I Became a Dark Fantasy Villain

Chapter 255

Ian’s expression grew even more puzzled at the continued remarks. It seemed like she had already told them all.

Well, I did tell her not to call me that, but I didn’t say she couldn’t talk about it.

It was a line of thinking that a dwarven spellcaster might easily follow. While Ian was mentally drafting a third rule.

"Go freshen up and come down. She should have the meal ready by then." Mev spoke leisurely as she turned back toward the dining room.

Following her, Philip glanced back at the group with a look. "You’ll be surprised once you go upstairs again."

Exchanging glances, Ian, Charlotte, and Thesaya immediately headed up the stairs.

"... How in the world did she work such magic with those short arms?" Thesaya muttered as they entered the corridor on the second floor.

No kidding.

Ian echoed inwardly, smirking as he walked. The second-floor corridor was just as clean and bright. It had previously been full of curses and signs of death, but now all traces were gone. The mansion, which they hadn’t even realized was designed in quite a respectable Imperial style, was now fully revealed.

The same went for the rooms where the group had been staying. Not only were all the furniture and belongings spotless, but the bedding was also neatly arranged in its proper place. The smell of alcohol and mold was gone, too.

Ian chuckled as he removed his gear.

"They said she was skilled, but…"

This was beyond mere skill. Elia was clearly a master, or rather, a genius in cleaning and organization. For someone from the modern world who had almost given up on hygiene, this sight was nothing short of impressive.

"It almost makes you feel bad to mess it up." Despite her words, Thesaya dropped her gear haphazardly as if shedding a skin.

Ian and Charlotte glared at her, carefully placing their own gear in one spot.

"Seems the Platinum Dragon liked to keep its nest tidy."

"It’s magic. She must’ve used some sort of spell." As they followed Ian out of the room, Charlotte and Thesaya murmured.

Ian didn’t disagree. While there wasn’t any cleaning-related magic in the Vision skill tree, he had already realized that this world contained numerous spells not listed in his skill window.

Will it be automatically tidied up if I close the door and then open it again...?

Thinking as he descended to the first floor, Ian noticed Nasser entering with a look of bewilderment similar to what he had felt earlier.

Nasser, staring up at the three coming down the stairs, spoke with wide eyes. "Was there some sort of miracle from the Radiant Goddess in this mansion?"

Ian’s lips curled into a smirk.

As he passed by Nasser, he responded. "Something like that did happen."

"And this delicious smell—what is that about?"

"We’re on our way to find out for ourselves, one ear."

The bewildered Nasser followed behind them. With no weapons to remove, he had no reason to stop on the upper floor. Ian headed straight into the dining room, which was connected to the kitchen, originally a space for servants or staff. The smell of food grew even stronger.

"Please wait a moment. It’s almost ready." Elia’s voice continued from the kitchen.

She peeked her head out, her mismatched eyes gleaming, before quickly disappearing back inside without waiting for a response. However, Ian sat down in the empty seat at the round dining table without a word. It was the same table where, just yesterday, he had eaten simply to quell his hunger, without even tasting the food.

Nasser, the last to enter the dining room, widened his eyes in surprise.

"Is that… tea you’re drinking?"

On the table were only the bottle of liquor left from the previous night and two teacups. Surprisingly, it seemed that Philip had opted for tea instead of alcohol. Mev nodded, and Nasser clasped his hands together in front of his chest.

"Lu Solar, thank you… for reminding us of the preciousness of civilization. I feel like I’ve finally returned to being a civilized person."

Such theatrics, Ian thought, snorting lightly.

Well, Nasser was a purifier affiliated with the Great Church in central and even hailed from Imperial nobility. He was probably more accustomed to the culture of the central regions of the Empire.

It was then that Philip, with an awkward smile, spoke up. "I suppose it’s because of my humble origins, but I never really understood the appeal of tea. Cheap beer seems more suited to my tastes."

Mev turned to him with a gentle smile. "You drink it for the aroma, Philip. Tea clears the mind and calms the spirit. And since it’s expensive, it’s wise to enjoy it whenever you have the chance."

"I didn’t realize you knew about tea. You’re absolutely right. The more you drink it, the better it is for you."

