The Right to Buy Meals (2)

Professor Egil stretched out his hand with a sinister smile. From his fingertips, dark magic coalesced before surging toward the female student.

The black magic wrapped around the girl's body like a thick fog. When the dark mist finally dissipated, her face turned deathly pale as a strained scream escaped her lips.

"I'm... I'm so hungry... w-water... ugh... it itches..."

Her eyes filled with terror and agony. Her voice cracked from the overwhelming thirst and starvation, while her nails desperately scratched at her skin. The students watching her were also dyed with fear.

Professor Egil surveyed the room with a satisfied smile. The students flinched under his ominous gaze. Then his eerie voice echoed through the auditorium.

The students stirred at his words.

"It's Kael again?"

"Damn it, why does that bastard always get special treatment!"

But protesting the unfairness came second to the immediate threat bearing down on them.

"Professor, this is too much! Why are you cursing us?"

"Please! Not the hunger curse!"

Irina shot up from her seat. Her pink hair swayed as she stood, her face urgent as she cried out.

"Professor Egil. This is completely unreasonable! These students are already suffering from that awful black bread. Forcing the pain of hunger on top of that—isn't that going too far?"

Princess Eleonora maintained her noble bearing as she spoke coldly.

"Professor Egil. I understand learning curse magic, but applying curses to every student is excessive. Especially when only three are being spared. That is also unfair."

Professor Egil chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.

Black magic exploded from his hand and spread outward. A dark fog blanketed the entire auditorium, enveloping every student. In an instant, they all collapsed with agonized expressions.

"So... so hungry... w-water..."

"Water... bread... meat..."

Students writhed in the torment of hunger and thirst, too weak to even muster strength as they fell. Even those who had forced themselves to eat the coarse black bread found all their efforts rendered meaningless as the curse dragged them back into complete starvation.

Irina sank to the floor, clutching her stomach. Her green eyes trembled with pain.

"W-water... ugh..."

Even a public figure's dignity could not withstand the agony of hunger and thirst. Meanwhile, Princess Eleonora bit her lip hard, desperately trying to maintain her composure. Deep suffering seeped into her crimson eyes as well. Yet she leaned against the back of her chair, breathing heavily as she barely held herself upright.

Watching the miserable scene, Kael felt a pang of regret.

Ah, I really want some popcorn.

He wanted to pull popcorn from the shop window and munch on it. But it wasn't yet time to reveal his abilities in front of the students. So he had no choice but to swallow his disappointment.

Meanwhile, Professor Egil continued the lecture as if savoring the students' screams.

There was deep malice in Professor Egil's voice as he spoke. But to someone who had endured the pain of hunger and ruined taste buds for decades, the students' reactions after just a few days must have seemed pathetic.

"Ugh..."

The class finally ended. The itching curse lifted automatically once the lesson was over. But the curses of hunger and thirst remained, continuing to torment them.

"W-water..."

"Give me... food..."

After class, the students staggered out. In stark contrast, Kael leisurely observed the spectacle. Meanwhile, Ling and Ming watched the scene with fearful eyes and spoke.

"Lord Kael... thank you so much for letting us avoid the curse. We're truly grateful..."

"Yes. It's all thanks to you, Lord Kael... thank you so much..."

Thanks to the professors' praise during lunch, his experience and points had increased slightly. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Although he'd spent some on lunch, he still had far more accumulated experience than before.

Kael smiled at the sisters and stroked their heads. After class, he watched the students stagger out of the auditorium. Tormented by the curses of hunger and thirst, they would return to their dorms and sob. After all, the only thing waiting for them at dinner was that same disgusting coarse black bread. The fact that the only afternoon class was today's curse magic lesson was probably their only consolation.

After all the students except Kael, Ling, and Ming had left, Professor Egil approached him.

"Student Kael, I heard from Professor Lucia. You're planning ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠something today, correct? That's why I deliberately ran the class like this—to make everyone good and hungry. How was it?"

Kael grinned and nodded.

"It was better than I expected, Professor. Here, this is a gift."

He opened the shop window and purchased a strawberry-flavored ice pop.

Kael handed the ice pop to Professor Egil.

"Eat it quickly before it melts."

Professor Egil accepted the ice pop, his eyes widening.

"Ooh! It's cold! This is...!"

He quickly tore open the wrapper and took a bite. The sweet-and-sour strawberry flavor melted across his tongue, and his sinister face melted into pure ecstasy.

"Khh... now this is a curse that makes it impossible to pull your tongue away! Student Kael, you're truly amazing!"

"Then I'll be going now."

"Alright. Take care."

With that, Kael returned to the dormitory ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with Ling and Ming. Once inside the room, the sisters asked cautiously. There was still time before dinner.

"Lord Kael... should we take off our clothes?"

Kael chuckled and shook his head.

"We'll enjoy that tonight, so it's fine for now. Just sit on either side of me. Let me have a little healing time."

"Yes."

Ling and Ming smiled and sat neatly on either side of the sofa where Kael sat. He could feel their soft scents and the supple touch of their bodies. Kael leaned back on the sofa with both of them nestled in his arms. Ling asked quietly.

"Lord Kael... what do you think will happen tonight?"

Ming also looked at him with curious eyes.

"You said you were going to reveal your ability to the students. How exactly will you do it?"

Kael smiled and replied.

"It'll be the beginning of total chaos. Heh heh. And in the middle of that chaos, the academy students will clearly realize exactly who holds their fate in his hands."

When dinner time arrived, students once ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠again gathered in the dining hall. But the atmosphere inside was like a house in mourning. All 197 first-year students from both the magic and swordsmanship departments sat gloomily at their tables, suffering under the curse of hunger. The swordsmanship students had also endured the same torment during their afternoon classes while under the hunger curse.

"Ugh... I'm so hungry..."

"Do we really have to eat the black bread..."

Since water was provided in unlimited quantities, they could at least quench their thirst. But the only way to fill their hunger was with the coarse black bread. The students stared at it in despair.

"Ugh... it's disgusting."

"Even when I'm this hungry, it still tastes awful..."

Their starvation couldn't even overcome the bread's horrible flavor. As they wallowed in despair, they suddenly saw Professor Lucia ascend the platform. With her sky-blue hair swaying, she stood on the dais and shouted.

"Everyone, pay attention!"

All eyes turned to her at once. But the students' eyes, dulled by hunger, were as lifeless as dead fish.

"Students suffering from hunger! Today, student Kael has made a big decision. Pay close attention, everyone!"

At the same time, Kael stepped onto the platform as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Even at the sight of him, the students could only muster weak voices.

"Is he pulling out some strawberry jam again?"

"Haha... no way..."

"Ugh... I can't take it anymore. Should I just ask if he has anything to eat..."

When the students had reached their limit, Kael purchased a single frankfurter sausage stick through the shop window from the platform.

A sausage stick appeared in Kael's hand. Its savory aroma subtly spread through the dining hall, and Professor Lucia discreetly used magic to carry the scent throughout the entire room. The students' eyes flipped.

"W-what is that?"

"Meat? It's meat!"

"It's a sausage!"

Several students shot to their feet. Losing all reason, they tried to rush forward to snatch the sausage from Kael's hand. But Professor Lucia extended her hand and erected a magical barrier.

"Gah!"

"Kyaa!"

The students who had charged forward slammed into the blue wall and tumbled backward.

The students held their breath at Professor Lucia's threat. Right now, the word "hungry" felt far more terrifying than having their limbs cut off.