After hearing Magnawell-san’s thoughts, we moved on to our next destination. Since we were making the rounds of the Six Kings, I figured our next stop would be either Isis-san or Megiddo-san.
Alice was also one of the Six Kings, of course, but she didn’t really have a fixed base in the Demon Realm. Besides, we had already consulted her twice, so I didn't think there was much point in asking her for more advice right now.
We arrived at a familiar, massive colosseum via Kuro’s teleportation magic.
"Hmm? Oh, look at that! If it isn't Kuromueina and Kaito! What brings you here so suddenly?"
Megiddo-san was there, drinking sake from a gargantuan cup. I’d heard that he often drank after training, so I assumed he had just finished a session.
For some reason, the density of magic power inside the arena was staggering. Stains that looked like blood were splattered everywhere, and on closer inspection, the colosseum itself was in ruins. Combined with Megiddo-san’s appearance, it looked as if a Great Demon King had just presided over a massacre.
"Megiddo, you should clean up before you start drinking," Kuro remarked.
"Hmm? Oh, right. There is quite a lot of blood on the floor, isn't there? Well, the youngsters have been fired up ever since that fight with the God Realm. It’s been good for them. They’d been getting a bit soft since the Friendship Treaty was signed. It makes them worth the effort of breaking them in."
"Um... that's a staggering amount of blood. Is everyone okay? Nobody died, right?"
"Huh? They died normally. It’s no big deal; I just have to bring them back once they’re dead."
"I... I see..."
This wasn't just "death-defying" training; it was literally training until death. Then again, at the high Count-class level or above, almost everyone could use Resurrection of the Dead. From the way he spoke, this was just his standard daily routine.
It went beyond "spartan" into something else entirely... though I suspected the War King’s subordinates were likely throwing themselves into it with glee. Ozma-san once told me that training with Megiddo-san was voluntary, but there were always so many applicants that a "Battle to Select Who Trains with Megiddo-san" would break out. Basically, they were all a bunch of hotheads.
Megiddo-san clapped his hands once. The bloodstains vanished instantly, and the shattered colosseum returned to its original state.
"Since you're here, have a drink! Here, take one!"
"You’re as fond of the bottle as ever," Kuro said with a smile.
"Thank you."
Megiddo-san seemed to be in high spirits thanks to his motivated subordinates. He handed sake to me and Kuro, and we decided to join him for a bit. It was easy to see why people said he thought of nothing but fighting and banquets. In reality, that included training for battle, but either way, it was classic Megiddo-san.
"So, what brought you guys all the way out here?"
"Ah, Kaito-kun and I are searching for new possibilities for Baby Castella."
"Baby Castella, huh? I hat—er, no, I’m just a little weak when it comes to sweet things."
He’d almost said he hated them, but he probably didn't want to say that about Kuro’s favorite food, so he softened his wording. It was clear how much he respected her. He rested his chin on his hand, thinking for a moment before speaking.
"How about this? Can't you just make a spicy version? If it was savory, it’d be a lot easier for me to enjoy."
"You do love your spicy food, Megiddo. But spicy Baby Castella... True, everyone just assumes they have to be sweet. I’ve tried different flavors before, but maybe I should rethink the base ingredients with a focus on spice."
"What about putting sausages inside?" I suggested.
"Oh, that's a great idea, Kaito-kun! That sounds delicious!" Kuro chirped.
Honestly, I felt like we were just describing a chili dog...
"Maybe cheese would work too?" Megiddo added.
"Spicy flavors and cheese certainly go well together."
Was it a hot dog? A pizza? It sounded tasty, sure, but I wondered if it could still be called a Baby Castella at that point.
"What about putting curry inside?"
"Oho, that sounds interesting. But wouldn't the filling leak out if you aren't careful?"
"We could probably fix that by deep-frying the outside or making the curry filling thicker," Kuro suggested.
No, that’s just a complete curry bread... Well, I suppose it was fine if they were having fun. At any rate, the conversation was definitely leaning toward a spicy variant.
Megiddo-san suddenly looked as if he’d been struck by an idea.
"Oh, that reminds me! I’ve got this incredible sauce we made recently."
"Hmm? You made it, Megiddo?"
"Yeah, well, I didn't do it alone. I worked on it with Shia. We called it Crimson Sauce, and let me tell you, the heat is absolute perfection! Look, here it is."
"Wow, the color is beautiful. Like a ruby," Kuro said.
For some reason, I had an awful premonition. Megiddo-san produced a bottle of sauce that was indeed a translucent red, just as Kuro described. It looked gorgeous, but my bad feeling only grew.
"M-Megiddo-san? Where did the ingredients for this come from? Did Shia-san bring them...?"
"Hmm? Yeah, she said she got her hands on them about two years ago and managed to cultivate them. We’ve been through a lot of trial and error to perfect this sauce."
"Heh, two years of work, huh? It must be quite refined then... Let's see."
"Wait, Kuro! Don't! That's definitely going to be insanely spicy!"
"Ahaha, it’s okay. I might not look it, but I can handle a little heat—"
There was no mistake. Those ingredients were the otherworldly chili peppers I’d asked Shiro-san to make and then gave to Shia-san as a thank-you gift. It was a terrifying substance that could literally kill a normal person. I tried to stop her, but my warning came too late. Kuro dipped a finger into the sauce, took a lick, and then... she smiled a gentle smile.
"...Hmph... I see. So that’s how it is."
"K-Kuro?"
"Ku... Ku... Kuromueina?"
Kuro was smiling. It was a truly kind smile, and her voice was unnaturally soft... but what was this feeling? Even without Sympathy Magic, I could feel a level of rage unlike anything I’d ever encountered. Megiddo-san looked completely terrified. Or rather, even though she was smiling, she was horrifying.
Serious-senpai: "Is he dead? Is Megiddo dead?"
Mystery Entity: "W-Well, knowing Kuro-san's personality... she did taste it herself, so I don't think she'll get angry for no reason... but I honestly can't say. Let's just start digging the gorilla's grave for now."