The Right to Buy Meals

The screams echoing across the open field were even more harrowing than yesterday. Professor Galen's physical training class had flung open the gates to a fresh circle of hell. The reason was the new thirty-minute time limit. Anyone who failed to complete ten full laps in that time would be forcibly corrected by bandage magic and made to sprint at full speed.

The students—especially the girls who had already tasted that nightmare yesterday—ran with the desperation of the damned. Bandage magic had carved deep trauma into their bones.

Yet in the middle of that chaos, Kael sat comfortably in a chair. Flanking him were the Ring and Ming sisters. Today they were exercising their special privilege.

Roughly ten minutes earlier, just before class began, Kael had approached Professor Galen and said calmly, "Professor, I won't be running today."

Professor Galen had nodded at once. With a hearty laugh he replied, "Haha! Student Kael, you rest easy! If anything feels uncomfortable, tell me anytime!"

Kael then gestured to Ring and Ming standing politely at his side. "They'll be watching with me from here as well."

"Of course, Student Kael! The young ladies may rest too! Any request from you is as good as done!"

Professor Galen roared with laughter and granted permission immediately. His eyes shone with open favoritism toward Kael, yet beneath it flickered a trace of nervous tension—as though he were terrified of offending him.

Every student's gaze snapped toward Kael. The trauma from yesterday's training was still raw; seeing the professor's blatant bias made resentment flare hot in their chests.

"What the hell? He's playing favorites with that bastard again?" a male student growled through clenched teeth.

"Why does he only get special treatment? Don't tell me the strawberry jam rumor is actually true..."

"I don't know... but when even the professors act like this, there has to be something going on."

Their muttering was quickly buried beneath Professor Galen's thunderous command.

"Time is short! If you can't finish ten laps in thirty minutes, I'll activate bandage magic and make you sprint like your lives depend on it—just like yesterday! Prepare yourselves!"

The students' faces drained of color. Bandage magic was a waking nightmare of twisted bones and torn muscle. Even Elenora and Irina, who had avoided it yesterday, were visibly trembling.

"Begin!"

For the next ten minutes, Kael watched their desperate struggle with a faint smile.

"They're all working so hard," he remarked, as if commenting on the weather.

Several of the runners shot him murderous glares. Their fury only amused him.

Huhu. Good. Stay angry. The angrier you get, the better.

Ring and Ming, seated on either side of him, shivered as they watched the scene. Ring leaned in and whispered, "If it weren't for you, Lord Kael, we would be out there suffering with them, wouldn't we?"

"Really... we're so fortunate thanks to you, Lord Kael..."

Kael gently took both sisters' hands, his voice warm with affection. "You're mine. Of course I take care of you."

He leaned back and savored the sight of the struggling students like a man enjoying a pleasant landscape.

Panting, gasping, Irina's pink hair clung to her sweat-drenched face as she forced herself onward. Elenora maintained her noble posture, but her crimson eyes were clouded with exhaustion. Harsh, ragged breaths escaped both girls' lips.

At one point Irina's gaze met Kael's. He gave her a lazy wave, the gesture deliberately teasing. Rage flashed in her eyes, but she had no strength left to sustain it. She had to finish ten laps within thirty minutes—no matter what.

Watching them suffer, Kael smiled with deep satisfaction.

The more they struggle, the stronger their craving for real food will become.

After physical training came Professor Broad's class on magical theory. The students who filed into the lecture hall wore the hollow expressions of people who had just crawled out of hell. Most had experienced the torment of bandage magic again that morning.

Professor Broad stood before the blackboard, explaining complex mana circulation and elemental theory in a razor-sharp voice.

"When mana flow becomes tangled, backflow occurs—we covered this last time. And if the mana in question is not pure but carries a specific attribute..."

His lecture was precise, yet most students couldn't keep up. When a boy named Eric failed to answer a question correctly, the professor's face twisted into something demonic.

