The Last Place Hero’s Return - Chapter 48

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 48. Interlude 2 – The Republic’s Spice
After the “Practical Combat Training” lecture—which had delivered shock and dread in equal measure—finally concluded.
“Well then, I’ll be on my way….”
“Stop.”
Someone seized the back of my neck just as I tried to slip out of the Classroom unnoticed.
When I turned, I found Iris smiling brightly at me.
“Where are you going, Dale?”
“I… have urgent business.”
“Didn’t I tell you to stay after class today?”
….
Confronted by the unsettling gleam in Iris’s eyes, I turned desperately toward Camilla for help.
“Ahem, ahem. Saint, I’m afraid I’m not feeling well today and should retire to my quarters.”
“Oh my, is that so? Well, there’s nothing for it then. Do rest well.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning!”
“Wait just a—”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Camilla spun around and bolted toward her Dormitory.
‘Damn it!’
The sting of betrayal lasted only briefly.
Iris approached me with a cheerful smile (terrifying) on her face.
I had already resigned myself to being caught by Iris and enduring hours of her scolding.
“Shall we go grab something to eat together?”
The soft touch of her hand enveloping mine, mingled with the delicate fragrance of peach blossoms, stirred my senses.
“…Huh?”
“Huh? Don’t you remember? We agreed to have meals together every Monday.”
“No, yes. I remember that.”
I expected her to naturally bring up what happened with Professor Elisha.
“What happened between you and Professor Elisha just now wasn’t something you wanted—you were forced into it under the guise of an investigation, weren’t you?”
“Ah, yes. That’s right.”
“So that can’t possibly be called a ‘kiss’—it was merely a form of artificial respiration, if you will. Don’t you agree, Dale?”
“Of, of course.”
“Good.”
Iris traced my lips with her fingertips, her breathing growing ragged.
“You didn’t kiss anyone—you were simply unfortunate enough to be bitten by a heat-crazed bitch… or in this case, a heat-crazed spider, perhaps? In any case, it was merely an unlucky bite, so don’t dwell on it. Understood?”
Despite everything, calling the professor a “heat-crazed spider” seemed rather excessive, and the words rose to my throat.
“…Yes.”
For now, it was best to nod obediently and soothe her anger.
“Hehe. Good.”
Iris smiled with evident satisfaction.
She tugged at our intertwined hands and walked forward eagerly.
“Let’s hurry and forget those unpleasant memories. Shall we go to the School Cafeteria?”
“The Convenience Store? Why suddenly the Convenience Store?”
After all, Iris had professional chefs attending to her three meals a day, didn’t she?
“On Mondays, I’d like to eat the cooking that Dale makes for me.”
“I see.”
When it came to the ‘cooking’ I prepared, there was only one dish worth mentioning.
“So you wanted ramen?”
“N-no, that’s not it at all!”
“Yet before you were saying it was junk food and bad for your health.”
“S-shut up!”
Iris’s face flushed crimson as she swatted my back with her palm.
I stifled a chuckle and nodded in agreement.
“Fine then. Let’s stop by the Convenience Store and pick up some ingredients.”
“Yes!”
Iris nodded with a radiant smile.
And so we headed to the School Cafeteria/Shop.
Despite the prestige of Hero Academy, the shop wasn’t particularly spacious.
‘There aren’t many Candidate Program students who use it.’
Since most Candidate Program students primarily frequented the Cafeteria, the shop itself remained modest in scale.
“So this is the Convenience Store?”
“Your first time visiting?”
“Ah, yes. I haven’t had much reason to come here.”
“That makes sense.”
With chefs preparing three meals a day, there was little reason to visit a shop whose only real advantage was affordability.
“Wow… there are so many things I’ve never seen before.”
Iris gazed around the shop with sparkling eyes, surveying the displayed merchandise.
Though the space itself wasn’t large,
products from all three kingdoms—the Empire, the Holy Kingdom, and the Republic—filled the shelves, since Candidate Program students from all three nations lived here together.
‘Just by looking at what’s displayed, you can see each nation’s distinct style.’
The Empire primarily stocked meats and breads, the Holy Kingdom featured vegetables and health foods, while the Republic showcased instant meals and meal kits crafted with their technological prowess.
“Dale, come look here! There are so many r-ramen varieties…!”
Iris, whose eyes had been gleaming as she explored the shop, gasped in astonishment upon spotting an entire wall section dedicated to ramen.
“Is all of that really ramen?”
“Yep. Quite the selection, right?”
“My goodness….”
“Haha. Though honestly, they all taste pretty much the same.”
While there were some differences between brands, most ramen ultimately tasted remarkably similar when you actually ate them.
“Oh, there’s the ramen you made before, Dale!”
What Iris pointed to was a red package of ramen marked with the character ‘辛’.
“That’s probably the best-selling and most popular brand here.”
“Really? Oh, by the way, what does the character written here mean? It doesn’t seem to be in the Continental language….”
“It’s an old script that people from the Republic used to write.”
“Huh? I studied the Republic language briefly before, but I’ve never seen characters like that.”
“Well… it’s a bit complicated to explain.”
Truth be told, I didn’t fully understand why such characters were used either.
“It’s more like an archaic language that the Republic people used a very, very long time ago, I suppose?”
