Chapter 119 Huh . . . Dinner?

After going back to the dorms and taking a quick bath, we changed our clothes to a more comfortable ones like long sleeve shirts and trousers and some comfortable sleepers we bought in the market.

It was cheap and only cost us about 100 CR for two pairs of shirts and pants.

It had been so long since I last changed into something different. The newbie garbs were nice and all, but I felt that they were so dirty because I hadn't had the chance to clean them since my journey here.

I took this chance to do laundry. Even though there was no soap here, there was this potion that we bought in the market that functioned like a soap, and it was used by the inhabitants to bath. It only cost like 1 CR.

If only they have toothpaste too but I guess this [Fresh Minty Brew] would do the trick. It functioned like a mouthwash here and it only cost like 5 CR.

I also bought a lot of other daily necessities and towels. The trip to the market was all worth it.

After which, Thomas and I went to the Cafeteria together. A one-story building with a high ceiling connecting the girls' and boys' dormitories.

The inside was airy because of the high ceiling and large windows. There were large candelabras on the beams as well as plants and flowers. The tables were made of stone with clawed table legs and chairs of a light wood with no cushions.

There were Ale, Wine, Mead, Cider, and Spirits sold here. All were Alcoholic beverages.

Should they really be selling Alcohol at a school, though?

There was only little food on the menu. It was like a fast food restaurant here than the usual Cafeteria that laid all the available food on the service counter, and the students lined up to take the meal onto their trays.

However, students were lined at the four counters to order food from the menu on the chalkboard hanging on the beams.

The food was simple, and the ones that were fancy were rather expensive.

❶ Smoke Quipper Salad

Loaded with fresh spinach, cucumber, avocado, and onion. The fish was sliced and intoxicatingly smoky.

Cost: 100 CR

❷ Glazed Honey Carrots

Large carrots glazed in honey.

Cost: 10 CR

❸ Shambler Roots

The root stem had been chopped and sautéed, which gave a satisfying crunch when consumed.

Cost: 5 CR

❹ Roast Wild Board

Tender, juicy, and incredibly tasty wild boar cooked in a locally brewed brown ale. It was smothered in sauces.

Cost: 500 CR

❺ Grilled Wolf Steak

Mouth-watering thick-cut of meat that's been seared on both sides. Topped with flavoring herbs.

Cost: 700 CR

❻ Venison Apple Stew

A hearty stew that has a bit of sweetness. The unique flavor comes from tart apples and black prunes.

Cost: 50 CR

ǁ E N D ǁ

Obviously, students couldn't afford the meat, so the cheaper options were the vegetables and fruits.

Food was more expensive here than in your life and I wasn't kidding about it.

Maybe those expensive meals were reserved for the teachers and those creatures visiting the academy. And maybe the meals here were shuffled and everyday was different.

I was having a hard time keeping my eyes to myself as I never saw so many creatures congregated in one hall all at once.

While waiting for my turn at the counter, I checked those races and saved their information in my library.

There was an eye-catching man or woman whose color of its skin was mixing in the shades of purple, pink, and blue. And it was called a Drifling, a minority race that appeared sporadically where other races gathered.

With their unusual coloration and bizarre features, Driflings were regarded as a stranger by even the most exotic of civilized races. As a genderless species, they were androgynous in appearance, and they stood taller than humans.

There were also these little creatures about a bulldog in size. It was a strange-looking reptile with a wide smile and a wagging tail. It wore a mage's cap and robes, and there was an innocent gleam in its eyes as it flew in the air.

They were like reptilian humanoids but only shorter, and they were more common in fairylands. That was . . . according to the information I gathered.

<It seemed like the Holy Kingdom of Rustin is where all diverse races congregated the most. The nicer ones, at least>

So you meant to say that the Grado Empire is where the bad creatures reside just because it is ruled by a demon?

<Seems like Grado Empire is your kind of place, Host>

". . ."

Moving on, there were beastmen, Tieflings, and Halflings. There were also popular races like Elves and Dwarves.

The Elves were, of course, beautiful creatures, luminescent and porcelain skin with their long ears and long braided hair. They were elegant and refined in contrast with the loud and boisterous dwarves.

The Dwarves were the generic short creatures with ragged features and bushy beards. Their ears were also pointy but smaller.

"Egh? You're only buying that much?" I asked when Thomas had ordered his meal.

If I was right, the kid only ordered Shambler Roots, the cheapest food out on the menu.

Thomas scratched his nose. "Agh . . . It's fine."

Was he being considerate because I was going to pay? "That thing won't fill your stomach," I said.

Then without a word, I went for the counter next.

"We'll have two Venison Apple Stew, two Smoke Quipper Salad, and a Roast Wild Board," I said without thinking.

At the mention of meat, some players flicked their attention in our direction.

What?

"That's 800 CR total." The cashier said with a bright smile.

Thomas's eyes widened. "C-Cross, that's too much."

Now that he said it . . . it was indeed too much for our first meal here. I even heard whispers.

"Whoa . . . he ordered meat. Who is he? Is he a teacher? Or an older alumnus."

"I don't see him here before."

"Is he a newbie, but he ordered meat?"

"*sneer . . . doesn't he know that earning CR points in here is hard? What's he going to do the rest of his days here?"

"He'd be like those newbies in no time. Being a slave to popular players for scraps of food."

My brows met at the center, and my forehead crumpled into a frown. I didn't know that even ordering food here was so troublesome.

But indeed, I was wrong to order a Roasted Boar. It slipped my mind that it cost 500 CR. And since I wasn't worried about depleting my CR because of the million gil in my name . . . I got carried away and forgot that simple rule of human nature . . . If I had more than the others, then this would happen.

"Are you going to pay or what?" the cashier said with a raised brow.

Her piercing eyes told me that I couldn't take back my orders so . . . I paid it while ignoring the murmurs.

"He is dead."

"He won't be going to eat three times a day now."

"His CR is already depleted. I know because that guy has just registered today. We're in the same line before that Magic Circle thing that checked our stat."

"We only have 1000 of these after all in our one-week stay in here."

"Acquiring those CR is no easy fit. Doesn't he know that?"

Would you just leave me alone? I thought. It was my problem, not yours. I berated them in my mind.

<Host can just kill them, though>

Killing will not solve anything. It would only add up to my problems.

Remember what happened with Roselake? I reminded the System.

Because of my other self, Roselake was destroyed and now, some higher ranking woman from the church was investigating what happened there and once she found out that it was me . . .

I shivered at the thought.

Destroying a town was no joke and surely the punishment of doing that was no joke either.

<You have nothing to worry, Host. You have two Gods by your side>

Two God that weren't loyal to me and could careless whether I was alive or dead.

<It's a good thing that they would find out, Host. War would come marching at your door>

". . ."

How is that a good thing then?!

"C-cross . . ."

My attention flickered at Thomas. He looked like he was going to cry.

He then pressed his bracelet and said with a shaking voice, "Maybe there's a feature here that would let me give you some of my credit points."

( . . . continuation on NOTES)