Raising the Princess to Overcome Death-Chapter 227: Childhood Friend – Egg Pudding!
226. Childhood Friend – Egg Pudding!
"Wow, what a luxury this is."
The muscular swordsman with thick eyebrows grinned. He was in a good mood after washing his face with warm water on this winter morning.
He devoured the feast laid out on the table, feeling delighted that he had decided to follow his captain.
His name was Reuben Bizaine.
He was one of the twenty young men selected and brought by Rev, a candidate for the next great warrior of the Bizaine tribe.
As the third son of the chieftain, he had a strong voice within the tribe, and the warriors seated around the table nodded in agreement with Reuben.
"Instead of getting cocky, you should think about earning your keep."
However, there was a warrior woman who retorted sharply. Vanne Bizaine spoke while awkwardly wielding her fork.
"If you don’t work hard, the captain said he’d kick you out of the squad. Reuben, you should be worried."
Wahaha. Laughter erupted.
Reuben’s face turned bright red as he grumbled.
"You always have to say something... Just wait. It’s not that I’m not used to the sword yet, but soon I’ll catch up."
"Say it after you catch up."
“Tsk.”
Reuben scratched his head furiously.
He seemed almost angry enough to slam the table with his arms as thick as the water jug, but he didn't. Instead, he picked up a plate and shoveled food into his mouth, then grabbed Vanne’s arm and pulled her away.
The slender warrior woman, Vanne, followed him without a word.
The other swordsmen in the squad didn't stop them, looking forward instead to the dessert that would be served soon. Today's morning dessert was...
Egg pudding!
For the young barbarians who lived in the mountains, far from civilization, it was a tear-inducingly blissful experience. Some of them even shed tears when they took a bite of the soft pudding.
Don’t belittle the commotion over a mere pudding. Advanced cuisine is the greatest result of human civilization, and much research went into creating this pudding.
The main ingredient of egg pudding is eggs.
There are few ingredients that so thoroughly pique a chef’s sense of challenge, as eggs are composed of the disparate elements of yolk and white, and their texture can vary drastically depending on how they're cooked.
However, with egg pudding, you don’t need to worry about handling the yolk and white separately. You mix them together. But then, there remains the question of how to cook them.
Eggs coagulate when cooked.
How and to what extent you solidify them determines their texture. Salt, acid, high cooking temperature, and protein concentration promote coagulation. Meanwhile, sugar and fat, low cooking temperature, and protein concentration work against coagulation.
Pudding should be smooth.
The less it solidifies, the better. You add sugar (a sweetener) and milk (fat) to the mixed egg mixture. It’s best to stir gently to prevent bubbles, then strain the egg mixture to remove any strings, making it ready to be cooked.
When cooking, it should be done slowly and gently, using a water bath (placing a bowl containing the food in boiling water to cook or warm it). This makes the texture smoother.
Once cooked, it should be placed by the window and cooled in the cold winter breeze to create a firm and sweet pudding.
Add some sweetened sugar syrup on top, and the barbarians will soon become slaves to the chef’s culinary prowess.
But this wouldn’t work on Rev’s disciples. Bound by an oath of absolute loyalty, the master-servant relationship was not one that could be swayed by mere dessert.
"Ugh, that was good."
Licking their lips, they stepped out into the training ground.
Reuben and Vanne were there.
Already drenched in sweat, they seemed to have sparred already. Reuben and Vanne were recognized as lovers within the Bizaine tribe. Although there was no tradition of engagement in the Bizaine tribe, they were expected to marry someday.
Vanne Bizaine advised Reuben, who still couldn’t shake the habit of chopping like he was using an ax.
"Use a thrust. If you only chop downward, your trajectory is predictable."
"...Gosh. It’s not like I don’t know. How can I change what’s become a habit?"
"Then fix it."
Vanne responded bluntly. Reuben found her cool demeanor frustrating but listened to her obediently.
