29/150
―Chapter 29― A Delicacy
Ever since becoming the disciple of the vampire Yudit, my life took an odd turn. She had several hidden chambers within the dungeon where we resided, and depending on her mood, she would choose which one to sleep in. However, each chamber had only one bed, so when it came time to sleep, we would use separate chambers.
As for her diet, being a vampire, Yudit had a fondness for drinking blood. However, it wasn't necessary for the blood to be human; she seemed to relish the taste of monster blood just as well. Thus, she would drain the blood from the monsters I hunted and savor it.
"Here, the blood is ready."
Ever since I became her disciple, my main task was to provide her with monster blood. I would extract the blood from the meat and offer it to her in a teacup.
"Thank you for your effort, as always."
The first time I saw her drinking from a teacup filled with blood instead of tea, I was taken aback. Apparently, Yudit had a particular preference for drinking blood from teacups.
"Truly, it's exquisite."
She would say this and then drink from the teacup's handle. Her expression exuded satisfaction. Frankly, I had no desire to drink blood, but she made it look quite appetizing.
"Kiska, is dinner ready for tonight?"
"Yes, well, I've just grilled some monster meat."
Yudit, being a vampire, could sustain herself healthily by drinking blood. Yet, refraining from eating regular food would lead to hunger pangs.
"It's essentially the same as yesterday."
"Well, what can I do? We're running low on seasoning. So, naturally, the meals tend to be repetitive."
Inside the dungeon, we had an abundance of monster meat, but we lacked the necessary seasonings for cooking. Thus, the process was rather simple. Grill the meat, season it with pepper, and it's ready. We used magic stones taken from monsters as fuel for the fire, which made igniting it a straightforward task.
"Also, I've prepared a salad made from the wiggling tree Dryads that we defeated today."
"Ew, I can't say I'm particularly fond of salads made from wiggling tree Dryads."
"Come on, you really should eat your vegetables; otherwise, you'll end up malnourished."
"Well, you see, I'm a vampire, so I don't really need nutrients."
"Alright, I'll eat it all myself then..."
In reality, vampires could thrive just by drinking blood, and the lack of nutrients wasn't a concern. However, for me, a human, consuming vegetables was crucial. In the enclosed dungeon environment, the diet was heavily skewed towards monster meat. The wiggling tree Dryads offered a solution to this problem. With their many leaves, consuming them provided vitamins, even though they tasted quite bitter.
"Although it's not particularly tasty."
"Well, seasoning is scarce, after all."
"Assuming we could venture outside the dungeon, we might be able to gather more seasonings."
Yudit mentioned how she hadn't left the dungeon in nearly 50 years. As a result, the furniture within her hideouts was outdated and often damaged.
"However, currently, leaving the dungeon isn't a feasible option."
"Wasn't there a time when you freely left the dungeon?"
"Yes, that's correct. It wasn't possible to bask in the sunlight inside the dungeon, and it was damp, which suited my vampire sensibilities."
"But, why can't you leave the dungeon now?"
"Someone destroyed the teleportation array."
"Teleportation array...?"
Suddenly, I recalled the teleportation array that had led me to this dungeon. It was a one-way passage connecting the outside world to the dungeon.
"The teleportation array that allowed free movement between the dungeon and the outside world existed. I used it to move around quite comfortably."
"You had such a thing...?"
"Yes... It was a secret teleportation array that only I knew about. However, about 50 years ago, someone destroyed it. As a result, I was stranded inside this dungeon."
"Then, it's still quite challenging to defeat the dungeon's boss and exit?"
"Yes, indeed. I can't defeat it on my own."
I was surprised to learn that even Yudit, a vampire, couldn't defeat certain monsters. I wondered what kind of monster it was that even she couldn't overcome.
"Any idea who might have destroyed the teleportation array?"
"I have absolutely no clue."
She responded with an expression of frustration. Someone destroyed the teleportation array, but their motive remained a mystery.
"Although, there is one possibility."
Yudit seemed to remember something.
"I suspect it might be the person who sealed Agaha within this dungeon. They might have destroyed the teleportation array to ensure she couldn't escape."
"Agaha? You know about Agaha?"
"I'm actually more surprised that you know about her. Her heroic deeds were from a long time ago."
It was as if she found it strange that I knew about Agaha.
"I've heard rumors about a girl who was sealed within this dungeon."
"Well, she is indeed a great person."
"Is that so...?"
"Yes, she was the hero who defeated the Demon Lord."
Suddenly, those words struck me with a shock. Over a hundred years ago, the story of the hero who defeated the Demon Lord was well-known throughout human lands.
"Wait, I've never heard of a hero named Agaha. In my country, the one who defeated the Demon Lord is known as Eligion."
"Eligion? I'm not familiar with that name. There were multiple heroes, and Eligion might have been one of them."
"Why is Agaha sealed within this dungeon, though?"
"I can't say for certain. Perhaps, it was a result of a conflict between humans. However, I can't be certain."
Yudit didn't seem to possess all the answers regarding Agaha's situation.
"Regardless, I have one piece of advice. Never attempt to release her from her seal. We can't even begin to imagine what might happen."
I wondered why Yudit, a vampire, was concerned about this. It was a mystery to me.
"Understood."
I nodded in agreement.
No comments:
Post a Comment