Chapter 96: The Mage Corps and Whale Steak

“This happened approximately two hundred years ago, when the Luresian Empire invaded the Kingdom of Elde. Luresia fielded one hundred thousand soldiers, while Elde had only ten thousand.”

At the time, famine had spread throughout Elde and caused a severe food shortage.

The kingdom could mobilize far fewer knights than in peacetime, and Luresia had apparently planned its invasion with that weakness in mind.

“Nevertheless, the war ended in a draw.”

“What? Despite a difference of more than ten to one?”

“There were many reasons, including the presence of two brilliant strategists. The greatest, however, was an otherworlder summoned by the Goddess who happened to be staying in Elde.”

“Was he a Satsuma warrior?”

“Yes. He is recorded in Elde’s histories under the name ‘Hayato Satsuma.’”

Seriously?

“After various events, he became an instructor to the Royal Knights and taught all ten thousand knights Jigen-ryu. They continued advancing no matter how badly they were wounded and split open the heads of enemies in full plate armor, helmets and all. The terrified Luresians retreated.”

“I can understand why.”

“That technique and spirit have been passed down to the present day. After many improvements, it became the Elde Style of swordsmanship, specialized in destruction through a single fatal strike with a greatsword—”

Raphiel looked toward the thousand knights facing monsters larger than themselves without shields, holding their greatswords in the dragonfly stance.

“KIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”

“—and this is the result.”

The knights split the monsters’ skulls.

Even Randolph, who was supposed to be commanding them, stood at the front line splitting skulls.

“Should their commander really be fighting too?”

“It is a fairly common method of warfare in Elde.”

“But if he’s killed, won’t the chain of command collapse and their morale fall?”

“Even if he is killed, the order is simply ‘split the enemy’s skulls until the signal to stop,’ so there will be no difficulty. Their desire to avenge their superior would instead raise morale.”

“They’re berserkers.”

“Yes, they are berserkers. For that reason, a single Elde knight is said to equal ten Luresian soldiers.”

Incidentally, in the war between Elde and Luresia several decades ago, Luresia had fielded five hundred thousand soldiers against Elde’s five thousand.

Elde had nearly lost that time. But the Temple, concerned about the atrocities Luresia would commit afterward, dispatched a single Holy Knight.

Apparently, the naked Holy Knight who barged onto the battlefield saved them.

…The phrase “naked Holy Knight” made me picture the centenarian who often stripped off all his clothes in Papel Village, but surely it was someone else.

I wanted to believe it was someone else.

“It seems they have reclaimed the port town. Let us go as well.”

“All right.”

The monsters had devastated the port town, but all the civilians had evacuated in advance, and there were apparently no human casualties.

More than half the knights were injured, but none had died.

We went to see what was happening at the harbor.

“Those must be the whale monsters Rorondo mentioned.”

“The retreating monsters appear to be climbing onto their backs in an attempt to escape…”

Raphiel glanced toward the fewer than one hundred knights standing in a line along the pier.

Their equipment differed from that of the skull-splitting knights, and they carried staffs instead of swords.

“Are those people mages?”

“Yes. They are likely members of the Royal Knights’ Mage Corps.”

“Oh! Then they’ll attack those whales with magic!”

“Most likely. Ordinarily, magic requires an exceptionally long incantation. Those with sufficient talent can apparently cast without one.”

“What? If they leisurely recite a long spell, won’t the whales escape!?”

At that moment—

“KIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!”

The knights of the Mage Corps unleashed strange cries, and magic circles formed at the tips of their staffs.

Enormous spears of fire, arrows of ice, and balls of stone generated by those circles rained down upon the whales all at once.

“They cast magic without chanting…?”

“I do not know much about magic, so I cannot explain the details, but those cries are the incantation.”

“Those are the spells!?”

Just then, Randolph approached me with a smug expression while stroking his tiny mustache.

“Well, amateur? These are the Royal Knights!”

“W-Well, I understand now that you aren’t all talk.”

“Hmph! That is enough! Adventurers! Begin dismantling the monsters we killed! The monsters! That we! Killed!”

“Yes, yes.”

At Randolph’s order, the adventurers diligently began the dismantling work.

“So the adventurers do the dismantling…”

“Hmph. They were useless in the battle, yet the kingdom pays them enormous sums. They must at least do this much to earn it!”

“…Every word out of his mouth irritates me.”

Tardolf had been much the same when we first met, though.

If I said that aloud, Randolph would only become angry, so I kept quiet.

Then Rorondo approached.

“Boss!”

“What is it?”

“Can you make something delicious out of that whale monster? After everything that happened today, we still haven’t eaten.”

“A whale? Hmm…”

As I pondered, Raphiel interrupted.

“I understand that whale meat is sold only at large supermarkets, department-store food halls, and specialty fishmongers. Surely even you have never prepared it, Eight?”

“I have.”

“…You have?”

My house had been in the countryside, far from any large supermarket, department store, or specialty fishmonger. Even so, I had prepared whale meat once.

My grandpa had received some from an acquaintance who worked aboard a whaling ship, and I had cooked it.

“I failed spectacularly, though. I overcooked it, and it became absurdly tough. I never got another chance to prepare it after that, so—”

“Eight, I wish to eat it as steak.”

“That request came quickly.”

Still, nothing was more helpful than a request when I was unsure what to make.

I took the whale meat dismantled by Rorondo and the other adventurers and immediately began cooking.

First, I lightly wiped the moisture from the surface with paper towels and gently pounded both sides with the back of my knife.

That loosened the fibers and made the meat tender.

Then I seasoned both sides evenly with salt and pepper.

“Heat the frying pan over high heat!”

Whale meat became tough, dry, and unpleasant if overcooked.

So it needed to be seared quickly over high heat.

I added vegetable oil to the hot pan, then placed the whale meat inside.

Once one side had developed a beautiful sear, I turned it over, lowered the heat slightly, and quickly cooked the other side.

“Then add white wine and burn off the alcohol…”

I transferred the meat to a plate, then added grated onion, soy sauce, and mirin to the juices remaining in the pan and brought the mixture briefly to a boil.

I poured the finished sauce over the whale steak.

“It’s ready, Raphi—”

“Then I shall eat.”

Raphiel swiftly took the plate and popped a piece of whale into her mouth.

This time, I had cooked it rare. I expected her to hesitate, but she did not pause at all.

Perhaps she had grown accustomed to various foods in Luresia.

“Oh! Eight, this is quite delicious. It has no unpleasant odor, and its texture resembles horse meat. I could become addicted.”

“Hey, Sai—Ahem. Raph the Transporter, it isn’t fair for you to enjoy it alone. Cook some for us too!”

“A-All right. I’ll start immediately.”

There were several hundred adventurers.

I had brought every cooking utensil I owned, so I could prepare several portions at once, but…

It was quite some time before I finally tasted the whale meat myself.