Return of the Max-Level Lord Chapter 52

After a short while, Jade brought the prepared meat to Raion.

“This should be enough.”

Raion opened the storage and took out a large pot and a brazier that looked like a table, both of which he had prepared in advance.

For reference, that brazier was one of Dike’s inventions from when he had stayed in Taron’s Palace. It was a failure because it didn’t just heat the tabletop but the entire room as well.

Now, however, Raion had modified it by engraving the 1st-circle magic, ‘Fire’, making it perfectly usable.

“Surely, Your Highness isn’t planning to cook personally?”

At Pavilion’s question, Raion didn’t even look up.

“Why ask when you can see it yourself?”

Pavilion could only stare in disbelief at Raion’s response.

He immediately turned to scold Baron and Cayman.

“Have you both lost your minds? Letting His Highness do the cooking? What kind of outrageous insolence is this!”

It was a tremendous breach of decorum toward royalty, so Pavilion’s reaction was understandable.

But Raion patted Pavilion’s shoulder and spoke.

“Hey. I volunteered to do it myself. So just sit down and wait quietly for the meal.”

“But, Your Highness! This cannot be! How could a knight simply stand by and watch while the prince cooks!?”

“Then would you rather cook?”

“Eh? Your Highness, normally on the battlefield, meals are prepared by the lower-ranking soldiers…”

Raion frowned deeply at his rambling explanation.

“It doesn’t taste good.”

“Th-that may be so, but… then wouldn’t it be better to return to the castle rather than do this here?”

To Pavilion, that seemed like the best compromise for both sides.

Of course, Raion didn’t even consider it for a second.

“Didn’t you already acknowledge that I’m the commander? Or do you still have much to say, even after owing your life?”

“T-that’s…”

As Raion said, Pavilion—and the entirety of the western subjugation unit—owed their lives to him.

They could very well have been annihilated, so it was difficult for Pavilion to defy Raion’s words.

“Just stay quiet and eat when it’s ready.”

“B-but, that earlier ambush happened because Your Highness and the eastern subjugation unit failed to control the monster herd properly!”

“So that excuses the knights for losing their lives?”

“O-of course not, but still…”

“In any situation, a knight must prioritize the lives of himself and his subordinates. If I were the vice-commander, rather than clashing head-on, I would’ve retreated and drawn the monsters into the valley 1,200 mirs behind.”

Raion hadn’t seen the terrain there personally, but he had confirmed it through sensory observation.

“That place is a dead end! If we had retreated into that valley, everyone would’ve died.”

“But the entrance is narrow, limiting the number of monsters that can enter. Couldn’t you at least think that far strategically?”

Pavilion immediately understood and was struck with shock.

Had he led the troops as Raion described, their chances of survival—no, of victory—would have been far higher.

“If you’ve got nothing more to say, be quiet. My back’s already aching from cooking for everyone here.”

Raion ended the conversation there and focused on cooking.

He placed the large pot on the brazier and used the 1st-circle spell ‘Water’ to fill it before boiling.

Tak tak tak tak tak—! Swish!

Meanwhile, Jade chopped up the Rickbird and Tugpig meat and added them into the pot with the vegetables they had brought.

After removing the gamy smell of the meat, Raion took out a wide pot and stir-fried it with oil.

Since he had to make food for over a hundred people, he repeated the process two to three times.

As the delicious aroma spread, soldiers, mercenaries, and adventurers began to gather around little by little.

Normally, during subjugations, meals consisted of dried jerky and hard bread.

But now, Prince Raion himself was making not just any food, but an incredibly delicious meal.

Naturally, they could only feel humbled and grateful.

“Phew—! All done!”

The cooking was complete.

After that, Baron and Cayman began serving the portions.

Before long, the members of the western subjugation unit stood in line, holding their personal bowls.

Seeing this, the eastern subjugation unit hesitated for a moment, then quietly joined the line as well.

“Thank you for your hard work, Your Highness.”

Jade handed Raion a towel he had prepared beforehand.

“Thanks. But you should learn a bit of cooking too. I can’t keep doing this forever, can I?”

“My apologies. I’m terribly unskilled when it comes to cooking.”

At his answer, Raion frowned and began eating the portion he had prepared for himself.

“Not bad. You should go eat too.”

“Yes, sir!”

While Raion enjoyed his meal, Pavilion quietly stared at the unbelievable scene before him.

In what world would a royal personally cook and serve food to the soldiers? It was impossible to comprehend under any circumstance.

Just then, Jade brought Pavilion a portion of food as well.

“Vice-Commander, please have some too.”

“Th-thank you.”

Coming to his senses, Pavilion looked at the meat stir-fried with vegetables and oil, then took a bite.

The meat was so chewy that the texture alone made it delightfully satisfying to chew.

“How can it taste like this! This is the kind of food you can only find in the finest restaurants inside the capital!”

Pavilion had tasted many of the new dishes that had started circulating within the capital about four years ago.

Naturally, those recipes had spread through merchants and even reached the noble lords’ castles.

But Raion’s cooking was on an entirely different level—clearly superior.

