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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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Chapter 16: The Subjugation Battle (1)
A few more days had passed since then.
It had become a common sight for Aria, who felt uncomfortable around the crown prince, to cling to me and mess with him, while I would just sigh.
One thing I found surprising was that more than a month had passed since I came back in time.
And I'd already dealt with several problems I was aware of.
At this rate, I wondered if I could quickly wrap up the remaining empire-destroying scenarios as well.
‘…Well, I don’t even know when the rest of those events will happen.’
The information I had was quite vague, especially given that I had spent most of my time in prison.
Furthermore, now that the event of the crown prince being dethroned no longer existed, the future was bound to take a completely different course.
All I could do now was focus on training.
Of course, people aren’t like spirits, who can follow the same routine day in and day out.
Rest was necessary, and for me, that day was today.
“Pharos, what are you doing?”
Aria chirped next to me in the kitchen of my estate.
Why was the princess here, you ask?
Well, it was because the crown prince had allowed her to go out.
—Because she prefers your company more. So, I’m respecting her wishes. Respecting them, indeed.
He had said this while pretending to be magnanimous, but with blood vessels bulging in his eyes, it wasn’t exactly convincing.
It was obvious he was trying to win Aria’s favor by giving her this opportunity, but to me, it just felt like he had dumped an annoying kid in my lap.
Anyway, that’s how Aria ended up in my kitchen today.
And since she asked me a question, I answered earnestly.
“I’m cooking.”
“Huh? What are you making?”
She truly didn’t know.
Well, it’s not something a princess would be familiar with.
Actually, I’m probably the only person in this timeline who knows this dish.
“A cheeseburger.”
A cheeseburger.
It was a recipe that had been invented by our unit’s cook back when I served as the commander of the prisoner battalion.
Suddenly, memories of those days came flooding back.
During the war, we—outcasts, who were essentially of no use to society (myself and the crown prince included)—struggled to defend the empire.
We rarely interacted with other units.
We were mostly used for special operations or reconnaissance, and due to our status as prisoners, we were generally avoided.
This led to strong bonds forming among the members of our unit.
Since we were all rejects, we took care of one another.
‘Hannah’ was the cook for our unit.
A young girl with freckles and black hair.
Her crime was rather unjust.
During the time of the Second Prince's chaotic rule, she was running a food stall when she was imprisoned for unauthorized commercial activity.
No fine, just straight to prison.
Afterward, the war intensified, and the situation became such that she couldn’t get a retrial.
As a result, she spent nearly seven years in prison.
—…I didn’t know selling street food was illegal.
A dumb and pitiful girl, really.
That sums her up.
On the other hand, she was our treasure.
Her meals, her wildly creative dishes, were absolutely delicious.
—Look at this! I flattened some dough, stuffed it with meat, and wrapped it up in more dough! If I steam it… Ta-da! Meat buns!
Whether her ideas were exceptional or bizarre was anyone's guess.
She often made meals by improvising with leftover ingredients from other units.
But they were always delicious.
The two dishes that particularly stood out were the ‘meat bun’ and the ‘cheeseburger’ I’m making now.
Even the crown prince, who had tasted all sorts of delicacies, acknowledged the cheeseburger.
He even barged into the women’s barracks in the middle of the night to drag Hannah out just to make it again, which shows how much he liked it.
And now, I was trying to recreate that very cheeseburger.
‘I haven’t had one in so long that I can still taste it in my memory.’
I sliced the bread in half and toasted it.
Then I grilled the minced meat patty and melted cheese over it.
I added some vegetables and sandwiched it all together with the bread.
I followed Hannah’s recipe to the letter.
“Whoa… Pharos! It’s a cheese waterfall…!”
Aria gasped and jumped in excitement, drooling a little.
I cut the cheeseburger in half and handed one half to her.
Then I took a bite of my own.
But…
‘…It’s not the same.’
It wasn’t bad, but it fell short of my remembered taste.
Was I just not skilled enough at cooking?
How could it be that, using the same ingredients, I couldn’t replicate that taste?
‘No.’
The problem was that Hannah’s cooking talent was just too extraordinary.
A sigh escaped me.
‘Will I never get to taste that dish again?’
I couldn’t find her, even if I wanted to.
Based on the current timeline, Hannah would only be about five years old.
She started her food stall business at thirteen, which means it’s still ten years in the future.
Until then, her whereabouts were completely unknown.
‘I should’ve asked her more about her hometown or her childhood.’
I was lost in regret when I noticed something.
Aria had stopped moving.
Her cheeseburger had just a small bite taken out of it.
Did it not suit her taste?
I wondered, but it was quite the opposite.
Tears began to well up in Aria’s eyes as she stared blankly.
Slowly, she chewed, her plump cheeks moving as if in reverie.
She seemed overwhelmed, either by shock or joy.
After finally swallowing, Aria spoke.
“…Pharos.”
“Yes?”
“I’ve been deceived my entire life.”
“Huh?”
“I’m not cotton candy. I’m actually… a cheeseburger!”
Thud!
Aria dramatically dropped to her knees, gazing at the cheeseburger with an intense expression.
“Aria is! In fact, I was born to be a cheeseburger…!”
One thing was certain.
Aria’s identity revolved around the most delicious food she had ever eaten.
And I could now understand why she loved cheeseburgers so much.
After all, she was the sister of that crown prince (who had once raided the women’s barracks in the dead of night to kidnap the cheeseburger chef).
Moreover, Hannah’s food was essentially combat rations.
Unbelievably high in calories, borderline unhealthy—something the royal family would never be exposed to.
