Chapter 118:  The Greatest Feast (1)

The fleeting moment of leisure I had enjoyed in the capital came to an end.

It was now time to set out to obtain the fourth letter of recommendation for my promotion to baron.

"Thank you so much for today, Roger."

Istina, who had successfully registered as a bishop candidate thanks to me.

She gently raised her right hand, as if offering a handshake.

"There's nothing to thank me for. I was happy to help."

"No, you don’t understand. You may not realize it, but I’ve gained so much more from this than you think."

Was it really that significant?

Well, becoming a bishop did come with a great deal of privilege within the Silver Truth Church.

"I’ll see you soon in Nord, hopefully with good news."

From registration to election — that part would depend on her own ability.

As the leader of a group, Istina waved to me with the confidence of someone who knew she could handle the rest herself.

"Understood. I’ll see you in the North."

I answered, thinking of my homeland that I would finally return to after passing through the West.

After that, I said my goodbyes to Ronie as well.

"Ronie, you’ll be coming back for winter break too, right?"

"Of course. I should pay Father a visit — it’s been a while."

The guy showed off his monstrous strength by doing over a hundred squats while holding Sonia in his arms.

Perhaps it was because he had resolved not just to earn his father’s recognition, but to become the knight who would revive his household.

He even won the duel that followed with ease.

"Right, bring Sonia with you over the break too."

"W-what…?"

He flinched at my words, though I hadn’t meant anything by them.

"Why are you so surprised? You’re going to have to work with the Erian Foundation anyway."

"Oh, right—! Of course!!"

I gave Ronie’s sturdy shoulder a light pat.

Then, I turned my head toward the western outer gates of the capital.

A luxurious white horse the Saint herself had lent me.

She had assured me it would get me to the capital’s western region in just two days.

"Well then, I’ll be off."

"Travel safely."

"See you over the break, brother!!"

Without looking back, I raced straight toward the western horizon.

Across the vast, open plains.

"……."

Ronie and Saint Istina quietly watched me ride away.

Then, the younger brother glanced up at the silver-haired beauty and asked her a question.

His older brother had just departed, and she was quietly writing something after pulling it out from her robe.

"Saint, I’ve always been curious—what is it you’re writing sometimes?"

"This?"

The Saint gazed gently at Ronie.

Then, with a warm smile that felt like that of a family member, she replied,

"Let’s see… I suppose you could call it my bucket list."

"Bucket list…?"

Ronie tilted his head like a curious little fox. The Saint brought her pen to her fresh lips and said,

"Things I want to do once I become bishop—."

"Ahh—."

The younger brother responded with a nod, his black eyes a perfect match for his older brother’s.

He, too, used to jot down things he wanted to do during the school break.

――――――

With a lively clatter of hooves, a white horse galloped briskly across the land.

As expected of the fine steed lent by the Saint—it was incredibly fast.

After a single day of riding, I had already left the capital region behind.

Spending a night at a hotel near the western provincial border, I soon spotted a sign.

「Western Region, Birmington.」

From here on out, it was truly the western region.

If I kept going for about half a day, I’d reach the central city where Grand Duke Heriot resided.

‘This might be the hardest challenge yet.’

As soon as I arrived, I looked up at the darkening sky.

The weather turned gloomy in an instant, almost as if it were warning me that obtaining the certificate of baronial promotion here would not be easy.

The defining trait of this place—Birmington—was its depressing weather.

There were no mountains across the wide plains, but it was known for its fickle skies.

Perhaps because of that, the Western Grand Duke had a reputation for being extremely ruthless.

And really, one couldn’t hope to become second only to the Grand Duke of the North with a gentle disposition.

Just look at Helena, the sharp-minded businesswoman who was raised under her.

"The ground’s getting muddy."

The land, just like Duke Heriot herself, was already acting irritable.

In moments like these, horses could easily slip, so I had to slow down and proceed carefully.

――――――

As I calmly rode toward the major city...

Suddenly, a carriage appeared far off on the horizon.

It was just sitting there, right in the middle of the road.

It looked like something had gone wrong with it.

