9화 맛집
Upon finding the student cafeteria within the Cradle, Karib and I managed to secure a seat.
Scott soon arrived at our table carrying an enormous plate brimming with food.
Anyone watching us would think we were hosting a feast.
Karib and I had each ordered one menu item, while Scott had claimed all the rest.
“Mmm… this place is cheap and the food is delicious. I love it.”
Scott brought a huge slice of steak to his mouth, his face glowing with happiness as he took a massive bite.
“Your appetite never fails to amaze me… Is your allowance sufficient?”
“I receive support from home, so I’m fine.”
“Hmm… It’s not good to rely on your parents from the start. After classes, with extra time, why don’t you look for a part-time job with me?”
Karib suggested, but Scott shook his head.
“No thanks. Trolls can sell their blood to witches for a pretty penny.”
That answer left me stunned, and I blurted out, “Sell blood? It’s money?”
“Yeah. One extraction gives about this much.”
Karib and I stared at the precise amount, speechless for a moment.
“My friend’s veins are literally flowing with gold…”
In my previous life, blood donations bought movie tickets or burger combos, but this was on another level entirely.
“…Trolls really are an amazing species.”
Karib looked at Scott with envy in his eyes as well.
A powerful physique and the ability to earn money just from selling blood—how enviable.
In our position as underpowered races with nothing to our name, envy was only natural.
“Why even bother coming to the Cradle? If we do nothing, we can still eat and survive without any issues.”
Scott sighed at my question.
“Truthfully, I didn’t really want to come either.”
“Then why are you here?”
“My parents forced me. They said I was too timid and ordered me to ‘toughen up’ here.”
“I see.”
I nodded. Raising children firmly was indeed the right approach, especially in the brutal Demon Realm.
“Everyone’s finished eating. Let’s get moving.”
“What’s the last class today?”
“Alchemy and Daily Life.”
Scott’s expression twisted at my answer.
“Ugh… I hate that class.”
“What? Why? Alchemy and Daily Life?”
“It’s way too difficult and boring.”
Karib and I could not agree.
“I don’t understand. Just follow the instructions and what could go wrong? The results from class are also highly practical—why is it the worst subject?”
“And Professor Velvet is beautiful too.”
The professor in charge of Alchemy and Daily Life was a stunning beauty with pink hair.
Scott, as a womanizer, should have been thrilled, right?
“Professor Velvet is pretty, but… I’m a little scared of her.”
“Scared? What do you mean?”
“Just… the way she looks at me… It’s like she’s looking at raw ingredients.”
Unable to hold back, I snapped back at the remark.
“This brat dares insult Professor Velvet just because he’s got a loose mouth!?”
Where else in this mad world could you find such a kind and tolerant educator!
“Why are you getting angry again… Haa, anyway, this is the one subject I don’t get along with.”
Well, except for the professor, it wasn’t like I didn’t understand it at all.
Most students struggled with alchemy anyway.
Did I need to call it a specialized class?
Demon races generally had short tempers and strong minds.
Alchemy required precise processes, exact measurements, and delicate temperature control—exactly the opposite of their personalities.
Well, fewer competitors meant I was in the clear.
I was confident that if I learned alchemy well, I’d have no trouble surviving later.
The witch business was probably locked down tight.
While studying at the Cradle, I should make some witch friends too.
***
Professor Velvet, who taught Alchemy and Daily Life, had an alluring upper body of a beautiful woman while her lower half took the form of a massive serpent beast.
She tied her long pink hair into a ponytail and smiled brightly as she began today’s lecture.
“Today we’re making paralytic poison!”
Teaching students to create venom.
It must be a remnant of early practical training, but was it really okay?
Fortunately, the following explanation put my worries to rest.
“You might feel some disgust at the term ‘poison,’ but what I’m teaching you today is a substance effective only against demonic beasts. So don’t worry.”
Paralytic poison for demonic beasts only.
I decided to study hard, since there might come a day when I could use it.
“It sounds hard just listening to the instructions…”
Yuli, sitting beside me, looked worried, so I told her, “If you follow along, it should be fine. If you get stuck, I’ll help.”
“Hehe, Dorn really is reliable, isn’t he?”
Yuli patted my shoulder lightly with her small palm, flashing a mischievous smile.
These days I spent more time with girls like her, but during ordinary classes she still sat next to me, radiating seductive charm.
Her warm personality made even her suggestive actions adorable.
“The ingredients for paralytic poison are purified water, gongdung mushroom, scale toad oil, and pufferfish root—four things most students can easily gather in the nearby mountains.”
Professor Velvet explained the collection methods and characteristics of each ingredient, then the alchemy process.
“All right, let’s begin the practice. Remember, when handling fire you must be careful—everyone knows that, right?”
