Book 18 Chapter 20
Dreams of being the strongest chef,
Vampire Capture Operation (1)
“Go el thishi gijas, Ma fu gette minia (His name is Gijas, pay him due respect)!”
The lifestyle of the vampires resembled that of the empire's nobility.
This was because vampires reigned like nobles, attended by their blood-injected slaves, the blood-slaves.
At Shuan's words, neatly dressed blood-slaves opened the castle gates and welcomed the hero's party.
“En kutuba, Gijas masa (Long time no see, Lord Gijas).”
At the center of those blood-slaves stood the vampire who was the master of this old castle.
By human standards, his appearance was that of an early teenager just shedding his youthfulness, but his actual age was likely in his mid-twenties to early thirties.
Just as vampires aged slowly, some individuals also developed slowly.
“……”
“……”
“……”
Rista, who was tied up with Fride in ropes, felt something strange in the atmosphere.
'What is this?'
The blood-slaves dared not meet the gaze of Ryuminik, who was disguised as Gijas, and merely trembled.
'I heard blood-slaves don't have egos, so what is this? They're just like living people.'
When Shuan introduced Rista and Fride as prime delicacies, the vampire ordered them to be imprisoned, and a few blood-slaves quickly took the two away.
“This is a living sacrifice from which Lord Gijas will cut an artery and extract fresh blood at tonight's banquet.”
Shuan pointed to Nils and spoke in the vampire language.
The vampire, glancing at Nils, couldn't hide an expression of disgust.
“I… see. A living sacrifice.”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, there isn't. Please come this way, Lord Gijas.”
Vampire culture was infused with ancient etiquette.
It was a custom that anyone who visited another noble's mansion without prior notice must bring their personal chef to cook for the host.
Mitigating the potential rudeness of being an uninvited guest with profound etiquette was the very order of vampire society.
All vampires had to strictly observe ancient etiquette.
If a noble failed to fully master or made mistakes in this etiquette, they would eventually be ostracized in a gloomy social isolation, leading to expulsion or suicide.
“I will order dinner to be served as quickly as possible.”
At this moment, it was as if the game had begun. Shuan said,
“No. My young master wishes to prepare the meal himself.”
“Lord Gijas, how can we ask a guest to prepare a meal? We cannot do that.”
If one were to quickly accept a guest's offer to prepare a meal, they could face all sorts of gossip and ultimately be driven to suicide!
It was proper etiquette to politely refuse once!
“Since the young master has a dish he particularly wishes to share at this banquet, please accept his offer comfortably.”
The guest, too, must not simply accept this second overture but must also politely reassert their will to avoid social ostracism. What strictness!
“If that is the case…”
The vampire took a step back, in accordance with etiquette.
With this, Lin was able to confidently use the castle's kitchen.
“However, I apologize for the great rudeness, but… I cannot eat the human flesh from this region as it is too tough and smells too awful, so I would be grateful if you could avoid it.”
This was not in tradition!
Judging by the vampire's expression, it was clear that he had mustered immense courage for this remark…
What was this situation?
Had a trap been laid?
What would happen if there was no human flesh when vampires prepared a banquet among themselves? Wouldn't agreeing to this fall into the trap?
However, Shuan, who was the only one who understood the meaning of these words, looked at Ryuminik instead of being flustered.
Ryuminik's role was simply to nod sternly whenever Shuan gave him a look.
Of course, it was a mere formality, a nod used in situations already approved by Shuan.
However, contrary to his mission, Ryuminik had been glaring disapprovingly at the vampire ever since they first met.
“Please forgive me.”
The vampire bowed his head.
Shuan said,
“He says he understands. The young master will do the same.”
Were their concerns meaningless?
The vampire sighed with relief, and there was no pretense in his action.
“Ah, also, we don't have blood wine in our old castle. There's no place to get fresh blood… if you had given us notice of your arrival, we would have procured it.”
Blood wine, a mixture of human blood and grapes, was absolutely indispensable at a vampire banquet.
The number of years this wine had been aged, and what kind of human (the higher the magical density of the human, the better the taste of the blood) was used, served as a display of ostentation and a culture of luxury in vampire society.
This vampire was ignoring all of vampire culture! Did he truly wish for social suicide?!
“Plain wine is better than blood wine with dirty blood. This is also fine.”
However, Shuan was skillfully navigating all situations, even those that might contain traps.
