Chapter 102: Feeding the Tiger

“It’s a bit inconvenient using a fork. Would’ve been nice if they’d included chopsticks in the supply pack.”

The ramen bubbled vigorously in the mess tin.

A savory aroma rose with the steam, tickling the appetite.

“……”

Ichinose unconsciously swallowed a bit of drool.

She didn’t even particularly like ramen.

Was it because of the sticker on the back of her neck? The smell felt irresistibly stimulating and alluring.

“Okay! The noodles are perfect now.”

Rohan scooped a generous amount of noodles into the mess tin lid using the fork from the supply box.

He poured a bit of broth over them and handed it to Ichinose.

“Customer? Your ramen is ready.”

“Thanks for the food.”

Ichinose silently smiled as she received the lid from Rohan.

She could feel a sense of pride in the ramen that he didn’t even show during battles.

It almost felt like craftsmanship.

“Ichinose. Want me to make you some chopsticks? Isn’t it uncomfortable eating with a fork?”

“It’s fine. There’s this stone-pot pasta place in front of Orion Academy that serves it with tons of broth. And they give you a fork there too.”

“Hmm.”

Was he thinking of carving a tree branch?

Rohan fiddled with his dagger while scanning the ground, then sat his butt back down.

“But if you give me this lid, what are you going to use as a bowl?”

“Wait a moment.”

He tore open the empty ramen packet and folded it over itself.

With its silver interior, it became a minimalist soup bowl. He hadn’t forgotten his childhood skill of using the lids of cup noodles as makeshift bowls.

“Tadaa.”

“…I’ve never seen anyone do that before.”

“It’s actually a pretty common method. Anyway, let’s eat quick. I’m starving.”

Rohan smiled as he offered the meal to Ichinose.

Compared to the dry, flavorless hornbird meat they’d eaten without even a pinch of salt, this was an extravagant dish.

It would’ve been a waste not to eat it while it was still hot.

“Phew!”

Ichinose blew softly on the ramen hanging from her fork, then opened her mouth.

Slurp! She slurped the noodles through her small lips and began to chew.

Next, she picked up the mess tin lid and sipped the broth.

Wow…

It was indescribably delicious.

So good that it left her speechless.

How can something taste this good…?

The ramen itself wasn’t anything special.

It was the same kind you’d find in a convenience store, nothing out of the ordinary.

She had even watched the entire cooking process right beside him. He hadn’t added any special ingredients or some kind of secret sauce.

“……”

She heard through her ears.

Her partner Rohan was eating as if this taste was nothing new to him.

In that case…

There was only one conclusion to draw.

This must’ve been what Rohan meant by ramen tasting good depending on the situation.

Unable to resist, Ichinose grabbed the lid with both hands and gulped down the remaining broth.

“Haah…!”

A breath escaped her lips without her even realizing it.

It seeped through her entire body. Exaggerating a bit, it was a taste that could stir the soul.

Before she knew it, the mess tin lid that had held the ramen was completely empty.

Rohan asked as if he had sensed it like a ghost,

“Want some more?”

“Uh… is there any left?”

“Of course.”

Ichinose held back a smile as she watched Rohan, his voice full of pride, ladle out more ramen.

Is he my actual dad or something?

It was something she’d never say out loud, but she could think it all she wanted.

“Eat up.”

“Thank you.”

Focusing on the ramen he handed her, Ichinose recalled,

I’ve never really considered ramen to be gourmet food before.

Ichinose Yui knew herself well.

She was aware that her palate was rather picky.

That didn’t mean she was a fussy eater.

In situations like this test, she could eat just about anything if necessary. But that was purely for survival.

When she said her palate was picky,

It meant that while she was willing to eat things that didn’t suit her taste, she made a clear distinction between what was delicious and what wasn’t.

It also meant her standards for what she considered gourmet were unusually high.

By those standards, this ramen—

She could say with confidence it was the best thing she’d eaten in years.

Far better than dishes crafted by famous chefs at renowned restaurants.

…What if I want to eat this again after the test is over?

What was she supposed to do if she started craving this taste again?

If it was all due to the situation making the ramen taste better, would she be able to recreate something like this on her own?

It was such a shocking taste experience that she was already worried about the future.

While the two of them were inside the shelter, slurping away with satisfying slurp! slurp! sounds—

Rohan and Ichinose suddenly stopped eating and turned their heads toward the entrance at the same time.

The visitor this time was clearly Noah Frozenheart.

“Smells like the ramen turned into a compass.”

“I’ll go check. You finish eating.”

“It’s fine. Let’s go together.”

The two of them grabbed their weapons, got up from their spots, and headed outside.

Seeing Noah collapse right in front of them, Rohan and Ichinose quickly moved to the side to catch her.

“Noah! Are you okay?”

“I don’t see any visible wounds…”

Had she let her guard down because she realized it was Rohan and Ichinose inside?

“Nose… I can’t even move a finger…”

“Are you still wearing the sticker!?”

Her voice trailed off weakly as a bonus.

——Grrrrrrgle! Noah’s stomach gave a loud growl in answer.

“Guys! Sorry for showing up out of nowhere…!”

Noah’s partner Corin appeared a beat later, pushing through the bushes.

Even if they weren’t that close, seeing fellow Class 1 students brought a wave of relief.

“Neither of you are hurt, right?”

Rohan, seeing that Noah looked too weak to speak, directed his question to Corin.

