Knight: Becoming King of the World

"Henry, what do you plan to do with these Half-Beastman heads?"

"Trade them for money, of course. I’m not like the Dean. Only the Dean has the right to pile up Half-Beastman heads to shock the world."

The three of them traveled day after day. Their bond grew stronger, and they could talk about almost anything.

On the way back, Henry was in high spirits, as he had accomplished his three goals.

Make money, train his troops, and hack and slash! And he hadn’t been injured in the slightest.

Now, Henry finally had the leisure to admire the beauty of the grasslands, which were covered in green as far as the eye could see.

The sky was as blue as a sapphire, with white clouds drifting by, creating a sense of peace and beauty.

Unfortunately, they were a bit far from the empire’s current border. Otherwise, they would have seen herds of cattle and sheep grazing.

Across the vast plain, one could even see gently rolling hills and mountains.

Along the way, Henry’s party occasionally came across crystal-clear rivers. The water gurgled as it flowed, and no one knew just how vast this continent was, nor would anyone try to find the rivers’ sources.

Henry looked around. Across the river was a forest and a few small hills. After checking the position of the sun, he decided they would rest there for the night.

Henry picked up a pitchfork and suggested to Boman and Fass, "Let’s have a contest to see who can spear more fish. The winner gets to eat the most meat tonight."

Fass wasn’t interested and offered to be the referee. Henry turned down an eager Bain, not letting him participate.

Bain’s injury would take a few more days to heal. Besides, it wouldn’t look good for a Knight’s Squire like Bain to keep beating Boman...

So, Henry and Boman stood by the riverbank, staring intently at the fish in the water, trying to spear them with their pitchforks.

Their eyes were glued to the surface, as if they could see the fish at the bottom through the water. Of course, Boman couldn’t see clearly; it was Henry who truly had a perfect view.

Boman tightened and loosened his grip on his pitchfork, looking as if he was ready to strike at any moment.

The fish that occasionally swam by darted back and forth. They seemed to sense the danger but didn’t leave.

They weaved along the riverbed, occasionally leaping from the water and kicking up a splash.

"Got one!"

Seeing that Boman, who was hopelessly addicted despite his lack of skill, still hadn’t made a move, Henry decided not to wait any longer. With a steady, accurate, and ruthless thrust, he speared a large fish and bragged cockily to Boman.

The others began to set up camp. The Attendants and Cavalry from their party fanned out to patrol the area, checking for wolves or other threats to prevent an attack during the night.

Soon, with an aching back, Boman gave up the competition. Henry was victorious once again.

"You two... one’s got all the strength, the other has a huge appetite. I give up!"

Henry just laughed at Boman’s words and didn’t comment further.

Fass, however, seized the rare opportunity to jab at him, "It seems a previous year’s first place isn’t as good as this year’s first." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

"Still better than second place."

Henry picked out a few plump fish and put them on the fire to roast. As nobles, the three of them had brought plenty of seasonings, which made the grilled fish even more delicious.

The fresh fish tasted incredible to the three of them and added some fun to their journey home.

A person has to keep finding ways to have a little fun, after all. Otherwise, life gets dull.

After finishing the fish, Henry and Boman started playing other games.

However, no matter how hard Boman tried, he could never defeat the invincible Henry.

In the end, Boman lost a total of seven times that night! Seven times!

Just then, Ailia and two other maids came in carrying food. She said, "Sirs, here are pigeon pies and lemon cakes. We hope you enjoy yourselves."

The other two maids belonged to Boman and Fass. When nobles traveled, the basic retinue consisted of a butler, Attendants, a cook, and maids.

The pigeon pie was round, with a golden, crispy crust that gave off an enticing aroma. The edges of the pie were neat and slightly upturned, resembling a pigeon about to take flight.

The sight made their mouths water. Boman cut open the pigeon pie, revealing a generous, colorful filling that was absolutely tantalizing.

Boman licked his lips and asked, "Mm, not bad. Who made this?"

Ailia glanced at Henry, then lowered her head and said, "It was I, Sir Knight."

Henry asked in surprise, "You made this? You have this kind of skill?"

"Master, I learned from Orianna."

Henry pointed to the small cakes and asked, "What about these?"

"I made those as well, Master."

Boman smiled and said to Henry, "I’m so jealous. To think someone under you has such skill. You’re sure lucky when it comes to food."

Henry stroked his chin. "In that case, I’ll have to give it a proper taste."

The lemon cakes were shaped like small lemons, their pale yellow color fresh and pleasant.

The surface of the cakes was covered with a thin layer of lemon frosting, so translucent it looked like morning dew.

The fresh scent of lemon and the sweetness of the cake blended perfectly, tantalizing the taste buds and leaving Henry wanting more.

Henry’s eyes widened involuntarily. He then took a bite of the pigeon pie.

It was rich and mellow, the filling complex and varied. Henry could taste a unique flavor in every bite.

The lemon cake, on the other hand, was sweet and tart. The acidity of the lemon complemented the sweetness of the cake, and its delicate texture was like a feast on the tongue.

"Ailia, I am a lucky man to have you in my service."

"Serving you is my life’s honor, Master."

The three of them began to dig in with a vengeance. But since these were just snacks and there wasn’t much, they were all left wanting more.

Even as Henry lay in bed, he was still savoring the memory of Ailia’s pigeon pie and lemon cake.

’I probably won’t have any dreams tonight, right?’

Ever since his "hack and slash" spree, he’d been dreaming almost every night, leaving him groggy and listless.

’It’s true what they say,’ he thought, ’when you’re unhappy, eat dessert! Of course, for health’s sake, you shouldn’t binge... but what if you can’t help it?’

Soon, Henry drifted off to a blissful sleep and, as expected, entered another wonderful dream.

An androgynous figure was there, sharing a meal with him of six pigeon pies and six cakes. No matter how much Henry ate, he never felt full.

The pigeon pies and cakes seemed endless, and every bite brought the same satisfaction as the very first.

Just as Henry was getting closer to the androgynous figure, a violent shove jolted him awake.

"What is it, Ailia?"

"M-Master, why are you eating the blanket? Master, please stop, you’re scaring me... Are you hungry? I’ll go have Orianna prepare breakfast right away."

Henry stared at the corner of the blanket, which was covered in teeth marks and soaked with drool, and fell into a thoughtful silence.