Damn Necromancer-Chapter 304

Chapter 304: Olivia (4)

The party, who had briefly stayed in the Demon Realm, soon returned to Earth.

‘So this is the Necromancer's hometown, they said.’

The sky was clear.

Sunlight poured down, and the wind blew. The sound of birds could be heard from somewhere.

Beneath the cloudless sky, buildings forged of rebar and glass soared densely. People walked along the main street.

Laughing, chatting, and looking into small machines.

It was peaceful.

Olivia's sunset-colored eyes slowly scanned the scenery.

‘Pathetic.’

The flow of mana was faint.

Not even the remnants of power floating in the air could be felt. Among them, there was no one who could be a true threat.

Everything was pathetically weak.

That was all there was to her impression.

“Until I request something, just live freely for now. Don't cause any trouble, though. And take this.”

Kim Minwoo handed her something.

A square plate.

A surface as smooth as glass.

A size slightly larger than a palm.

On the back, a pattern like a skull head was drawn.

“What is this?”

“A cellphone. You use it to contact people.”

“…….”

Olivia turned the object over this way and that.

A cold lump of metal emitting only a booger-sized amount of mana.

This is used to contact people?

While she was tilting her head, Merhen, who had approached before she knew it, snatched her cellphone.

―I'll teach you!

Her finger slid over the screen. A light flashed, and unknown characters popped up.

―You just press here. This is a group chat.

“Group chat?”

―Yeah. A place where everyone talks together.

Letters were scrolling up inside the screen.

Cedric, Vulcan, Merhen. And Kim Minwoo.

Olivia's eyes narrowed.

“……There are all sorts of things.”

It was a nonchalant impression.

―Then, remember well.

Merhen's finger touched her forehead.

Mana hummed, and memories were transmitted.

Letters, language, common sense.

Modern life seeped into Olivia's mind like flowing water.

“So it's this kind of world.”

―Right. It's this kind of world. Then let's practice!

Tap. Tap tap.

Merhen's fingers moved so fast they couldn't be seen.

Kkatok―!

Merhen's message popped up.

[Olivia! Have you eaten anything delicious lately?]

Olivia slowly pressed the letters.

[No. You know as well. I don't need to eat anything.]

Seeing that message, Merhen's eyebrows twitched, and she arrived in front of her like lightning.

―Olivia. You shouldn't be like that.

It was a serious face. A look in her eyes she was seeing for the first time even after hundreds of years together.

“What shouldn't I be like?”

―There are so many delicious things in the world. You're completely wasting your life. This won't do!

Soon after, her wrist was grabbed tightly.

―Let's go out.

“Where to?”

Instead of an answer, she was dragged away.

Soon after, the figures of the two flew into the sky.

The sun-drenched street.

People passing by.

Cars running.

Signboards flashing.

―Here!

Merhen, landing in front of a shop, called out to Olivia. Colorful things were displayed beyond the glass window.

―My regular dessert spot!

Merhen's blue eyes sparkled.

Olivia looked up at the signboard expressionlessly.

"Dessert? I've had it."

―But you haven't had Earth's.

"It's all the same. How well could they make it on such an inferior planet."

Olivia had lived a long time.

Hundreds of years.

During that time, she had mastered everything called gastronomy. She had roasted and eaten dragon hearts, and drank thousand-year-old elf fruit wine. Golden truffles that only emperors could taste, and mermaid eggs hauled up from the deep sea.

She had eaten it all.

And forgotten it all.

Things that suited her taste were extremely rare. No, to be precise, the sensation of 'suiting' itself had faded.

It wasn't that her tongue had dulled. Her soul had dulled.

Furthermore, a vampire's body did not require food.

Even if they starve, they do not die.

Even if they eat, they are not filled.

So, from some point on, the emotion called appetite itself had become blurry.

Because of that, no particular emotion arose even at Merhen's words. It was just a bit bothersome.

―Let's go!

Ring―!

As she opened the door, a sweet smell rushed in.

A strangely addictive scent mixed with butter and sugar.

"You're here, Lady Merhen."

The owner ran out barefoot and bowed his head.

People's gazes flocked wildly.

A banshee and a vampire.

It was because of their unique, yet surprisingly beautiful appearances. Also, Merhen was a celebrity so famous in Seoul that anyone who didn't know her would be called a spy.

―Yeah. The usual today too. Ah, prepare one for her too. Same as mine.

"Understood."

While the owner hurriedly went to get the dessert, Merhen stood in front of the display case and pointed at one with her finger.

―That. Dubai Chewy Cookie. It's super trendy on Earth lately.

Olivia's sunset-colored eyes scanned the cookie.

A clunky-looking lump covered in chocolate.

"Looks low class."

―You shouldn't judge by appearances.

Merhen ordered two.

She received the cookies handed over by the clerk and offered one to Olivia.

―Try it.

"I don't have to―."

―Eat.

She was firm.

Olivia let out a sigh.

If she didn't eat, it seemed she would keep holding onto her.

Plus, since Merhen was someone she had a somewhat close relationship with, continuing to refuse was also a bother.

"……Alright."

Eventually, unable to overcome the pestering, she took a bite of the chewy cookie.

Crunch. Crunch.

At that moment.

Her sunset-colored eyes grew minutely larger.

The moment the crispy exterior broke, chewy chocolate flowed out from inside.

Sweetness wrapped around her tongue.

