Raylin's Fiery Taste Test
A large shadow falls over me just as I'm about to savor the spicy army stew that hits all the right notes. Judging by the shadow alone, it seems nearly the same size as me.
“What are you doing right now~? Hmm?” The shadow behind me speaks up. There’s no malice in the voice, only pure curiosity.
When I turn around…
“Oh? What brings you here, miss……?”
Before me stands a woman with passionate red hair. Her crimson locks look like living flames, and the way she’s tied the wild strands into two round buns on either side of her head is striking.
“Hohwat—? You’re Whitey?! What are you doing here?”
“Ah, well… that is……”
The lady who calls me Whitey has genuine delight in her voice. I’d braced myself for a scolding, but this is a relief. Her name is Raylin, a third-year student. She wears an outfit reminiscent of a cheongsam and is an SSR-rank dragon. Our eyes always meet during roll call, and she’s stepped in to save me whenever the third-year representative Tiana picks a fight. Lately she’s even started calling me Whitey with that odd nickname. We’ve never really talked before, but my first impression of her has always been decent.
“Why so surprised? Did you two do something wrong?”
“No, I was just startled by your sudden appearance.”
“Huuung~ I see. Anyway, what were you making? Whitey, you can cook actual meals too, not just desserts?”
Raylin’s ruby-red eyes drift toward the bubbling army stew behind me. Her crimson irises shine even brighter than Tiana’s.
“Yes. My skills are humble, but I was helping Ramji a little.”
“Hohwawa…? Hey, Ramji, is that true?”
“Y-yes it is…! I was receiving tomorrow’s dinner recipe from Breeder…!”
Raylin has grabbed Ramji by the scruff of the neck with just her thumb and forefinger, lifting him like something she’d rather not touch. Ramji dangles helplessly, like a prize plush barely caught on a claw machine hook.
“Recipe lessons? Whitey, you’re even more talented than I’d heard.”
“You flatter me. I simply wanted to help Ramji, who works so hard every meal.”
“Hohwaa—? The more I see, the more admirable this human is.”
“That aside, what brings you to this humble place, miss……?”
“Ah? Me? I was heading back to the dorm for roll call when this spicy smell grabbed me. Before I knew it, I’d wandered all the way in here.”
The aroma must have drifted outside. Spicy scents are pretty aggressive, after all. Or maybe Raylin just has an exceptional nose. Still, it’s strange. No matter how tempting the smell, most ladies would hesitate to step into a kitchen like this. Yet Raylin shows not the slightest displeasure.
“…But you know what? The moment I walked in, there was this huge rat in the kitchen. It was so gross I almost torched the place on instinct.”
Raylin glances at the still-dangling Ramji and flashes a playful smile. She claims she nearly burned him, but there’s no real malice in her expression—just the grin of a mischievous child. She really does seem cheerful by nature. Up close, I can even see shark-like teeth peeking between her lips.
“I-I’m sorry for being gross…! I shaved to prevent shedding…! P-please forgive me…!”
Ramji, on the other hand, looks terrified. He clasps his hands together and begs for his life. Given his history of being bullied, his anxiety is understandable. Still hanging from Raylin’s fingers, he pleads desperately.
“Hohwaat? Look at this guy. Anyone would think I was about to eat him.”
“I’m sorry for looking gross… I’m really sorry……!”
The more I watch, the more pitiful he seems. Apologizing just for how he looks… The ladies’ threats must have crushed his self-esteem completely.
“Forget the ‘gross’ comment. Seeing you react like that actually makes me feel bad.”
“……?”
“It’s not your fault. I know you work hard every day too.”
Huh? Did she just encourage Ramji? After calling him gross a second ago? Maybe Raylin isn’t as ferocious as most dragons. There are kind-hearted ones like Derke and Sofia, after all.
“Th-thank you for forgiving me…!”
“No need to thank me for something so small. Still, you looked better with the fur. Tsk tsk……”
Raylin clicks her tongue and finally sets Ramji down. Her gaze toward him is sympathetic. Even if it stems from pity, she’s clearly gentler than the others. Of course, that doesn’t mean dragons get to openly insult someone’s appearance, but still.
“I’m grateful for your mercy……!”
Even so, the lowest rung on the food chain has no choice but to thank the apex predator.
“Aww, it’s fine, really. By the way, Whitey? Can I try some of that?”
Raylin suddenly loses interest in the topic and turns to me.
“Pardon? This was just an experimental batch, so the flavor hasn’t settled yet……”
“I don’t need that. I can tell if something’s good just by the spicy smell!”
—Whoosh!
“Ah, Miss Raylin……?!”
She snatches the ladle right out of my hand before I can react. The movement is so fast I barely register it. Yet the broth inside remains perfectly still—an impressive display of SSR-rank control.
“It’s fine if it tastes bad. I haven’t eaten properly today and I’m starving!”
Raylin flashes her shark-like teeth in a grin and winks at me.
“Well then……”
Without hesitation, she brings the ladle of army stew broth to her lips.
