Conquered Just Like That / The Holy Lance Shines Brightly

"Very good, now all the soldiers are back," the clerk said.

"So what do we do next? Wait here until dawn?" one of the knights asked.

"Everyone, follow me. Our destination is the stream ten kilometers ahead. We're going to have a victory celebration now!" Artoria said, sitting in her car.

"Hahaha, not bad, right, young man? I've even prepared the livestock for you." King Pellinore said to Shirou. Last time, he went horseback riding for more than 20 kilometers, but the fragrance in the tent didn't dissipate until the next day. This time, he finally caught the opportunity.

"Well, we're going to have lunch anyway, so it won't hurt to make a little extra," Shirou agreed.

"The privilege of having Shirou cook was originally mine alone, but this time, as a reward for the hero, you can all cheer!" Artoria said.

"Oh oh oh oh!!" In Pellinore's camp, the warriors, led by Lamorak, shouted excitedly.

"Oh my gosh!!! Shirou, I want to eat venison! Big chunks of meat!" Little Mo shouted, raising his fist.

"What? That boy is a chef? At first, I thought he was a king from some country. That condescending air of his is not something an ordinary person can have."

"But he's a cook, isn't he? Look, he's already started butchering the livestock."

"But have you ever seen a chef who can unleash Noble Phantasm and cut down a 2.5-meter-tall knight?"

The visiting knights whispered amongst themselves in confusion.

"Even a powerful knight can't cook! It's only natural that the knights of Camelot have some skills! Just wait and see, you guys will soon find out what's going on!" Little Mo looked at these country bumpkin knights with pity, clearly they were following local lords and had never seen the world, and waved his hand casually as he spoke.

"What's going on? Isn't that Lord Mordred? This is the first time I've seen her without her helmet."

"She's King Arthur's illegitimate son, isn't she? They do look quite alike now, their appearances are somewhat similar, and their builds are also similar..." the knights said, one by one with puzzled looks.

"But King Arthur was a woman, right? So who was her father?"

At that moment, the knights saw the girl run up to the handsome young man who was acting as the cook.

"Hey~! Is Shirou not ready yet?" Little Mo asked curiously, smelling the aroma.

"Wait a moment, Little Mo, there aren't many ingredients here, so it's taking a bit of time to prepare." Shirou was busy making various ingredients and frying foods that Artoria would like. Just then, he finished putting the easiest-to-cook fried potato meatballs into a large plate, picked up one of the meatballs that had cooled down a bit with his chopsticks, and handed it to the girl, asking, "Would you like to try some?"

"I want to eat!" Little Mo stepped forward and bit into the potato meatball the boy was holding.

"Oh... I see." The knights understood what was going on.

"That's why the little girl sounded so proud and smug, as if she were the one cooking."

The surrounding knights all showed expressions of understanding, as if they had just realized something.

Only King Arthur, seated at the head of the table, saw the situation. His already cold eyes grew even colder, and he muttered, "Looks like I have to teach him a lesson. Shirou's cooking isn't for anyone to eat alone!"

In order to take care of the soldiers under the knights' command, Shirou chose to prepare large portions of food so that the soldiers could eat well and be full in a short time, which was a great pleasure for the warriors who had just come back from the battlefield.

So, in each of the several large ovens fueled by firewood Projection onto the screen, two sheep were placed.

On the makeshift stove, ten non-stick pans with handles were placed, their surfaces adorned with raised Tai Chi patterns. Various seasonings were laid out on a plate beside them, lard was poured in, and the steaks were started to be fried.

The bison that roam the Isle of Britain breathe air infused with mana, drink spring water flowing down from the mountains, and eat plants imbued with magical energy. Although their meat and tendons are generally tough, some parts are just as good as 5A-grade beef carefully raised by modern humans.

Shirou started by frying the best cut of beef sirloin. Since everyone present was a warrior who valued a satisfying meal, he chose cuts at least 3 centimeters thick. With the right heat, the chewy beef sirloin would be a delight for the knights.

With ten frying pans operating simultaneously, Shirou used his Magic Eye to observe the changes in the meat's texture, flipping it over at the most opportune moment. He repeated this process, then topped it with sliced potatoes, wild mushrooms, and carrots, completing a steak with a texture suitable for Western palates.

Then, stir-fry the delicious minced meat with chopped garlic and onions in rendered wild boar fat until fragrant. Next, scoop out a large amount of rice from the giant dry-cooked rice cooker and stir-fry it in the wok. Finally, add the simmered meat gravy. The simple, easy-to-make, filling, fragrant, and delicious fried rice is ready.

The prepared dishes were served on the long table by the kitchen helpers for the knights to enjoy. However, because Shirou cooked very quickly, the other soldiers' portions were also finished very soon.

Chapter 157: Conquered Just Like That

Inside the oven, the Projection of the enhanced and elongated Gan Jiang · Mo Ye flashed and slashed at the lamb, but at such a speed that those around couldn't see any trace of the blades, and the entire lamb remained undamaged.

"Take it upstairs," Shirou said to the soldier helping him cook, sheathing his twin swords.