“Yes!”
Students each took their tools and ingredients and started making the poison.
Since alchemy was my favorite subject, I finished quickly.
“Done.”
“You’re already finished?”
“Yeah.”
Yuli looked at me in surprise.
Other students had made mistakes with ratios or skipped steps and were still far from completion.
“We should test it properly.”
The effect of the paralytic poison was tested on a small demonic beast named Slurryrat.
Professor Velvet gave each student one as a live test subject.
They had long, distorted limbs and the thin, spindly body of a rat.
“Hello, Bruce.”
I greeted my partner, the Slurryrat.
It was thrashing inside a transparent glass box I could see right through.
-Crush! Crshshshshshsh!
“You’re full of energy today.”
I poured a tiny amount of the specially prepared paralytic poison through a small hole in the ceiling, just for the unusually active Bruce.
The little guy eagerly licked up the puddle on the floor.
-Cr, crshsh…?!
Soon he flipped onto his back, belly exposed.
Was he dead? No.
After a few more minutes of observation, Bruce suddenly stood up and started thrashing again.
He slammed his body against the glass wall as if he was furious at me.
“That’s why I told you not to gulp down food given by others.”
Anyway, the paralytic poison had been successfully made.
The duration was short, but I was told that could be fixed by increasing the dosage.
“Dorn, if it worked, can you help me too?”
“Of course.”
Yuli looked up at me with pleading eyes while struggling to adjust the heat for the materials.
Just as I was helping her, Professor Velvet approached.
“Excellent work, Dorn! This outcome is truly outstanding!”
Professor Velvet hugged my face and patted my head.
“Dorn and Karib… I’m so happy to have two such outstanding students in one class!”
“I’m happy too, Professor♡”
My lower half was a serpent, but my upper body was a voluptuous, sensual beauty.
I couldn’t stop staring at her bountiful chest.
“Would you both like to visit our alchemy club sometime?”
She had once asked me to come by the alchemy club where she served as mentor.
“Yes. I’ll stop by sometime soon.”
***
All classes were over.
I waited in front of Class 2 for Casher and left the Cradle together with her.
“Casher, how about having dinner together?”
“Sure! There’s a restaurant I know—let’s go!”
Because meals were provided at the boarding house, it had been a while since I ate out with her.
The restaurant we arrived at was attached to an inn.
Inside the entrance, the counter connected to the kitchen came into view, and the owner behind it was shockingly large.
Restaurant? With so few customers?
Maybe it was only known to demons.
We sat down and ordered when Casher suddenly waved at someone.
The person also waved back, pretending to know her.
“Casher, what brings you here?”
“Well… why are you here at this time?”
“…I asked a stupid question.”
“No, it’s not stupid.”
Casher chuckled.
I watched their conversation quietly, a little perplexed.
Because the classmate of my childhood friend was a famous male student in the first year.
“Gail’s here for dinner too?”
At Casher’s question, the silver-haired, aristocratic beauty Gail nodded.
“It’s close to my house.”
Seeing him suddenly made caution rise inside me.
This guy… from up close he was even more handsome.
His long limbs were so disproportionate that other men in the same space naturally felt intimidated.
Why here, of all places…
I grumbled inwardly when Casher suddenly looked at me, as if remembering something.
“Oh! This is my hometown friend. We’re both first-years at the Cradle.”
“Really? Nice to meet you. I’m Gail.”
“Uh… I’m Dorn.”
I awkwardly greeted him.
“Gail, if you’re alone, why don’t you join us?”
Casher’s suggestion nearly made me frown.
I had been looking forward to eating alone with her.
“No need. I’m taking this out.”
Fortunately, Gail declined.
Nice!
I cheered inwardly.
Was he sensing the vibe and backing out on purpose?
If so, maybe he wasn’t as bad as I thought.
“Well, if that’s the case, see you tomorrow at the Cradle!”
“Yeah.”
Gail gave a short reply and left to order his food.
The way he chatted with the owner suggested they were close.
Near his house, huh.
Regular customer?
Gail took the packed food and left without another word.
He was cool and distant through and through.
“Were you and him close?”
I asked Casher about their relationship during dinner.
“Huh? Why?”
“Just… he’s pretty famous.”
I tried to sound casual, but Casher, still holding her fork, thought for a moment before answering.
“Well, not exactly close… but he helped me once.”
“Helped?”
“It was nothing. Anyway, how’s life at the Cradle lately?”
Casher changed the subject suddenly, and I felt a little uneasy.
I didn’t pry further, but I couldn’t shake the odd feeling.
“Be careful going home.”
“Yeah, you too, Dorn. See you tomorrow!”
Tap tap.
We parted ways and headed home.
Restaurant? It wasn’t that great after all.