Chapter 24
Chapter 24
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Princess Guide
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"Alright, Princess. You just need to eat that one."
I pointed at the shredder while looking at the Princess.
The shredder was rattling away, blissfully unaware of its own future.
The researcher who had been typing on the typewriter noticed us and stopped what he was doing.
"Oh? Researcher Lee Sehwa and the Black Princess? What brings you here?"
"We're here to carry out the new project that Director Kwon Saeron planned."
I gave a brief explanation of the project to the researcher, who was getting ready to head home.
"As expected of the Director. Only she could come up with something like that—she's definitely a bit off her rocker somewhere. Anyway, mind if I watch from the sidelines?"
"I don't mind, so ask the Princess."
The researcher exchanged greetings with the Princess and got permission to observe.
Two anomalies and three people.
The Black Princess boldly stepped forward.
"I'll eat this anomaly. But I have one condition."
"C-condition? What condition?"
The Princess suddenly stopped and laid out her condition.
I'd thought she was agreeing too easily.
She must have been holding back to drop it at the crucial moment.
I was a little flustered, but it wasn't a big problem.
With the Director's authority, I could accommodate most conditions.
The Princess lifted the corners of her mouth in delight.
"Please compile the reviews I leave after eating the anomalies into a book and distribute it."
"...What?"
The Princess smiled confidently.
The researchers and I were caught off guard for a moment, our mouths hanging open in silence.
I quickly pulled myself together and asked again.
"You want us to make it into a book and distribute it? What exactly do you mean?"
"You know that famous guide, right? The one that awards stars to the best restaurants around the world. Something like that—compile my reviews into a book and distribute it."
It was a proposal I never could have imagined.
The Princess's cheeks flushed with excitement, her eyes full of anticipation.
She looked just like a kid asking for a new toy.
'Fortunately, it's not a difficult condition. But if the book gets circulated outside, other countries will learn about the Princess's unique ability.'
The fact that the Black Princess could consume other anomalies was classified information.
Distributing a book externally carried too much risk.
"Princess, we can make the book for you. But handing it out to people outside might be tough. Would it be okay if it's just for the research institute staff to read?"
"Mm... Yeah, that works."
The Princess thought about it for a moment before readily accepting.
The researchers in charge of the shredder stared at me with dumbfounded expressions.
Unlike me, who had grown accustomed to the Princess's antics from spending time with her, they clearly hadn't adjusted yet.
"Alright. We'll make the book, so eat that shredder. But you have to spit it back out in perfect condition later. Got it?"
"Got it. Then I'll eat it now."
The Princess approached the shredder.
The smile vanished from her face.
She put on a strict, solemn expression, like a judge at a cooking competition.
Thud.
As the Princess placed her hand on the shredder, it stopped rattling and fell silent.
"I'll dig in."
The entire shredder went into the Princess's mouth.
I had no idea what principle was at work, but even though the large shredder was entering her small mouth, there was no sense of incongruity.
Munch, munch.
The Princess closed her eyes and savored the anomaly.
'This is gonna be okay, right?'
Could she really chew and eat an anomaly and then spit it back out intact later?
I was anxious, but it wasn't a major issue.
The shredder wasn't an important anomaly.
Even if it ended up digested by the Princess and destroyed forever, the institute wouldn't suffer much loss.
Gulp.
The Princess who had swallowed the anomaly gently opened her eyes.
"The texture is really fun. I like how the crispy outer layer crumbles."
The Princess began evaluating the taste.
One anomaly and three people.
Aside from the anomaly itself, everyone was flustered.
The Princess calmly continued her assessment.
"Inside the crunchy exterior, the gears burst and fill your mouth with sweetness."
All of us, myself included, stared at the Princess with our jaws on the floor.
Everyone was entranced by her surprisingly serious critique.
"The contrast between the outer and inner textures is great. The sweetness feels natural and perfectly balanced—delicious. An excellent dessert."
