Putting Aside Nationalistic Bias, It’s Really Delicious

1 – Is the Knighthood’s Kimchi Stew That Delicious?

There was one particular job in the empire that was considered the most respected and coveted.

That job was none other than being a knight.

An impressive job where one donned a shining suit of armor, rode a gallant steed, and upheld the chivalry of a lady.

A profession admired by men and women, young and old; the protagonist who appeared unfailingly in adventure and hero tales.

If you asked a hundred children what they wanted to be when they grew up, ninety of them would say they wanted to be a knight.

An occupation that held the highest status, similar to modern-day YouTubers and celebrities.

However, the story wasn’t as extraordinary to those who actually held the position.

‘It’s just like a civil servant putting on a glitzy show.’

At least, that’s how the Royal Knights felt.

Unlike freelance knights or those belonging to noble families, this occupation provided low pay but guaranteed retirement benefits.

Upon reaching adulthood, the career path of a knight transformed into a prestigious employment of another kind.

A guaranteed lifelong job, as long as one didn’t die or retire.

In fact, upon closer inspection, the Royal Knights rarely encountered situations in which they could end up dead.

Most minor wars were handled by regional territorial knights, and even if the scale of the war grew larger, the capital defense forces and imperial knights were the ones to resolve it.

There were only two cases in which the royal knights went to war.

Either when the emperor personally intervened, or when the country faced a crisis of destruction.

If the country was on the brink of ruin, the royal knights would die anyway, so in reality, it’s akin to an adamantium rice bowl.

The advantage of being a royal knight is that I won’t get fired.

The downside is that my superiors won’t get fired either, which speaks volumes about the situation.

The princess’s knights, to which I belonged, received similar treatment.

If we had to make a distinction, the royal knights were like public officials of Seoul City Hall, and the princess’s knights were like public officials of the Gangnam District Office in Seoul. Just a difference in location, both considered a honeyed job.

Of course, I was planning on quitting this sweet, retirement-secured job as the princess’s knight from today.

“Sir, I’m quitting.”

“Are you serious?”

The Knight Commander, looking at me with disbelief, raised his head.

“Yes, it’s been seven years as of today, right?”

“That’s correct.”

“I’d like to quit now.”

“You seem like someone who’s been waiting for this moment.”

“I just want to stop killing people now.”

That’s a lie, though.

The knights of the princess were not known for killing people often, nor were they frequently called to war.

The only time I was dragged into war was during the first year.

The real reason I was quitting?

I didn’t want to die.

Didn’t I say earlier that it was a job where I wouldn’t die?

Someone might ask.

Alright.

Being a member of the princess’s knights is indeed a sweet deal.

However, all those knights end up dead three years later.

A year later, when Princess Diana becomes the emperor, the princess’s knights become a loyal force that works solely for the emperor.

And therein lies the problem.

They become the personal guard of a tyrant.

The princess’s knights, as the emperor’s first knight order, become the key department in charge of the bloody purges in the future.

Diana, who would later be known as the most evil woman in the empire.

The instigator who broke the empire into three countries, and the Bloody Empress who caused five bloody purges in the future.

‘I have to get out while Diana is still a princess if I want to survive.’

Either from the princess or from the future rebels.

If I even slightly get involved in that bloody business of removing aristocrats’ heads, my own head would be gone in an instant.

At least if I were an ordinary civil servant, I wouldn’t go this far.

There could be a possibility of survival.

But this time, it’s different.

I don’t want to die becoming a war criminal.

‘Originally, war criminals were sentenced to be shot!’

There may be no guns in this world, but still!

Dying remains the same.

At my words, Knight Commander Luke shook his head.

“I’m sorry, but that won’t work.”

“Why not?”

“Your skills are exceptional.”

“I understand that after 7 years, it’s a free agent, or rather, a new contract.”

The empire’s knights are given two opportunities to swear allegiance.

When one first becomes a knight and finishes their first oath to make the second one.

In this place, the oath made by a rookie knight was called the 7-year oath.

The rule was created, following the fateful oath that the first emperor of the empire and the first commander of the knights had made.

The knight would serve the sovereign for seven years with loyalty, and the sovereign would provide adequate compensation in return.

The knight would offer their sword to the sovereign, pledging their true loyalty, if they believe the sovereign is truly worth following.

And if the sovereign considers the knight’s sword to be truly useful and loyal, they would accept it and establish a genuine master-servant relationship.

Once the seven-year period is over, the sovereign and the knight are given the right to choose.

To follow the same sovereign or to leave and pursue another one.

It was a time for knights to prove their abilities, and for the sovereigns to prove their leadership.

The true essence of the past 7-year oath was a time for both parties to prove themselves.

However, nowadays, it was often exploited as a means for knights to raise their value.

Similar to how a famous baseball star in the original world would raise their worth through free agency.

That’s right, free agency.

Either getting a pay cut due to lacking skills or somehow pulling off an astounding big deal.

Otherwise, leaving for another team that matched their value.

Or even retiring.

Just like me now.

“You can’t quit because you’re too exceptional. It’s impossible to terminate the contract.”

“Sir, you know there is no such rule. Commander. Even the Knights of the Empire can’t ignore the 7-year oath.”

Commander Luke let out a sigh, placing his hand on his head.

“…Why do you want to quit?”

“I’m exhausted. I don’t think I can do this anymore.”

