Chapter 3
Delicious!
Delicious!
Pastel stuffed the meat pudding into her mouth frantically. Though it had been wolf-shaped, it separated like jelly when torn with her hands.
The black pudding squished in her mouth. Sweetness exploded. Her taste buds tingled electrically.
The world sparkled.
An unprecedented sense of overwhelming power washed over her.
Her conscious mind receded as her soul awakened.
Black-tinted daydreams.
Pink-hued fantasies.
*Could even a top-tier chef's cooking compare to this?* Even that couldn't soothe the soul like this.
Pastel crammed two carcasses into her stomach and flopped onto her back. The corners of her mouth curled up in a goofy grin.
*Is this what isekai food is like?*
It was almost regrettable that she hadn't tasted this before. *What the hell have I been living for until now?*
She licked her lips.
*Is there more?*
The cold of the corridor tickled her back. Her mind cleared slightly. She shivered and hurriedly stood up.
"Ugh."
She dusted off her winter dress. As she rubbed her arms, she looked around the corridor.
There was only a staircase leading down at the dead end.
*Was this some kind of attic storage area? In a mansion this big, I guess an attic isn't just one room but an entire section.*
She wasn't sure why she was in the attic. *Is it okay to leave the head of the family in such a cold attic?*
Before heading down, she rummaged through two new rooms. There was nothing to search. They were completely empty.
*Not even a speck of sawdust?*
The pitiful state of the family's assets made her teeth chatter.
"Father...!"
*You've squandered it all, haven't you!*
She stabbed the table leg into the air repeatedly.
*Just you wait. I'll make you cough up all that wealth.*
As of today, her life's goal was to be an unfilial daughter. No one could stop her.
But first, she had to deal with the servants who left the family head abandoned in the attic. *What do they think the head of the family is? How could the hierarchy be this messed up?*
*Did they all quit? Because the family head turned out to be an idiot and the son-in-law transformed into a marriage scammer, so they couldn't even pay anymore?*
It was too plausible a guess. What loyalty could be expected from a family that couldn't even provide for basic needs? Her chest tingled with pain.
"You faithless bastards...!"
The table leg stabbed the air repeatedly. She understood, but as the person involved, she didn't want to understand.
She gazed fondly at her sturdy circular shield and table leg spear. *You're all I can rely on now. I'm sorry I thought you were trash when I first saw you.*
She hugged her only loyal retainers tightly, then headed for the stairs.
She peeked down the staircase. *Is there something right in front of me? I can't tell.*
Carefully, she descended the stairs.
As she turned, a long corridor stretched out before her.
Suddenly, the thick scent of blood wafted through the air.
Pastel stared blankly at the scene.
Sunlight streamed in through a wall shattered by an explosion. Deep claw marks from a massive beast were clearly visible. The marks were red, mixed with scraps of flesh.
Her trembling hand touched the dried bloodstains on the floor.
Red footprints, red handprints.
Several people had moved to block the stairs.
Their unprepared resistance had created the red marks. No bodies remained. Their struggles had been devoured and chewed without a trace.
The last red footprints ran past the beast towards the broken wall. They hesitated, leaving marks, then leapt to the ground. The beast had followed, plunging after them.
A scrap of torn fabric fluttered on the broken wall. It was high-quality cloth used for the head maid's uniform.
*Head Maid Emma?*
*Didn't you teach me how to read and write? Even when everyone else gave up, you persevered to the end.*
*Thanks to you, I can read now. You have no idea how relieved I am.*
Her trembling hand clutched the scrap of fabric.
*I wasn't abandoned after all.*
Her throat tightened.
*I was protected.*
The faithful ones had died. Only the lone surviving head of the family remained here. Shedding tears.
Tears fell, carried by the wind.
Past the upper floors to the ground, to the garden.
Black monstrous forms howled.
A large magic circle in the center of the garden oozed black energy.
Tear-filled eyes glared at the garden.
*Who.*
*Who put that thing in my mansion?*
*Who dared to kill my loyal retainers?*
Her face hardened.
She wiped her tears with her sleeve.
She tucked the bloodstained fabric into her pocket.
