Chapter 156 Gathering People Through Cooking
This was a ferocious beast rarely seen even in the Age of Gods, appearing only during extraordinary times.
Its presence, however, carried the force of a natural disaster—like a tsunami or a mountain flood—impacting everything in its path, destroying the surroundings with overwhelming power. It was senseless, and even feelings of resentment could not arise.
At this moment, only the red-eyed monsters controlled by the dragon remained in the center of the battlefield, killing each other. Many were thrown away by the suddenly rising tens-of-meters-high peak, falling from the sky.
The dragon unfolded its massive wings like two mountains rising, stretched its long neck, and roared toward the sky. It tore open the ground, emerging from the chasm, releasing a terrifying sonic wave that shattered the eardrums of surrounding monsters and warriors, causing blood to spurt from their seven orifices as they died.
The dragon, shrouded in black shadows and devouring the energy of the corpses, now measured over a hundred meters in length. When it spread its wings, the shadows covered the entire battlefield. It breathed fire, burning the corpses on the ground into black mud, while the earth absorbed nutrients, strengthening this world.
Fortunately, Shirou and the other knights had already moved far from the battlefield's center.
The knights were immensely relieved. This battle was, since their arrival in this world, the smoothest they had fought. They were no longer fighting individually but cooperating, allowing the cavalry to fully deploy and exercise both offense and defense, displaying much stronger combat power.
Thanks to Da Vinci's timely notification, everyone had moved away from the battlefield before the dragon appeared, avoiding its deadly breath.
"Report! The entire army has returned safely. Five knights wounded, twenty soldiers wounded, seven dead," shouted a messenger.
"Well done, everyone!" Artoria praised the returning knights.
"With the King of Knights as our commander, our combat power has indeed improved considerably," the knights marveled.
"...?" Mor-chan's gaze darted back and forth between her father and the scene, standing there hesitating.
"You helped a lot too, Mor-chan," Shirou said, lightly patting the girl's head while smiling.
Feeling the warmth on her head, Mor-chan blushed. Then realizing what had happened, she elbowed the boy's chest and shouted, "Wah! Shirou! Don't touch my head!"
Luckily, Shirou had chest armor. Using it, he jumped down from the horse safely.
"Hey, Mor-chan? Isn't this unnecessary? We fought side by side before, and even rode the same horse!" Shirou asked, puzzled.
"Annoying! Don't lean your face toward me either!" Mordred pushed the approaching boy away. During the battle, her focus had been entirely on the enemies, and her whole body was in a state of exhilarated blood heat. But now off the battlefield, realizing how close she was to the handsome Shirou, she felt embarrassed.
"Mor-chan, you should have gotten used to this version of me by now," Shirou said helplessly, thinking about the rebellious child who refused to get close to family.
"Annoying! You'd better learn to ride a horse quickly, Shirou! Don't sit with me! Or I'll teach you right now!" Mordred shouted.
"So noisy… bringing this little knight into the Round Table… no wonder Arthur King couldn't handle it," complained Pellinore, also guarding the rear.
"Hmph, though Mordred is immature, as a knight, she is a hundred times braver than your men," Artoria said.
"Hahaha, almost no casualties in the army… you even have prophetic-like abilities," laughed King Pellinore. "Arthur King! The magician you brought this time is impressive. Much more reliable than that always-running-away Merlin and scheming Morgan."
"King Pellinore, you flatter me," Da Vinci said with a smile from Chaldea.
King Pellinore nudged the wall corner and said, "Oh, upon closer look, she's quite a beauty. Black hair, white skin—are you of Roman descent? Not bad. If you like, I could even give you the position of queen."
Da Vinci rolled her eyes and chuckled, "Much obliged, but I have important work to finish. But indeed, a brave king like you is admirable. If you wish to assist us at Chaldea, that would be great."
"Is that so? Haha, if someone as beautiful as you are is there, I might consider it," Pellinore laughed, enjoying the flattery.
