The meat steak, transparent like glass, oozed droplets of Holy Light, carrying a pure fragrance, as they were squeezed out from the veins under the pressure of the dining fork. Lyle couldn’t help but swallow his saliva as a refreshing aroma assaulted his nostrils and mouth.

The stimulated appetite reminded Lyle that the steak was as tempting as it looked.

What pleased Lyle more was that Alianna also had a slight swallowing gesture, and when she noticed Lyle had seen her lapse in composure, crimson climbed her pure white cheeks.

Lyle tactfully averted his gaze.

"Mr. Raymond, why is it called Valkyrie Holy Light Steak?"

"Because I kept doing the Valkyrie Battle Dance while cooking it."

"What is that?"

"A story, do you want to hear it? I think it’s a nice topic to talk about at the dining table." Raymond took a seat at the table and began telling the story after Alianna’s polite smile.

"When I first joined the Paladins, there was an old knight who taught me combat techniques."

[Raymond! Your fighting stance is too disorderly, it’s like a woman dancing! Do you plan to curry favor on the battlefield and beg your enemies for mercy by charming them!]

"I took his advice to heart. In the wars that followed, as long as I was on the same battlefield as that old man, I would tear through enemy lines with a woman’s dance steps—until I later discovered throwing spears from a distance was simpler."

"I sat on the ruins of the battlefield, greeting the old knight."

"My comrades were curious about my unique combat style."

[Lord Raymond, is that your special combat technique?]

"Here’s how I answered."

[Yes, the Valkyrie Battle Dance, taught by the old knight.]

Lyle couldn’t help but snort, and even Alianna’s chewing paused for a moment, her eyes curving like crescent moons. One could imagine what the old knight’s expression must have been like; the sensation of being contradicted by his student must have been bittersweet.

"So what happened after? Did the old knight accept your battle dance?"

Raymond shrugged his shoulders.

"He did not, and it seemed like he deliberately avoided me, switching his profession to become a Priest and eventually a Cardinal. When his life was coming to an end, he performed the Sacred Rite and turned into light."

So, Mr. Raymond was already so unrestrained in life, the forces of Holy Light really had it tough.

Lyle turned his gaze back to Alianna, or to be precise, to her lips, just like the other Liches at the party had done.

She placed the cut steak into her mouth—slowly chewing, savoring the flavor of the food.

Alianna’s eyes widened in surprise, and Lyle saw joy and the feeling of shattering her once ethereal aura with happiness in those eyes.

Alianna looked at Lyle, her expressive eyes burying joy in his heart.

"Delicious, no, it’s the most delicious food I’ve ever tasted so far, even the delightful dishes from distant memories can’t compare. Thank you, Mr. Raymond."

Alianna’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was clear enough amidst the breathlessly attentive crowd of Liches.

"Delicious? Delicious! Alianna has sensed the food, she is able to enjoy it!"

A stir rippled through the crowd of Liches—appetite, desire, things they had never dared to hope for were reappearing before them. That impulse brought back the optimism and anticipation for life to them.

Lyle stood up, facing the Liches to make a final summary.

"As you can see, my friends, my experiment has succeeded! The Blood Nest Great Tree has recorded the entire process of creating the disguise of a hungry body. Next, please wait patiently; Mr. Crimson will equip each of you with hungry flesh."

"Please enjoy tonight’s feast, and as for tomorrow..."

"The life of Liches will undergo a little change that’s pleasant to hear and see."

Cheers and howls filled the night sky of Andrey, almost tearing the moonlight apart in a chaos of revelry.

In the midst of the commotion, Alianna’s dress was tugged.

She turned her head and saw a younger version of herself.

"Nia wants a hug!"

Alianna smiled. She knew all too well what Nia truly wanted.

She placed the petite girl on her lap and casually moved the plate with the remaining Holy Flame Steak closer to Nia.

"Nia loves Anna the most!" Nia began her joy. Alianna smiled and stroked her little head.

Mr. Raymond sat down beside Alianna.

"I hope my radiant cuisine has won your favor, Alianna."

"It’s delicious, Mr. Raymond, though a bit hot, just slightly scalding."

"Oh, that’s the judgment of Holy Light. After all, you are not human, and even though I minimized the power of Holy Light, being a Lich, you still feel a little sting."

"It’s already perfect, Mr. Raymond. Your cooking is something I even hope to taste every day."

Raymond’s tone clearly rose a few notches.

"In fact, you can."

"?"

Raymond looked at Lyle, who was maintaining order.

"Lyle is a Purifier, his affinity for Holy Light is boundless. If he learns Holy Light from me, Alianna, you’re in for a treat."

No wonder Mr. Raymond is so enthusiastic about being a Holy Light chef. Alianna indeed felt her heart racing; she was a little tempted.

"Lyle now has a greater preference for the Spirit Summoning Skill, Mr. Raymond. I don’t wish for him to change his own preferences for me."

Raymond saw the last bit of struggle on Alianna’s face. With such desires, Liches were no longer so resolute. He just had to push a little more.

Raymond was about to continue persuading.

"Mr. Raymond! Please give us some of your radiant cuisine!"

An abrupt voice interrupted his train of thought; it was a Lich that had just gained a sense of hunger, who, in disguise, looked like an ordinary human.

Damn it, Raymond cursed inwardly. He had agreed to take care of the culinary tasks for the entire academy gathering. Reluctantly, he still kept his promise.

With a casual wave of his hand, a ball of Holy Light appeared on his plate.

"Radiant cuisine, Holy Light Dumpling, there you go, now don’t bother me."

The Lich looked at his food: no fragrance, no texture, just a blindingly bright dumpling, lonely in the plate. It was nothing like the steak at the beginning.

He protested.

"I want to eat Holy Light Steak!"

Mr. Raymond did not display the disposition of a chef.

"Get lost! As far as you can! There’s no Holy Light Steak, but would you like a big Holy Light slap?!"

The Lich then remembered that a Grand Chef’s combat power was also top-notch, so he ran away as fast as he could, stumbling and scrambling.

"Well, it’s good to have something to eat."

The Lich grabbed the dumpling and threw it into his mouth.

Under the watchful eyes of a group of Liches, he burst into flames. Like a bonfire rising in the dead of night.

Raymond had no intention of diluting the Holy Energy for them, and even with safety precautions, the droplets of Holy Light from that dumpling managed to ignite the Lich and turned him golden as well.

As the group of Liches debated whether he died from being burned at the stake or from indigestion, he made a move.

"Damn! This dumpling is so delicious! So hot! So warm! But so good!"

"Mr. Raymond! No! Daddy Raymond! I want another one! Ten more! I’ll even eat the big Holy Light slap!"

Raymond watched, shocked, as dozens of Holy Light Torches rushed toward him.

The appetites of Andrey’s Liches had undergone a huge transformation.

Whenever there’s change in the environment, at first, it’s mainly chaos, immense chaos.

But none of this concerned Lyle; he had already taken Alianna back to the Naslan Castle, celebrating her rebirth with the ladies of Naslan.

Even if the chaos turned into a disaster, it had nothing to do with him.