The passionate man and the cool woman, along with the young barbarians newly wielding swords, focused on their training. As the sun reached its peak, their captain came to the training ground.
"Captain. How did it go?"
"It went as planned. Get ready, everyone. We’re leaving again."
Rev spoke, looking back at the lord's castle.
Marquis Guidan was still hesitating. Despite having awakened his wife from her emotional slumber and helped his daughter regain some of her sanity, he couldn’t decide to revolt, claiming there was no justification for a revolution.
Rev didn’t pressure the marquis with the long earlobes. There were still many things he needed to prepare.
"When summer comes, Crown Prince Athon de Lognum will attack Akine. That’s when he’ll start putting pressure on you in earnest. Delay as much as you can. Consider me an insurance policy, and we’ll meet in Nevis in the summer."
He left some leeway for Marquis Guidan. Rev had a plan to set fire to the marquis’ feet.
Cesar.
Now it was time to find that bastard.
Rev looked south with murderous eyes. He pondered the location of the scoundrel, using {Tracking}, then soon turned his head in another direction.
‘Lena... must have arrived by now.’
It was in the northwest, where Lutetia and the capital church were located.
Rev gazed wistfully in that direction. Then, he thought of Leo Dexter and Lena Ainar, who would be further north. They were still, unlike Lena, who had stopped recently.
‘Now there’s less than a year left.’
However, the engagement scenario had already begun.
Leo Dexter must have started moving at the end of last year, heading for the battlefield in pursuit of becoming a sword master. He was expected to arrive in Lutetia this fall and stay until winter.
He had to reach Lutetia before Leo and Lena returned to Avril Castle. Rev counted the days silently and then thought of Lean and Lerialia.
Perhaps because of his advice to proceed slowly, the beggar siblings were still in Orville.
Now that the mirror was broken, and they couldn’t communicate, Rev guessed that Lean planned to depart to match Bart’s return date to the Noyar port.
...They’ll handle it on their own.
Rev finished his thoughts. Vanne brought the horse over, and after taking the reins, Rev quickly mounted the horse.
Harie stood at a high window, staring blankly at the training ground with unfocused eyes. Rev glanced at her and then spurred his horse.
“Hiyah!”
Thud thud thud thud.
His reliable companions followed behind, but Rev felt as if he was running away.
---
A large group was hiding at the foot of a mountain overlooking the southwestern coast.
A line of square wagons without a single window was guarded by nearly four hundred men, but...
They were not merchants.
The wooden walls of the wagons were too thick to be merchant carts. Feces dripped beneath them, and faint cries emanated from within. The attire of those surrounding the wagons was not that of mercenaries or traders.
A new tattoo speared on a skewer.
The thugs of the Dorf family were on an expedition to capture slaves.
Cesar argued with a thug who appeared to be the leader.
“Why are those wagons the only ones kept clean?”
“What do you mean, why?”
“Why are those wagons so meticulously polished? I saw you only picked the good-looking ones to put in there. Didn't I say I wouldn't let it slide if you messed with the goods?”
The thug spat with a snort.
“Ah, fuck. Making a fuss over nothing. Can't you see the boys are having a hard time? It's just to boost morale.”
“Boost morale, my ass. Go do that to your wives. Are you trying to ruin business again this time?”
“The prettiest ones are set aside, so it's fine. But this bastard...”
“I can't work like this. Last time, I didn’t get a penny because you ruined the merchandise.”
“Then get lost.”
“What?”
“I said get lost. We don’t need you. I've been wondering why we need a guide when we have the map here. Thanks for showing us the way so far. Want me to cut off an arm as thanks?”
“You little shit...”
“Wait! Why are you two fighting again? You're comrades.”
At that moment, when the giant thug and Cesar were about to clash, a sly-looking thug intervened. He turned the leader thug away with a friendly smile.
“Hey, if you don't manage the goods properly this time, the boss won’t let it slide. It won't end with just a kick to the shin.”
“I know. But what can I do? The boys are all riled up. Should I guard the wagons all night?”
