NOVEL NEXT Chapter 108
<108 - How great is this?>
Dragons are commonly considered the wisest creatures in the world.
With a lifespan spanning thousands of years.
Transcendent power and intelligence.
They possess the ability to create or destroy entire nations if they set their hearts to it.
Only beings like gods who enjoy immortality or demons challenging the gods can still be compared as beings wiser than such dragons.
When a dragon employs magic to search for a hidden existence, there are no secrets it cannot uncover.
[Entelecheia's Eye, which contemplates all things]
[Full reinterpretation of the reality space Conatus]
Brilliant light particles flooded the lecture hall, scanning the entire area, disassembling all sorts of secretive, distorted, and perception-deceiving structures, imprinting them into the principal’s mind.
In the face of the harsh and high-level manifestation of magic, Oknodie, hiding in Jezel’s cloak, was instantly detected.
And on top of that, even the presence of the mana spore sac digesting inside her stomach!
-This little rat. It devours everything, be it stone or spore sac, as long as it contains mana!
How was I found out?
Could it be that I already ate it and won’t spit it out?
…Somehow, it feels like that’s exactly what I would do.
The wary gaze of Oknodie was filled with concern.
As the dragon principal read that arrogant inner thought, he was even more astounded.
That mischievous child from the Foundation showed not a shred of respect toward his educator.
-Does that little amount of mana even suffice for me? Don’t look at me with those cheeky eyes, as I have no intention of extracting it.
Sometimes, students get mistaken.
They think the Gift Academy is an otherworldly place and that the principal is a hidden being similar to a demon king.
Although it all started as a joke for making money, it has somehow continued for the 981st year now, and unlike the early days, he is genuinely focused on teaching.
He feels disgusted whenever his capabilities as an educator are doubted, even if the ignorance of trivial things is to blame.
-I will definitely see respect in your eyes today. -Let me show you the most wonderful way to cook mushrooms in the world!
As the dragon principal waved his hand, several Red Fanged Mushrooms floated into the air.
Quack!
The mushrooms were swiftly decapitated.
The spores that were the greatest issue when dealing with Mushroom Monsters were unable to escape into the atmosphere.
-First, when cooking Mushroom Monsters, you must completely subjugate them and coat the entire body of the mushroom monster with magical energy. -If you twist its neck or insert a knife while sealing it to prevent any spores from escaping, you can cleanly eliminate it.
The expressions on the students’ faces crumbled and became displeased.
Due to nausea.
Or maybe they lost confidence right from step one.
-Cooking methods for mushroom monsters vary by color and shape. -Yellow Fanged Mushrooms are used for savory soups, while Blue Fanged Mushrooms go into stews and stir-fries as the last ingredient to maintain texture.
-Green Fanged Mushrooms, which have great texture, are often used as meat substitutes or deep-fried.
-The long-awaited Red Fanged Mushroom is a nutrient-rich and flavorful dish used as a main course. Today, I will make steamed Red Fanged Mushrooms and Red Fanged Mushroom soup.
As the mushrooms released a mouthwatering aroma reminiscent of grilled meat, the students began to salivate.
“Are you all crazy? That’s a monster.”
“Right? It’s even the infamous Mushroom Monster.”
Ordinary adventurers could never dare to cook it, and without a Mushroom Monster cooking certification, one should never attempt to treat it as an ingredient.
Just as the infamous reputation of the Red Fanged Mushroom was well-known, the students’ apprehension toward the dish created by the principal heightened.
-Now, it’s done.
The principal’s cooking skills were truly extraordinary.
The ability to whip out various cooking tools from thin air with ease was impressive, and managing water and fire control through magic was remarkable.
However, eating the dishes made in such a way felt unsettling.
-Well, I will grant one lucky person a chance to taste it. -Why is no one stepping up? Do you doubt the cooking skills of this principal?
The students had already transformed into a pitiful sight.
So this was why the principal cooked; he had set up this risky assignment under the guise of being restrained today.
Thoughts of suspicion ran through their minds.
‘If I eat that and get infected by the spores, I might be told that I didn’t try hard enough not to get infected.’
‘A skilled second-year student wouldn’t be foolish enough to eat such suspicious food and end up losing points, right?’
‘This is food made by the principal. Who knows what kind of trap might be hidden in it?’
As the students’ suspicions grew, resentment began to bud.
“Well then, I’ll eat it!”
What a fearless little rat.
The mischievous child from the Foundation.
Oknodie stepped forward with a bright smile.
*
“Oknodie! How can you volunteer to eat such dangerous food? If it’s about cooking, I can make it for you later, so apologize to the principal for being reckless!”
