Chapter 283

"Oh... Looks like something's going on over there too?"

"Is that... a hot pot?"

In one section of the snow festival venue, men and women were poking endlessly at a pot.

"It seems to be a food-eating contest. Whoever eats the most hot pot wins."

On top of that... the pot was bright red and boiling furiously.

It looked painfully spicy just from a glance. Maybe it was also a spice endurance contest.

"A hot pot... It looks delicious."

Reina gulped beside him.

It was hard to imagine from her delicate appearance, but Reina was an incredible glutton... in other words, a big eater.

Since the nutrients were converted into holy power and returned to the earth as blessings, she could theoretically eat endlessly.

"L-Lady Reina... you're not thinking of entering, are you?"

"I mean... scarfing down food like that in public is kind of improper..."

"Is it not allowed? I think it sounds like a fun event... Oh, it looks like the women's division is starting next. They say walk-in entries are welcome too."

Reina's friends hurried to stop her, but Reina was already interested.

(Well, it's not just about her appetite—Reina probably wants to enjoy the festival events too...)

"I think it's a great idea. Go ahead and join."

"Lord Clael?"

"Mr. Byrne!?"

"Eating in public isn't really improper. Watching Reina eat is actually quite pleasant. Just... that dish looks extremely spicy, so don't push yourself, okay?"

"Yes! I'll do my best!"

With Clael's permission, Reina cheerfully went to the reception desk to sign up.

Her friends let out a hopeless "Ahh..." with despair on their faces.

"No way... the Saint is entering a food-eating contest...?"

"You're all overthinking it. Don't force your ideals onto Reina too much."

"Mr. Byrne... ideals, you say..."

"Even though Reina is a Saint, she's still a normal girl. Let her try the things she wants to do."

"That... might be true, but still..."

The three of them wore conflicted expressions.

"Come on now, Reina's giving it her all. Let's all cheer her on."

"Okay..."

"Now then, the women's division is about to begin! Here are the participants!"

The MC shouted loudly, and the female participants entered the venue.

Among the participants, Reina was of course present.

As the perfectly beautiful girl Reina entered, the audience erupted into cheers and applause.

"No way, she's entering too!?"

"She's so slim, can she even eat that much?"

"It's gotta be a joke. Maybe she's just here for fun?"

"She's elegant too. Maybe she's a noble's daughter?"

Everyone in the venue was captivated by Reina, and the other participants started to look a little pitiful.

Most of the other participants looked like chubby girls who seemed like they could eat a lot, and even they were giving Reina a "Seriously?" look.

Reina gave a modest wave as she sat at one of the tables with a hot pot.

"Now, the challenge is to see how much you can eat in twenty minutes! This hot pot is incredibly spicy, filled with spices like chili peppers, so if you think it's too dangerous, please don't hesitate to give up!"

The MC explained the simple rules and raised a hand with a "Here we go!"

"Start!"

The women's division of the food-eating contest had begun.

The chubby girls among the participants dove into the pot... and immediately started coughing from the intense spiciness.

"Cough! Cough!"

"It's so spicy... cough!"

"Ugh... my eyes are burning... my tongue hurts..."

Apparently, the hot pot was even spicier than it looked.

The sight of the girls in agony, even crying, resembled a scene from hell.

"This... looks spicier than I expected..."

"I give thanks to the goddess for today's meal... Let's eat."

While everyone else was shoveling food and writhing in pain, only Reina pressed her hands together in prayer.

After finishing her prayer, she said, "Now then..." and moved the hot pot ingredients onto a small plate, using a spoon to bring them to her mouth.

"Ah, it's delicious."

Then, she smiled softly.

She showed no concern for the spiciness, and though her manners were refined, she kept eating nonstop.

"Whoa, Reina's eating non-stop! Isn't it spicy at all!?"

"I guess it's really not spicy for her..."

I've heard that spiciness isn't technically a flavor, but a type of 'pain'.

Reina, who already possessed power akin to the latter half of a game scenario, had high defense and strong resistance to poison and paralysis.

Even if she bit into a whole chili pepper, she'd probably be unfazed.

"W-Wait, is it really not spicy?"

"No way... What kind of tongue does she have...!?"

The other participants were getting flustered by Reina's eating.

"Could she be cheating...? Maybe her pot isn't spicy...!"

"Ah..."

A participant at the next table stuck a fork into Reina's pot and popped one of the ingredients into her mouth.

"Spicy aaahh! It IS spicy!"

Of course, Reina wasn't cheating.

The participant who had used a spoon from the side was now writhing in pain.

"Whoa, it looks like they added more spices than expected!? Is Reina going to run away with the lead like this!?"

"It's milder than it looks. It's rich in flavor, and I feel like I could eat endlessly."

While the others stood in stunned silence, Reina continued eating the hot pot with a cheerful smile.

In the end, Reina kept going until the very end and won by a landslide.

Having eaten all the hot pot ingredients and even gone back for seconds, Reina was inducted into the hall of fame, and from then on, she was remembered as the legendary Spicy Queen.