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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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Thud.
I closed the 2-star magic theory book I was reading, ‘Understanding of Representative Forms,’ and muttered.
“This is absurd.”
It was a thought that struck me anew.
At some point, studying magic had become natural.
3:00 PM.
The weather wasn’t clear today, and a spring rain whispered outside the window. It was the weekend, so there were no classes.
I had been studying since dawn, using the pitter-patter of raindrops as my music, when at a certain moment, my motivation suddenly plummeted.
I’d lasted long enough.
In short, a post-focus crash had arrived.
It was something that happened often even before I became Lockstryn. It’s only natural to get restless after sitting all day.
“…Should I take a break?”
My head was overheated.
Humans are truly creatures of adaptation; surprisingly, a month has already passed since I fell into this world.
Thinking back now, I hadn’t rested with a peaceful mind for even a moment during that month. Although I wasn’t in a position to demand rest, only doing what’s necessary would instead lead to a drop in efficiency.
Right. I can’t live like this.
I need to refresh.
“…”
But what should I do?
I fell into thought, leaning back against my chair.
I do have my own manual for dealing with this intermittent lack of motivation.
Play an online PvP game.
Watch overseas sports highlights.
Go for a drive to the Han River for no reason.
And if even that was too much trouble, just eat some outrageously spicy food…
“Is there nothing I can do?”
Unfortunately, in the world of [Academy Somerbadge], not a single one of those things was possible.
There were no games, no internet, and while there was a river, there was no car to drive. Most of the food was Western-style, so it was hard to find things like spicy food.
But should I give up?
As if a light bulb flickered in my head, I led my creaking body out of the room.
The place I headed to, not far away, was the 2nd-floor student cafeteria, Jinridang.
“I’m sorry. It is not mealtime right now…”
The meal times for all cafeterias in Somerbadge are strictly limited to breakfast 7-9 AM, lunch 12-2 PM, and dinner 6-8 PM.
This was to serve the best possible meals to the students, and if you came at any other time, no food would be served.
It wasn’t that I didn’t know that fact.
“I’m not here to eat. Could I possibly take a look inside?”
“That is certainly possible.”
The student cafeteria is strictly managed so that it is presentable at any time.
As proof of this, there was a setting that any student using the cafeteria could look inside the kitchen at any time.
There was even an event where a few picky students would find fault, but that wasn’t why I was here.
“There’s no one else here.”
“Jinridang is not difficult to clean up, you see. I am on duty this week. The dishes will be spotless.”
Fortunately, the chef remaining in the kitchen was a man, and unlike at the library, I had no major issues conversing with a man who was much older.
However, even first-class chefs were mostly commoners, so they treated students with utmost respect. The fact that I had suddenly gotten used to that left a bitter taste in my mouth.
I strode through the long kitchen and stood before a closed door.
“This is the storeroom, right?”
“That is correct, but you may find the occasional smell of fish unpleasant.”
There was none of the musty, dusty smell one would expect from a storeroom.
Various vegetables, fish, dried meats, and so on. The prepared ingredients were laid out neatly.
On a humid day like today with the rain, they should have spoiled quickly, but white steam was being emitted from the shelves.
“You must be careful, as it is cold.”
There was no need to overthink this either.
There was a magic tool that functioned as a refrigerator. This is why magic is so convenient.
“Are there any spices?”
“Powdered types or things that aren’t bulky are stored separately in this drawer here.”
Drrrk.
As the chef opened the drawer, a variety of different smells rose up all at once.
I hadn’t established this level of detailed lore, but Jinridang’s main dish had not repeated once in the past ten days.
To cook such a variety of dishes, they would have to be equipped with just about everything.
“Oh.”
I found it right away.
A fruit, the length of a finger joint, bright red and pointy. Even as I picked it up with tongs, its pungent aroma pricked my nose.
Peperoncino.
A type of chili pepper used in Western cuisine, it was exactly the ingredient I was looking for.
“It’s alright if I take some, right?”
“I do not mind, but I am not sure where you would have a use for something that spicy.”
Considering how much Somaturgy’s tuition is.
It wasn’t used often anyway, and the amount I was taking was barely a handful.
“I’ll be using the kitchen utensils, too.”
“Ex…cuse me?”
“I’ll clean up myself, so you can go and rest. If you really don’t trust me, you can watch.”
“No, I must remain at my post anyway, but… are you planning to cook for yourself, sir? I can make most things.”
“It’s too grand to call it cooking. It’s something only I know.”
“My.”
The chef looked bewildered.
Of course, Lockstryn has the image of someone who has probably never let a drop of water touch his hands. He must be wondering if I’m going to cause some kind of trouble.