The nuttiness of the butter and the saltiness of the salt mixed together, creating a strange harmony.

The chewing motion stopped.

Merhen looked at her with expectant eyes.

―How is it?

Silence.

Olivia slowly took a second bite. A third, a fourth.

Before she knew it, the cookie had disappeared.

"……."

―It's delicious, right?

Olivia looked at the chocolate smeared on her finger.

And very slightly.

She nodded her head really slightly.

“……Mhm.”

That was all.

But Merhen saw it.

A very faint light brushing past those pupils that had been dead for hundreds of years.

―Right? Earth has a lot of things like this.

Merhen smiled brightly.

―Salt bread, malatang, croffle, tanghulu, yakgwa latte, brown sugar bubble tea, salmon poke, rosé tteokbokki, Basque cheesecake, cream udon, macarons…….

Merhen, having rattled off over hundreds of foods, spoke energetically.

―It's the true hometown of gastronomy! Olivia, you haven't eaten things like this, right?

Olivia looked down at her empty hand.

“……One more.”

―Huh?

“Buy me one more.”

Merhen's eyes grew round.

And soon after, they bloomed brightly like a sunflower.

―Of course!

Neither death, nor the end.

Just one sweet lump.

That was the thought filling Olivia's head right now.

Merhen ran to the counter.

The clerk opened their eyes wide. Because the eyes of the woman pointing at the cookies while her silver hair fluttered were far too serious.

―Give me everything you have here.

Merhen suddenly raised her cellphone high.

―Olivia! Let's take a selfie!

“A selfie?”

―Yeah. A picture! We're taking a picture of our faces.

Olivia furrowed her brow. But without even a moment to refuse, Merhen stuck close to her side. Silver hair and black hair were captured side-by-side on the screen.

Click.

―It came out well! Olivia, you look pretty.

“……Of course.”

It was a nonchalant answer, but her gaze was fixed on the screen. It was the first time her face was captured in such a way. It was different from a portrait.

It felt like a fleeting moment had been frozen as is.

―I should post it in the group chat!

Merhen's finger slid over the screen.

Tap.

[Merhen: Eating dessert with Olivia!]

[Merhen: (Photo)]

The reaction was immediate.

[Cedric: Dessert again. You only eat that every day.]

[Vulcan: Wow. Vampires eat sweet things too?]

[Merhen: She eats it super well!]

[Cedric: ……Right. Eat well.]

[Vulcan: Is this punk Cedric sulking lol. Is it because she didn't take you on her gastronomy trip or whatever?]

[Cedric: What do you mean sulking? You ignorant Balrog bastard.]

[Vulcan: Yeah, still better than a skeleton, right? And I'm a pretty boy, right?]

.

.

Olivia looked down at the screen.

Letters were scrolling up in real-time.

Even without facing each other, the conversation continued. It was bizarre. But it wasn't unpleasant.

―Now, onto the next!

Merhen jumped up.

“What else are you going to eat.”

―Salt bread! It's truly a loss in life if you don't try this.

Olivia let out a sigh. But her feet were already moving, following Merhen.

＊ ＊ ＊

The second shop was small.

Freshly baked breads could be seen through the glass window. Steam was rising softly.

―Here!

Merhen opened the door. The savory smell of butter tickled the tip of their noses.

“…….”

The bridge of Olivia's nose twitched minutely.

A vampire's sense of smell was keen. It was a sense developed to smell blood. But what she was smelling right now was not the smell of blood. Freshly baked flour and butter, and salt.

―Give me two salt breads! Freshly made ones!

Merhen ordered.

The bread handed over by the clerk was about the size of a palm. The exterior shone golden. Coarse salt grains were embedded in the surface.

―Try it!

Olivia received the bread.

It was still warm. Warmth was transmitted through her fingertips.

She took a bite.

Crunch.

The outside was crispy. But the inside was different. Butter flowed out from between the moist and soft inner flesh. The salty salt elevated the sweetness.

“…….”

The chewing motion slowed down.

―How is it?

“Not bad.”

It was a short evaluation. But the second bite was bigger than the first. The third was even bigger.

Merhen smiled radiantly.

―You can say it's delicious if it's delicious.

“……You're noisy.”

Interfering with my appreciation.

Olivia turned her head.

But her hand did not stop.

The bread disappeared in an instant.

―I'll feed you malatang next time. Ah, there's cream udon too, and rosé tteokbokki…….

Merhen's voice continued cheerfully.

Olivia looked out the window, half-listening.

Sunlight was pouring down.

People were coming and going. Laughing, chatting, and being happy over trivial things.

‘I thought it was pathetic.’

She wiped off the butter oil remaining on her fingertips.

A single grain of salt was stuck to her finger.

‘……Well, it seems they have at least one thing they're good at.’

She had lived for hundreds of years.

She had only seen death.

She had only drunk blood.

She had endured eternity within the sunset.

She thought that was all there was to life.

However…….

―Olivia! What do you want to eat next?

Merhen asked with sparkling eyes.

Olivia looked out the window.

A cloudless sky. Warm sunlight. The savory smell of bread.

“……Do as you please.”

It was a nonchalant answer.

But the corners of her mouth were raised minutely, truly minutely.

Besides death.

It seemed there were many things to do in this world.

―Then malatang is next!

Merhen smiled brightly and grabbed Olivia's wrist.

Olivia did not shake her off.

Under the sunlight.

Two shadows walked side-by-side down the street.