Chapter 114: The Great Banquet (6)

Chapter 114: The Great Banquet (6)

Set Les Baskervilles. He had been speaking to Vikir in a gentle, friendly manner since earlier.

"How is it to be home after a long time? Is it hard to adjust? Does your brother help you?"

"My father and brother are a bit cold, aren't they, but they're being incredibly gentle with you, because you're young and talented, and for someone like me who has no talent, they're like icy...."

"Try this, too. It's specially prepared by my favorite chef. It's delicious, isn't it? Sturgeon roe baked with cream~"

"I'll come to your room later, so tell me about your experience in the depht. I'm weak, so I'm always in the medical or pulmonary training hall. Oh, my training hall is also very close to Underdog City, where you were the deputy chief!"

"Come to think of it, thanks to you, the city of Underdog became much more peaceful, right? It's a good thing. Originally, I should have been there as an deputy... ... I have a weak body and little talent, so it is a burden to sit in an important seat."

"It would be nice to have a brother as capable as you to help me run things, haha-"

Seth talks to Vikir constantly for the sake of not making him feel awkward.

He even greets the servants who bring him food one by one.

A normal half-breed hound would be overwhelmed by this kindness and friendliness from Set.

So would Vikir before the regression.

But.

The post-Regression Vikir is different.

"...."

Vikir stared into Set's face as he spoke softly to him.

For a long time, Set had been unusually good-hearted and caring for the people around him.

Because of this, he was not well-liked by Hugo or Osiris, and because of this, he was always sad and sullen.

The younger Vikir, before his regression, had a liking for him.

... but.

Now, as a seasoned veteran of the Age of Destruction and an iron-blooded hound, Vikir saw Set in a different light.

'Set Les Baskervilles' was presumably not human.

Vikir recalled the information Sindiwendi had sent him last night.

In truth, he didn't need to recall it.

The stench from Set's mouth had been making him sick to his stomach.

The kind of odor that would make even the most squeamish Vikir struggle to keep a straight face.

But no one else in the vicinity could smell the stench emanating from Set.

Vikir knew exactly what it was.

"It's the smell of a demon."

This intense stench, a mixture of soaking intestines and rotting corpses, could only be smelled by hounds from the Age of Destruction.

Before my return, I was numb to the smell of the world because it was so omnipresent, but when I smelled it in the peaceful world after my return, I knew it at once.

Fahrr...

It was an unholy scent, so foul that even Beelzebub, who lurked in the veins of his arteries, and even the wraith of Madame, who was imprisoned in Beelzebub's orb, were frightened.

'Why does Set's body emit such a foul odor?'

Vikir quickly regained his composure.

Next, Vikir sipped from his goblet.

The red glistening surface reflected the images of Hugo, Osiris, and Set.

But.

To Vikir's surprise, there were only two reflections in the glass.

Hugo and Osiris. There was no reflection of Set in the glass.

'See?'

Vikir wondered to himself.

Demons. Beings of the demonic realm.

They are generally divided into demons and beasts.

The difference between the two is that demons refer to higher demons with spirituality, while demonic beasts refer to monsters.

This is similar to the distinction between humans and animals.

While a typical demonic beast can be seen in a mirror and reflected in water..., this was not the case with demons.

They cannot be seen in mirrors or water unless they use special magic to deliberately conceal their appearance.

It's something that everyone will learn (and pay for expensive lessons) in the Age of Destruction, but for now, no one knows.

...Except for Vikir, that is.

'You let your guard down, Set.'

Vikir thought as he drained his glass.

Set had become too arrogant to even bother watching his glass.

He might be wearing the shell of the second son, but underneath, he was likely a completely different person.

But only then did Vikir see the relationship between Osiris and Set.

Osiris felt an indescribable discomfort and distance from Set, which was why he was trying to keep his other siblings away from him.

This is why he frowned at Set whenever he opened his mouth, as if he smelled a bad odor.

In other words, Osiris's genius instincts and senses are subconsciously disliking Set's demonic nature.

It was the same with Hugo.

'...So perhaps I, who served under Set before my regression, had a chin to look good on.'

Vikir turned and looked at Osiris.

Though cold and distant, there was a glimmer of humanity beneath.

So much more human than Hugo.

Besides, Osiris had been looking out for Vikir, a newcomer to the Great Banquet, in his own way.

Even if it was in his own way.

"Vikir. Knife #3 should not be held in your hand."

"Tilt the plate to the other side. Don't make a scraping sound with your utensils."

"You need to brush up on your aristocratic dining etiquette. Napkins are not folded in that direction."

It may seem like a high-pressure lecture, but it's really just a way to keep an eye on your younger brother to make sure he doesn't make a mistake in front of your father or other adults in the house.

And there was no reason to be offended because he was only pointing out the things that were wrong, and he only chose the right words.

If there's something wrong, you just fix it, and Osiris doesn't say much about the improvement.

Of course, if it were a normal child, they would have been scared and cowered.

'He's a bit of a jerk, but... doesn't seem as bad as I thought he was.'

Not so with Vikir.

After three scoldings, Vikir demonstrated such good table manners that he didn't need to be scolded anymore.

Only then did Osiris' lips curl into a slight smile of satisfaction.

"I see. Now there's a bit of nobility."

The clumsy warmth grows a little stronger.

* * *

With that, the long meal came to an end.

The Baskerville family's Great Banquet takes two hours for the appetizers alone and about five hours for the entire meal.

By the time it was over, it was nearly midnight.

Vikir was about to leave the banquet hall.

"... wait."

Hugo stopped him.

"There's something I need to talk to you about, son."

"Yes, Father."

Vikir stood upright in front of Hugo.

Hugo stared at him for a moment, then spoke.

"No, no. It's late today, so come back tomorrow morning."

"Do you have any further engagements after midnight?"

"No, I don't. I just thought you might be tired."

Vikir was surprised again.

Even though he had no plans afterward, Hugo was willing to wait until tomorrow morning because he was afraid he'd be tired?

This Hugo who only knew his own time?

He was the kind of man who would turn on the lights of the entire castle and rouse all the humans from their slumber at midnight or dawn if he had to.

He would put off speaking to his son until the morning for dread of his tiredness.

The servants drew the curtains of the western windows early, instead of the eastern ones, for the sun might rise in the west tomorrow.

Vikir's tongue was still in his cheek.

"...."

Vikir bowed his head, his expression nonchalant.

Then, as Hugo left the banquet hall, Vikir and Butler Barrymore were alone.

Butler Barrymore turned to Vikir with a smirk on his face.

"Perhaps the Lord is calling to discuss your admission to the Academy. Congratulations in advance, Master."

"How do you know that?"

Vikir asked, and Butler Barrymore spoke in a tone of certainty, as if he had known it would happen.

"Because I received a letter from the Academy last night announcing the new class."