“I’m home, Chrono.”
“Ah, welcome back, Fiona.”
I greeted Fiona as she returned to the dorm with a nonchalant expression, but inside, I was sweating bullets.
The backlash from consecutively using the blessings of the ‘Flame Demon King,’ ‘Steel Demon King,’ and ‘Thunder Demon King’ was still tormenting my body.
The only reason I managed to make it back to the dorm safely was because the onlookers gathered around the arena immediately cleared a path for me the moment they saw me.
It was the same phenomenon as the victory party, but this time, I was grateful. If I had been delayed any longer, I might have collapsed in front of everyone.
Actually, I did collapse, but I managed to hold out until I reached my room and then focused on resting—in other words, I slept. Waking up was painful, similar to the feeling of suffering from muscle soreness the day after overexerting yourself.
Well, I guess this is to be expected at first. After all, it’s only the second time I’ve used the ‘Flame Demon King.’
Even though they’re blessings, it’s not like you just receive them from the gods and that’s it. To master them, you need to practice, just like with martial arts and magic.
“Chrono, you look a bit pale.”
Apparently, it was obvious enough for her to notice just by looking at me.
The trouble with the Imperial Guard is something I’d rather keep hidden. If they keep bothering me in the future, I’ll have to consult with Fiona and Lily to take appropriate action, but if it’s just today, it’s better to avoid unnecessary worry and fuss.
Well, I should probably tell her about Safi, who seriously tried to kill me.
Anyway, I’ll just gloss over the details of the duel.
“No, I’m just tired from the long class. More importantly, Fiona, are you feeling okay?”
This isn’t just me making something up. Fiona really does look pale.
Well, to a stranger, she might just look like her usual sleepy, dazed self, but I can sense the subtle change.
“Embarrassingly, I think I ate too much.”
“…Uh, is this where I’m supposed to laugh?”
“No, it’s just the truth, as pathetic as it is.”
What?! I almost shouted in shock. I can’t believe Fiona of all people would feel sick from overeating.
“What happened? Did you eat something bad?”
“No, I ate something called sushi, and it was really delicious.”
“You ate sushi?!”
How enviable. I should’ve just skipped class and gone with Fiona. Because I came back to school, I ended up getting tangled with the Imperial Guard.
Speaking of which, I completely missed lunch. Forget about a feast at the cafeteria—I ended up skipping a meal entirely… Damn, now that I think about it, I’m starving.
“It was an all-you-can-eat contest to celebrate the opening, so I got a bit carried away.”
I see, that would make it hard to stop.
“Fiona, you must’ve won easily, right?”
“I did win. But…”
At that moment, Fiona’s expression darkened. Could it be that she could only eat the sushi without wasabi, and it made her feel a bit childish and embarrassed?
“I was given the win.”
And so, Fiona began to tell the full story of the sushi eating contest at the ‘Oedo’ Sushi Spada branch opening event.
—
Plates stacked high toward the ceiling. Groans of discomfort heard everywhere. The restrooms were all occupied.
The sushi eating contest was reaching its climax.
“Sorry, Safi…”
“Don’t give up. Keep eating. Even if you die, keep eating. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you can eat even if you die.”
“No, really… I can’t do it anymore… Ugh.”
Kai Est Galblaze, a human with superhuman physical abilities, proved that his appetite was also superhuman, as evidenced by the tower of plates stacked on the table. But despite his efforts, he was forced to drop out.
“I can’t… I can’t do it anymore… I give up.”
Gustav, the top contender for the championship, declared his defeat just before the time limit.
The already crowded box seats were further expanded by the three massive bodies of the participants, now full to the brim.
Could they even get out of their seats? It was highly doubtful, but the attention of the audience, including the eliminated contestants, was focused on the two people at the counter.
“…Negitoro, please.”
One was Fiona, a beautiful girl in the uniform of the Royal Spada Academy.
Her expression made it seem like her desire for sleep outweighed her appetite, but her mouth never stopped moving.
Her eating speed was so fast that it made one suspect she was throwing the food into a spatial magic pocket rather than her stomach. It was a level that even the most boastful eaters, the genius swordsman of ‘Wingroad,’ and the leader of the ‘Iron Demon Corps’ couldn’t match.
But there was another person who could keep up with her gluttony.
“Ah, then I’ll have the same, but without wasabi.”
The black blazer was proof that he was a student of the same academy as Fiona. But he was clearly younger, probably at the minimum enrollment age. This child was the ultimate rival in this contest.
Fiona, with her elegant demeanor, expressionlessly and methodically ate the negitoro. In contrast, the nameless child, with an innocent smile unchanged since the start, savored the fatty negitoro.
By the way, negitoro is a popular sushi menu item in Rune, made with a combination of a vegetable called negi, a specialty of Rune, and minced meat from a Rank 2 large fish monster called Torolfish.
And so, the eating contest continued in a dead heat. The back-and-forth battle, their appetites perfectly matched—or so it seemed to the audience, but Fiona didn’t feel that way.
(If this keeps up… I’ll lose.)
Fiona, with her mysterious, distant gaze, elegantly placed the negitoro in her mouth, but inside, she was aware of her limits.
“Hmm… What should I have next… Let’s go back to basics with tuna! Without wasabi!”
