I, reincarnate as the leader of the villainous knight order

Chapter 130: Together with Everyone

“Whoa! Captain, look at that!! They’ve built a new barracks!!”

After parting ways with the Saintess’ group and reaching the gentle slope leading to the royal castle, Simon pointed and shouted. I looked in the direction he was pointing, toward the Third Knight Order’s grounds. The apprentices’ barracks, which had only walls when we left, now had windows and doors installed.

“If the furniture inside is also ready, the apprentices will be moving in soon. You lot, don’t bully or tease them, alright?”

“Of course not! But shouldn’t you be more worried about them crying just from seeing your face, Captain?”

I glared at the subordinates behind me, and Simon grinned as he responded.

“Hmph, if they cry just from seeing my face, they’re not cut out to be knights. Or are you saying my face is scarier than a monster’s?”

“Wait… Captain, you really don’t realize?”

“You might be fine when you’re just being yourself, but during training, even the new squires look like they’re about to cry because of how scary you look. Even Asil used to try and hide whenever you walked by.”

“………”

Simon’s and Arnault’s words stung a bit. Elliot’s unit was farther back, so they probably didn’t hear the conversation, but still… have I really been scaring them that much? As I fell silent, Jest, who was sitting in front of me, looked up and spoke.

“I like your face, Justin!”

He seemed satisfied with just saying that, exhaling softly before facing forward again. If we were in my room, I might’ve ruffled his hair affectionately. After that little exchange, we arrived at the barracks, and those who had finished tending to the horses headed back inside.

“Welcome back! The squires informed us yesterday that you’d be returning today, so dinner will be ready in about an hour!”

As soon as we entered the entrance, the head chef greeted us. He mentioned that while we were away, he had been helping out in the royal kitchen. He was feeling frustrated because, as just one of the cooks, he couldn’t fully showcase his skills.

Indeed, in this kitchen, apart from the head chef, everyone has a division of labor, such as someone who grills or someone who just cuts. For someone who used to decide on the overall taste and work freely, it must have felt quite restrictive.

“Everyone’s been craving the food from our barracks, so expect them to eat a lot more than usual.”

“Leave it to me!”

After seeing the eager head chef off, I stopped by the office. I reported our return and requested an audience for tomorrow before heading back to my room.

“Hey, I have a favor to ask.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

It’s rare for Jest to ask for a favor.

“I want to eat something that you made, Justin… and I want to eat it together with everyone in the dining hall.”

Ah, I see. Until just a little while ago, Jest was with Jeanne. But now that they’re apart again, he’ll either be alone during our mealtime or just watching us eat. Honestly, I’m tired from the journey. But after seeing Jest looking so downcast, I couldn’t just ignore it.

“Alright. I have the ingredients in my magic bag. I’ll just need to get some yeast from the chef, so wait here.”

“Yay!”

Since we don’t have any dry yeast for bread, I usually leave the baking to the chefs. Fortunately, the royal kitchen has also been making soft bread lately, so I made sure to get some yeast when we left. If I start now, I might just make it in time for dinner.

Because I have a lot of muscle mass and a higher body temperature, the dough ferments quickly when I make it. I thought about adding something to the bread to avoid it getting boring, but Jest vetoed that idea. Apparently, he prefers plain bread because it allows him to taste the magic in it.

As the smell of dinner wafted from the kitchen, the fragrant aroma of freshly baked bread filled my room. As expected, my subordinates flocked to me. I shooed them away, explaining that the bread was made for Jest. Then, I carried the bread to the dining hall.

Jest, carrying three pieces of bread, walked over to the table where the others were eating and plopped down in the empty seat next to Simon. Meanwhile, I went to get my own meal.

“Oh, Jest, you joined us! Did you ask the Captain to make bread because you wanted to eat with us?”

“Yeah! You all always seem to have so much fun eating together, so I wanted to join in too!”

“It’s mean of you, Simon, to want Jest’s bread for yourself.”

“Hey, wait a minute! You guys wanted some too! Why am I the only one getting blamed here?!”

Simon tried to argue back after being quickly betrayed by Arnault, but it seemed like everyone was pretending not to hear him.

“Yeah, but we gave up immediately when we heard the bread was for Jest. You’re the only one who kept insisting for just a little piece, Simon.”

“Right? Simon, you’re a terrible guy. Isn’t he, Jest?”

Even Marius and Gaspard joined in, not just Arnault. However, Jest quietly stared at the bread he was holding before offering one to Simon.

“Just one, okay?”

“Jest…! You’re so kind! I love you!”

Simon hugged Jest and started kissing his cheek with little pecks. I hurried over, holding a tray with one hand, and used my free hand to shield Jest’s cheek. Naturally, Simon couldn’t stop in time, so his lips ended up on the back of my hand. He froze instantly.

“What are you doing? Don’t pull any weird stunts with Jest.”

Even I was surprised by how low and menacing my voice sounded. Hearing it, Simon slowly backed away from my hand.

“Oh, come on… weird stunts? I was just showing a little gratitude…”

I placed the tray on the table and took out a handkerchief, deliberately wiping both Jest’s cheek and the back of my hand. Maybe it was because Jest looks so much like Hinata, but I felt even more irritated than usual. I shot Simon a glare before starting my meal, but when I saw how happy Jest looked, my anger subsided. You got lucky this time, Simon.

Later on, Simon would tell his comrades about that moment. He said,

“At the instant that soft feeling turned into something rough, I saw the Grim Reaper…”