The distinguished guest visiting Volcano Manor was an unnamed female Tarnished.
She had followed a young woman named Rya, who teleported her into this dreadful concentration camp. Numerous red candles burned beneath the gloomy Gothic spires and throughout the dimly lit rooms, their dripping wax collecting in puddles in the corners.
An indescribably sinister atmosphere permeated the surroundings, evoking the feeling of a haunted bridal suite where a wedding had ended in bloodshed and the vengeful bride still lingered.
The proprietress of the manor wore a flat-topped hat resembling a monk's headwear, while her face was concealed behind a silver mask depicting a beautiful woman.
The mask gleamed in the candlelight, its expression hovering somewhere between a cold sneer and a fawning smile. It resembled a ravenous ghost desperately trying to conceal its drool at the sight of delicious human flesh.
"Tarnished, welcome to Volcano Manor. My name is Tanith, and I am the mistress of this manor. Rya has told me about you. I hear you are a warrior of considerable promise.
"You have traveled a long way, so please stay and join us for a modest meal. Now that the Erdtree has fallen, my lord is more eager than ever to recruit talented and capable individuals. Together, we shall sweep across the Lands Between and establish a new Order.
"Allow me to ask you one question. Would you be willing to join Volcano Manor and fight alongside us?"
The Tarnished nodded with an indifferent, distant expression.
"I accept. When do we eat?"
Volcano Manor had so few inhabitants that they could barely fill the dining room, but they somehow managed to gather enough people around the table to create the appearance of a proper banquet.
Today's main course was Doniel the Sheep, who was still bleating at the top of his lungs.
The manor had no servants.
That might have sounded wonderfully progressive, but the reality was that the original servants had either fled, been killed, or been permanently maimed.
Rykard, the great serpent, had devoured his own subordinates down to the last man.
In other words, investing in this particular enterprise was the ultimate pump-and-dump scheme, the sort of scam that made the worst penny stocks on Wall Street look downright respectable.
The recruitment pitch certainly sounded impressive.
They were gathering exceptional heroes and warriors, giving them the title of Recusants, and inviting them to rebel against the established Order.
How exciting! How rebellious! How incredibly cool!
Unfortunately, the actual career prospects were nonexistent.
The better an employee performed, the sooner they would be selected as a sacrifice and fed to the great serpent.
After working themselves to the bone, their ultimate reward was a permanent residence inside the boss's stomach.
Even the collection of freaks and misfits serving Voldemort had better career prospects. At least they could act like traditional henchmen, swagger around in front of ordinary wizards, and take whatever they pleased.
Everyone was just trying to make a living.
Some companies exploited their employees for every last drop of surplus value, while others simply took their lives outright.
Who the hell could put up with that?
Volcano Manor was such a miserable workplace that even a dog wouldn't apply for a job there. The only people foolish enough to fall for its recruitment pitch were edgy teenagers and Tarnished who weren't particularly bright.
And because the manor was so severely understaffed, it had always faced one extremely practical problem.
Who was supposed to cook?
Consider the available candidates.
There were the brainless Marionette Soldiers, an enormous Troll afflicted by the Frenzied Flame, Tanith, who had once been a dancer in a foreign land, the rather dim-witted serpent girl Rya, and a Crucible Knight who had sworn loyalty to Tanith.
The conclusion was obvious.
The manor's chef was the eight-foot-tall, imposing Crucible Knight who had once followed the First Elden Lord across the battlefield, earning a fearsome reputation through countless victories.
A Crucible Knight working as a chef.
Somehow, the image was absolutely perfect.
Who would have imagined that the ancient warrior normally concealed beneath a full suit of reddish-bronze armor had to put on an apron and personally prepare everyone's meals every single day?
It was like watching a legendary war hero retire from the battlefield to open a neighborhood barbecue joint.
A veteran's barbecue, quite literally.
The Crucible Knight was certainly a seasoned veteran. He had been around for centuries, and no soldier could survive that many campaigns without picking up a few cooking skills along the way.
Doniel the Sheep was about to receive the extraordinary honor of being roasted whole by this distinguished veteran.
It would be a whole-roasted-lamb party and his own funeral reception rolled into one.
The situation was about as hellish as it could possibly get.
No matter how loudly he bleated, neither Thops nor Skyl could hear him.
Well, Skyl actually could have heard him.
There was magic in his name. As long as Doniel managed to pronounce [Skyl] or even [Sky], he could summon the great mage to his rescue.
Unfortunately, all he could produce was an endless stream of bleating.
