I'm the Only One With a Different Genre - Chapter 2

Chapter 2 – Hearty Meals

With the chores for Odil completed, it was time to move on to other tasks. First on the list was a meal.

‘I need to prepare something for the kids as well.’

The body’s original owner had served test subjects who were children a meager diet—tossing them a few potatoes cut into water. When inconvenienced, he’d throw bread at them that seemed well past its sell-by date. Meanwhile, he enjoyed soft bread and soup, the kind Odil would eat.

‘No more of that. Heh heh heh.’

I had taken up a ladle for the first time at the age of five after witnessing my mother burning an egg to a crisp, and now having mastered cooking, preparing meals for the children was effortless.

‘I’ll feed them plentifully until they’re rescued.’
Th is w a s co p ie d f r o m k i ng m t l . org

Sniggering to myself, I began to prepare a delicious soup. I added plenty of spices to the soup and carried it along with bread to Odil.

“Leave it there.”
“Yes.”

Odil seemed preoccupied once again with his experiments, paying no attention to the meal. I left his room and returned to the kitchen.

Thunk.

On top of the long, deep soup pot, I placed a tray instead of its lid and set a bowl atop it. With a heave, I lifted the hefty pot and headed down to the basement where the children were anxiously waiting.

***

In the chilly, dungeon-like basement, with cold water dripping, the children huddled together, sharing what little warmth they had.

‘Mommy…’

Lily, a skeletally thin young girl, thought blankly of her mother, her cheeks hollow enough to show the severity of her hunger.

‘Being a girl will fetch a higher price. Look! She’s worth a decent sum!’

Her mother’s voice echoed in her ears. The hurtful words were of no consequence to Lily. She longed to return to the embrace of the ‘adult’ who had been her only support—even though she knew she couldn’t return, and even if she could, it wouldn’t bring her happiness.

Thunk.

Then, from above, came the sound of footsteps. The children hunched over, pressing their bodies to the ground out of fear. Their bodies shook uncontrollably.
T h i s w a s cop i e d f ro m k i n g m tl . or g

Click, thunk.

They were relieved to realize it wasn’t the sound of the black magician’s leather shoes but still couldn’t relax their tense muscles.

‘It’s him…’

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He was the man who gave them tasteless bread at mealtime. Sometimes he would even substitute for the black magician, dragging them out one by one. Th-th-thump, shivering at the thought they might be next.

Swoosh, it was then that a gentle warmth enveloped her.
T hi s w as c o p i e d f r o m k i ng m t l .o r g

“It’s alright. I’m here, aren’t I?”
“Uh huh.”

Lily buried her face in the arms of Pia, who hugged her with her bony arms. Though not blood-related, they shared a tight bond of kinship.

Thunk, click. Clatter.

“Sniff, sniff.”
“It smells so good…”

As his footsteps neared, a delicious aroma tickled their noses. Unconsciously, Lily emerged from Pia’s embrace, her nose twitching.
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“Li-Lily!”
“Look, sis. It smells so good.”
“Come back here. He might take you away!”
T h i s w a s co p i e d f r o m k in g m t l . o r g
“Uh huh.”

Terrified of being dragged away, Lily nodded and returned to Pia’s embrace.

Gurgle, gurgle, growwwl.

A symphony of stomach noises reverberated through the dungeon, the long-starved bellies now rumbling, protesting to be fed as the tantalizing scent wafted around.

Thud!

“…!”

While focusing on the smell, a pair of white feet stepped down from the final stair. Unlike usual, he carried a large pot from which the aroma was emanating.

Gulp.
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The sound of someone swallowing dry saliva echoed throughout.

Step, step, step, having reached the front of the dungeon, Lian placed the pot next to the dungeon entrance.

Clang.

He then fumbled at his waist for a bunch of keys and unlocked the door.

T h is wa s c o p i ed f r om k i n g m t l .o r g
Clink.

“…!”
“Waaaah!”

The children, who had slowly started to inch forward, now panicked and scrambled backward. Every time he opened the door, he would take one of them away for the experiments. Lily got swept back by the wave of retreating children. The backlight obscured Lian’s face as he entered through the now open dungeon door.

“Heads up.”

Lian kicked the door open wider and entered, lifting the large pot. He put it down on one side and placed his hand on his waist, gazing towards them.

Flutter.

Realizing their eyes had met, Lily hunched her shoulders and buried her face into Pia’s side.

Clatter, splash!

Startled by the sound as if something had fallen into water, Lily flicked her gaze aside. A wooden ladle was circling inside the pot that wafted the delicious scent.

“Slurp.”

Unknowingly, Lily gulped down the saliva she had built up. She was so dehydrated her throat was parched and cracked.

Plop.

Lian grabbed a wooden bowl from the tray he had placed on one side and began to fill it with soup.

Pour.