As such conversations went back and forth, Lin soon brought out the food…
It made the focus disappear from Ryuminik's and Nils' eyes.
'This crazy…'
'You bastard, why did you bring out this monstrous dish…!'
It was not the special charcoal-grilled skewers taught by Kies, but 'Northern-style Steamed Camel Eyeballs'!
Of course, there are no camels in the north.
Originally, wolf meat was used, but since there were no wolves, camel meat was simply used instead.
'…?'
The vampire, Ibika, stared at the dish for a while with a perplexed look, swallowing dry.
'Could this be a test? Since I said I couldn't eat human food, are they trying to test me with this kind of dish?'
If I can't eat it, they might drag me to the 'Master of Blood' for not possessing proper etiquette.
'No, doesn't the very fact that they've come all the way here mean my disloyalty has already been discovered?'
It wasn't.
Although Lin would use truth serum, [The Strongest Mage] decided not to compromise in any situation and to win with his own [Strongest Cuisine]!
Ryuminik looked at Ibika without even picking up his utensils. He didn't want to eat it.
“Hmph…”
As he didn't know the vampire language, Lin also just chuckled and stared at Ibika.
'Try it. It might taste good to a vampire, right? Vampires don't discriminate based on region.'
That laughter assaulted Ibika like a blade aimed at his heart…!
“What is this? Is he implying I won't eat the dish he personally prepared, as per 'guest etiquette'?”
It was heard with such a sinister meaning. Therefore, Ibika steeled himself.
I must eat it!
If I don't eat it, or if I don't praise it according to vampire etiquette after eating it… I might be dragged to the 'Master of Blood' and executed!
“…I will eat it with gratitude.”
The vampire used a fork and knife to separate the savory steamed flesh, then scooped out the meat and, combining it with vegetables and eyeball juice, put it into his mouth with a spoon.
And then…!
Could he endure it? From gagging?
Could this young vampire survive the insane etiquette of this mad hierarchical society?
“…!”
Not just enduring, the vampire was shedding tears profusely from both eyes.
What a master!
What acting skill!
He didn't stop there; wasn't he continuously putting the dish into his mouth? Ryuminik was bewildered.
'What? This is delicious? This kind of thing?'
A vampire's palate is almost identical to a human's, except for their consumption of human flesh.
Having been accustomed to only high-quality food since childhood, their tongues were very refined.
Usually, only exceptional ingredients could satisfy them, yet this had such an effect on a vampire?
'Could it just look like this, but actually be delicious?'
Lin also felt this strangeness; could the taste have been strangely altered by the medicine Fride gave him?
“Hmph…”
However, he couldn't show such doubt. [The Strongest] must always act as if he has anticipated every situation.
“Hmph hmph hmph…”
So he simply laughed!
Until the vampire Ibika quickly emptied nearly half the plate and gave his assessment!
“It's truly… incredibly awful. It's been a long time since I've had such a terrible meal. Back when I lived as a human, the village chief used to make dishes like this.”
Lin's expression grew cold.
'Vampires… also discriminate based on region?'
It was to the extent that Link barely managed to stop a magic circle from forming on his palm.
“This bastard, he just spoke in the common language (Republic language)!”
Ryuminik was already in a battle stance, ready to pierce this vampire's neck at any moment!
“As expected of a vampire, they're not to be trifled with! This bastard knew our true identities from the start!”
The vampire Ibika showed a bewildered reaction.
“No, what…?”
Judging by his action of covering his mouth with both hands, rather than bewilderment at Ryuminik taking a battle stance…!
It seemed he was bewildered by his body's state, where thoughts were blurted out without any filtering process.
The truth serum's effect was excellent.
“L-Lord Gijas! This, this isn't my true feeling! It's true it tasted terrible, but I didn't intend to say it aloud… No, what did *you* just say? That I saw through your identity?”
Ryuminik instantly lunged at Ibika with bright yet heavy movements, like sunbeams falling upon a sun-drenched spot.
The secret technique of the Ilyangseonpa (Sunbeam Gland Sect)!
The martial art of this sect was to unleash the power of the sun, overflowing like spring water from the danjeon (lower abdomen)!
“Take this, power of the sun! Enough to drive you to the brink of death! For you vampires, who are weak to the sun, even a graze is a fatal blow!”
“Ah, no!”