When the prospective roast lamb was dragged into the manor, it was still bouncing around the great hall, allowing the guests to witness just how fresh their ingredients were.
Everyone looked extremely satisfied.
Realizing that his life was about to end, Doniel screamed and bleated desperately, making himself an unbearable nuisance.
The Tarnished had recently sensed the Silver Weave and learned a considerable number of spells originating from Toril.
Incidentally, Skyl had obtained these spells from Ao without spending a single penny. All he'd had to do was treat the Overgod to a few snacks.
One example was the first-level divination spell [Speak with Animals], which allowed its caster to understand the cries of birds and beasts.
Cat and dog owners would never again have to worry about misunderstanding what their beloved pets were trying to tell them.
It was an extremely practical spell that could substantially improve everyday life.
Animals could occasionally provide interesting news and rumors as well, often supplying crucial clues to help solve a mystery.
Having nothing better to do, the Tarnished cast [Speak with Animals] on herself, approached the white sheep, and asked, "Where did you come from?"
"Baa? You can understand me? Marika's grace! Thank goodness you showed up when you did! Ma'am, I'm a sorcerer! Don't let them eat me!"
"You're a sorcerer? Then how did you turn into a sheep?"
"My roommate! That petty bastard turned me into a sheep and even tried to team up with the other sorcerers to turn me into their lunch!"
The Tarnished's expression changed slightly.
She was certainly familiar with the name Skyl. He had appeared not long ago during the battle against Starscourge Radahn, and there was something deeply mysterious about him.
He seemed to be some kind of Celestial.
"Where is he?"
Doniel began running around in circles.
"He's on the volcano, obviously! Are you stupid? Do you think I could've turned into a sheep and somehow traveled all the way here from Liurnia? Hurry up and save me! That weirdo in the apron is coming over with a knife!"
The Tarnished was a kindhearted woman who couldn't bear to watch others suffer.
She immediately stepped forward and blocked the Crucible Knight's path.
"This sheep belongs to me now."
Everyone's opinion of the Tarnished dropped by five points.
Tanith stared at her in astonishment.
"Are you... talking to that sheep?"
"That's right. He isn't actually a sheep. He's a sorcerer who's been transformed."
"Surely you're joking?"
The Tarnished shook her head.
"I can communicate with animals. You'd better leave this sheep alone. He's a friend of Skyl."
"Skyl? Who's that?"
Tanith and the other Recusants exchanged bewildered looks.
None of them had ever heard the name before.
"Come on, move aside. We're all starving."
"Exactly. It's just a sheep. And whoever this Skyl fellow is, he's obviously some nobody."
Tanith had no intention of offending the Tarnished just yet.
After all, she was a new employee. It was important to show new recruits a little respect.
Otherwise, if she decided to quit and join another organization, Tanith's husband, Rykard, would have one less meal to look forward to.
The only solution was to make the veteran employee suffer for the sake of keeping the newcomer happy.
Tanith would take responsibility for the decision.
"If you desire this sheep, then you may have it."
She turned toward the Crucible Knight.
"Would you kindly check the kitchen for other ingredients? We mustn't allow our guests to feel that Volcano Manor has failed to provide them with proper hospitality."
Knock! Knock! Knock!
A series of knocks echoed through the gloomy entrance corridor and reached the great hall.
"Who's knocking? Go and see."
Tanith instructed Rya to answer the door.
At the same time, every Recusant in the room drew their weapon.
Volcano Manor maintained extremely strict security. Since the war began, its main gates had remained firmly shut.
The Troll and Marionette Soldiers guarding the entrance had apparently failed to kill whoever had arrived.
More concerningly, there hadn't been any sounds of fighting.
That meant the guards must have been eliminated without making a sound.
Whoever was standing outside was clearly no ordinary visitor.
"Do I really have to open the door?"
"Go ahead. A door won't stop someone like that. We might as well open it ourselves."
The hunchbacked Rya shuffled toward the heavy solid-wood doors and pulled down the lever.
The doors swung open automatically.
"Who is it? Ah! It's you!"
"See? I've already made it to your front door. Pretty fast, wouldn't you say?"
Skyl greeted her with a cheerful smile.
Then he turned toward a tall, white-bearded old man standing beside him.
"Old Man Godfrey, this is Volcano Manor. Come on, let's head inside together."
Rya stood on tiptoe, looking rather bewildered.
Her gaze slipped through the gaps between the people gathered outside.
Beyond them, the golden banners of Leyndell stretched as far as the eye could see, resembling an endless sea of golden wheat.
"N-no, no, no! This is terrible! Lady Tanith! The forces of Leyndell have broken in!"
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