"P-please sit down over here!" Aster pointed at a homemade log bench, his voice carrying a hint of eagerness.
Mika sat down, feeling the rough yet sturdy texture beneath him, while Elain stood calmly beside him.
"U-uhm, you don't have any allergies, right?" Aster asked curiously as he tied his hair into a low ponytail.
"No, you can make anything," Mika answered.
Aster's smile brightened slightly before he grabbed an apron, then walked toward a small hut, likely to gather ingredients.
Mika watched him for a moment before speaking.
"Sonya and Aster have the same eye color."
Elain turned his head at the remark, eyes gleaming with mild interest.
"Yes. I'm surprised you noticed it."
His smile carried something knowing, and as Mika gave him a look, Elain continued.
"Beasts and Half-bloods are blessed by one God. The God of Nothingness."
Mika nodded thoughtfully, then asked,
"Remind me again, how many Gods and Goddesses do we have?"
Elain cleared his throat, his tone shifting into something more formal, as if stepping into the role of a teacher giving a lesson.
"Thirteen, my prince. The God of Life, God of Death, Goddess of Creation, God of the Sun, Goddess of the Moon, God of Love, God of War, God of Fire, Goddess of Water, Goddess of Wind, God of Earth, Goddess of Blacksmithing, and lastly, the God of Nothingness."
Mika stared at him, expression blank.
"We have too many."
Elain chuckled softly, amusement lacing his voice.
"Indeed we do. And if we included Deities, the children of Gods and Goddesses, we'd have at least twenty more."
Mika recalled reading about this in Crimson Revenge's side story, the details of Nyxaris, the world itself.
Thirteen Gods and Goddesses. Twenty Deities.
The reason for their vast numbers was simple.
The Gods and Goddesses were originally human—thirteen siblings who once lived in Nyxaris before the Creator ascended them to divinity.
Who was the Creator?
The author never explained.
The information was kept completely empty, as if deliberately erased.
No further details were given.
"Also, what is the God of Nothingness?" Mika asked curiously.
The author had mentioned the names of various gods and goddesses, showing only a few in detail, but the God of Nothingness was merely referenced—no explanation of his role, purpose, or deeds.
It was as if he existed in name alone.
Elain responded casually, his tone almost indifferent.
"Oh, him? Nothing."
Mika blinked, confusion flickering across his face.
"Nothing?"
Elain chuckled.
"Nothing. That's literally his thing. Right now, he's just staying at his church in Mell Country. Great place, but full of confusing priests. Lately, I heard they have a new nun."
Mika opened his mouth to press for more details, but before he could—
Aster emerged from the hut, arms laden with various ingredients and spices.
But what caught Mika's attention wasn't the sheer variety of food—
It was the meat Aster held in his grasp.
"That meat…" Mika asked curiously, eyes narrowing slightly.
Aster carefully placed all the ingredients onto the table before lifting the meat, allowing Mika a better look.
"A-ah, this is cow meat."
Mika's eyes widened slightly at his words.
"Are you okay with cooking meat?"
Aster tilted his head, confused, glancing at the meat in his hands before making a small sound of realization.
"A-ah, yes! I-I eat meat. I'm not a vegetarian!"
Mika's brows furrowed slightly.
"Even though you're a Minotaur?"
Aster blinked slowly, processing the question.
Then—
His gaze drifted downward, a flustered expression settling on his features.
"O-oh, right… Yes. I am a Minotaur…"
He scratched the back of his head before glancing back at Mika, his voice gentle yet slightly hesitant.
"Uh… Your Highness, are you not familiar with beast diets?"
Mika shook his head.
Aster's smile softened before he explained,
"Minotaurs are omnivores. Some of us are vegetarians, but most prefer meat as well. It's a minority who choose otherwise."
"I didn't know that. So, mermaids also eat fish?" Mika held his chin, deep in thought.
Aster nodded quickly, his voice carrying a hint of enthusiasm.
