In just a little over twenty seconds, Jay had devoured an entire bento, cleaner than a dog licking its bowl.
Then came the second bento...
Before long, two bentos, two servings of tempura, and a bottle of soda had all disappeared into his stomach.
He wasn't sure if it was due to activating the [Passive Ability: Blood of the Hanma], or if his body was simply that starved for energy, but by the time Jay snapped back to his senses, he was shocked to realize, he still wasn't full?!
"No, I can't eat everything. I need to save some food just in case."
Suppressing the urge to finish everything, Jay made the rational choice, considering this was only the third day of his confinement.
With food now in his stomach, Jay immediately felt a wave of relief washing over him, as if warmth was spreading throughout his entire body.
The sensation was particularly strong around his injuries.
A bit of swelling, a bit of itching...
Jay really wanted to close his eyes and sleep, but now was not the time.
He quickly got up, gathered all the trash, bento boxes, soda bottles, and anything else, crushing them into smaller pieces before tossing everything, bit by bit, into the putrid latrine.
Only when every last trace of evidence was gone did he calmly lean back against the wall, feigning sleep.
At the same time, he finally checked the Character Card (White).
[Terauchi Kiyoshi]
Origin: Demon Slayer Universe
Tag: Medical staff at the Butterfly Mansion, Demon Slayer Corps Logistics.
Rarity: White
Passive Ability: Logistics & Medical, Slightly increases recovery speed while resting.
Activation Requirement: Must wear a butterfly ribbon.
Status: Cannot be fused.
...
Upon reading this, Jay's face immediately darkened.
RNM, screw this, I'm sleeping!
Meanwhile, in another part of the base, Johnson, who should have been in confinement just like Jay, was currently standing in front of Colonel Hammond, wearing a sycophantic smile.
Every now and then, his eyes darted toward the black bag on the desk, his expression showing clear reluctance and pain.
Colonel Hammond, sitting casually with his feet propped up on the desk, scoffed, "This fine only covers the cancellation of your confinement and your medical expenses."
"Of course, if you're willing to hand over another 500,000 Berries, I could arrange for you to be transferred to the same confinement room as that brat, for a proper farewell."
Hammond arched an eyebrow. The implication in his words was crystal clear.
Blatant, even.
For a brief moment, Johnson was seriously tempted.
Just imagining the look of pure despair on that brat's face when he suddenly showed up, it was almost intoxicating!
But 500,000 Berries?
That thought was like a bucket of cold water dumped over his head.
Sure, he wanted to watch that kid beg for his life before slowly torturing him to death.
But 500,000 Berries?!
That brat wasn't even worth that much!
Hell, just paying off the fine earlier already made his heart bleed.
Spending half a million just to vent his anger on a walking corpse?
Not worth it.
Even selling that brat wouldn't get him 500,000 Berries!
Forget about auction prices, even slave traders wouldn't waste money on a losing deal.
"N-no need, no need. It's just a minor disagreement between us."
Johnson forced a smile and shook his head vigorously.
"Minor disagreement? You sure about that?"
Hammond eyed Johnson's bandage-wrapped head, his expression dripping with mockery.
"Y-yeah, really. I don't care about it anymore."
"Hah. Pathetic. Get lost."
Seeing that he couldn't squeeze any more value out of Johnson, Hammond immediately lost interest and dismissed him with an impatient wave.
Even though he was being treated like a dog, Johnson didn't dare show the slightest dissatisfaction.
In fact, he forced himself to grin like an idiot, hunched over, and licked boots one last time
"Sir, about my promotion to Sergeant..."
"Oh? Sergeant, huh? What, you got the money for it?"
"I-I almost had enough..."
Johnson gave a bitter smile, his eyes flickering toward the black bag on Hammond's desk, where his savings had just gone.
Savings he had squeezed out of others.
Savings meant to "honor" Colonel Hammond.
Savings that were supposed to buy him a promotion, the only way to climb the ranks.
Because here, even military ranks were for sale.
And for most, bribery was the only path up.
That is, as long as Hammond was the one with the final say.
After all, actual merit was far riskier, you could die before earning enough credit.
Risk your life for a few thousand Berries a month?
Screw that.
Hammond stood up, patted Johnson on the shoulder, and sighed dramatically.
"You know, my policy is simple, I take a Berry, I do a Berry's worth of work."
"This situation, though... it puts me in a tough spot."
"How about this? I return your money, and in exchange, I beat the crap out of you and throw you back in solitary for another seven days?"
"N-no... No need! I-I'll be leaving now!"
Johnson visibly shuddered, finally understanding his place.
With dead eyes, he stumbled out of Hammond's office.
Afterward, Colonel Hammond summoned the guards overseeing the confinement area.
"From now on, give that new recruit, Jay, a little food every day, assuming he's still alive."
This wasn't kindness.
Just something to pass the time.
If the brat died, so be it.
But if he survived confinement...
Now that would be interesting.
Johnson's reaction alone would be priceless.
A short-sighted fool who wouldn't even fork over 500,000 Berries?
Not worth investing in at all.
Meanwhile, inside the bare-bones confinement cell...
"...198, 199, 200..."
Jay maintained perfect form, his body moving rhythmically as he pushed up from the cold, hard ground.
Two hundred push-ups, done.
Next, sit-ups, burpees...
He kept going until he was drenched in sweat, his muscles aching from exhaustion.
Only then did he pretend to collapse weakly against the icy wall.
Minutes later, someone peeked through the iron slot on the door, checking if he was still breathing.
After confirming that Jay's chest was still rising, the guard muttered something under his breath, then shut the slot.
A moment later, the lower hatch opened, and a cup of water and two pieces of black bread were shoved inside.
With a clang, the hatch slammed shut.
Footsteps faded into the distance.
Jay finally opened his eyes.
He stood, grabbed the bread, and shoved it into his mouth, washing it down with cold water.
He had no idea why his "treatment" had improved, but food was food.
As for poison?
If someone really wanted him dead, they wouldn't bother with something this troublesome.
Besides, if he was meant to die, delaying it wouldn't change a thing.
At this point, his situation couldn't get any worse.
The good news was that thanks to the food from the card pool and the past few days of rations, his body was finally recovering.