Chapter 59:
You Never Know Until You Try
Morgan found the antics of Pythonus amusing, smiling warmly as he gently shook his head towards Riche.
“No.”
Luckily, it seemed he had some semblance of a conscience.
Pythonus climbed down Riche’s arm, snorting as it inspected the ring.
A black star fragment.
[A star fragment is good, but it’s black.]
‘Is that a problem?’
[Black means we can’t infer its unique properties from its color.]
Unlike finding the star fragment in the library and associating it with healing properties, Pythonus groaned in thought.
[What kind of property is this?]
Riche handed the ring to Pythonus and turned her head.
The girl who had run away earlier was now sprinting towards them.
“Mo-Morgan~~!”
Upon closer inspection, her backpack seemed quite heavy.
[No wonder she nearly got caught by the monster.]
Pythonus gave her a brief scolding before refocusing on the star fragment.
“Pant, pant. Thank you. You saved my life.”
In the meantime, the girl, panting heavily, stopped in front of Riche and Morgan.
Riche smiled slightly at the girl expressing her gratitude and listened to their conversation.
“Morgan, how did you get here?”
“I saw you being chased by a monster near the campsite and followed you. How did you end up being chased by a monster? It was a subterranean type, right… perhaps what you mentioned this morning-?”
Morgan’s face showed bewilderment. He had warned her it was dangerous.
Hamad scratched the back of his neck awkwardly.
“Yeah. We were testing a new portable digging machine we developed… The vibrations must have attracted the monster from nearby. But we can’t continue the experiments. I saw the monster crush it with its jaws.”
Hamad mourned the loss of his invention and looked around.
“But how do we get back from here? It seems like we’ll have to walk all night to reach the campsite.”
It was already dawn. They would have to walk until morning to reach the Udik Academy campsite. Then they’d have to depart immediately, leaving no time for rest before the qualification examination.
“Indeed.”
“Um.”
At Riche’s voice, both turned their heads.
Hamad took a sharp breath. His heart, unguarded, pounded again. She must hear that she’s pretty often, but she truly was.
Even compared to Morgan, she wouldn’t lose in terms of appearance.
Maybe they were immune to beauty from seeing their own faces every day, as they conversed calmly despite their striking looks.
“It sounds like it’ll take a while to get back to where you came from. Would you like to rest at our campsite if that’s okay?”
“Ah, I appreciate the offer, but…”
“You’re heading to the Xelphone competition, right? You’re wearing Udik Academy uniforms.”
Riche glanced at Morgan’s uniform and Hamad’s work clothes, which had ‘Udik’ embroidered on them.
“I’ve heard our Royal Academy and your academy are rivals. But wouldn’t it be better to rest at our campsite than walk all night? You can join your team at the competition site tomorrow. The qualification exams are tomorrow, right?”
She’s even concerned about her rivals’ condition.
Hamad was dazzled by the angelic aura before him and shaded his eyes with his hand.
“Then…”
Morgan and Hamad exchanged glances and gave a small nod.
“It would be shameless, but we’ll accept your offer for one night.”
After saying that, Morgan introduced himself and Hamad to Riche.
“I’m Morgan Dayel. This is Hamad Rick.”
“I’m Triche Lodwick.”
Riche smiled warmly and extended her hand.
Morgan stared at Riche’s hand for a moment before cautiously shaking it.
“Nice to meet you, Triche.”
* * *
Morgan Dayel, despite his aristocratic appearance, was a straightforward student.
Upon hearing Riche’s name, he suggested they drop the formalities since they were in the same grade.
“You’re quite famous, even at our academy. Triche Lodwick, 7th year at Loksha Royal Academy. Right?”
Even then, Morgan spoke informally.
Riche was a bit taken aback by Morgan’s amiability, which matched that of Robenhoff, but she quickly agreed to his suggestion.
After spending the night with Morgan and Hamad at the campsite, a new day dawned.
[Oh! You’re awake?]
“…Yeah. Good morning.”
It was still before dawn. Riche, who had slept in a freshly pitched tent, got up from her cot, her eyes half-closed. To wake herself up, she stepped outside, where the chilly morning air touched her skin.
A few early-rising workers were already up, preparing for the day and getting ready to leave.
“Good morning, miss!”
“Thank you for saving us last night.”
“Oh, it’s that young lady! You were impressive. How about joining our mercenary group after graduation?”
Recognizing Riche, people greeted her warmly.
Responding to their greetings, Riche walked until a delicious smell made her stop. The chef, who had accompanied them from the academy, was preparing breakfast in front of a tent.
The barbecue grill was piled high with freshly prepared meat.
Considering that they had been relying on preserved food since the third day, the sudden appearance of fresh ingredients was surprising.
“Lady Triche, you’re up early. Today’s breakfast is grilled skewers!”
Noticing Riche approaching, the chef greeted her cheerfully, looking very pleased.
“Good morning. It looks delicious. Did you get all this fresh meat this morning? Did the mercenaries hunt it?”
“You’re too modest. You’re the one who hunted it, miss.”