“Ha, you are the core strength of our knights.”

“Core strength, my ass. I may talk like that, but I am treated as a mere cook, aren’t I?”

Yes. A cook.

“I’m just being treated like a cook who’s good at cooking, aren’t I?”

At that remark, Captain Luke’s face twisted.

“You’re not just a mere cook.”

“What difference does it make?”

“You’re a special-class cook.”

“…Isn’t that the same thing?”

“Your food is so delicious. Has anyone in the Knights ever said your food was bad?”

“Isn’t that just because they don’t want to be the ones to cook?”

“Ah, who said such arrogant things? The vice-captain? Or Senior Knight Herman? Whoever it was, I’ll definitely discipline them.”

He’s even trying to change the subject now.

“Captain, doing that won’t change my mind.”

“If you have pampered our taste buds, shouldn’t you be responsible until the end? If we don’t have the food you make, what pleasure will we have in eating, huh?”

“…….”

“If you leave, the previous head of the kitchen will cook again, then we’ll have to eat food that doesn’t even resemble food, like tough steamed meat, seafood bibimbap sauce without proper seasoning, and Eilbas boneless fried food.”

“I also served the same menu once.”

“That’s why we need you. Even in those terrible conditions, you achieved that taste! Top special-class cook! We can’t make it without you! I’ll recommend a salary increase to the Princess immediately….”

“Never mind!”

He’s saying he’ll recommend it to Princess Diana.

How could he say such a scary thing?

I’m leaving right now because of her in the first place.

Absolutely not.

Never.

“Do you hate it that much?”

“Of course. I’m tired. Now it’s time for me to go back to my hometown and live my own life.”

“Even the Princess liked your kimchi stew.”

“It’s an honorable thing to say, but that doesn’t change my mind.”

“If you leave, the princess might go on a rampage. You’re her favorite chef, after all.”

“It’s okay. A more capable chef will come.”

I wasn’t even a professionally trained cook; I merely made dishes that came to mind from my original world.

I had been cooking on my own in the knights’ unit for a while, so I got used to making some traditional dishes from the empire.

There were many cooks better than me in the world, and people would soon forget my cooking skills.

“I don’t need a territory. A severance pay will suffice.”

“So you’re serious.”

“Yes.”

I sighed.

It was a shame to let go of a promising talent, but there were plenty of people who cooked and fought better than me.

Please don’t worry.

“Did another chivalric unit secretly contact you?”

“There was no tempering.”

“Temper…? What’s that?”

“It means there was no contact.”

“Sometimes you use strange words on your own. Is it a dialect from your region?”

“Something like that.”

After staring at me for a while, Luke, the captain, finally nodded.

“…All right. I’ll process your retirement. But remember, you’ll become a reservist.”

Wait, what?

“A reservist?”

“Didn’t you know? When a knight retires, they serve as a reservist for seven years and can be mobilized in an emergency.”

Were there reservists in this world too?

“Well, unless a war breaks out with another country, there’s likely no need to be mobilized.”

“Understood.”

Well, that’s fortunate.

“Since you’re retiring today, you don’t have to come in from tomorrow. And one more thing…”

“Yes?”

“Can you leave behind the kimchi stew recipe?”

“Well, I’ve eaten it a lot, so sure.”

“Thank you.”

As I left the head office, I stretched out my arms and shouted with a rising sense of liberation.

“Freedom at last!”

It’s retirement from knighthood.

I can finally escape from this hell for real.

“Are you really leaving?”

“Yes, I am.”

The deputy commander of the princess’ knights.

The only female knight in the order.

Andy approached me with a heavy step.

I naturally took a step back from her.

There are two people here that I must never get close to.

One is Princess Diana.

And the other is Andy, who is right in front of me now.

Why, you ask?

“Princess Diana must be devastated.”

This girl is the empire’s swordmaster who tormented the protagonist in the romance fantasy novel the most.

Andy Wormaiden of the Iron Knights.

An incredible war machine that executed enemies mechanically on behalf of the Blood Empress Diana.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that Diana ultimately became the emperor because of her existence.

How could she ever get along with the ruthless knights who mercilessly killed people in the novel?

That was why every day in the Imperial Knight Order felt like hell.

“Well… I can’t help it. I have to live my own life too.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to back to my hometown.”

As she tried to approach again, I took one more step back.

“Um… I’ve felt this way for a long time, but do you find me, Duke Lucas, burdensome?”

“No, not at all! Absolutely not!”

How did she know?

Truly a terrifying woman.

I must not get close to her.

Physically or mentally.

I took another step back.

“…I hope to see you in your hometown someday.”

She really knows how to give me goosebumps.

Wait.

Is this some kind of signal?

Is she going to chase after me when I leave the Knight Order and kill me somehow?

That can’t be.

“Oh, there’s nothing interesting in that remote countryside.”

“It’s fine.”

“What?”

“I’m going to eat the delicacies there.”

“…”

Isn’t it an excuse to kill me by eating my food?

That would be troublesome.

How could I escape the palace?

Dying outside is also a diplomatic issue.

“If you come later, I’ll make it as delicious as possible.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

After bowing to the girl, I fled my seat.

Scary, the palace.

Scary, the Imperial Princess’ Knights.

It doesn’t matter now.

I’m free.

I’ll go down to the countryside and open a restaurant and live quietly.

Since what I’ve learned is thievery.