At nine o'clock in the evening, after a rather perfunctory speech and declaration by Sirin, followed by her raised arm, fireworks shot into the sky, officially announcing the commencement of the grand banquet.
Amidst laughter, cheers, food, and drinks, the residents of the entire Great Homu Kingdom sang and danced, joyfully interacting, creating a truly festive atmosphere of universal celebration.
It turned out that although food was scarce here, it wasn't just bread and small cakes. Roasted meats, geese, and other meat dishes were also plentiful.
Even the "prison meal" placed before Shu consisted of a sumptuous four dishes and a soup.
Shu sat cross-legged on the floor, silently looking at the tray placed before him, laden with steaming hot food. He then looked up at the person who had brought him this meal and spoke.
"Is this how you treat a [Demon Lord]?" Shu's voice was gentle, as if asking casually.
Outside the iron-barred gate, Sirin stood quietly in front of the cell, her head slightly bowed, watching Shu through the bars.
Sirin had brought this meal herself. Her small frame carried a large tray, struggling slightly as she walked in from the entrance. She nonchalantly opened the cell door, placed the food in front of Shu, and then stepped back out.
She just stood there, her eyelids slightly lowered, looking at Shu, not answering his question.
After several seconds of Sirin just watching him, Shu was the first to break eye contact. He looked down at the four dishes and soup on the tray.
A bowl of fish soup simmered to a milky white, two pieces of grilled fish, some roasted meat, a bowl of stewed meat, a dish of stir-fried green vegetables, bread, and a knife and fork...
Shu narrowed his eyes slightly.
These dishes didn't look like they were taken directly from the banquet. They seemed more like specially prepared home-style cooking, with a distinct Siberian flavor...
Using the little [Hope] he had left, he scanned the food. After confirming there were no problems, Shu picked up a piece of bread and tried, as Bronya Zaychik had suggested, to soak it in the soup to soften it before putting it in his mouth.
Sirin's eyes suddenly brightened, and her expression changed slightly.
Boom—
A muffled explosion sounded from afar. The brilliance of fireworks streamed into the cell through the small window.
Shu slowly chewed the piece of bread soaked in rich broth, then turned his head to look into the distance.
"You're all really happy now that the Demon Lord has been defeated..." Shu mused aloud, as if to himself.
"Mm, because everyone is very afraid of you," Sirin's soft reply came unexpectedly. Shu paused, then glanced back at Sirin.
At that moment, Sirin was also looking out at the fireworks through the small window, watching their fleeting brilliance. Though her words didn't show it, Shu saw an unconcealable yearning in her eyes.
Yearning...
"If you want to join, why don't you go out?" After pondering for two seconds, Shu suddenly asked.
Sirin withdrew her gaze, looking back at Shu, and shook her head.
"What are you saying... I can hold this kind of banquet anytime. I've seen it so many times I'm tired of it..." Sirin hummed softly, turning her head away and closing her eyes.
Shu couldn't help but chuckle softly. Realizing that the Sirin before him wasn't the Sirin from the [Demon Lord's Castle], he quickly suppressed his smile.
Before him now was the King, his ultimate target...
Shu calmly picked up another piece of bread, but his mind was already calculating whether he should make a move right now.
He truly hadn't expected Sirin to come here to see him alone. Logically, with such a lively event outside, Sirin, as one of the main figures, should be with Kiana and the others at the banquet.
But she had brought food here instead... This was rather illogical, making Shu hesitate to act immediately.
They needed to act against Sirin as the [King]. Once Sirin relinquished the identity of [King], he would have no way to defeat her, and the plan would naturally fail.
Should he make a move? Sirin was right in front of him, separated only by an iron railing. Such a railing was practically useless against Shu...
Shu pondered for a moment, then unconsciously popped the piece of bread in his hand into his mouth.
The instant the bread soaked in broth entered his mouth, Shu suddenly found his answer.
Forget it... This isn't a good place, and it's not secure enough. Sirin's current identity is unclear. If she's here in her private capacity, and I make a move, I'll just get embedded in the ground again.
Entering and exiting the [Demon Lord's Castle] had consumed more than half of Shu's [Hope]. Even at full strength, Shu couldn't withstand a single move from her. In his current state, it was even more impossible.
And...
Bread dipped in fish soup was truly delicious.
The two of them remained silent for a while. Then, Sirin spoke softly.
"Why... at that time, did you disappear?"
Sirin's voice wasn't loud, but in the empty dungeon, even the smallest sound seemed particularly prominent.
Shu froze. He didn't react immediately, merely stopping his meal, putting down his fork, and looking up at Sirin in confusion.
He disappeared? When did he disappear? When was this?
Sirin sensed Shu's bewildered gaze, and a flicker of disappointment crossed her face.
She took half a step back, her small frame suddenly looking somewhat dejected and weary.
"You don't remember...?" Her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz, as if muttering to herself. "I should have known... I should have understood long ago..."
Shu frowned deeply. Looking at the uncharacteristically subdued Sirin, he began to rapidly search his mind for instances where he might have disappeared in front of her.
Was it when he was smashed into the ground? Could that count as disappearing?
That was in the square in front of the palace, when he left as Sirin threw the die? No, the identity of [Demon Lord] remained on him; that couldn't be considered leaving...
Could it be... the [Demon Lord's Castle]?
Shu's body tensed, a hint of unconcealable surprise in his eyes.
The [Demon Lord's Castle]... wasn't that a consciousness space Sirin had subconsciously created? It should have been a world constructed from memories. Whatever happened inside shouldn't affect reality...
Suddenly, Shu realized something.
No... wasn't the composition of that space a bit too familiar?
The storm after the world shattered, the exposed darkness of the world's outer layer...
Shu looked up, watching Sirin slowly draw out a hand she had kept behind her back. He saw the black-covered notebook clutched in her hand, and his pupils instantly constricted.
It's the Key of Remembrance... When did Sirin get it?!