Great, we're doomed now!

"Lord Leos, Lord Senshi, and the two ladies, please follow me."

The banquet hall in the inner palace wasn't very large, but it was exquisitely decorated.

The long table was covered with a white tablecloth, upon which sat silver candlesticks and tableware, each piece polished to a gleaming shine, reflecting a soft glow in the candlelight. A huge tapestry hung on the wall, its design the emblem of the Golden Country… let’s just call it Ye Shou’s “family crest” here.

When Leos and his group arrived, Kabul was already there.

The dark-skinned young man was wearing a dark gray tuxedo, his hair neatly combed, looking much more formal than usual. He was sitting at one side of the long table, holding a glass of wine in his hand. When he saw Leos enter, he immediately stood up to greet him.

Why didn't Kaboul refuse?

—Leos ​​thought more than just that.

Ye Shou invited many people, but not everyone attended; for example, Chilchuck never came.

As for those who accept it, Leos and Sensi go without saying, Farin is a curious person and has no resistance to monster food, while Maru is purely a hypocrite.

Kabul was different. He genuinely disliked, even loathed, monster food, but surprisingly, he accepted several invitations and forced himself to swallow it... Leos didn't quite understand.

In fact, Kaboul had a bad habit of trying to figure out what others wanted and catering to them, so he would do things even if he didn't want to, which was a personality flaw.

Interestingly, Ye Shouming clearly saw this, yet he still sent him invitations every time as usual... It can only be said that there was a reason why someone could possess the Dark Radiance form.

The group chatted for a few moments, the topic shifting from labyrinth exploration to prices in the Golden City, and then to a land dispute that Kabul had been dealing with these past few days. Leos wasn't particularly interested in these matters, sitting there listening and occasionally chiming in, but each time he tried to say something more, Marushir would sternly stop him with a look.

About fifteen minutes later, the servant outside the door suddenly raised his voice.

"Silence!"

The conversation at the table stopped abruptly, and everyone fell silent, turning their gaze to the side door.

Ye Shou was wearing a dark robe, and his hair was a bit longer than when they last met, hanging down in front of his forehead, making his face look even more delicate.

Several years have passed since they first met. Senshi and Marushiel haven't changed much due to their race, but the Leos siblings have both grown significantly. Only Ye Shou seems to be getting younger and younger...

Ye Shou sat down at the head of the long table and gestured to those who wanted to stand up that there was no need for formalities.

"Alright, it's not a very formal occasion, no need to be so polite."

"Okay." Leos leaned back in his chair without any hesitation, his posture as casual as if he were at home. "Did you find anything good on your trip?"

“There are some monsters I’ve never seen before. I brought back some meat, and I’m showing it to Senshi to see what to do with it.”

"As expected of Ye Shou... Your Majesty."

Hehe~

—Marusir rolled her eyes.

After a moment, the door opened again, and the servants filed in, each carrying a silver tray covered with a hemispherical lid, and smoothly arranged the banquet.

Ye Shou and the others stopped, reached out and picked up the wine glass in front of them, and smiled slightly.

"Once you're in a higher position, it becomes troublesome to invite people to dinner... I won't say anything too extravagant, it's really boring. When there's delicious food in front of you, don't be so reserved."

So be it, for prosperity—"

"For a prosperous and lasting nation!" Everyone raised their glasses and took a sip.

As the banquet officially began, everyone, including Leos, was once again amazed.

With each dish served, Ye Shou would give a brief introduction, some of which he had collected on his travels, such as monster materials from "One-Punch Man," and even some monster meat... Of course, all of them were processed with ripples and were non-toxic and harmless parts.

Some of them are local specialties from the film "Delicious in the Labyrinth", but Morishi has made improvements and the way they are prepared is different from before.

Leos enjoyed the meal immensely, commenting on almost every dish, though most of his comments were just meaningless phrases like "delicious," "this is delicious too," and "this is even better"...