‘Ah, wait! She tasted it before the rating even appeared……!’
★★
A soup dish centered on savory sausages. The ingredient balance is lacking, but the premium sausages and chili powder combine for a passable flavor. With better composition, this could become several times more perfect.
The system message appears as if responding to my worry. Contrary to my fears, it’s a solid average. Two stars isn’t bad. Still, as the message notes, the hastily gathered ingredients leave something to be desired. If I’d had proper broth and cheese, it might have reached three stars.
—Slurp, gulp…!
Raylin downs the broth without the slightest hesitation. Then……
“Hohwaaaat…?!”
She lets out another one of her signature exclamations. It’s oddly cute, clashing with her usually boisterous personality. But she doesn’t stop at just exclaiming.
—Fwoooosh!!!
A bright red flame erupts from her mouth. The suddenness leaves me frozen. It looks exactly like a lit blowtorch. Even though we’re standing apart, the intense heat reaches all the way back here. This is the first time I’ve seen a dragon breath attack up close. Taking that head-on would probably melt you down to the bone.
‘But why the breath all of a sudden……?’
I know dragons usually breathe fire when they’re upset or feel threatened. This doesn’t feel right.
“M-Miss Raylin? Are you all right?! I did say this was still experimental—”
“It’s s-spicy…! It’s been so long since I had something this stimulating!”
“Excuse me…??”
I rush to explain, but her reaction is surprisingly positive. She doesn’t look angry at all. If anything, she seems moved.
“This food is perfect for my taste!”
“Th-then why the breath just now……?”
“Ah, sorry. Did I scare you, Whitey? Flame dragons just express their emotions as explosively as fire itself!”
“Aah……?”
Even so, isn’t that a bit excessive? If she gets moved twice, she might burn down an entire building.
“And I don’t breathe fire just because something tastes good. This is actually pretty rare, you know?”
Raylin’s ruby eyes sparkle as she showers me with praise after just one taste. Her approval isn’t limited to words.
—Pat pat! Thump thump thump!!!!
She enthusiastically pounds my shoulder, clearly pleased, while continuing to ladle and slurp more stew. At least it suits her palate. That’s a relief. Still, it doesn’t seem to have hit the mark perfectly. If it had, a conditional sympathy quest would have appeared like it did with Sofia, and her favorability would’ve risen too.
“Slurp…! You said this was still experimental, right?”
“Yes. I just threw in whatever ingredients we had, so the flavor hasn’t fully developed yet.”
“Yeah… I love the spiciness, but it feels like the tastes are all over the place. Still, compared to the usual cafeteria food, this is genuinely delicious.”
—Slurp, slurp…!
With that, Raylin keeps scooping and devouring the still-boiling stew without any concern for the heat. As expected of a flame dragon, hot broth doesn’t faze her at all.
‘She says it’s lacking, yet she’s wolfing it down……’
She really must have been starving. Still, watching her enjoy it so much lifts my mood. At this rate she’ll empty the entire pot. I haven’t even gotten a single taste yet.
“Hohwaa…! Thanks for the proper meal, Whitey. It’s been a while.”
“Ah, not at all. I’m honored you enjoyed it.”
“You even speak so politely every single time.”
Raylin finishes every last drop and beams at me with a bright, sunny smile. She almost feels like a friendly neighborhood big sister I’ve known forever. The longer I look at her, the more warmth I feel instead of pressure.
“You’re too kind. It’s only natural to show proper respect to those who are like goddesses of the continent.”
“I like how respectful you are. Now I understand why the seniors only talk about you during lunch.”
“Pardon? The seniors… you mean the fourth-years?”
Raylin stares wistfully into the now-empty pot, clearly still wanting more.
“Yeah. Even those stern ladies come to class in a much softer mood after lunch. It’s annoying how they monopolize the lounge every weekday, but thanks to you, Whitey, I’ve had two whole days without any of their usual grumbling.”
Raylin has been quite talkative since earlier. She seems to be the chatty type. Every question I ask gets an overly detailed answer in return. Her flame-dragon boldness apparently manifests as a sociable personality.
“…Anyway, I owe you big time. Thanks! Keep taking good care of the seniors for me too, okay, Whitey?”
“……?”
—Thud!
Before I can figure out what she’s asking, she suddenly extends her hand for a handshake. Along with that mysterious nickname Whitey. My hair is gray, though……
“Ah, yes! I’ll do my best as well.”
It’s all rather bewildering, but refusing isn’t an option. I can only bow my head and accept the handshake. Who in their right mind would ignore a dragon’s goodwill? Besides, Raylin is SSR-rank. I’d planned to approach her eventually anyway. This opportunity is perfect.
—Grab!
The moment I take Raylin’s slightly warm hand……
A new target wishes to form a bond with you.
To establish sympathy, certain conditions must be met.
Success will grant special rewards along with the bond.
Refusal or failure may cause the target to harbor lifelong hatred toward you.
Do you accept this conditional sympathy contract?