swing, reminiscent of a blunt instrument cut from a blacksmith’s forge.
And there were the giant square teeth glinting dangerously in the sunlight as they clutched a crude stone spear.
“Um, is that a bear beaver?”
“A Grizzly Beaver! Is that the season for them?”
“Eh? What did you say?”
Grizzly what?
A name that was very threatening yet contradicted itself entirely.
Wondering if he heard something wrong, Karem nonetheless faced this reality ahead of him.
The first Grizzly Beaver emerged from the woods wielding a spear and pointed it toward Blackwood Village.
Aaaaaaaaah!!!!
That seemed to serve as a signal, as if the charge was prompted by that very cry.
Dozens more Grizzly Beavers surged out from the woods, wielding their makeshift stone weapons as they rushed forward.
The air began to fill with a sweet and alluring aroma carried by the wind.