Chapter 22 (1/2)
The supply fleet arrived the day before the ‘Week of Suffering’ officially began. What was usually a single s.h.i.+p that supplied fresh food to the Campus was instead joined by a fleet of s.h.i.+ps at the port. While the docked s.h.i.+ps were busy unloading their cargo of emergency rations into the empty warehouses, Isaac was having a small meeting with Gonzales.
“Have you brought all the goods I asked?”
“It was easy enough with Krent’s letter of introduction, but what are you planning to use this on?”
Gonzales asked as he remembered the goods Isaac asked for. Most of them were ingredients for food, but the quant.i.ty was too much for a single person to eat. Mazelan also seemed to have given a helping hand as there was a second s.h.i.+p which helped transport Isaac’s goods. Finally, there were goods which seemed to have some unknown function. Gonzales was worried that Isaac was planning something dangerous.
“Huhuh, you don’t need to worry. I’m just playing with someone.”
Gonzales understood that this was Isaac’s warning. It was clear that trying to snoop around would land him in trouble. All he needed to do was follow orders and receive his due payments .
It was lunchtime. This was possibly the favourite time for students who had just hit their growth spurt, but today, they looked like convicts being led to their execution.
“I heard there’s more than usual this year?”
“Apparently. the 5-year rations and 2-year rations expire at the same time this year, so we have double the usual.”
“And we can’t even dream of eating anything else until that’s all gone.”
“I’m feeling sick already.”
Taste was not a factor that was considered when these rations were at the first stage of development, only its shelf life. Its disgusting taste was so legendary that even the slums of the Empire suffering from ma.s.s starvation would refrain from causing riots in fear that the Empire would simply hand out these rations as a solution.
“So what’s the start of the menu?”
“I heard it’s the brick.”
“Ha, it’s the worst one from the start.”
There were many different types of these rations. There were many attempts to change the disgusting taste since they were first developed, but they all ended in failure. The brick was one of the first-generation rations that has continued to be in service due to its excellent shelf life and ease of transport. Its official name was dried bread, but it was more commonly known as the brick to many.
Dried bread was hard enough to be used as a weapon when cooked properly. Trying to eat it in its original form would only break the teeth, so you are required to use a hammer to break them into pieces and soak them in any kind of liquid, be it water, milk, or tea. Only then was it edible. But the taste was nothing you could smile about.
The students’ faces darkened as they approached the Cafeteria, but they soon noticed a large tent put up in front of it. At first, they were curious, but then they were astonished.
“I think it’s a little too effective.”
The chef’s clothes tailored to Kunette synchronised perfectly with her, exponentially increasing her level of cuteness. With a small little chef’s hat to top things off, all of the female students were nearly fainting at the mere sight of Kunette.
Meanwhile, Reisha gathered all the attention from the boys with her short skirt exposing her thighs and a s.h.i.+rt which exposed her cleavage to all. The intensity of the stares she received could burn a hole through her s.h.i.+rt.
Kunette was growling at the students as a warning, but she couldn’t escape from this place.
For honey was on the line. The North Bear Tribe as a whole was obsessed with honey. Her status within the North Bear Tribe allowed her to receive more honey than most within the tribe. But with all the adults and children competing for a greater share, Kunette never had the opportunity to have enough honey to be satisfied. The honey she ate during her stay at the Campus was more than she had ever had in her entire life. And it was hers alone, with no one else she needed to share with.
In truth, the fact that she managed to get honey from Isaac for free was a miracle of its own. She felt guilty when asking for it childishly. She had made multiple attempts to resist the urges, but every time she regained reason, she was already holding an empty honey pot.
That was the reason why she was persevering through this: to pay back for Isaac for all he’s done. Of course, Isaac’s promise of more honey also had an effect.
“Students! Come have some sandwiches!”
The students were astonished by Isaac. His bravery of trying to sell food in front of the Student Cafeteria was one thing, but who would even think of buying a plain old sandwich when the Cafeteria provided food using the finest ingredients?
