The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL] - Chapter 226

Chapter 226: First Food War
For a moment, the grand dining hall was a battlefield.

Clashing utensils, clacking chairs, and occasional grunts echoed throughout the grand chamber.

Though the House of Kyros was once known for its formidable military prowess, it seemed that its most vicious skirmishes occurred not in the contaminated zones—but over a dining table.

The once pristine and meticulously arranged platters of food had been reduced to mere shadows of their former glory as serving spoons scraped against empty plates.

It was a desperate bid for a good chunk of heaven, apparently.

But amidst the chaos, one figure finally managed to stand tall—or, at the very least, taller.

Steward Han.

A man known to many for his professionalism, sharp wit, bald head, and unflinching dedication to the household. Yet it was also for his profession that he initially wouldn’t have been able to fend off these fiends!

But he trained.

And it was showing.

For the first time since he invested blood, sweat, and tears in his cause, the hardworking steward found himself locked in a no-holds-barred battle for survival—or for that last batch of roasted potatoes.

His normally slow hands moved with a speed that didn’t seem like he worked in logistical planning as he swiped food into his place with the efficiency of a seasoned veteran.

And this shocked everyone who did not expect such a showing from the Steward who was once the easiest opponent.

And he almost wept.

For as much as he could now cook the baked fish, he still hadn’t tasted the surprise dishes offered by their wonderful heir.

So the Steward, who seriously had a leg up above everyone, thought of what to aim for, noting that he would just battle it out with the fish, worse comes to worst.

But Steward Han wasn’t the only one fighting for his share.

At the head table, Ollie had valiantly joined the fray. Unfortunately, he was not Steward Han and had a different level of opponents.

Not only was he competing with the Duchy’s best warriors, but he was also disadvantaged by his small stature and lack of combat abilities.

If anything he realized that the other guys may have been taking it easy on him. For they were clearly able to match the prowess of these veteran soldiers.

Nooo! Ollie screamed in his mind as he again lost the battle for that Brussels sprout he was eyeing.

Every time the poor mechanic reached out for something, it was gone by the time his utensils would get to it. And by the third failed attempt, his shoulders slumped in despair.

His seatmate, on the other hand, had no such struggles.

As his S-grade physique and unrelenting training unconsciously prepared him for such situations.

Kyle’s hands moved with fluid precision, his hands darting between plates like a thief.

Roasted potatoes, corn, baked fish, and those heavenly Brussels sprouts quickly accumulated on his plate while the others were doing just the same.

But just as the concentrated adjutant prepared to swipe at another piece, he noticed the wilted mop, who looked like he was about to grow mushrooms anytime soon.

The shorty’s plate was empty.

Unless you count that tiny sprig of rosemary garnish that he managed to save from falling as someone tugged a little too hard to get a portion.

Kyle paused.

Then sighed.

It pained him to let go of his spoils, but his conscience would likely pain him more. And so he wordlessly reached over and switched their plates.

Ollie blinked. His hair antenna stood in attention at this sudden reversal.

“Wha—what?”

“Just eat,” Kyle sighed, already working to fill a new plate for himself. “Before someone else gets ideas.”

For a moment, Ollie simply stared.

Then, the dejected stick realized the rare act of generosity and bloomed as his eyes grew misty.

“Kyle…”

“Go eat first.” Kyle waved him off, knowing how dramatic this shorty could get sometimes.

The shrewd adjutant also knew that it was impossible to get another plate if this guy’s food got stolen because he had started one of his long tirades.

Ollie listened, but his mind was busy plotting several mecha ‘upgrades’ in his head.

The extremely thankful mechanic silently vowed to repay the kindness, even considering giving Kyle his very own heated blanket with maybe a blue moon.

He may even get one that also massaged sore muscles.

Yes.

That should be perfect.

__

However, on the other end of the table, someone really got a different idea as the Duke saw this smart method.

Clearly, young lovebirds knew better, and as a father who loved his son dearly, this must also have been something for him to do.

And so, the usually regal Duke showed just how devoted he was as a father.

Sharp golden eyes swept over the table, calculating. Then, with a level of precision only achievable through years of commanding armies, he began piling an array of food onto a plate.

The Duke got everything, including the fruit platter.

For it was the feast he thought was fit for his precious son.

Then when he finally handed the plate to the stunned Luca, the boy nearly shrank under the weight of it.

“Papa!” Luca exclaimed, his cheeks puffing in embarrassment.

“I-I can’t eat all of this!”

“Of course you can,” the Duke said smugly. “My son has been working tirelessly. You deserve to enjoy the fruits of your labor.”

“But I—” Luca tried to argue, but seeing the face of his father suddenly morph into what looked like a pout, the little golden dragon could only begin eating.

And this was everyone’s signal.

If the Duke’s utensils started the fierce battle to grab their portions, the heir’s first bite signaled the start of the actual feasting.

And the time which almost seemed to stop earlier suddenly moved as the people’s hands shook as they tried their first bites.

*CRUNCH!*

A crisp sound emanated from one of the vassals’ mouths as a small piece of Brussels sprout was bitten.

That bite was like a key that freed the food’s aroma, which now wafted out, even stronger than earlier.

The sudden silent atmosphere amplified the chewing sounds, and those who didn’t succeed in getting some could only stare in envy.

Then came the resounding gulping sounds as people looked at that person who dared to go first.

Then the unsuspecting vassal, who didn’t realize that everybody was watching him, almost lost it.

It felt like his mind had been crushed, or maybe it was that his life was overturned.

But there was no way he could properly describe something that he’d only experienced now.

Then, this was followed by a series of whimpers, and the onlookers couldn’t tell whether he was moved or sad.

But then the sounds got louder, finally attracting the attention of Luca, who was munching on a corn.

However, instead of that one person that everyone was looking at, he realized that it was the other people who were making the noise.

It was those who failed at getting some, and even as it happened, they could only bite at their cuffs and think about ways to curse his hair follicles.

But this was not the last of it, as more and more people started weeping as they finally got a chance to eat their hard-earned spoils.

It was probably the shortest banquet meal. But also the most unforgettable one with the most blackmail materials.