“Isn’t it delicious?”

“It’s truly incredible! Your Highness, is there anything you cannot do?”

Jade also added his own words of admiration.

“He really is a man of many talents. Honestly, there’s no one who could rival him in any respect.”

“To be the prince’s escort knight must be a great honor. Earlier, I saw him using both swordsmanship and some rather peculiar fist techniques. What were those?”

He was referring to White Strike and Hand-to-Hand Combat Art from the True Martial Art.

Since those techniques used the flow of attack to reverse and counter it, Pavilion had been astonished watching every moment of it.

“I learned those from His Highness as well.”

“Would I be able to learn them too?”

“If you speak well enough, he might teach you. But be warned—your whole body will probably end up covered in bruises by the time you’re done. His personality can be… a little vicious at times.”

Jade muttered the last part as quietly as possible.

But Raion heard him perfectly.

“Jade! When you used the technique earlier, there were plenty of openings. Once we’re back at the castle, you’d better be prepared!”

“I didn’t say anything, Your Highness!”

Recalling the grueling training sessions, Jade immediately bolted from the spot.

Left alone, Pavilion couldn’t make sense of what just happened.

As Raion finished the last of his meat, he approached Pavilion and asked,

“Do you want to become stronger than you are now?”

“Of course, who wouldn’t?”

“In that case, I’ve been considering reorganizing the Kanas Knights once we return to the castle. What do you think?”

Faced with Raion’s serious question, Pavilion couldn’t answer easily.

No matter how high his position as vice-commander, all authority over the knights belonged to their commander, Alkas Derion.

“I don’t think it’s something I should speak on so freely.”

“Well… I suppose so. Had I known this would happen, I should’ve waited while sweeping through the southern outskirts. It would’ve been better to meet the commander directly and settle the matter with him.”

“Did Your Highness truly subjugate the orc habitat alone?”

Even though Pavilion had heard it directly from Baron, he still found it hard to believe.

“Do I look like someone who would lie about that?”

Of course, neither Baron nor Cayman would have fabricated such a thing.

Still, it was difficult to imagine anyone clearing out a monster habitat entirely alone.

“No, not at all. Anyway, I’ll discuss what you’ve said with the commander.”

“No need. I’ll handle it myself.”

Raion’s confident expression made his intentions clear.

After all, he had been planning to reform the Kanas Knights and the entire military structure for quite some time.

Naturally, conflicts would arise in the process.

But Raion could already predict most of them.

“What exactly are you planning to do?”

Pavilion couldn’t even begin to imagine what Raion was scheming.

Commander of the Kanas Knights, Alkas Derion, had just completed the southern subjugation and was now moving toward the western region of the territory.

By the fourth day since the start of the campaign, the troops were thoroughly exhausted.

And yet, the western subjugation unit they were supposed to rendezvous with at the midpoint was nowhere to be seen no matter how far they advanced.

“Where on earth did they go? Don’t tell me they were chased north by monsters?”

While Alkas was pondering, the sound of hooves came from the east.

Everyone turned their heads to see Glen approaching on horseback.

His sudden arrival filled Alkas with concern.

“What brings you here personally?”

“Reporting in, sir. The eastern subjugation unit has joined forces with the western unit and is now under His Highness’s command.”

Though the report was brief and clear, Alkas couldn’t fully grasp what it meant.

“Joined forces with the western unit? His Highness? What do you mean by that!?”

In response, Glen began explaining everything—starting from the moment the western subjugation unit was attacked while resting.

“They were ambushed during a break. However, they were rescued thanks to the eastern subjugation unit, which had crossed through the southern outskirts. For reference, His Highness the Prince and his escort knight, Sir Jade, were with the eastern unit from the very beginning.”

And Glen continued his report.

“Afterward, the western subjugation unit also came under His Highness’s direct command.”

Thanks to that explanation, Alkas finally understood what had happened to the missing western unit.

“There’s a limit to disregarding the chain of command! How could the western subjugation unit have gone all the way east!?”

“I was told that, too, was under His Highness’s orders. Moreover, while crossing the southern outskirts, they apparently discovered an orc habitat and successfully completed its subjugation.”

At Glen’s words, Alkas recalled the state of the habitat he had seen.

“The orc habitat… was taken care of by the western unit?”

The condition of the site had clearly shown traces of a single, highly skilled individual handling everything alone.

The report didn’t add up, so Alkas found it difficult to believe.

“Are you saying the western subjugation unit handled that area?”

“In truth, they said it was His Highness who subjugated it alone. However, I didn’t see it personally, so I can’t confirm it.”

“What in the world is going on? And why haven’t Baron and Cayman submitted any reports yet?”

Baron and Cayman’s failure to report troop movements was a serious military offense. But if it had been done under royal orders, punishment would be difficult.

“I wasn’t told the details. For now, I heard both the western and eastern units plan to follow the outer base of the Clamen Mountain Range and move northward.”

“I see… All right. You’ll accompany us for now.”

“I’ll follow your command.”

Alkas let out a long sigh and ordered his troops to head north.