Isaac realised the students haven’t caught up yet and muttered as he picked a sandwich for himself.
“This sandwich is a h.e.l.l of a lot better than those preserved rations.”
It finally clicked for the students. That sandwiches they would have scoffed at another time were the most valuable food that was available to them now.
There was a pause. In the midst of the crowd, a stomach growl echoed faintly, which perfectly described the feeling of all students right now. It was noon, and their hunger had exceeded its peak long before. Their urge to eat the sandwich was growing, yet there was no one who would obey it. They all seemed to be deep in thought.
“Hey, do you have some money?”
“Why would I have any? I’ve given what little I had on me to the Campus’ safe when I arrived here.”
One of the most useless things to carry in the Campus was money. There was no need for them since everything was supplied by the Campus and the only thing you could do with them was to lose it. Carrying money was bound to cause trouble in the Campus. So all students placed their cash in the Student Council’s public safe, resulting in the current situation where no one here had any money on them.
“Is it possible to trade instead?”
“I do have a ring with me, but I’ll be disowned by my family if they found out I traded it for a sandwich.”
“My father would beat me to death.”
“Hm. This is much less of a reaction than I thought.”
The number of hesitating students was much higher than expected but Isaac still had a trump card.
“Ha, I’ll consider anyone who can resist against this a protagonist.”
With a snicker, he called over Kunette and pointed his chin toward the students.
“Kunette. Get in.”
“…”
After a small hesitation, Kunette slowly wobbled to a girl closest to the tent with a basket full of sandwich in one hand.
“… Have this.”
The girl was stunned by the sight of Kunette handing out the sandwich.
“W, wait…”
She looked desperately around for help, but everyone ignored her plea.
“… You don’t want it?”
Kunette stared deep into the girl’s eyes. In the final moment, Kunette’s slight head tilt was enough for the girl’s logical thinking to be consumed by her emotions.
“How could I not? Give me one!”
She took the sandwich while Kunette only stared at her, not asking for payment. After a pause, the girl bit into the sandwich.
“…. Thank you for your patronage.”
Kunette bowed, but as she lowered her head, the chef’s hat on her head was starting to fall off. Kunette’s attempt at readjusting the hat with just one hand while holding the basket in the other was enough to push the rest of the girls into a frenzy.
“Ah, I don’t care anymore. I’m getting one now!”
One person was all that was needed for the entire crowd to move, and the basketful of sandwiches was emptied within moments. The others who couldn’t get any quickly headed to the tent to receive a sandwich from Reisha.
“What is going on here?!”
The sharp echo made the students realise what they had just done. Their faces began to pale. Rivelia was walking towards Isaac with an expression that seemed to say ‘I’ve got you.’
“Are you blatantly breaking the rules in the open now?”
Isaac glossed over her shout as if it was nothing.
“I’m sorry, but care to enlighten me as to which rule I’ve broken?”
That was exactly what Rivelia wanted Isaac to say. She couldn’t stop herself from smiling.
“Ha! How long did you think you can continue to use that excuse? The new rules of the Campus states that anyone who is not a student trying to make a profit off students of the Campus are punishable by the Student Council. I guess you didn’t know about that?!”
“That’s the first time I’ve heard of that rule?”
“Ha! In accordance to protocol, I declared the altercations in the rules yesterday on the news board in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the Student Council building. It’s your fault for not seeing it.”
“…”
Isaac shut his mouth while the students around him looked at Rivelia dumbfounded. Even the students of the Campus rarely visited the Student Council. Only a few of the students even knew that the news board was in the bas.e.m.e.nt of the Student Council. Actually, the fact that the news board was placed in the bas.e.m.e.nt instead of an open area where all could see was a joke.
“And when did you make this news board?”
“According to the rules that you love so much, the Student Council President can decide on where it can be placed after the rules have been altered.”
“Hm, so that’s why you came personally to taunt me.”
Considering that Isaac would have stayed still if not for Rivelia’s visit, she must have made this trap in preparation and was just waiting for Isaac to take the bait.