Neigh—!!

The horse pulling the carriage let out a strong cry.

But despite its effort, the wheels, stuck in the soggy dirt, wouldn’t budge an inch.

‘Of all places, it had to get stuck on an unpaved shoulder.’

I could’ve easily steered my horse around it and continued on.

But when I got a closer look at the luxurious design of the carriage, I changed my mind.

I didn’t have any connections in the West.

The carriage obviously belonged to a wealthy family. If I helped out and made their acquaintance…

Well, who knows?

It might come in handy when trying to build merit in the western region.

"Is there a problem?"

I approached the carriage with the most harmless expression I could muster.

Then, dismounting from the saddle, I came face to face with a man standing at the front of the carriage, letting out a deep sigh.

However, in that instant—

My plan to build a connection in the West crumbled immediately.

The carriage owner I had just encountered didn’t look like a noble in the slightest.

"Ah… I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to block the road…"

He wore a shabby white T-shirt and work pants.

Though he had golden hair and blue eyes, his face was smudged with dirt.

But the real reason I concluded he wasn’t a noble was something else entirely.

The contents of his carriage.

They were nothing but food ingredients and white coats.

The man before me was a chef.

"You look exhausted—let me give you a hand."

"Would that be all right...? This thing just won’t budge no matter what I do."

The man scratched the back of his neck and gave me an embarrassed smile.

"Yes, I think if the two of us push together, the wheel should come loose quickly."

"Then I’ll gladly accept the help, even if it’s a bit shameless of me. I’m in quite a rush..."

He expressed his gratitude in a polite tone.

It seemed he belonged to a well-known household.

"All right, on the count of three, we’ll push together."

We both moved to the back of the carriage.

Grabbing hold of opposite corners, we exchanged a signal.

"One, two…!!"

I planned to put in more strength than him, assuming he was just an ordinary person.

But—

"…!!"

When I pushed with all the force I had—just like I used to back in my cadet days—

He matched my strength with surprising power of his own.

Rrrrgh—

Thanks to that, the carriage, which had been stuck like a stone, finally began to move.

Soon, the wheels rolled firmly, and the carriage was freed from the deep pit.

"Whew… Who dug a hole like this…?"

"The ground’s probably soft—it likely gave way all at once. It’s common in the West."

The blond chef dusted off his hands and spoke casually.

As if this region was his homeland.

"Still, you really saved me. I might actually make it on time, thanks to you."

"Are you headed somewhere for work?"

I lowered the sleeves of my dress shirt and glanced into the carriage.

Inside, there was an impressive assortment of fine ingredients.

Particularly seafood—not something easy to find in the inland western region.

"Yes. There’s someone I very much want to cook for."

The man spoke firmly, his blue eyes unwavering.

That look—

It was the gaze of someone with a clear goal, like Ronie when he had taken my advice.

Maybe that shared sense of purpose was why...

With my hands behind my back, I casually offered him a comment.

"But… You’ve still got at least half a day to reach the city, and those seafood ingredients don’t look like they’ll hold up well."

"How did you know that?"

The chef stared directly at me, noticing the subtle reaction on my face as I caught the faint scent of spoilage.

"My previous job was in estate management. At this rate, those ingredients are going to spoil soon."

"You’re right. That’s actually why I was trying to hurry... But the horse is worn out now, and it’s going to be difficult."

The chef looked at his horse with a troubled expression.

It seemed the poor animal had exhausted itself from all the effort to free the stuck wheel.

I looked past the horse and took another glance inside the open carriage.

In addition to seafood, it was also loaded with a fair amount of meat.

"You might have to change your menu to meat dishes instead."

"Yes, but even that may not be possible now. With this kind of humid weather, fresh meat can spoil in no time too."

I silently looked over his carriage.

Then, suddenly, my eyes caught a suit jacket hanging on an interior hook.

On the chest of the jacket was a badge I recognized all too well.

The golden lion—emblem of the Western Grand Duke’s house.

"I want to properly express my thanks, but I need to depart right away, even if it means going slowly."

The chef bowed to me in gratitude.