What threw themselves between Ibika and Ryuminik, shouting like that… were the blood-slaves who had been respectfully standing on both sides of the banquet hall.
“You despicable wretch! A vampire is still a vampire! To use blood-slaves as shields! It doesn't matter! I'll pierce them both, the blood-slave who is already a dead man, and you, simultaneously!”
However, Ibika's next action was utterly unbelievable.
Instead of letting the blood-slaves protect him, he pushed them away and allowed Ryuminik's surprise attack to hit his body?
Ryuminik's long strike, imbued with sunlight, stopped just before it could strike Ibika's solar plexus.
“What do you think you're doing?”
It hadn't stopped on its own, so the question wasn't directed at Ibika either.
“Lin!”
Lin's telekinetic barrier had squeezed through the tiny gap and absorbed Ryuminik's attack.
Ryuminik's irises dilated in bewilderment, then he burst into disbelieving laughter.
“Surely, you don't think he's not a bad guy just because he ate your dish while crying… do you?”
“My lord.”
“Are you serious? All those vampires are liars! They have such appearances to deceive humans! Vampires are all lies except for breathing! Their very lives are lies!”
He wanted to retort, 'That's not it, it's a capture operation, what if you kill him?', but Ryuminik's passion was so intense that [The Strongest Mage]'s instinct also began to burn brightly.
“Kukukut…”
However, since he hadn't thought of any lines, he simply filled the gap with laughter!
“It seems you find it hard to believe just by hearing it! I'll rip off this guy's mask right now, so watch closely!”
The combat power of an adult vampire individual was unparalleled, but Ibika was not yet a fully developed vampire, still retaining a youthful, raw appearance.
There was no way he could be a match for Ryuminik, currently the greatest ronin of the Mushinyeon!
Ibika retreated, attempting to cast a dark spell, but Ryuminik appeared behind him with a wondrous footwork!
At the same time, one second before a long strike imbued with sunlight struck his back!
If struck there, her body, which as a vampire was extremely weak to sunlight, would be pierced with a hole through which one could see clearly from front to back.
“Link, stop that crazy ronin! If that vampire dies, the infiltration plan will be completely ruined!”
At the shout of Nils, who was bound as a living sacrifice in the center of the banquet hall, Link immediately rushed forward!
“Link, Link, Link!”
Link, with his massive physique, stopped Ryuminik.
Ryuminik's strength lay more in softness than hardness…!
While a one-on-one fight might be difficult, skillfully evading Link to strike the vampire was no problem at all.
“Please, please stop!”
However, as Ryuminik tried to bypass Link, the blood-slaves urgently grabbed his sleeves and pant legs, trying to stop him.
“Sir Ronin, we are not blood-slaves. Rebeca, this child, saved us!”
“Do you think I'd listen to blood-slaves' words?! It's useless to me, who sees right through your habits, you damned vampire scum!”
It was then, as Ryuminik snorted at the blood-slaves' shouts.
“Hmm~ What these people say is true. They are humans.”
Shuan said.
While examining the body of one of the blood-slaves.
“A very minute amount of vampire blood is in their veins, but it doesn't affect their life.”
Rather than a reaction of surprise or interest, it was a reaction of already knowing everything.
“Nonsense! It must be a lie born from the spirit of philanthropy that religious people like shepherds or witches often talk about!”
“No, it's true!”
The door suddenly opened, and Fride burst in, shouting.
Rista followed.
The ropes that had bound the two were nowhere to be seen.
“These people tried to set us free. They told us to run away before we got eaten.”
“What? A vampire who can't control blood-slaves?”
“No, they said the vampire ordered it. That he would handle it himself? How could the vampire you're impersonating, a high-ranking noble, handle it well? They tried to release us even though something terrible was bound to happen to them.”
Ryuminik looked back at the vampire and the hero's party with a bewildered, yet still half-doubting gaze.
“That can't be. You don't know about vampires. You don't know what kind of trash these guys are. This is also surely a clever trap.”
The vampire Ibika pulled the blood-slaves behind him.
Given the vampire characteristic of treating blood-slaves literally as slaves and using them as bullet shields, this was an action that could never be feigned.
Ibika opened his mouth.
“You are… humans. The fact that everything is coming out of my mouth now without any filtering process of thought must be because of the food you made me eat. It's better this way. I, too, was once human.”