A Minty Gamble
An unordered pizza has arrived. [Half-and-Half Wood-fired Pizza — ★★★★ / ?????] Two pizzas baked, so two separate ratings. This was the first time the system had displayed individual star ratings like this. Still, it was obvious which one had earned four stars. Naturally, it had to be the side topped with T-bone steak, cherry tomatoes, and basil leaves. Steak pizza and salad pizza. I had prepared the menu with some strategy in mind. Since I did not know Benetric’s exact preferences, I had deliberately balanced meat and vegetables. As for the five question marks, that had to be the side loaded with drill apples, blue cheese, and various sausages. If I had to name it, Hawaiian Gorgonzola pizza and Johnson Bill Pepperoni pizza would fit.
Steam rose gently from the pizzas. Visually, both looked like they passed the test, thanks to Raylin’s surprisingly skilled baking. The sausage-topped one resembled an ordinary pepperoni pizza. In contrast, the blue-cheese-and-drill-apple version had taken on a faint mint-green hue, probably because of the blue mold in the cheese. I knew blue cheese usually went on Gorgonzola pizzas, but how heavily aged must this one have been to produce such a color? It was the kind of shade that made tasting it seem unnecessary. No, to be honest, it was the kind of color that made tasting it feel intimidating. The hot cheese gave off a pungent aroma that filled the air. If I had to compare it to something, it smelled like a pair of well-worn socks. Not exactly an inviting scent.
‘Now that I think about it, these question marks… they appeared with the mint-chocolate-chip cake too, didn’t they?’
The description yesterday had also avoided giving a direct evaluation, calling it either a masterpiece or a disaster of the century while refusing to judge it outright. The system window maintained a careful neutrality, steering clear of explicit praise or criticism because the like-or-dislike factor was obviously going to be extreme.
I finished reading the status window and sprinkled parsley powder over the top as a final touch. The pale-yellow cheese now carried a hint of green, making it look even more appetizing. That was all the parsley was meant to do—purely visual. I had skipped sprinkling it on the blue-cheese side, of course. It was already green enough.
“Hohwawa~? That looks pretty delicious! I knew you were reliable, Whitey!”
Once I had transferred the finished pizzas onto plates, Raylin showed interest, especially in the one loaded with sausages. She sniffed the air appreciatively. True to her nature as a fire dragon who loved spicy flavors, she was drawn to the salami-style sausage pizza that contained paprika and peperoncino.
Raylin kept swallowing as she inhaled the scent, clearly itching to snatch a slice right away. Dragons had incredible appetites. It had not been long since she ate steak, yet here she was already licking her lips again.
“Hey, Sis? No matter how much you stare, I can’t let you taste it this time. You understand, right?”
“Ah, of course! It just looks so good I couldn’t help myself…”
Just as I was catching my breath and chatting lightly with Raylin, the grandfather clock chimed solemnly—twelve times in a row. Lunchtime had finally arrived. Benetric would be here any moment.
‘The pizzas will get cold if I don’t keep them near the oven…’
I was reaching for the oven mitts when the door burst open.
“Hmm. It seems I arrived at just the right time.”
Benetric stepped in the instant the clock fell silent, her neatly pinned-up hair as striking as ever.
“Ah, welcome, Vice Principal Benetric.”
The woman who entered the lounge was none other than the vice principal herself. She kept her usual cold expression—haughty, perhaps, or simply chic. Either way, it was the kind of face that made approaching her difficult. One thing was certain: warmth was nowhere near her demeanor.
“Don’t act familiar by calling me by name. Being addressed by name by a dragon-hater is unpleasant enough as it is.”
There it was—ice-cold from the very first greeting. Benetric strode deeper into the lounge and swept her gaze over the interior.
“Still looks terribly outdated. Another year and it might as well be called a pigsty.”
She was always rude, her voice dripping with arrogance. Then she shot me a sharp look.
“How exactly have you been managing this lounge?”
“Pardon? I’ve only been working here for a month…”
“Don’t talk back. From now on, treat this place as if it were your own home and keep it spotless. Understood?”
“Yes, well…”
Honestly, the way she treated her precious mint-chocolate supplier was something else. I really ought to look into getting some laxatives later. Even a dragon’s pride could be shattered by human means if necessary.
“Hey, dragon-hater? Whitey…?”
“Huh? Yeah?”
While I was glaring at Benetric with obvious malice, Raylin’s meaningful voice reached me from the side. Her eyes were wide, pupils dilated as if she had just received a huge shock. My reflection stared back at me from those large eyes. Come to think of it, Raylin had never known about my “criminal record.” She looked genuinely shaken by Benetric’s earlier remark.
“Hmm? Raylin, what are you doing here?”
“…Ah! Vice Principal?”
Only then did Benetric notice Raylin’s presence.
“Fourth-years are forbidden from entering the lounge. What business do you have here? I believe you have specialty training this afternoon.”