It was so absurd I didn't know where to even begin criticizing.
Eating anomalies was weird enough, but now the Princess was critiquing their flavors like a gourmet critic.
'The shredder has a natural sweetness? What the hell does that even mean?'
As everyone watched in stunned silence, the Princess pulled out a handkerchief from somewhere and elegantly dabbed her mouth.
"This anomaly survives."
With that declaration of survival, the evaluation concluded.
One researcher started to clap but glanced at the others and sheepishly lowered his hands.
I ignored the awkward atmosphere and spoke up.
"Th-thanks, Princess. Could you spit the anomaly back out now? I want to check if it's still functional."
"Sure. Blurp."
At my request, the Princess promptly regurgitated the shredder.
Amazingly, aside from being coated in some mysterious saliva, it was in perfect original condition.
One researcher cautiously fed it a piece of paper, and the shredder whirred to life, shredding it without issue.
'I don't get the mechanism, but good is good, I guess.'
I still didn't fully understand her consumption ability, but I could use it regardless.
I handed the shredder back to the Princess for safekeeping.
"You can eat it again."
Munch, munch.
Unlike during the judging, the Princess savored it with a happy expression.
And with that, the first test for Project Ark was successfully completed.
'By the way, "This anomaly survives"? What does "survives" even mean? What happens if it doesn't?'
I pushed aside my unease and left the containment room.
The researchers' faces finally brightened now that they truly felt relieved from their shift duties.
They thanked the Princess heartily.
"Thanks, Princess! You're freeing us from those shifts!"
"Thank you! We'll repay this favor someday!"
The researchers kept expressing their gratitude as they looked at the Princess.
The Princess puffed out her chest proudly.
"Hehe. No problem. I just did what I wanted to do! And the anomaly was tasty!"
With that response from the Princess, we all parted ways.
When I relayed the Princess's request to Director Kwon Saeron, she burst out laughing—"Pfft, that sounds fun!"—and accepted without hesitation.
To produce the guidebook, I conducted additional interviews with the Princess, including reviews of the anomalies she'd eaten before, and included them all.
A few days later.
The first edition of the guide promoting delicious anomalies was complete.
🍴 Princess Guide 1st Edition 🍴 📖 PRINCESS GUIDE 📖 🍖 Food: Swelling Flesh
Evaluation: Tasty even raw, but grilling it makes it amazing. The best part is the huge portion!
Score: 79 points
🍦 Food: Mint Choco Ice Cream Machine
Evaluation: An anomaly that spits out mint choco ice cream. The body itself was sweeter than the ice cream it produced. Delicious.
Score: 68 points
📚 Food: Philosophy Doctor
Evaluation: A noisy food. Rubbery and tasteless, like eating modeling clay. The worst.
Score: 0 points
📄 Food: Someone's Paper Shredder
Evaluation: Friendly staff and a delicious anomaly. The contrast between the crunchy exterior and the sweet crumbling gears made for great texture. An excellent dessert.
Score: 81 points
👑 Overall Review
Awarding the shredder 1 crown.
Crown criteria:
1 Crown: A great taste that blows away the blues
2 Crowns: A taste you want to introduce to loved ones first
3 Crowns: A legendary taste everyone must try at least once in life
Princess Guide 1st Edition ends here.
Look forward to the next edition!
"Fuhehehe."
"You like it that much?"
The Princess giggled happily while holding the Princess Guide 1st Edition.
The completed guidebooks were placed around the institute like subway newspapers.
I gave one to the Princess, and she pulled it out whenever she had a moment.
"Yeah, because I wrote it! Hehe. Now everyone else will know exactly which anomalies are tasty, right?"
"Mm, probably."
The Princess looked up at me with a smile.
The fact that humans don't eat anomalies would remain a secret forever.
"We can't just sit around! We need material for the 2nd edition. Let's go!"
"Yeah, let's hurry."
Project Ark was progressing smoothly.
Even if the direction had gotten a little weird.