The Feast That Commands Devotion
“Haaah—!” Raylin popped a piece of meat into her mouth and chewed slowly, her eyes fluttering shut as she poured every ounce of concentration into her sense of taste.
“I-I want a bite too…!” The lamb beastkin sprang into action the moment Raylin had tasted it first, as if observing some unspoken etiquette. She snatched up her fork and speared a hefty chunk of meat, then swallowed it whole.
—Munch, munch…!
They chewed in perfect sync, jaws working in rhythm.
—Chomp, chomp, chomp…!
Soon the only sound filling the kitchen was the steady rhythm of teeth tearing through meat. Raylin ate with a certain grace, lips politely closed, while the lamb beastkin, apparently finding the meat too hot, kept her mouth open as she chewed noisily.
“……”
Every other beastkin in the kitchen had stopped working to stare at them. They couldn’t resume lunch preparations until the tasting was complete.
‘Is she about to breathe fire again? Maybe I should back up a little.’
I took a cautious step away from Raylin and prepared to duck. Even the indirect heat from the griddle earlier had felt like a sauna, so my body reacted on instinct. But contrary to my expectations, Raylin’s reaction was surprisingly quiet.
“Hahp! Chomp-chomp-chomp…! Om-nom-nom…!”
Instead of the usual fiery exclamations and dramatic flair, only the sounds of enthusiastic chewing reached my ears. Both of them were completely absorbed, their jaws, teeth, forks, and chopsticks clattering away in a frenzy.
“Um, miss…? Lamb Rat? You should probably breathe while you eat…”
“Munch, munch…!”
“Hahp, chew-chew……”
They ignored my concern entirely, hands moving as if possessed by the meat alone. At this point it wasn’t even a tasting anymore—it was a full-blown meal.
—Clatter, clatter…!
Because of that, the mountain of meat piled on the plate vanished in an instant.
—Gulp…!!
And just as the very last piece slid down Raylin’s throat—
The favorability of the contracted target has increased dramatically!
The favorability of the contracted target has reached the Worship stage!
This contracted target will gladly use her abilities and privileges for you!
Due to the effect of Gourmet Feeding, this contracted target will do anything for you today!
Raylin’s favorability kept climbing without pause. No—it had already shot straight to “Worship.” Apparently even a four-star dish was powerful enough that not even a third-year lady could resist it.
‘Speaking of which, Gourmet Feeding again?’
I’d seen this message once before. It was the same notification that appeared when I gave Derke the star-shaped hardtack. Thanks to that effect, I’d received plenty of help from Derke’s abilities and privileges—her Wraith Legion and Dragon’s Touch.
The reward for captivating a proud, aloof dragon with food was quite tangible.
“Hohwah—?! When did all the meat disappear?!”
“Squeak…! When did we finish it all?! There’s not enough meat…!”
“The meat was so tender it didn’t even feel like I was chewing… it just melted away…?”
“Squeeeak—! I’ve never eaten meat like this in my life!”
Only now did they finally react, staring at the empty plates and licking their lips. Their expressions were full of regret, as if they’d only just started enjoying it.
“By the way, you… can you stop making that ‘squeak-squeak’ noise?”
“Squeak……?”
“I get that it’s delicious, but think about the person standing next to you, will you?”
Only after finishing the meat did the two of them come back to their senses. It must have tasted that good. Perhaps annoyed that the lamb beastkin had reduced her own share, Raylin—who had been gentle until now—pointed out the other girl’s speech.
“S-Sorry—! I won’t do it again…!”
Meanwhile, I hadn’t even gotten a single bite despite being the one who cooked everything.
‘I skipped breakfast too, so I’m starving. Maybe I should’ve at least tried one piece.’
Still, seeing them enjoy it so much lifted my mood. There was no greater reward than that kind of reaction. Just watching those satisfied faces was enough to fill my own stomach.
“…By the way, Lamb Rat? Weren’t you an herbivore beastkin?”
I deliberately spoke to the lamb beastkin, who had shrunk back after Raylin’s scolding. She still had to prepare the actual meal, so I didn’t want her making mistakes from excessive tension. Besides, I was genuinely curious.
“Huh…? Actually, I’m an omnivore! I eat meat just fine.”
“Ah, so that’s it? I thought herbivore beastkin only ate grass.”
“Anyway, thank you so much today! I’ll try it exactly like you showed me…! Really! I’ve never had meat like this before!!”
Maybe it was because I’d changed the subject, but the lamb beastkin’s voice regained its energy. She seemed genuinely inspired by the delicious food.
“Right. If you try to cook everything at once it’ll be tough, so just sear the surface and slice it to finish grilling right before serving time.”
“Thank you for the detailed advice as always……!!”
The lamb beastkin wiggled her large front teeth with a satisfied voice, blinking her fist-sized eyes. Seeing her happy made me feel proud too.
