"..."
It wasn't that she gave up because she was beaten.
It was... she was hungry.
To put down her sword for such a simple reason left Su Shu, who had completely misread the situation, in an indescribable silence.
That's right. The one thing that could annihilate all others even better than the King's Sword was the King's Stomach. How could he have forgotten something so important?
"Ahh, I really got beaten badly. Lord Alvin, you're so strong..."
The girl rubbed her battle-weary stomach reserves. Though her whole body ached, it was nothing compared to the agony of an empty stomach.
"...Don't call me 'Lord' either."
"Okay, Senior Alvin!"
"I'm not older than you... forget it, call me whatever you want..."
Sighing, he rubbed his brow.
There was no getting past this today. Su Shu gave up trying to fix it.
Then, they both heard it: a loud, long wail coming from the girl's stomach.
GUUUUUUUURGLE—
"Uh, hahaha...
"Well, can't be helped if I'm hungry. You need a full stomach to have the strength to practice... If you don't mind, would you like to come back with me..."
The golden-haired girl hugged her arms awkwardly, then her gaze suddenly froze as if it were ice.
She saw Su Shu bend down and "reach" his hand into his own shadow, fumbling around inside.
Soon.
Matsutake mushrooms, bird eggs, wood ear fungus, wild vegetables, chestnuts, berries...
A whole bag of fresh ingredients, preserved by Su Shu's exquisite shadow magic, was thrown directly in front of the girl.
"Tidy up. I'll start a fire."
As Artoria stood there with her mouth slightly agape, Su Shu pulled an iron pot from his shadow and skillfully set up a makeshift earthen stove.
He lit some wheat straw, blanched the ingredients, then stir-fried them in rendered animal fat before adding fresh spring water to cook. Although it was a simple process, the natural, wild flavors soon wafted out with a rich aroma.
The smoke from cooking was an excellent way to lure bandits. Su Shu had used this method to catch several big fish before. The nearby robbers were almost extinct because of him; now they ran for their lives at the sight of smoke.
Tsk, it's a case of all the fish being caught...
He sprinkled a handful of coarse salt into the soup, and the rich fragrance that erupted made the girl's throat begin to swallow saliva involuntarily.
"Eat up. There's nothing better on such short notice."
Handing a wooden bowl to the girl, Su Shu tasted it himself without much confidence.
As expected, after a small sip of the mushroom and meat soup, he couldn't help but frown slightly.
If only it tasted a little better, it wouldn't be this bad.
Unfortunately, this wasn't intentional, nor was it an accident, nor was it a problem with the ingredient preparation. It was simply the limit of the era.
Britain in the 5th century had not yet developed a systematic cultivation of spices and culinary traditions. To put it simply—besides salt, Su Shu had to forage for all other seasonings in the forest.
The makeshift stove was no match for professional cookware.
Therefore, the heat was insufficient, the flavor was bland, and the seasoning of only coarse salt and sage made the aftertaste a bit monotonous.
While the natural flavor of the ingredients was delicious, his palate, which had been trained by modern food technology, wasn't particularly impressed.
How to put it? The image quality... I mean, the taste isn't as good as braised beef instant noodles.
However...
"Gulp... This is... gulp... This is too delicious...! Senior Alvin—!"
Accompanied by intermittent swallowing sounds, the girl's heartfelt exclamation came from beside him.
The richness of the meat broth and the freshness of the mushrooms melted in her mouth. The fragrant spice of salt and herbs, fused with a hint of nutty sweetness, repeatedly assaulted her undeveloped taste buds. Even after swallowing, the endless aftertaste seemed to still fill her mouth...
—In this world... in this world, there could actually be such delicious food!
The golden-haired girl, who usually subsisted on coarse grains, sipped the mushroom and meat soup in small mouthfuls. The taste was so wonderful that her pupils seemed to start sparkling.
She could no longer be bothered with table manners. The bowl of delicacies was quickly drained.
"I-I'm sorry... C-Could I have another bowl? Senior Alvin..."
Her eyes fixed on the large pot of boiling soup, the girl's hand extending the bowl seemed a bit embarrassed, but in the face of such fine food, she abandoned such pointless reservations. After all, politeness couldn't fill one's stomach.
But... another bowl?
More like another billion bowls.
Watching the girl wolf down the food, scraping the entire pot clean and then licking her lips, still wanting more.
This look of a child who had never had a full meal in her life made Su Shu feel a pang of pity.
The dignified King's Stomach, how had it fallen to this state?
"Could it be..."
Su Shu couldn't help but think of the possibility.
"Altoris, is your family very strict with you..."
The chosen one is adopted and lives under another's roof, receiving cold treatment from the family. This kind of drama was quite common in many ways.
"Ha... why do you ask, Senior? Not at all."
"It's just that," Su Shu chose his words carefully, "you seem to have... an exceptionally good appetite."
"No, no, it's just that I've never had such a delicious meal... Senior's cooking is almost like magic."
"...It's a skill not worth mentioning."
Su Shu was telling the truth. As a Chinese person, a dish on the level of boiling water was even less difficult than scrambled eggs with tomatoes...
Moreover, could a dish that didn't glow be considered a good dish? At the very least, it should make people blush and their clothes explode on the spot.
But considering this was Britain, a land renowned as the pinnacle of "dark cuisine," where the legend of Stargazy Pie was well-known, Su Shu felt relieved by the village girl's lack of worldly experience.
What a pitiful dragon. Uther and Merlin are truly inhuman.
"Ahh... a humble virtue, righteous deeds, superb swordsmanship, and even your cooking is so impeccable. When will I ever grow up to be as outstanding as you, Senior Alvin..."
"I'm not a good person. If you think that, you'll regret it sooner or later."
"How could that be? I will try my best to follow in your footsteps!"
...Yeah, how could that be?
I hope you'll still think so then.
The gentle breeze blew, making the golden wheat fields sway.
The girl and the boy sat on the ground.
Observing her profile from the corner of his eye, Su Shu saw the genuine admiration in her expression.
Very good, just like this...
Chase me, long for me, worship me—
The more you admire, the more delightful the pain of disillusionment will be.
If I can't break her physically, then I'll switch to breaking her mentally.
I really look forward to the moment my identity is revealed...
What kind of disbelieving, dumbfounded, and indignant expression will be on her face then?
Just like this, by entering her stomach, I will gradually enter her heart—
Su Shu thought to himself.
I might really be a villain through and through.
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