Chapter 80

Aiden felt a little uncomfortable; he didn't know why, but he had a feeling that things shouldn't be this way.

Isn't Victoria one of the world's leading powers?

I saw it in my textbook before, and that's what my teacher taught me.

After studying abroad, the people I met also described Victoria in this way.

But why... what he's seeing now... seems different from what they were saying...?

Why is that...?

Aiden looked at the freshly served, piping hot fish and chips, and continued to dip the latter in the tartar sauce on the side, then put it in his mouth, repeating this process over and over, while his thoughts continued to wander.

Is it his problem? Why does he feel that Victoria isn't... that great...?

"It's been a long time, Victoria."

Bloodfiend Great Lord... or rather, the Red of the Sovereign Duhkare is currently stepping into this unfamiliar Mobile City, looking at the neighborhood style that is vastly different from what he remembers.

Too.

The only places where he interacted with Victoria were on the battlefield, in Victoria during a period of war, and in Kazdel itself.

My most recent memory is of the time when the steam-armored warriors, along with armies from other nations, crushed Kazdel.

He walked the streets in his everyday clothes, occasionally attracting attention, but how many people knew that this seemingly young Bloodfiend was actually the ruler of the Royal Court?

Although Duhkare knew that he was better suited to lurking in the shadows and making unnoticed visits to guests than walking the streets.

But, at this moment, he couldn't possibly do that.

Because this time, he came here on behalf of Kazdel.

Perhaps Theresis would think that concealing his whereabouts and leaving quietly is a good idea.

The Bloodfiend Great Lord wouldn't mind such a thing, since that's how he usually is anyway.

But... at this moment, he was not merely the Bloodfiend Great Lord.

So why should we cower and timidly follow orders?

He knew he couldn't make things too conspicuous.

But that doesn't mean he should hide in the sewers like a rat, his every move tainted with a vile aura.

Kazdel's pride wouldn't allow him to do that.

Teekaz's pride wouldn't allow him to do so while still holding the former's identity.

So...

He took off his own clothes and put on what would be considered the most ordinary trench coat by Victoria.

This was already the biggest concession the Bloodfiend Great Lord could make.

But now...

More than his main task, he wanted to see just how outstanding Victoria's development had been over the years, something they could often talk about.

Duhkare stopped in front of a restaurant, then recalled that inside the destroyed steam armor, there was even a built-in tea machine.

These maggots soaking in black tea...

He remembered them often boasting about their long-standing civilization, especially its cuisine...

"Ha, long history, nothing but self-righteous foolishness."

"That's it."

Duhkare entered the restaurant with a critical eye, examining the country's development over the years.

The first step is the restaurant.

"I'm very sorry, our restaurant is fully booked. However, I can ask if there is a gentleman who would like to share a table with you."

"It's alright."

Duhkare raised an eyebrow.

Hmm, the restaurant is full... which means business is good, and also indirectly suggests that the residents here are living well.

Many people in ordinary clothing even have enough money to spend on a meal at a restaurant.

... Kazdel had a similar scene long ago.

"Sir, the other party is willing to share the table, please follow me."

The waiter led Duhkare to a seat by the window.

A young man was sitting there absentmindedly eating fries.

Reach out, dip your hand in the sauce, put it in your mouth, then reach out again—

The movements were perfectly synchronized, like a machine on an assembly line.

However, from beginning to end, the other party seemed to have never cared about him.

"Um, this is the menu, please order."

The waiter handed the menu to Duhkare.

The latter took it and simply glanced at the names of the dishes.

As for the price?

It doesn't matter; the funding is provided by Theresis, so he can just spend it.

Soon, his attention was drawn to the name of a dish.

"Oh? Stargazy Pie? Interesting. Such an arrogant name, used to name a dish?"

Duhkare seemed to have a vague feeling that the development of Victoria had indeed exceeded his imagination.

It's okay, though.

That's why he came.

It's not the development of your opponent that's scary; what's scary is choosing to ignore it.

"A gift of Stargazy Pie, thank you."

Duhkare closed the menu and handed it to the waiter.

Just then, he suddenly noticed that the young man across from him who had been showing off his fries had turned his head and was looking at him.

"You... you're not Victoria, are you...?"

Aiden asked, somewhat puzzled.

Duhkare was somewhat surprised that the other person could so easily deduce that he wasn't a Victoria.