Nasser, who had taken a seat at the table, looked over at Philip.

"Sir Philip, you should start getting used to it as well. You’ll be entering the Great Church, after all. Drinking is forbidden there, so all the priests and knights only drink tea."

"What…?" Philip’s brow furrowed involuntarily.

Nasser, wearing his signature sly smile, added. "Of course, after your knighting, you’ll be able to drink outside, but it’s best to develop a taste for tea. Eventually, you’ll come to appreciate it. The world of tea is vast and endless. The taste varies greatly depending on where the leaves were grown and how they were dried. Personally, my favorite is—"

"... I never thought I’d feel the Imperial influence in this way," Ian muttered with a chuckle, one of many he’d had today.

Tea in a world without coffee—well, tea had been an item in the game, and this place was nothing like his homeland.

Philip, who seemed slightly overwhelmed by Nasser’s tea-praising lecture, soon turned his gaze to Charlotte and Thesaya, who were seated on either side of Ian.

"So, did you finish the job? Did you get the information you wanted, and did you take care of that corrupted beastfolk?"

Charlotte glanced at Ian, who simply gestured with his chin for her to speak. He was hungry and didn’t feel like talking.

Feeling the same, Charlotte licked her lips briefly before responding.

"We didn’t kill Palmer."

"What…?"

"He’s currently locked up in the cargo hold of the merchant ship we’ll be boarding tomorrow."

"What? You left him there alone? No, why did you spare him in the first place?"

As Philip furrowed his brow, a tray seemed to float toward them from the kitchen. It was Elia, holding the tray filled with various dishes high above her head. It was almost identical to a stunt once performed by a dwarf waitress somewhere long ago.

…Can all dwarves do that?

Ian wondered as Elia began placing the dishes from the tray onto the table.

"I hope it suits your taste," she said as she distributed the dishes among the group.

Watching her skillful movements, Ian asked, "Did you pick up all these skills while serving the Platinum Dragon?"

Elia rolled her blue and brown eyes briefly before finally asking in return.

"Do I need to answer with a yes or no?"

"Yeah."

"Then, yes.... To some extent."

There was probably more to the story, but Ian couldn’t focus on that. The dishes in front of him had captured his full attention. Instead of dried fish heads or jerky, there was a creamy stew with diced vegetables and chunks of meat floating in it, steaming bread, and roasted meat seasoned with what was clearly salt and pepper.

It all looked appetizing, even to someone like Ian, who came from a modern world.

Instinctively, he picked up a knife and fork and commented, "Looks like you’ve really mastered your skills."

A faint smile of relief spread across Elia’s face as she blinked.

As Ian sliced the meat, Thesaya, who had speared a large piece of meat with her fork and lifted it whole, looked at Elia.

"I thought you lived all alone in some dark, giant cave. Guess that wasn’t the case?"

Elia, blinking in surprise at Thesaya’s unexpected behavior, eventually opened her mouth with an awkward smile.

"The nest is divided into several sections. The area where the children live is warm and cozy. There’s even an underground forest where you can see the sun. We used to call it the garden."

"So you weren’t alone from the start."

"One thing’s for sure." Ian cut in with a serious expression.

He was already chewing a piece of meat, having also tasted the stew, and was now tearing off a piece of bread to dip into the stew.

"Your cooking skills are just as impressive as your cleaning. I didn’t think that was possible."

He wasn’t exaggerating. The meals Elia prepared were incomparable to anything else he’d eaten in this wretched world. To compare them to any other food here would be an insult.

They were so good they reminded him of his life back in the modern world. First, the excellent drinks, and now such delicious food—this string of luxuries was beginning to feel almost surreal.

"Indeed, her skills are truly remarkable," Mev agreed, nodding.

A belated but proud smile spread across Elia’s face.

"I’ll keep trying my best," she said, looking more trustworthy than ever for the first time.

Ian nodded, gesturing toward the empty seat at the table.

"Just bring the glasses over, and sit down yourself. You must have been busy."

"Yes. But we’re running a bit low on the drink... Should I dilute it with some water?"

"It’s fine, even if you dilute it a lot. It’ll still be good enough."

