The season was turning to autumn.
Under the eaves of the cabin, green meju lumps bound by straw were drying, growing hard and brittle.
In the middle of the yard stood a large jar.
Kay opened the lid of the jar with trembling hands.
A deep, rich aroma.
Although it still had a faint raw scent unique to peas, it was unmistakably the smell of soy sauce—a black liquid imbued with the art of fermentation: salty yet sweet.
"It's a success…."
Kay scooped up a bit of the soy sauce with a ladle and tasted it.
It was salty. But then an explosion of umami followed.
The greatest achievement of his life.
"With this… at last I'm free. Free from the hell of salt-roasted meals!"
That evening.
The cabin was filled with a different aroma than usual.
On the heated iron plate, thin slices of wyvern meat sizzled away. But the color was different. The brown meat glistened with a dark sauce—this was wyvern bulgogi.
"What is this? Why is it this color? Did you burn it or something?"
Artoria Lancer Alter asked with a suspicious glance.
Kay smirked and popped a piece of meat into her mouth.
"Just eat it. No more talking."
Artoria Lancer Alter chewed thoughtfully, then her eyes went wide.
Flash!
It was as if an exclamation mark had popped up over her head.
"…Wow, it's delicious!"
"See?"
"Sweet, salty… and it doesn't smell like meat! What is this? Magic?"
The other children grabbed chopsticks and rushed in.
Artoria stuffed so much meat into her cheeks they nearly burst, and Lily twisted her body in delight. Even the picky Artoria Lancer was on the verge of abandoning her elegance to lick her plate clean.
"This right here is the power of soy sauce."
Kay said with a satisfied smile as he grilled more meat.
But Black Knight Ector's reaction was different. He chewed thoughtfully, wearing a deliberately stern expression.
"The taste is good. But Kay, you did waste those peas."
"…Huh?"
"You used up the entire pea field to make this soy sauce, didn't you? And your hunting performance has been poor lately—always catching beasts and wyverns. When will you bring in something like a Royal Wyvern or a Chimera?"
Kay scratched his head at Ector's rebuke.
It was true. He had slacked off hunting in pursuit of soy sauce. And, to be honest, at ten years old, a Royal Wyvern was beyond his capabilities. He could barely catch a wyvern now, let alone stronger beasts.
Most of the tougher monsters—chimeras or krakens—were hunted by Ector, and Kay could only process what Ector brought in.
Merlin's words flashed through his mind.
"You are a mediocre talent. I acknowledge your effort, but the vessel for your talent is too small."
Kay forced a bitter smile, flipping the meat.
It wasn't wrong.
He had come this far with memories from a past life and relentless effort. But the real geniuses were different.
"So, kids, how's Merlin's class going these days? That trickster, is he spouting nonsense even in your dreams?"
When Kay changed the subject, the children answered eagerly.
"He's irritating, sure, but he teaches well. From the basics of swordplay to royal studies, it all sinks in perfectly," said Artoria.
Artoria Caster added, "I've learned how to cycle my circuits. Now I can use my mana without any waste!"
"I'm training in advanced dual-wielding, and even something called the Cosmic Breath," said Artoria X.
Artoria X Alter added, "Handling the Force is fun—more fun than choking Merlin."
The children's eyes shone brightly.
It wasn't just something they learned in their dreams. During the day, they reviewed everything they learned at every opportunity.
The wooden sword wielded by Artoria already carried the sound of wind slicing through the air, and the mana exhaled by Artoria Alter was so heavy it was hard to believe she was only five.
Like a sponge sucking up water, they were growing at a terrifying rate.
'They're definitely a different species than me.'
Of course, Kay didn't feel jealousy or inferiority about that.
Instead, his chest ached in a corner. It was pity.
'Their talent overflows… and yet, here in Britain.'
This dying island nation, this barren land, the endless waves of foreign invaders and beasts.
Their talent was not a blessing but a curse.
Fated to become kings, destined to take up the sword and be stained in blood to protect their country.
All of Britain's misfortune and trials would rest on these small shoulders.
'You all… were born too strong.'
Kay silently grilled meat and placed it on the children's plates.
It was all he could do.
Feed them delicious food to make their bodies strong. And… protect this ordinary dinner table happiness for as long as possible.
That night.
Late into the night after all the children had fallen asleep.
The cabin door quietly opened, and Kay stepped outside.
He held a sword in his hand.
"Phew…."
The night air was cold.
Kay headed for the clearing in the woods—the place where Black Knight Ector had said the Royal Wyvern's nest was.
'I am a mediocre talent. Accept that.'
He wasn't blessed by the sun's favor like Gawain, nor did he have a dragon's heart or fairy lineage like his sisters.
But did that mean he would give up?
Would he just stand by and do nothing while those kids went to the battlefield?
"No. That can't be."
A brother isn't someone who picks up a fallen sibling, but someone who clears the stumbling stone before the sibling falls.
Even if he couldn't cut the rock with his blade, he could at least use his body to block it.
Grrr…
In the darkness, red eyes gleamed.
The Royal Wyvern.
Twice the size of a normal wyvern and a far more powerful high-tier beast.
It spotted Kay and spread its wings.
Who wouldn't be terrified by that overwhelming presence?
Kay tightened his grip on the sword; his hands were sweating.
It would be a lie to say he wasn't scared. Truthfully, he wanted to run.
But the faces of his sleeping siblings back home flashed through his mind.
Their smiles as they ate delicious food and were happy.
"Come on, you lizard spawn."
Kay growled.
There was no inferiority in his eyes, but a desperate hatred of someone fighting to protect something.
Whoosh…
The ten-year-old boy launched himself at the gigantic beast.
He had no talent. No mana.
But he had the survival instincts honed from hunting beasts thousands of times and the responsibility for his family, his strongest weapon.
Under the moonlight, the dance of a mediocre talent's sword began.
It wasn't flashy, but it was heavier and more desperate than any genius's blade.