I Become a Mafia in the Academy

Chapter 107

The cooking process was not that difficult.

After all, Cacciatora (Coniglio alla Cacciatora) was originally a dish made by hunters to simply eat their caught game, and the recipe in my memory was not that difficult either.

"Mari, you can use simple magic, right?"

"Huh? Oh, of course! It's basic for anyone who uses magic power."

"Then, can you create a simple bowl and pot for yourself?"

"A bowl and a pot... you mean? Yes, it's not hard."

Normally, a proper expedition team would carry simple cooking tools, and I had simple camping tools in my cube as well, but I thought this would be much better to please the instructor.

Mari quickly began digging the ground, found clay from within, shaped it into the form of a bowl, and then instantly baked it at high temperature.

"...Magic is convenient."

"You were an Aura user, Yoojin, right? Well, some of the world's heroes use both Aura and Mana, so maybe Yoojin could awaken Mana later?"

"That could be possible."

I'm not sure if Yoojin has a talent for magic, though.

Well, I had my own thoughts about that.

"Oh, can you handle preparing the ingredients?"

"Uh... the basics, yes?"

"Then, could you wash and simply prepare the vegetables?"

"...Yes!"

While she washed and trimmed the vegetables with magic, I decided to simply prepare the rabbit.

It was my first time handling a rabbit, but was it because I could display the handling method through the smart lens?

Or maybe it was because I had done various things so far?

Fortunately, I was able to handle the Ten Thousand Kilogram Rabbit smoothly without any hitches.

...There was definitely an ability that corrects luck on the feet of the Ten Thousand Kilogram Rabbit, wasn't there?

After cutting off both feet, I put one in the cube and gave the other to Mari.

"Huh? What's this... Kyaaah?! What... what is this?!"

"A rabbit's foot."

"Of course, I know it's a foot!! But why throw it at me?!"

Was she so surprised because a rabbit's foot suddenly fell in front of her? She questioned me with teary eyes.

"...It's a lucky item?"

"Huh? A lucky item... Oh, you mean like the superstition about rabbit's feet bringing luck?"

When I nodded, Mari glared at me while biting her lip.

"Still... at least wipe off the blood before throwing it. I was startled because you threw it suddenly!"

"Oh... sorry."

Indeed, anyone would be startled if a bloody rabbit's foot was thrown at them.

Lately, there are very few normal people around me, so I forgot such simple common sense.

"Really, please be more careful next time."

Feeling sorry, I nodded to her as she wiped her tears with her school uniform sleeve.

If it were Seah, she would have asked if it was expensive, and if it were Haru, she would have thanked me for giving her a valuable item.

Hmm... it was a rare reaction, so I felt a bit dazed.

...Yes, that must be a normal reaction.

I decided to focus on cooking.

After blanching the prepared chicken in boiling water for about a minute, I seasoned it with dark salt and pepper crushed by hand, brought by Mari's mice.

Then, I would brown it, and simmer it with wine and vegetables in the oil that came out, but since I couldn't use wine in this situation, I decided to simmer it with water.

As a result.

"It, it looks delicious, doesn't it?"

"Doesn't it?"

A delicious rabbit stew... no, Coniglio alla Cacciatora was completed.

"Now, we just need to take this with us."

"Right. We came in a bit deeper to catch the Ten Thousand Kilogram Rabbit, but since we're going down the mountain, we'll get there soon."

I said that while putting the food into the cube to preserve it.

"Then, shall we start heading down?"

"Oh, yes!"

To facilitate our movement, Mari created a golem again.

While descending the mountain with her and having various conversations, a sudden curiosity arose, and I decided to ask.

"By the way, can I ask why you suggested teaming up with me today? I've never seen you approach someone else first before."

"Huh? Uh? Oh, oh...! You mean that?"

Despite it not being such a serious question, she visibly panicked.

"Uh, that... well...!"

It didn't seem like she was panicking because she was caught lying to me.

"That... I was moved by Yoojin's speech during the oration. It felt like my eyes were opened to something. I became interested in getting closer to you. That, that's why!"

Ah, I understood.

The first stage of breaking through Mari Nate's event with a high level of charm would have already been overcome by my trait [Bad Boy], and she was even moved by my speech?

Then it's obvious.

"You want to get closer. Something like that."

"...Huh?"

I definitely didn't see Mari Nate talking to others in class that often.

Did I only see her fiddling with her doll's hand while using her phone?

Maybe she didn't feel the need for friends naturally until this opportunity made her realize it.

"You were moved by the speech. And you wanted to be friends. That's not it, right?"

"Y-yes! That, that...! Yoojin has quite a sharp side, doesn't he?"

"It's only natural for a vice president to look out for the class."

Really, isn't he an excellent vice president?

While thinking that, when we were not far from the place where the instructor was waiting.

"Mari, wait a moment."

"Yes?"

Walking ahead of Mari, I blocked her path and signaled her to quiet down.

"It feels like there's something around us."

"Around us? But there's nothing..."

Rustle!

"Kyaaah!"

Suddenly, a person appeared above our heads.

"Don't move! We are from the Green Forest Divine Sect---Boss?"

"...Jinwoo? What are you doing here?"

"Huh? Uh... cooking activity?"

No, what kind of cooking activity would make someone fall from the sky and shout about the Green Forest Divine Sect?

