VII Carmilla’s Banquet
After losing the battle for the queen’s throne, I decided to influence this country in another field.
I never want to fight a woman who commands a skeletal dragon and uses magic that can turn an entire arena into ash again. While I am also known as the [Mad Princess] behind the scenes, I am more than happy to let her claim the “Mad” title.
As the king’s wives, competing in such a savage area like combat was a mistake from the start.
If she thinks a little extra magic power puts her above me, she’s sorely mistaken.
A person’s worth is not determined by swordsmanship or magical ability. Trying to solve everything with brute force is what barbarians do.
What I must bring to the backward country of Faloon is culture.
This country has few nobles and shockingly unsophisticated culture. For someone raised amidst the splendor of central culture like me, this is intolerable.
Even the royal castle is a stark, practical structure lacking any elegance.
Speaking of which, during my fight with Yamato, some walls, ceilings, and pillars of the castle got damaged. The chancellor, Gamaras, whined incessantly about repair costs. I should have just demolished the whole castle and forced a rebuild.
…Well, what’s done is done.
Anyway, as a noble, I must introduce a new cultural wind to Faloon.
When it comes to culture, showing them paintings or sculptures right away would be pointless. These people wear prisoner bracelets as accessories. Teaching them to appreciate art is too advanced. I’d have better luck getting a monkey to write poetry.
The starting point for teaching culture to these crude, uneducated people is through food.
By introducing them to the sophisticated cuisine of Dorsen, they’ll realize how culturally backward they are.
To achieve this, I must first thoroughly disparage Faloon’s cuisine. Even if it’s somewhat tasty, I will find faults and summon the cooks to berate them, driving them out if necessary.
Then, I will install the top chefs I brought from Dorsen as the royal cooks. This is not tyranny; it’s a necessary process for Faloon’s cultural development.
And so, here I am, sitting with King Mars for our first private dinner. I can’t wait to see what humble fare they serve.
The servants brought in dishes on silver trays.
What’s on the menu?
…There’s just a piece of raw meat on the plate.
What is this? Are they trying to mock a queen from another country?
I looked over at King Mars, who was eating a larger piece of raw meat without hesitation.
…Is this country stuck in a prehistoric era?
Well, no matter. The worse the situation, the smoother my plans will go.
I called for the chef at once.
“What is this? Do you think I’m an orc, serving me raw meat like this? Get the cook here, now!”
“A cook? Uh, this wasn’t prepared by a cook…”
Just as I suspected, the servants were trembling. I must establish who the mistress of this castle is from today.
“Anyone responsible for this dish, bring them here now!”
The servants hurried out of the room.
King Mars continued eating his raw meat silently. The fact that he has no complaints about such a crude meal shows he’s strong but lacks spirit. Taking control of this country might be easier than I thought.
While I was smirking inwardly, a man barged into the room.
It was Ogma, ranked number one of the Hundred. He symbolizes Faloon with his muscle-bound body and mind. During the Battle of Brix, he took over 50 knights’ heads, making him feared even in Dorsen.
“Are you the one complaining about the monster meat we offered?”
Excuse me? Monster meat? Not beef or venison?
“Is this monster meat? How dare you serve that to the king and his queen? This is outrageous!”
“It’s not outrageous. This meat is essential for building the strong bodies and minds of us Hundred, and it’s part of the great King Zeross’ legacy. It’s poisonous, but it increases strength and magic. Eat it quietly.”
“Poisonous? And you’re serving it knowingly? What on earth…”
Ogma sighed wearily.
“What you’re eating is the most palatable of monster meats—killer rabbit. Even a 16-year-old new recruit can eat it. Though it might kill those under 16 or not yet fully developed.”
“Kill? Did you just say it could kill?”
“Shut up. You’re over 18, right? You won’t die.
Look at His Majesty. He’s eating the behemoth meat we all worked together to defeat. Eating that meat would easily kill an adult. Even I struggle to eat it. The only one who can eat it calmly is His Majesty.
And here you are, whining about a little killer rabbit meat. If you are to be His Majesty’s queen, you must show that you’re up to the task.”
Behemoth? Behemoth is a colossal monster, on par with high-level dragons. It’s also known as a walking disaster.
The king of this country is eating its meat?
When I looked over, King Mars was eating the meat silently and with intense focus, as if he couldn’t hear any of our conversation.