In any case, he was in a position where he had to endure any reasonable whim, and Lockstryn had the ‘Extraordinary’ trait that made anything he did seem plausible.
“Dried pollock, fresh pasta, onion, garlic, shiitake mushrooms, leeks, and peperoncino… In my humble experience, I cannot fathom what kind of combination this is.”
What kind of terrible food is this, with no nutritional balance or harmony of ingredients? The chef swallowed his words.
It is common knowledge that using too many ingredients with strong characteristics together will ruin a dish.
The northern part of the Empire, where the Aindarok family resides, was said to be harsh, but to think he grew up eating such poor food was pitiful. He felt a surge of patriotism he didn’t know he had.
“Here, I shall do the cutting!”
In any case, it would be a huge problem if the precious young master hurt his dainty hands with a knife, so he was helping, but the process was anything but ordinary.
“Do I mix all of this?”
“It would be good to make it as fine as possible.”
The ingredients were more than enough.
Following my words, the chef put all the ingredients except the pasta and leeks into a mortar and ground them finely. It was a hundred times better than I, with my level 3 Strength, could have done.
Around the time the spicy smell reached me, I pointed to the pot where water was bubbling on a small stove.
“…Put it in?”
“Yes.”
With a deep frown, the chef poured in the finely ground ingredients. The peperoncino must have been spicy.
A little later, after adding the pasta and thickly sliced leeks.
“Heek!”
Clatter, clatter, clatter!
When I finally lifted the entire container and poured in salt, for which a single teaspoon would have been sufficient, it seemed that for once, even I did not look so extraordinary.
“It can’t possibly taste bad, right?”
At my urging, the chef reluctantly nodded his head.
This bright red broth and pungent smell. Only then did I feel my energy finally returning.
How could I ever forget.
“It’s called ramyeon.”
“Ahem. I shall remember that…”
“Since it’s fresh pasta, it will be done if we boil it for just two more minutes here.”
The rain is drizzling, so this is perfect.
In this distant land, I was cooking none other than ramyeon!
It might sound like a lie, but if you actually try it, the taste is similar. I’ve lived alone for quite a while, so as a hobby, I often cooked things I learned from the internet.
I can’t survive without something like this.
“What is that dish?”
Waiting for the three minutes was getting boring when I saw a covered silver tray over there.
All the other dishes had been neatly cleared away, so it was a mystery why only that tray remained. Was he going to eat it later?
“Ah, this is today’s lunch menu, but it was made a little late. It has an owner.”
“An owner?”
“She’s here just in time.”
Before I knew it, the sound of small footsteps could be heard, and a familiar face took a seat at a luxurious table in the corner of the Jinridang hall.
The chef carefully placed the tray before her. Although it was a simplified course with an appetizer, main, and dessert served together, it was not a small amount.
“Chowder is best eaten warm. I made it as late as possible.”
“I told you not to worry about it.”
“We had salmon delivered from the Mashu side this morning, so I took special care. It would be more meaningful for you, Princess.”
“…Yes. Thank you.”
Her clothes were still bundled up tightly, regardless of the relatively warm indoor temperature.
Even without such things, the air had grown cold the moment she entered the cafeteria.
“Does she come at this time every day?”
“Yes. She has to avoid the times when there are people.”
Today is the weekend, but because her timing is always off like this, her meals are like this too.
I had run into her a few times recently, but for some reason, Euria wouldn’t make eye contact. I just put the fully cooked ramyeon in a bowl and quietly came out.
“…”
This time, our eyes met for a moment.
She seemed puzzled to see me coming out of the kitchen wearing a student robe, but as soon as she saw it was me, she quickly turned her head away again.
What. Why?
It’s not like I did anything wrong, right? For now, I sat at a seat a fair distance away.
“Alright.”
The grand opening.
I rubbed my hands together and placed them on the pot lid. Steam billowed out.
Sluurp.
My mouth was already watering from the spicy aroma. It had pasta noodles instead of the familiar ones, but the broth is what makes ramyeon taste like ramyeon anyway.
I ladled some into my bowl and took a sip of the broth first.
“Kaaah!”
Yes, this is the taste.
This is the proof that I’m alive.
If this spicy and thick exclamation doesn’t come out, it’s fake ramyeon. With my eyes getting moist, I slurped up the noodles.
I had missed this aggressive spiciness to my very bones. But as I ate, I felt like I was about to burst into tears.
It’s because that damned peperoncino is so spicy.
For real.
“Cough! Cough!”
As I was eating frantically, I heard a cough from afar. Euria was glaring fiercely at me.
