A Dragon's Unexpected Ecstasy
Dragons were, without a doubt, the most transcendent beings in existence. They possessed power and abilities so immense they were often called gods, and they were the supreme lifeforms who had lived for countless ages. While they were not truly immortal, their extraordinarily long lifespans were a privilege granted by the divine. It was the clearest distinction separating them from lesser, short-lived races. Yet it was difficult to view this solely as a blessing. In fact, far more dragons regarded it as a curse than a gift.
After all, the vast knowledge and mana accumulated over such long years could elevate them to the pinnacle of life, but that same endless lifespan inevitably brought boredom and ennui. No matter how much they amused themselves with polymorph magic or escaped the tedium through hibernation, their lifespans were simply too vast to be killed by such diversions. Most dragons lost interest in life rapidly once they left their hatchling stage. That was why, from their earliest days, they sought out personal stimuli to prepare for the inevitable boredom ahead. Some enjoyed taking on the forms of frail humans and becoming extraordinary figures in human society, while others quenched their thirst for life through bloody battles. A few chased only physical or mental pleasures. They typically pursued simple, immediate physical gratification, and among those, the healthiest and most ordinary pursuit was gourmet dining.
If Sofia found thrilling stimulation in the scent of mint chocolate, then Benetric—who had lived far longer—found her reason to live in the wide variety of extraordinary dishes. When she tasted something special and unique, when she encountered a rare and uncommon recipe, when she consumed something novel rather than merely precious, she finally felt that dizzying thrill and pleasure of life. In short, it was the driving force that kept her going. Even if it seemed like nothing special, living without such stimulation was difficult for her. Dragons were far more fragile than they appeared.
Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump!
And now, here, a being who had lived for 3,416 years was on the verge of experiencing that dizzying stimulation of life from nothing more than food. Her Dragon Heart pounded. She swallowed dryly. An indescribable excitement and tension had transformed into a strange sense of exhilaration. Even before the finest dishes she had always maintained her composure, yet now she hesitated before what appeared to be an ordinary meal.
‘I’ve tasted countless things over the years, but what exactly is this topping?’
She had thought it was just a regular pizza. She had thought the man before her was just an ordinary human. But this servant was different, wasn’t he?
Benetric held a slice of pizza in her hand and muttered silently to herself. Her gaze was fixed on the mysterious topping. A large, sliced brownish object. Its surface had turned golden from the oven’s heat, yet it still looked moist somehow. Pizzas were usually topped with meat or vegetables. But this was definitely not meat, mushrooms, or vegetables. The composition of the toppings themselves was intriguing. Two different flavors divided in half? She had never seen a pizza like this in all her long life.
‘Why has no one ever thought of this before? Such a simple change makes an ordinary dish look so special…’
Benetric marveled inwardly, but she never let the words escape her lips. Her expression remained a perfect poker face. Her pride would not allow it. She had been certain she would never be moved twice by the work of a mere human.
—Steam, steam, steam…
Wisps of heat still rose from the pizza. Whatever wood had been used for the fire, some special power was preserving the pizza’s warmth for a long time.
“Professor? You should try the pizza before it gets cold. It tastes best when it’s still warm.”
As Benetric stared at the pizza in a daze, Breeder interrupted and offered her the mysterious pizza.
“How noisy. I know that much myself. I’m simply admiring it for a moment, so don’t interfere.”
“Ah, yes.”
Benetric replied in a cold voice. She furrowed her brows once. Then, as if displeased, she set the pizza she had been holding back down—the one with the large, mysterious topping.
‘Hmph. Does this dragon think I’ll dance to the tune of some mere human’s plan?’
Breeder’s confident tone had struck a nerve with her pride. It felt as though he had seen through her anticipation for something as trivial as pizza.
—Grab!
Benetric set down the Drill Apple pizza and, out of pointless pride, deliberately picked up a different slice instead.
“It is certainly intriguing, but I’ll start with the basics first. I’ll save that one for last.”
She added a performance of nonchalance for good measure.
“Understood. I’m confident in the others as well, so please enjoy them to your heart’s content.”
“Is that so? That confident attitude isn’t bad. Well then…”
“—Hahp, chew chew…”
The first pizza Benetric brought to her mouth, determined to maintain her pride, was the one topped with cherry tomatoes and basil. A basic salad pizza. There was nothing to evaluate—it was far too ordinary. The aroma of tomato and basil blended well. The balsamic vinegar drizzled on top helped stimulate the appetite.
“…Quite faithful to the basics.”
That was her first review. A decent but utterly ordinary taste. Neither more nor less.
—Chomp…!
The next one Benetric picked up was…
“This one’s ordinary too. Sausage, huh…”
—Chew chew…
The salty flavor and spicy spices mingled with the richness of the cheese. If the salad pizza had been an appetizer, now the real meal had begun. It felt like a full course meal packed into two pizzas. The umami of the spices lingered on her tongue. When she took a bite, the mozzarella cheese stretched long and thin.
“Hmm…”
Benetric savored it with a low hum. This one was also quite decent, but like the previous, it held nothing special. At least not for a gourmet like her.
