Chapter 518: Hunger That Knew No Bounds [Part 1]
Chapter 518: Hunger That Knew No Bounds [Part 1]
After classes, William decided to roam the academy grounds.
The Silverwind Academy was so big that it was a common occurrence for new students to get lost. Ian and Princess Sidonie had been spending a lot of time together and had been going out to shop very often.
At least, that was the excuse that they always gave when William asked what they were up to.
One time, he almost managed to pry the answers from Morgana’s soft, and sensuous lips after buttering her up with hugs, kisses, and a little bit of skinship.
However, before the naughty girl could spill the beans, Princess Sidonie managed to take over and the conversation ended there.
In the end, William had given up and decided to let his lovers do whatever they were planning behind his back. From the little information he got from Morgana, both girls were doing it for his sake.
The Silverwind Academy was located in a mountainous region, not far from the capital city of the Kraetor Empire.
If one wished, they could easily visit the capital if they were to use the Teleportation Gates within the Academy grounds. At the base of the mountain was the City of Silverind. It was the second largest city in the Empire.
Due to the fact that this was where the prestigious Academy was located, many merchants had set up their stalls in this place because this was a good place to conduct trade and form connections with the noble families.
William stared down at the city from on top of the mountain. He had only been there once since he arrived at the Academy and had never gone back again.
While he was pondering whether he should take the teleport gate to go to the city, he saw something in the corner of his eye.
A girl, wearing a black dress, who seemed to be around the age of ten, walked towards the garbage dump of the Academy.
The garbage dump was a mile away from the Academy, and the only people that went there were the staff that were assigned for waste disposal.
Due to William’s keen sight, he could tell that the girl was indeed headed in that direction.
‘Is she perhaps lost?’ William frowned. ‘I’d better check just in case.’
William jumped off from the peak of the mountain, and glided steadily towards the girl.
The girl wearing a black dress was oblivious of William’s approach as she continued to walk towards her destination.
As the Half-Elf neared the girl, he noticed something peculiar about her. The way she walked was unsteady, as if she didn’t have the strength to support her body. Also, she seemed to be panting.
William landed in front of the girl, and the latter stopped to look at him.
‘Cute,’ William thought as he stared at the little girl in front of him.
According to William’s estimate, the girl should at least be 4’8 feet in height (144 cm). She had long, light-pink hair that ended at her waist. Her eyes, which were the same color of her hair, looked back at William in surprise. However this surprise didn’t last long before it turned into anxiety.
“Don’t worry, I’m not a bad person,” William said with a smile. “I noticed you walking towards the garbage dump, so I got worried that you might be lost. Are you perhaps lost?”
“Don’t worry, I’m not a bad person,” William said with a smile. “I noticed you walking towards the garbage dump, so I got worried that you might be lost. Are you perhaps lost?”
The little girl didn’t answer, but William could tell that she was getting flustered. Suddenly her body started to sway, and the Half-Elf immediately reached out to support her body, before she collapsed on the ground.
“Are you alright?” William asked in worry. “Don’t worry. I will bring you to the infirmary of the academy right now.”
However, before William could execute his plan, the girl said something that made him freeze in his tracks.
“I’m fine,” the girl said as she panted for breath. “Please, just leave me alone. I need to go.”
“Where are you going?”
“Over there.”
The little girl pointed at the place where the garbage dump was located.
“Are you going to the garbage dump?” William inquired.
The little girl hesitated before nodding her head.
“Yes,” the girl replied. “I need to go there. Please, let me go.”
William marveled on how light the little girl was. Although she wasn’t as light as his cousin, Eve, the Half-Elf was sure that he could carry her easily even if he trained with weights attached to his body.
“Okay. I will take you there.” William compromised. “But, after that, I will bring you to the infirmary.”
The little girl looked straight into his eyes for a few seconds before nodding her head.
William once again activated his flight ability and carried the girl towards the Garbage Dump. as he neared the site, the foul stench reached his nose. Usually, the trash would be burned every weekend.
