The Academy is Doomed

Chapter 130

Silence filled the conference room.

However, it wasn’t long before the academy’s teachers carefully broke the silence.

“Mint chocolate?”

“……What on earth is that?”

It was an unfamiliar name they had never heard before.

However, Banumin, the Goddess of Order, was disgusted by the name mint chocolate and shuddered.

Pointing at the black sphere that Joamin was proudly holding out, Banumin foamed at the mouth and shouted.

-Lo-look at this, everyone! How can such a hideous thing exist!

At the sight of the convulsing Banumin, the priests also pointed at the black object that the Demon Lord, Joamin, was holding out and whispered among themselves.

But Joamin, regardless of the outcry, said proudly.

-Of course you don’t know. Even 6666 years ago, there were at least a few who knew about it, but it seems it has been forgotten in many people’s memories over the long years.

Seeing how much Banumin despised it, it wasn’t strange that no one remembered this.

If a divine being, and moreover a holy kingdom founded by a hero who defeated the Demon Lord, were to put their full effort into it, erasing a single memory from the past wouldn’t be difficult.

Anyway,

“…Hey, by the way.”

-Yes?

“So what exactly is it?”

At Amon’s question, Joamin nodded with a startled expression.

-Ah yes, come to think of it, ignorant ones like you wouldn’t know what this is. But you must know what ‘chocolate’ is.

“Yeah. Very well.”

Chocolate was the food that helped Amon regain his lost childhood innocence.

“That means, perhaps, this is…?”

Come to think of it, the rippling black sphere was actually a deep brown color.

Moreover, it was giving off chocolate’s characteristic sweet smell.

“…Don’t tell me this is chocolate?”

-That’s right. It’s one of humanity’s creations, an artistic masterpiece made solely to tantalize the tongue – chocolate. It’s a luxury from the mortal realm that even the eternally bored divine race yearns for.

“Hooh……”

-Sometimes devotees offer it as tribute, but it’s not a common offering.

Banumin nodded slightly as if agreeing with those words.

Well, what madman would offer chocolate as tribute to the gods?

That’s why the gods had to make do with offerings like dried rice cakes, fruits, and cold meat.

They couldn’t tell humans through divine revelation to “offer chocolate or sweet things,” because the divine race survives on humans’ reverence.

‘If they demanded chocolate as offerings? Their reverence would plummet.’

Therefore, for the gods, chocolate was truly a delicacy they could only taste very occasionally.

However,

-And you ruined such precious chocolate by mixing in grass fragments…?

At Banumin’s fierce voice, Joamin snorted and said.

-As expected, you have such an uncultured tongue that doesn’t know the first thing about fine dining. If your tongue cannot fully appreciate this delicacy, perhaps we should just pull it out?

-Don’t make me laugh!

Banumin, who shouted, said fiercely.

-That will never be understood by anyone in this world! Have you forgotten? Despite losing your divine status and falling to the mortal realm because of that, you still haven’t abandoned that stubborn obsession!

At Banumin’s rebuke, everyone gathered here flinched.

“…You’re saying the reason for becoming a Demon Lord was just because of making mint chocolate?”

“What exactly is mint chocolate to…?”

While people were murmuring in shock, Amon was hanging his head with his eyes closed.

‘I didn’t want to know this kind of inside story…’

A scandal equivalent to Amon’s family falling from a grand duke’s house to a baron’s family!

Anyway, Banumin’s angry shout continued.

-And not just the gods! The previous hero, and any humans of the past, none could accept this thing you call mint chocolate! Did you think it would be any different now!

At Banumin’s passionate cry, a hint of bitterness crossed Joamin’s eyes.

Every word was right.

Neither gods, nor heroes, nor any humans of the past could understand this.

‘I wonder if this time too…’

“So, can we eat this?”

-…Huh?

Brestle, who had approached without notice, was looking at the mint chocolate with sparkling eyes.

-Huh? Y-yes.

“Then I’ll try some.”

As Brestle was eyeing the mint chocolate while swallowing her saliva, the academy members hurriedly tried to stop her.

“W-wait a moment! What are you thinking, eating something made by the Demon Lo- ah, she already ate it.”

Along with Anar’el’s weak voice, Brestle, who was chewing with a mouthful of mint chocolate, tilted her head.

“Hmm, this is…mm, hmmm.”

After savoring what was in her mouth like she was tasting it, Brestle finally swallowed it and said.

“This seems to be made with that grass that’s growing all over the academy grounds lately, isn’t it?”

-…Ooh! H-how did you know that?

“I occasionally pick and eat that grass.”

At Brestle’s casual words, Amon’s cheeks trembled.

‘No, is that person eating weeds again…’

Just how far does Brestle’s gluttony for food go!

Then the Demon Lord said with a proud face.

-Yes! Those leaves are something I created myself, called ‘mint’. So how is it? The taste?

With bated breath and a flushed face, the Demon Lord’s face waiting for Brestle’s answer was full of the characteristic expectation of someone waiting for their creation to be evaluated.

