Great Teacher in a Defense Game

#8 Eat Some Rice

Enoch looked down at the fallen black-clad man.

All trace of his initial fervor had vanished.

Just moments ago, he had been burning with fighting spirit.

Now, all that remained was the thick pall of defeat and a powerful sense of despair.

‘Perhaps I overdid it a touch. Too focused on the game, it seems.’

Enoch felt a twinge of self-reproach.

Without realizing, he’d been basing his actions on the difficulty setting from his gaming days.

The Imperial Separatists were a fairly frequent presence in *Age of Invasion*, this world’s original iteration.

Of course, given the setting, encountering them was always as enemies, but they possessed attributes capable of at least putting Enoch on edge.

Taking that into account, he’d purposely flaunted his power.

Reality, however, fell short.

“Letting you live is out of the question, but I’ll grant you a last testament. Any final words to impart?”

“Wait. If you kill me now—”

“Impressive. We’ll inscribe it on your tombstone.”

*Thwack!*

The serpent’s tail lashed out, impacting beside him.

“Uwaaagh!!!”

The man in black rolled away with haste.

He crawled across the ground, moaning in agony.

“Hh, hhh…”

“To dodge that… Your tenacity, I’ll give you that.”

Again, the serpent’s tail rose into the air.

The man in black cried out desperately, as if to halt it.

“Wait, wait! Hold on! Killing me now won’t benefit you!”

“What do you mean?”

“The girl! Remember the girl! Have you forgotten that my underlings were pursuing her?! It’s not too late. If you spare me even now—”

*Thwack!!*

The ground beside the man in black caved in.

The tail had grazed past his side.

The man in black crawled on the floor, suppressing his breath.

Enoch sighed, looking down upon him.

“I was merely going to kill you, but it seems I must dispel some misconceptions first.”

“…What? Misconceptions?”

“Indeed. From the outset, you’ve committed a grave error. Assuming that because your subordinates pursued her, my student is in peril? Why think that, specifically?”

“Just what is it you’re trying to say…”

“That you lack imagination. Isn’t it possible my student could have overpowered them? Just like that, right there.”

Enoch pointed a finger to the side.

The man in black, with a flicker of disbelief, turned his gaze.

The girl who had fled moments before.

Lacrimosa hesitantly revealed herself once more.

“Teacher…? It’s been twenty minutes since I left…”

Lacrimosa asked, her voice cautious.

Enoch didn’t reply.

The man in black felt, unbidden, a creeping fear.

And with good reason, for the young girl before him was holding a bladed weapon, dragging the men who had chased after her like so much discarded refuse.

‘Overpowered? By a mere girl?’

An inexplicable dread washed over the man in black.

Of course, the men who had pursued her were of relatively lesser skill.

But still, was there not a thing called common sense?

The girl, what’s more, didn’t seem even remotely tired.

To be so easily subdued by a child not yet a grown-up.

“Lost your tongue, have you? You wear a face heavy with thought.”

“……”

“Well, none of my concern, truly. This is travel fare. Give my regards to Charon.”

Enoch pulled out a bundle of money and tossed it at the man in black.

A wad of fifty thousand krohn slapped against his cheek.

Following after, the serpent’s tail dropped downward.

A long tranquility descended.

@

Enoch brushed the dust from his clothes.

At the same moment, he deactivated the skill, reverse-summoning the serpents once more.

-Charrrr-lick-

The mechanical snakes returned to their wristwatch state.

Having dusted himself off, Enoch pondered for a moment whether or not to retrieve the watch that had fallen into the thicket.

Bending over to pick up a measly 370,000 Kro piece… truthfully, it felt like such a bother.

-Swish-

“Here it is.”

Lacrina’s action was a step ahead.

She quickly snatched up the watch and presented it to her master.

“Thank you. Already proving the worth of bringing you along.”

“Hehe.”

Lacrina gave a bashful smile.

