The sun was setting, and the evening glow was fading.
It was already the seventh day of life at Hogwarts Academy.
I hadn't even eaten dinner, and I was lying on my assigned dorm bed.
“Damn it.”
A curse word churned in my mouth. My poor stomach rumbled in protest, as if begging for food scraps, and I could only hold my belly to comfort it.
I hesitated, then abruptly sat up and guzzled mineral water until the last drop.
“It’s all gone.”
My weak vocal cords seemed to save energy, and my voice became muffled.
Why was I starving like a beggar? This was the question in my heart.
This crazy academy even charged for the on-campus cafeteria. Well, even if free meals weren't an option...
‘Fifty thousand won for a plate of stir-fried pork, isn’t that too much?’
Even the 1.5-liter bottle of ‘Youngchang Water’ I just drank cost ten thousand won at the campus supermarket.
It had been a year since I transmigrated to this world, but this was the first time I’d seen such prices.
Even for the upper class, this was outrageous.
However, I hadn’t starved for the entire week.
I bought fifty thousand won worth of white rice at the campus supermarket and ate it for a week with seasoned seaweed I brought from home.
The moist seaweed, made saltier and sweeter by the salt, was now also finished.
By the way, my monthly living allowance was four hundred thousand won.
To be honest, I had refused the money, but my father, as the head of the household, thought it was only right and eventually forced it upon me.
I regretted not accepting it then.
I stared blankly at the label on the empty mineral water bottle.
‘Youngchang… ’
Suddenly thinking of the military, tears involuntarily welled up in my eyes.
At least there, I had three meals a day.
I never thought I’d miss military food one day.
Now, even the mackerel cutlets that were once hard to swallow, I could savor.
I sighed deeply and once again curled up on the bed. I had to conserve energy. Reduce metabolism, breathe as slowly as possible.
I thought of my parents at home. To be precise, my mother’s doenjang jjigae. With diced tofu and chopped green onions.
For some reason, I felt like I would never eat it again. Now, I might even lick the bottom of the pot clean. Saliva, instead of tears, flowed from my mouth.
‘Even so.’
I briefly uttered “Blessing” in my mind.
Click—
== ==
【Blessing of the Sword God】 Anything it strikes will break.
【The level of the body has increased to (1 ? 2).】
【As the level of the body increases, the specifications of the Weapon are broadened.】
【※ The Blessing will only activate for Weapons with a length of 30 + (2) cm or less and a width of 5 + (1) cm or less.】
== ==
When the familiar interface appeared, a faint smile spread across my sunken cheeks.
The grueling training with the bald instructor had begun to change my physique. Whether due to the training or eating less, my formerly soft belly had unknowingly disappeared, revealing lean abdominal muscles. My baby fat vanished instantly, and my jawline became incredibly sharp.
My stamina also noticeably improved, and I no longer lagged behind during morning runs in the training ground. Even in just a short week, my body adapted and evolved surprisingly quickly.
Although I wasn’t entirely sure, I thought it might be because the Sword Saint had unblocked my meridians.
Although the Weapon specifications currently couldn’t exceed a sashimi knife, if they slowly increased, I should be able to wield a small sword.
“Why am I feeling proud?”
I, who was afraid to even hold a sword when I first entered the academy, now strangely felt an itch in my hands if I didn’t hold one.
It seemed the Blessing also had an effect on my personality.
I gently shook my head, dismissing these thoughts. There was no use thinking about them now.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Someone gently knocked on my dorm room door.
“Who is it?”
My first thought was the dorm manager, and I reluctantly got up from the bed to open the door.
“Huh?”
Standing before me was a timid Chloe.
***
I had barely spoken to Chloe since the first day.
She had quietly avoided me in the classroom. Her visit, therefore, surprised me even more.
“Am I disturbing your rest…?”
Chloe still whispered in a low voice, “Disturbing what? I was just lying down. Anyway, is there something you need?”
“…Because I haven’t seen you in the school restaurant all week, I was worried you might be unwell…”
She looked at me with a concerned expression.
I really wanted to say that the prices were so ridiculous I didn’t dare go. But my male pride wouldn’t allow me to say that.
“Ah, well… I don’t really like eating food made by others.”
Actually, I loved eating food made by others.
“Ah, ah. I see.”
“Yes, so don’t worry.”
Chloe murmured disappointedly.
“I’m going to the school supermarket to buy some ingredients, maybe we can have dinner together tonight…?”
“Let’s go.”
“What?”
“Didn’t you say we should have dinner together? I’m good at cooking, so I’ll cook. You live across from Chloe’s dorm, right?”
Refusing an invitation wasn’t the way of the world.
I walked quickly ahead, and Chloe unconsciously followed.
A humming song echoed in the quiet dorm hallway.
Entering Chloe’s room, I looked around.
The room was a bit spacious for one person, with white walls, a white sofa, and a bed.
It felt a bit like a hospital.
For a teenage girl, the room was overly tidy, with almost no decorations.
I expected a few bunny dolls on the bed, but there were only a few books on the desk, and that was all the decoration.
A breeze blew, and the pure white curtains gently swayed.