"Y-yes! But honestly, back in the days before the War of Fae's, some of us were cannibals—because that's how the Goddess of Creation made us. It was thanks to the God of Nothingness that we were able to break away from that curse. Now, we can eat anything we want."
Mika blinked, absorbing the information.
"Wow, I thought he didn't do anything."
At Mika's words, both Aster and Elain responded in perfect unison.
"He doesn't."
Elain then added in an amused tone,
"He just thought cannibalism was lame, so he changed it."
Mika sweatdropped, realization settling in.
The God of Nothingness…
Was he just making changes to the world because he didn't like his older siblings' rules?
"What is he? A rebellious youngest brother?" Mika muttered under his breath.
Aster turned back to his cooking, his focus shifting to chopping onions and garlic, the rhythmic sound filling the air as he sliced through the ingredients.
Mika stared at Aster as he worked, watching the way the half-blood Minotaur moved with practiced ease.
The scent of freshly diced vegetables and raw meat lingered in the air, warm and familiar.
The steady, repetitive motion…
It was oddly soothing.
His eyelids grew heavy.
Before he realized it, sleep overtook him, his body swaying slightly.
Elain, always watchful, reached out just in time, pressing a gentle hand against the side of Mika's head to prevent him from falling over.
A small, knowing smile softened the butler's face.
He had already noticed Mika's exhaustion from the way the prince moved earlier.
After all—
Mika had spent his entire life trapped inside that mansion.
"Your Highness… P-please wake up…"
Aster's gentle voice stirred Mika from sleep, pulling him away from the comforting haze of rest.
Slowly, he opened his eyes, blinking as the world around him came into focus.
Instead of the bench he had sat on earlier, he now found himself seated on a chair in front of a dinner table.
His gaze drifted across the surface—
Plates of food filled the table, a feast laid out before him.
The rich aroma of the dishes reached him, making his stomach growl loudly in response.
Still drowsy, Mika rubbed his face before sitting up straighter, adjusting his posture.
His eyes landed on the steak in front of him.
'This looks delicious… No, as a worker at a black company…'
He cut into the meat, surprised at how effortlessly the knife slid through it.
'This is a feast from heaven!'
Mika took a bite, his eyes widening as the burst of flavor hit him instantly.
The meat melted in his mouth, tender and rich, requiring almost no chewing.
The seasoning was perfectly balanced, flavorful but not overwhelming, allowing him to truly taste the quality of the meat itself.
"So good…"
He sampled another plate, humming in satisfaction.
Even the vegetables carried a depth of flavor, fresh and crisp.
Grabbing his knife again, Mika cut another piece of steak before holding it out toward Elain.
"Here, taste it."
Elain blinked in mild surprise.
"Me?"
Mika simply nodded, waiting.
The butler's lips curled into a smile, and he leaned down, taking a bite.
A small noise escaped him, his expression shifting slightly.
"My, you are right. This is even more delicious than Chef Nil's cooking."
Elain straightened up, dabbing the corner of his mouth with refined ease.
"Such a pity that Her Highness is such an unbearable woman who refuses to accept change."
Mika and Aster both turned to Elain, their expressions deadpan.
'Elain, you really aren't scared of anything…'
Mika looked back at the food, his mind drifting to the fried rice Louis had cooked for him yesterday. It had been delicious, comforting in its own way.
But Aster's cooking was different.
For Isekai Mika, who had spent years surviving on nothing but convenience store meals after starting work, this food stirred something… unfamiliar.
Something buried.
It reminded him of his—
Mother's cooking?
No.
He couldn't remember.
What did his mother's cooking taste like?
Was it warm and rich?
Was it full of love?
Hatred?
What was a mother's love?
What was… love?
A voice whispered in his ear.
"Do you want to know?"
Mika spun around abruptly, his fork and knife slipping from his hands, crashing onto the floor with a sharp clang.
One hand flew to his ear, covering it instinctively.
His heart pounded—not in excitement.
In fear.
What was that?
Whose voice was that?
It felt so close.
So clear.