“If it’s that old… before the Republic people even crossed over from another world?”
“Yeah. That’s what I learned. Ah, if you compare it to the Empire or the Holy Kingdom, it would be like ancient script from the mythological era.”
“I see. So it’s like the Continental language has faint remnants of ancient script mixed in.”
“Exactly right.”
Our saint really does have a sharp mind.
“So what does that character ‘辛’ mean?”
“It means spicy.”
“Ah, it was definitely a bit spicy.”
Iris nodded, recalling the taste of the ramen Dale had prepared for her.
Wasn’t the reason she’d become so fond of ramen precisely because of that stimulating flavor, which was hard to find in Holy Kingdom cuisine?
“Since you’re here anyway, why don’t you pick another ramen to try?”
“Won’t it be difficult for you to cook, Dale?”
“Making ramen is all pretty much the same, so don’t worry about it.”
“Hmm. Is that so?”
Iris examined the shelves with the serious gaze of an artist selecting a masterpiece.
“How about this one?”
What she picked was ramen in black packaging labeled ‘Spicy Chicken’.
My expression stiffened slightly upon seeing the packaging.
“Uh… well, that one is a bit….”
“Why? Is there a problem?”
“It’s a different type from the ramen you’ve had before.”
“A different type?”
“It’s ramen mixed with sauce instead of broth.”
“Ooh!”
Iris’s eyes sparkled.
“I want to try that! Ramen without broth!”
“….”
“…Dale?”
“I… understand your interest, but how about a different brand? There are plenty of other broth-less ramen options.”
“Huh? Why can’t this one?”
“Well… that brand of ramen is quite spicy. It would be difficult for you to eat.”
Even among Republic people, who were known to handle spicy food well, many avoided that particular brand.
“Ah, I see. That’s it, isn’t it?”
“That’s it?”
“I heard about it from Camilla before. Republic people make such a huge fuss whenever they meet someone from another country, saying things like ‘You find this spicy?’ or ‘No way, you can’t eat this because it’s too spicy for you.'”
“….”
“What did she call it again…? Oh, right. ‘Spicy pride,’ that’s what she said.”
A soft chuckle.
Iris gazed at me with an amused expression, as if to say it was nothing serious.
“I didn’t expect it, but it seems Dale is just another helpless citizen of the Republic after all?”
“….”
“Hehe. Despite how I look, I’m actually quite good with spicy food, you know? You made me ramen before, and I ate it without complaint, didn’t I?”
Ramen that had the archaic Republic word meaning “spicy” boldly printed right on the packaging!
“Hehehe.”
Iris puffed out her chest proudly and shook her head with exaggerated confidence.
“Honestly, after tasting it, I thought maybe the people of the Republic have a bit of excessive pride when it comes to spicy food?”
“…I see.”
So that’s how it was.
“And you said this was ramen without broth, right? The broth is usually what makes it really spicy, so without it, it should be much easier to eat.”
Mm-hmm.
I see.
“Anyway. I want to try this ramen labeled ‘Spicy Chicken,’ if that’s okay?”
“Sure, I got it.”
If that’s truly what Iris wanted.
“I’ll make it for you.”
I nodded with a gentle smile.
* * *
After buying ramen and some simple drinks from the Convenience Store, Iris and I headed to my room.
Unlike Iris’s room, which had full cooking facilities and equipment, my Dormitory room didn’t have dedicated cooking facilities, but I had a portable burner and a pot, so making ramen wasn’t difficult.
“There, all done.”
I placed a steaming bowl of fiery red Spicy Chicken ramen in front of her.
“Hehe. Well then, let me give it a try?”
Iris picked up her chopsticks and took a large bite of the Spicy Chicken ramen.
“Oh my? This is actually really delicious?”
Her eyes widened as she chewed the noodles in her mouth.
I sat back in my chair across from her, leisurely waiting for the inferno that would unfold shortly.
“It doesn’t seem that spicy after all….”
A sudden pause.
Iris’s expression froze.
“Uh, ahhh.”
She trembled violently like a capybara caught in a trap.
“It’s spicy! It’s so spicy! What on earth is this?!”
Iris stamped her feet and let out a cry of anguish.
As I watched her writhing with tears streaming down her face, I felt an inexplicable thrill coursing through my body.
‘Ah.’
I’d heard that among Republic citizens, there were plenty of perverts who enjoyed feeding spicy fire noodles to Holy Kingdom or Empire people and savoring their reactions.
‘Yes, so this is what that feels like.’
Just moments ago, Iris had been boasting as if to say, “Republic people claiming it’s spicy? Isn’t that all just bluffing?” but now watching her writhe and convulse with tears and snot streaming down her face was exhilarating beyond measure.
“How is it? I told you it was spicy, didn’t I?”
“Do Republic people not understand moderation?! This, this isn’t just spicy anymore!”
Iris sobbed uncontrollably, her eyes streaming with tears as she frantically looked around for something to ease the burning sensation.
I handed her a teacup with wisps of steam rising from it.
“It’s ginger tea, brewed hot. It works well for calming down spiciness.”
“Ugh… th, thank you, Dale!”
Iris gulped down the steaming ginger tea in large swallows.
And then.
“KYAAAAAAAAAAH!”
A holy maiden’s scream echoed throughout the room.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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