Meanwhile, her rival next to her was ordering tuna, as if it were the first time he’d eaten it today, despite having gone back to basics countless times.
It felt less like he was at ease and more like time had rewound to the start of the contest just for him.
Fiona had met people who could match her appetite before, but this was the first time she felt such a gap in ability. The sight of him happily stuffing his small mouth with tuna sent shivers down her spine.
(I’m sorry, Chrono… I can’t possibly beat this kid…)
Just as Fiona was about to give up…
“Ah, I think I’ll stop here for today… Then, for the last order, I’ll have the dessert pudding.”
Suddenly, the final order was declared.
Was he full? Impossible. It was clear he still had room left but chose to stop eating of his own will. In other words, he was only 80% full.
“I’m sorry, but the pudding is only available at the main branch in Rune.”
The final order was a failure.
His thin eyebrows formed a sad ‘八’ shape, and his red eyes looked like they were about to tear up, but his resolve didn’t seem to waver.
“Thank you for the meal!”
In a fit of frustration, he pulled out a deformed, silent sheep-shaped wallet from his pocket. He opened it with a flourish and poured out a dazzling pile of ancient gold coins onto the counter.
The amount, clearly exceeding his bill, was evident from the gasps of the staff and some of the audience.
“Pudding…”
With a lingering look back several times, the child left the store.
“Two tuna, please.”
And so, Fiona’s victory was decided.
—
“That’s how it was. I can’t really say I won with pride.”
“Wow, there are some amazing kids out there.”
From Fiona’s explanation, all I know is that the boy with the overwhelming appetite was wearing the academy uniform, but at this point, his personal details don’t matter.
It’s just surprising that there’s a child who can match Fiona’s appetite.
“Yes, he probably has the same constitution as me, where most of the food is absorbed as magical power.”
Now revealed, the secret behind Fiona’s appetite. I thought it was just a case of being a skinny glutton, but it makes sense—magic absorption.
Strictly speaking, all living creatures in this world absorb both nutrients and magical power from their food. Magical power naturally recovers, just like stamina. Eating a good meal and getting a good night’s sleep will fully restore it in a day.
But there are individual differences and innate constitutions.
“Though, there’s no doubt that boy has a more powerful magic absorption constitution.”
“But still, a win is a win, right? It’s great that you won.”
Amazing, amazing—as if I were praising a child, I found myself patting Fiona’s head. Her characteristic light blue hair felt just as smooth as Lily’s blonde hair. It was so silky smooth that any woman would be jealous—just as I was thinking something straight out of a shampoo commercial, I realized.
“Ah, um, Chrono… This is, uh…”
But I realized it a beat too late. No, it was already too late the moment I reached out.
Fiona, clearly embarrassed enough for anyone to see, looked down and protested.
Well, her actual words didn’t contain any explicit rejection, but I’m not so dense as to miss the nuance of “This is embarrassing, so stop.”
I quickly pulled my hand away and tried to explain.
“Ah, sorry, I just…”
It wasn’t even a proper excuse. Apparently, I don’t have the talent to smooth-talk my way out of things.
But seeing Fiona, who had been given the win in the eating contest and looked genuinely upset, had a childlike cuteness that made me want to pat her head. It was completely unconscious, like a “there, there” gesture.
Well, I didn’t have the courage to admit that outright. Sorry, Fiona, for treating you like a child. I guess only the young girl Lily gets that kind of treatment.
“No… It’s not that I mind, but…”
Seeing Fiona fidgeting while looking away made me want to pat her head again, but I had to restrain myself.
I had just managed to get her to say “It’s fine,” so I couldn’t go and step on that landmine again.
With that internal struggle, an awkward silence continued between Fiona and me.
This is getting a bit uncomfortable. Isn’t there some sensational topic to break the ice—
“Ah, Chrono, I actually got a rare book as a prize from the eating contest.”
“Oh, really? You have to show me!”
And so, Fiona took out a book from the spatial magic pouch she had equipped during the date.
It was roughly A4 size. The thick red binding was slightly weathered, giving it the appearance of an old book.
It looked like a grimoire Fiona might have borrowed from the grand library—or maybe it really was a grimoire. The aura it exuded was that of a book of great significance.
“This book is said to be a secret document left by Count Redwing, a fellow outsider like you, Chrono, detailing the essence of Rune culture. Indeed, it’s written in some mysterious script I’ve never seen before, so I couldn’t decipher it.”
“…No, that’s not it. This isn’t a secret document.”
The moment I saw the characters on the cover, I immediately knew.
“So you can read it, Chrono?”
Her golden eyes, though not entirely surprised, looked at me with utmost seriousness as I answered.
“Yeah. This is… a diary.”
Yes, I could indeed read the “mysterious script” Fiona mentioned. The title written on the cover was unmistakably in Japanese.
Hiragana, katakana, kanji. It was the first time I’d seen Japanese writing since being summoned to this world, but there was no way I could forget how to read it. I could understand not just the meaning, but even the subtle nuances.
The title of the book read:
“Now I Can Reveal It: The Hidden Memories of Me, Zenichi Teo Redwing! There’s Stuff About My Ex, So Don’t Tell My Wife!!”