Knight: Becoming King of the World

Henry was thrilled. He had "recruited" a Medical Master, and it was a two-for-one deal. Though their abilities had yet to be tested, that didn’t stop Henry from keeping them for now.

Thomas and his son timidly joined Henry’s group. They stood perfectly still, not daring to move an inch as the soldiers frisked them and inspected their wicker baskets.

After a long while, Boman, Fass, and Bain returned with the soldiers, hauling two mountains of meat with them.

"Henry, these two mountains of meat will be enough to feed us for a long time."

They were still some distance from imperial territory, so there was no way to preserve the bear meat or sell it. The best course of action was for everyone to eat it.

Fass nodded, a look of contentment on his face. "Braised, large skewers, secret-recipe bear paws—we can make them all. These are rare court dishes that only Counts get to enjoy whenever they please."

Bear meat skewers were a specialty of the empire’s mountainous Xiao Nong and Marunas regions. After the empire was unified and maritime trade routes opened up, the dish was popularized on the dining tables of nobles across the realm.

It was a delicacy made by cutting the bear loin into large chunks, skewering them with onions, peppers, and mushrooms, and then pan-frying them on a stone slab with a dash of salt and black pepper until golden brown.

Fass had been fortunate enough to try it once. Just a single bite had left a lasting, unforgettable impression on him.

Boman looked at Henry and asked, "What do you think?"

Everyone turned to look at Boman, but their expressions didn’t change much.

Henry met Boman’s gaze for a moment, then smiled. "Of course. Tonight, we’ll have an all-bear feast. Let’s thank Thomas and his little treasure." 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

The surrounding soldiers cheered. They’d never eaten anything like this before. As long as it was meat and it was cooked, it was a treasure!

The troops marched until four in the afternoon before finding a flat piece of ground to make camp. The subsequent distribution and preparation of the ingredients was a matter for the cooks.

Inside the command tent, Bain was expressing his confusion to Henry.

"My lord, I still don’t understand. You are all Vassals of the King, so why does he address you so formally?"

Henry looked at the puzzled Bain and explained, "To hold your head high, you need confidence. But to bow your head, you need courage. Boman has lofty ambitions. ’A Viscount, at the very least?’

"He wants his own castle, his own towns. Perhaps he has taken a liking to my abilities and wants me to help him."

Henry gestured with his eyes for Bain to pour him a cup of black tea, then continued to explain, "In this world, water flows from high places to low places. But if water is heated by the sun, it turns into a gas and rises."

"Gas? I know about poisonous gas and miasma. You die if you inhale them."

Henry just smiled and shook his head, not bothering to explain further.

"My point is, it’s the same with people."

Henry picked up his cup, gently blew on the surface to cool it, and took a sip. "When a person lacks strength, they must learn to bow their head. Once they become powerful, they naturally earn the right to hold it high."

Bain nodded as if he half-understood. ’Whatever my lord says is right, anyway.’

"My lord, you seem like a scholar. You could definitely write a book. It would surely be a bestseller in Caladia."

"Forget it. There’s no money in writing books. If I ever fall so low that I have to write books to make a living, I’d rather go begging with you in the city."

Time passed quickly. As night fell, the all-bear feast began. Huge chunks of meat were distributed to the armored soldiers. Except for the heart, liver, and kidneys, all the other organs were used to make a soup.

Even Thomas and Vasily received a small piece of tender, fatty meat and some salty soup.

Objectively speaking, the taste was average, but the soldiers ate with great joy, especially those under Henry’s command who had not undergone "loyalty" training.

’Ever since we set out from the fief with Henry, it feels like we’ve been living the life of a noble.’

The three nobles—Henry, Boman, and Fass—gathered around the bonfire with their respective Attendants, stewards, and officers, enjoying the delicious food.

Although the bear paws tasted ordinary, it was still a unique experience. It felt like a bit of a shame, though. They lacked the right seasonings and cooking utensils, and none of the cooks, like Orianna, knew how to prepare such a delicacy.

’They’re just workers, after all, forced to improvise.’

After dinner, everyone chatted for a while before returning to their tents to rest. They had to continue their journey tomorrow. In another four days, they would reach Baltahan.

The four-day journey was peaceful and uneventful. Thomas and his son also gradually began to relax.

Drawing on his professional medical knowledge, Thomas took the initiative to give the soldiers check-ups. He carefully inquired about each soldier’s health, patiently listening to their worries and problems.

While Thomas conducted the physical examinations with great care, Vasily assisted at his side, taking notes on important information.

Throughout this process, Thomas displayed a professionalism that left Henry very satisfied.

Henry didn’t need a master right now; any competent physician was considered a talent.

"Father, why are we examining these soldiers on our own initiative? That lord didn’t give us any orders."

Thomas replied with an air of profound wisdom, "This is the way of survival. You’ll learn, slowly."

Days passed, and the group finally began to see the figures of merchant caravans and patrolling Light Cavalry, a sign that Baltahan was close at hand.

"HEY! HALT!"

Suddenly, several Heavy Cavalrymen rode over and stopped the column’s advance.

"Soldier, I need a reasonable explanation."

The lead Heavy Cavalryman glanced at the imperial robes worn by Henry and the other two nobles, as well as the family banners in their column. He spoke apologetically, "My three lords, my sincerest apologies. Please forgive our rudeness. Might I ask your names, my lords?"

Henry could only introduce himself. He was already tired of introductions. ’Can someone please tell me why introductions here are so complicated?’

After hearing this, the Heavy Cavalryman breathed a sigh of relief and said respectfully, "Sir Knight, we are Attendants of the Countess Ratifa Villarreal, the lord of Tiyaer."

Henry frowned and looked at Boman. He was completely unfamiliar with this Countess.

The empire had countless nobles. Family crests, banners, and the like had long been eliminated from noble etiquette; everyone just greeted each other upon meeting.

’Aside from the royal family, you might go your whole life without seeing another noble. Who cares who you are?’

Boman thought for a moment and said, "This Countess is apparently the ’Goddess of Wealth’ of the empire’s snowy Northern Territory, the current heir of the Villarreal family. That’s all I know."

Henry nodded and said to the Heavy Cavalryman, "Why did you stop me?"

"Countess Ratifa’s convoy needs to pass through here. We hope you will be able to wait here for a moment."

Henry bit his lip and said, "That’s not good enough. My soldiers have just returned from the Half-Beastman battlefield. They need to enter the city and rest as soon as possible."

In practical terms, a Count was far more prestigious than a Knight. But according to imperial law, they were of equal rank.

’Make way? On what grounds?’

"I want an audience with this Countess Ratifa. Otherwise, I will order my army to force march down this road."