Four months later, on the borders of the Empire.

A mountain range bordered by the neutral nation of Satus was the newest assignment for the Scarlet Scales Knight Order for the first time in almost a year.

“Being dispatched in this harsh winter where it is difficult to stand for long periods of time. Isn’t that too much? If the weather is nice, scouting will feel like a walk.”

He’d drunk all the alcohol he’d brought to warm himself up, used up all the heat from the heating stones Cadel had packed for him, and yet the wind still pounded against the watchtower, threatening to freeze the very blood in his veins.

As Garuel crossed his arms, grumbling at the harshness of the work environment, Yozen beside him spoke up.

“Don’t talk.”

“Oh my, that’s difficult. It’s so cold outside, but how cold would it be if the atmosphere between us was so cold? I’m just trying to warm it up.”

“…….”

“Now you thought you’d hold on for 20 minutes because it’s no use ripping my mouth off, right? Now I can tell what Sir Yozen is thinking just by looking at the angle of his mouth.”

Yozen used all his strength to control his murderous intentions toward Garuel. This was not the place to fall for Garuel’s annoying taunts. He had already attacked Garuel once before, only to be warned off by Cadel. It was a bad experience, and he didn’t want to go through it again.

After 20 minutes of Yozen’s restraint and Garuel’s exuberance. Two men descended from the watchtower, having fulfilled their allotted time.

Below them were Lumen and Lydon, the shift’s replacement.

“You two might want to dress a little warmer, it’s a lot colder up there than it is down here.”

Garuel said, rubbing his frozen arm, and Lydon, who had arrived with an armful of snacks, snorted.

“Don’t put me on the same level as a weakling like you. I like it because it’s cool.”

“Well, Sir Lydon would. Ah, I’m hungry after standing for so long. Sir Lumen, who was on duty for dinner today?”

“It’s Leader.”

“……Is that so?”

Garuel glanced at the tents in the distance. He tugged at Lydon’s snack bag and said with a bitter smile.

“There’s a reason why Sir Lydon brought a load of snacks.”

“Hurry before it gets cold. It’s better when it’s warm.”

Lumen patted Garuel and Yozen on the shoulder reassuringly as he climbed the watchtower, while Lydon flew through the air with a smirk. Soon enough, the two men left behind were walking heavily toward the tents.

The closer they got to the tent, the warmer the air and the thicker the smell of food. As the smoke slowly warmed them, they could see Cadel and Van bustling around in front of the tent.

“Oops, I didn’t control the amount again. I made too much. I should have made more for Lumen and Lydon. Van, you should eat more.”

“Pardon……? I’m, I’m good, Commander. I’m full.”

“Already? You’ve eaten less than usual. Are you feeling sick?”

“That’s…….”

“No? Then you should eat more. The cabbage in here will make your stomach feel better. Here, get the bowl.”

Cadel was bustling around in front of a large pot, a white bandana pulled tightly around his head, stirring the stew that was about to boil over, adding ingredient after ingredient, arguing about the vague proportions of meat and vegetables, and throwing spices in without even tasting them, using the logic of ‘seasoning is based on feeling’.

As they watched, Garuel and Yozen’s pace gradually slowed. They spontaneously turned to go elsewhere, even though they didn’t speak to each other, but when Van spotted them, his eyes lit up and he raised his voice.

“Commander! Are the members over there coming? I’ll tell those two to eat.”

“Oh! Garuel, Yozen! Just in time. Come on, let’s eat.”

The corners of Yozen’s mouth twitched. As far as Garuel was concerned, Yozen’s current emotional state was ‘extreme patience’. Of course, Garuel didn’t feel any differently, as he had only been willing to step out into that sour-smelling smoke because of Cadel’s pretty face, smiling impatiently at him.

“Haha, Knight Commander……. We’ll take turns on meal duty. Our Knight Commander can just rest inside.”

“What are you talking about? Am I the only one who thinks this is so great? It can’t be like that. And after trying it a few times, I think cooking is kind of fun.”

Nodding with a pleased expression, Cadel held the bowl out to Yozen. Accepting the thick, green stew that was poured to the brim, Yozen said in a slightly cracked voice.

“Too much. Give me less.”

“What? How can this be too much? You’ll be sick if you eat so little. You need to fill your stomach when it’s this cold.”

“If the body is heavy, it is difficult to move.”

“I carefully selected only ingredients that are easily digested.”

“……Alright.”

Yozen’s complexion darkened as his attempt at defiance didn’t work. He picked up the stew and sat down next to Van, who had begun to gobble down the extra portion he’d refused. Van snorted as he gulped down the food without chewing.

“Where are you going to run away? Don’t play tricks, assassin.”

After a long pause, Yozen lifted his spoon with a small sigh. As he scooped up the thickened stew and swallowed a mouthful, a unique flavor spread across his tongue that he could not easily describe. It was a strange taste that could not be described as flavorful or not flavorful. The flavors of all kinds of spices played with each other in his mouth. The flavor changed every second, becoming spicy, salty, sour, and sweet. A war was being waged on his tongue.

A shocking flavor that he couldn’t get used to no matter how much I ate. It was not food for humans. Yozen was a good eater, but even for him, there was a limit. He was about to put his spoon down when he couldn’t resist.

“I got up early this morning to prepare it. How do you like it? I thought it tasted a little bland last time, so I added a lot of ingredients this time. Feeling a little more energized? Hmm?”

Cadel’s voice was full of excitement, and Yozen didn’t have to touch his face to see the look of anticipation on Cadel’s face.

Van kicked Yozen’s unresponsive foot discreetly, and Yozen finally spoke.

“It’s an…… interesting flavor. I’ll eat it.”

“Does it taste interesting? Hmm……. Well, as long as you have fun while eating it, that’s fine. There’s a lot, so tell me when you eat it all!”

Cadel was self-censored in every way, but cooking was the one area where he could be lenient. He stirred the thickened stew with a look of satisfaction on his face as he parlayed Yozen’s reaction into something positive.

Unfortunately, there was no one here to vomit on Cadel’s food, so the assembled members of the group continued their depressing meal, feeling obligated to empty the entire pot of stew.