Try Chicken with Beer, Professors (2)
"Alright, professors!" Kael said, clapping his hands with a sharp smack.
"Now that all twenty professors have gathered, and since you've all been performing so exceptionally well lately, I've decided to throw a casual lunch party to strengthen our bonds!"
The professors, Principal Albert among them, stood listening to Kael with rapt attention. If one only looked at their current behavior, it would be impossible to tell who was the professor and who was the student.
Kael smiled at the sight of them.
"We'll begin with these."
Kael opened the shop window and purchased ten units of the hypermarket's instant Two-Bird Chicken.
You have purchased Two-Bird Chicken x 10.
80 points deducted. Current points: 10,339
Ten boxes appeared on the table, each filled with ten pieces of fried chicken. The crispy, golden batter alone was enough to stir one's appetite, and the rich, savory aroma of oil spread throughout the auditorium.
The professors' eyes widened in astonishment.
"Is this fried food? Huh! They've fried chicken?"
"Yes, it's called chicken."
"It looks incredibly appetizing!"
Principal Albert let out a gasp of wonder. His hand instinctively reached toward the chicken boxes. Having endured nothing but coarse black bread for nearly five hundred years, even the flavorful meals he had enjoyed thanks to Kael over the past few days could not possibly erase five centuries of deprivation. Satisfying his gluttony would likely take hundreds of years more.
Kael did not stop there. Next, he summoned twenty cans of Pilsner beer.
You have purchased Pilsner Beer Can (330ml) x 20.
40 points deducted. Current points: 10,299
Cool silver cans lined the table in neat rows. Beads of condensation on their surfaces caught the light, promising refreshing chill.
Kael opened one can with a crisp pop. The beer's bright, clean aroma mingled with the savory scent of fried chicken, transforming the auditorium into an ocean of intoxicating fragrance.
"I-is that... beer?" Principal Albert asked in a trembling voice.
In this place, alcohol was something one could never expect. Even during vacation, a few days of drinking were barely enough to wet one's throat. With so many foods to enjoy and every minute precious, there was simply no time to waste getting drunk.
Yet here was beer, inside the academy of all places.
"Correct, Principal. This is beer. It will be very cold and delicious. Please try a sip first. If you'd like more, I can order additional cans."
With trembling hands, Albert accepted the beer can. The cold droplets on the silver surface and the chilled touch against his fingers heightened his anticipation. He could tell at once that it was properly cold, not lukewarm.
Albert took his first sip. The icy carbonation of the Pilsner slid down his throat, and the refreshing bitterness of hops swept through his mouth. It was on an entirely different level from any beer he had ever known. Unlike the flat, cloudy, heavy beers of his memory, this one harmonized the crisp bite of hops with the smooth sweetness of malt. Even the delicate popping of fine bubbles against his tongue was a revelation.
"Th-this flavor is incredible! Is this not the drink of the gods? How can beer possess such profound depth?"
Principal Albert praised: "This flavor is incredible! Is this not the drink of the gods? How can beer possess such profound depth?"
Points +1, Experience +1.
Current points: 10,300 | Experience: 550/1000
The refreshing aftertaste nearly made Albert gulp the rest of the can in one go, but he barely restrained himself. With still-trembling fingers he picked up a piece of chicken. The golden batter crunched audibly even at the lightest touch, sending his anticipation soaring.
Albert took a bite. The crispy coating shattered delightfully in his mouth, releasing a rich wave of savory oil. Then came the chicken itself—tender flesh unlike anything he had known, wrapping his tongue in softness while juicy meat exploded with flavor. The perfect balance of salt, pepper, and spices enhanced every nuance, the savory seasoning completely conquering his palate.
Huhu. Chicken improved through selective breeding and proper care— even the emperor would lose his mind over this taste.
Watching Albert's stunned expression, Kael waited for the inevitable reaction.
"H-how can this be! No, this kind of—!"
Principal Albert stared into space with completely dazed eyes and muttered blankly.
"For a taste like this to exist in the world! This crispness, this juiciness, this savoriness, this tenderness... Am I truly alive? Or have I died and ascended to heaven?"
