Feeding the Hungry Hatchlings
During patrol duty, I figured I should whip up something simple and quick to eat. No way I could let them go hungry while they’re still growing. Skipping both breakfast and lunch just to be thrown straight into work? If it were me, I’d be tempted to desert my post right then and there. Just imagine how prickly the second-years would get—already the most temperamental bunch, and now starving on top of it? I shuddered at the thought. Absolutely terrifying. There’s no way I could handle them alone if they got any more irritable. Best to fill those empty stomachs before things spiral.
Ah, but what do I even have on me right now…?
These hatchlings were at the age where food was everything. Even if they were usually lenient with me, leaving them hungry all day didn’t seem like a smart move. I hadn’t come here to cook, but earning a few extra points with them couldn’t hurt. After all, they were potential contract candidates. Might as well make a good impression while I could.
Rustle…!
Muttering to myself, I rummaged through my pockets. All I managed to pull out was a tiny pouch no bigger than my palm, plus the warm, heavy canteen slung at my waist.
“Ah, damn… red beans.”
That was it. Just red beans and the broth in the canteen. A bizarre combination. What on earth could I make with this? The surroundings weren’t helping either—no cooking tools or fire in sight.
Maybe I could just boil some soup with what I’ve got?
Rustle…!
“Hm? Instructor Breeder? What are you doing?”
Sonya’s voice cut in as I hunted for dry branches to start a fire. She looked completely baffled by my actions.
“You said you were hungry, so I thought I’d make something.”
“Pardon? For us? Yourself?”
“Yeah, but the conditions aren’t exactly ideal for cooking right now.”
“J-just hearing that is more than enough…!”
“Puhaha! You’re gonna cook with nothing? Instructor, you’re actually an idiot~♡”
“……”
The two SSR-ranked dragons gave completely opposite reactions. Sonya looked genuinely touched, while Eros, true to form, was all teasing grins and playful mockery, her eyes crinkling as she laughed at me.
“Cooking conditions, huh…” Sonya murmured to herself, her expression softening with quiet admiration as she fell into thought.
Man, who would’ve thought the ice-cold Sonya could ever look this angelic…
Honestly, I hadn’t expected this at all. I’d never even considered targeting the second-years—they were all so sharp-tongued I’d half-thought about skipping them entirely. Yet here was their representative, Sonya, growing this close to me. Who could’ve predicted that?
“…Um, Instructor? If that’s the issue, it’s no problem at all.”
“Huh? No problem? We’ve got literally nothing here.”
“Just follow me, if you would…?! I heard something from Senior Raylin yesterday!”
Grab!
Look at that. We weren’t just getting along anymore—she was casually taking my hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. Her speech was still adorably stiff, but she’d even laced our fingers together, her thumb brushing lightly over the back of my hand. Whether it was courage or a desire to show me something, she was definitely taking the lead.
“Where are we going in such a hurry…?”
I let myself be pulled along by the much smaller girl. Her tiny hand gripped with surprising strength. Where exactly was she dragging me?
“Huh? Sonya?! Where are you taking the instructor—?!”
Eros called out in surprise as I was helplessly led away, her gaze locked on our joined hands. She looked far more startled than I expected—startled enough to drop the mace she’d been carrying with a loud clang.
“Taking him where? We need to eat too, obviously.”
“Ehh? How are we supposed to eat out here…?”
“Anyway, Eros, hurry up and follow us! We’ve got plenty of time before the next post!”
With that, Sonya turned back and tugged me forward again.
*
Patrol shifts ran twice a day—once at dawn and once at midnight. With so few students at the academy, they’d been running a two-shift system until now, slowly handing duties over to the second-years this semester to shorten everyone’s workload. Because the shifts were so long, students on daytime duty usually stopped by the cafeteria a little earlier for meals. The kitchen even prepared food ahead of time for the workers.
But today, they hadn’t managed to eat at all. According to Sonya, this happened fairly often—whether due to unavoidable circumstances or simple laziness. Skipping meals wasn’t rare, but it wasn’t a big deal either.
“I only know because I heard it from the seniors. This is my first actual patrol, so I might get a bit lost…!”
“So, Miss Sonya, you’re saying there are emergency rations stocked at the rest points?”