At first, Marushi Nikore was quite reserved and ate with restraint, but by the fourth course, she had unconsciously sped up her pace and became increasingly skilled with her chopsticks.

Ye Shou himself didn't eat much. He would occasionally say a word, but most of the time he would quietly listen to everyone's chatter, with a peaceful and gratified smile on his face.

...It was completely dark outside. The candlelight in the banquet hall cast swaying shadows on the walls. Laughter and conversations mingled together, drifting out of the half-open windows and merging into the night of the Golden City.

After the banquet, Ye Shou arranged for everyone to stay at the palace, while he himself carried a silver tray to the palace basement.

After descending the long spiral staircase into a deep, bottomless, and cramped space, one might even wonder if they had reached the legendary depths of the underworld. Gradually, even with the light emanating from the magic stones on both sides, one still feels a sense of pitch-black darkness.

But Ye Shou paid no heed and calmly went to the bottom floor, to a room deep in the earth, where everything was set up just like in a restaurant.

At the far end of the long table, seated in the guest seat, sat not any human or demi-human, but a golden book bound by chains, its pages engraved with images of lions and wings.

"This is the last dish... but among my friends, only your appetite can hold it."

Rather, I would say this was made especially for you.

Ye Shou gently placed the tray in front of the books, and smiled as he lifted it—

"Dessert, Zigela Crystal Nectar."

Enjoy it, my friend!

Volume 11: To the Day of Destiny: Chapter 509: Lunch in the Labyrinth - I'm Full! (5.5K)

The grimoire lay quietly beside Ye Shou, its golden patterns shimmering faintly in the candlelight, like a half-closed eye, but it did not react after Ye Shou finished speaking.

Ye Shou wasn't in a hurry. He slowly sat back in the main seat, his fingers lightly tapping on the table, gradually composing a peculiar melody. Like a musician immersed in the music, he closed his eyes and listened quietly...

The candlelight flickered suddenly.

The man opened his eyes as if sensing something, and his vision suddenly brightened:

The dimly lit restaurant had somehow become magnificent, with gold carpets hanging on the walls and hundreds of candles lit in the chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, casting a warm and bright light that illuminated every corner.

The long table before us was covered with a snow-white cloth, and the silver cutlery gleamed softly in the candlelight.

The magic book is gone; in its place sits a lion crouching across the long table.

What a beautiful monster! Even though it wasn't the first time he had seen one, Ye Shou couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Its fur was pure gold, shimmering like molten metal in the flickering firelight. A pair of enormous wings spread from its shoulder blades and gently folded at its sides, with a faint golden edge around them.

The winged lion's posture was as elegant as ever, its front legs straight and together, its tail wrapped around its sides and resting on its paws. It raised its head, its bewitching yet clear eyes looking at Ye Shou, and the corners of its mouth slightly turned up, revealing a human-like, reserved smile.

Long time no see~

The voice was still so pleasant, like a spring breeze brushing across a lake, carrying a gentle quality that made people unconsciously relax their guard.

Ye Shou leaned back in his chair, propped his head up with one hand, and chuckled, "It's not too long—for creatures like you and me."

"No, as far as I can tell, it really has been a long time." The winged lion tilted its head, its golden mane swaying gently with the movement. "Time always seems to drag when you're not around."

Does it mean "like three autumns have passed"?

Surprisingly, the two sides, who were on opposing sides, were unusually friendly, just like old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time.

"It's a language I don't know."

The winged lion didn't mind. It changed its posture, placing its front paws together on the table, resting its chin on the back of its paws, and looking at Ye Shou with the same innocent gaze as a child longing for its parents.

“There’s something I’ve always been curious about,” it said. “You clearly see everything about me as something to be rejected—so why did you still call me out?”

Ye Shou remained silent for a moment, then chuckled softly.

"Because you will definitely come."

The winged lion blinked, not denying it... There seemed to be a strange tacit understanding between the man and the lion.

