As I remained stunned and confused, the boy suddenly raised his head as if a realization had hit him.
“Oh, that’s right. The hot water is ready. Time for some corn soup!”
With that, he took a cup out of his bag, dumped some yellow powder into it, and poured the boiling water on top.
“What’s that? Some medicine?” I asked.
“No. It’s a warm drink.”
He handed me the cup, and I leaned in for a whiff. An appetizing aroma had filled the air from the moment he’d added the hot water, and it was almost overwhelming now.
Saliva filled my mouth as if my body was desperate to have a taste. Come to think of it, I couldn’t remember the last time I had had a proper meal. I’d only been given meager food ever since becoming a slave. I couldn’t help but gulp audibly.
Looking into the cup, I saw what seemed to be bits of bread swimming in steaming yellow soup. The viscous liquid moved slowly as I tilted the cup to one side, and I couldn’t help but imagine how rich and creamy it must taste. My self-restraint began to crumble, and the apprehension I had toward the drink this stranger had given me was quickly dissipating.
“Help yourself,” he offered. “Don’t worry, I didn’t spike it or anything.”
“Fine...”
With that, I took a sip...then made a noise that was a mixture of a surprised groan and an amazed cry.
“Ooh, nice reaction,” said the boy.
The rich soup filled my mouth, followed by a savory sweetness, then pure bliss. Before I knew it, my cup was completely empty.
“Looks like you enjoyed the soup.”
“What is this?” I asked. “I’ve never had anything like this before.”
“It’s corn soup,” he explained, “a legendary drink that’s said to be created by Knorr, a god from another world, with the help of their people and gadgets. Corn soup and hot coffee are highly valued in the winter by many who commute to work or school by train.”
“Corn soup...”
The title of “legendary drink” sounded rather dramatic, but I didn’t doubt it for a second. It wasn’t at all unlikely that tales of such a delicious beverage would be passed down by the people. However, that did raise one question.
“Why would you give me something so valuable?” I asked.
“To be honest, I found these on sale yesterday. They were less than a hundred yen a box. What a steal, right?”
“You lied to me?”
“I-I’m sorry! Please lower your fist!” he pleaded. “Stop, stop! Here, let me refill your cup!”
With that, the boy poured more of the yellow powder into my cup and added some more hot water.
“This is delicious. I’m going to convert to Knorr’s religion,” I said.
“It’s part of the joke. Knorr isn’t actually a god.”
“You shouldn’t joke around about religion like that...uh...”
I was about to say his name, but then I realized I didn’t know what it was.
“I’m Kudo Akira,” said the boy, sensing my hesitation. “Kudo is my family name and Akira is my first name. I guess you’d say Akira Kudo here.”
“I’m...Scrael,” I said.
“Nice to meet you, Scrael. Though I guess we’ll only be together until we get out of here,” said Akira Kudo in his easygoing manner.
Something about him felt different from everyone else I’d met so far. People would always change their attitude and leer at me as soon as they found out I was a Long-Ears, but I didn’t sense such crudeness from him.
“Oh, and have some salted bread. You must be hungry, right?” he offered.
“Yeah,” I replied and tore into the bread as soon as he handed me some pieces. It was soft and tasty. Before I knew it, tears were rolling down my face. “It’s salty,” I said.
“Yup, sometimes you get one that has way too much salt on it,” he said, turning away from me as he made more soup.
“Thanks...” I breathed.
“No problem. Let’s get out of here once you’re ready. Yeah?”
I gave a small nod in response, then took another bite of the salty bread.
§
Having passed through the Yellow Wall Vestiges, which was around the middle level of the Gandakia Dungeon, we arrived at the Great Forest Ruins on the floor just inside the dungeon entrance.
Despite its name, the Great Forest Ruins wasn’t dense with bushes and trees like the other areas. There was a clear view through the groves here, and sunlight shone pleasantly through the leaves overhead. Unless you went deep into the forest, the ruins, or near a monster’s lair, there were relatively few monsters in this area. This was the perfect place for a leisurely stroll.
The girl I’d met in the Dark Corridors, where I usually farmed for EXP, was named Scrael. Long-Ears didn’t have surnames and only had a first name.
I couldn’t have her walking around in public wearing nothing but a towel like some exhibitionist, so I’d given her some of my spare clothes. Though, they were just some ordinary safari wear you could buy anywhere.
Her swaying silver ponytail reminded me more of a squirrel’s tail, and her ears moved with each stride as she walked beside me. Long-Ears were all beautiful, and Scrael was definitely no exception. She was a bit shorter than me, and because she was so charming, if I were to give her a nickname, it’d be “Little Squirrel.” Yet her breasts were anything but little. They bounced up and down with a savage weightiness to them, and they were far too provocative for an innocent young boy to handle. Honestly, I deserved a lot of praise for managing to simmer down when my head felt like boiling over. I’d also accept gifts as a reward, though I didn’t have a wish list to order from.
Anyway, Scrael had been incredibly lucky. If the Divers who’d brought her here had just waited for her to break under her slave shackles instead of challenging the boss, she would’ve ended up being their plaything without ever meeting me. They could’ve worn her out by making her fight strong monsters, then they could’ve had their way with her.