Enoch gazed at her for a moment before looking down at the unconscious assassins clad in black.

“Just looks like they’re knocked out. You didn’t kill them, did you?”

“Ah, no. Didn’t seem quite necessary.”

Didn’t seem quite necessary.

In other words, she could kill them anytime, if needed.

Enoch felt anew that the educational environment of this world was truly awful.

A world where monsters encroached.

A world where decent middle-class families became slum dwellers overnight.

In such a world, it wasn’t adults who turned callous first, but children.

Lacrina right before his eyes was proof enough.

Just this morning, he’d thought she was prematurely wise.

But seeing her wielding a blade now, she was wise far too early.

‘Come to think of it, there’s a slum near the orphanage, too. Perhaps Lacrina is more accustomed to the ways of the world than I am.’

Enoch smiled ruefully and stroked Lacrina’s hair.

He’d already killed over a hundred people, but it seemed a shred of compassion still lingered within his heart.

“Um… Did I make a mistake? Perhaps I should, even now-”

“No, there’s no need. Just as you said.”

Enoch turned away.

He pulled out two bundles of bills from his coat and tossed them beside the unconscious assassins.

“Let’s go. My friends will take care of the rest.”

“Ah, yes sir!”

Lacrina hastily followed after him.

Presently, the vehicle carrying the pair receded into the distance.

A moment later, inhabitants of the slum, roused from their silence, began to emerge.

-…

-Nod.

-Thud!

A few shadows quietly dispersed.

It was late into the night.

In the slum, nothing had occurred.

@

As it was late, the road was deserted.

The vehicle carrying the two sped along the lonely road, arriving at their destination with haste.

“This is… a pub?”

“A pub that’s also an inn. It’s where I stay. Come, let’s go inside.”

Enoch urged Lacrimosa forward, into the pub.

As always, the inside of the pub was exceedingly quiet.

The only sound was the static emanating from the television.

If not for the pungent odor of spirits, one might have mistaken it for a church.

“What, you’re back now? Later than I expected, eh?”

“It happened that way. Things took a little longer than I anticipated.”

“Judging by the look of you, you had some trouble. …Hmm? Oh, that’s right. Is that the young lady you were searching for? Am I correct?”

The master, behind the counter, greeted Enoch.

He discovered Lacrimosa hiding behind his back and addressed her with a smiling countenance.

“Welcome, young lady. I’m the owner of this pub. Just feel free to call me Master.”

“Ah, hello. My name is Lacrimosa. I’m always in your debt…”

“Debt? Haven’t we just met?”

“My, my apologies. It’s a habit from when I greeted people at the orphanage, I spoke without thinking…”

Lacrimosa hastily apologized.

Her face had already flushed crimson.

Despite being adorned with fine clothes and expensive designer goods.

This wretched habit simply wouldn’t disappear.

“Hahaha, I figured as much ever since Enoch started eyeing her, but this lass has a funny side to her, alright.”

“Don’t let your guard down. She’s a child who could kill a person or two without batting an eye.”

“More nonsense. How many times have I told you? Don’t go cracking jokes on me, eh?”

The Master chuckled, shaking his head.

Enoch vowed that the next time Lacrimosa committed murder, he would be sure to show the Master.

“Anyways, pick out your meals. You haven’t had supper yet, have you?”

“Of course not. I’ll have the baked meat pie and root soup to start. Oh, and the grilled trout with herbs, and the oak-smoked ribs as well.”

“Right, right. Meat and vegetables. And a drink to go with it?”

“Hmm. Since it’s evening, I’ll keep it light with an ale.”

“Okay. And what about you, missy?”

“Me? Who? You mean me?”

Lacrimosa belatedly reacted.

The Master cocked his head as if to say, ‘Well, who else would I be talking to?’

Seeing that, Lacrimosa’s mind began to race.

‘A sudden meal. All that comes to mind is bread, boiled cabbage, and potato soup… I can’t say that outright, can I?’