So wrong.
Something inside Mika screamed at him—don't say yes.
Don't accept anything from this voice.
Wait.
Was it a voice?
Or voices?
How many had spoken to him just now?
One?
Two?
More?
"Prince Mika?"
Aster's concerned voice shattered the silence, snapping Mika out of his daze.
He turned to the two men—
Even Elain's expression, usually unreadable, held a hint of concern.
"It's... nothing."
Mika took a deep breath, trying to steady himself.
"I think I'm just… a bit paranoid. After all, I'm not used to leaving my room."
It wasn't a lie.
The real Mika rarely left his room, except for quiet moments spent in the library. Untrusting. Paranoid. Scared. Alone.
Isekai Mika had felt it the moment he woke up in this body—
Not his own emotions, but the real Mika's suffocating fears.
So what was that voice?
Shaking his head, Mika forced himself to focus, scanning the table for the utensils he had dropped.
Before he could reach for them, Elain leaned down smoothly, presenting him with a new fork and spoon, pristine and polished.
"Thank you."
Mika sighed softly, gripping them before continuing to eat.
'I wonder what Louis is doing right now.'
The thought flickered through his mind as he chewed. He had left the man alone, and honestly, Mika could only hope Louis hadn't done anything too stupid in his absence.
Well—
As stupid as a Sword Master could possibly get.
And right now—
"Where am I?"
Louis blinked in confusion, his sharp sapphire blue and amethyst purple eyes scanning the bustling streets of Ein Street City.
Market stalls stood in their full glory, merchants shouting over the lively evening crowds, voices overlapping in a symphony of food, trade, and chatter.
How had he gotten here?
He distinctly remembered following Arthur to get new clothes—his lord's ceremony was approaching, and looking like a mess was not an option.
Halfway through their walk, Arthur had suddenly taken a sharp right turn, sniffed the air, and declared—
"I smell good food."
Then promptly vanished, leaving Louis stranded.
Now here he was.
Louis sighed, walking toward a traveler's map at the side of the road, eyes narrowing as he studied it.
"Weird… I was supposed to be in Luy Street…"
His fingers traced over the map, eyebrows furrowing as he noticed the glaring issue—
Luy Street was on the opposite side of the city.
40 kilometers away.
"Huh. That's weird. How did I get here?"
Louis muttered to himself, completely missing the obvious truth.
Was he lost?
No, of course not.
"I'm just not used to this place," thought the man with no sense of direction whatsoever.
His musings were interrupted by the strum of a lute, the melody drifting through the air accompanied by a soft singing voice.
"Ahh, listen to my story~"
Louis stilled, tilting his head slightly as the voice carried over the crowd.
"Come, traveler from afar~ let your worries wash away with this song~"
"Once upon a time, there was a man who wielded not a sword, but a staff. His strength did not lie in his might, but in his wit. Oh, how beautiful it was~"
Louis observed as people began gathering, drawn to the bard's voice, their movements almost unconscious, as if the melody itself had called them forth.
"A man who fought not in wars for fame, but for the lives of millions under him. Can you imagine the struggle? The fear he must have felt, carrying such a burden?"
Louis pushed through the crowd, following the flute accompaniment now weaving through the melody.
"He did not fight with weapons, but with his wit. The exchanges he made, the sacrifices—so that you may live safely today. Now, little children, can you guess who this song is for?"
Excited voices chimed in unison—
"The King!!"
"Fufufu~ You are right, what smart children you are.
This is the story of our king.
Our merciful king.
Our poor, poor king.
Who now must face another struggle!"
Louis stepped to the side, avoiding a child who rushed forward.
His gaze swept toward the center of the crowd—
A bard spun with graceful ease, dancing within a circle of children, their faces lit with excitement.
Then—
"Listen to my story~ For now, our third prince has finally returned!"
Louis's sharp gaze met fiery orange and pure white eyes.
The bard halted their spinning, raised their hand toward him, and sang—
"Our prophecy has finally come true. A child of death has returned."