I, reincarnate as the leader of the villainous knight order

Chapter 7: Let’s Make It Delicious

After making Cassius thank the healer, everyone returned to the training ground, practicing with an odd restlessness in the air. Maybe they were worried about Cassius’s injury. No, considering their personalities, that’s unlikely.

After a while, I noticed my subordinates looking nervous around me. Then it hit me: were they talking about how red my face was earlier?! The atmosphere was reminiscent of when my brothers would gleefully gossip about my mistakes behind my back.

“Cassius, take a break.”

“Normally you wouldn’t let me rest… Could it be that the captain is joining the training? I remember the captain was also told by the healer not to train until the day after tomorrow.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t be doing that.”

With a smirk, not only Cassius but also the other subordinates gasped. Are they really that afraid of my smile?

“Um, Captain Justin? What exactly are you planning?”

The Squire who had gone to call the healer timidly asked.

“When I was watching earlier, I noticed that many of you are neglecting the basics. Let’s start with a thousand sword swings. By the time that’s done, it’ll be lunchtime.”

Upon my declaration, the expressions of my subordinates changed, and Cassius secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

“It seems you’ve been wasting time chatting and taking breaks. Do you have enough energy left? Start!”

The subordinates began the grueling task of a thousand sword swings, just as I had made them do when I had first become captain. Occasionally, amidst the counting, you could hear comments like “devil” or “demon.”

Due to the influence of Japanese novels, various things, including names and ingredients, have a Japanese touch. After the sword swings, slightly past lunchtime, the training was over.

Some had lost their balance or developed odd habits along the way, so I mercilessly corrected them all.

“Tomorrow I’ll watch Cassius’s swings too.”

“Y-Yes! Thank you…”

He only uses polite language when he’s scared. But since everyone worked hard, I’ll reward them with a change in the taste of lunch. I think it’ll taste better with just a bit of salt and pepper added.

“Alright, let’s head to the cafeteria.”

The subordinates replied and quickly followed me, putting away the swords and wooden swords they had been using. They must be looking forward to the meal after exercising so much.

Upon entering the cafeteria, the outdoor team had already started eating. After picking up lunch trays at the counter, we sat at a long table.

As soon as my subordinates sat down, they devoured their food eagerly. After taking just one bite of everything, I instructed one of the Squires to fetch a mortar and pestle.

I realized we didn’t have a pepper mill, so I brought the mortar set from the kitchen and began grinding black pepper.

“Whoa, Captain Justin, is that pepper!?”

Yueg, who had gone to fetch the mortar, exclaimed in surprise.

“Yeah, I felt it was a bit lacking, so I bought some.”

“Wow, how much did that cost… It’s definitely gold coins, right…”

Seemingly realizing it from Yueg’s voice, similar comments came from the kitchen. I sprinkled the ground pepper and salt into the lens bean and chicken soup, mixing it with a spoon.

“Mmm… it’s considerably tastier now. But one more flavor… Ah, I also bought basil.”

Taking a few basil leaves from the magic bag, I finely shredded one and mixed it into the soup.

“Okay, this should satisfy you all. Want to try it?”

“Is it okay!? Please!”

Yueg handed me the soup plate, and the other subordinates brought their soup plates to me one after another.

“Alright, alright. You can shred the basil yourself. Here, take it.”

Adjusting the amount of salt and pepper to the soup’s volume, I handed out basil leaves one by one, watching them happily add them to their soup and mix them in.

“It’s delicious!! What is this?!”

Cassius, who was the first to taste it, shouted loudly. Upon hearing his voice, the other subordinates hurriedly brought the soup to their mouths.

“It’s true! Is this what they mean by flavors coming together? It’s completely different!”

“So delicious! It’s like a completely different soup from earlier!”

Due to the commotion from the subordinates at the same table, those who still had soup left from the outdoor team started to stand up with their soup bowls. Those who had already finished their soup were glaring at their empty bowls with frustration.

“Listen, both salt and pepper are luxury items. It’s natural for us, who move our bodies a lot, to find richer flavors more delicious. However, with the budget allocated to the cooks, the current taste is the limit. If you want something tastier, you can pitch in a bit of money, equivalent to the cost of a drink, and buy salt and pepper. What do you say?”

“I’m in!”

“Me too!”

All the subordinates at my table agreed, but the others hesitated. I gestured to those still holding their soup bowls with my finger, offering to season it further. Their expressions changed drastically.

“I’ll pitch in too!”

Indeed, deliciousness knows no bounds. In this world with few entertainments, food holds significant weight.

“What’s all the commotion about!”

Just as the discussion was about to conclude, a man’s voice echoed in the cafeteria.