The sheer richness of flavor was bound to be overwhelming.
It made sense that Aria would be shaken by such a powerful taste.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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“I am… I am…!”
Watching her, I felt a mischievous impulse rise within me.
“Do you know, Princess?”
“Huh?”
“There is said to be a legendary cheeseburger in this world.”
“…!”
Aria’s eyes widened in surprise.
She swallowed nervously.
“Wh-Where is it?!”
“I don’t know. That’s why it’s legendary. But I know for a fact that it exists.”
As I whispered this, Aria’s shoulders trembled with excitement.
“We must find it! I, as a cheeseburger, must find the legendary cheeseburger! Will you help me…?”
“Of course.”
Even if Aria wasn’t interested, I had to find Hannah.
It’s frightening how much someone’s cooking can leave an impact.
Now, no matter what I eat, I can’t stop thinking about Hannah’s dishes.
"Please take care of me."
When I extended my hand, Aria clasped it with a sharp thwack!
"Please take care of me! From today, you’re the Hero Cheeseburger!"
"What about the Crown Prince?"
"He's the Hero Cotton Candy!"
No change in duties, it seems.
Whether in my past life or this one, being left in this doomed country feels like it might be the Crown Prince’s fate.
Anyway, I spent the day joking around like that.
A few more days passed like this, and during one of the Crown Prince's lessons, I heard unexpected news from him.
“We must go on an expedition.”
“Pardon?”
“Isn’t the Founding Festival coming soon? And it’s also my coming-of-age ceremony.”
“Ah.”
The first event that didn’t exist in my past life.
The Crown Prince, Callios von Ortaire’s coming-of-age ceremony, was approaching.
* * *
To explain the connection between the coming-of-age ceremony, the Founding Festival, and the expedition, we must first go back into the history of the Ortaire Empire.
In ancient times, humans were slaves to other races.
They were too weak to form nations or groups.
This was the case for thousands of years.
Then, someone rebelled against this fate, and that was the founder of Ortaire.
"The Founder, who was initially born as food for the orcs, resisted fate and made his escape at the age of eight. Afterward, he met the Wandering Swordsman, who would become the founder of Pharos, and learned from him.”
This is how the historical narrative known as the Founding Chronicle begins.
Based on what he learned from Pharos, the Founder created the Imperial Swordsmanship.
With it, he liberated humans who had been captured by other races, forming a group.
That group grew into an army, and the army into a nation.
At the end of it all, the Ortaire Empire was born.
The day this empire was founded is commemorated by the Founding Festival.
The Crown Prince was the legitimate descendant of that Founder.
Following the long-standing tradition, on the day of their coming-of-age, the Empire's heir must prove that they are the descendant of the Liberator of Humanity from Other Races by hunting monsters.
Now, the question is:
What will be hunted?
A goblin tribe?
For a Crown Prince, that would be too unimpressive.
A dragon, then?
That could be reckless and get him killed.
So, let’s recall the Founding Chronicle.
The answer becomes quite simple when you think about it.
The race that marked the beginning of the Founding Chronicle.
Even in these days of peace, they still don’t harmonize with us, and because of their nature, they are now classified as monsters.
“We will hunt orcs.”
The orcs of the southern highlands.
I asked him,
"Are you really going to do that?"
I had one reason for asking.
This process wasn’t mandatory.
Even the current Emperor didn’t go through with the hunting ceremony.
It’s merely a ‘nice-to-have tradition.’
But the Prince’s next words made me nod in understanding.
“Many people have graciously called me the second coming of the Founder. I am honored, but that also means I must continually prove that I am worthy of that title. This expedition is part of that. Only by proving that I am different can my position as Crown Prince be solidified, and only then can the people of this Empire believe in a better future.”
The Crown Prince laughed freely.
Though the expectations were high, he seemed unfazed.
I had to admire his spirit.
'It’s not just blind courage.'
His actions were well-founded.
In truth, setting aside his issues with women, the Crown Prince was perhaps the closest thing to an ideal ruler.
He seemed like someone born for that purpose.
What stood out the most was his combat ability.
Though it hasn’t yet happened in this timeline, this man will become the second Grand Master in the history of the Empire after the Founder himself.
In other words, proving his legitimacy through martial strength was not a difficult task for the Crown Prince.
After evaluating everything, I nodded.
“Understood. Well then, have a safe trip.”
If the Crown Prince will be away for a while, I’ll have some free time.
It might be a good chance to catch up on some postponed tasks.
'I should investigate the signs of future events.'
And in addition, I should work on improving my personal combat skills, or perhaps spend some time refining my cheeseburger recipe.
Eating has become so dull lately that my quality of life has dropped significantly.
Just as I was thinking that...
“What are you talking about? Of course, you’re coming with me.”
“…Pardon?”
Why do I have to go?
I stared at him, questioning with my eyes, but the Crown Prince replied as if it were obvious.
“The test of legitimacy. You have to take it too, you know?”
“???”
“You’re the Royal Advisor, aren’t you? All previous Advisors from Pharos proved their qualifications during the Crown Prince’s coming-of-age ceremony.”
“…Ah.”
I had forgotten, since the last Royal Advisor was 300 years ago.
Right, I also need to prove myself as someone from Pharos.
The Crown Prince’s hunting ceremony essentially re-enacts the Founding Chronicle.
The Founder’s orc hunt began with the teachings of Pharos.
If the goal is to re-enact history, then the Advisor from Pharos must participate as well.
The Crown Prince smiled.
“We depart in a week. Prepare yourself.”
…How troublesome.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Clara]
[Proofreader - Gun]
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