The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned

Chapter 48: Interlude 2 - The Spicy Taste of the Republic

After the “Practical Combat Training” lecture, which was shocking and terrifying in many ways, ended…

“Well then, I\'ll be off now...”

“Stop.”

Someone grabbed me by the scruff of my neck just as I was trying to sneak out of the classroom.

When I turned my head, I saw Iris smiling brightly.

“Where do you think you\'re going, Dale?”

“Well... I have something urgent to take care of...”

“Didn\'t I tell you to stay after class today?”

"..."

I felt a chill from Iris\'s gaze and turned to Camilla for help.

But...

“Ahem. Lady Saint, I\'m not feeling well today, so I think I should head back early.”

“Oh, really? In that case, you should rest. Take care.”

“I’ll see you tomorrow morning!”

“W-wait!”

Without a moment of hesitation, Camilla turned around and dashed toward her dormitory.

\'Damn it!\'

I barely had time to feel the betrayal before Iris, smiling (scarily), approached me.

Just as I was bracing myself for hours of nagging from Iris...

“Shall we go have lunch together?”

A soft touch wrapped around my hand, and a fragrant peach blossom scent tickled my nose.

"...Huh?"

"Huh? What do you mean ‘huh’? Don\'t you remember we agreed to have lunch together every Monday?”

“Oh, right. I remember.”

Given the situation, I was sure she’d bring up the kiss with Professor Elisha, but...

“You weren’t the one who initiated it; it was forced under the pretense of an investigation, right?”

“Uh, yeah. That\'s right.”

“So that doesn’t even count as a ‘kiss.’ It’s basically just artificial respiration, right? Don’t you agree?”

“O-of course.”

“Good.”

Iris gently caressed my lips and took a deep breath.

“You didn’t kiss her. You just got bitten by a lustful she-beast… no, in this case, a she-spider, I guess? Either way, you were just unlucky. So don’t think about it too much, okay?”

I felt like calling a professor a “lustful she-spider” was a bit much, but...

“...Yes.”

For now, I figured it was best to just nod and keep her calm.

“Good.”

Iris smiled with satisfaction.

She tugged on my hand and started walking.

“Let’s forget about the bad memory and head to the cafeteria together.”

“The cafeteria? Why all of a sudden?”

Doesn\'t she have professional chefs who prepare all her meals?

“I just feel like eating something you make today.”

“Ah.”

If it\'s something I make, there\'s really only one thing it could be.

“You wanted to eat ramen, didn’t you?”

“Ahem. Th-that’s not it!”

“You used to call it junk food and complain about how unhealthy it is.”

“S-shut up!”

Iris, face flushed, slapped me lightly on the back.

Stifling a laugh, I nodded.

“Alright. Let’s stop by the convenience store to pick up some ingredients.”

“Yes!”

Iris smiled brightly and nodded.

We headed to the campus store, which, despite being part of the prestigious Hero Academy, wasn’t that big.

“Not many cadets use this place.”

Most cadets preferred to eat in the dining hall, so the store wasn’t very large.

“This is the store?”

“Is this your first time here?”

“Ah, yes. I never really had a reason to come.”

“Well, makes sense.”

With chefs preparing her every meal, there was no need for her to visit a place where the only advantage was cheap prices.

“Wow... There\'s so much I’ve never seen before.”

Iris\'s eyes sparkled as she gazed at the products on display.

Though the store wasn’t big, it had items from all three nations—Empire, Holy Kingdom, and Republic—since students from each lived together here.

“Just from looking at the items, you can see the differences in each nation’s style.”

The Empire’s section mainly had meat and bread, the Holy Kingdom\'s had vegetables and health foods, and the Republic\'s was filled with instant foods and meal kits showcasing their advanced technology.

“Dale! Come here! There\'s... there’s so much ramen...!”

Iris, who had been looking around the store with wide eyes, gasped in surprise when she saw the wall lined with different types of ramen.

“Is all of that ramen?”

“Yep. There are tons of varieties.”

“Amazing...”

“Haha. But honestly, the taste isn’t all that different.”

There were slight variations between brands, but most ramen ended up tasting pretty similar.

“Oh, there’s the ramen you made for me last time!”

Iris pointed to a red package with the word “辛” on it.

“This is probably the most popular brand.”

“Really? What does the character on it mean? It doesn’t look like a continental language...”

“I heard it’s an old script the Republic used to use.”

“Huh? But I studied Republic language a bit, and I don’t remember seeing characters like that.”

“Uh… it\'s a bit complicated.”

I didn’t really know why they still used those characters either.

“Think of it like a form of ancient writing from a long time ago.”

“From before the Republic’s people even arrived in this world?”