In theory, his behavior had been observed and studied before departure, and his clothing was also perfectly acceptable.

However, the other party still directly concluded that he was not a Victoria...

Oh.

Interesting.

Duhkare looked at the man in front of him, a man Feline frail that he could almost crush him with one hand.

"Why do you say that? Because I'm Sarkaz? Or a Bloodfiend?"

Instead, he explicitly stated his race and asked Aiden.

"After all, Victoria doesn't really welcome the Sarkaz, no, or rather, there's nowhere in Sarkaz that welcomes them."

"No... sir... to be honest, you wouldn't tell you're a Sarkaz even if you didn't say so... the main reason is..."

Aiden looked at Duhkare with some sympathy, then asked.

"Did you know about the dish 'Stargazy Pie' before?"

"I don't know. What, is its reputation so great that I should know about it?"

Duhkare raised an eyebrow again; it seemed the Victoria were quite proud of their cuisine.

"... My suggestion is that you might as well order another drink, preferably an alcoholic beverage."

"You mean that dish needs to be paired with drinks?"

"Oh no, no, no, I mean..."

Aiden looked at Duhkare with a serious expression.

"If you don't have any drinks later, you might do something inappropriate..."

"For example... spitting it out or something..."

Chapter Thirty-Nine, I'm Just a Farmer

"Hello sir, your Stargazy Pie-- "

The waiter smiled and presented Duhkare with a dish that could almost be described as horrifying.

For a moment, he even felt as if he were not in Victoria's restaurant, but in a secret chamber where Lich studied witchcraft.

What was on the table wasn't a Victoria specialty dish at all, but a plate filled with ingredients imbued with resentment and curses.

It turned out that some kind of liquid had been mixed in, turning the potato flour pie a deep purple color (although Duhkare was Bloodfiends, he was certain that the potatoes grown in Victoria and those grown in Kazdel were not significantly different).

(At least there won't be such an outrageous color difference.)

It's like... to highlight the pie topped with fish heads, each angled 90 degrees towards the sky, exuding a melancholy aura.

Yes, fill it completely.

It's not just a few scattered in the middle or around the edge.

Instead, it goes so far as to fill the room with fish heads, a sight that would send chills down the spines of anyone with trypophobia.

He could feel an evil aura slowly drifting towards him even across half a table.

"... I never imagined that the chef at this restaurant would be even more... subjective."

Aiden glanced with lingering fear at the jumble of fish heads, barely enough room for the spoon to land, and then looked at Mr. Sarkaz with a touch of pity.

"Sir, this may be your first time in Victoria, and you appear to be alone...is that right?"

"... So what if it is?"

Duhkare hasn't yet shaken off the bizarre appearance of this "Stargazy Pie" model.

Come out.

This thing... he even thought that renaming it "Cursed Vision" would be more fitting.

"Then let me give you two pieces of advice in this regard in advance."

Aiden cleared his throat, then leaned closer to Duhkare, glanced at the guests around him, and then spoke in a serious, low voice.

"First, never believe any claims made by Victoria about their cuisine. Any dish that takes more than three steps to make fish and chips is likely... well, let's just say it's not that complicated."

"Secondly, every Victoria restaurant should have fish and chips. If not, leave. That's not a Victoria restaurant."

"Third, if a restaurant offers fish and chips but also dishes from other countries, please be careful when ordering."

"Avoid ordering any dishes that are more complex than fish and chips in three steps, because chefs at these restaurants often like to make bold innovations, and this self-satisfied innovation can even spread from foreign cuisines to traditional Victoria dishes."

"Fourth, if they serve black tea, it means it's a traditional Victoria restaurant. You can trust the chef; he's a true classicist, and even Stargazy Pie would be edible."

After hearing all this, Duhkare looked again at the densely packed fish heads in front of him, unsure where to even begin...

"This shop belongs to the Reformists."

Aiden leaned against the window and shook his head with some regret.

"I see. So your reason for only ordering fish and chips is... this."

Duhkare thought for a long time but really didn't know how to start eating it. At the same time, the shape of this thing even made him feel like he would be constantly watched by other fish heads while he was eating.

He's just Bloodfiend... Perhaps some aspects of him seem perverted to normal people, but that doesn't mean he can justify attacking such things without a second thought.