LRAB Page 8
Page 8
[The reward will be issued after the interrogation.]
The system's mission was finally completed the moment Klaidina issued her interrogation.
Chapter 10 The True Fragrance Hero
Altottai's sword trembled slightly.
"How could this be? I have no sense of smell, yet...it smells so good!"
As it gazed at the golden fried rice lifted from the pan and shaken into the bowl, it couldn't help but imagine the deliciousness it contained.
No, no... Once you actually try it, there's no going back.
"Hero, don't give up!!!"
However, Mino laughed.
"Hehe, don't worry, Artotai, I am your master. You are underestimating me too much..."
Her calm tone revealed no trembling or wavering from being tempted by the demon, causing Kleinna to gasp in surprise.
What's going on...? Fim's ability isn't working?!
Under Kleiner's astonished gaze, Mino said with utmost determination:
"I reject!"
The sound echoed in the cell...
He refused... Kleidina's heart wavered. She had thought that Mino would confess as easily as last time, but not only did he withstand Fim's interrogation, his tone was so firm!
How can this be? !
“Nothing is impossible, Altotai. Haven’t you always been curious why I never express any opinion when tasting the royal cuisine?”
Mino turned her head and smiled at the Holy Sword.
The blade of Altotate trembled slightly, as if it had remembered something.
Whether it was royal cuisine, an adventurer's feast, or even lunch prepared by Princess Kalia herself, Mino never lingered over it.
This is completely unlike the behavior of a warrior who has only ever eaten rye bread, unless—
"Could it be..."
The holy sword trembled, finally understanding what was happening.
“That’s right.” Mino smiled.
"After eating rye bread for so many years, I've... lost my sense of taste!"
"So, no matter how delicious the fried rice smelled, I couldn't taste it at all because I've lost my sense of taste!"
"This interrogation is terrible!"
Mino raised his head, enveloped in the radiance of humanity's strongest warrior.
An enticing aroma, accompanied by steam, wafted towards us.
Mino lowered her head.
Fim carefully carried a steaming bowl of fried rice to Mino.
Phim, who looked like a zombie, shook his head, and a lively and gentle smile appeared on his pale, youthful face.
The once empty eyes were now bright and sparkling, as if they were glowing.
"Mino, poor thing. Fim, I can feel it."
“Fim also has no sense of taste, so he has always been making delicious food.”
"I hope that one day I will be able to taste that it tastes good."
"It's not torture, I just wanted to make it for you to eat."
Mino looked at the cute zombie maid in front of her, then at the glistening rice grains in the bowl, and closed her eyes slightly.
He made a barely perceptible gurgling sound in his throat.
“Is it really edible?”
“Yes!” Fim nodded vigorously.
Fim gently bent down, scooped a small spoonful of fried rice from the bowl, carefully blew on it, and brought it to Mino's lips.
"Mino, eat."
Mino glanced at the fried rice in the spoon, then chuckled. Since he had lost his sense of taste anyway, it didn't matter what he ate... With a casual look, he put the fried rice into his mouth.
Chewing and swallowing.
Then, his eyes widened.
……
"Your Highness, you haven't eaten all day."
"Continuing like this is bad for your health."
"Shall I have the royal kitchen prepare some pumpkin porridge for you?"
At the dinner table, Kalia, dressed in a pristine white gown, shook her head.
A pair of pure white silk gloves were folded in front of her chest, and a diamond necklace that shimmered slightly swayed gently, highlighting her delicate and fair collarbone.
"Don't worry, I just don't have much of an appetite..."
As she said this, Kalia's frail body swayed, like a small white flower that might be blown away by the wind.
The maid sighed, and just as she was about to say a few more words of advice, Princess Kalia spoke softly:
"If you really insist, prepare a piece of rye bread for me, just a small piece."
Rye bread?
The head maid was astonished. How could Her Highness be allowed to eat bread made with the worst ingredients and with insufficient fermentation and seasoning?
“Yes, rye bread.” Kalia’s voice was unusually gentle, as if she had thought of something.
That was six or seven years ago, when she was a lively, clingy, and crybaby.
In the garden, Kalia waited for the king and her brother to finish their council meeting.
"Heave-ho!"
Suddenly, a little boy, covered in dust and dressed in simple clothes, climbed over the wall on the other side of the garden.
"On the other side of the wall is the training camp for hero candidates?" Kalia blinked, recalling something her brother had mentioned.
Is this person also a candidate for hero? Why is he secretly eating?
Kalia approached curiously, only to see young Mino looking around, then making a "shh" gesture.
"Don't let the instructor find out, keep this a secret!" Mino showed off the half-eaten rye bread in his hand, a hint of reluctance on his face, but he still tore off a small piece and handed it to Kalia: "Here, I'll share half with you, so we're buddies now."
Under the dappled sunlight filtering through the trees, the boy's radiant smile has been beautifully etched into his memories over the years...
Did you know that rye bread tastes even better when torn into large pieces and small pieces mixed together?
A whole, shriveled rye bread was placed on a gold-threaded plate and presented to Kalia.
She took off the silk glove on her right hand, gently tore off a small piece, and without eating it with the accompanying cream soup, Kalia gently put it in her mouth.
Just like in my memory, it was dry and rough.
It was then that Kalia learned how unpalatable the food was for the kingdom's impoverished people, and it was then that she understood:
It turns out that all those cute and exquisite clothes, delicious food and desserts, and spacious and luxurious homes I usually own come at a price...
—A royal responsibility to protect the entire nation.
And that little boy who had never enjoyed any of these before, the hero candidate.
But after going through countless hardships to become a hero, he shoulders the same responsibilities as her.
"Brother Mino..."
Kalia finished the rye bread on the plate without wasting a drop, a hint of sadness flashing in her sapphire-like eyes.
"He's in the Demon King's castle, he probably can't even afford such coarse food..."
……
The rice grains in the bowl were disappearing at an alarming rate.
The rice grains, which I had initially thought would taste bland, surprisingly released an unprecedented fragrance after repeated chewing.
Mino felt her taste buds, which had been dormant for many years, suddenly awaken, and her inner rice-loving spirit burned fiercely within her!
The chopsticks moved swiftly, like a holy sword.
In the blink of an eye, the bowl full of fried rice disappeared completely, leaving only a smooth film of oil in the clean bowl, reflecting a faint light.
The brave warrior, who had been wolfing down his food, looked up from his bowl, a grain of rice still clinging to the corner of his mouth, and let out a satisfied sigh:
"Ah! It smells so good!"
Chapter 11 Holy Mage Lak
What?!
The aroma was so enticing that Altottai froze instantly.
What happened to losing your sense of taste? What happened to your indomitable spirit? You've completely distorted the image of a hero, haven't you?!
Kleidina looked surprised: "Could it be that because of Fim's ability to 'amplify the senses' combined with the delicious food, the Mino Warrior's sense of taste has returned to normal?"
"Hehe, it seems that's how it is." Mino wiped the rice grains from the corner of his mouth, his smile unusually calm at this moment: "Didn't expect that, did you, Kletina? Your interrogation has backfired."
"One thing at a time, although you treated me to a delicious fried rice, but..."
[Ding—The second phase of the interrogation task has been generated]
Mino's body stiffened slightly, and her eyes instinctively wanted to shift to the mission, but she immediately fixed them firmly, saying in a stiff tone: