Chapter 14: Member of the Imperial Council.
As turns out, it wasn't easy to make a celebration with the emperor present, even in the wild. He wasn't content with few roasted deer and ordered the townsfolk to cook several more dishes.
Obviously it was not to feed the whole cavalry regiment, but the officers were all invited and in the late afternoon Lee counted close to seventy people gathered on the top of the mountain.
The emperor clearly chose the spot to make his own appearance seem effective and theatrical, but his taste was good and it did look impressive when he held the speech at the edge of the cliff with the rest of the world at his feet.
"You might not know it yet, but under Strongheart's command your regiment has achieved the largest victory in years!" The Emperor began. Probably to look more relatable he was in his regular training outfit – linen shirt and trousers, and in order to be seen by everyone, he jumped on one of the food tables.
"The empire is proud of you!" He continued, "With minimal losses you managed to purge a hornets nest! Killing twelve elemental warriors in one expedition is a great feat! Of course, with seven of them I had to deal myself, but nevertheless!"
The crowd heartily chuckled at his joke that wasn't really a joke. It was unlikely there was another man in this world who could repeat what the emperor did few days ago.
"Let's put the jokes aside for a moment!" The Emperor interrupted laughs and comments, "We did a considerable blow to the rebel forces and are only a step away from eradicating them once and for all! Therefore, I want to invite you, my fellow warriors, to this modest lunch. Enjoy!"
'Just like any other ruler.' Lee thought to himself, 'He rewards the ones risking their lives with peanuts. Amazing how every world works the same way.'
Clearly these soldiers considered it a great honor to feast together with the emperor and the actual reward would be the stories they could tell their grandchildren, that is – if they lived long enough. Of course, after the former King Sunwell formally conquered the world and became the emperor, there were almost no wars and the casualties in the army, and particularly in the cavalry, were rather rare.