"This is reality, Principal."
Albert had grown so lost in the heavenly flavor that he had forgotten he was still among the living. Kael gently reminded him.
Principal Albert praised: "For a taste like this to exist in the world! This crispness, this juiciness, this savoriness, this tenderness... Am I truly alive? Or have I died and ascended to heaven?"
Points +1, Experience +1.
Current points: 10,301 | Experience: 551/1000
"Now that you've tasted the chicken, please try it with the beer."
At Kael's suggestion, Albert raised the can to his lips once more. The cold carbonation washed down his throat, refreshingly cleansing the rich oiliness of the chicken. The refined modern Pilsner achieved perfect harmony with the savory, salted flavor. The delicate bubbles left a clean, refreshing finish in the mouth.
It was a truly heavenly pairing.
"Ooh! This is magnificent!" Principal Albert exclaimed, eyes wide.
"The refreshing quality of this beer! Blending with the savoriness of the chicken...! It is showing me heaven itself!"
Principal Albert praised: "The refreshing quality of this beer! Blending with the savoriness of the chicken...! It is showing me heaven itself!"
Points +1, Experience +1.
Current points: 10,302 | Experience: 552/1000
Kael nodded as if he had expected no less.
"To hear the principal speak so highly...!"
"I want to try it at once!"
Kael opened the shop window again and purchased four more Two-Bird Chickens for Ring, Ming, Serenity, and himself, along with four cans of Pilsner, four colas, and four zero colas.
You have purchased Two-Bird Chicken x 4.
32 points deducted. Current points: 10,270
You have purchased Pilsner Beer (330ml) x 4.
8 points deducted. Current points: 10,262
You have purchased Cola (330ml) x 4.
8 points deducted. Current points: 10,254
You have purchased Zero Cola (330ml) x 4.
8 points deducted. Current points: 10,246
Fresh boxes of chicken and cans of drinks lined the table. The sight of golden-fried chicken glistening under the auditorium lights made Ring, Ming, and Serenity swallow hard.
"Go ahead, professors. Eat to your hearts' content. I can purchase more if we run out."
"Ooh! Truly?"
"Thank you so much! You are our savior!"
The continuous stream of praise from the professors raised his points and experience by roughly ten more.
The professors began reaching for the chicken. Professor Lucia Tinel, Professor Michaela, and Professor Anna each took pieces. Lucia was the first to take a cautious bite. The flavor—perfectly tuned to modern palates and wildly popular among them—filled her mouth exactly as it had for Albert. Her light blue eyes widened.
"Oh my...!"
She covered her mouth with one hand, unable to hold back her admiration.
"Kael-nim...! This thing called chicken is every bit as delicious as pork cutlet! This crispness, this burst of juice... It's truly fantastic!"
Magic Department Professor Lucia Tinel praised: "Kael-nim...! This thing called chicken is every bit as delicious as pork cutlet! This crispness, this burst of juice... It's truly fantastic!"
Points +1, Experience +1.
Current points: 10,257 | Experience: 563/1000
Lucia then lifted a beer can and took a sip. With the rich taste of chicken still coating her mouth, the beer's crisp carbonation and bitter hop aroma washed everything away in a wave of ecstasy.
"Aah...! Kael-nim...! It's too good...! It's absolutely heavenly!"
One by one the professors helped themselves to the chicken, each bursting into exclamations of wonder.
"It really feels like I've come to heaven!"
"I feel as if wings might sprout from my back!"
"This is unbelievable...! The principal was telling the truth!"
The professors were unanimously overwhelmed by the flavor. Ring, Ming, and Serenity each chose their pieces as well—Ring a drumstick, Ming a wing, and Serenity a breast.
Ring bit into the drumstick. Her eyes flew wide with shock.
"How can a drumstick be this tender! I can't believe it! How can it possibly be so soft and delicious?"
The drumsticks she had known were tough and meager, among the least desirable cuts. She had actually chosen one intending to start with the worst part first. Yet with modern breeding improvements, the drumstick had become one of the most prized portions of all.