“What on earth are you eating?”
“Ramyeon.”
“What is that… It’s spicy.”
Just from smelling it, she was grimacing and hacking away. It seems spicy food really isn’t her thing.
“I’ll finish up and leave soon.”
“It’s fine.”
Huh?
Surprisingly, she didn’t seem to dislike it. Euria just sniffed once and started eating her dish again. The chowder or whatever it was.
I snuck a peek, and it looked so bland, as if it had neither this taste nor that.
“Is that delicious?”
“Not really.”
“This is delicious, though.”
The only answer to her ‘so what?’ expression was to show her directly.
I dished out a plate of the steaming hot ramyeon and placed it in front of Euria.
“I made a bit too much.”
It’s always better to create points of contact with major characters whenever the opportunity arises.
And in [Academy Somerbadge], the most difficult character to befriend is none other than Euria. I, the creator, can declare this.
Difficulty, ten stars.
Grade, gender, and even meal times are all different.
If you follow the set schedule, there are few events where you can even meet Euria, and with such a prickly personality, she doesn’t open her heart easily.
And yet, you have to have a minimum of 10 encounter events and choose the right answer 5 times in individual events to barely become friends. It’s only because I’m Lockstryn, not the protagonist, that I ran into her in the Tower of Truth.
It means I need to steadily rack up points whenever possible. Still, since I have charm, I probably won’t need all 10 times.
“Spicy. Salty.”
“But it’s not so bad you have to spit it out, right?”
I asked confidently.
It doesn’t show much on her expression, but there is a definite setting that Euria likes ‘hot’ food.
Thanks to the chef’s consideration, she was served a warm dish, but it would cool down in less than 10 seconds once it was placed in front of Euria anyway.
But naturally, food hotter than that is not provided in Somerbadge. What if the precious students were to burn the roofs of their mouths?
“Who would eat something like this…”
“I know, right?”
And yet, she eats it well, mumbling.
I don’t think I’ve seen her fork go towards the silver tray at all. It must be truly spicy, as Euria was also wiping away tears.
“Your cold is all better, and it seems to have gotten a little warmer, so I’ll return your scarf.”
“Do as you please.”
I returned to my seat, finished the remaining ramyeon, and cleared the dishes. I didn’t leave a single drop of broth.
A little later, Euria also finished her meal, so I waited and got on the elevator with her.
The speed wasn’t fast, so the silence felt quite long.
“Euria.”
“What.”
“Did I happen to do something wrong?”
Euria glanced up at me and then turned back towards the wall.
We’re keeping a distance because it’s cold when I’m near, but is there a need to turn completely away? What are you going to do, look at the wall?
“Nothing.”
Ding. The answer finally came only after the elevator stopped on the 12th floor.
What a prickly person.
Right, I still haven’t met the conditions. Just you wait, I’m definitely going to make you my friend.
“I’ll go get it, so please wait here.”
“It’ll be a hassle for you to come out again, won’t it?”
“That’s true, but…”
Euria insisted on following me all the way to the front of my room, 1203.
This blasted room was so unnecessarily large that even getting the scarf from the head of the bed was a chore.
But a problem arose.
“Why is the hallway on the 12th floor in this state! Anyone would think someone used earth magic! Well?!”
“I-I’m sorry! I’m sure it wasn’t here an hour ago—”
“Is that what’s important right now? I told you to pay special attention from the 11th floor up! That’s your job. In one hour, ten people have already passed through this dirt-filled hallway!”
A sharp voice echoed from the other end of the hallway. I’d heard it two or three times already, so I knew.
The dorm supervisor of the Tower of Truth, Melida Noah.
Among the three supervisors, she had a reputation for being the most meticulous and hysterical.
Thanks to her, the Tower of Truth always boasted an elegant appearance, but the timing was bad.
‘No, this is good.’
Melida conducts surprise inspections of the dorms. The lobby, the hall, the hallways of each floor, and even inside the students’ rooms. She’s more cautious above the 10th floor, so it’s more of a formality, but still.
In any case, the even-numbered floors are used by male students, and the odd-numbered floors by female students.
A male student getting off on an odd-numbered floor or a female student on an even-numbered floor is a violation of the rules. A fairly major one at that.
“You don’t have any demerit points to spare, do you?”
“…”
“I thought so.”
Her face couldn’t hide its panic. It was to be expected, since she’d been skipping classes.
No matter how pitiful her circumstances, demerit points were steadily accumulating without exception, and every time they piled up, she did occasional school service.
A princess doing cleaning, what a fine job she’s doing. What can you do?
“Come inside for a moment.”
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