“You have to guard them if you want to keep your neck. Lock them up with a padlock. Or rotate a few men. If it doesn’t turn a profit this time, we're dead.”
“Clicking his tongue” ─ the thug sent his friend away and then turned to Cesar. He tried to appease the irritated guide with a well-practiced flattery.
“I'm sorry. I spoke to him well. But it looks like we need to use a few of the goods. Otherwise, the boys might cause bigger trouble. Think of it as transportation cost and let’s pull out a few.”
“...You know women are three times more expensive than men, right?”
“Oh, come on, that’s only for the fresh ones. I guarantee it. We'll only use the older merchandise.”
Cesar grumbled, but he had no choice but to agree. If he wanted to do business with these ignorant thugs, he had to learn to let go of some greed.
“But, Cesar. Why do you suggest attacking tomorrow? The map says... What was it? Ah, the Noland tribe has a gathering at the 'beginning of the month'...”
The thug pointed to the distant barbarian village by the sea. Cesar lied without hesitation.
“It was moved up this time. The meeting is today. By tomorrow morning, they'll all be hungover, so you can go and capture them then.”
“Oh, I see. Thanks to you, we'll have a good haul this time too...”
Oops. The thug quickly shut his mouth. But Cesar was already glaring.
The southern swamp barbarian tribe they caught last year was large. Thanks to Cesar's long observation, they hunted at a perfect timing and had a good yield, but these guys ruined it.
Just as Cesar was about to scold them, about thirty riders rushed in from afar.
“They're slave hunters! Sweep them away!”
“What, what... K, knights?”
In this world, if someone is on horseback wielding a rare longsword, they’re most likely a knight. The thug leader quickly stepped forward and pulled out a document.
“Wait! Knights, please wait a moment! We have permission! Here is the signature of Count Amus...! Huh? What, they’re not knights?”
There were no emblems indicating any knight affiliation. Their swordsmanship didn't look like that of knights either, so the thug yelled.
“Kill them all! Who do they think they are, pretending to be knights...?!”
“B-boss! Look, there...!”
We have nearly four hundred men. Though initially startled, the thug leader, who intended to repel the raid, suddenly lost all will to fight.
The sound of a conch shell horn.
The barbarians of the Noland tribe were blowing their na’gak (an instrument made from conch shells) as they advanced. Like the sound of the sea, they surged over the thugs like a tidal wave, making it pointless to predict victory or defeat. While Rev's newly formed sword unit faced their first real battle, Rev searched for Cesar.
Cesar quickly knelt and shouted.
“I-I, I’m... Oh, my! Thank you! I am a merchant. I was captured by these vicious slave hunters. Don’t forgive these bastards!”
“Stop spouting nonsense. For someone supposedly captured, you look rather tidy. You must be one of them.”
Rev saw no need to respond to him. As the surroundings turned into a sea of blood, he pointed his sword at Cesar, keeping others from touching him.
“N-no! It’s only because I was captured recently... Ah! Chief! Chief! I'm here!”
“Oh, Cesar! It's been a while. What are you doing here?”
The Noland tribe's female chief waved at Cesar, smiling brightly.
“I was captured by these bastards on my way. I was going to inform you that they were planning to attack the Noland tribe... What a relief, Chief.”
“Haha! Even if these bastards tried to attack our village, we could have repelled them. But thank you. Rev Bizaine, thank you for letting us know. It’s our first time working with the Bizaine tribe.
How about a drink? We have plenty since we have a gathering today.”
“You know this man?”
“Yes, he’s a merchant who often visits our village. It’s been over ten years. He's my friend, so put away your sword.”
“Hmm... Is that so? My apologies. Are you hurt?”
Rev sheathed his sword.
He smiled as he helped Cesar to his feet, but despite his smiling lips, his eyes were cold and calm.
This is the man who made me kill my brother. Rev had no intention of letting this man die easily.
.
!
Chapter 227: Childhood Friend – Egg Pudding!
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