Strongest Noble's Daughter Uses Water Magic

Hungry Hungry Shrew

With Felix added to the training group, I had made my way back down to Dora to get the list of our other classmates. The Earth- rather, Mud- Mage stayed behind to fix up the mess he had made.

“Here is the list,” Dora said as I had approached her, handing me two pieces of paper. 

I took the pair into my hand and gave them a read. One paper contained the names and information of the nobles, while the other paper contained names and information of the crossbreeds, including their species. As I looked at the pair, I could not help but tremble slightly, for the informations written we’re quite detailed, taking up every space of the paper, front and back. 

“Sorry I couldn’t get you much information on such a short notice,” Dora then apologized, causing me to slightly flinch in response to her apology. She did not see this as enough information?! Disturbing as it was, she would make a good scout for the exam. 

“It’s fine,” I spoke, hiding my disturbed feeling. “Now I just need to figure out where I can find these people…” 

“I think you can find one of them in the cafeteria,” Dora suggested. “That person is quite the big eater, who believes anything can be solved with food alone. I can imagine her eating away a lot at the cafeteria now.” 

“She must have quite the big stomach,” I stated. 

For some reason, Dora looked away when I said that, and had quite the expression on her face. “Well… you could say that,” she only said. “Anyway, I’ll be stuck here for a little longer. I’ll meet up with you and the others at your training area. Where did you say it will be again?” 

“It’ll be at the commoners’ dormitory,” I answered. “Thanks again for the list. See you later.” 

****** 

When I arrived at the cafeteria, I saw how empty it was, save for one girl- one crossbreed with furless tail growing out of her- chowing down on a meal. … With a few stacks of empty plates and bowls around her. 

“More!” she called to the staff members inside, who were trying to keep up with her appetite. 

I only stood there, jaw dropped at how she was eating so much, and yet still maintained such a small, healthy figure. Looking at the crossbreed list, I searched for the name and description that matched the person before me. 

Sure enough, I found information of this person. Sheera Shrew, the shrew crossbreed, whose family is of a noble rank. A marquess, to be exact, meaning her mother is the one with power rather than the father. Apparently, while men are head of the house for the human race, for crossbreeds, females were head of the house. That being said, however, as crossbreed are apparently inferior in the eyes of nobles, I imagine even high rank crossbreed family are still seen as lower-ranked to human nobles, especially going by how Terranium had indirectly described the ones in our class.

Other than that, as Dora said earlier, the female crossbreed clearly had a reputation for having such a large appetite. One bad enough she could eat a house. ... Literally, apparently. Watching her wolf down the food, I could definitely believe that rumor. 

Shaking myself out of my stupor, I approached the girl. "Excuse me."

Sheera picked up her head at my call, mouth full of food as she chewed through.

“Hi, Sheera. You probably know me, but I’m Levi Caribbean, one of your classmates. I want to speak to you about the mock exam we’re going to be having later this week. Half the class is going to get together to train for the next few days, and we would love it if you and the rest of our classmates can join. The more people training with us, the better our chances will be for it. It’s a test based on team effort, after all. We need all the class to cooperate and win. So please, won’t you join us as well?”

As I spoke, Sheera simply chewed her meal, giving me much of her attention as possible through her meals. As she swallowed, she finally spoke. “Sorry, who are you exactly?”

I was baffled at the question. After hearing several people knowing who I was without having to introduce myself, I had assumed everyone in the academy knew me. Then again, with how focused Sheera was on her food, I could imagine she had paid no attention to even who her classmates were. Regardless, her innocent question was more of a refresher, if anything.

“Well, anyway, that whole training thing? I’m gonna have to say ‘no’,” Sheera then told me.

“Why? Don’t you want to prove you’re not weak as others will think?” I asked.

“More than half the students here are human nobles. They look down on us crossbreeds anyway, even though we’re supposed to be equal.” I held back a light flinch at that, as I looked back to earlier in class before Terranium entered the room. “Besides, even if they don’t, I’m going to refuse anyway.”

This made me raise a brow in confusion. “Why would you do that?”

Before she could open her mouth to answer, one of the cooks came and placed one extremely large plate of lasagna, with a bunch of fillings in it.

“Here, you stinking rodent!” he exclaimed. “And don’t call for another thing again!”

“No promise,” Sheera simply said, finishing her current meal.

I could swear my eyes were bulging out of their sockets as I looked at the plate of lasagna, for the length was as long as my arms If I spread them out wide, and with all the fillings in it, it was a thick as the width of my head."You're not... actually going to be able to finish all that, are you?" I asked. 

"Why else would I order this?" Sheera asked back, setting her newly clean and empty plate on top of one of the stacks and brought the lasagna close to her.

Looking at the stacks now, I just realized they were all incredibly large plates and bowls, causing me to feel sorry for the chefs, as I peeked at the exhausted group on the other side of the cafeteria at the kitchen section. As I did, I noticed the menu posted on the wall above them.

Aside from the list of meals offered, they were practically sorted by class ranks, in which each rank group have their own fixed prices on each dish. As I looked at the price, especially for the lower ranks, I held back a flinch at the sight of the numbers.

"Let me reword my question; do you even have the money for all of that?!" I questioned.

"I'm ranked 20th, where everything in my rank group and lower are available for me at a low price," the crossbreed answered as she ate, making me feel even more sorry for the chefs, as well as worried for the school finances. "Anyway, back to your question, training is going to take up energy, and thus will make me all the more hungrier. I can't have that."

I sweat dropped at her reason. "Is your appetite really that important?"

"Of course it is. If I don't keep a full stomach, I can't do anything. Heck, I may even die. It happened to my grandfather. He didn't eat anything for a whole hour, and he died. Least that's what my dad said."

I could only widen my eyes in surprise at that, until I recalled something in my past life. Often times, I read books on various of animals, and in one book, on a page about shrews, apparently they have high metabolism, thus are able to eat around twice their own weight on average. In fact, apparently, one certain species of shrew is capable of eating three times their own weight and had to eat with a less than an hour gap, or it would mean certain death. I had never seen shrews in general, but if what I read in that book was true... then I can only assume this girl's exact species is that very shrew.

Another thought crossed my mind, one I could only hope would get her to agree to come to training. "You know, even if you can eat all that, I don't think the chefs will have the energy to continue on being your personal chefs, or have enough ingredients for all the other students here," I began.

"It's not like I can help it, not that they ever understand, no matter what I say," Sheera said, still stuffing her face.

"I can see that. But, what if I offer an alternative? I won't ask you to participate in all the training, but if you do come, I'll make you something really filling, something you've never tasted before."

That caught her attention, as she ceased all movement and stared at me. "If that's supposed to be a joke, it's not funny," she said. "I've tasted all sort of cuisine, and even this royal academy's meal doesn't match up to those. You really expect me to believe someone like you can make me something I've never tasted before?"

"Then how about a test? If I make something you've never eaten before, you will at the very least help supervise our classmates' training session. You may be a heavy eater, but surely as a marquess's daughter, you've seen how strong plenty nobles are, right? And maybe you even went through some kind of training. Help us out, even if a little bit, daily. I'll even make you something to eat to keep you full."

Sheera slowly chewed her lasagna and narrowed her eyes at my proposal. With her reputation as a heavy eater, I doubt anyone had ever tried to challenge her appetite before. Maybe as a child, but now? Plus, I am a commoner, and the same age as her. She probably thought of me as bluffing.

"... All right. Only if you make me something I have never eaten before. But, if it's something disgusting, the deal is off," she accepted.

I smiled at those words. "You won't be disappointed."