“…Me?”
Riche tilted her head in confusion. She couldn’t recall hunting anything.
“Of course. Didn’t you catch it with your magic last night?”
Magic. At the mention of it, Riche mumbled in realization.
“Monsters…?”
“Exactly!”
“We’re eating… monsters?”
The unexpected source of the meal made Riche question in surprise. The chef nodded with a contented smile.
“Monsters are hard to catch, but their meat is exceptional. It’s juicy, has a great texture, and is very flavorful.”
[It’s because of the earth’s magic. Just like the plants you grow in the greenhouse are strong.]
Pythonus yawned from Riche’s pocket and explained.
Monsters were born when the earth’s magic infused animals.
“Would you like to try some?”
“Well, that is-.”
“Please try it! I’ll give you two skewers, especially for you! I’m sure you’ll find it delicious! Eat and gain strength to defeat Udik Academy!”
The chef, beaming, handed Riche two large skewers.
Unable to refuse the offered food, Riche took the skewers in both hands and walked away.
‘Pythonus, would you like some?’
[I don’t really eat human food.]
Pythonus replied indifferently.
[If you don’t want it, you can throw it away.]
‘How could I?’
[So, will you eat it?]
“Hmm…”
Riche sighed in contemplation. The skewers looked delicious, perfectly grilled, just as the chef had described. But the thought of the monster’s screeching face made her hesitant to take a bite.
…Maybe I’ll try it.
“Triche?”
Just as Riche resolved to bring the skewer to her mouth, someone called her.
Turning around, she saw Morgan. He was emerging from a tent, drying his wet hair with a towel.
Riche lowered the skewer and greeted Morgan warmly.
“Good morning, Morgan. Did you sleep here? Did you wash up? Was there enough water in the tent?”
“Yes. I did some sword practice early this morning. There’s a nice lake nearby, so I washed up there.”
The previous night, they had restored the campsite, which had been wrecked by monsters. The magic students, including Riche, repaired the damage, while others re-pitched the tents. Morgan had helped until the end, so he must have gone to bed late.
Yet he had already done morning training and returned, looking refreshed.
‘Winners are different.’
Admiring him inwardly, Riche remembered that Morgan and Hamad also needed breakfast.
‘Will they have to eat under scrutiny?’
When she brought Morgan and Hamad to the camp last night, people’s gazes weren’t exactly friendly. They didn’t raise objections because Riche had brought them, but still, the students from rival Udik Academy, including last year’s Xelphone champion, were not welcomed warmly.
‘They’ll need breakfast too.’
It was obvious they would have to eat under watchful eyes, so she thought of giving them something to eat herself. However, the only food she had was monster meat skewers.
It would be nice if Hamad had food in his backpack, but when Morgan had asked what was in the backpack yesterday, Hamad had replied, “These? My equipment.”
You can’t eat equipment for breakfast.
“Morgan, do you like monster meat?”
“Monster… meat?”
Morgan asked gently, but his smile was uncertain. It was clear that monster meat was unfamiliar to him.
“Today’s breakfast is skewers and stew made from the monster we caught yesterday…”
“Ah, are those what you’re holding?”
“Yes, this is breakfast.”
“Did you bring those for us?”
“Well…”
Riche’s words trailed off as she lowered her hands holding the skewers. It seemed too much to give Morgan monster meat, which she herself was hesitant to eat. She thought it might be better to find other food. But then,
“Thank you, Triche.”
Morgan took one of the skewers from Riche’s hand and bit into it without hesitation.
‘Gasp.’
“Hmm?”
Morgan’s well-defined eyebrows narrowed. Was it really inedible? Riche, startled, reached out her hand.
“M-Morgan. Is it weird? I’ll bring you something else to eat, so let me have that-.”
“It’s delicious.”
“What…?”
“Does monster meat taste like this? The sauce is perfect too. Can I meet the chef?”
Morgan’s eyes sparkled as he asked Riche. Relieved that he liked it, she hesitated.
“The chef?”
“I really want to meet him.”
He’s mainly into swordsmanship and magic, but does he have a hobby in cooking too?
Recalling the chef’s words about beating Udik Academy, Riche sighed slightly and nodded.
“Okay.”
He’s so active in meeting people. Even though they look similar, he’s nothing like Ian.
Riche walked towards the direction of the chef, with Morgan following her like a puppy.
The chef, seeing Morgan, was initially surprised and wary. But the handsome young man’s genuine appreciation of the food soon won him over, and he ended up revealing his secrets.
After breakfast, the chef, who had been silent during the meal distribution, approached Riche quietly.
“Miss. Be wary of Morgan Dayel.”
He warned that in front of him, even enemy spies would spill information easily. He pleaded earnestly not to be swayed by his angelic appearance and dog-like demeanor.
Whether it was praise or caution, Riche couldn’t fully grasp, but she agreed under the pressure of his intensity.
Later, when Hamad, who had woken up late, ate the skewer Morgan gave him, he was thrilled by the incredible taste. However, upon learning it was monster meat, he promptly threw it up.