"Hey, man! Let's go together--- Huh? Yoojin?"

"Seah?"

The appearance of the two people I thought were the strongest team in this class.

Yet, for some reason, they looked quite anxious.

"Uh... these people. Aren't they from Yoojin's club?"

"Well, yes, but what's this all about..."

Wait. Green Forest? Cooking 'activity'?

Could it be...

"You guys. Were you planning to steal others' food instead of cooking?"

When I voiced the hypothesis that suddenly popped into my head, Jinwoo flinched and suddenly averted his gaze.

"S-steal?! Boss, what are you talking about! Right, Seah?"

"Why are you asking me? You were the one making a fuss about stealing people's food without even finding the ingredients!"

"I didn't expect that you wouldn't be able to cook without a recipe book!"

...The situation began to take shape.

Jinwoo, who naturally thought Seah would be good at both searching and cooking, teamed up with her, kneeling if necessary, but Seah couldn't cook on her own without a recipe.

As a result, they hadn't done anything until the last minute, and then planned to use Seah's ability to find people and steal their cooking.

"......Something. It's a plan that suits you if it suits you."

"Hehe. Isn't it?"

Even though it wasn't said in a complimentary sense, the guy scratches his head and looks pleased.

Perhaps feeling a sense of dissonance at that sight, Mari looks at Jinwoo with a strange expression.

"Wouldn't you actually get a deduction if you submit someone else's cooking like that...? It doesn't seem like a good idea."

"No, when you think about it, it's the most rational method."

"What?!"

Mari is taken aback, as if she didn't expect such words to come out of my mouth.

"After all, this is a 'survival' cooking class. In a situation where you have to survive, taking someone else's cooking and consuming it is part of survival. The instructor would surely approve of it."

"Oh... no, right? I thought you would notice my plan if it was the boss!"

Even though such a reaction wouldn't be believed...

But now that we've met like this, there's nothing we can do about it.

"So, are you planning to steal our food? If so, we're also thinking of blocking you with full force."

When I asked while loosening the joints of my neck and fingers, Jinwoo waved his hands and stepped back.

"No, no, what are you talking about? Picking a fight with the boss in a survival class is suicide, not survival."

...Is that so?

"Well, we'll be going then. No matter how much I think about it, I can't imagine stealing food from the boss's team..."

"I agree. Instead of stealing Yoojin's food, it might be better to gather points by picking wild berries or herbs."

Seah also shakes her head as if she has no intention of fighting and heads towards Jinwoo.

"Let's target someone else."

"...Alright. So, who are we targeting?"

"For now... Ah? I can feel Youngje's magic power over there."

"Huh? Magic power from glasses? Stealing food from glasses would be super fun. What should we do?"

"We can't afford to not eat. We can't get a deduction like this! It's so unfair, I won't be able to sleep!"

As I watched the two of them disappear while talking, I felt sympathy for Youngje, who would soon be attacked.

Well, he might be able to stop them, but... facing an assassin and a spatial mage in the mountains?

If I were Youngje, I would just run away.

"Let's go."

"Ah... yes."

After calling out to Mari, who was blankly staring at where the two had left, and snapping her back to reality, we continued down the mountain.

Come to think of it, what kind of cooking was Youngje trying to do?

I started to get curious about what kind of dish Seah and Jinwoo would bring back.

* * *

"Delicious!!! Perfect!! so good!"

The instructor, tasting our food for the first time, jumps up and down with tears in his eyes.

"To procure such ingredients in the wild and cook such quality food! Oh God, is this even possible?!"

Then, the instructor grabs the rabbit leg with his bare hands and stretches it towards the sky.

"This familiar weight... Could it be that you cooked the Ten Thousand Kilogram Rabbit?! That legendary ingredient!!!"

I wondered why he was stretching the meat towards the sky; it was to check the weight.

"Correct."

In response to my answer, he immediately starts tearing into the leg and devouring it.

"Whoa! The heavy weight and chewiness, yet the elasticity that breaks without difficulty and the bursting meat juices—how perfect! Full marks! Han Yoojin, Mari Nate! Full maaaaarks!"

Hasn't the instructor's character changed too much...?

Anyway.

──In the end, we were able to get a good score commensurate with our hard work.

In comparison, the two who tried to steal others' food...

"Jinwoo Vivaldi. And Kim Seah. Is this... cooking?"

The food submitted by Jinwoo and Seah was in such a state that it was hard to recognize its original form; it looked as if fruits from the abyss had been trampled and mixed with mud.

It seems the food was damaged during their battle with Youngje.

"It, it should taste good, right?"

When Jinwoo cautiously tried to defend himself, the instructor sighed and placed the mud ball of the abyss back on the ground.

"It seems that among the things that look like fruits, there are also those classified as poisons. This... is a deduction."

"Poison?"

"......Youngje put poison in the food."

...Who would have known?

That Youngje had prepared a trap dish in anticipation of an attack.

"Ah, the feeling of happiness from the Ten Thousand Kilogram Rabbit is now down. My tongue is even paralyzed, so further evaluation is impossible. ......Jinwoo Vivaldi! Kim Seah! The lowest score!!!"

"Jinwoo, you damn bastard!!"

"...Ha. Haha. Hahaha."

In the end, the two received their karma and finished the class.