Chapter 19:

Proof of my Labor

Second Chance At Life


Another morning arises.

Noble duties are tiring.

I can only pray that the squadron will be an easy breeze.

Our first mission is today.

With that boisterous peasant.

And that talented peasant.

I am still confused why I must be working with peasants.

Must this be a punishment for my honesty?

And what’s this?

Someone must’ve dropped a note.

I pick it up, only to see my name imprinted on it.

For me?

For what reason I wonder?

Dear Dame Juliana,

As part of the Three-Man Squad, you no longer need to attend the classroom but report to Captain Akimitsu instead.

My brain processes each word, confusing me every second.

I must speak to Akimitsu to get the answers.

Strolling through the hallways, I see Juliana speaking to the third peasant.

Their acquaintance sparks my interest, so I hide behind a wall to eavesdrop (I minimize my use of magick to hide my presence from the two, in case I get caught).

“Yeah, I managed to pass the simulation. With the help of my teammates, I don’t think I would’ve won.”

He speaks to her like they’ve been friends for the longest time.

Does that noble take interest in that peasant?

“Our captain just let us pass after we worked as a team. We even lost.”

Juliana managed to pass despite losing?

Does this mean the squad captains have different methods to their teachings?

So many questions run through my head.

“But Anthony…I need to talk to you about something…”

Her joyous demeanor transitions to seriousness.

“What is it, Jennifer?”

My curiosity yearns for more information.

They’re referring to each other with different names.

What sort of relation do these two have?

“Someone entered my room and told me something very important.”

“What?”

“Hey, what are you two talking about?”

That’s the princess’ voice.

Not only the noble, but the princess is even acquintained.

How this series of events fold in front of my life.

“Hey, Catherine! How’d you do with your captain?”

“I—”

“Jennifer has something important to tell us.”

I can hear a faint sigh from the princess, but that peasant managed to drift the topic away.

Looks like she also failed with her captain.

“You do?”

“Yeah, it’s very important.”

“Tell us!”

“This world we reincarnated into. We don’t have much time.”

“What do you mean we don’t have time?”

What nonsense are they spouting about?

I can do nothing but listen.

“The longer we stay here, we start having memories that aren’t ours.”

“You’re saying we didn’t reincarnate at all?”

“No, we didn’t. We are possessing them. Eventually we’ll start to become them and—”

“And all memories of our previous will disappear.”

This is news to my ears.

I wish to be skeptical, but their interaction speaks a lot of character.

A princess, a noble, and a peasant in one area.

Some may claim this as treason.

After all, out of the one-hundred peasants, only three remain attending the academy.

“How do we regain our memories back?”

“I was told we need to kill the Destroyer of All Worlds.”

“The what?”

“Apparently, it’s their fault that we ended up here. We kill him, and we return to our previous lives.”

“It’s like a second chance at life.”

I see…

These three come from a different world, only possessing three separate bodies in order to return to their previous lives.

I cannot stay silent any longer.

“I know it is none of my business,”

They are quickly alerted by my sudden appearance.

“But may I help as well?”

“You were listening this entire time, Eunice?”

“I happened to stroll by, and then you were speaking to the peasant. I knew something was odd. You three are lucky that we are the only ones awake this early. If you are caught by anyone else besides me, the chances of you three being exiled are high.”

“What do you mean?”

I point at the princess.

“There are conspiracies that you are helping the peasants succeed. This meeting can be used as evidence. Nobles have a stingy outlook on peasants. They refuse to believe peasants can stand in the same ground as nobles.”

And I hate to admit it, I’m one of those nobles too.

But I know I must do the right thing.

“Now, I have important business to attend to.”

“Eunice, why are you doing this for us? You don’t have to.”

I turn around to stare at Juliana—no, Jennifer.

“You’re the first noble to ever speak to me. You may not be Juliana, but I like to think Juliana and I would be great friends.”

“Thank you, Eunice. I really appreciate that!”

The three took my advice to heart and parted ways immediately.

