"I don't live that stoic of a lifestyle~! If allowed, I'd love to just lounge around~! I want to rest my head on Mother's lap and take a bath with Jeanne~!"
"Sorry about that, Rikka-kun. Since you're already the sole Master representing Chaldea... our employee benefits are top-notch, so why not just stick with working at Chaldea full-time?"
"Hmm. That might actually not be so bad... Once I finish making the rounds to greet everyone, maybe I'll just secure a permanent job here."
"Take your time to think it over. We will prioritize your choice above all else."
"Thanks, Marie. Well, I'll stick around! At least until peace returns to the point where Chaldea isn't needed anymore!"
Halloween Czechte Castle. Only upon reaching this point... did an actual, proper party atmosphere finally unfold.
"Finished every last bite, did you? Cat is delighted. Now then, let us proceed with the guidance to the mastermind. To end it, the customary finish is in order!"
"Ready, set!"
"""Thank you for the meal~!!!"""
They were just one step away from reaching the root cause of this Halloween chaos.
"Mhfufu~"
"Arcueid-nee-san?"
"Nnn-nn, it's nothing. Looks like the fun times are going to continue a bit longer! Master!"
"? Yeah!"
Energetically, the group headed toward the final floor—
"..."
—Everyone seems to have gone ahead... Gil.
"...So it seems."
In the empty remains of the party venue, the King of Heroes sank to his knees.
—Maintaining a poker face... is far more difficult than imagined, isn't it...?
(Ea?)
Turning pale as a sheet, Ea murmured in distress.
"Hmph—standing calm and composed precisely in times of suffering. That is the pride of a king..."
Ea floated unsteadily, while the King of Heroes looked equally pale. Both of them were pushing themselves far beyond their limits—because they had eaten Elisabeth's pie.
Instantly identifying which pie belonged to Elisabeth through Ea's discernment, the King of Heroes had taken it upon himself. Utilizing a method where the soul directly drove the vessel for the first time in a while, Ea had taken the shock of Venusian cuisine head-on in his soul.
However, since Ea's soul alone could not withstand it, Gil rallied his own spirit to bear half the impact himself. Splitting the damage between them paid off, keeping their condition down to a manageable state of intense illness—though it still brought him to his knees.
"The latest toxic culinary masterpiece of humanity, is it...? Quite impressive... To creak not only our souls, but our very vessels..."
—If I hadn't eaten Mapo Tofu before, it would have been instant death...
Elisabeth's pie was thoroughly atrocious, but it was simply bad-tasting food. As long as it lacked an impact that caused explosions upon consumption, heat that scorched the internal organs, or torments that burned away the soul, it was bearable. Ea and Gil had braved deadly battles together and overcome terrible food before.
(Why did you go that far?! You could have just swapped it out...!)
Fou's shock was met with a pale-faced declaration, maintaining his royal dignity to the end.
"To overturn a judgment once decided to partake—can such a foolish thing be allowed? That said, throwing those kids into hell was out of the question as well. ...Bearing debts and heavy burdens is also the duty of a king; I simply followed suit."
Indeed. If any of the three had consumed that biohazard here, the festival would have been completely ruined. To ensure the event proceeded smoothly, someone had to draw the short straw. That was why...
"I am the Tasting King who drank the mud dry and conquered the Mapo! If you wish to strike me down, bring thrice the bitterness, thrice the hardship, and thrice the spice...!"
Muster up every ounce of his spirit, the King of Heroes staggered to his feet and began to walk. Because he was putting on a bravado in the name of dignity, the damage from the sheer awful taste was taking a visible toll.
—Besides... no matter what it was, no matter how awful the taste... it was made with the intention to bring joy...
A dish Elisabeth had poured her heart into preparing for the reception. Even if the taste was atrocious, even if it was terrible, even if it wasn't something fit for consumption—the feelings and sincerity packed within it were genuine.
That was why it couldn't be left behind, nor could those feelings be wasted—Ea conveyed this to Fou. That was the reason why they ate it without relying on the Naked Series. Responding to the feelings poured into it was, they believed, the utmost form of respect.
—I tried to spare the King from damage at least... I'm so sorry, Gil...
Lending a shoulder, Ea supported the King. Though their bodies weren't breaking down, the taste was simply terrible, leaving the worst imaginable aftertaste.
"Think nothing of it. ...Truly, you are a soul that worries far too much..."
Not wanting Ea to worry, the King of Heroes offered a pale, weak laugh, leaning on Ea as they walked forward.
(You two...! Really, there's a limit to being stubborn! Recklessly pushing yourselves like this...)
Caring for the two of them, Fou offered his back.
(Lie down on my back for a bit. I'll use my Precious Power to help you recover.)
—Thank you, Fou... Sorry for keeping it a secret...
"I shall rest a while. Inform me once we reach the top of the stairs..."
(It's fine, just hang in there a bit longer!)
Trudging forward slowly, Fou climbed the stairs together with the King of Heroes.
[...To show consideration for others and dive into the jaws of death... Thinking it a mere greenhouse under a king's protection, they resort to such wild acts. Eating even poison that brings no benefit to oneself, but pure harm... —Heroic Princess, Ea... huh... Heh, a soul far too fascinating to merely watch from afar, isn't it...?]
Their secret struggle was praised with a hint of exasperation by someone watching from the shadows...
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