She gripped her makeshift spear and shield.
Loyalty in her heart, a dagger in her mind.
No matter how long it took, as the dignified head of the family.
As someone worth protecting.
The girl turned to walk as she usually did.
She opened doors and searched new rooms.
One by one, step by step.
#
Pastel stared at the wall mirror with a blank expression.
*I searched four places and this is all there is?*
It wasn't even furniture, just a mirror flush with the wall. It reflected a pink-clad girl in a winter dress. She looked disheveled.
The girl in the mirror seemed to think for a moment, then raised the table leg. She swung it, striking the mirror. A sharp noise rang out.
The pink figure shattered, and fragments rained down.
She picked up a suitable triangular piece.
*Oh yeah, mirror shard acquired!*
Humming cheerfully, Pastel walked to the doorway and held the triangular mirror outside. Adjusting the angle, she peered into it, seeing the corridor reflected.
"Oh, much safer."
A million times better than poking her head out to look.
After practicing a few times, Pastel pocketed the mirror and stepped into the corridor. She glanced back at the stairs and the bloody scene, then quietly turned to face the new path.
At the end of the path, a wide open space stretched out. Due to the angle, she couldn't see the left or right sides. There were probably corridors there.
There didn't seem to be any immediate danger.
But the blind spots were unsettling.
If a wolf was hiding there, she'd probably end up going "Eek! Hey buddy!" before getting bitten.
"Hehe."
Pastel proudly held up the triangular mirror. It glinted.
*My new retainer!*
*I'll leave the reconnaissance to you!*
Trusting in the mirror, she walked carefully.
As she neared the open space, she extended the mirror to peek at the left and right sides.
A square space devoid of furniture.
*Nothing there.*
She walked a bit further, then peeked again.
*Still nothing?*
*Well, it's not like this is some dungeon trap.*
She walked on and checked one side again.
*Hmm, still nothing.*
Then she checked the opposite side.
The triangular mirror reflected a black shape.
It was a bull as tall as Pastel.
The bull tilted its head, looking at the mirror.
The mirror shrank back.
Pastel backpedaled briskly. She retreated from the space as if nothing had happened.
She quietly tucked the mirror against her chest.
Then, belatedly, her mouth gaped in shock.
*What's a bull doing in a blind spot?*
*I could've been trampled the moment I saw it!*
*Oh, friend—oof! Eek!*
She looked down at the flimsy circular shield and table leg in her hands. The image of the bull as tall as her flashed in her mind.
*Ah, I don't know if I can handle this.*
*But I can't just starve to death either.*
Pastel focused her mind and tried to inject courage into her brain. *Come on, brain cells, time to go crazy.*
*That's just a bull-sized meat pudding, a meat pudding.*
*It's fresh, so it'll be super sweet.*
Her salivary glands tingled.
Her eyes spun.
*Ooh.*
She wiped her drooling mouth with her sleeve.
A gambler's courage welled up inside her.
*I feel like I can do anything!*
*It's just a bull, if I stab it with the table leg, it'll go "Moo~!" and collapse, right?*
The table leg stabbed the air repeatedly.
*Alright, simulation complete.*
*Time to execute the plan.*
Pastel gripped her flimsy circular shield and table leg tightly.
"Charge...!"
She ran like a drunken soldier.
The wide open space spread out before her.
The black bull saw her and snorted. Its front hooves scraped the floor. The bull lowered its head and charged. Its weight made the floor vibrate.
Pastel leapt to the side. The black form rushed past, shaking the air. Her skin tingled.
She gripped the wooden spear tightly. She thrust it at the passing bull. The spear jabbed bluntly into the black hide.
She felt the tough skin and dense muscle. The spear bounced off. Pastel staggered from the recoil.
*Ah, damn it.*
Regaining her balance, she turned to face the bull. The black bull turned and scraped the floor with its front hoof. It lowered its head.
Pastel ran towards the wall with all her might. As she reached it, she spun around. The bull was closing in fast.
She braced the wooden spear horizontally against the wall, holding it firmly. The spear tip aimed at the bull's head.
