Chapter 169 - Part Timer (1/2)

While Zero, Baal and Enma were having fun in a different carriage, Ruth was stuck with an annoying busty lady, an old coot and a serene looking weirdo who wouldn't stop smiling. Lucifer had matters to attend to so he returned to his office immediately after the trial. According to the busty lady called Coux, they were shorthanded and decided to enlist Ruth's help for the shop. In other words, he was now a free labourer not that it was any different from being a slave. What annoyed him was how the person ordering him around wasn't even the one who bought him. There went his hopes for exploring the castle.

”Are you even listening?” the half-succubus chided. Sekkin would be helping at the shop too so that someone could keep an eye on the vampire. Coux didn't have time to babysit him with a certain Demon Lord making her so busy. She had to prepare the necessary documents and arrangement for King Yama after the announcement. They didn't have a huge window period of time between the trial and the Pardon Fest as Zero dubbed it. She wanted at least a week for preparations but Lucifer disagreed. It seemed like there were some urgent matters that required Zero's attention as soon as possible.

Ruth huffed at the secretary. ”I got it. Smile, greet the customers, take their orders then serve them. I won't pull anything funny.”

”You'd better not. I don't want to have to chase you down if you do. I've got my hands full as it is.”

After a few minutes of silence, Ruth was unable to endure the burning stare from his side any longer.

”Can I help you?” he glared at the old coot who was known to be the greatest doctor.

”Could you tell me more about your constitution? My student has mentioned something rather interesting. Is blood the only thing you can consume? What happened if you try to consume other things like plants and animals? I heard that you cannot stomach cooked food?”

Ruth sighed heavily. Leave it to his current master to influence others in a terrible manner. Reluctantly, he answered all of Hua Tuo's questions while wishing that time would pass faster.

***

Ruth had to admit, the annoying secretary knew sorcery with food. If she didn't look so smug, the food might have tasted better.

”What's this?” he asked in between bites.

”The innards of a pygmy boar. They were seasoned and grilled.”

Ruth couldn't help but stuff his face. Grilled? What was that? It smelled of fire but it tasted like smoke. Still, there was the smell of water but tasted absolutely divine. If all cooked food was like this, he would gladly eat anything. For a very long time, Ruth always thought that cooked food was something he couldn't stomach. Many of his clan members have fallen ill because of cooked food. Vampires never fell ill and having so many collapsing at once was a terrible omen. It was also because of cooked food that his clan got wiped out.

The half-succubus grinned at the wolfish way Ruth ate. He had food smeared across his chin and had forgotten his manners in favour of addressing his hunger. Expecting that the vampire will ask for seconds, she busied her hands with the next dish. If she hadn't seen Beelzebub or Zero eat before, she would've thought Ruth had a bottomless stomach. Somehow, she didn't blame the vampire. He needed some food in him. Looking like a pile of skin and bones wasn't considered healthy and Coux was going to change that.

The next dish smelled divine and Ruth wondered how much he was missing out on. Whatever Coux did to the food, she transformed it completely. Ruth didn't think that eating anything that was processed would be possible. After all, it was common knowledge that most things found in Hell were poisonous or toxic. It wasn't just vampires. Anyone living outside of the six domains fell sick eating anything. It was one of the reasons why many weaker species who couldn't eat hunted food lived in those domains. Hunter type species like vampires, wolves and foxes lived in their individual colonies outside of the domains. Even so, life was tough for them. The weak died and the strong stepped upon their bodies to go further.

”Don't forget that you'll have to work after you finish eating. Those who do not work here do not get to eat. I have to leave soon to check on Lord Baal. Sekkin will teach you the ropes of what to do when there is a difficult customer. Although our girls are more than capable of defending themselves, it is the duty of men to protect them. Also, do not hurt our customers. They pay for the food here and becoming further in debt isn't something we want.”

Ruth only listened half-heartedly, more focussed on the food in front of him. This time, it was lamb leg broiled in herbs. The herbs tasted funny on his tongue and tingled for a while before disappearing. Although it wasn't evident, Ruth could feel something changing in his body after three bites of the lamb leg.

”What did you add?” he asked cautiously.

Coux blinked. ”I don't know. It is something Zero and Hua Tuo prescribed. You should be feeling the effects soon enough. Zero noticed that you were feeling weak and lethargic. The herbs were meant to rejuvenate you and improve circulation of blood although I don't know how that would work for a vampire.”

Ruth felt it. The rushing of blood and the burst of energy. His mind felt sharp, his body much lighter. Every breath that Ruth took, he was aware of how polluted the air was. It was tainting his blood and the vampire held his breath. It wasn't necessary for vampires to breathe so often. He wasn't in dire need of regeneration so not breathing in mana would be fine.

”Why does Zero do such things? I could be out to harm him. Even if he is strong, isn't he being too careless and overly trusting?”

Coux paused. The dishes she was clearing were gently placed on the table. ”That's just how he is. It is also the reason why we've chosen to assist him in any way we can. You wouldn't know of it but Zero has saved our village. He might have forgiven the traitor back then and put himself in danger by doing so but not everyone is happy about what he did. People who are ignorant will fear the unknown and powerful.”

”He forgave a traitor?”