Potato soup was far too domestic to order at a restaurant.

Bread and cabbage hardly needed explaining.

Her pondering stretched on and on.

Enoch, unable to watch any longer, handed her the menu.

“Just look at it and decide. Don’t feel pressured.”

“Yes…”

Lacrimosa readily accepted the menu.

Her face was already flushed red.

Her own ignorance was simply too embarrassing.

‘He’ll surely think I’m a country bumpkin. What if he thinks I can’t even order food properly?’

Lacrimosa’s eyes burned with determination.

She had already stumbled several times.

She had shown so little, compared to what she had received.

Therefore, no more disappointing incidents could occur.

With that conviction fueling her, Lacrimosa glared at the menu, then opened her lips with a genteel air, speaking in a refined tone.

“Ahem, ahem…”

“…?”

“Um, Master? To start, I’ll request the Parmigiano Reggiano aged in these six ways. And then, cod marinated with tomato, apricot, and saffron rice. Also, a wild mushroom tart, please.”

“…R-right. And what to drink with that?”

“Hmm… Rye-yo? Uh… Ah! I’ll take this Spiced Apple Wine!”

Lacrimia declared without a hint of embarrassment, and quite proudly, really.

A small smile had blossomed on her lips before anyone noticed.

It was as if she were confidently asserting that she hadn’t blundered this time.

Enoch and Master, for their part, were inwardly stifling their laughter.

Her order was simply too bizarre.

Cheese with cod, and then mushrooms on top of that.

Even apple wine to wash it all down.

It was less a meal and more some sort of eccentric English memorial feast. What sort of combination even was this?

“Lacrimia?”

“Euh-huh-huh… Ah, yes?”

“I have to ask you something. Do you know what spiced apple wine is made from?”

Lacrimia’s face froze rather quickly.

After about a second, perhaps.

She, who had been rigid, answered with startling speed.

“Apple! It’s made with apples, isn’t it!”

“Correct. How astounding.”

“Hehe, even I know that much, surely-“

“Then, what’s the next ingredient?”

Lacrimia’s face froze again.

‘Spiced Apple Wine. Spiced Apple Wine. The spelling is Spiced apple wine… Right! First you put in apples, so, next, I guess you add wine and spiced? Meat pies are just meat plus pie, after all!’

Lacrimia was just about to answer immediately, but she stopped herself mid-sentence.

Upon further consideration, this didn’t seem quite right.

Eventually, Lacrimia’s eyes started to spin.

A lady who risked petrification every fifteen seconds.

‘It’s unfair.’

An unfairness bloomed within her, unexpected.

Why did all these drinks have such difficult, tangled names?

It was beyond understanding…

“Lacrimosa?”

“…Yes?”

“So, your answer?”

“Well…”

“Well?”

“Well… Doesn’t it have… honey… or something added?”

Lacrimosa mumbled, a bead of nervous sweat forming. Enoch and the Master chuckled in unison.

“Master, forget the apple wine. Make us honeyed mead instead, something sweet.”

“Knew you’d say that, so I already made some. Here, drink up.”

The Master set a honeyed mead on the counter.

A sweet liquor, crafted with honey and spices.

Low enough in alcohol that even the younger ones could enjoy it.

“Thank you…”

“Aye, aye.”

“Um… what about my order from before…”

Lacrimosa fidgeted, raising her hand.

Enoch, mid-swig of his ale, replied casually.

“I’ll take care of it, so just you eat and drink.”

“Yes…”

Lacrimosa took a sip of the honeyed mead, her spirit deflating.

It was an extraordinary taste.

So delicious, it felt almost sinful.

But… why were tears welling in her eyes for no reason?

Was it just that the drink was so sweet and good?

Lacrimosa couldn’t fathom the cause.

“Why am I crying when I’m eating something delicious?”

“Just eat your food.”

“Yes…”