The Tale of Gerald Vader, the Heretic Knightโs Rampage Through Another World
โTo celebrate Gerald’s beast slayingโฆ Cheers!!โ
โCheers!!!!โ
With Father leading the toast, bright voices and the clinking of glasses echoed through the mansion’s dining hall.
โTo think you’d take down two Greatfang Boars on your very first huntโฆ Truly my son!โ
โHmmโฆ I always knew he was a genius, but this surpasses all expectations. Truly my brother!โ
Father and Sister, seated across the table, nodded to each other in high spirits.
For some reason, it felt like sparks flew between them, but that must have been an optical illusion.
“And what’s more, he saved the villagers of Lucera who were suffering from the beasts’ rampage. Protecting the peopleโthat is the true honor of a knight. It seems advancing your coming-of-age ceremony was the right decision after all!”
โFather. It was none other than Gerald who made that decision. Who was it that opposed it at first?โ
โHmmโฆ Alissa, stop rubbing salt in the wound. This is a celebratory feast!โ
โI had to point it out, didn’t I? It concerns Gerald’s honor, after all?โ
โUghโฆ Anyway! Gerald, as your father, I am proud of you!โ
Father and my sister showered me with praise as I sat at the birthday seat.
It seemed Father conveniently forgot he’d opposed the coming-of-age ceremony, but oh well.
After all, opposing a coming-of-age ceremony for someone not even fifteen yet is only natural for a parent.
โGuhโฆ! This Bernard is so moved he can barely see straightโฆ!โ
And just behind meโฆ Bernard, the head butler overseeing this feast, was choking back tears like a man.
Ohhhโฆ
Seeing everyone this happy is honestly making me a bit uncomfortableโฆ
But, of course, it doesn’t feel bad.
Hahahaha!
Tonight’s king is yours truly!
Meat!
Bring me meat!!
โฆor so I tried to force myself to get hyped up.
Well, truth be told, there’s already a mountain of meat piled right before my eyes.
Incidentally, these dishes were given to us after the butchering was completed in the village of Lucera.
In my domain, it’s customary that the game huntedโbeasts and monsters alikeโis distributed to the villagers on the spot, rather than the lord taking it all.
But they used my first battle celebration as an excuse to load us up with a massive amount of meat.
The sheer volume is enough to keep everyone connected to the Vader householdโincluding the knights and servantsโcovered in meat for over a week, with plenty left over.
Anyway, back to the food before us.
First to catch the eye is the thick roast pork, sitting prominently in the center of the table.
Surrounding it are juicy T-bone steaks dripping with fat and stews simmered until even the fat is meltingly tender.
Sausages are present, of course.
There are three types: ones finished with rock salt and homemade herbs, chorizo-style sausages packed with spices, and smoked versions of the former. Naturally, all look delicious.
Other offerings include classic herb-roasted meats and consommรฉ soup made from Greatfang bones (definitely not pork bone soup).
Truth be told, spices circulate freely in this world.
They’re brought in through trade with southern and western nations.
Since magic and magical artifacts exist here, it’s not just a simple medieval European-style alternate worldโit’s somewhat more civilized. Thankfully, this means the culinary culture has a decent level of diversity too.
Of course, the kingdom is currently at war with the Evil Gods and demonic tribes, so extravagance isn’t really an optionโฆ but at present, we’re not in such dire straits that we have to be frugal at a banquet like this.
โฆThough that situation will change drastically in a few years. For the worse.
Well, now is not the time to worry about the nation’s impending fate.
Meat. Meat makes me forget everything.
As an aside, I hear some of these dishes, like the sausages, will be served tomorrow in the village of Lucera.
I hope you’ll thoroughly enjoy the meal prepared with the chef’s full skill.
โฆMy thoughts have wandered.
Anyway, tonight is a feast of meat.
Now that the toast is over, all that’s left is to devour the dishes before us.
So, first up, the massive roast pork.
I asked the maid standing by to carve it for me, and then, finally, to eat.
โโฆDelicious.โ
The meat, cooked to perfection, was juicy and tender, its juices oozing out with every chew.
It had a delicate flavor unimaginable from such a massive cut. The fat was rich with umami yet almost entirely free of greasiness.
This might actually be far tastier than beefโฆ
Of course, this deliciousness owes much to the chef’s skill, but the perfect bleeding out during prep was also crucial. Good job, me.
Now, after savoring the roast pork, it’s time for the sausages.
Starting with the ones seasoned with herbs and rock salt.
โโฆโฆโฆโฆ!โ
Ohโฆ!
