019 Dekan and Cornelia’s Wondrous Collaboration
Baron Bachel adjusted his neck, straightening his tie once more.
Satisfied that the knot was perfectly centered, he flashed another smile at the remaining two individuals.
He seemed to have regained his earlier gentlemanly demeanor.
“So, who’s next?”
Baron Bachel asked gently and steadily, as if nothing out of the ordinary had just occurred.
“I’ll go.”
Dekan raised his hand without hesitation.
“Excellent.”
For the next round of this perilous game, the students appeared even more enthusiastic, much to Baron Bachel’s surprise.
Typically, after the first round, the students would become terrified.
But looking at these two, they were not only calm but also brimming with confidence.
However, the more composed they were, the more intriguing Baron Bachel found the situation.
He chuckled again.
Unexpected changes often make the best seasoning.
For a hunter, the more unusual the prey, the more valuable it is to capture.
Baron Bachel lifted another platter, politely circling the edge of the long table, until he reached Dekan.
Gently raising his hand, he unveiled the silver food cover for Dekan.
This dish was entirely different from the previous one, emitting a tempting aroma, with a golden hue and clearly visible crispy texture.
The exterior of the roasted meat was encased in a crispy crust, faintly glowing under the lamplight.
It seemed as though the serving cover had additional enchantments, for even after being kept for some time, it still maintained the freshness of the dish.
Dekan resisted the impulse to take the cover to analyze it further and instead focused his eyes on the food.
Sitting upright, he picked up his knife and fork and began cutting the food at a leisurely pace.
Each bite he took was small, followed by a gentle chew.
Hmm, the exterior was crispy with layers, the inside tender and juicy with cheese adding a touch of sweetness.
What a perfect midnight snack.
The process lasted for five minutes.
He placed down his cutlery and picked up a napkin to gently wipe his mouth.
“Good.”
Dekan leaned back in his chair and commented.
He even wanted to pull out his wallet to give Baron Bachel a tip.
Yet, he refrained.
Dekan’s demeanor greatly astonished Baron Bachel.
He had never seen a student so composed in the cooking classroom.
Without any hint of fear, he behaved like a noble guest evaluating the chef’s skills.
Am I the one who invited him to dine?
Is he a true gourmet, or is he missing a few brain cells?
“Ho ho ho.”
Baron Bachel couldn’t help but chuckle.
Amidst his surprise, he felt a sense of excitement.
This was an extremely novel prey.
He looked forward to seeing this composed student’s face shift from calm confidence to despair, then pleading for mercy.
I want to crush this calm expression.
“So, what’s your answer?”
Baron Bachel asked with a smile, glancing sideways at Dekan.
“My answer is—”
“Ken, doku, ku, dou.”
Leaning back in his chair, Dekan crossed his legs and replied.
“Is this your answer?”
Baron Bachel frowned, seemingly doubting what he had heard.
“Yes.”
Dekan responded expressionlessly.
This momentarily left Baron Bachel in a daze.
What does ‘ken, doku, ku, dou’ mean?
No matter what, it has nothing to do with the correct answer!
And with this level, you dare to act so arrogant?
Are you mocking me?
You really don’t know anything, do you?
You’re enjoying the food right before death?
Baron Bachel looked at Dekan, and even now, this guy looked completely unfazed.
He felt like he was being toyed with.
Where’s your fear? Where’s your despair?
Isn’t that my deserved best seasoning?
You actually have the face to look like you’re ready for a drink after eating!
“Ho ho ho ho, I’ve never seen a student like you.”
Baron Bachel was furious but laughed nonetheless.
“I’ve decided, I will chew you up in my mouth as punishment for not satisfying me!”
With a voice tinged with anger, Baron Bachel’s neck elongated once more, and his neck fully transformed into its monster form.
This time, he didn’t want to admire the prey; he bit down with an open mouth straight toward Dekan!
Right at that moment, Cornelia suddenly sprang up, a hammer appearing in her hand as she leaped across the table toward Baron Bachel, hitting his extended neck with all her might.
“Boom!”
A loud metallic crash echoed through the classroom, making the quiet room seem even sharper.
Sparks flew where Cornelia’s war hammer collided with Baron Bachel’s scales, and the air filled with an almost forge-like smoke.
Baron Bachel’s neck was bent at a bizarre angle from the blow, and he was thrown back.
Cornelia was also pushed back by the force, but her eyes gleamed with repressed excitement.
Finally, she could fight without restraint.
Dekan’s words earlier were only audible to her.
It meant: “Cornelia, I’ve poisoned him. When he’s ready to eat me, attack and ambush him.”
At the same time, black fog began to spread.
Dekan had already retreated behind Cornelia, summoning the Ruined Bard.
Baron Bachel tried to sit up, his face filled with anger.
He had been at his weakest moment when Cornelia ambushed him.
Besides the deep pain still evident from the blow to his neck, he also felt an increasingly strong and inexplicable twisting pain in his stomach.
However, before Baron Bachel had the chance to think or retaliate against Cornelia and Dekan,
The pain in his body surged tenfold the moment the classroom filled with the black fog.
He collapsed on the ground, vomiting a mouthful of foul blood.
The carpet touched by the blood began to smoke as if it were being corroded.
He coughed violently several times, as if trying to expel all his internal organs, and spat out several oddly shaped small nail-like objects.
“Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!”
“What, what have you done?!”
In a mix of shock and anger, Baron Bachel writhed his neck, shrieking with heart-rending anguish.
This agony was unlike anything his experience or language could describe, it was an unrelenting and excruciating torment.
He violently twisted his body on the ground, as if something was tearing him apart from within.
“Hold still.”
Cornelia leapt from the long table and stepped onto Baron Bachel’s back, pressing her hammer against his head to keep him under control.
This seemed to ‘calm’ him somewhat.
“Hmph.”
With a light laugh, Dekan dragged a chair from the side of the table.
He placed the chair in front of Baron Bachel, sat down, and rested his chin on his interlaced fingers.
“You have no right to ask questions. Now it’s my turn to interrogate you.”
Dekan’s expression bore a trace of mockery as he looked at the prostrate Baron Bachel and spoke.
