HRNGDS 19

~Chapter 19~

While Delphina was struggling to clear the [Save Aris] quest, it wasn’t just the people of the Rikeion family heading north.

The strongest knight in the Empire, Kalyx,
was also making his way toward the North.

The road to the North was rough.

Especially since one couldn’t pass directly through the northern mountain range, which was swarming with monsters.
Most people had no choice but to take a long detour.

But he was a Swordmaster who had surpassed human limits.

Boom!

As he swung his sword, monsters in the mountain range were sliced down one after another.

From the farthest South to the North, Kalyx had not rested for a single moment.

He even shook off the Second Prince, who had clung to his feet.

“Kalyx, please be my swordsmanship master!”

“I’m terribly sorry, but I’m very busy at the moment. Wahaha!”

Kalyx Artman was the Empire’s strongest knight.

Not just within the Empire—he was a man whose combat prowess earned him a warm welcome anywhere on the continent.

Even the Emperor of the Empire showed him respect.

A man like him, who rarely ever left the capital, was now heading to the North. Why?

There was a reason.

Not long ago, he had visited the temple of the Empire’s sole god, Prad.

And there, he had received a divine message.

[Do you wish to become stronger? The secret lies in the North.]

[Go there and eat fried chicken! The ideal temperature is 170–175°C… The moment you eat it, you will find the secret.]

It was a cryptic message.

What exactly did fried chicken mean?

What was the significance of 170–175 degrees?

“Is it a code in divine language?”

The only thing he could be sure of… was that it was the name of a food.

“I need to find the North’s greatest chef!”

Kalyx already knew who that was.

Walton, head chef of Duke Rojaim’s household.

Kalyx’s eyes gleamed.

In the North… was a secret that could make him stronger.

“Wait for me, fried chicken!”

He was on his way to uncover that secret.

The northern laborer Dellen had been watching the newly arrived man with suspicion.
The man, who introduced himself as “Kal”, was doing the work of several people all by himself.

Every time he moved, his massive muscles rippled.

Dellen couldn’t stop himself from admiring those muscles.

“Hey, Kal. How did you end up out here? With your strength, you could’ve become a knight in any noble house.”

Kalix—or Kal—shook his head in reply.
Having safely arrived in the North, he was currently disguised as a laborer to gather information among the people.

“Nah, I prefer physical work. I like getting stronger when pushed to the limit.”

“That’s… really cool.”

Kalix gave a broad smile.

The workers around him couldn’t stop marveling.
At first, many of them were wary of him.

Most of the northern workers knew each other.

So naturally, they were suspicious of Kalix, an outsider.

But after seeing his incredible physical labor, they had no choice but to admire him.

“Unbelievable. He’s doing the work of ten men on his own!”

“If we had more like him, we’d rebuild the northern walls in no time.”

“A true powerhouse of labor!”

Even the most seasoned workers were shocked by Kalix’s ability to handle the workload of ten strong men singlehandedly.

Kalix laughed loudly, sensing the admiration in their eyes.

‘Behold my labor power—the true strength of a Swordmaster forged through swordsmanship!’

He began repairing the wall at an astonishing pace.
But that didn’t last long.

Kalix soon stopped, his expression hardening.

‘As expected… I’ve hit my limit.’

There were limits to growing stronger through training alone.
No matter how much he pushed his body or fought monsters, his physical growth had plateaued.

Kalix had always been obsessed with becoming stronger—
because the world demanded it of him.

Beyond the North, cultists worshipping Dait were crawling everywhere.

And not just them.

This was a world overrun with monsters.
To defeat them and the cultists, he had to become even stronger.

‘A strong mind and body—or an exceptional weapon.’

Kalix believed he already had all of those.
So why couldn’t he go beyond his current limits?

With a desperate heart, Kalix muttered the word given to him by the god Prad.

“Fried chicken…”

And just then, it was lunchtime.

A commotion stirred among the workers as confusion appeared on their faces.

“They say the Rikeion lady is serving food to us?”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Apparently, she personally cooked meals for the northern workers.”

“I heard she once served a feast to the knights…”

But not everyone was thrilled.

There had been rumors that the Rikeion House was blocking food aid.
Because of that, their reputation in the North had sunk even lower.

“Tch, looks like another noble trying to pull some stunt.”

“Who could trust the daughter of the Duke of Rikeion?”

“What kind of trick is she trying this time?”

Hearing those words, Kalix’s face hardened.

‘The Duke of Rikeion is a greedy man.’

Recalling his recent encounter with the Duke, Kalix frowned.

And now… the Duke’s daughter was cooking?

There she stood—the woman referred to as the Rikeion young lady.

The workers gave her cold looks. Kalix, too, watched her with a skeptical gaze.

A pink-haired, yellow-eyed woman began hauling food with effort and determination.

“She’s… working harder than I expected?”

“That really is the Rikeion lady? For someone so small, she works impressively well.”

They were northern laborers—
people who held genuine affection for those who worked hard.

And the Rikeion lady looked far kinder and more sincere than they had imagined.

Kalix watched Delphina as she cooked.

To be honest, he had no intention of eating her food.

He had never once seen a good outcome from associating with the Rikeion family.

But…

‘It smells… amazing.’

Kalix, a man who loved good food,
couldn’t ignore the delicious scent that tickled his nose.

Delphina added pre-portioned meat into the boiling bone broth she had prepared.

The aroma grew richer.
A large knight was the first to step up to the serving line.

‘That guy can’t take his eyes off the food.’

It was the look of a true foodie with a warm meal in front of him.

As soon as Delphina handed him a bowl, the knight accepted it quickly.

“Alex, enjoy your meal.”

“Thank you, Lady Delphina.”

It was a dish none of them had ever seen before.

Meat and broth together?
But not just any meat—this wasn’t roasted. It was boiled until tender, nearly melting.

Kalix evaluated it carefully.

‘A commoner’s dish…? She really made food for the workers.’

Then he watched Alex take a bite.

Kalix saw it clearly.

The moment Alex tasted it… he froze.

‘Is it bad…?’

Kalix felt a wave of tension.

But only for a second.

Alex suddenly began shoveling food like a madman!
After finishing his bowl, he stood up.

Then he returned to the food line.

“Lady Delphina, may I have a second helping?”

Delphina glanced at the others, noticing that most of the workers were hesitating.

“I brought plenty. I’ll give you just one more bowl.”

Alex beamed and happily received his second serving.