Chapter 8: Bug Soup and Despair

I followed the goblin around the castle for another full lap.

Because of my short legs, I could only barely keep up at the back of the line.

Looking at these adults and the blonde woman ahead, I felt bitter.

Here, my clothes were the shabbiest of all.

But now I saw that their clothes were also torn and battered.

Moreover, the number of people had decreased by one since morning!

‘There are only twenty-two now…’

‘What else could it be? They got killed.’

I felt awful…

I knew they weren’t my family or friends; I had no obligation to help them.

But seeing their haggard, hopeless faces still made my heart ache…

Although we had circled around, we didn’t return to the main gate. Instead, we pushed open a hidden door in a corridor.

Inside was the servants’ quarters. Not great, but much better than the dungeon.

Rags were piled everywhere, spiderwebs hung, and a moldy, sour stench filled the air.

Snoring came from a low room on the right.

The entire area was lit only by seven oil lamps on the corridor walls.

So that bedroom-like room was pitch dark.

We were led to an inner room that would be our resting area.

「This is your room from now on!」 the goblin announced loudly.

With a snap of his fingers, a four-tier cart appeared before him, piled with bowls—presumably filled with food.

「Come, this is your meal!」 As soon as the goblin said ‘meal,’ the crowd charged forward like mad.

A loud bang!

They were all pushed back by the goblin’s magic, just as I’d expected.

「One at a time! Don’t you know how to line up?」 The goblin’s face twisted into a sinister scowl, made even more terrifying in the dim lamplight.

No one spoke. We silently formed a line.

Though no one dared to complain, I couldn’t push past those burly men and tough women.

I reached the goblin last. He handed me a bowl.

I looked—it was empty!

But I didn’t bother to complain. I already guessed what the goblin would say.

「In a moment, food will appear in your bowls! Hold them steady!」 ‘Just as I thought.’ I felt a bit smug.

「When you’re done, stack the bowls and put them here!」 The goblin pointed at a broken wooden table.

「Also, there’s a wooden cabinet against that wall. If your clothes are torn, take them off and put them inside—new clothes will come out.」 After saying all that, the goblin looked at me, standing off to the side, and said, 「You—keep wearing those clothes! No replacements! Hehehe!」 He snickered maliciously.

A wave of utter despair washed over me—along with an urge to punch him.

「Alright, time to eat! Level your bowls!」 At the goblin’s command, everyone excitedly raised their bowls.

But I secretly caught a glimpse of his smug, contemptuous face.

‘This can’t be good!’

Just as I thought that, the goblin snapped his fingers. In an instant, he and the cart vanished.

Something bubbled up from the bottom of our bowls, like boiling liquid.

Then I heard retching and ‘screams of a maiden’ from the people behind me.

Just as I’d imagined—not normal food, but a soup made of a bunch of bugs. At least it wasn’t human entrails or brains.

Because of the poor lighting, the soup looked very dark.

I don’t know what I was thinking, but I wanted to get a closer look at what was in it.

Since I was near the door, I stepped out to borrow some light.

Blue-purple soup, so murky I couldn’t see what bugs were inside.

But I did spot a furry spider leg.

Just one glance made my stomach churn.

‘The clarity is certainly different~’

‘This stuff is seriously disgusting!’

「Damn! What is this crap!」 「Can this even be eaten?」 I heard some people grumbling inside.

I held my bowl… staring at it.

I hesitated…

I’m an only child. I’ve basically never eaten anything like this.

Apart from fast food and Chinese food, I’ve never even had a snail.

And this bowl of bug soup made me terrified.

I walked back into the room, found a corner, and sat down.

I sat like a girl, wrapping my long clothes around me…

‘How humiliating…’

The room was dark. Nobody touched their bowls.

After a long while, a burly man shouted, 「Hey! What are you hesitating for! Eat if you want to live!」 Then he raised his bowl, took a sip, and immediately threw up!

And about half the soup spilled from his hands.

Seeing that burly man’s actions, I genuinely respected him!

Just then, an extremely thin person walked over from the corridor.

He had heavy dark circles under his eyes, making me wonder if he had kidney problems.

「Ehh!」 The man coughed. 「Ah, you’re all new? Eat. If you don’t, you’ll die! This is…」 As he spoke, he raised his hand and—slap!—pressed it against the wall.

Then a look of immense satisfaction spread across his face. I saw him pinch a cockroach as long as a finger, still alive! and stuff it into his mouth.

Finally, he covered his mouth and chewed meticulously, swallowing it all.

After finishing, he continued, 「Here! If you want to survive, you’ve gotta eat everything! Hahaha!」 His insane tone left our whole room stunned.

To be honest, I’ve watched Bear Grylls eat things, but I’d never seen someone relish a live cockroach like it was a delicacy.

Then the cockroach eater walked away.

The room was dead silent… No one spoke.

Clearly, they were all very hungry.

‘I’m so hungry too!’

I’m not trying to be a hero, but I don’t want to die!

I placed my bowl on the ground, dipped my finger into the soup, and put it in my mouth.

Instantly, an overwhelmingly fishy, sour, astringent, and bitter taste made my whole body convulse.

My legs jerked forward involuntarily.

‘Heh heh, plan works!’ I forced myself to swallow that ‘crap’ from my mouth.

I silently admired myself for placing the bowl aside so I didn’t waste food.

But after that one taste, I didn’t want a second bite.

‘MDFK! Why do I have to suffer like this!’

‘Did I get isekai’d to hell or something!’

‘I haven’t done anything wrong!’

I wanted to cry… As a sheltered little flower, I’d never endured such torment.

Starving for hours, then forced to work for over an hour with a primary schooler’s body, exhausted, and this is what I got!

My nose stung.

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