And after taking another bite of mint chocolate, Brestle wiggled her ears while savoring the taste, then opened her mouth.

“It’s delicious. The chocolate and mint? go quite well together.”

-Ohohoho! Finally! A human- no, a dark elf who understands my mint chocolate has appeared!

Seeing Brestle’s joy, Amon decided to hold his tongue.

‘Even if a dark elf who eats weeds says it’s delicious, is that really a compliment…?’

Anyway, apparently excited by Brestle’s positive evaluation, Demon Lord Joamin ran to the other academy people with the chocolate that Brestle had taken two bites from.

-Come, come! All of you try it quickly!

“Uh, uhhh…”

-I see! Perhaps mint chocolate was always meant to be food that only intellectual beings could understand! Therefore, as teachers, you should be able to understand this taste!

“Umm…yes, let’s try it…”

Eventually, the others reluctantly took pieces of what Joamin offered and carefully ate them.

And Anar’el, who had been chewing for a while, immediately spat out the contents.

“Blehhh.”

-Ahhh! Wh-what are you…!

“Ah! S-sorry. It felt like brushing my teeth, so I unconsciously spat it out.”

-What!? Hey, brushing teeth…!?

Marion also just lightly licked the surface of the mint chocolate, then made a grimace and chugged strong alcohol to wash away the strange taste in his mouth.

“Kuheu…whew, this is quite a bizarre taste. Neither chocolate nor some strange mouthwash…”

-Wh-what did you say…?

The Demon Lord’s eyes were trembling pitifully.

Sloth also tried a fingernail-sized piece of mint chocolate, then spat with a strict, solemn, serious face.

“This just isn’t chocolate.”

-Eeek…!

Kai and Fiora’s reactions weren’t very good either.

As the crown prince and the young lady of the Pendorean duchy who had tasted various delicacies and unique foods from across the continent, even they had never encountered such a grotesque food mixing chocolate with grass.

“Ugh, why does the chocolate taste like mouthwash?”

-Kuuugh…

“Well, it’s not inedible, but it’s a bit much to call it delicious.”

-Keeek…

The shock and pain of seeing her confident masterpiece being denied before her eyes!

As Joamin twisted in agony, Banumin pointed and cackled as if to say ‘I told you so.’

-Hahaha! What did I tell you! That grotesque food would never be acknowledged by anyone in this world!

-Uu, uuu…S-so even in this era, there are only ignorant monkeys who cannot understand fine cuisine…

-The monkey here would be you, not the world!

Seeing Joamin so dejected they looked about to collapse flat on the ground, Amon shook his head.

‘Well, yeah. There’s no way something would taste good after mixing grass fragments into precious chocolate. The goddess is absolutely right about everything.’

Amon smirked and clicked his tongue while watching Brestle who was still munching on the remaining mint chocolate monstrosity.

‘Then does that make the vice principal lower than a monkey?’

“Nom nom nom!”

‘Well, last time too, she reverted to the past just by being slightly removed from civilization.’

“Munch munch, chomp chomp!”

‘If a little more time had passed, she might have regressed to the level of a pillbug…’

“Slurp slurp!”

Watching Brestle who was licking her lips while eating the mint chocolate with relish, Amon quietly moved his feet.

He couldn’t deny being somewhat interested in a food based on chocolate, which he often ate to regain his damaged innocence.

‘Besides, right now the goddess and Demon Lord are distracted elsewhere…’

Amon quietly approached Brestle and said.

“Um, Vice Principal. Is that delic-”

“Grrrrl!”

“Ah! It’s me, me.”

“Grrr…oh, Teacher Amon.”

“Is that delic-”

“Grrrrl!”

“Oh come on!”

After covering the mouth of Brestle, who was growling like a wild wolf afraid of having her food taken away, Amon cautiously reached out his hand.

‘Hmm…so this is chocolate made by mixing in grass? Fragments called mint?’

Brestle was eating it with gusto, but as mentioned, she was the incarnation of gluttony who would eat things that weren’t even food and call them delicious.

‘The academy people all said it was bad too…well, it must taste bad?’

However, as mentioned, Amon loves chocolate very much.

Since it’s made with chocolate, it should at least taste good enough not to dishonor chocolate’s reputation.

Therefore, Amon took advantage of a moment when others weren’t looking to break off a chunk of mint chocolate.

‘Well then, let’s try it.’

The moment Amon took a bite of the mint chocolate.

Pop-!

The refreshing sensation bursting in his mouth!

The lingering pleasure of chocolate’s characteristic sweetness that follows!

Savoring the aftertaste in his mouth, Amon unconsciously muttered.

“Wow, this is f***ing delici-”

Amon flinched after saying that. Then he covered his mouth and looked around.

The academy people had faces filled with shock at his words, and the goddess Banumin was staring with round eyes filled with terrible betrayal.

And

-What did you just say?

“……”

-Say it again! Again!

Demon Lord Joamin said with a broad smile.

-Did you just say it was delicious!

Along with the Demon Lord’s repeated question, Amon felt cold sweat running down his spine as he sensed the stares of the priests and goddess piercing him from all directions.