"Da Vinci…!" Shirou muttered helplessly. If they actually tricked Pellinore to come to Chaldea, and her real identity was exposed… would they have to forcibly subdue him with the Chaldea servants?
"Good, all the warriors have returned," the secretary said.
"So, what next? Wait here until night?" a knight asked.
"Follow me. Ten kilometers ahead, by the creek. We'll hold a celebration feast now!" Artoria said, sitting on her beloved vehicle.
"Hahaha, sounds good! Young master, I've prepared the livestock for you," King Pellinore said to Shirou. Last time, he had run over twenty kilometers after a horse, but the aroma in the camp lingered till the next day. This time he finally had a chance.
"Hmm, anyway, we need to eat lunch. Preparing extra is fine too," Shirou agreed.
"Normally, the privilege of his cooking belongs to me. This time, as a reward for the heroes, enjoy it!" Artoria said.
"Ooooo!!" In Pellinore's camp, warriors led by Lamorak cheered excitedly.
"Oh oh oh!!! Shirou, I want venison! Big chunks of meat!" Mor-chan raised her fist and shouted.
"What? That boy is the chef? At first, I thought he was a king of some nation—such commanding presence isn't ordinary. But he's a chef? Look, he's already slaughtering the livestock," whispered the visiting knights.
"But have you seen a chef who can use a Noble Phantasm to fell a 2.5-meter-high knight?"
"Of course, strong knights should have some cooking skills! Our Camelot knights are expected to know a few arts. Just watch—soon, you'll understand!" Mor-chan looked at the provincial knights, clearly inexperienced, and waved dismissively.
"What's going on? That's Mordred, right? It's the first time I've seen her without a helmet."
"She's King Arthur's child? They look similar, even body shape…" The knights exchanged confused glances.
"But Arthur is female, right? So who's the father?"
At this moment, they saw the girl approach the handsome boy acting as the chef.
"Hey~! Shirou, is it ready yet?" Mor-chan asked, smelling the aroma.
"Just a moment, Mor-chan. There's not much ingredient, so it takes time," Shirou said, busy preparing various seasonings while frying and cooking foods Artoria liked. He placed the best-fried potato meatball on a large plate, picked up one that had cooled, and offered it to the girl: "Want to try?"
"I want it!" Mor-chan stepped forward and bit the potato meatball Shirou offered.
"Oh… I see now," the knights understood.
"So that's why the little girl was speaking proudly as if she had cooked herself," they realized.
Only Artoria, sitting in her chief position, observed coldly. Her eyes, already stern, grew colder as she muttered, "Looks like I need to teach Shirou—he mustn't eat the food alone!"
Shirou had chosen dishes in large portions to care for the soldiers under the knights, ensuring that warriors just off the battlefield could eat well and be satisfied.
Large roasting ovens fueled by firewood were used to roast two sheep each.
On the stoves, ten non-stick pans with handles were set up, embossed with Taiji patterns. Nearby were plates of seasonings and pork lard. He began pan-frying steaks.
The natural bison on Britain Island, breathing mana-infused air, drinking mountain spring water, and feeding on magic-infused flora, produced meat that, although a bit tough in tendons, could rival modern Grade-A5 beef.
Shirou started frying the best bison ribeye, cut thickly—over 3 cm—to satisfy the hearty appetite of the warriors. Cooking proceeded in ten pans simultaneously, monitored by Shirou's Mystic Eyes, flipping at the perfect moment. The steaks were paired with sliced potatoes, wild mushrooms, and carrots, creating Western-style meat dishes.
He also prepared fried rice: minced meat, garlic, onion, pork fat, and rice scooped from a giant rice pot, stir-fried and seasoned with meat juices. A simple, filling, and delicious meal.
The cooked dishes were brought to the long table by assisting soldiers for the knights to enjoy. Thanks to Shirou's speed, other soldiers' meals were also quickly completed.
Read ahead (60 chapters) by supporting me on buymeacoffee com/varietl or ko-fi edwriting