“We’re not hurt!”

“What about food? Did you get anything to eat?”

“We just kept drinking water… The supply drops landed way too far away, and we didn’t run into any monsters or animals either…”

So they’d just been drinking rainwater then.

Rohan could more or less guess why the two hadn’t encountered any wild animals or monsters.

Noah has a presence that spreads out without restraint. Most beasts and monsters probably ran off.

His gaze shifted to the fallen beastkin girl.

If he thought of it as a collaboration between the sticker and Noah’s appetite, she probably felt like there was a black hole in her stomach right now.

“Is Corin okay?”

At Ichinose’s question, Corin nodded her head, saying she could still hold on.

That meant the urgent one was Noah who had collapsed.

Rohan kept his eyes on his partner who had fallen silent. He knew Ichinose must be conflicted.

She wanted to help Noah, but removing the sticker would be an open move.

Since they were in a team, she couldn’t just use supplies freely either.

She was probably overthinking whether a decision made out of personal feelings would end up being a burden.

Rohan understood that.

And knowing that the right move was for him to step up, he spoke first.

“Ichinose.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s feed Noah my ramen and canned food.”

“!”

Ichinose flinched.

She hesitated, unable to speak easily. It was hard to say yes or no.

“This decision won’t cause any trouble for you, Ichinose. I promise.”

He vowed not to let hunger-driven cravings or poor condition become a burden on his partner.

Rohan made that promise with full confidence.

He also had the shop to fall back on, which gave him peace of mind.

Besides, Noah wasn’t like Gilbert or Dick.

When your favorite character collapsed from hunger, of course you’d want to help them.

This was a truth and a natural order that allowed no rebuttal.

“W-Wait a second! If that’s the case, then just let me give her mine instead!”

“No. If we do that, it’ll look like I forced you to use your own supplies.”

“….…”

It was practically nonsense, but with Ichinose at a loss for words, now was the perfect moment.

Rohan ended the conversation, returned to their shelter, scooped about half of the ramen into the lid of Ichinose’s mess kit,

Then brought over the whole pot that had been sitting over the fire.

He crouched down in front of Noah with a fork in hand and opened the can of tuna.

“Uuugh…”

Noah who was still sprawled on the ground slowly lifted her head to look at Rohan.

The ramen and tuna can in his hands.

The delicious smell was practically flooding the air.

“Here, I’ll feed you. Just open your mouth.”

“Aaah…”

Rohan could clearly see Noah’s sharp teeth and soft tongue as she opened wide.

He placed a chunk of tuna inside.

She chewed with a squish-squish sound, then gulped it down. Her tail swayed gently behind her.

“Corin… let’s go inside.”

“Huh?”

“Rohan. This is a personal decision I made on my own. I wasn’t swayed by anyone.”

“Got it. I’ll keep that in mind.”

“……”

Ichinose led Corin into the shelter. She was probably planning to share a meal with her.

Rohan silently praised Ichinose and continued feeding Noah.

“This is the last of the tuna.”

“Nom-nom…”

Once the can was cleaned out, he picked up the mess tin with the ramen.

Noah ate the ramen just as eagerly.

Her breathing was so strong that when he fed her noodles, she slurped them up like a vacuum cleaner.

“Nom-nom… I’ll… repay this burden… slurp! with grace… munch!”

“That’s enough. Don’t talk. Just eat.”

Was this how the Black Leg Chef felt when he served fried rice to the pirate?

He felt proud seeing her come to her senses as she ate.

“Ueeng! I feel alive…”

Noah finished off even the canned food and ramen broth cleanly, and perhaps regaining some energy, she flopped over onto her back.

Her stomach was still sunken, but her complexion had definitely improved.

Rohan stood up, saying he would clean up.

He placed the mess tin in front of the shelter, then picked up his longsword. From beyond the thicket came the fluttering sound of wings and faint cries.

The strange crying sound made him think it might be a Honbird.

“Noah. Get some rest.”

“Ungnya…”

Had she already fallen asleep?

Noah lay sprawled on the ground. She kept lazily flicking her tail as she gave a strange reply.

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After entrusting Noah and Corin to Ichinose,

Rohan followed the fluttering sounds and came upon an amusing sight.

– Kkippyaaak!

– Kkipp! Kkik!

Two Honbirds were screeching as they fought fiercely with their blood flying.

They were fighting roughly, using their sharp claws and beaks like true monsters.

They really are Honbirds? And two of them?

What luck. Rohan gripped the hilt of his longsword.

To think monsters were this close to Noah.

Were these Honbirds just unusually dull-witted?

Just as he was about to take both of them down with a single strike—

“……”

Rohan froze in his tracks. He was struck by a sense of déjà vu about the situation.

– Kkippyaaaak!!!

– Kkigik! Kkiik!

The Honbirds’ eyes were bloodshot as if soaked in gore.

As he continued watching, even their behavior seemed off.

They were excessively aggressive, thrashing about as if in agony.

Different individuals, but the situation was eerily similar to what he had seen in Abyss City.

That same unsettling feeling toward the monsters.

Having reached a conclusion, Rohan’s eyes flew wide open.

Hex…? Frenzy factor…!

A notification window popped up.

[You have unlocked the Boundary of Science and Skill achievement.]

[You have received 30P as an achievement reward.]

A notification that shattered what had been a peaceful time.

It was a bad omen.