*Come on...!*
The bull's head reached the spear tip. The spear aimed for the bull's eye. The bull twisted its head and collided with the spear.
In slow motion, she felt a powerful impact in her hands holding the spear. The wooden spear was crushed against the bull's head, then exploded outward. Wooden fragments flew everywhere.
Pastel hurriedly let go of the spear. She threw herself to the ground. A moment later, the bull's head smashed into the wall. A thunderous noise rang out.
She tried to get up, bracing against the floor. The bull bellowed. The black form raised its front hoof. A shadow fell.
She rolled. The hoof slammed down beside her. The impact shattered the stone floor. A boom echoed and stone fragments flew.
*It's not over yet...!*
Pastel dropped her shield. She caught a flying stone fragment. The sharp edge stung her palm.
She quickly braced against the ground and kicked off hard. As she rose and leapt, her body soared upward.
She lunged at the bull as it tried to raise its front hoof. Clinging on, she lightly mounted it. The bull hesitated, startled.
Pastel looked down at the confused bull.
Her breath came in ragged gasps.
"You like bullfighting?"
*I don't.*
She viciously stabbed the stone fragment into the bull's nape. The hide scraped and the bull roared. The black form shook violently.
*This rock sucks...!*
Pastel clung on with all her might. She dropped the stone and rummaged in her pocket with one hand.
She pulled out the triangular mirror.
The mirror shard glinted sharply.
She took a deep breath. She plunged it into the bull's nape with all her strength. The hide tore. Black energy gushed out like blood.
The bull let out an agonized bellow. The black body bucked back and forth. Its front and back hooves pummeled the ground in succession. A thunderous noise echoed.
Pastel gripped the embedded mirror shard tightly. She inhaled and pushed with all her might. *Hyaaah!* The hide tore and flesh split. Black energy erupted explosively.
The bull roared. As it bucked hard, the weakened Pastel was flung off. She crashed into the rough ground. *Oof!*
She forced herself to get up.
The bull staggered. It wobbled, then its massive body collapsed. A dull thud resounded.
Pastel exhaled roughly.
Her body ached all over.
"Huff... huff..."
*Did I get it?*
*I got it?*
The corners of her mouth crept upward.
She straightened her slightly wobbling body. She smoothed back her messy pink hair.
She glanced sidelong at the bull's carcass.
"Acting all tough when you're nothing special."
*I stabbed you a few times and you went "Moo~!" and died.*
"Moo~!"
*Ahaha!*
As Pastel laughed to herself, she stopped short at the sweet aroma.
*Ah! Meat pudding!*
She ran over and buried her face in the carcass.
The massive carcass returned to her soul.
A while later, Pastel lay sprawled out, the corners of her mouth slack.
*Wow.*
*If I could keep eating meat pudding like this, maybe this kind of life wouldn't be so bad. Maybe I'm actually happy?*
*Grooowl.*
*Ah, maybe not.*
She'd have to raid the kitchen or something. This was ridiculous, it was like pouring potions into an empty stomach.
She gathered up her triangular mirror and shield.
She paid her respects to the broken wooden spear.
"Thanks to you, I was able to defeat the wolves. Thank you."
Then she laughed at herself.
*What am I doing, talking to something that's not even a person?*
*Phew, I don't know what I would've done without that dessert. The meat pudding helped relieve my stress. I need to eat more.*
She nodded to herself and stretched.
Her body was brimming with energy.
She strode confidently into the new corridor.
A long hallway stretched out before her. There was a staircase in the middle. In the distance, she could see a wide space that seemed to lead down to the entrance hall. Beyond the entrance hall, new corridors extended.
As she looked around, Pastel spotted something silver glinting on the corridor floor. Her eyes widened.
*Huh? Huh?*
*Is that...?!*
A long, sharp piece of metal.
"L-l-l-l!"
*A longsword...!*
Pastel ran over and picked up the longsword.
The hefty weight of metal.
It was indeed a longsword, though the teeth were chipped.
*Woooow.*
*Finally, a proper weapon!*
She raised the sword like a hero.
The blade glinted in the sunlight from the window.
"Longsword!"
*My friend!*