“Yes. Especially in the evening, I was told we’re supposed to cook dinner ourselves at the highest lookout post on the island. If that’s too much trouble, we’re meant to make do with jerky or field rations…!”
“I see. I had no idea preparations like that were already in place.”
From what Sonya explained, the long shifts came with proper rest and meal arrangements.
Creaaak…! Click!
The place Sonya dragged me into was an abandoned building near the outpost—an old barracks, or rather, one of the dormitory buildings from the academy’s early days.
“Sonya? Where is this? It’s creepy. There’s really a place to eat in here…?”
Eros muttered, sticking close to Sonya’s back. Just like she said, the inside was pretty eerie—dim because sunlight didn’t reach it, and there were no proper lights despite it being daytime. Strangely, though, there was no dust. It almost felt lived-in, probably from previous patrols passing through.
“I’m new to patrol duty too, so I don’t really know the details… Ah! Found it!”
Bang!
Unlike Eros, Sonya had been leading the way with a calm expression. Now she let out a triumphant cry and flung open a door. She’d found the rest point prepared for this outpost.
“Huh? This layout is…?”
Stepping inside with Sonya, I couldn’t help muttering to myself. Because…
“…A rest lounge?”
The interior of the old dormitory was an exact replica of the rest lounge I’d been managing for over a month.
“That’s right…! It must’ve been used briefly in the past.”
“So there are emergency rations stocked here?”
“Yes! I heard we can make snacks or rest here. There should definitely be ingredients for the workers…”
Rustle, rustle…!
Sonya finally let go of my hand and began rummaging through the old rest lounge.
“It has to be around here somewhere…”
Crouched down and muttering to herself, she looked rather cute—especially since she was going out of her way to help lighten my load.
“Miss Sonya? Leave the rest to me. I’m familiar with this layout, so I should be able to find the rations easily.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah. They probably stored the ingredients in the pantry. It should be around here…”
Creak…!
I headed straight for the kitchen and opened a small door built into the wall—the same space used as a pantry in the current rest lounge.
“Oh, as expected. Plenty of stuff here.”
“Really? Jerky or field rations would be fine.”
“Ooh? Did you find something?! Make it something tasty if you can—!”
Sonya and Eros reacted as soon as I located the food storage.
“Eros, don’t cause the instructor too much trouble. He’s supposed to be off duty today.”
“Pfft! Like I care? I just want something delicious to fill my stomach—!”
“Instructor Breeder? Please don’t mind Eros. We’re not even that hungry, so—”
Grrrooowl!
“……”
Another loud stomach growl echoed—this time from Sonya alone. Eros just snickered.
Not that hungry, huh? I knew she was just embarrassed about relying on me. I couldn’t let it slide. These hatchlings had such kind hearts—I couldn’t feed them poorly.
“Both of you, just wait outside and rest. Especially you, Miss Sonya—you must be starving after flying. Don’t hold back, just wait for me.”
“Auuu… Okay……”
“Hngh~ I don’t usually touch food made by short-lived species, but… I-I’m just so hungry. I need to eat something!”
At my words, the two hatchlings reacted differently before slumping forward over the table like they were collapsing. Watching them, I was reminded of high school girls right before lunch during fourth period.
“Alright, let’s see what we’ve got.”
The abandoned rest lounge pantry was surprisingly well-stocked. Just as Sonya said, there were emergency field rations and jerky. But I was planning to cook properly. I needed decent ingredients for that. Fortunately, basic kitchen tools were available too.
Oh, onions and garlic… and even bell peppers?
Clatter, clatter…!
Digging deeper, I found more promising ingredients—mostly things that wouldn’t spoil quickly at room temperature. I wasn’t sure about their freshness, but the colors looked decent enough. No discoloration meant they were probably still good.
This won’t be enough, though. If I only serve vegetables, I’ll get complaints.
Grab!
“Huh? What’s this?”
While searching for a main ingredient, my hand closed around something long.
“…Sausages?”
A string of mini Vienna sausages came tumbling out. They were plump and neatly linked together. Since the weather was still cool, someone had apparently stocked sausages that stored well at room temperature.
Better than I expected, huh?
Perfect. With this, I could easily make a hearty meal.