The savory soup filled the bowl slowly, captivating Lily’s dazed gaze.

Grind.

At that moment, Pia gnashed her teeth, giving Lian a fierce look.

‘He’s doing this on purpose…!’

Lian had sneered at the hungry children or casually tossed them half-eaten bread. He’d never brought delicious smelling food inside the dungeon before, although he had once taunted them with soft bread outside the dungeon as they crawled around in hunger.

With such memories, Pia’s expression was none too welcoming.

‘If he’s doing this to taunt us… I’ll tip over the pot.’

She could be the next subject dragged away for experimentation, but at least Lily and the other children could taste the soup. They’d have to lick it off the floor, but in this place, that was a viable option to stay alive.

Pia glared daggers at Lian, preparing to act.

Bang bang!

Lian lightly tapped the inside of the pot with a ladle.
T h i s w a s c o p i e d fr o m k i n gm tl . o r g

“Come on everyone, it’s time to eat. Line up over here.”
“…!”
“Gasp…”

Overcome by hunger, a few children burst forth running. Seeing this, the others, who had been stiff with fear, reflexively followed suit.

“If you don’t line up, you’re not getting any. You go to the back, that’s it.”

Normally, Lian could not stand the slightest touch of the children’s bodies and would shake off his hands as if in disgust. But now, he carefully took hold of the dirty children’s arms, helping them form a line. Witnessing a sight she had never imagined possible, Pia’s mouth hung open, staring at Lian.

“Me too!”
“..! Lily!”

When even Lily ran forward to join the line, Pia had no choice but to follow her. It wasn’t out of a simple desire to eat.

“Be careful; it’s hot. Use this spoon and then pass it on.”

With practiced ease, Lian served soup to each child one bowl at a time. The children scurried off to a corner with their soup, gobbling it down quickly, fearful it might be snatched away. Soon, it was Lily’s turn to receive her soup.

“Here.”
“…!”

Lily’s eyes sparkled as she hastily took her bowl and stealthily leaned against one wall. Thankfully, not a single drop of the soup was spilled.

Th i s wa s c op ie d f r o m k i ng mt l . o r g
Swish, scoop!

“…!!”

Warily scooping the soup into her mouth, a shiver ran down her spine. The soup, perfectly warm and not as overheated as warned, melted away lightly in her mouth. The mashed potato soup was sweet without being cloyingly so.

“Gulp, gulp!”

Lily ate hurriedly as if she was drinking the soup. Whenever she bit into the small pieces of meat intermixed within, tears welled up in her eyes. By the time she came to her senses, her bowl was empty. Just when she was licking her spoon and the bowl to savor the last drops.

“Slurp!”

Startled by the loud sound, Lily’s eyes went wide as she turned her head. There, sitting next to her, was Pia with her mouth glued to the bowl, gulping down the soup.

“Sis?”
“Gulp!”

On hearing Lily’s voice, Pia snapped out of it and blushed, quickly swallowing down the last of the soup left in her mouth.

“It’s hot, you have to eat slowly, Lily.”
“Uh-huh.”

Lily learned that Pia could say things that didn’t quite make sense.

“We’ll eat again in the evening, so let’s stick to one bowl for lunch.”

The soft voice drumming on her ears made Lily look towards the dungeon door. There, sitting against it, Lian was cajoling a child who timidly held out his bowl asking for another helping. His voice and smile were so kind that the child was almost paralyzed.

“You’ve eaten well. Was it good?”
“Ye-yes.”

The child, who had never properly learned to speak before being sold into captivity, replied in a clumsy accent. Lian, as if proud of even this small attempt at communication, patted the child’s hand gently before collecting the empty bowls.

“If you eat too much food suddenly, you might get a tummy ache! If you feel sick, let me know, okay?”
“Yeah.”

No matter why Lian had suddenly changed, or why he was providing delicious food—it did not matter. The tender hand offered to them in a moment when they had no adults to rely on was something no child could refuse.

“Okay, I’m heading out now, so stay quiet.”
“Okay!”
“Y-yes..”

Several children quickly warmed to him and approached the bars, responding obediently. Lian reached through the bars to gently stroke their heads, causing their faces to blush slightly.

Click, thunk.

As Lian’s footsteps faded, Pia bit her lip and hugged her knees. She was the adult for Lily, but she too was just a 13-year-old girl.

‘Mercy doesn’t exist in a world like this.’

In the Kingdom of Eiscenia, now fallen into the hands of the demon king, humans were treated no better than livestock. Only those whose hearts were as vile as demons themselves received some semblance of better treatment.

‘Don’t hope, because hope will only beget another betrayal.’

Pia suppressed the burgeoning excitement within her as she tucked her head between her knees, recalling despicable humans who had betrayed and abandoned her. Those who smiled in her face but sold her out as rubbish behind her back.

Unknowingly, that fury she harbored was now directed at Lian.