CH 10

After Nasuo and the others run away crying and screaming, my stomach rumbles.

“I haven’t eaten anything since this morning. Let’s find some lunch.”

In this “Royal Capital Development Academy”, everything is self-sustaining, so we have to procure our own food.

In that sense, having a house in the forest, a treasure trove of food, might be quite convenient.

I mumble to myself as I walk deeper into the forest.

I walk deeper into the forest, muttering to myself, and find a tree with nuts growing on it.

“Good, good, good luck.”

I’m a ninja now, and I’m as light as a monkey, so I can climb trees with ease.

I tire the nuts off the branch and put them in my uniform pocket.

They are very nutritious and last a long time.

As I continue deeper into the forest, I find a mushroom in the shade of a thick growth of trees.

This one looks edible.

Thanks to the ranger’s survival skills, I am able to determine if it is a poisonous mushroom or not.

But just to be sure, I use the Appraiser’s Appraisal skill to check it out.

They are not toxic, and fresh ones can be eaten raw.

If you make a salad out of them, you can get a cooking bonus.

“Wow, you can eat them raw?”

I take a bite of a freshly picked rushroom.

Every time I bite into it, I hear a crunching sound.

“Yes, it has a nice crunch. It would be even better if it was seasoned.”

As I squirm my eyes, I look around the dimly lit forest and see mushrooms growing everywhere.

That’s how I decide on today’s lunch.

“Okay, let’s gather some mushrooms and have a mushroom feast.”

I tire a large leaf from the side of the road, fold it into a bag, and attach a handle with plant ivy.

Can hold up to 50kg with various bonuses.

Carrying the bag on my arm like a shopping bag, I walk through the forest as if I am shopping in a shopping mall.

Whenever I see a mushroom that looks good, I “appraise” it, and if it is edible, I throw it into my bag at random.

On the way, I find an extraordinary mushroom.

Normally, it mimics the poisonous “Tabeshinudake”, but for one minute on a full moon night, it will reveal its delicious true form.

If you eat it, you will be able to detect its true identity, but if you accidentally eat the Tabeshinudake, you will die instantly.

“Quality level 30? That’s a super rare item!

Okay, let’s see if there are any more!”

That’s how I get hooked on mushroom hunting.

Suddenly, in a corner of the forest with the sun shining through the trees, I find mushrooms growing in clusters like a field.

On top of it, which looks like a carpet of two colors, red and blue, is a group of students.

In the center of the group is a female student wearing a purple robe, holding a mushroom in her hand and tilting her head.

“Umm, this mushroom looks just like it, but the color is completely different…… Can we eat it?

A small man in the group popps up.

“Akemi-san! The red one is a poisonous mushroom!”

Red mushrooms are poisonous! They have always been known to be poisonous!”

“The red one is poisonous! Really, Sheevus-san?”

“Hehe, this Sheevus is a thief! He’s a thief and you should trust his instincts!”

“Oh, really? Then let’s pick up the blue mushrooms and go home.”

“Wait a minute.

When I call out to them, they all look at me.

“An ……, you’re ……. You’re Leopin, aren’t you?”

The female student called Akemi has the appearance of a mature woman, not quite looking her age.

She has purple hair, snow-covered skin, long lashes, and moist lips.

Just to be able to look into her eyes, which are filled with tear drops, made my heart beat faster.

“The blue one is a poisonous mushroom called ‘harakudashidake,’ which causes severe stomach pains and hallucinations when eaten. The red one is ‘haranoboridake,’ a mushroom you can eat.”

Then Sheaves interrupts indignantly.

“Akemi, don’t believe a word that Leopin says!

He is trying to ruin your reputation by saying inappropriate things!

He’s only thinking about dragging others down just because he’s at the bottom!”

“Sheaves, you’re the one who’s talking nonsense.

You can’t pick wild mushrooms on a hunch.”

“Shut up! Akemi, he’s been spouting nonsense since middle school!

I want you to believe me!”

Sheevus is a classmate of mine from Class 1, Year 20.

He’s a goody-two-shoes, and he’s a bit of a dick to all his classmates.

Akemi made a distressed “hmmm ……” sound, and shows a sign of thinking.

“Hmmm, then I”ll take …….

I think I will choose the red mushroom.”

She gives me a quick wink.

Sheevus protests, wide-eyed.

“Oh, no, no, no, no! I can’t believe you’d take the word of a failure like that ……!”

“I thought you had eyes that weren’t lying, Leopin.”

“Well, well, Akemi! I’m going to bring back all the blue mushrooms!

If you regret it later, I don’t care!”

“Hmmm……, that can’t be helped. It’s the “fate” I’ve chosen.

Now, will you all help me collect the red mushrooms?”

When Akemi says this, the men around her start to move like worker bees, probably because they got attracted to Akemi and became her followers.

Akemi doesn’t even help the men with their work, but approachs me with a charming smile.

“I’m Akemi Leroux Valance, class of 1-6. It’s a long name, so everyone calls me ‘Akemi’.”

I feel a little self-conscious, for being spoken to by a beautiful woman.

“From your robe, you’re a magician of production, aren’t you?”

“Hmm, I’m an ‘alchemist’. Alchemy needs a lot of mushrooms, so I became the mushroom person for lunch. 

I’ve used mushrooms for medicine, but I’ve never eaten them, so I wasn’t sure if they were good to eat or not. Thanks for the tip, Leopin. So, let me give you a favour.”

“No need to thank me, I can’t just have my classmates eat poisonous mushrooms.”

“Oh, you’re so strange.

It’s normal to lie to the rest of the class in order to raise the rank of your own class. ……”

“I’m a “Special Training Class”. Rank doesn’t matter.”

“You’re right. So, which one do you prefer?”

“What?”

Akemi takes the pouch out of the robe’s bosom.

It was written “salt” on the bag.

“I have this one and the other one is …….”

She indicated her ripe, fruity lips with the fingertips of her nails, “This one”

“I don’t know what it is, but if I could have it, I’d take this one.”

I point to the sachet without hesitation.

I need some seasoning.

Akemi looks a little surprised and then giggles.

“Hmmm, you’re really funny, aren’t you?

All the guys are at my beck and call, wanting my lips with all the color of their eyes. ……

You’re the first one who didn’t want it.

I’ll …… give it to you then.”

Akemi steps forward and puts a small bag of salt in my hand.

She brings her face even closer to mine, and with a soft, sweet smell.

Chu~

And kisses my cheek.