Chapter 11: Food Cravings! The Conqueror's Haki Born from Hunger?!
When the door opened, the cold wind and snow rushed in.
Roy stepped outside, closing the door behind him. With his sword hanging at his waist, he made his way toward the wilderness.
"Crunch... crunch..."
Each step left deep footprints on the thick layer of snow, stretching into the distance opposite the Lamb's House and Elbaf Village.
"Why is he wandering off again?"
Inside, the fishman child leaned by the window, watching Roy with a look of envy.
"He's strong—that's why," sighed the exiled little prince, his tiny golden crown glinting in the firelight.
If only he could be as powerful as Roy... with a master like the giant swordsman Reding, he might one day reclaim his lost kingdom.
Before long, Roy returned.
The prince ran to him eagerly and pulled him toward the fireplace.
"Roy, be my partner! If you help me reclaim my country, I'll make you a duke and give you half the island!"
"I'm not interested in power." Roy waved dismissively, driving the boy away.
Tch. Kids these days—writing blank checks with confidence.
"I'm serious! You'll get wealth, land, and as many beautiful women as you want!" the prince insisted.
"Let's just survive the Winter Solstice first." Roy laughed. Still got enough energy to brag after starving for days, huh?
The boast reminded him of a time before he traveled to this world—when a cheeky kid once convinced an author in his group to ghostwrite for him and promised a 50-50 split of the profits.
It was ridiculous then... and it still made him smile now.
Roy leaned against the fireplace, sword resting on his lap, and closed his eyes to rest.
Before the fasting period began, he'd hidden away a small stash of food.
He had shared some with Linlin and kept a portion for himself.
After all, he might be able to endure twelve days of fasting, but if Linlin lost control, he needed the strength to stop her.
Still, depending solely on the Sheep's House for supplies meant he couldn't store much.
The fire crackled in the hearth, its warmth filling the room as the children huddled around it.
Roy tilted his head and smiled. They were just kids—of course, everything still seemed fun to them.
But after a few more days without food, their cheerfulness would fade.
Fifth day of fasting.
Roy thought back to the original story.
Linlin went berserk on the seventh day, driven mad by hunger.
He'd fed her for the past two days—hopefully, that would delay the inevitable.
In the meantime, he searched the snow-covered wilderness for prey, and for Elbaf's warehouse where the Samla sweets were stored.
He needed a plan—a way to lessen the damage when Linlin's hunger finally exploded.
Outside, the wind howled through the frozen landscape. The storm's mournful cry echoed like a chorus of ghosts. The windows rattled under the force of the wind.
Inside, the children were quiet, clustered around the warm fire with their eyes closed.
Roy looked at them, smiling faintly, and began telling ghost stories in a calm, eerie tone.
Anyone paying close attention would notice their small bodies trembling.
Well, as long as they don't open their eyes, the ghost can't catch them.
The nun had already gone to bed.
Roy took a sip of water, glanced once more at the terrified but obedient children, and quietly stood up. He slipped outside, closing the door behind him.
---
In the wilderness, inside a cave.
Roy handed Linlin her "last" batch of snacks and biscuits. Beside her lay a roasted snake he'd caught during hibernation season. He gave it all to her.
"Thank you, Brother Roy!" Linlin said brightly, hugging the food like a treasure.
"Linlin, you have to endure for the next few days. We're out of food, and there's barely any prey left." Roy warned.
"Yes! Linlin can do it!" She nodded, cheeks puffed with determination.
Roy smiled, watching her finish her meal. As she ate contentedly, he turned toward the snowy horizon.
The firelight flickered faintly behind him.
The Winter Solstice Festival lasted twelve days—and this was only the fifth.
Roy could delay things for a few more days, but his remaining food wouldn't last until the festival's end.
The best plan now was simple: use the Samla sweets.
If he could feed Linlin at just the right time during her food craving, he might suppress her rampage.
Once Linlin disappeared into the wind and snow, Roy went into action. He dug through the snowdrifts for prey, caught a few hibernating animals, cleaned them, and roasted them over the fire.
It wasn't much—barely enough to keep his own strength for what was coming.
Sorry, little winter sleepers. Sacrifices must be made.
---
Ninth day of fasting.
Linlin was so hungry her vision blurred, her legs shaky and weak. The nun's calm, patient voice echoed in her ears, trying to soothe the starving children.
The exiled prince no longer had the energy to pester Roy.
The fishman child had retreated to bed, curling up tightly and refusing to move in this cold weather.
Roy no longer told ghost stories. He simply sat by the fire, pretending to nap.
Even with the hidden food he'd eaten to keep his strength up, he still needed to act weak. If Linlin suspected he was hiding food, the outcome would be far worse.
Linlin turned her gaze toward Roy for help, but saw only a tired boy resting by the fireplace. He hadn't gone out for days—at least, not that she'd seen. She pressed her hands to the window, watching the swirling snow outside, her stomach aching.
Her vision began to twist and blur.
"...Sam...la..."
She thought she saw a mountain of sweet Samla before her eyes.
But when she reached for it, the image vanished into the cold air.
"Samla's so delicious... I want it again..."
Roy opened one eye slightly, watching her.
Her wrists and arms were thickening—her strength swelling unnaturally. His hand moved toward his sword.
But then... the transformation stopped. Linlin didn't lose control.
Roy slowly exhaled.
That was close.
Linlin's greatest weakness had always been her hunger.
When deprived of food, her body reacted violently, triggering a hunger frenzy that made her lose all reason.
But even when she wasn't starving, if she craved something specific and couldn't get it... the same madness would surface.
On her sixth birthday, she had broken every limit—her craving drove her to devour the entire Sheep's House.
It was the very definition of tragedy born from appetite.
Her gluttony was a curse she could never control—and Roy knew he wouldn't always be there to stop her.
His goal was the ocean. The world. He couldn't be chained to Elbaf forever.
---
Tenth day of fasting.
The sky was still gray and heavy. Snowflakes drifted silently, cloaking the island in endless white.
Early that morning, Linlin left the Sheep's House, her steps uneven and heavy.
Roy followed quietly behind, sword in hand, watching from a distance.
"Oh, Linlin!"
A giant sitting by his doorway called out with a friendly smile.
"...Samla... I want Samla..." Linlin mumbled, her eyes unfocused.
"Hahaha, be patient, Linlin. The fasting days will—"
Before he could finish, Linlin suddenly lunged forward, grabbing the giant by the collar and hoisting him off the ground like a rag doll.
"Ah! Linlin, calm down—!"
"Samla!"
"Wait—!"
"Boom!!"
The giant was hurled across the village, crashing through a massive wooden house and bringing it down in a thunderous collapse.
Gerth froze, staring in horror. Her eyes trembled as she watched Linlin's massive frame trembling with rage.
All around, the giants began to react, moving in to restrain her—
"LINLIN, STOP—!"
But before they could reach her, Linlin swung her arms like whips, sending them flying one after another.
"Clang!"
A blade cut the air, stopping just short of Linlin's chest.
Roy had arrived, blocking her punch with his sword.
The impact sent a shockwave bursting outward.
"Shhhhhh—!"
Roy slid back several meters, boots digging deep trails into the snowy ground.
"Samla! If you don't want to die... GIVE ME SAMLA!!" Linlin roared, her voice shaking the air.
A violent aura exploded from her body—waves of pressure surged outward like a storm.
The sky darkened. The air itself trembled.
Several giant children collapsed instantly, eyes rolling back as they fainted under the sheer weight of her presence.
Roy's pupils constricted.
"...Conqueror's Haki!"
The power born not from will... but from hunger itself.
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