Save the Starving Frontier! The “Buyer” of the Reversed Chastity World - 3

Chapter 3: I Won’t Let There Be Any Fighting Over Food!

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“Sorry, Kaito-nii-chan…”

“Ah, it’s fine already. Don’t worry so much about it.”

After everything was over, Etna looked downhearted. Well, she had attacked the very person who had saved her life, so it was only natural she felt regret. As for me, I honestly didn’t mind that much.

“More importantly, was it really okay that your first partner was me?”

“It was the best!”

Etna lit up with a bright expression. Having graduated from being a virgin, it was like a weight had been lifted from her. Her expression suddenly looked very womanly. Her younger sister, Pirika, had witnessed everything from beginning to end, and was now blushing while fidgeting awkwardly.

From the Internet Market, I procured towels, a gas stove, and a pot, and started boiling water. Etna was using the warm water, cooled a bit, to wipe herself clean.

In the end she had been covered in all kinds of stuff, so it was no surprise she needed to wash. The spare cardboard boxes were torn apart and used as firewood for the gas stove flames. Wood was plentiful nearby, but cardboard couldn’t be sold to the “Purchase” system, so it was better to break them down and burn them. They could be replaced endlessly anyway.

“Etna. Do you think it’s better to use this for cooking up stew, or just distribute bread?”

“I think we should do both. Some people will want to take food home too.”

That made sense—after all, they probably had family waiting. For the moment, I tossed random rubble into the Purchase slot to secure more funds. Led by Etna and Pirika, we headed out to the main street.

“Do you have gruel around here?”

“Wheat porridge? Yeah, but it tastes awful.”

So basically oatmeal. Then rice porridge should work just fine.

We left the ruins and stepped onto the main road. Even there, the atmosphere was lifeless. Women who looked on the verge of starving to death were lying all over, too weak to move. Some of them were even chewing on weeds growing by the roadside.

“All right, let’s do this.”

“Yeah. So how do you make it, nii-chan?”

First, I bought three gas stoves. Then pots. Next, no-wash rice, mineral water, and salt.

I threw everything into the pots and boiled it from cold water. It wasn’t like cooking rice normally—just simmering it down until it turned into a soft porridge like rice gruel.

From the Internet Market’s 100-yen shop I bought deep paper bowls and plastic spoons. As we suddenly started cooking on the street, people’s attention began to turn toward us.

I should buy bread too.

Instead of supermarket bread, I spent around fifty thousand yen on assorted bakery bread from the Internet Market. I just picked whatever was available.

“You two want some?”

“Yeah, I’ll eat!”

“I’ll eat too!”

Kids’ stomachs were like black holes. Along with drinks, I handed them savory breads like cheese bread, salt bread, and bacon-and-egg bread from the bakery.

“This is amazing! Is this egg!? There’s meat too!”

“Cheese! Just a little salty and really tasty!”

They were delighted. I tried the cheese bread myself. Inside the crisp baked cheese on top were chunks of salty diced cheese, making it a surprisingly filling meal.

“Look, the rice will be ready soon. Go on, call people over. Let them eat as much as they want.”

“Got it! Leave it to me, nii-chan!”

Etna, with bread still in her hand, shouted loudly on the roadside.

“Hey, listen up! We have all you can eat bread and porridge! Anyone hungry, come on over! You can even take some home! If you can stand, get over here! If you can’t, have someone bring you over here!”

Her voice drew gazes from all around. Seeing Etna munching bread, the starving townsfolk began to rise, drawn as if by instinct. Every one of them had sunken cheeks. They needed water too.

I bought several drink dispensers and poured in liters upon liters of sports drink, just like the ones you’d see in a family restaurant. Since the dispensers needed to be set at a certain height, I used cardboard stands, naturally. I also bought a mountain of paper cups. Some oddball might even want to drink the porridge from a cup.

“Hey… That bread there…”

“Eat as much as you want. Sweet water comes out if you press there. Pirika, show her how to use it.”

“Aye!” 

Pirika offered her bread and poured sports drink from the server. She had learned just by watching me use it—well, it was simple enough. Once one person received bread, the other starving residents began rising too.

Etna and Pirika worked hard, handing out bread to the doubtful townsfolk.

“This bread… It’s delicious… What is this…?”

“This drink’s good too! Salty and sweet… I feel like my strength’s coming back!”

A dozen or so townsfolk devoured the bread. I noticed a group of children watching from a distance, so I beckoned them over.

We’d need more supplies. I quickly dumped another twenty thousand yen worth of bakery bread into the cart and paid. I opened the newly delivered boxes and held them out to the girls.

“Is it really okay?”

“Yeah, eat. It’s on me.”

The children swarmed the boxes. I also handed out drinks so they wouldn’t choke. Their eyes sparkled as they stuffed bread into their mouths. I reminded them to eat slowly, so there wouldn’t be any fighting.

I still had a balance left, but at this rate it wouldn’t last.

“Hey! If you’re full and can move, give us a hand! Bring whatever—stones, wood chips, junk—anything from around here!”

But the townsfolk looked puzzled. Well, of course. What use could trash possibly have?

To break the hesitation, Etna took the lead, picking up junk and bringing it over. I tossed it into the Purchase slot, and another cardboard box came out.

“S-so we just bring stuff here? Okay, wait, I’ll collect some!”

“So that’s it, huh! Got it, hang on!”

They didn’t know what was happening, but somehow, they seemed to grasp it instinctively. Collect rubble, and it turned into bread. That was all they needed to know.

Some misunderstood and thought the bread was literally made of stone, but the moment they bit into it, they didn’t care anymore. As long as it was edible, tasty, and not poisonous, who cared what it was made from? Of course, it was just ordinary Japanese-made wheat bread.

“The porridge is ready! Anyone with a weak stomach, eat this! I can make more, so don’t worry!”

Even more haggard women arrived, some carrying children. They were probably married, but maybe couldn’t produce breast milk. I prepared powdered milk and bottles. Since many drink dispensers had a hot-water function, I bought those too. I taught them how to mix the formula, cool it, and feed it to their babies.

If there were babies, then there must have been men around at some point. Yet, oddly, I didn’t see any here.

“Anyone who can move, help distribute this! If you want to bring food home to your family, take it with you! Don’t worry—there’ll be more than enough, no need to steal!”

At my words, cheers erupted. I wouldn’t let there be any fighting over food. Since magic power could be bought, I just kept adding more and more.

The boxes piled high, and people opened them, taking out food. Some even carried off the whole box.

Fine, take it. Eat. Just eat your fill!

As long as humans had good food, no matter how harsh the world, they could keep living for years! Survive on the bounty of Japan’s food industry, where even with pocket change, there was something tasty to be had!

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