"Hey? Sir, but the knife didn't cut the sheep, did it?" the soldier asked curiously.

"It's already cut."

"Yes?"

Amid the soldiers' astonished gazes, Shirou casually picked up a piece of meat from the sheep with his chopsticks, as if removing a piece from a jigsaw puzzle.

"Take it upstairs."

"Yes!" Upon seeing such skill, the soldier respectfully replied repeatedly.

The whole roasted lamb was served to the soldiers, who could easily take pieces of meat without tearing it apart, leaving only the lamb's skeleton on their plates in the end.

"Oh my! What is this? It's just ordinary beef, right? Why does it taste so delicious!"

"Even for this taste, I'm willing to be a mercenary and keep going."

"If Camelot had food like this back then, I definitely wouldn't have left."

The knights ate with gusto, their mouths brimming with oil, making the soldiers who were looking for places to sit on the stones below the stage drool. But they all tacitly took out their own dry rations and ate them with hot water to fill their stomachs.

"Take these and distribute them to your soldiers. Once you're done," Shirou said, taking out dozens of pieces of meat on a tray and handing them to his assistants.

"Huh? But this is for the knight, isn't it...?" the soldier asked in surprise. This was meat, and it was from a powerful and distinguished nobleman. He never imagined that this nobleman would intend to distribute this food to his attendants and soldiers.

"I'm in charge of the kitchen here, everyone gets their own! Never mind, you take that grilled meat and come with me." Shirou picked up a tray in each hand and walked towards the area where the soldiers were gathered.

Upon seeing Shirou approach, the knights and lower-ranking soldiers asked in surprise, "Sir, what brings you here?"

"You guys eat too! I'll make sure you get plenty! The broth is almost ready, and I've made two big pots of fried rice. You can line up and get some yourselves later," Shirou said coldly and without room for argument.

"Shirou..." The boy's tone was just as cold and arrogant as those of the knights and nobles, but for some reason, it moved them deeply.

The person before me is a figure of equal nobility to the noble lords and so on. In fact, judging by the sheer nobility of his bearing, none of the knights and lords present, except for King Arthur, can compare to this lord.

"Shirou, you are truly compassionate," the soldier who had helped said, looking up at the tall, handsome young man before him with admiration.

Shirou responded indifferently, "No, cooking should be done so that everyone enjoys the meal. Apart from Artoria and Little Mo, the others were just there for the sake of it. Considering their status as guests, I was considerate of the noble lords and followed the local customs, letting them sit down and eat first. In my world, everyone is equal, and I would have everyone help out and then sit in the same place to eat together."

"Haha, just imagining it makes my heart jump out of my chest, but if such a world really existed, it would be something to look forward to," the soldier said with a dry laugh.

"Alright, this is your portion, eat first! I'll pack the others' portions too, so you can fill your stomachs while the other dishes are being served." Shirou took out a large plate and filled it with broth, pork chops, grilled meat, and fried rice, then placed them on a tray and handed it over.

"Eh? But Shirou, you haven't tried it yet, have you?" the soldier asked.

"Idiot, no chef will go hungry in the kitchen. Just go eat your food," Shirou said, waving his hand.

"Indeed, this lord is Hera's messenger! The hearth god has blessed our victory!"

"Pagans should be considered as the Lord's Supper to us."

"Stop whining! If you don't want your meat, I'll eat it for you. This is the best meal I've ever had! I feel like I could eat as much as I want."

"Damn it! Don't steal my meat!"

"Wow! Then use your steak to pay off the debt!"

The soldiers also started fighting for food this time.

At the same time, the morale of the army continued to rise. It seemed that with the deliciousness of the food they ate, each person's soul was elevated, and their fighting power increased accordingly.

More importantly, the soldiers looked at the boy as if he were a god.

King Pellinore surveyed the situation below and said to those around him, "Hey, this isn't good. King Arthur's henchman is almost winning over the soldiers with food. Could this be a conspiracy?"

"Huh? Is that so?" the knight beside him asked, puzzled.

"Father, you're being too suspicious. With the king's prestige, there's no need for him to do these things," Lamorak said, munching on a skewer of meat.

Pellinore concluded, "Lamorak, my foolish son, haven't you noticed? If it's not King Arthur's doing, then that brat harbors ambitions and wants to overthrow his superiors."

Unexpectedly, the knight with bulging cheeks next to him chimed in, "Hey, why don't you just take me in too?"

Pellinore's gaze towards Shirou grew even more wary. "Ah! Even among the knights, someone has already been bribed. A formidable opponent!"

"Yes, if he were still alive, I could marry my daughter to him and bring him to my castle," a lord said with a chuckle.

"Don't talk nonsense. Shirou will be my knight, whether he lives or dies." Artoria raised an eyebrow upon hearing this and couldn't help but speak up.

"Yes! Yes! Shirou was born a member of the Round Table, and he will die Servant of the Round Table! Don't even dream about it with your little corner of the world," Mordred shouted.

"And, Lord Pellinore, before you speak of these things, please shut your mouth," Artoria said.

"Damn... it's really delicious, this roast meat is so good, and this fried rice is amazing too, I just can't stop eating it." King Pellinore said that, but the speed at which he stuffed meat into his mouth did not slow down at all. He took a bite of meat, then scooped up a spoonful of fried rice and stuffed it into his mouth, feeling that his mouth was too small to hold it all.

"Father..." Lamorak felt somewhat ashamed.

However, judging from the scene, the Celtic Knights weren't much better off Pellinore in their eating habits.

After that banquet, none of the knights dared to underestimate King Arthur, who only had two subordinates: Mordred, a warrior of unparalleled skill and bravery, and a young cook who could persuade countless enemies to surrender without shedding a drop of blood by simply preparing a meal.

This force is already comparable to three thousand iron cavalry.

Chapter 158 The Holy Lance Shines Brightly

The lord and knights reacted with more disdain than surprise to the soldiers' reaction.

"What's the use of having a large number of those weaker units, besides providing cover and running errands?"

"If that man named Shirou were willing to cook for me for a year, what harm would it do to give him all these soldiers?"

"Drink! Drink!"

Cheers!

The knights clinked glasses with each other, raising their beers, and continued their hearty feasting and drinking.

The various cooking utensils that were previously bustling with activity have now been extinguished, and the last trace of cooking smoke has drifted away with the wind.

The knights at the banquet drank their ale and ate until their bellies were bulging. They then found a place and fell fast asleep.

The time from afternoon to night passed in the blink of an eye. The soldiers, having eaten and drunk their fill, found a comfortable place to rest and recuperate.

They all knew that this would be the final battle, deciding everyone's fate. It was they who would defeat the demonic dragon and rescue their compatriots, who had been controlled by the Black Mud, from the endless cycle of battles in the purgatory.

Or perhaps they will be killed by the dragon and fall into purgatory together; it all comes down to this one battle.

Strangely, the soldiers didn't show much fear; they lay on the grass chatting as if it were a leisurely hike.

When they looked at the boy standing on the high slope gazing into the distance, their eyes were filled with longing and reverence.

Yes, it's not that I'm not afraid or nervous, it's just that I feel it wouldn't be a bad thing to be with someone like that.

After all, they were summoned into this world as the lowest-ranking soldiers, as appendages of these knights; knights and heroes were things they were destined to never be associated with.

During their lifetimes, aside from a few who distinguished themselves in battle and might be appreciated, becoming servants or guards under the lord, the survivors were sent back to be herdsmen and farmers after the war ended. Even if they were victorious, they could only get enough food to feed their families for a few weeks. The majority of them died on the battlefield.

They were destined to fight alongside their lord, whether they liked it or not. Now that they were dead, they had returned to this world as soldiers, and battle was unavoidable.

This time, if the object of their loyalty were changed from their high and mighty lord to a young man who truly treated them as human beings, the soldiers would feel that even if they risked their lives for him and fought alongside him, it wouldn't be a loss.

Shirou and Artoria stood side by side on a hillside, gazing at the distant center of the battlefield. The night shrouded the scenery there, making it seem even darker than the more distant places, with only the stars in the sky still shining brightly.

The boy's Clairvoyance pierced over the mountain peaks and spotted the demonic dragon lurking on the earth. By now, the dragon's body had shrunk considerably, and its energy was being transferred to the earth, causing it to gradually weaken.

"Shirou, are you ready? You seem to be thinking about something," Artoria asked, leaning on her sword beside the boy.

"Well, although I only wanted to stop the dragon from destroying another world, the people in this world also have their own reasons, such as wanting their comrades to be free, wanting revenge against the dragon, or wanting to protect the people of this world."

"It doesn't matter if the reasons are different, as long as we all share the same goal, we can fight together," Artoria said firmly.

"Ah, so Artoria, lead us to victory!" Shirou said.

As night deepened, around midnight, the army began to assemble and arrived at the battlefield. The enormous dragon had grown to over ten meters long and was now trying to dig a cave to bury itself underground.

"Now! Charge!!" Artoria drew her holy sword and led the charge to the front.

"Whoa!" shouted the Britain knights as they charged forward.

"Ora ora ora~!" The barbarians also charged towards the dragon.

To cover the knights in front, the archers and spearmen behind them aimed arrows and javelins at the dragon's neck and head.

Ordinary weapons can't do much damage at all; even if the scales don't fly off, they just happen to pierce the gap.

"Roar~!" Pierced by arrows and spears, the dragon felt the pain and roared angrily with its crimson eyes. The Black Mud on its body wriggled and pushed out the sharp weapons that were stuck in its body, and black flames gathered between its ferocious fangs.

According to the plan, they would approach the dragon at the beginning, and in order to conserve their strength, if the dragon launched a powerful attack, powerful Servant such as Artoria would restrain it.

"Haaah!----Excalibur Morgan!!!" The holy sword in Artoria's hand flashed with black light as it charged towards the dragon.

The dragon's breath collided with the black beam of light from the holy sword, canceling each other out.

Because of the Holy Sword's reversed properties, absorbing the Holy Sword's light this time didn't bring much advantage. Although Artoria doesn't have the Holy Grail now, and although she doesn't have Gawain by her side to assist her this time, she still has reliable companions.