As I sat in the chair Gluttony-san had prepared for me, she bowed deeply before speaking.
"I shall begin the preparations, but as this form is somewhat inconvenient, I will change my shape. Please forgive the unsightly display."
As she spoke, the plushie's body began to throb and swell, expanding until it shifted into a humanoid figure that looked exactly like Natasha-san. Aside from her white hair and black dress—a color scheme diametrically opposed to Natasha-san's—her face and height were identical.
"Um, is that your true form, Gluttony-san?"
"I am an Amorphous-type demon, so I can change my appearance at will. However, my true form is nothing more than a massive Meat Slab, which isn't exactly suited for delicate work. For this occasion, I have mimicked Natasha’s appearance."
"I see... Is Natasha-san a normal demon, then?"
"No, Natasha is a being of my own creation. As I mentioned, my true form is a massive Meat Slab; by using a portion of it as a catalyst, I can create life possessing a fair amount of power. There are various restrictions, such as how many I can produce in a single day, but I refer to these creatures as Dimensional Beasts."
The creation of life... It seemed there were limits, so it likely wasn't as inexhaustible as the power held by Life-san, the God of Life, but it was an incredible ability nonetheless.
"Natasha is the greatest masterpiece among my Dimensional Beasts, possessing strength that ranks in the upper tier even among Count-class demons. For that reason, I usually entrust her to act as my proxy."
Reacting to Gluttony-san’s words, Natasha-san bowed politely from where she stood in the back. I’d felt this since we first met, but I didn't sense the same fanatical loyalty toward me from Natasha-san that I felt from Gluttony-san.
Based on the impressions from my Sympathy Magic, her loyalty was strictly directed toward Gluttony-san. While she treated me with respect as someone superior to her creator, it felt as though Gluttony-san remained her absolute priority. When Gluttony-san called her a "masterpiece," I felt a wave of joy radiating from her. She gave off the impression of a daughter who truly adored her parent. It was actually quite heartwarming.
"Natasha, serve tea to Miyama Kaito-sama and Pandora-sama."
"Understood."
After instructing Natasha-san, Gluttony-san moved toward the grotesque monster carcass and drew a knife. She sliced the monster into thin, ham-like pieces, arranged them on a plate in the shape of a flower, and presented it to me.
"Please, help yourself."
"...Thank you."
I had several things I wanted to point out. Judging by the teacups Natasha-san was preparing, the "tea" Gluttony-san mentioned earlier was likely black tea. I wanted to grimace at the combination of black tea and meat, but I was more concerned by Pandora-san, who had been watching me with genuine worry for some time.
For Pandora-san—who usually fell firmly on the side of the lunatics—to look that way over food... I realized I needed to brace myself.
Refusing wasn't really an option. Gluttony-san was acting out of pure goodwill, and even now, she was watching me with sparkling eyes, full of expectation that I’d enjoy it. Since she was mimicking Natasha-san's appearance, I was being stared at by someone in the form of a petite girl... I couldn't possibly turn her down.
Since Pandora-san and Alice hadn't moved to stop me, the meat probably wasn't poisonous. Though, given Pandora-san’s extreme concern, it was undoubtedly revolting.
"Please, have some tea."
"........................Thank you."
The cup Natasha-san placed before me contained a pitch-black, viscous liquid with a suspiciously oily sheen on the surface. Was this... heavy oil?
"Well then, let's eat."
Fighting to keep the anxiety off my face, I brought a piece of the monster ham to my lips. As long as I didn't think about what the creature had looked like, it resembled normal red ham. So, the problem was... what in the world was this? This was terrible.
First off, the texture was mind-boggling. It had the consistency of a fish cake, but it was strangely gritty. To put it mildly, it was unpleasant, but the taste was even more "unique." Despite being meat, it tasted like a river fish at the absolute peak of muddiness. No, let’s stop sugarcoating it. The texture and taste could be summed up in a single phrase: it was like eating mud.
Going with the flow, I reached for the cup of... tea? It was thick and oily, but surely it wasn't actual fuel. I’d know soon enough. I see... this is quite intense.
It was as viscous as honey, but the flavor defied description beyond its powerful stench. It felt like the smell of a floor rag was spreading through my entire mouth. I’ve never actually tried it, but if someone drank water wrung out of a dirty rag, it might taste exactly like this.
Still, as far as my final impressions went... it was really just "exceptionally bad." It wasn't that big of a deal.
Serious-senpai: "Wait, what? What is this... I’m sensing an unprecedented 'strong character' aura from Kaito...!"
???: "No, you see, Kaito-san has eaten so much of his mother's terrible cooking and that dark matter known as Baby Castella that his palate has developed an egregious level of tolerance. Think back. Pandora was desperately trying to warn him, but Alice-chan didn't say a word, did she?"
Serious-senpai: "...Come to think of it, she was just providing background info. She never actually told him to be careful."