Chapter 26
Until the information was extracted from Divin, Queen Bee had no choice but to remain on standby.
Kait had been told he could observe, but he wasn't particularly interested. He already knew it would be unpleasant, and whether he heard it from them directly or read the report, the content wouldn't change.
At any rate, until the list of Earthling buyers was completed, Kait couldn't act either. Since it was a list for a hundred thousand people, the seizure of information from Divin's ship must have already begun, so he waited patiently.
Just then, Kait's stomach growled for the first time in a while. Come to think of it, since his modifications, he hadn't eaten anything. It had been about a week by his perception, but his body hadn't shown any signs of distress. In that sense, he realized that his body had also been strengthened by the modifications.
"Speaking of which, how do you handle resupplying, Emotion? You don't eat, do you?"
"No. Basically, I recharge. If I'm in human form, I can eat, but I don't find it particularly appealing. I don't quite understand the concept of taste."
"Hmm. That's Federation tech for you. I'm starting to feel hungry myself, so maybe I'll try eating as an experiment."
"Hah."
"You don't have to make supporting me your sole purpose in life. Developing a sense of taste and making eating your hobby could be an interesting experience in itself."
Perhaps moved a little by Kait's words, Emotion thought for a moment and then nodded.
"You're right. Just waiting idly while Captain Kait eats doesn't look good either. I'll join you."
"That's the spirit."
***
Apparently, there were about five thousand staff working in Zodogia. Kait had only met the representative, Ritimiele, and Dilgana, so he hadn't really thought about it, but it made sense that operating a ship on a planetary scale would require that many people.
In that sense, it was only natural that there was a cafeteria for staff who needed meals. As expected, Terapolapaneshio didn't need food.
"Oh, Kait. Third-Class Citizen (Enec Lagif)."
"Ritimiele."
The cafeteria was packed. Naturally, almost everyone was a stranger, but fortunately, Ritimiele was eating, which helped. He didn't know how to order or what dishes there were.
If Ritimiele hadn't been there, he would have asked someone else, but having someone he knew made it easier in situations like this.
"I hadn't eaten since the modifications were done, so I thought I'd give it a try."
"I see! I should've invited you. Sorry about that."
"No, no. If you could just show me how to order for now."
"Understood. ...Ah, sorry. We don't have Earthling-friendly dishes here yet."
"Are there ingredients that might be toxic to Earthlings?"
"Some dishes do contain such ingredients. I think you'll be fine since you've been modified, Third-Class Citizen Kait, but whether it suits Earthling taste is another matter. If you'd like, you could head to Abakia instead."
"No. Since I'll be living under the Federation from now on, I'll probably end up in places without Earthling cuisine more often. I want to get used to it."
As the topic stirred his curiosity, Kait began to feel eager to enjoy a meal at this cafeteria.
Ritimiele, slightly puzzled by Kait's unexpected enthusiasm, still nodded.
"Understood. Will Emotion be joining us too?"
"Yes, Fourth-Class Citizen Ritimiele (Darda Elra). I can eat in human form, so I thought, why not?"
"I see. Then allow me to guide you."
***
Emotion's taste settings were apparently calibrated to standard Earthling preferences. Since it wouldn't be good to serve something toxic for her first meal, they decided to order something without any substances harmful to Earthlings.
Specifically, it was a traditional dish from Ritimiele's species.
"It's Kazagi-Iralkeni. It's made by processing Ira from Kazagi, and in our species, we eat it during celebrations."
"Oh, that's interesting."
"That said, since joining the Federation, we've stopped hunting Ira. Federation technology allows us to create ingredients with identical properties from scratch."
"I see. So it's more like a Kazagi-Iralkeni-style dish."
"Exactly. The taste and nutritional value are the same, and there's no need to waste life unnecessarily."
Through the conversation with Ritimiele, they got a rough idea of what the ingredients were.
Hunting—meaning Ira was a living creature. Processing—meaning some form of preparation. Kazagi—the place of origin.
Convinced it was a meat dish by Earth standards, he used the provided knife and fork.
He brought it to his mouth. A refreshing scent passed through his nose, and with each bite, the flavor spread in his mouth.
"...Captain Kait."
"What is it?"
"This is my first meal where I've perceived taste. I don't know how to describe this flavor."
"Bitterness and harshness, maybe."
"Yes. And this aromatic component is..."
"By Earth standards, I'd say it's similar to peppermint."
"And the texture?"
"Sticky is probably the closest word."
In other words, from an Earthling's sense of taste, it was absolutely disgusting.
Emotion's chewing gradually slowed. If she could just swallow it, the ordeal would be over, but it was hard to say anything in front of Ritimiele.
Kait, trying to divert Ritimiele's attention from Emotion, spoke up.
"Ritimiele, are you done with your work in Abakia?"
"No, not yet. Earth food just doesn't suit my palate, so I snuck back."
"I see. Is there anything here that tastes similar to Earth food?"
"There is. But it uses ingredients with slight elemental toxicity, so I left it out this time."
"I see. Maybe I'll try that next time."
As Kait calmly ate and chatted with Ritimiele, Emotion looked at him like he was something unbelievable.
Since Kait was eating normally, Ritimiele didn't seem worried that the food might not suit him.
After finishing her meal, Ritimiele told Kait where to return the dishes and headed back to Abakia.
***
"Well, that was a unique flavor."
"...It was an extremely unpleasant sensation. I might respect you more than ever before, Captain Kait."
On the way back to their quarters, Kait walked normally, while Emotion hunched forward.
He reflected that maybe he should've chosen based on taste rather than toxicity. Emotion gave him a damp, accusing look.
"Still, how did you keep such a straight face with that flavor?"
"Hmm? Well, it was bad, but not enough to change my expression."
"Hah."
"The food I had in the exile prison. Once you get used to that, taste doesn't matter anymore."
"Eh?"
"I wonder if that was part of the punishment too. Maybe some inmates despaired over the exile meals and gave up on life."
"Th-That's actually statistically... Wait, what?"
That paste, like boiled sewage and mud. He drank it regularly for three years.
Compared to that, complaining about taste was unthinkable.
"Well, at least your first meal wasn't that. If it had been, you'd probably never want to eat again."
"B-But Captain, even when you drank that, your expression never changed!"
"Listen, Emotion."
Kait turned to Emotion and stopped walking.
He spoke with a serious face.
"When humans know the absolute worst, anything above that doesn't bother them anymore."
"Y-You mean there's something worse than that...!?"
Without answering that question, Kait gave a gentle smile.
"Anyway, next time, let's eat something seasoned closer to Earthling tastes. I'd prefer something delicious too."
"Y-Yes."
As a side note, afterward—
It was recorded that Emotion, after eating a dish seasoned for Earthlings, shed tears of joy—despite having a mechanical body.