Chapter 13: Recruitment – Kaede Ichinose

Upon arriving at the academy, I parted ways with Carnelia and headed for my next destination: Ichinose.

Ichinose was in the dense forest behind the academy. Sunlight filtering through the gaps in the trees painted a dappled pattern on the ground at my feet.

As I walked deeper into the forest, the sound of leaves rustling in the wind was pleasant to my ears. The scent of the earth enveloped me, and the cool air seemed to calm my heart.

I found Ichinose taking a short break in the shade of a tree, wiping away her sweat. Her sword lay beside her, its sharpened blade occasionally glinting as it reflected the filtered sunlight.

As she wiped her sweat, her well-trained and toned body, visible for a moment through a gap in her clothes, was beautifully and moderately muscled—like a sculpture. That physique spoke volumes about the effort she had put in.

“Good day, Ichinose-san.”

Her movements came to a sudden halt when I called out. She slowly raised her face, her sharp gaze locking onto me.

“…What do you want, Starium?”

Ichinose’s voice was low and tinged with caution. I could feel the keen distrust she had for me in its tone. This might have been the first time we’d ever had a proper conversation.

“Would you be willing to form a party with me for the dungeon clearing in five days?”

I got straight to the point. Hearing my words, Ichinose snorted. Her reaction seemed to dismiss my proposal entirely.

“With you? No thanks. Ask someone else.”

With that, Ichinose went back to resting. Her back conveyed a clear message of refusal. I persisted. It seemed Ichinose disliked me, but she was indispensable to my plan.

“I need your strength. Please…”

“You’re annoying. Don’t make me repeat myself. I’m not forming a party with anyone. I’ll clear it alone.”

Ichinose’s words were as cold as ice. I could feel a strong rejection radiating from her entire being, pushing me away. But just then.

Gurgle…

A cute sound echoed through the quiet training area. The sound came from Ichinose’s stomach.

A faint blush colored Ichinose’s cheeks. An unexpected bit of humanity seeped through her usual steel-like expression.

“Are you hungry?”

I couldn’t help but ask. At my words, Ichinose blushed even more deeply and shot me a sharp glare.

“I was just about to have breakfast, but then you showed up…”

Saying that, she stood up and abruptly started pulling up some nearby grass.

Is she gathering weeds to start a fire or something?

Puzzled by her actions, I watched her. But she paid no mind to my confusion and continued her work dispassionately. Her movements were sure and practiced, as if this were a daily routine. After she had gathered a handful, she nodded in satisfaction.

“What are you going to do with that?”

I couldn’t resist my curiosity and had to ask.

“What do you mean? I’m going to eat it.”

She said it with a perfectly straight face and, without hesitation, brought the handful of grass to her mouth.

“W-wait…! You can’t eat that! Spit it out!”

I couldn’t stop myself from shouting like a mother scolding her child. At my words, Ichinose frowned.

“It’s fine. The magical energy in this land must be strong, because the quality is better than what grew back home.”

Ichinose ignored me, put the plucked grass in her mouth, and began to chew slowly.

I could only stare at her, dumbfounded. As she stuffed more and more into her mouth, her cheeks puffed out like an overstuffed hamster’s.

“I’m not sharing this. If you want some… that spot over there is ripe for picking.”

Ichinose said to me cautiously, her mouth still full of grass.

She pointed to a spot slightly to the right of where she had just been picking. The grass there was a little greener and more vibrant than the rest.

“N-no, I’ll pass.”

I politely declined. There was no way I could bring myself to eat grass. Her dietary habits were nothing short of astonishing.

“A-ahem. If you agree to form a party with me, I will give you one month’s worth of meal tickets for the academy cafeteria.”

That was my proposal.

Freeze.

Ichinose’s chewing stopped.

Clear agitation flickered across her expression. The moment she understood the meaning of my words, her eyes wavered.

“Being in the Royal Capital, the cafeteria here offers a wide variety of fine foods. My personal recommendation is the exquisite lamb sandwich!”

“…Lamb… meat…”

Ichinose’s entire body began to tremble. The words ‘meal tickets’ seemed to be shaking her to her very core. Just one more push.

Her eyes shone as if she’d just found an oasis in the desert, and I could have sworn I heard her swallow hard.

“…I’ll make it three months’ worth.”

The moment I added that, Ichinose dropped the weeds she was holding.

Her eyes now reflected nothing but desire for those meal tickets. From the corner of her mouth… she was even drooling.

“I accept your proposal.”

Ichinose’s reply was immediate. She crossed her arms and looked at me with her chin slightly lowered, though her mind was clearly already on the lamb.

Hearing those words, I did a victory pose in my head. That makes two members.

“Alright, so far, so good.”

I murmured quietly. The plan was proceeding smoothly. Just two more to go…

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

As I watched Michelle Starium’s retreating back, my thoughts quietly turned.

She really is similar…

The way she scolded me just now reminded me of my sister back home, who was always looking out for me. Their builds and faces were completely different, yet strangely, their auras felt very much alike.

A wave of nostalgia tightened its grip on my heart. Memories of my old home came flooding back vividly.

But I have no time to wallow in sentimentality. There’s something I have to do.

I have to become stronger, with my own two hands. For my sister waiting for me back home, and for myself.

I slowly stood up and faced the large tree before me. I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword and leaned forward into a deep stance, bending my knees and lowering my waist as I focused my mind. The next moment, I silently drew the sword from its sheath, its blade flashing.

Its silver blade glinted, reflecting the faint sunlight that filtered through the trees.

“Hah!”

With a sharp cry, I swung the sword in a flash. The sound of it cutting through the air echoed as a deep gash was carved into the tree’s bark.

Without a moment’s pause, I followed up with a second and third strike.

Eventually, the tree let out a groan, as if screaming, and after tilting heavily, it fell to the ground with a tremendous crash.

“Still a long way off…”

It’s nowhere near the scene carved deep into my memory.

Gurgle…

Just then, a pathetic sound rumbled from my stomach. My concentration broke, and I was immediately assaulted by a wave of hunger.

I looked around, plucked some weeds growing at my feet, and shoved them into my mouth.

“…Lamb.”

A bitter taste filled my mouth, and I couldn’t help but grimace. A wave of regret washed over me. I really should have asked for an advance on today’s share.