Chapter 31 - I Became the Daughter of the Academy’s Villain

Episode 31 31 - The Value of Outdoor Cooking <31 - The Value of Outdoor Cooking> One by one, the comrades touched Oknodie, who was wearing a hat. The only one in a hurry was Yui. "No!" [Applicant <Giselle> has escaped from the game of tag.] "I'll give you any amount of money, just more of it!" [Applicant <Son Ocheon> has escaped from the game of tag.] "Don't leave me behind!" [Applicant <Isabel> has escaped from the game of tag.] Comrades escaping in succession. Next to them, NTR-househusband Rockfell, with his head bowed in appreciation, lightly tapped my shoulder. [Applicant <Rockfell> has escaped from the game of tag.] NTR-lady Yui, coming late as the paralysis wore off, rushed over. Laughing at her, I touched myself. [Applicant <Oknodie> has escaped from the game of tag.] "Wait for me!" "No way~" [He removed the black hat.] [He lost the one-time qualification of the black hat instructor.] Swish~ The hat dispersed into thin air. Along with it went Yui's malicious intent and dreams of passing. "This is revenge on behalf of Ms. Dorothy." "Why would you do something like this! You weren't even harmed by us. That country bumpkin could have just looked the other way and taken the money!" "I'd prefer if the academy I'm about to enter has kind children rather than naughty ones." In other words, it's a manifestation of justice. [You have completed the traitor event.] [You were not swayed by Yui's bribery.] [As a reward, Rockfell's affection for you has increased.] It was the kind of reward I expected. But what would a girl, not even 19, do with the affection of a male character? Above all, I am a man. The thought of accumulating affection with a man, while in the body of a girl, and indulging in such matters is simply horrifying! "Thank you for your help. However, I..." "You wanted to save Ms. Dorothy?" Rockfell bowed his head. "I know I'm not in a position to say this after the help I've received. It may sound shameless, but could I ask to delay repaying this favor just a little longer..." "It's okay." "...Are you serious? Even in my hometown forest, if it's the help of <Storm Beast> Rockwell that's called upon..." "What's the use of big talk from someone who couldn't even protect his own woman? You're the weakest here." "...You're right. Discussing strength when I couldn't even protect a friend has no meaning." "Then let's make haste." "Thank you. I will not forget this debt of gratitude." Where Dorothy is, whether he can pass the test safely and repay the favor, I had no clue. "Oknodie, are you sure you're not being too generous?" "It's fine. It's Dorothy's call to forgive or not anyway." Even if left alone, Rockfell was the kind of person who would wallow in despair and dig himself deeper into depression. In the original story, Yui would have successfully married without facing the consequences of karma. If I could torment her a bit more by using Rockfell, then it's worth letting things slide. It feels like I've entered Rockfell's NTR route, but I can just refrain from giving him any affection, right? 'Neither I nor Dorothy would consider accepting such a guy.’ But there is another reason. "We've got plenty of points, don't we?" [Ticket Clock Points] <Oknodie 82 points> <Giselle 72 points> <Son Ocheon 72 points> <Isabel 72 points> Everyone had passed the minimum passing score of 50 points. We all escaped the constraints of the game of tag. No need to tussle with petty criminals in this situation! "What shall we eat for dinner?" "Grilled mushrooms." "With a side of butter." Giselle pulled butter out of the magic backpack. I've made up my mind. If I were to date a man, Giselle would be my first choice. * * The Great Northern Lady Irene. She is of a different caliber from the common noble daughters far and wide. "Ah, it hurts. Sniffle. The ground is too prickly." "Don't lean against the trees either. The bark is prickly, and it will tear your clothes." "Wah-wah. I don't want to be in the higher class. Can't we just give up and go to the lower class instead?" Walking, running, resting, breathing. These were all it took for these ladies to whine and carry on. The sight of this immature display prompted a sigh. This is why conspiracy theories about gender quotas circulate every year. Did their families buy their tickets? That's the first thought that crossed my mind. With that money, how many furs could have been provided to the soldiers shivering in the cold North, or how many fine, sharp new swords could replace their worn-out, blunt ones? "Ah, Lady Irene! Aren't you hungry?" "...Don't worry about me." At least one of the young ladies with some sense spread out her cloak and sat on a rock, imitating Irene. She tried to take a rest on a nearby rock with a blanket and struck up a conversation. There’s an apparent willingness to gather food, but sadly, Irene had already brought her supplies. Rations that were a gastronomic atrocity, designed solely for their small size and maximum caloric content, devoid of any taste. She would moisten the rations with her saliva and then, when she couldn't tolerate them any longer, crunch them into pieces. "Waaaah! I'll give you my emergency rations, so please, don’t eat that horrid food!" "I'll just accept your thoughtful gesture." "No, please take it for real! Both watching you eat as if it's just for survival and your grimace are painful to see!" How could she know whether this was genuine kindness or an attempt at poisoning? Irene tended not to trust people easily. Having experienced the shock of discovering that villagers of a frontier village in the cursed Northland, who had welcomed her with a meal, were in fact filthy agents of a wicked cult. Lucky to escape with her life but losing half her subordinates, Irene became unable to trust food given by others from that point on. 'Tasteless food is something I'm used to anyway. Not like the others here are eating anything delicious.' She had her own reasons for not accepting the proffered food, a kind of trauma that had turned into paranoia. The scions of the nobility likely carry rations named after their family's heritage, but they couldn’t have eaten all of their precious food already. They probably pick leaves and berries, whose names they do not know, just gathered clumsily from the forest in an effort to save as much as they can. Leaves of dandelions, bitter to the taste. Nettle leaves, armed with sharp spikes. Berries from a rowan tree, notorious for causing diarrhea. Extremely astringent Sichuan peppercorn fruits. They unknowingly picked a collection of famously distasteful items to share among themselves, leading to an absurd situation. Even the plants not native to the North, ones that I had memorized just in case, seemed laughable in comparison to such an effort. Those young ladies would have been better off studying how to distinguish delicious leaves and fruits instead of focusing on this month’s spring fashion or the latest dances at the social gatherings. ‘This is a victory for the military rations, after all.’ It was with such consolation that the irresistible scent caught Irene's attention despite her determination to ignore it. Sniffing subtly, she was drawn to the source of the scent, where she heard sizzling. Sizzling from mushrooms. Mushrooms complemented with the rich aroma of butter, no less. ‘This is downright unfair!’ Some eat these tasteless military rations, while others indulge in delicious-looking mushroom dishes! Overwhelmed by a sense of injustice, she almost teared up but forced herself to endure, keeping in mind the dignity of the Northern Great Lady. "Lady Irene...? Did you come here because you wanted some mushrooms?" A young noblewoman observing Irene's every move asked incredulously. Regardless of what others thought, I was embarrassed to be caught in such a state and quickly deflected. "I was just checking to see which competitors managed to secure food." "Ah... Of course, you are remarkable, Lady. Others just chased the aroma because they were hungry. The pragmatic Lady versus those driven by habit – you truly can't compare!" This child, does he possess the qualities of a sycophant? He has a talent for speaking pleasant words. "That means you will not partake then!" "...What do you mean?" "Those people are selling grilled mushrooms in exchange for money." "!!" "A team with a noble young lady wouldn’t be short of money. I guess they're taking the money to avoid giving the impression of indiscriminate charity to fellow noble candidates, right?" "Such a thought..." "Anyway, since you won't eat, it doesn't affect you!" "...Take this." Irene pulled another Type A emergency ration from her magic backpack and handed it over. "Oh, Lady...! You’re so moved that you’d even provide food for me!" She simply wanted to impart the same pain she had endured with her harsh words that dissuaded him from eating the grilled mushrooms. Of course, the young lady who had been observing Irene eat the rations had no intention of opening them. Only after a week of being stranded and starving to the point of blurred vision might she muster the courage to taste them. “Huh? Look, the kid from the team grilling mushrooms is coming over." If one hasn’t served in the military, they’d have neither heard of nor experienced the notoriety of Type A military rations. Yet, the youngest participant, Oknodie, approached with a puzzled expression as if wondering how anyone could possibly eat such atrocious rations. A cute blond child pulled out a candy from her pocket. Snatched. Then, a woman who seemed to be part of her group along with a monkey-like beastman rushed over, seizing Oknodie’s arm and mouth, hurrying them away. "That's too much... The kid was just trying to offer candy..." ‘Really despicable.’ Irene felt unjustly aggrieved. She never eats food given by others on principle. Still, it upset her heart, feeling as if it had been snatched away after being offered. A Word from the Author (Afterword) The reason why a culinary companion is tier 1