“Behemoth is a monster that rarely appears, but because it’s so huge, it has a lot of meat. However, in this country, only King Zeross can eat it without any trouble. The meat is preserved with magic and His Majesty eats it for every meal. Yes, Behemoth meat is the proof of King Zeross’ supremacy. His Majesty is always in a world far above ours.”
Ogma’s gaze at King Mars shone with the innocence of a child.
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I couldn’t understand it at all. Is the social rank in this country determined by resistance to poison?
“Ridiculous. I came from Dorsen. I don’t have to follow the barbaric customs of Faloon.”
“That’s not gonna fly. You’re already a member of the Hundred. You have an obligation to eat that meat. If you don’t eat it, I’ll shove it down your throat.”
“Don’t arbitrarily make me a member of the Berserkers!”
Ogma ignored my protest and stepped forward.
“Insolent!”
His intimidation made me instinctively snap my fingers and release a [Sonic Blade]. No, this was an act of self-defense. It’s not my fault.
“Oh!”
However, Ogma effortlessly caught it with his palm.
The room echoed with a loud noise as if something had burst, but King Mars continued eating in silence.
“That was dangerous. If it wasn’t me, they’d have lost a finger.”
No, that should have had the power to take off a head, not just a finger. How could he catch it bare-handed?
“A [Sonic Blade] of that level won’t even touch His Majesty. Didn’t you come to this country to challenge His Majesty? Then you have to eat monster meat even more. If you don’t have the courage to eat it, I’ll make you eat it.”
I was terrified as Ogma slowly approached.
“I’ll eat! I’ll eat, so don’t come any closer!”
I quickly turned to the raw meat on the plate, cut a small piece with a knife, and put it in my mouth.
…I almost lost consciousness. It’s not a matter of taste; my body was rejecting it.
It’s clearly something that shouldn’t be eaten.
Holding back nausea, I somehow managed to chew and swallow it.
The discomfort was so great that I drank the entire glass of water in one gulp.
Still, it felt like the meat was writhing in my stomach. It was as if I had swallowed a bug in the shape of meat.
“See, you can do it if you try.”
Ogma said, praising me like a poorly behaved child.
“…Do you really eat this kind of stuff?”
Just one bite was this bad. I couldn’t believe they ate it every meal.
“We eat it. We start with weaker monsters’ meat and gradually increase the level.”
Increasing the poison level? Do the people of this country have a death wish?
“I can’t do it! It’s impossible for me!”
Now it was time to beg. Ignoring Ogma, who seemed like a half-demon, half-ogre, I had no choice but to plead with King Mars.
He had just finished eating his meat.
With teary eyes, I looked at King Mars.
“Your Majesty, I cannot eat monster meat. Please, have mercy…”
The trick is to shed a single tear here. As the most beautiful woman in the world, no man should be able to refuse such a request.
“Carmilla.”
King Mars smiled warmly and called my name. Yes! This is a success!
“I expect great things from you. Do your best.”
Saying that, the king swiftly left the room.
Huh? Did he abandon me?
Ogma placed his hand on my shoulder as I stood there in a daze.
“His Majesty expects great things from you. You can’t let him down. No, even if God forgives you, I won’t.”
Thus, Ogma watched over me until I finished eating all the meat.
With tears streaming down my face, I took an hour to finish the meat, occasionally sobbing from the terrible taste and sadness.
Needless to say, I had a severe stomachache that night.
Behemoth meat is still as awful as ever. I have to concentrate my mind and activate my body’s poison resistance to its maximum, or I’ll be poisoned while eating.
Today, I had my first meal with Carmilla, but because of this Behemoth meat, we couldn’t talk much.
Just when I thought I had finally finished eating, Carmilla and Ogma were having a conversation.
Then, Carmilla pleaded with me, “I don’t want to eat monster meat.”
Yeah, I don’t think she should have to eat such disgusting meat either. It’s definitely better to eat like a human being.
Also, I wish someone would do something about Ogma, who keeps bringing monster meat without being asked.
So, I told her,
“I expect great things from you. Do your best.”
Since Carmilla came from another country, I hope she can abolish this horrible custom of monster eating that plagues this country.
However, I can’t say that myself, so I quickly left the room.
Good luck, Carmilla!
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