My Real Staple Food
"Great! Let's go!"
Walter bowed politely and guided us along. "I'll escort you to the banquet hall."
As we followed him down to the first floor, Cecilia was riding on Glessia, zipping through the air and giggling excitedly at everything she saw.
"Sparkly sparkly over here! Sparkly sparkly there too!"
Her pure laughter echoed through the entire corridor, making even the crystal decorations seem to shimmer in response.
I walked along with a warm smile, watching Cecilia fondly, until Walter stopped in front of a massive door.
"Here we are."
The moment the doors swung open, my jaw dropped.
"Whoaaa!"
An enormously vast and magnificent banquet hall stretched out before me. The ceiling soared all the way up to the second floor, hung with dozens of gigantic chandeliers. Each one dripped with thousands of crystals, twinkling like stars from the night sky come down to dance.
At the center of the hall stood a truly colossal dining table, draped in pristine white cloth. Silver candelabras were spaced perfectly along it, adorned with exquisite crafts that added to the beauty. The warm glow of the candle flames mingled with the crystals, creating a fantastical atmosphere straight out of a fairy's palace.
A few early arrivals were already seated around the table. Levy and Liandel sat unnaturally still and silent, while across from them sat Nis-nim, poised with elegant grace.
Ugh... those two look like they're suffocating... The tension was obvious on both their faces. Levy sat ramrod straight, her shoulders rigid, while Liandel kept his hands neatly folded on his lap, even breathing as quietly as possible.
Wait... is that Lote...? Nis-nim held Lote clutched tightly in one hand. Lote hung completely limp, not twitching a muscle.
S-She's not dead, is she...?
As we entered, Nis-nim's eyes lit up, and she flashed a bright smile. "Frostia-nim, to receive such a beautiful palace as a gift... I'm truly envious."
Her voice carried genuine admiration, which made my chest swell with pride.
Master nodded and gently stroked my head. "It's all thanks to Ricoris."
Hehe! Master's praise sent delightful tingles through my whole body, warming me from the inside. Nothing beats getting Master's approval—it's the best feeling in the world! The cool touch of her hand caressing my hair felt so good.
"I never imagined humans could build something like this," Nis-nim said, gazing up at the ornate ceiling decorations in awe. "Maybe I should hire humans instead of dwarves from now on."
Dwarves? Did Nis-nim have connections with dwarves? Come to think of it, there was that golden liquor we drank with Master that dwarves made... Was her labyrinth built by dwarves? Hmm... but Cecilia's labyrinth changed on its own. Does it have a separate building? Or did they remodel it like Lote?
Oh right! Lote!
"Nis-nim! Is Lote okay?"
Nis-nim was still gripping Lote like a smartphone. "Hm? Lote? Oh, you mean like this?" She grinned playfully and lifted Lote up a bit. "She doesn't have much ability beyond floating around, so I'm just infusing her with a little of my energy."
Oh! She was getting an upgrade!
Now that she mentioned it, faint black wisps of aura swirled around Lote's body, like heat haze rising in a subtle, dark mist enveloping her.
"Hehe. Then I'll leave her in your hands!"
Wait a sec... if Lote absorbs Nis-nim's energy... could she start controlling undead like Nis-nim...?! If I shout 'Rise!' and Lote sneaks undead summons from behind...!
"Hee hee hee..."
I couldn't help giggling at the thought. This is national power-level stuff! Just you wait, Adventurers' Guild!
"Mommy, whatcha laughing at?"
Cecilia tilted her head cutely at my laughter, which only made me laugh harder.
"I'm thinking about the Shadow Lord who saved the Earth."
"Earf...? Shadwow Lord? Mommy tells weird stories sometimes!"
Cecilia shook her head, totally baffled. Quick as a flash, Miel plucked a strand of Cecilia's hair and started writing in the air with it.
"Whoa! My hair's writing letters!"
Cecilia flailed her arms in delight, and Miel seemed pleased too, etching her letters more elegantly than usual.
You guys not knowing this story is what's weird! Sigh... Is this the curse of knowledge or something? Us intellectuals have it rough...
Just then, servants began quietly bringing out food from one side of the banquet hall.
"Ooh!"
A variety of mouthwatering dishes started appearing one by one. The nutty aroma of freshly baked bread, the rich spice of hearty soup, the juicy savor of perfectly roasted meat... My mouth watered.