“Yeah, that’s what I heard. It’s kind of like how the Empire and Holy Kingdom have traces of ancient languages from their mythological eras.”

“Ah, I see. It’s like how remnants of ancient languages still appear in modern languages.”

“Exactly.”

Our saint is as sharp as ever.

“So what does the character ‘辛’ mean?”

“It means spicy.”

“Ah, it was a bit spicy, wasn’t it?”

Iris nodded as she recalled the taste of the ramen Dale had made for her.

The reason she had fallen in love with it was probably due to its intense flavor, something she couldn’t find in the Holy Kingdom’s cuisine.

“Since we\'re here, why don\'t you pick another kind of ramen?”

“Won\'t it be difficult for you to make?”

“Ramen’s pretty much the same no matter the brand, so don’t worry.”

“Hm. Alright then.”

With a serious look, like an artist selecting a masterpiece, Iris carefully scanned the shelves.

“How about this one?”

She picked up a packet of ramen with black packaging that had \'Buldak\' written on it.

My face froze the moment I saw the package.

"Uh... that one might be a bit..."

"Why? Is there a problem?"

"That one\'s a bit different from the ramen Iris had before."

"Different? How?"

"It\'s the kind you stir-fry with sauce, not soup."

"Oh!"

Iris\'s eyes sparkled.

"I want to try this! Ramen without soup!"

"... "

"...Dale?"

"Well... I understand, but... how about a different brand? There are other ramen options without soup, too."

"Huh? Why can\'t I have this one?"

"Uh... this brand is really spicy. I think it might be too much for you."

Even among the Republic citizens, known for handling spicy food well, many avoided this brand of ramen.

"Ah, I see. It’s that, right?"

"That?"

"I heard about it from Camilla before. Republic citizens always get dramatic when they meet people from other countries, asking \'Is this spicy for you?\' or saying \'Oh, you can\'t eat this, it\'s too spicy.\'"

"... "

"What did they call it again...? Ah, right. \'Spice Pride\' or something like that."

A small laugh escaped her lips as she glanced at me with a smug expression.

"I didn’t expect it, but Dale, you’re no different from any other Republic citizen, are you?"

"... "

"Hehe. You know, I can handle quite a bit of spice, right? I ate that ramen you cooked for me last time without any complaints!"

The one with the old Republic word for \'spicy\' boldly written on the package!

"Heh."

Iris puffed out her chest, shaking her head in a playful display of pride.

"Honestly, after eating it, I even thought, \'Maybe Republic citizens are a bit too boastful about their spicy food.\'"

"... Is that so?"

"Besides, you said this one doesn’t have any soup, right? The soup is usually what\'s really spicy, so without it, it should be easier to eat."

Hmm.

That makes sense.

"Anyway, I want to try this \'Buldak\' ramen. Is that okay?"

"Yeah, sure."

If that’s really what Iris wants.

"I’ll make it for you."

I nodded with a bright smile.

* * *

After buying the ramen and some simple drinks from the convenience store, Iris and I headed to my room.

Unlike Iris’s room, which was equipped with full cooking facilities, my dorm room didn’t have much, but I did have a portable burner and a pot, so making ramen wasn\'t too hard.

"Here, it’s done."

I handed her the fiery red Buldak ramen.

"Hehe, let’s give it a try!"

Iris lifted her chopsticks and took a big bite of the ramen.

"Wow, this is really good!"

Her eyes widened as she chewed the noodles.

I sat across from her, waiting leisurely for the inevitable scene that was about to unfold.

"It’s not as spicy as I thought it would..."

She froze.

"Ugh, ah."

Her face tightened.

"It’s spicy! What the heck is this?!"

She started stomping her feet in panic, letting out a cry of distress.

Watching Iris tremble like a trapped capybara, I felt a strange thrill spread through my body.

‘Ah.’

I’d heard before that some Republic citizens took a twisted pleasure in watching people from the Holy Kingdom or the Empire eat Buldak ramen and struggle with the spice.

‘So, this is what it feels like.’

Just moments ago, Iris had been smugly saying, "Isn\'t all this talk about spice just Republic citizens boasting?"

Now, she was tearing up and writhing in pain.

There was no better feeling.

"How is it? I told you it was spicy."

"Do Republic citizens not understand moderation?! This isn’t just spicy!"

Iris cried out, her eyes darting around desperately for something to cool her burning mouth.

I handed her a steaming cup of tea.

"It’s hot ginger tea. It’s great for calming down the heat from spice."

"Ugh... thank you, Dale!"

Iris gulped down the hot ginger tea.

And then—

"KYAAAAAA!!"

The saint’s scream filled the room.