“I-I… well, that is…”
The usually straightforward Raylin froze on the spot. I had thought a third-year would not be this nervous, yet she was now fidgeting like a brand-new recruit under strict military discipline. Yesterday had already shown it, but Benetric was clearly a bothersome superior figure to all the young ladies, regardless of her official title.
“I can’t hear a single word you’re saying. You’d better speak clearly.”
“Vice Principal? So, you see…”
Raylin struggled to continue, cold sweat beading on her forehead—the same forehead that had not shed a single drop even under the oven’s intense heat.
I could not just stand by. Things could get much worse. It was my turn to help her.
“…I’m sorry to interrupt, but I was the one who shamelessly asked the young lady for help first.”
“Huh? Whitey…?”
“The oven was so old that the fire wouldn’t catch properly, and I was struggling. Luckily, Miss Raylin happened to pass by, so I took the liberty of asking for assistance.”
I deliberately emphasized the lounge’s rundown state to defend her. After all the effort I had put into winning over an SSR-rank dragon—and after everything she had done for me—this much was well within my social skills.
“Is that so? Raylin, is what this servant says true?”
“Y-Yes! It is, Vice Principal!”
“Well, fine. It looks like that problem has already been solved anyway. If you’re finished here, why don’t you leave?”
Benetric gestured toward the freshly baked pizzas while addressing Raylin. Her attention had clearly shifted to the food I had prepared.
“Yes, ma’am! I’ll be on my way, then!”
“Ah, yes. I have high expectations for you, the academy’s only wielder of the extinction cannon. Keep striving.”
Benetric maintained her cold expression even toward students.
“Understood! Enjoy your meal!”
Raylin bowed deeply and left the lounge. Just before stepping out, she winked at me and mouthed, “See you at roll call later?” It felt like she was cheering me on to the end. Setting aside the fact that I resembled her younger brother and the whole “dragon-hater” label, our relationship had already reached the level of worship. With her favorability maxed out, Raylin was firmly on my side.
Once Raylin was gone, only Benetric and I remained in the lounge.
“Don’t tell me this is it? The dish you prepared for me?”
Benetric spoke sparingly as she took a seat at the bar-style counter table, nodding toward the pizzas. She seemed to be asking me to bring them closer—quickly.
“Yes, that’s correct. I’m certain you’ll like it.”
“Hmph… You thought you could satisfy my palate with nothing but pizza? I was a fool to have any expectations. How disappointing.”
Benetric launched into criticism before I had even set the pizzas down. She grumbled about how it was “just pizza” and muttered that she should have eaten out today instead. I almost laughed. She had only given me one day, and she had supplied the ingredients—what exactly did she expect?
I placed both pizzas in front of her while swallowing the curses that threatened to spill out. I had nearly added a spicy topping of profanity.
‘Just endure a little longer. Just a little…’
I had thought the academy girls were quite arrogant, but compared to Benetric they were almost endearing. It seemed dragons grew more shameless and eccentric the older they got, just like humans.
“Oh? Up close, it doesn’t look like an ordinary pizza after all. Each half has completely different toppings?”
Still, once the pizzas were actually in front of her, Benetric showed interest.
“Yes, that’s right. I divided each pizza in half so you could enjoy two different flavors at once.”
“Interesting. Sausage, tomato, basil, and even steak…?”
True to her reputation as a gourmet, she began analyzing the ingredients first. Her eye for detail was sharp, at least.
“…You used different cheeses for each side as well. Am I correct?”
“Ah, yes. Your gourmet’s eye is as keen as ever.”
“Quite an intriguing combination. Why haven’t other chefs thought of this? How curious…”
Benetric leaned in close, scrutinizing the pizzas and murmuring her impressions to herself. The start was not bad at all. If I had already piqued her interest, things were looking promising.
“…By the way, what is this topping here? The cheese looks rather unusual.”
She pointed at the Hawaiian-style pizza and studied it carefully, her expression clearly puzzled. The pungent smell of the blue cheese did not seem to bother her.
“This is today’s highlight. I prepared several flavors because I didn’t know what you would like, but I’m confident you’ll enjoy this one more than any of the others.”
“Oho. I thought you were going for quantity over quality, yet you actually prepared an unusual combination just as I requested…?”
At my answer, Benetric brought her face even closer to the pizza. At this rate she really might try to eat it with her eyes.
“…So, what is that yellow thing on top? You still haven’t answered.”
“Why don’t you find out for yourself?”
“Hah, what? Such insolence…”
“If you taste it without knowing, the surprise will be twice as delightful.”
“Heh. Delight? You certainly talk well for a mere human.”
Benetric looked at me as though she had lost the ability to speak, yet she did not explode in anger. She was probably remembering the mint-chocolate-chip cake from yesterday.
“I’m certain you’ll like it. Please, go ahead and try it.”
I deliberately withheld the identity of the topping. If she heard it was baked fruit, she might reject it outright.
“Well then…”
Finally, Benetric reached for the pizza.
‘I just hope it suits her taste…’