The date for the Racial Alliance meeting has been set.

In two weeks, it will be held at Lionheart Fortress. Let’s not even discuss how it’s a halfway point. The Royal Knights needed to mediate in the middle after all.

For now, they’re cooperating by putting aside their past grievances, but that doesn’t mean their emotions have vanished completely. The Orcs and the Twelve Tribes are still glaring at each other.

The Elves and Dwarves didn’t have the best relationship either. At least the Dwarves and the Twelve Tribes managed to reach an agreement, which smoothed out the territorial disputes and improved their relations a lot.

Anyway, the important thing is they need to prepare for the Racial Alliance meeting in two weeks. And that’s something the Royal Knights decided to take upon themselves. For example, the food for the meeting.

Of course, serving luxurious food in these rough times is just nonsense. But at the very least, they have to show some sincerity. Every race has its own food preferences.

“What I mean is, we need to at least prepare something that won’t be an insult.”

“That’s not wrong.”

“Exactly! If an Elf who knows nothing about Dwarf food tries it, they might think it’s an assassination attempt.”

“When I had it for the first time, I thought it was a challenge to a duel.”

Every race has different amounts and standards of food they consume. You can’t serve the same dish to the meat-loving Beastmen and the meat-rejecting Elves. Hans sighed as he spoke.

“In the past, it was okay not to have luxury, but now that we’ve received so much, we have no choice but to show some sincerity.”

The Royal Knights were receiving more support from other races than expected. Even the Elves, who disliked the Royal Knights, were supplying them with some necessary resources.

This was a testament to the Royal Knights’ growing importance, but it also meant more things to worry about. Just like now. As a result, Hans felt exhausted.

Fortunately, other than the Vampires, it was lucky that all races were represented here. At least they could know what food the other races were consuming.

Plus, since a year ago, they hadn’t changed the duty of who makes the meals. Thanks to that, the catastrophic cooking skills had vastly improved through training.

“Then let’s have everyone prepare their own dishes.”

“Does that mean training will be paused?”

“We can’t help it. We’ll pause everything except for guard duty.”

“Hm, but isn’t it boring just to prepare food?”

The first to raise the topic was none other than Yuren. Everyone’s gaze focused on her, probably sensing the determination in her voice.

“Since we’re preparing anyway, why not give a prize to the person who cooks the tastiest dishes? That should keep the members motivated!”

“That’s not a bad idea. It would be good to award something to boost the morale of the members…”

“Then, how about granting a wish for the winner?!”

Clara raised her voice for the first time in a while. In a way, she took the lead. Everyone gathered agreed with her idea. Hans clicked his tongue and said.

“Suddenly asking to grant a wish?”

“But they worked hard! Isn’t that enough for a little something?!”

“Hm… Making the dish and gathering the ingredients will require effort, no doubt.”

Ironically, Hans recalled his past life. Back during his time in a small company, he was overworked and didn’t receive a proper reward for it.

If only he had received bonuses or performance pay. If he had thought about that, he felt a nod of agreement rise. This kind of event seemed acceptable.

“Alright, I’ll allow it. I’ll grant one wish that I can fulfill to the person who makes the best-rated dish after tasting them.”

“Ha! That’s so like my commander!”

“Of course, it’s limited to wishes I can actually grant.”

“That’ll be enough!”

For the first time in a while, their spirits began to ignite. Usually, they only showed motivation for requests or training. Hans, however, was worried it might be overheating.

“I think sometimes these events are necessary.”

“Cluna?”

“We’ve had a lot of work recently, haven’t we?”

“…”

Hans couldn’t deny Cluna’s words. Indeed, they had been going non-stop till now. They helped with expeditions in the Human Kingdom and tackled the Purgatory Workshop of the Dwarf Republic.

Moreover, they mediated between the Orcs and the Twelve Tribes. Even though they faced Dragons in the process, the point was that just because a task was finished, it didn’t mean everything ended.

There were still plenty of tasks to handle. For example, paperwork and meetings with various tribes, etc. And now, they were planning expeditions for the Racial Alliance.

‘In that time, they must have accumulated substantial stress.’

While most of the work had been handled by Hans himself, the other members hadn’t just sat around. On days when Hans was absent, each of them managed their own tasks too.

And due to the war-like conditions, they had always kept their senses sharp. Given the situation had continued up until now, the members were bound to be stressed.

Hans nodded. Following Cluna’s words, he thought it wouldn’t be bad to put aside training and work from time to time, and allow for some leisure for the members.

“Alright, then I’ll ask you, Cluna, to be the judge for this cooking contest along with me.”

“…Me? Really?”

“If you join in, it wouldn’t be fair.”

“Well, that does make sense.”

Seeing Cluna hesitate was a rare sight for Hans. Did she want to directly participate in the cooking contest?

*

Contrary to Hans’s thoughts, surprisingly, the members of the Royal Knights weren’t feeling overly stressed. In fact, they were somewhat relieved to have so much work.

Were they workaholics? No, that wasn’t it. As everyone already knew, they had lost comrades. Though not everyone was in good spirits, at least they had formed a bond worthy of being called “comrades.”

But in front of them, such comrades had perished brutally. The weight of death is not borne by the deceased but by the living.

It’s something terribly painful and distressing that leads one to unknowingly seek a refuge. Very few can completely overcome death. Most simply endure.

The same went for them. Now everyone seemed fine, but in reality, their emotional wounds still had yet to heal. The death of comrades is that immense.

If Hans hadn’t been their commander, the Royal Knights might have ultimately faced self-destruction.

The scars they bore were that significant.

They were currently relying on Hans to shield those wounds. That was why they were so obsessively attached to him. Because they held feelings for him, they covered their wounds with that sentiment.

The wounds inflicted by a person can only be healed by a person. So, they wanted to help Hans in even a small way. Helping Hans satisfied their hearts.

Soon, they would be aiming for a future ahead. But now, they have unexpectedly gained a chance. Whoever made the best dish would have their wish granted by Hans himself.

Who wouldn’t ignite a fire from that? They were burning with more passion than Hans had anticipated. The comrades they had viewed solely as individuals needing protection were now enemies who must be excluded.

After all, there can only be one person who can grant a wish. The moment the words left his mouth, they immediately set their plans in motion.

“I was the first to claim this cooking tool!”

“What do you mean claim? If I use it first, that’s that!”

“You’ve never sat right with me from the start.”

“I feel the same!”

No one could stop the flames that had already begun to blaze. They started competing right from the first cooking tool. Seeing this, Hans let out a sigh.

“First, no bloodshed is allowed. If it does occur, the offender will be disqualified immediately.”

“Gah!!”

It was fortunate he had checked to prevent chaos. Had he not, Clara’s arrows and Ruby’s flame hammer would have clashed, and Lionheart Fortress would have turned to dust instantly.

Only after Hans laid down the strict rules could genuine competition begin. All cooking utensils were to be shared fairly, and sabotaging the opponent’s ingredients was forbidden.

“Thus, the key is to secure the ingredients!”

“Hahaha! You fools! I’m off first!”

“……”

As he watched them leap out of the window, Hans thought.

Why would they break the window when there’s a door? Damn.