This one againโฆ violently delicious.
First, despite being boiled, the skin delivers a crisp bite. Then, from within, a violent burst of umami and the meat’s wonderful aroma explode across the tongue.
The aromatic herbs and the saltiness are perfectly balanced. I’m tempted to devour several more right nowโฆ but there are plenty of other dishes I want to try.
Here, I should firmly control my appetite and savor as many dishes as possible.
ใโ
โFwahahaha! Bernard, you understand too, don’t you? Gerald’s brilliance and strength!โ
โOf course, my lord! Young Master Gerald is destined to become a โHeroโ!โ
โHahahahahaha! Bernard, you understand well! Now, another cup!โ
โHaha! This Bernard will drink every drop of the water of life poured by my masterโฆ no matter how many cups it takes!โ
โThat’s the spirit! Truly the pillar of our Vader family!โฆ Hic!โ
โIt is an honor beyond measureโฆhic!โ
And one hour later.
The feast was already drawing to a close.
Or rather, Father had drunk far too much and was completely plastered in no time.
Father is the troublesome type who cries when drunk and gets clingy.
At first, he was crying over our late mother (which made even me and Alissa feel somber), but gradually he started pestering Alissa and offering drinks to Bernard and the adult maids. Naturally, the butler’s drunken banquet descended into chaos.
The members of the private knight corps seem to be having their own banquet in the quarters too. Is the House of Vader going to be okay today?
Incidentally, Alissa went down after two glasses of wine mixed with water while listening to her father’s stories.
She’s surprisingly weak with alcohol, something unimaginable from her usual cool demeanor.
Right now, she’s fast asleep, face buried in the table.
โฆWhile you can drink alcohol from age 15 in this country, I still think it’s best to wait until you’re over 20.
Amidst that sluggish atmosphere.
I quietly rose from my seat.
โMy Lord Gerald, what is it?โ
A young maid hurried over, flustered.
Her name was Anna, I think.
She’s usually sharp-eyed, but her concern was unnecessary now.
I gently waved her off and murmured quietly.
โI’m sorry, but I’m going out to the balcony to catch the night breeze. Anna, I’d like you to look after my father, sister, and Bernard.โ
โY-yes, sir! Please take your timeโฆ!โ
Watching the maid bow out of the corner of my eye, I stepped out of the dining room onto the balcony.
Here too, tables and chairs were arranged.
I took the seat with the best view.
Tonight was apparently a full moon. With the light spilling from the mansion and the moon’s glow, there was no need to prepare lanterns.
โIt’s a nice night.โ
I sensed her sitting in the chair opposite me.
โSorry, Twina. Made you wait.โ
I spoke to the empty space across the table.
Her voice alone came back immediately.
‘Heheโฆ Did you enjoy the party?’
โYeah, I guess.โ
โDid you miss me?โ
โโฆDo I really need to answer that question?โ
โHeheโฆ Answering a question with a question is the same as saying yes. Any objections?โ
โโฆNot really.โ
Her affection was so direct it made me react a bit tsundere-like.
But to be honest, I did wish she could have been at the celebration with us.
Still, that wasn’t for me to decideโit was Twina’s call.
If she judged it wasn’t the right time yet, it wasn’t my place to interfere.
After that, I spent the banquet chatting idly with Twina (occasionally checking on Father and my sister).
And then, for a while after that, time passed peacefullyโ
Until about three months after I turned fourteen.
Suddenly, fate came knocking.
โโฆA visitor for me?โ
โYes. I refused several timesโฆ but since the other party is also nobility, I couldn’t just turn them away. My apologies.โ
โNoโฆ Bernard, it’s fine. โฆI’ll go.โ
Under the blazing sun.
She stepped down from her carriage in front of the mansion and waited for me.
As soon as I approached, she turned her face toward meโฆ and offered a smile like a sunflower.
โAh, Lord Geraldโฆ It’s been a long time. Do you remember me?โ
โโฆOf course, Nora.โ
My stomach twisted painfully.
I’d rather not have anything to do with her.
She was fourteen, the same age as me.
Fluffy blonde hair, sapphire eyes, and a pure, innocent face that still held traces of childishness.
Dressed in the unmistakable finery of nobility, her name was Nora El Reblon.
The only daughter of the neighboring Baron Reblon, she excelled in both academics and martial arts, and was exceptionally kind-hearted.
Andโ
She was my former betrothedโฆ destined to meet one of the most gruesome death endings among the main heroines in the main story of Blaze of Glory.