The long, black, jointed plants near the Dark Cavern were cut down and brought over. Once their outer shells were shaved away with a knife, black powdery filling lay inside.
At first, Bart thought they were doomed, because their experience along the way had taught them that the black parts of food tended to be more toxic.
Still, he followed procedure and brought this black "food" to Kallen.
Often, a captain's authority was built up little by little through details like these.
First, Kallen had led everyone to secure their places in the Final Selection, then bound himself to the token in Ventura's place, while displaying his exceptional talent throughout.
And now, their captain personally tested whether every food was edible.
In fact, Kallen had no intention of proving anything this way. Even if he ate the wrong food, as long as the toxins only accumulated in his body, he could have them removed at a Church Hospital once he got out.
What everyone feared most was the accumulated toxins seeping into their souls. That would be a serious problem, yet Kallen had no need to worry about it.
If even a body modified by Raniedal could be harmed by something he ate, that wicked dog back home might as well find a block of tofu to bash his head against and die.
However, what he considered perfectly ordinary poison testing looked to his teammates like the greatness of a captain willingly sacrificing himself and taking risks. It had rather the air of "Kallen sampling a hundred herbs."
Holding a freshly whittled pair of bamboo chopsticks, Kallen picked up a small piece and put it in his mouth.
It was soft and fine-textured, with a rich, sweet aftertaste. He waited a while after swallowing and felt no adverse reaction in