Anfel used to be the personal maid of a noblewoman in Sarabia City. Her living conditions weren’t as harsh as those of farm slaves, so she initially refused to cooperate with Acronis’s arrangements after being forced to join the rebel army. She was reluctant to contribute to the cause and carried some bad habits she had picked up in the noble household, making her a troublemaker that was difficult to manage in the kitchen crew.
However, with Acronis’s patience and care, over time, Anfel gradually integrated into the larger community of the rebel army and began to showcase her talents. After all, compared to farm slaves, she—once a noble servant—was far more knowledgeable and capable.
"Anfel, we’ve recently taken in many newcomers. The original cooking team is no longer enough, and we’ll definitely form new groups soon. When that happens, Acronis is bound to promote you to head chef. Honestly, I’m really reluctant to see you go!" Minnie said with deep emotion.
"Sister Minnie, I don’t think that’s likely," Anfel whispered in response. "Didn’t the leader quietly mention a few days ago that soon the soldiers will have their own homes and land? When that happens, they won’t need our team in the supply camp to cook for them anymore."
"I almost forgot about that... You’re right. When the time comes, our cooking team will likely disband!" Minnie wasn’t happy about this realization and instead seemed a bit melancholy. After all, this team was one they had worked hard together as a part of for over a year.
Seeing her mood, Anfel was about to offer a few comforting words.
"Beep! Beep! Beep!..." A sharp whistle rang out.
The women by the riverbank immediately returned to their respective cooking groups and began cautiously loading their prepared food onto donkey and ox carts. At this moment, women who didn’t belong to the kitchen crew but were part of the supply camp would temporarily join the kitchen groups. Under the guidance of the head chef, they would follow the transport convoy, pass through the central road of the inner camp, enter the outer camp, and reach the area corresponding to their respective battalions, where they would distribute meals to the soldiers.
This was a very lively process.
It wasn’t just the excitement of the hungry soldiers at the sight of food; it was also the daily close interactions between them and the women from the supply camp. Many men and women ended up pairing off during these encounters.
The kitchen crew wasn’t composed solely of women. There were men too, but every time the food was transported to various legions and battalions, it was always the women who handled the task, with at least half of them being single. These women didn’t simply distribute food—they would also dine with the soldiers.
This was an arrangement deliberately set up by Acronis, based on Maximus’s advice, with the explicit purpose of matchmaking.
This plan had been implemented ever since the rebel army retreated into the mountains and was greatly welcomed by the soldiers. It significantly boosted morale, which had been flagging due to the prolonged difficulties of mountain operations, allowing the rebel forces to present themselves with vigor on the lands of Illyria.
But as the rebel army grew, resources began to dwindle. Once most of the women had secured partners, the remaining soldiers refrained from flirting. This was partly due to the constraints of military law and partly because of the camaraderie among comrades-in-arms. Eventually, the matchmaking activities evolved into couple dinners, which left the single soldiers feeling unduly frustrated.
Nonetheless, after a brief lull, the matchmaking activities had returned to their former vibrancy in recent days, thanks to the appearance of new faces among the food delivery women—newly joined Skodisqi women and unmarried Segestica female captives.
Just as they were about to reach the rest area of the First Battalion of the Second Legion, Great Captain Lufus, accompanied by the team officers, came out to greet them.
Head chef Minnie lightly nudged Anfel at her side and teased, "Your lover’s here—go on, say hello!"
Anfel didn’t step forward; instead, she stood still and replied, "Sister Minnie, at times , women must remain reserved. Men treasure what’s hard to obtain, don’t you think?"
"You’re awfully young to know so much about these things. Who taught you?"
"My former mistress. She was something else—she had her noble husband wrapped tightly around her finger."
"You better not imitate those damned nobles!" Minnie frowned slightly as she warned her, then smiled and stepped forward to greet, "Great Captain Lufus, we’ve brought you food; I hope we’re not late."
"You’ve come just in time. The brothers have just returned to camp—they could smell the food, and it’s driving them wild. I bet you’ve outdone yourselves with another delicious dinner!" Lufus responded with a rare smile.
"The sisters indeed put their hearts into making this meal, so I’m certain you won’t be disappointed," Minnie confidently replied.
"What are you waiting for? This is your chance to shine."
With a wave of his hand, Lufus’s team officers stepped forward, each attending to their tasks: Ten centurions led nearly a hundred women into the battalion’s rest area and assigned the soldiers seating for their meal. Fifty centurions unloaded food from the carts and distributed meals to the soldiers according to numbered orders.
Tini Bazus approached Minnie first, but before he could speak, Minnie winked at him and said, "Today’s meal arrangements are entirely Anfel’s responsibility; you’ll have to find her instead."
Tini Bazus paused for a moment, then broke into a full smile and turned to Anfel.
But Anfel didn’t even look at him. Instead, she turned away and shouted, "Sisters, we’re very familiar with this place—we don’t need anyone to guide us, do we?"