The World’s Best Bread

The wheat field spread out like a carpet, and within it, the four letters spelling “Leopin” stood out like golden embroidery.

The one who had set up this trick was not Leopin himself, but that playful girl.

That girl’s class had been in charge of harvesting the wheatgrass, and during that work, she had said this.

“That’s it! Since what we’re handling is Leopin-brand wheat flour, wouldn’t it be fun to make it so people can tell it’s Leopin-kun’s field even from far away!? And if Leopin-kun finds out, I’m sure he’ll be surprised!”

That girl’s scheme had half failed and half succeeded.

Because although it was not the Leopin she had aimed for, she had shocked an unexpected person to the core.

“Ba… bankruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuupt!?!?”

The reporters all pointed their transmission devices at the pale-faced Kakerukun at once.

“Principal Kakerukun! What exactly is Leopin!?”

Kakerukun was trembling in a panic like a Gambler who had been certain of victory after making a straight flush in poker, only for his opponent to reveal a royal flush.

Just as he was completely thrown into panic by this unexpected counterattack from Leopin’s side,

“That is the name of one of our students.”

A lifeline came from an unexpected direction.

The one who drew everyone’s attention with a perfectly calm voice was none other than Weiss.

“Wh!? Weiss-kun!?”

Kakerukun had been thinking about how to gloss it over, but Weiss admitted it readily.

The reporters rushed around Weiss, leaving Kakerukun completely aside.

“So it was a student’s name! To have his name carved into the field, he must be quite an extraordinary student!”

Kakerukun clutched his head, not caring that his wig had slipped, thinking, “It’s over…!”

However, Weiss coolly declared, “No, it is the opposite.”

“Leopin is the greatest failure in this academy.

The only work a failure can do is something like harvesting a wheat field, so I had him do that exclusively….

It seems that failure was apparently trying to steal this achievement of mine.

He must have thought that if he carved his name into the field like that, everyone would misunderstand.

Good grief. It seems it is true that failures are shallow and even ugly of heart.”

“Uwaaah…” voices openly filled with disgust rose among the reporters.

“That is the worst…! That student called Leopin, I mean…!”

“Indeed! Trying to steal another person’s achievement is utterly inexcusable!”

“But divine punishment has been properly delivered! After all, this broadcast is being watched by every citizen of Foolish!”

“Leopin’s infamy must now be racing throughout the entire country!”

Astonishingly, Weiss had succeeded in making Leopin’s name known not only within the school, but nationwide as a failure…!

Having turned a crisis into an opportunity, he secretly curled one side of his mouth into a grin.

――Do not think ill of me, Leopin…!

-It is your fault for trying to strike back at me, a Sage, despite being a failure…!

-Now the entire country of Foolish hates you…!

-With this, even after you are driven out of this academy, you will have nowhere left to belong…!

-But now that you have laid a hand on me, I will not let things end at this level…!

-I will add it to everything you owe me so far and pay it all back double…!

Weiss spread his arms like a bush warbler celebrating the spring of his life and spoke to the reporters in a chirping melody.

“Now then. After showing you something unsightly, let us cleanse your palates. The wheat field made under the guidance of this Sage is not merely beautiful in appearance; its contents are also of the finest quality. Allow me to show you the finest bread, baked using the finest wheat flour.”

Here, the role of guide was passed from Kakerukun to Weiss.

Weiss led the reporters to Eternal Toinette, a café run by Class 1-12 on the main street of the residential district.

When Weiss took a seat at the reserved terrace seating, Toinette, dressed as a pastry chef, came over.

Naturally, she was holding the glass case in her hands.

When she placed it on the table, cheers of “Ooh!?” rose from the reporters around them.

“A-amazing…! What beautiful bread…!”

“It really sparkles like a jewel!”

The reporters were so entranced by its beauty that they forgot to cover the story.

Weiss crossed his legs and explained.

“I had Toinette-san, the finest artisan, turn the finest wheat flour into bread. This could be called the finest bread, one that only the finest people may put into their mouths.”

“Then, Weiss-sama! Please do eat it for us!”

“Only the finest people may put that bread into their mouths, correct!? Then there is no one other than Weiss-sama!”

“That’s right! I am sure the citizens watching this broadcast must also be curious about the taste!”

At first, Weiss refused, saying, “No, this is for display, not something meant to be eaten,” but after the reporters flattered him, he finally opened the glass case.

Toinette, who was standing beside him, kept whispering over and over, “You must not eat it!” but her voice was drowned out by the excited reporters.

Weiss crossed his legs again, struck the finest decisive pose, and told the reporters.

“Then, as a special exception, I shall put this bread into my mouth. However, once one reaches my level, bread of this class is something one eats every day.

The taste of success lacks novelty. So please do not expect an excessive reaction.”

After saying that in advance, Weiss brought the golden, shining bread to his mouth.

Not only did the broadcasting transmission device capture this in close-up, the flashes of true-photo devices fired again and again.

However, the face of Weiss, who had bitten into a mouthful of the finest bread, instantly turned pale.

――Wh-what is this bread…!? Far from being fluffy, it is rough and stiff, with a texture just like a rag…!?

-As for the taste, there is no way to describe it except as that…!

So the reporters would not notice, Weiss pulled the bread away from his mouth and glanced down at it.

Inside the bread, it was packed with something unbelievable enough that looking twice would still not be enough.

――G… garbage!?

-Why is there garbage inside the bread…!?

Weiss glared sideways at Toinette.

However, the place where she had been standing just moments before was now empty.

When he twisted his neck to search for her, he saw her figure fleeing in a hurry, her vertical curls disheveled…!

The reporters looked suspicious.

“Weiss-sama, what is the matter!?”

“Weiss-sama, the entire nation is watching you eat that bread right now!”

“Come now, please eat every last bit of it! The citizens will be fully satisfied just by seeing you do so!”

“Guh…!”

The bread was packed with every kind of garbage imaginable, including dust, leftovers, sludge, and insect corpses.

Before this bread, not only a human, but even a sewer rat would likely turn away.

However, Weiss had to eat this thing that even a sewer rat would not eat.

After all, if he refused here, that would mean this wheat flour was too awful to eat.

――I-I will never forgive you, Leopin…!

-I will pay this debt back tenfold…!

Weiss was pouring out curses against Leopin in his heart.

Eventually, with an expression as if he had resolved himself, he pinched his nose and shoved the bread into his mouth all at once.

He intended to swallow it all in one breath, but because his entire body and soul rejected putting it in his mouth, he only managed half a piece.

He puffed out his flushed cheeks as much as he could and chewed with crunching, squelching sounds that did not sound like bread at all.

“O-once one reaches my level, bread like this is something I eat… every day…”

His tearful expression did not look at all like that of someone eating familiar bread, but rather like someone being tortured.

And then, at last, that moment came.

“Urp!”

Unable to bear it, Weiss stood up while covering his mouth and leapt toward a wooden bucket by the roadside.

And then…!

“He… he went into the buckettttttttttttttttttttttttttttt!?!?”