"……."

Normally, I would have left things at this small act of kindness.

But now that I knew he was a chef under the Western Grand Duke's household...

‘I can’t just let him go that easily.’

"Your horse seems quite exhausted. Are you sure you’ll make it on time?"

"I have to try, regardless… These ingredients were difficult to come by."

The blond man gently stroked his tired horse's back.

But the creature shook its head, clearly not wanting to run again.

"In that case, let’s do this. I’ll lend you my horse."

With the most harmless and humble expression in the world, I made the offer.

"Excuse me…?!"

"I happened to realize—though unintentionally—that you're headed to the Western Grand Duke’s estate. I'm going that way as well."

At the mention of the Yekaterina family, the chef's lips parted slightly.

"Ah… I see. I had no idea you were a guest."

"Since we’re heading to the same destination, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have my horse pull the carriage instead."

I calmly took the reins and led the white horse over.

As a well-bred steed, it was mild-tempered as well.

"Wouldn’t this one, who only carried me, be more suited to pull the carriage than your exhausted horse?"

"You're going this far for me… I don’t know how to thank you. I truly appreciate it."

The chef clasped my hand tightly, his expression earnest.

Well, if it’s a commission from the Western Grand Duke, even the best chefs would treat it as something grave.

In terms of chivalry, it would be like entering the Duke’s service as a mercenary.

"It’s fine. We all live by helping one another, don’t we?"

I comforted him with a gentle and upright smile—the kind I’d learned from spending time with the Saint.

Then, patting the white horse skillfully, I asked it to pull the carriage for a while.

Neigh…!

It looked rather displeased about being tasked with hauling such a heavy load.

But perhaps out of pity for the panting, worn-out brown horse, it soon obediently stepped up to take its place.

"All right then, let’s depart."

Still its rightful owner, I took the reins myself until the Saint's horse was returned.

After that, the white horse, now pulling the carriage alongside the lighter brown horse, galloped strongly toward the city.

――――――

A fine horse truly was a fine horse.

Exactly half a day later, we soon came upon an ornate signboard.

The estate of the Duke who ruled this western city—royalty by blood, kin to the Imperial Family.

The domain of Duke Heriot.

Passing through a brilliant field of wheat, the rooftops of a beautiful mansion soon came into view.

At that, the chef sitting beside me in the passenger seat gazed at the estate with a wistful expression.

As if he had been here before.

"You must have catered banquets at the Western Grand Duke's house quite a few times."

I asked him with a friendly look in my eyes.

Surprisingly, however, the blond man shook his head.

"No, this is my first time."

"Really? Judging by your expression, it felt like you were returning home."

Had I misread him?

It made me realize how much my instincts had dulled since my days as a chief secretary.

The chef let out a small chuckle and asked if that’s how it looked.

Then, as he gazed once more at the approaching mansion, he added,

"It is home. But…"

Soon, the attendants of the Western Grand Duke’s household came into view, already standing out front.

And among them was a radiant blonde woman—Helena, the eldest daughter.

"...It’s my first time coming here as a chef."

At his meaningful words, I furrowed my brow slightly.

Then I looked toward the members of the Yekaterina family, lined up so excessively it was almost overwhelming.

Soon, the carriage came to a stop at the mansion entrance.

Helena, who had been standing at the very front, looked at us with a puzzled expression.

"Oh my, Roger...? Why did you arrive with our older brother…?"

Our older brother.

At those words, I blinked in surprise.

"Older brother…?"

Helena Yekaterina, dressed in a fitted dress that hugged her slender waist and elegant curves.

She stepped up to the horse’s head and pointed at both me and him.

"You two knew each other?"

Only then did I turn to look at the chef who had been sitting beside me this whole time.

And I realized.

Though his face was smudged with dirt, his noble features closely resembled Helena’s.

And in those eyes—those vibrant, passionate blue eyes—there was no mistaking it.

"I suppose I should’ve introduced myself properly from the start…"

The man I had helped was none other than the eldest son of the Western Grand Duke’s household.

Harris Yekaterina.

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