Chronic Problems and an Encounter
I confidently presented the dessert. A combination of hardtack and misugaru powder. Once arranged neatly on the plate, it looked surprisingly presentable. Even the rough hardtack gained a certain dignity when lined up properly in a dish. Who would ever mistake this for cheap human field rations?
“Lady Diora? Please give it a try. I’m certain it will suit your taste.”
I offered the first taste to Diora. With Sofia momentarily absent, it was only proper to attend to the next in rank first. Especially since Diora could devour anyone regardless of race. I had no desire to meet an early end at such a young age.
“B-Breeder? What on earth is this…?”
Diora’s reaction was far from reassuring. And what’s more…
—The biscuits look all lumpy?
—I’ve never seen a drink that color in my life. What is that?
—Isn’t that just muddy water? It looks so murky???
—Are they seriously telling us to eat this?
—Murmur, murmur…!
The young ladies stirred uneasily after examining the hardtack and misugaru placed before Diora. Understandable. Visually, it was far from elegant. I had no choice but to ease their wariness myself.
“Have any of you ladies ever heard of hardtack?”
—Clink, clack…!
I continued serving without letting their whispers sway me, drawing their attention. Laying groundwork before complaints could surface was essential.
“H-Hardtack? Never heard of it. Don’t tell me you mean dried bread?”
“As expected of Lady Diora. I knew you would guess it at once…!”
I feigned admiration and played along with Diora’s mood. Praise makes even dolphins dance, after all.
“W-Wait?! So you’re serving us dried bread that commoners barely survive on—”
“No, this hardtack was known as warriors’ rations where I come from.”
“Warriors’ rations…?”
“Yes. It was the food warriors ate to fill their stomachs while praying for victory before important battles.”
Calling it warriors’ rations was generous. In truth, it was field rations. But a born merchant could sell air conditioners in Antarctica, so I wrapped the hardtack in flattering words.
“But why serve us something like that…?”
“Why? Because you ladies are like goddesses who protect the fate of the Drango Continent. You might have to face a demon dragon at any moment, so I prepared this to honor your noble destiny.”
“Oh my, such profound meaning…”
‘Oh my’ what? It was all nonsense I had just made up. Still, it seemed to have worked, which was a relief. If Diora hadn’t nitpicked the hardtack, I wouldn’t have needed to spin such sweet talk.
“Then what is that transparent lump stuck around the hardtack?”
“It’s hardened sugar. It’s nothing special, but I decorated it to match the young ladies’ preference for radiant jewels.”
“This is a lump of sugar? Now that you mention it, it does look like crystal.”
“You have an excellent eye, as expected. It should suit the sweet tooth of the young ladies perfectly.”
“You have better sense than I thought. Then what about the drink that came with it? It looks too murky to be a latte. I’ve never seen such a cloudy beverage in my life.”
Diora’s wariness was stronger than expected. She frowned at the misugaru. Like a child complaining about side dishes, her questions never ended.
“Ah, please have it together with the hardtack. It will balance the sweetness with a nutty flavor. And for those who truly love sweet things, feel free to mix in the honey I provided.”
“A nutty flavor, you say…”
—Just hearing the explanation makes it sound impressive?
—If only the beastkin were half as good as Breeder…
—How did he know I like sweet things?!
—Forget it, I want to try it right now…!
—Ugh, I’m not interested. The color is just awful.
—Agreed. And why bring out commoner food? Honestly, I’m disappointed.
As I answered Diora’s questions one by one, the other young ladies reacted as well. About half of them relaxed their guard and showed curiosity. The other half, however, remained wary. Even something special could feel alien if presented too abruptly.
“That concludes my explanation. I would be grateful if you enjoy it.”
I nodded as if enlightened and gave a light bow. The explanation was over; now it was time for them to eat. Please, just try it and talk about it. I was certain they would all like it. Just in case, I should prepare refills in advance.
“Ahem…! Very well, I suppose I’ll try it and see if I’ve been deceived…”
Once my grand explanation ended, Diora finally picked up a piece of hardtack.
‘I don’t care about the others, but it has to suit Diora’s palate… The last thing I need is another dessert-related scolding during roll call.’
“…You understand, right, Ramji? This is the last time I can cover for you.”
“Y-Yes, I’ll remember that! Lady Sofia is truly an angel…!”
“No matter who it is, if the same mistake happens again, I’ll have no choice but to report it to the professors. Even if there’s no one to replace you, there’s a limit to how much I can tolerate.”
In a corner of the alley behind the kitchen, Sofia radiated a chilly atmosphere. She was once again fulfilling her duties as student council president. For the second day in a row, she was scolding the staff on behalf of her year.
The professors had already half-given up on the dining hall. They flew back to the continent for every meal. The poor quality of the cafeteria food had become a long-standing tradition.