“Listen to Isabel. No matter how much you want to eat something new, that’s just too reckless.”
“Listen to the adults, you little pesky rat.”
As she stepped up to express her desire to taste, her first comrades from this world, Isabel, Jezel, and Son Ohchun, immediately restrained her.
“It’s fine. Eating that won’t kill you!”
“You won’t die, but you might get infested with spores.”
“Even if you seek treatment, if even a tiny spore remains behind, it’ll require extensive concentrated therapy for a long time.”
“Listen to the smart ones.”
They understood the worry, but it was an unnecessary concern.
The dragon principal wouldn’t mess up the cooking.
He’s surprisingly earnest about cooking.
Sorry to the mushrooms, but mushroom dishes taste good.
Most importantly, since they’re quite tricky to prepare, chances to collect mushroom recipes in the handbook don’t come frequently.
“It’s really fine. I’ve eaten dangerous foods many times before!”
In the future, I’ll have to eat a thousand types of poisonous dishes just to build up resistance for sipping Hydra Venom Soup, so eating mushroom dishes that won’t harm me is no big deal at all!
Despite my attempts to reassure them, for some reason, the students began to tear up.
“Why does she look so pitiful?”
“Is there no food in the border regions that she has to eat such harmful food…?”
“Oh, no! Even in our maritime power, Florence, assassins were considered nothing but unpleasant beings until now, yet they have to grow up facing such hardships…”
“It doesn’t have to be extreme poverty.”
Jiang quietly added.
“Assassins usually consume small amounts of poison or harmful foods from a young age for resistance training. Oknodie’s faction must have gone through quite a rigorous training.”
Tears began to flow down the students’ faces.
“Waaah! Oknodie is so pitiful!”
“…I feel kind of sorry now. We thought all assassins were unpleasant until now, but it seems like they grew up facing such grievances…”
“Glad to know she won’t get atherosclerosis.”
Amidst the sensitivity displayed by the students, attention shifted to a rather inappropriate comment made by one of them.
The student was even more flustered to realize they were receiving attention.
“Why? Red Fanged Mushrooms contain ergosterol, which is good for atherosclerosis. To keep arteries healthy, one should consume an adequate amount.”
Honor Fried Chicken, a member of the Three Great Meritorious Families of the Empire, had accumulated extensive knowledge on the Mana Refinement Technique for maintaining good health.
The knowledge passed down through generations in the Fried Chicken family ensured meticulous care for blood vessel health.
Even the Red Fanged Mushroom can be consumed in small amounts as a medicinal herb.
In high-level physical training, the focus shifts towards the aspects of ‘refinement.’
As they strive to improve their polluted and ailing bodies through diverse rare materials, they’d naturally accumulate various trivial knowledge.
The accumulation of such trivial knowledge would shape the family’s vision.
However, Honor Fried Chicken clumsily let slip one of the family secrets to the outside world.
Yet, there weren’t many people who would gladly accept or make use of that fact.
“How heartless are the Empire folks? How can they comment like that in this atmosphere?”
“Don’t mistake that all nobles are like this. The Fried Chicken family just tends to be like that. This has nothing to do with our Iron Charcoal Barbecue family.”
To those who didn’t fully grasp the medicinal properties of Red Fanged Mushrooms, it came off as a ruthless comment, ignorant of the plight of a pitiful assassin from the border.
Unexpectedly, a new rumor spread in the upper class.
The Fried Chicken family cannot comprehend the human heart, a cold-blooded clan devoid of blood and tears!
The Fried Chicken family is composed of psychopaths who raise their own chicks only to kill them, pluck their feathers, and deep-fry them in a pot!
The parties involved would face unfair reputations, but I couldn’t care less.
━━━
[I ate steamed Red Fanged Mushrooms.]
[I ate Red Fanged Mushroom soup.]
━━━
[Cooking Handbook [Rare][Mushroom Dish] stack increases.]
[Rare Cooking Collection increases by 2.]
[Mushroom Cooking Collection increases by 2.]
━━━
Rare Cooking [Steamed Red Fanged Mushrooms] collected – 1% spore resistance increase.
Rare Cooking [Red Fanged Mushroom Soup] collected – 1% spore resistance increase.
━━━
[You bravely stepped up to consume mushroom dishes in a reckless yet courageous challenge on behalf of the terrified students.]
[Bravery Experience Points +3]
[Good Child Experience Points +1]
Many students stared at me in shock, but I am just happy to collect rare dishes!
As I cleaned the spoon, putting the remaining soup into my mouth, Son Ohchun approached and silently patted my head.
I don’t know why, but feeling the warmth, I smiled happily and leaned my head against Son Ohchun’s rough and rugged hand.