The servants served politely and withdrew without a sound. Only Iris, Clara, and Walter remained on standby at the back of the hall.
Then a special plate was set before me, filled with thick red liquid.
...?
Isn't this blood...? A closer look confirmed it—viscous, deep crimson, with that unmistakable metallic tang hitting my nose.
Liandel and Levy went pale staring at my plate. Glancing back, Iris and Clara had their eyes squeezed shut. Walter alone stood unflinching.
The ultimate hidden boss butler... Gotta call him PowerHide Butler from now on.
"Humans even know Ricoris's tastes. Impressive," Master said with a satisfied smile.
Oh...? Right—Master had only seen me sipping blood in flower form. Why hadn't I drunk any since polymorphing? This is my staple food!
Looking at the plate again, the blood suddenly looked delicious. Such a pretty red—like melted rubies or sunset glow...
Been a while—let's dig in!
I scooped up a spoonful of the thick blood.
"Mmm...!"
It's insanely good! Every cell in my body cheered. The long-forgotten taste revived my flower's instincts. Yeah, this is what I need. My first blood was from Michael-nim, after all!
I gulped it down eagerly—spoonful after spoonful. The rich flavor flooding my mouth was pure bliss.
"Ricoris-nim... Do you normally drink blood?"
Levy asked timidly in a small, trembling voice.
"Yup, this is my staple food."
I answered without pausing my spoon.
"I-I see..."
Levy nodded, trailing off. Liandel watched me with a similar expression.
Hmm... Why didn't I drink blood around them before? Oh right—Crimson Bind sucked it all up! What a waste—that bloodthirsty scrap metal!
"Sigh... Such a shame..."
Looking at my sword—now just a useless ornament except for the hilt—made me sigh. From now on, I get all the blood...
Shaking it off, I glanced around. Master and Nis-nim were elegantly sampling the dishes, their refined fork-and-knife work screaming sophistication. Nis-nim managed it one-handed while holding Lote, without a hint of discomfort.
Miel slurped sweet soup through her butterfly proboscis—adorable. Cecilia crammed salad into her mouth by the fistful, her tiny hands mangling the veggies. It was brutal, like watching comrades get devoured by a giant...Oh god...
"Yummy!"
Ugh... Can't watch!
Naturally averting my eyes downward, I saw Glessia—doubling as Cecilia's chair—munching meat off the floor.
What...? She wasn't even sitting on a chair?
And now Glessia had devolved into floor-grazing livestock, unfit even for the table. Suffer your punishment...! But seeing her tear into meat on the bare floor was a tad pitiful. We used to share meat side by side... Still, this is education. Gotta show the bugs the cost of rebellion so they stay scared. Especially Miel!
After finishing the blood, I tried herb-infused steak and tender fish. The sweet desserts were heavenly—cream-filled cake, fruit tarts, chocolate mousse...
With my belly full and heart content, I called out.
"PowerHide Butler!"
"Yes, Ricoris-nim."
Walter approached with a deep bow, utterly unfazed by his new nickname. Total elite!
"That was so good! Loved it!"
"Thank you, Ricoris-nim."
"But what was that first blood?"
Curiosity piqued—it was the tastiest I'd ever had!
"Blood from a virgin, fermented for a full month."
What?!
"Did you kill someone for my meal!?"
I'd learned the Aesthetics of Murder lately and killed plenty of humans... but they all deserved it!
"No. It was donated voluntarily."
Walter replied calmly.
Ah... right... You don't have to kill to draw blood... I felt a bit embarrassed for overreacting.
But Iris and Clara looked shocked. Iris gaped with wide eyes; Clara sighed in relief. They exchanged meaningful glances.
What...? Like 'turns out the cannibal murderer is actually a nice vampire'?Have my rumors gone weird? Hope crap like 'Abraksas's BFF' hasn't spread...
"PowerHide Butler, keep preparing it like this from now on."
"Understood."
"But do you only have fermented? Fresh is tasty too."
"I'll prepare various fermentation levels going forward, so you can choose as desired each time."
Oh! Elite indeed! Handles any request perfectly!
I nodded in satisfaction and turned to Master. "Master! Gonna chat with my exclusive maids—be right back!"
Master smiled softly and nodded.
Time to find out how my rumors spread!