Chapter 8

"Ah, Deputy Leader! Quickly bring the food and have the leader season it for us! It will be a surprise!"

The one who appeared was Deputy Leader Orel. It seemed he had just returned from his rounds. Despite being scolded by Cassius, he spoke as if nothing had happened.

"Have the leader season...!?"

Orel looked at me with a puzzled expression. Given my position as the son of a marquis, I had almost no experience with the apprenticeship that knights typically go through, and he knew that I had no connection to cooking.

Cassius's unnecessarily loud voice caused Orel, who was carrying his share of lunch, to bring the head chef along with him. Although the head chef maintained a smile, he exuded an aura of indignation, his pride having been hurt.

"Leader Justan, what do you mean?"

Deputy Leader Orel, who is sixteen years older than me, treats me with the most politeness among the subordinates due to my status as the son of the Larmine baron.

"The cook is skilled, but the seasonings are expensive, so the flavors are kept mild. I was suggesting that we each chip in a little money to buy more. For example, like this..."

I added salt and pepper, and also tore up some basil and added it, just as I had done for the other subordinates.

"Come on, Deputy Leader, quickly stir it and give it a taste!"

"A, ah..."

Urged by Cassius, Orel, though confused, stirred the soup and brought it to his mouth.

"......!!"

He didn't say anything, but his expression told the whole story. The others who had already tasted the modified soup were grinning at Orel.

"Um, Deputy Leader Larmine, could I have a taste as well?"

The head chef, who usually wouldn't come near us, must have been very curious about the taste.

"Sure, it's good to know for future cooking. It's quite different from usual."

The head chef took a spoonful of the soup, and the moment it entered his mouth, his eyes widened.

"I knew that using high-quality pepper and a stronger seasoning would be better... but what is this unique flavor! I think I've seen these leaves at the apothecary..."

He swallowed and muttered, deep in thought.

"That's basil from the apothecary. I've also bought a few other things from there that can be used. Want to see?"

"Please, I would be honored!!"

"A, ah... After we finish eating, let's go to the kitchen."

"Thank you! I'll be waiting!!"

The pressure was stronger than expected. Perhaps because he was a chef hired by the lord, his passion for cooking was greater than that of others.

"Wow... Leader Justan..."

"Really, it's like he's been swapped with someone else since yesterday," Arnaud and Simon whispered. They had seen me cry yesterday and had been on patrol with Orel, so they came to the dining hall together.

After that, the others also tried the modified food and agreed to contribute money for the seasonings. Yes, deliciousness is justice.

After the meal, when we went to the kitchen, we were greeted by the chefs, who looked tense. Unlike the Second Knight Regiment, which guards the entire capital, the Third Knight Regiment, though consisting of about fifty people, has four chefs and one apprentice in the barracks.

"Don't be so tense. I only know a little bit, not much more than that."

"But the idea of using herbs in cooking is brilliant! Come, come, please come this way and teach us!"

I remember that in the latter part of the novel, the holy maiden, who appears later, tries various things in a remote village and spreads the use of herbs in cooking. But eating mediocre food until the holy maiden appears is tough, so it can't be helped, no, it can't be helped.

While making excuses to myself, I took out the items I had bought from my magic bag and lined them up on the cooking counter. When I took out the salt and black pepper, the chefs swallowed hard. That's understandable, considering the amount is equivalent to the leader's monthly salary.

"This is thyme, mainly used in fish dishes but also in meat dishes to add flavor and reduce odors. This rosemary is also used as a garnish, but it can be rubbed into meat for marinating or steamed with meat to add aroma. Bay leaves are used in stews to reduce odors and add flavor. Basil can be used to add flavor to various dishes."

As I lined them up and explained, the head chef took notes diligently. The chefs who didn't take notes probably couldn't write.

After listening to the explanation, the chefs seemed eager to say something, and the apprentice boy spoke up.

"Um, Knight Leader Vandiere, how do you know all this!?"

The boy's question was met with nods from the surrounding chefs, as if they had been waiting to hear the answer.

To be honest, in my previous life, when the whole family went out to eat, it was a huge expense, so I made what you might call "cafe food" to give the feeling of dining out.

Especially because my mother enjoyed fancy plates, I always made herb-based dishes on Mother's Day and birthdays.

I couldn't tell them about my past life, so what should I say?

"One of the things I was taught as part of my education was herbology. Knowledge was necessary to counter poisons, so I just remembered that."

"Wow, you nobles are really amazing."

Well, this much is not a complete lie, so it should be fine. I did learn about the herbs and poisonous plants that are commonly found.

While I was lecturing the chefs, I didn't know that the "big brother" comment from the training ground was being spread throughout the regiment in my absence. I would learn this a few days later.