Steps to survival

Chapter 10 : Intruder?!

"It's a dish of science accidentally discovered by some unknown Mongol around the fourth century," Senku said while stirring in multiple ingredients like wild bird egg and potassium carbonate.

"That's right, he was probably a crazy nut that would literally try anything, just like you. Way back in the fourth-century Mongolia," he, of course, had to hint at an insult towards Chrome, he loves those.

After a long process of assisting Senku I had finally figured out what he was making.

"Hey, have you figured it out yet?" I hummed at his question, he seemed unamused. I puffed a chuckle at his almost unnoticeable pout.

"We're making ramen?"

"Correct," he seemed slightly more pleased. Meanwhile, Chrome, Kohaku and Suika were practically drooling over the pot.

"They look so dumb," I said to myself.

"And of course, we had a name for this stupidly yummy bowl of science 3,700 years ago. I stirred it while he introduced the dish.

"We called it ramen!" The dish he pushed towards them had a mix of mean, natural herbs and vegetation.

"Okay, but that yucky foxtail millet is in there," Kohaku retorted hesitantly. We sat in a row in front of the stone slabs we had used earlier on

"Ugh! I'll make sure it's safe for us to eat! Because one of a sorcerers most important qualities is to not be afraid of anything different and new!" I grimaced at Chrome's obnoxious slurping. I clenched my fist trying not to punch something. One perk of being a misophoniac.

His eyes began to bulge and the rest sat in anticipation.

"It's amazing!" His voice cracked wildly. I gagged at he opened his mouth with chewed food on show I turned my head away in disgust. Senku chuckled at us both.

"Ramen is bad!" Meanwhile, Kohaku ate very well mannered and I mentally thanked her for that. While Suika, Chrome and Kohaku obsessed over the new food supply I calmed myself down.

"I think it's our turn," Senku droned as he and I picked up a bowl. After I started to bite down I squinted my eyes and began to cough. I managed to swallow even though it felt like I was consuming sandpaper. Senku lurched forward, his hands trembling.

I burst laughing as he squirmed like someone gave a toddler a lemon.

"Guess it's not really what we're used to then, tastes like crap," he ended up laughing along with me. A while after that we rolled up a makeshift stall for our ramen the edge of the bridge, leading to the village.

Many villagers had made their way over to us, I ended up serving them all the bowls with the two boys. One after another we ended up attracting 3/4 of the village.

"Seems business is going well," I murmured to myself. I grabbed the cup of water that was placed alongside my bow which I had begun taking with me everywhere.

"Are you the man who made all this incredible food for us? The one called Senku?" I heard a pretty girl approach Senku slyly.

"So, what kind of girls do you like?" I rolled my eyes, still drinking my water.

"The kind that can pump a ton of oxygen into my furnace," I choked on the liquid that was halfway down my throat, projecting it onto my face. I choked quietly while crouching and turning my back to them. I turned around wheezing and shot him a 'really?' look, he just wiggled his eyebrows for a second.

"What kind of answer is that? Really? I mean did the concept of polite small talk not exist during your time?" Senku and I ducked our heads cackling. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Ginro and Kinro eating too, the sight made me feel a bit relieved, they were easing up.

"They're really eating it up. Everyone's coming to get some," Kohaku commented, there was a huge crowd entrapping us after all.

"Heh. They can have all they want. But they'll find out very soon that the more ramen they eat, the harder I'm gonna work 'em!" A dark aura clouds his face.

"You really do make the creepiest faces sometimes," Kohaku quivered.

"Ah. This ramen is making me wickedly thirsty. A cola would be great," a soothing voice said from behind us.

"Cola?" Senku narrowed his eyes.

"Senku. You happen to know this guy?" Kohaku furrowed her brows.

"No, I don't," I nodded towards Kinro and Ginro while maintaining eye contact with Kohaku. She ran rapidly toward them and within seconds the three were at the guy's throat.

My eyes widened and I instinctively whipped my bow from under the stall and point my arrow at the complete stranger. Deadlocking onto his torso.

"Better answer truthfully or I'll slit your throat before you know what hit you," she said menacingly.

"Are you one of the long-haired man's underlings?" She questioned further.

"Well, while I admittedly don't mind the attention of a cute little thing like you, I believe you must've mistaken me for somebody else," he sighed.

"I have not yet met any 'long-haired man'. I've been wandering all on my lonesome since breaking out of the stone," I scoffed mentally.

"I thought that you looked strangely familiar somehow. You're Asagiri Gen right?" Senku leaned back onto the wood behind him with his arms crossed.

"So you do know him?" Kohaku sounded suspicious.

"No. Never met him in my life," he responded.

"He's basically a trashy magician who writes psychology books," Gen's attention quickly directed to me.

"Read my work, have you? How wonderful, I should be honoured, shorty. But the 'trashy magician' barb is just cruel. Please, call me a mentalist," he finished smirking at me. I adjusted my bow a bit, I'm doing this so I look like an amateur archer, maybe I can take him by surprise.

"I think 'weasel' is much more fitting," I growled. He chuckled obnoxiously.

"Look, I apologise for taking the ramen without asking. So please, will you be kind and lower your weapon, shorty," he lowered the bowl to his side.

"Don't call me that," I warned. I glanced back to see Senku with a joyful grin on his face.

"But I like that name-" I lowered my bow and precisely skewered his bowl, central. It stuck to a tree that was located behind him. His eyes widened and jaw dropped open like a draw bridge. He looked as if he soiled himself!