In the end, Nearl still turned down that energy bar. Even if lunch was nothing but leftovers, she'd rather have those than eat that bar—because the thing was genuinely awful.
The texture was dry and gluey, chewing it felt like munching on foam. And with no additives, it had virtually no flavor.
If you kept chewing, all you'd get was an unbearable bitterness, and washing it down required gulping liquid to force it through.
Nearl believed this thing ought to be the ultimate emergency ration—because given any other choice, no one would ever willingly eat it.
No worries about someone snacking on it early just because it looked tempting.
But her opinion only applied to herself. Over at her side, Ardan was happily munching away.
She parted her glossy, cherry-like lips and slowly nibbled at the white energy bar. The texture, which would torment most people, didn't seem to bother Ardan in the slightest.
If Nearl hadn't tried it herself, she might have thought this energy bar was some kind of heavenly delicacy.
Agnes Tachyon, surprisingly, wasn't eating one—even though she was the one who'd suggested bringing them in the first place.
Nearl had asked her about it, but all she got was a long, silent stare from Tachyon, who refused to say a word. So that remained a mystery.
But Agnes Tachyon was sharp; she had her own little reasons for not eating it.
'I'm not stupid. Sure, this thing replenishes energy fast, but how dumb would I have to be to fill up on it now?'
She stole another glance at Nearl beside her, recalling all the delicious meals Nearl had prepared for her in the past.
'So what if lunch is gone? As long as my assistant is here, she'll definitely cook for me again. The ingredients are all raw—that greedy grey-haired monster wouldn't start eating them uncooked, would she? Filling my stomach now would be a real mistake. Then I wouldn't even have an excuse later.'
Holding that thought, Tachyon shot a triumphant look toward Ardan, who was contentedly nibbling her energy bar nearby.
"?"
Ardan twitched her ears in confusion.
--+--
"I'm really sorry, but there's no food left. The last grilled cutlet was just taken by Oguri Cap—and that was something we rushed to prepare. There's genuinely nothing left now."
The staff member in charge of meals looked apologetic as he lifted lid after lid, showing pots that held nothing but traces of sauce at the bottom.
Well, at least the food had been sufficient. Oguri Cap hadn't been so hungry she licked the plates clean—otherwise, they could've skipped washing the dishes today.
"What should we do? Lunch is gone. Are we going to go hungry today?"
Tachyon's face was the picture of calm, but secretly her tail was practically wagging with triumph.
The situation was playing out exactly as she'd predicted. Now, all that was left was to hint for Nearl to take over cooking.
'Heheh, I should thank that Oguri Cap, really. I had full faith in her—faith in her appetite. She really is a worthy research subject. The secret to her strength might just be hidden in that bottomless stomach of hers.'
Thinking this, she poked Nearl in the side. When Nearl turned to look, Tachyon put on a pained expression.
"What do we do? I'm hungry. If I don't get some nutrients soon after running so much, this body might give out."
Keep the tone weak, the movements pitiful—better yet, act completely frail. Just do everything to stir Nearl's concern.
"..."
Something felt off to Ardan nearby. Was this really the Agnes Tachyon she knew?
But Nearl was completely buying into this obvious ploy. If it were just her, she'd normally brush it off, but being watched with such expectant eyes stirred something in her—a certain drive to act.
"Don't worry."
Nearl instinctively patted Tachyon's head, feeling the rough texture of her hair. Suddenly, she felt an urge to give Tachyon's coat some proper care.
"I'll figure out lunch. I'm in charge of your three meals most days anyway, Tachyon, so it's not like you'd be eating anything unfamiliar."
With a sigh, Nearl picked up a frying pan and began washing it in the nearby sink, while asking the staff member who was about to start overtime:
"Are there any ingredients left? Where are they kept?"
"Huh? You're going to cook yourself?"
The employee, already wearing an apron and chef's hat, looked surprised.
Not many Uma Musume knew how to cook, and one with Nearl's dignified air was even rarer. He was worried she might make a mess of it.
"Better not. I've already got my apron on—consider it free overtime. I can't let you all go hungry."
The man, in his fifties, smiled warmly. He'd been in this line of work half his life—he couldn't just let the kids starve.
"Uh…"
Agnes Tachyon couldn't stay seated. Was she really just here for a meal? What was the point if it wasn't cooked by her assistant!
"Wait…"
No time to overthink. In that instant, Tachyon grasped the situation and cut in before things went further.
"Actually, I just wanted to try my assistant's—"
"I want to eat something made by Margaret's own hands."
Before Tachyon could finish her excuse, a grey figure suddenly darted forward, placing an empty plate down on the table with a clang. The plate still held a few pieces of decorative vegetables.
Astonishing—Oguri Cap had left food behind!!
Even if it was just decorative veggies—the kind most Uma Musume wouldn't eat—this was Oguri Cap we were talking about!
"Oguri, are you still not full?"
Nearl looked with mixed feelings at Oguri Cap's bulging belly, which even her tracksuit couldn't hide.
A generous stretch of pale stomach was visible, yet somehow it wasn't the slightest bit suggestive—just adorably round.
Plenty of Uma Musume had big appetites, but ones who could eat until they looked like a ball were truly rare.
"I'm full."
Oguri Cap answered plainly, not forgetting to let out a small burp.
"But I haven't had Margaret's cooking in a long time. I'll borrow tomorrow's stomach space for it."
"..."
--+--
As it turned out, even if Oguri Cap's appetite surpassed biology, it couldn't surpass physics. She really only sampled a little of what Nearl cooked—about half of what Tamamo Cross might eat.
The rest went mostly into Agnes Tachyon's stomach, with Ardan having a small portion too. Everyone was satisfied; Nearl had perfectly gauged each of their appetites.
Not that it took much skill: Oguri Cap fully embodied the phrase "not picky," Ardan's taste buds were nearly hopeless, leaving only Tachyon as somewhat normal.
"Hmm, the protein and sodium intake from this meal should be roughly…"
…Okay, maybe she wasn't normal either.
"Well, sometimes I think it'd be nice to have more normal diners. This makes me feel like putting real effort into cooking is completely unnecessary."
Sighing, Nearl looked at the leftover food and was about to clear it away when a voice from the distance interrupted her.
"I think it's very necessary. You just saved me, Nearl. I thought I'd have to go hungry today."
The authoritative voice now carried a hint of relief as a certain Uma Musume dashed over at incredible speed, looking at Nearl with hopeful eyes.
"President, you're awake?"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.