“The room is messy, I’m sorry…”
Hmm? There’s nothing at all?
Chloe observed my expression and began taking ingredients out of the refrigerator.
From flounder to sole, sea bass, salmon, sea bream… and even some fish I’d never seen before, stacked like building blocks in a foam box.
A bucket of water cost ten thousand won at the school supermarket, so how much did these ingredients cost? I couldn’t help but exclaim.
“Do you like fish very much?”
“Ah, yes. I’m from the seaside.”
“Perfect, I’m good at cooking fish.”
“Oh, really?!”
Chloe’s eyes sparkled.
I rubbed the bridge of my nose and added.
“Hmm, besides the flounder, can we put the rest in? I think one is enough.”
“Okay!”
Her spirited reply made me chuckle.
My hands were itching anyway, and I thought it had been a while since I’d cut sashimi, so I could relax a bit.
Although I was hungry, my heart was pounding, and energy surged through me.
‘But the problem is…’
The kitchen knives lined up next to the sink gleamed.
The moment I picked up that knife, the Blessing would activate.
At the thought of the intense pain that would follow, my appetite seemed to vanish instantly.
“Do you have a longer knife?” “Longer?”
“Yes, you know those knives are my Weapon. So it feels a bit awkward.”
She nodded gently, indicating she understood.
Then she walked to the cabinet, rummaged through it, and pulled out a Japanese sword longer than herself.
I was speechless for a moment, my expression stiff.
“Is this okay?”
“No… just use that kitchen knife.”
I sighed deeply, and Chloe, seemingly not understanding, showed a confused expression.
‘No choice.’
Alright, I’ll get it done in 30 seconds.
Am I not known as the nation’s best swordsman?
I can do it.
I gestured for Chloe to step back, and she took a few small steps away.
Seeing me devoutly prepare the fish, she swallowed with cold sweat.
I activated ‘Blessing of the Unharmed’ and quickly took the rose-patterned sashimi knife I had spotted earlier from the knife block.
It felt good in my hand.
Just then, an unwelcome message appeared on my retina.
【Blessing of the Sword God: Food activated.】
At the same time, the sashimi knife glowed and accurately pierced the sea bream’s gills.
***
“It’s so delicious!”
“That’s good.”
For a chef, what greater praise is there than hearing “delicious”?
But now, I could only nod palely in affirmation.
Twenty-one seconds.
That was the time it took me to scale the sea bream, debone it, remove its entrails, and then slice the fish meat.
Although I could have just roughly handled it, the pride of a chef etched into my bones wouldn’t allow me to do so.
Therefore, this meal could be called a masterpiece of life. It even made me feel that this might be the pinnacle of my sashimi career.
Judging by the words “Blessing of the Sword God: Food” that appeared when the Blessing activated, it seemed that the method of application varied depending on the purpose.
Although it seemed useless, in some subtle ways, it was indeed a useful mysterious ability.
“How did Sword Demon Lord make such delicious food?”
“I used to work part-time at a Japanese restaurant.”
“Part-time?”
Chloe asked, rolling her eyes.
“You don’t know what part-time work is, do you?”
She nodded gently.
“…I’m sorry.”
“No, it’s nothing, nothing to apologize for.”
At that moment, I felt the gap in our social standings.
Chloe looked up at me like a little bird.
I gently exhaled, trying not to be noticed.
I thought, everyone’s upbringing is different.
“It’s nothing important. But, hearing that you ate well also makes me happy.”
She nodded vigorously, signaling affirmation.
Seeing her like that, a pleasant smile involuntarily appeared on my lips.
“You prepared the meal, I’ll do the dishes!”
To be honest, I was the one taking advantage, but Chloe’s goodwill in wanting to reciprocate made me feel relieved, so I handed the dishwashing task to her.
It was also a bit troublesome.
Perhaps out of a sense of responsibility, Chloe blushed, feeling embarrassed.
Chloe pointed to the desk by the window, inviting me to sit and rest.
I patted my stomach, full from the meal, and sat by the window.
Bathed in the bright moonlight, I looked down at the school through the open window. Inky clouds floated in the night sky.
Clang—!
“Oh, I’m sorry!”
It seemed she had broken a plate while washing dishes.
I wanted to help, but then shook my head.
This was also an experience. I went through the same thing when I was young.
Thump—
A gentle breeze blew, and a thin notebook resting on the corner of the desk fell to the floor.
I picked up the notebook, preparing to put it back on the desk. Although I didn’t intentionally look, the contents seemed like a diary.
『Today I received help from a certain gentleman during the class placement test, I must repay him in the future!』
The round handwriting also had little bear stickers on it, so it seemed Chloe was indeed a girl of her age.
The night breeze blew again, turning to the next page.
『The gentleman who saved me is in the same class as me. His name is Kang Eun-geom. My heart is racing, I don’t know what to do, I don’t dare to speak to him!! > <』
‘So that’s why she didn’t dare to speak.’
This time, my hand naturally turned to the next page.
『Geom-gun.』
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『Like, like, like…』
“… …”
“… …”
The room was silent.
“Did you see it?”
“No?”