…Wait a second. Why was I even here? I hadn’t come to grill meat.
I’d gotten so caught up in the satisfaction that I’d momentarily forgotten my original goal. This wasn’t the time. More time had passed than I thought. There was still some leeway until lunch, but I needed to hurry.
“Lamb Rat? If you’re really grateful, could you help me out this time?”
“Of course…! You’re basically my savior, so I’ll cooperate with anything—!”
“Great, then listen…”
I listed out what I needed from the lamb beastkin. I’d saved her from crossing the River of Death and, in return, obtained the right to raid the kitchen storeroom. Of course, she’d already promised to help anytime after yesterday’s incident, but receiving this legitimate reward after helping her felt especially rewarding.
***
“Good, you packed everything without missing a thing.”
“Hohwah…? Whitey? What exactly are you planning to make with all this?”
“Ah? You mean this?”
When I neatly arranged the ingredients I’d received from the lamb beastkin in the lounge kitchen, Raylin let out her signature exclamation. Just as she said, there really was quite a lot once I laid everything out—tomato sauce, cherry tomatoes, basil leaves, pre-seared T-bone steak, balsamic vinegar, various Johnsonville sausages, cheese, and so on. Even though the quantities were small, I’d managed to gather a wide variety of ingredients. I hadn’t expected the lamb beastkin to be this cooperative. She’d even given me some of the cheese she’d set aside for herself, including a blue cheese that had been aged with blue mold until it developed a rich, pungent flavor.
“So, what exactly are you going to make with all these ingredients?”
“Miss? Do you happen to know what pizza is?”
“Pizza? Ah! I’ve had it a few times. You mean bread with cheese and various toppings on top, right?!”
“Yes, exactly that.”
Thank goodness pizza existed here too. Well, if they recognized hardtack and mala soup, then a popular dish like pizza was only natural. That made things much easier. Nothing was more approachable than something familiar. Even if Benetric was a gourmet who loved unique things, just like with mint chocolate, she probably wouldn’t readily reach for something overtly alien and unfamiliar. The key to this dish was adding a twist of uniqueness to something familiar.
“…By the way, Whitey?”
“Yes, miss? Is there something else you’re curious about?”
Just as I was sketching out the blueprint in my mind, Raylin’s somewhat sulky voice cut in. There was clear dissatisfaction in her tone.
“No, earlier when it was just the two of us you called me ‘noona’ just fine, so why am I ‘miss’ again?”
“Huh?”
At her disgruntled voice, I turned to see her red eyes blazing with discontent. Arms crossed at her waist, she was leaning forward to glare at me. It was the betrayal of only calling her “noona” when necessary. Raylin was genuinely serious about that title.
“Aah, I forgot. N-Noona……”
“Hmph—! I’ll let it slide this time.”
“Yes, it’s just not familiar yet……”
“Really? Then from now on, when it’s just the two of us…! You can speak casually! That way you’ll get used to it faster, right?!”
“Huh? Even so, that’s—”
“I’ll take your refusal as a refusal—!! Anyway, hurry up and cook already! We only have about two hours left, you know?”
“Eh? You’re right……!”
I didn’t even have time to protest Raylin’s self-serving request. Just as she said, whether she was “noona” or not, the urgent matter was something else entirely. It was already well past 10 a.m. I didn’t know exactly when Benetric would arrive, but time was running out.
“Then I’ll focus now.”
“Hohwah? Whitey? No matter how urgent it is, that’s not right, is it?”
“Huh? Ah, ahem…! I’ll focus now, so please understand, okay, noona……?”
“Mm-mm—! Satisfied!”
Her speech was a bit awkward, but Raylin smiled with clear satisfaction, her lips twitching as if they might reach her ears.
“…I won’t get in your way, so get started! If you need this noona’s help, just say the word anytime!”
Raylin crossed her arms and nodded, seemingly content with being called “noona.” Every time she moved her head, her partially exposed cleavage swayed noticeably. Well, having one reliable and spirited noona in this exhausting academy life wasn’t so bad.
Anyway, time to get serious.
—Slice!
Thud…!
Before starting the actual cooking, I began prepping the ingredients. Most of them were already prepared well enough by the lamb beastkin to go straight onto the dough, so there wasn’t much left to handle. However, there was still one ingredient that hadn’t been prepped yet.
“Huh? Whitey? You said you were making pizza, right?”
“Yeah… I mean, yes! This is also an ingredient that goes on pizza.”
While I was fully focused on prepping, Raylin’s puzzled voice reached me. If she was asking despite saying she wouldn’t interfere, it must have been a particularly surprising ingredient.
“…F-Fruit goes on pizza?”
“Yep, that’s right. You didn’t mishear.”
“Hohwah—? T-That can’t be……???”
That’s right. What I was currently prepping was none other than a drill pineapple packed with pineapple.