The Royal Military Academy's Impostor Owns a Dungeon [BL] - Chapter 826

Capítulo 826: When the Empire Queued Up

DG’s booth was bustling.

From tearful dreamers lingering just outside the perimeter to the fortunate souls already roaming the inner facility, everyone seemed busy, distracted, and utterly absorbed by something important. There were people counting tickets, people arguing with machines, people staring longingly at glass displays, and people who looked like they had not blinked in several minutes for fear of missing anything.

And then they heard it.

A clear, melodious tone cut cleanly through the noise and chatter, and the announcement that followed spread throughout DG’s booth, bringing everything to a sudden halt.

“May we have your attention, please. The cooking class is scheduled to begin in twenty minutes. Registered participants should proceed to the venue ten minutes before the start time.”

“!!!”

For a single breath, there was silence.

And then organized chaos.

As everyone would have expected, the blessed souls who had somehow secured slots earlier were rallied within moments. Terminals lit up, people straightened, and strides were suddenly larger.

While the announcement very clearly said ten minutes before the start time, no one was willing to risk it.

If anything, the collective thought was that arriving just on time was still arriving late.

Reeve was very much of the same opinion. He immediately hurried along with Thea, moving with purpose despite the fact that they were already standing relatively close to the venue. But then again, the viewers across the Empire shared that same anxiety as well, judging from the rapid flood of messages urging him not to miss anything.

As if he would dare.

But Reeve had another reason to get there as early as possible.

Streaming.

More specifically, asking whether he was actually allowed to stream this particular activity.

While he already had permission to livestream within the facility, this was different. This was an actual class, and Reeve had no intention of becoming that person who accidentally disrespected the instructors and got miserably escorted out in front of half the Empire.

He and Thea exchanged a look before deciding to ask Princess Kira. Through the glass, they could see that Young Lord Luca and Young Lord Xavier were already busy inside, likely making final checks, and Reeve absolutely didn’t want to interrupt that.

Even so, as he waited for a response, he could feel his throat slowly locking up.

The livestream chat was not helping.

[You already asked, right?]

[Did they say yes?]

[Maybe you should ask again?]

[ASK ASK ASK]

They could all see the same thing he could see.

And yet they kept asking.

Repeatedly.

Relentlessly.

Reeve cleared his throat.

“Ahem.”

Just as his nerves were about to fully consume him, Princess Kira returned, her expression relaxed and cheerful. She made a casual waving gesture with her hand, as if dismissing his internal panic entirely.

“No problem!” she said brightly. “I already asked.”

Reeve froze.

She continued, smiling. “They said it’s completely fine. Actually, they said it would be helpful if you could record the introduction so others can learn about it too.”

Reeve stared at her.

Then he exhaled so hard he nearly slumped forward.

Thea covered her mouth, eyes sparkling.

The livestream exploded.

And just like that, the cooking class became an Empire-wide event before it had even begun.

__

Well, what do you know? Apparently, the cooking class required a lot of preparation. And much to everyone’s surprise, they didn’t just get to walk straight inside.

“?!”

Reeve blinked, then blinked again, staring at the very clear line forming in front of him. A line. For a cooking class.

Somehow, that felt more shocking than half the things he had witnessed today.

But maybe it was for the best. Because in all of Reeve’s wildest dreams, nightmares, or fever-induced delusions, he never once imagined himself doing something like cooking. Because up until recently, many of them who hadn’t ventured out into uncharted planets weren’t really familiar with cooking.

However, even more unthinkable was the fact that he was lining up for this class alongside some of the biggest names in Solara.

Actually, scratch that.

He was lining up with the most prominent people in the entire Empire.

Just a few steps away were members of the Imperial family. Right there. Breathing the same air. The duke and duchess stood nearby as if this were a perfectly normal afternoon errand, only Duke Leander looked a bit too excited to get inside. The minister’s family was present. So was the marshal. And as if the universe had decided to pile on for sport, even the Orc King and a few key orcs were standing in the same line.

Reeve’s soul felt a little bit disjointed from his body.

But really, who wouldn’t break into a cold sweat from the line alone?

Apparently, the Mylors and the Taylors.

They looked completely fine. Relaxed, even. Standing shoulder to shoulder with people whose names alone could end careers or start wars. Meanwhile, Reeve was doing his best impression of a functional adult while internally screaming.

He would have admired their nerves more if his stomach was not trying to fold itself into ribbons.

Thankfully, the suffering didn’t last long. Young Lord Xavier began ushering them forward and into an adjacent area that turned out to be a small locker room. They were instructed to store their belongings so they could cook without worry.

How thoughtful, he mused.

But surprisingly, this included large coats and jackets. And even more surprisingly, when Reeve opened his assigned locker, he froze.

Inside was a neatly packed bundle.

“Huh?”

It was folded with care, compact and tidy, as if someone had prepared it well in advance. Reeve stared at it, confusion mounting, but before he could even reach inside or form a coherent thought, sharp gasps rang out around the room.

From children.

“?!”

Reeve looked up just in time to see several of them holding up similar bundles, eyes wide and voices pitched somewhere between disbelief and awe.

But what was it that had them reacting like that?

Finally, he took out the bundle just as instructed only to be surprised to feel part of it unraveling down.

“We’ve taken the liberty to assign everyone an apron and a hat. Hair ties are also available for anyone interested in tying their hair for food safety and sanitation.”

Food safety and sanitation?

Reeve and Thea looked around, trying to figure out what to do when he realized that even King Garrick was out there trying to wear that thing called an apron!