Unlike the cities on Earth, there are no plastic, cardboard boxes, or any other modern garbage in the World of Hestia. The garbage that had been thrown at the garbage pit consisted mostly of the food wastes that the academy disposed of on a daily basis.
Fruit peelings, egg shells, failed alchemy experiments like pills, animal bones, fish bones, and similar things were segregated in various pits that would soon be burned up by the staff of the Academy when weekend arrived.
William landed near the pit and reluctantly lowered the girl to stand on her own feet.
“Thank you,” the little girl said before walking towards the place where fruit peelings were located.
Suddenly the girl jumped on the pit, which caught William by surprise. The Half-Elf immediately rushed to check on her, but what he saw almost made him do a double take.
After landing inside the pit, the girl casually grabbed a banana peel and raised it towards her mouth. She was about to eat it when a hand grabbed hold of her wrist, to prevent her from putting the rotting banana peel on her mouth.
“Are you crazy?!” William asked in confusion. “Why do you want to eat this?!”
“Because I am hungry,” the girl replied. “Please, let me eat. I am hungry.”
“If you’re hungry, let’s go to the canteen, I’ll buy you something to eat.”
“… No. I can’t go there. People will feel uncomfortable if I go there.”
William pried away the banana peel from the girl’s hand and carried her in a princess carry. He then shot up from the pit and flew towards the direction of the academy.
“Stop! Don’t take me to the academy.” the little girl struggled in William’s arms.
“Behave yourself,” William said. “Don’t worry, I will buy you food to eat. You don’t have to eat those things.”
“No, you don’t understand,” The girl pleaded. “Please, just leave me alone.”
The girl was struggling so much that William wobbled in his flight. In the end, he was forced to land on the ground to ensure the little girl’s safety.
“Are you a student of the Academy?” William asked. Although the possibility was small, the possibility still existed. Aside from being a student, the little girl could also be a daughter of one of the professors, or the staff that was working on the academy.
The pink-haired girl hesitated once again before nodding her head.
“Yes, I am a student.”
“Then why don’t you eat at the canteen like all the other students do?”
“I can’t,” the girl answered. “Anyone who sees me will feel disgusted that they will lose their appetite.”
William frowned when he heard the little girl’s answer. He had just arrived at the Academy, and a quarter of the year had already gone by. It meant that he was not aware of certain things that had transpired during that period of time, including the reason why this little girl would go to the garbage dump just to have something to eat.
While William was pondering, he heard a rumbling sound, and the little girl who stood in front of him placed both of her hands over her stomach. The rumbling sound grew stronger, and the girl seemed about to faint any second due to hunger.
“For now, eat this,” William said as he created a chocolate lollipop. “This lollipop can last for three days. Just make sure that you don’t chew on it.”
William unwrapped the lollipop and presented it to the little girl who was looking at it in a daze.
“Here. Hold it.” William placed the lollipop on the girl’s hand, and the latter held it firmly, like it was her last lifeline.
The little girl looked at the lollipop for a few seconds before putting it inside her mouth. Immediately her expression changed as the sweetness of the chocolate spread across her taste buds.
“Is it good?” William asked.
The little girl didn’t answer. Instead, she bit on the lollipop and started chewing. William sighed as he produced another lollipop for the little girl. He explicitly told the girl to not chew it, but the latter was too hungry to understand his words.
To his surprise, not only did the girl eat the lollipop, she also ate the lollipop stick like a pretzel. William was about to reach out and pry her mouth open to retrieve the lollipop stick when the System’s voice reached his ears.
< Host. Don’t worry. According to my analysis, she will just be fine. Please, use your Appraisal Skill and look at her information. >
William was doubtful at first, but he still did what the System had told him.
Moments later, his jaw dropped after he read the information of the little girl, whom he just fed his lollipop a while ago.
——
Name: Chiffon Val Gremory
Age: 18
Race: Nerezza (Half Dwarf, Half Demon)
Title: Glutton from Hell
— One of the Seven Deadly Sins that represents the Sin of Gluttony.