This beautiful monster is actually a creature from the subspace, called a "demon" by the natives of this world. Originally, it was a colorless being, but just as the Holy Grail can be tainted by endless curses and desires, it has become a being that feeds on human desires as it fulfills one wish after another for humanity.

In Delicious in Dungeon, it is the Serpent of Eden.

From ancient times to the present, its presence has appeared repeatedly, but the authorities have tacitly erased its traces. In modern times, only the long-lived elves have relatively complete records.

Throughout history, all demons, regardless of their appearance, are essentially the same being; they are simply given different forms each time.

However, this demon can currently only appear in the form of a "winged lion," and this is all thanks to someone—

"You destroyed most of my magic books, didn't you?" the winged lion continued. "Now I can't sense any other exits... You used a method I can't understand to completely erase them from the material world, leaving not even a trace. Those containers that held my countless 'memories' have just disappeared."

There was no anger or even any fluctuation in its tone; it simply stated the facts calmly.

"You only left one." The winged lion's gaze fell on the golden grimoire beneath him. "It's 'me'~"

The candlelight in the restaurant flickered again, but did not go out.

Ye Shou's expression remained unchanged as he rested his fingers on the armrest and tapped it lightly twice.

"Because you are special to me."

"Special?" The winged lion raised its head, its eyes widening in anticipation.

"Yes, it may be the same for you whether you transform into a lion or a bird, but humans rely on memory and experience to recognize objects and connect fleeting emotional changes with memory fragments, which is what is called 'impression'."

Ye Shou said softly, "We always attach too much meaning and emotion to things we are familiar with. This is the effect of past 'impressions'. Even if the world changes and things change... it is always hard to let go."

"Really? So you have a special feeling about this image of mine and want to see it again no matter what? I'm so happy."

The winged lion was gratified and delighted: "So what exists between us is not hatred, but something like love."

"...I disagree with that."

Ye Shou was slightly taken aback, then burst into laughter.

While chatting with the winged lion, he couldn't help but recall his experience of going to the Elf Kingdom.

It should be noted that although "Delicious in Dungeon" is set in a low-magic world, the Winged Lion is a creature capable of destroying the world. Its unique form of existence means that it cannot be eliminated in a conventional way. Therefore, whether he obtained a Stand or piloted a Gundam, Ye Shou never thought of using these methods to deal with it.

But after Ye Shou returned from the ancient times for the first time and became a life form of light, he naturally thought of the winged lion as a potential threat.

So he first collected all the existing magic books in the world into his own hands... This matter itself was unremarkable; he simply flew alone to the Elf Kingdom and found an acquaintance, Old Man Mi, to introduce him.

After meeting the “easy-going” Elf Queen, she readily handed him the Book of the Winged Lion, as well as all the magic books she had previously collected and sealed. The whole process went very smoothly.

Besides the Queen's own easygoing and tolerant nature, Ye Shou's strength probably also played a tiny, insignificant role.

In order to gain people's trust and make them believe that he has the ability to suppress demons, Ye Shou naturally had to demonstrate his so-called "divine power" to the Elf Queen.

So he took the Elf Queen on a journey through the universe, letting her observe her world from space, and even taking her to visit all the countries of the world in just ten minutes. The Queen was greatly shocked, just like the protagonist in "Divine Comedy"... The rest is history.

The Elf Queen probably regarded him as a being from ancient mythology, but Ye Shou did not interact with him much and returned after finishing his business.

Perhaps it was because the Queen was a typical feudal lord with some problems in her character and behavior, and her image did not fit Ye Shou's aesthetic... He felt there was really nothing to say.

For Ye Shou, using money or power to persuade others is a simple tactic he has repeated countless times, so there is really no need to go into details.

After that, Ye Shou destroyed all the magic books that were theoretically impossible to destroy or would be troublesome to destroy, leaving only the Winged Lion one.

Considering that the demon's true form is ever-changing, but the winged lion's ability to manifest is also based on human perception, then Ye Shou's actions mean that he has destroyed its incarnations and confined its image to a single one.