“Does it suit your taste?”
“No. Unfortunately, I had sausage at the cafeteria yesterday as well. This doesn’t interest me much.”
She gave another cool evaluation. Breeder’s lips twitched at the corner, as if he were barely holding back what he wanted to say.
‘How funny. You used to ignore cafeteria food, yet you went looking for it yesterday evening? And now you’re saying it’s too ordinary to be interesting?’
From Benetric’s review, Breeder could infer that she had visited the cafeteria yesterday and tried the army stew. He remained silent, suppressing his irritation.
“Oh? But this one is a bit unusual. Topping pizza with such high-grade meat…”
—Hahp!
Once again, Benetric brought the pizza straight to her mouth without hesitation. Her unhesitating hand movements proved that the meal had actually been quite satisfying. Such dishes were rare even on the continent.
‘Oh…? Even though it’s pizza, the meat’s juices are still alive.’
The third pizza she tasted was also decent. The well-grilled beef added to the flavor. But perhaps because the quality of the meat was so excellent…
“…It’s all good, but it doesn’t feel like eating pizza. It feels more like eating a delicious steak with bread.”
Though she downplayed it with her words, she maintained her cold expression, propping up her meager pride.
‘They’re all edible, certainly. But what I’m looking for isn’t something this common…’
More than anything, what she had been hoping for was a dish with a truly special combination. She could never be satisfied with something like this.
—Plop…!
Once again, Benetric took only a single bite before setting it down.
‘For someone who calls herself a gourmet, her eating manners are third-rate. How can she take just one bite and put it down? Do they not teach table manners at the academy either?’
Breeder disliked the way Benetric seemed to treat the food he had worked so hard to make as insignificant. Still, he couldn’t say anything. He didn’t want to upset her unnecessarily. He could only hope she would reach for the Drill Apple pizza soon.
“Good. The main dish should be saved for last to truly enjoy it.”
—Tap!
Finally, Benetric reached for the main dish once more.
“…If this doesn’t suit my taste either, then as promised, there will be no budget support. You understand that, don’t you?”
“Yes, I understand perfectly. Please try it first.”
“How arrogantly confident…”
Benetric muttered in a displeased tone and immediately put the pizza in her mouth.
—Crunch…!
‘Huh? Crunch?’
A novel texture she had never felt from any pizza before reverberated through her entire mouth. It wasn’t the sound of the dough being crispy. It was the sound created when the well-baked Drill Apple met her teeth.
—Crunch, crunch…!
Every time she moved her jaw, the juice of the Drill Apple gushed like a fountain, releasing its sweet flavor. ‘Th-this, could it be…?!’
Fruit cooked over fire might feel strange at first with its warmth, but its sweetness became incomparably richer than when eaten raw. Moreover, the rich blue cheese beneath it mixed with the fruit’s fragrant aroma, creating an entirely new flavor. A refreshing sourness that made her nose tingle. The heavy richness of the cheese as a finish. It was a truly unfamiliar yet novel taste. The endlessly rising fruity aroma was firmly held by the earthy, heavy scent of the cheese, leaving a subtle fragrance lingering at the tip of her nose. That intense flavor was slowly numbing Benetric’s mind.
—Munch, munch, munch…!
Anyone with an ordinary palate would have felt the dissonance and spat it out. But Benetric, for whom tasting special and unusual foods was her very reason for living, kept moving her jaw and teeth. The more she chewed, the more addictive the flavor filled her mouth, making it impossible to stop. And finally, after swallowing the entire slice…
—Thud!!!!
Once again, a shocking wave of pleasure crashed over her, enough to make her lose her mind.
“P-Professor…! Are you all right?!”
Breeder rushed over in a panic. But he wasn’t truly surprised. He was only pretending to be. Inside, he felt a refreshing sense of satisfaction. After all, her reaction was exactly the same as when she had first tried the mint chocolate cake, so he had expected something like this.
‘She must have collapsed from satisfaction again, just like last time.’
Of course, if she had reacted this way because it didn’t suit her taste, things would have become serious. Especially since Derke wasn’t here this time to stuff her half-pulled-out soul back in.
“Haaah…? The cake last time was like this too… How is this flavor combination possible again…?”
Fortunately, Benetric didn’t faint completely like before. Having experienced it once already, she had mentally prepared herself even if she didn’t show it outwardly. If she hadn’t, she would have collapsed in an unsightly manner again.
“Here, have some water at least.”
“No… I don’t need it.”
“Pardon?”
“I don’t need water. I’ll admit it cleanly. I never expected you to satisfy my palate this time as well…”
“Oh? Does that mean you liked it?”
Benetric had surrendered cleanly, which was unlike her. It also meant the Hawaiian pizza had truly pleased her. There was no point in denying it. It was a taste she would want to eat again later. But her praise ended there.
“Ahem—! More importantly, you…!”
Benetric quickly stood up to preserve her dignity. Then, with a meaningful tone, she gazed steadily at Breeder.
“What is it? Is there something about the pizza that needs improvement…?”
“No. You… should indeed become my teaching assistant.”
“……?”