"Understood. Sir Philip, if you don’t mind—"

Before Elia could finish her sentence, Philip reached out and handed her the bottle of alcohol. She bowed politely and quickly walked away.

So, she’s well-mannered too, Ian mused to himself.

Maybe it was the clean environment and the delicious food, but he felt much more at ease now. Still, he had every intention of telling her about the third rule.

Philip chuckled quietly. "There’s something I need to hear, but now doesn’t seem like the right time to get an answer. I’ll wait. Take your time and enjoy your meal."

The four of them, still in the midst of their meal, didn’t even respond. Elia soon returned and placed the bottle and glasses on the table.

Thesaya, who had already finished eating the piece of meat, lifted her bowl of stew and muttered. "This is really something. We should have met her earlier."

"When she asked for ingredients, I never imagined it would lead to this," Philip added as he neatly arranged the glasses in the center of the table.

"It made me reflect a bit. When Elie handed me that list of ingredients, I thought she was just naïve and didn’t know much about the world."

"I don’t think I can ever eat tasteless jerky or moldy bread again. And of course, fish that reeks of stench. That was the worst for me."

Thesaya sipped from her bowl of stew, and Elia, who seemed surprised by the sight, added, "I’ll think of ways to make it taste good even with fewer ingredients. I’m planning to take all the leftover spices with me."

At that moment, with a loud thud, Ian reached out and dropped a sealed box from his pocket dimension onto the floor.

Elia’s eyes widened as Ian, chewing his meat, added, "Put all the ingredients you’ve gathered in here. I’ll keep them safe."

If she could make those trashy preserved rations taste this good, he figured he could do more to help.

Blinking in surprise, Elia asked, "How did you do that? I couldn’t sense any magic at all. Where did this come from? Is it a magical artifact?"

"... Well."

Four questions at once.

Ian chuckled lowly as he dipped a piece of bread deeply into the stew.

Elia quickly added, "I’m sorry. I momentarily forgot the second rule. I was just so surprised."

"It’s okay. It happens."

"So... will you answer my questions?"

"No. This is a bit of a trade secret."

The truth is, I don’t understand how it works either, Ian thought to himself as he popped the now-soaked bread into his mouth. The only ones still eating were him and Nasser. Charlotte and Thesaya’s plates were already clean. Despite their admiration for the taste, they hadn’t abandoned their habit of wolfing down food.

"So, why did you spare him?" Philip eventually asked.

Charlotte, who had been licking her lips, shrugged. "He asked to be spared."

"So you spared him?"

"Yes."

"Then why did you bring it aboard the ship? Don’t tell me…"

"He offered to help me. Said he would serve me as a great warrior."

"…And you believed that?"

"I didn’t just believe it outright."

"...." A crease formed on Philip’s brow. The more he heard, the more bewildered he seemed.

Thesaya, having rinsed her mouth with water, chuckled. "You left out too much, you dumb cat. You’re explaining things just like Ian does."

Did she just use me as an insult?

Ian frowned as he chewed the last piece of meat.

Philip turned to Thesaya. "Then, would the wise Thesaya Erenos care to add anything?"

"He had no idea what kind of situation his clan was in. He was begging for a chance to fight and die for his clan. Kitty had mentioned something about that before."

Thesaya continued, casting a curious glance at Charlotte. "Even among the beastfolk who sided with the demons, they considered those with different beliefs as a different clan, unlike the fairies. Apparently, the reverse was also true. He really wanted to save the other kitties."

"So, you ultimately believed that one’s words, despite it being a corrupted one?"

"Not something you’d say in front of a former demon, is it?"

At Thesaya’s subsequent remark, Philip cleared his throat as if caught off guard. As Elia’s eyes sparkled with interest, Nasser also turned to her, intrigued. He had heard bits and pieces, but, like Elia, he didn’t fully know the group’s detailed circumstances.

"T-te... Thesa’s case is a bit different."

"Of course. Ultimately, Ian also believed the cat wasn’t lying. That’s why the decision was made."

"... If you had mentioned that first, it would have been simpler."

"That’s up to me. Speaking of which, there’s something I’m curious about."

Thesaya paused, her gaze turning suggestively toward Ian.

"Why did you ask him about the Isle on the way to the harbor?"