Chapter 218 - Side story 18

[Translator - Angel Dust]

[Proofreader - Prototype]

Side Stories 18

As summer passed and the cool autumn air gradually turned chilly, Selena was slowly transforming from a beautiful woman into a mother.

Of course, she wasn't becoming unattractive. Even with a growing belly, Selena was still Selena.

In fact, with a touch of mature charm, she now resembled... a big sister, perhaps?

In the early stages of her pregnancy, her morning sickness was surprisingly severe. She couldn't eat any of her favorite fruits.

She would throw up at the mere smell of them, which was quite alarming.

It got to the point where I even begged our baby to stop making her mother suffer.

"It seems our baby prefers meat over fruit."

"Meat is the best, isn't it? But you can't be picky, right, Bom-i?"

We even gave a nickname to our child, who was peacefully sleeping in her mother's womb.

Bom-i, meaning ‘spring.’ We initially wanted to name her ‘summer,’ but it turned out she was a honeymoon baby.

We both laughed at the thought of seeing her a month, maybe even two months, earlier than expected.

Anyway, our Bom-i was quite the carnivore.

There was one evening when Selena ate more than two servings of meat by herself.

And this was Selena, who normally loved fruits and was a light eater!

"It's gotten a little better lately, though. If it were like before, I would've kept wanting to eat more and more."

"I guess she's had enough. Or maybe she wants something new? Should I ask Lasker for some of their dishes? You said they were good last time."

"Ugh, if I keep eating like this, I'll really become a pig."

"Even if you become a pig, Selena, I'll love you forever, so don't worry."

The Empire raised cows, pigs, chickens, ducks, and many other livestock.

The most consumed meat was beef, thanks to the vast pastures.

In my past life, I ate more pork, but here, I eat twice as much beef.

On the other hand, Lasker mainly consumed pork, along with lamb, chicken, and whale meat.

I heard they were bringing a new wave to the Empire's culinary scene with their unique pork dishes.

I tried it once by chance, and it was definitely different from the Empire's pork dishes.

"That sounds good. Ah, now that you mention it, I suddenly have a craving!"

"Just wait. On my way back, this husband of yours will get it for you no matter what. Bom-i! Daddy will bring you delicious meat, so wait a little longer with Mommy, okay?!"

I wish I could be with Selena and Bom-i every day, but it's not possible.

I'm now officially the head of the Friedrich County and an important figure in the Empire.

Especially when it comes to military matters, I've become a person they must invite, so I'm inevitably busy.

"What's on your schedule today?"

"It's the official establishment day of the Empire's Sharpshooter Brigade. Most of them are Lav's trainees, so I thought it would be good for me to go and show my support."

"I see. Lav will be there too, right?"

"Probably?"

"Tell her I said good work. If it weren't for Bom-i, I'd go with you."

Yes, ma'am! This loyal servant will be back soon!

* * *

“Squad, attention!! Present arms to the Imperial flag!!”

Damn, just watching this brings back my military PTSD. Guys, at least none of you shout 'Chung!' like someone did back in my day.

During my time as a trainee in a previous life and even in this one, someone always shouted 'Chung!' from the back, causing us to get massively screwed over.

"Yes?"

"Do you have any words for the trainees? The Brigade Commander left some time in the schedule just in case you wanted to say something."

Me? Nah. Why would I do that? They want to finish quickly and rest.

Even though I'm a Medal of Honor recipient, I have no interest in tormenting active-duty soldiers.

They've worked hard for days preparing for this event, so they should go and rest.

"Let's do something else."

Yes, something else. Let's approach this in a way that benefits our juniors.

"In my name, tell them to slaughter one cow per squad... no, no. Per two people."

"Oh, isn't that too much?"

"They have to feed all the soldiers, NCOs, and officers. Tell them to eat and drink to their hearts' content. A feast is the perfect way to celebrate after all their hard work."

Eat your fill, everyone. This is on your senior, a Medal of Honor recipient!

* * *

I had forgotten. Today's schedule wasn't over yet. There was one more thing left.

"Oh! He's finally here!"

"Well, well, our esteemed Medal of Honor recipient seems to think it's okay to keep Marquises and Counts waiting!"

"Hurry up and get over here. No, I mean, hurry up and get over here, Count Friedrich!"

"...Sorry, Karl. These guys are going absolutely nuts."

The three were at it again, with Joachim acting as the sole voice of reason.

I was genuinely worried. At this rate, Joachim might be the first to go from stress-induced illness.

"What's the big deal? You could have done this without me."

"Nonsense! How could we not wait for the creator of this masterpiece!"

"...Hey, Wilhelm. Why is he so excited?"

"Shulifen? Ah, he opened a card pack and got a golden card."

"Really? And he didn't buy it?"

"I don't know. He says he got it from a pack."

I hope that's true. It wouldn't look good for a Marquis to be spending money on cards.

I shook my head and glanced up.

[ 1st Imperial Card Tournament ]

"Hmm."

It looked a bit dull. Come to think of it, the banner seemed a bit shabby too.

Hey, you four. Are you sure you prepared this tournament seriously? What the—

"Alright! Now that the main character is here, let's get rid of that drab thing!"

"Yes, Your Grace!"

"Next! Put up the real banner!"

"Understood! Get moving, everyone!!"

What the... what's going on? Before I knew it, the banner had been replaced.

[ Congratulations! 1st Karl Adelheit Imperial Card Tournament! ]

[ Who will be the champion of the first official Empire tournament? ]

"..."

What the f*ck!

[Translator - Angel Dust]

[Proofreader - Prototype]