That boisterous peasant, Tsubasa, really infected me with some of his determined energy.

Which reminds me…I can hear him screaming harshly outside.

“What are you doing?”

He pants hastily, sweat drenches down his neck and forehead.

“Training!”

“Unless you are training to be a singer, I don’t think you need to be screaming so loudly.”

“I-I…anyway, did you get the same note as well?”

“The one where we have to speak to the captain?”

He nods.

It looks like I’m not the only one either.

“I spoke to Akimitsu, but he said to give him two more hours.”

That Akimitsu…how dare he jests us like this.

“This is absurd. What does he think of us?”

The peasant shrugs.

“I don’t know. But since you’re here, we have a feud to deal with!”

That’s right, how can I forget?

Yesterday, I taunted him about his skill.

His offended expression was amusing to look at, yet there was determination in them.

Our captain advised we ought to grow our bond. He claimed it might come in handy that we trust one another someday in the future, so we sent us to a fine restaurant. However, it became clear the atmosphere was uncomfortable.

The boisterous peasant made the situation worse when he spat out one of the food. His disgust offended the chefs, and he retorted that their cooking was horrible. It was true their cooking was morbid, but I was not one to complain. I’ve tasted worse.

It was then both the peasant and the chef had a feud, so I taunted him. I belittled his attitude and his skill. Who would’ve known he would focus all of his attention upon me, but it was a delightful sight. Akimitsu offered to pay, but I paid them double to escalate any trouble.

Once we left that restaurant, Tsubasa was still sour on my belittling. I was merely jesting, but he took it seriously.

“You’re a peasant. What makes you think you possess the same skill as a skilled chef?”

He stopped my tracks. The ferocity in his facial expression, determination ran through his veins, and he sought to prove me wrong.

“Birthright has nothing to do with what your merit offers. If you put your mind into it, your skill will improve exponentially!”

We walk into the kitchen.

I quickly inform the chefs about our feud, and they allow us to use their kitchen.

I can’t wait to put him in his place, or so I thought.

Jennifer alongside Anthony and Catherine stumble across us.

“What’s going on here?”

“My teammate is here to prove me wrong that he can cook.”

Jennifer tries her best to hide her giggle, but chuckles a little.

“He can’t cook.”

She shakes her head.

“I know. And didn’t I warn you three—”

“You did, but the princess is getting—”

Tsubasa approaches us with a smile.

“Oh, Juliana! Archie! Cassiopeia! Did you three come here to test out my cooking?”

“I’m good…”

“Come on, Juliana, it’s Tsubasa cooking for us. Besides, I'm a little hungry!”

Jennifer sighs, “Fine… maybe just a little.”

“So, Tsubasa, what are you planning to cook?”

He ponders briefly.

When the idea strikes him, he smiles brightly.

“Fried rice!”

The same dish he ordered from that restaurant…how fitting…

Surprisingly, Tsubasa had brought some cold rice of his own.

Impressive, he knows his fried rice well.

Cold rice is more effective than fresh rice; it separates easier and decreases the chance of being mushy.

He cuts up a clove of garlic with his own knife, then dicing the green beans and scallions, and lastly cutting up pork into bits and pieces (I forgot to mention he adds sauce into the boiled pork).

Oil is added into the wok, and he heats it in medium-high before merging all of the ingredients (he adds rice afterwards).

I watch awed by the way he flips the wok with precision.

He’s become an entertainer until he places the dish in front of me.

My nostril captures the sweet aroma.

His fried rice looks more appealing than the restaurant’s dish.

I take one scoop into his dish and consume it.

Words cannot be processed, but my tongue is attacked by numerous flavors all at once.

The umami in each piece of ingredient captivates my tongue.

The tender meat is glazed in a sweet sauce.

The firm rice carries a hint of yuzu and flakes of chili peppers.

It’s overwhelming!

Everything is in play, not the rice, nor the pork or sauce.

I cannot stop myself but finish his dish in mere seconds.

“This is the trial of my hard work, Eunice!”

I hate to admit it...this is my loss...

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