‘Even if finding replacements is difficult, the professors are really going too far.’
Sofia’s face, facing Ramji, was filled with worry. Scolding someone didn’t come easily to her gentle nature.
“I know that well, but… m-my skills are lacking…”
The thoroughly intimidated Ramji drooped her tail and made a pitiful face. At the same time, her large front teeth trembled. She looked ready to burst into tears at any moment.
Another complaint had come in today, as expected. Naturally, it was from the young ladies. But it wasn’t malicious nitpicking or unreasonable demands. The food had once again contained animal fur. On top of that, they had been given high-quality ingredients for the first time in a while, only for most of it to be burned, inevitably sparking the dragons’ fury. It was a miracle Ramji was still alive. If it hadn’t been for the kind-hearted Sofia, Ramji would probably have been turned into a nicely roasted barbecue by now.
‘Haah, is there really no cook willing to work on the academy island? Even basic competence would be enough…’
Sofia considered requesting a replacement, but quickly shook her head and gave up. Anyone who entered the academy island had to devote their entire life to the dragons. No matter how good the pay or how stable the job, they had to rot at the academy until retirement. Those were the working conditions from the start. They couldn’t quit midway. If someone left because it was too hard, operations would become impossible. Staff willing to work under picky dragons were extremely rare. Unless someone was desperate for money, they usually ended up employing criminals as servants. Most of the faculty were other races with their own circumstances. That made staffing incredibly difficult. Who would want to work in a place like this?
For example, a previous lounge attendant had once been dealt with on the spot simply for stepping on a tail, and they hadn’t been able to find a replacement until the next school year. Because of that, the current fourth-years had gone two years without proper desserts during their third-year final semester. Perhaps because of that incident, the staff and faculty were no longer treated as carelessly as before. Everyone had experienced firsthand how inconvenient things became without them. Thanks to that, Ramji had been able to keep her life despite her frequent mistakes. But that luck ended today. The death sentence had been delivered: there would be no next time. For Ramji, the greatest trial of her life was right around the corner.
“…Ah! Ramji, what if you try learning to cook properly from the beginning? I know someone who could help you.”
“Squeak-?! Who on earth is that?”
“Breeder. His skills would definitely be helpful.”
“Eek-?! You want me to learn cooking from a mere human—”
“Watch your words! A mere human? You have no right to speak of him that way!!!”
“Squeeeak……!!”
The moment Ramji showed doubt, Sofia immediately scolded her. A deep shadow fell over the usually gentle face she had been showing.
“Breeder is far more diligent and skilled than you! Do not insult him in front of me! Do you understand?!”
“Y-Yes, I understand…!”
Sofia’s scolding had even corrected Ramji’s usual clipped speech.
‘Phew, getting angry like this isn’t like me at all. What’s gotten into me…?’
Sofia had scolded her with genuine anger without realizing it. It was proof that she cared for Breeder from the bottom of her heart. Was it because of the promise they made over mint chocolate? Lately, just thinking of Breeder made her heart race.
‘…I need to calm down. I almost let my tail slip out again.’
She stroked her chest and forced a composed expression. Then she glanced behind her to check her hips. Fortunately, her tail was nowhere to be seen. Sometimes, when startled or excited, her tail would pop out against her will.
“Ahem…! In any case, please pay attention to cleanliness starting from dinner tonight. Understood?”
“Yeees…! I-I understand!”
With those final words, Sofia left the dining hall and headed straight for the lounge. She quickened her steps without looking back. She simply wanted to see Breeder’s face as soon as possible.
‘Scolding people two days in a row doesn’t sit well with me. I need to give Breeder the chocolate soon…’
—Squeeze…!
Sofia tightly clutched the chocolate she had managed to procure from the continent last night. Her steps were lighter than ever.
‘If I’m lucky, I might get to try it tomorrow or before the weekend. Mint and chocolate together… I can’t even imagine what it tastes like.’
Just thinking about it made her mouth water. She was already excited by the prospect of new flavors. A taste even the supreme dragons had never experienced. Mint chocolate.
‘Aah, I want to try it soon…!’
Just as Sofia, brimming with excitement over mint chocolate, was walking lightly along, her steps suddenly stopped.
—Tap…!
Right in front of the dormitory lounge, no less. And for good reason…
“Hmm, little one? What are you doing here? Judging by your uniform, are you a new student?”
“Huaa…? S-Senior?!”
Through the slightly open lounge door, a silver-haired girl tilted her head. Her hair tied in pigtails swayed like rabbit ears.
“I’m sorry, but this place is only for fourth-years.”
“D-Derke knows that too…! But the seniors look strange-desuyo-!”
Even in front of a graduating senior, Derke proudly displayed her unique speech pattern. Her face was pale, as if she had witnessed something horrifying. Yet she pointed her index finger toward the inside of the lounge.