"You brainless idiot! It's a waste of oxygen for trash like you to call yourself human! Apologize to your parents for being born! No—your parents were wise. They sent their defective spawn to Tartaros Academy to straighten you out! Be grateful! I'll fix that empty ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠skull of yours myself!"

This was the true teaching style Professor Broad had been forced to suppress yesterday because of Kael. Now it was unleashed without mercy.

"Aaaargh! My—my head!" Eric clutched his skull and screamed as a splitting headache tore through him. Professor Broad had used a memorization spell to forcibly implant the knowledge directly into the boy's mind. The technique caused excruciating pain and was normally avoided. Only archmages could cast it, and even then it was rarely used because of how agonizing it was.

Seeing Broad wield it without hesitation was almost as terrifying as Galen's methods.

"You! Can you answer?"

"Eh? I-I... Kyaaaaaah!"

The girl Professor Broad pointed to couldn't respond in time. Without hesitation he slammed the memorization spell into her as well.

Then he turned to Kael, his expression shifting into a kindly smile. "Student Kael, is everything comfortable for you? If you have any difficulties, feel free to speak up."

Kael nodded politely. "Thank you, Professor. I'll study hard."

Toward Ring and Ming, however, Professor Broad remained curt. He didn't call on them or even spare them a glance.

Watching from her seat, Irina pressed her lips into a thin line. A growing sense of unease bloomed in her chest.

Professor Lucia's class was no gentler. A gate opened, and the girls were chased by hordes of goblins trying to strip their clothes. The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠number of monsters—goblins, slimes, and more—had doubled since yesterday.

"Kyaaah! Stay away!"

"Get lost!"

Few girls still had intact uniforms. Torn panties, shredded skirts, ripped blouses—most were half-exposed while desperately fleeing.

Meanwhile, Kael once again attended class in comfort, accompanied by Ring and Ming under Professor Lucia's personal protection.

After the morning from hell finally ended, lunchtime arrived.

The dining hall was steeped in depression. The intensified morning classes had made one thing brutally clear: yesterday's lessons had been merciful. The students stared at the coarse black bread and cups of water on their tables and sighed heavily. Their noble palates could not adapt to such wretched fare.

They missed the pepper-crusted roasted meats, herb-seasoned dishes, buttered bread, and sweet fruit jams from home.

"Ugh... we have to eat this again?"

"If only we had some of that honey jam from home..."

The miserable atmosphere thickened. Eventually several girls broke down in tears.

"Hwaaaang! Mommm!"

"Why?! Why do I have to suffer like this?! Send me home! Please send me home!"

Students were losing their minds and sobbing everywhere. Kael, however, found the sound rather pleasing.

I'm looking forward to their reaction this evening.

The afternoon brought a new class—one that hadn't existed yesterday. Professor Egil's lesson. He had the appearance of a bandit: bald, scarred across one eye, and radiating menace. Surprisingly, he was not a warrior but an archmage. He taught curse magic.

Professor Egil greeted the students with a sinister smile.

"Test subjects... I mean, dear students. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Welcome."

"He definitely said test subjects, right?"

"Y-yeah, he did."

His voice sounded like it rose from a grave. The word "test subjects" made the students' faces freeze in terror.

"Curse magic ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠offers wonderful ways to torment both mind and body. Today we'll practice basic curses. Hehehe! There's no better lesson than experiencing a curse with your own flesh!"

The students trembled in fear.

"Th-this is too much!" one girl protested timidly.

"Oh! It seems we already have a volunteer eager to step forward as our first test sub— I mean, model student! Everyone, please applaud her courage!"

When Professor Egil began clapping, the others quickly joined in. No one wanted to become the next test subject. They abandoned the brave girl without hesitation.

"Eh? Ehh?"

The girl looked around in panic. Watching the scene, Kael felt genuine admiration.

Professor Egil, not bad. That was one of the methods I was planning to use. He beat me to it.