The Eclipsed Order

Chapter 48: Chapter 48: An Unexpected Visit to Starlight

The two maids returned a few minutes later.

This time, they weren’t carrying empty hands.

One pushed open the door while the other followed behind her, and the moment they entered the room, the smell of freshly prepared food immediately filled the air.

I looked toward the dishes being placed across the table.

There were far more than I had expected.

A large platter of golden-brown Wyvern steak was placed in the center, its surface still glistening from the sauce that had been brushed over it. Beside it was a plate of thinly sliced Azure Serpent fillets, delicately grilled until the edges had turned slightly crisp while the meat remained tender inside.

Another maid placed down a thick Black Fang Basilisk steak, its dark meat covered with a rich sauce that gave off a surprisingly pleasant aroma.

Then came roasted Crimson Wyvern wings, Earth Dragon ribs glazed with honey and spices, grilled Thunderhorn boar, and a dish made from Frostfang Wolf meat served with vegetables and a thick cream sauce.

There were also several smaller dishes, including monster-meat skewers, herb-roasted mushrooms, freshly baked bread, soup made from rare magical ingredients, and a large bowl of salad that looked almost suspiciously normal compared to everything else.

Draven’s eyes slowly widened.

"What..."

He leaned forward.

"Master."

"Hmm?"

"Are they seriously serving all of this?"

"Yeah, maybe."

Another maid placed several drinks on the table, followed by a second tray filled with desserts.

There were fruit tarts, cream-filled pastries, chocolate cakes, honey pudding, crystal-sugar candies, frozen fruit desserts, and several small cakes decorated with edible flowers.

Draven stared at the table in silence.

His expression had changed completely.

The ancient dragon who had spent thousands of years sleeping beneath a mountain now looked like a child who had just been shown an entire table of sweets.

One of the maids smiled politely.

"Today’s special selection includes Wyvern steak, Azure Serpent fillet, Black Fang Basilisk steak, Crimson Wyvern wings, Earth Dragon ribs, and several other dishes prepared from rare monster materials."

She gestured toward the drinks.

"We also have fruit wine, enchanted fruit juice, herbal tea, and several specialty beverages prepared by our restaurant."

She then indicated the desserts.

"And these are today’s recommended desserts."

Draven’s eyes moved from one dish to another.

"You can stop explaining."

The maid blinked.

Draven slowly sat up straighter.

"I’ve already decided that I want all of them."

The maid smiled.

"Of course."

She and the other maid bowed.

"Please enjoy your meal."

They quietly left the room.

The moment the door closed, Draven looked at me.

"Master."

"What?"

"Which one should I start with?"

I looked at the table.

"Why are you asking me?"

"It’s hard to decide which one i should eat first."

I sighed.

"Just start with whatever looks good, though everything here looks good."

"Excellent."

Draven immediately picked up his fork.

I followed shortly afterward.

The first bite of Wyvern steak was enough to make me stop.

The meat was tender, but it still had enough texture to make every bite satisfying. The sauce carried a slightly sweet flavor with a faint smokiness, while the meat itself had a richer taste than ordinary beef.

I looked at the plate.

"...This is actually really good."

Across from me, Draven had already taken another bite.

His eyes widened.

"This..."

He swallowed before continuing.

"This is incredible."

He immediately took another.

Then another.

I watched him for a moment before returning to my own plate.

The Azure Serpent fillet was completely different.

The meat was lighter and softer, with a faint sweetness that almost reminded me of seafood from my previous world, although the flavor was much richer.

I took another bite.

"Yeah, this one is good too."

Draven was already reaching for it.

"Give me that."

"You have your own."

He took another piece anyway.

"You don’t need to steal mine."

"I’m not stealing it."

I stared at him.

"Are you going to eat it or not?"

I pushed the plate toward him.

"Thank you."

He immediately took the piece.

We continued eating.

The Black Fang Basilisk steak had a stronger flavor, while the Crimson Wyvern wings were surprisingly juicy. The Earth Dragon ribs were heavier and more filling, but the meat practically fell apart as soon as the fork touched it.

Every time one of us finished a dish, another seemed to look even better.

At some point, I realized we had stopped talking entirely.

There was no reason to.

The food was doing a perfectly good job of keeping us occupied.

The plates disappeared one after another.

Then came the desserts.

Draven stared at the chocolate cake for several seconds before carefully taking a piece.

He placed it in his mouth.

His eyes widened.

He slowly put down his fork.

"...What is this?"

"It’s chocolate cake."

"I know what you called it."

He took another bite.

"I’m asking what kind of magic they used to make it taste like this."

I laughed.

"I don’t think there’s any magic involved."

"Then these people are more dangerous than I thought."

He took another bite.

"The sweetness is balanced perfectly, and the cream isn’t overwhelming. I’ve never tasted anything like this before."

I picked up one of the fruit tarts.

"Same here. Even at the estate, they don’t make anything this elaborate."

Draven looked at the dessert table.

"Then we need to come here again."

"Yeah, probably."

We continued eating until the desserts were almost gone as well.

Eventually, I leaned back in my chair.

My stomach felt ridiculously full.

Draven was in no better condition.

He had abandoned his proper sitting posture completely and was practically sinking into the chair, one hand resting over his stomach while the other hung uselessly at his side.

I looked at him.

"You look terrible."

"I feel wonderful."

"You look like you’re about to explode."

"I would rather explode than regret leaving food behind."

I glanced at the table.

Almost every plate was empty.

"...We really ate all of this?"

Draven slowly opened one eye.

"I believe so."

I looked around the room.

There were enough empty plates to feed a small group of soldiers.

"Why did they serve us this much?"

Draven thought about it for a moment.

"Perhaps they knew we were hungry."

I leaned farther back.

"Well..."

I looked at the empty dishes again.

"That was worth it."

Draven nodded with complete satisfaction.

"I haven’t enjoyed a meal like that in several thousand years."

"You really don’t get tired of mentioning how old you are."

**********************************

Meanwhile, in another part of Starlight, Aurora was sitting inside one of the private meeting rooms with Herrera, Octavia, Leonora, Samantha, and Bianca, quietly discussing the latest matters concerning the organization when the door suddenly opened and two maids stepped inside.

Both immediately bowed, their expressions slightly more serious than usual.

Aurora looked up from the documents in front of her.

"What is it?"

One of the maids hesitated for only a moment before answering.

"Lady Aurora... the Great Eclipse has arrived."

The room fell completely silent.

Herrera, who had been casually reading through a report only moments ago, slowly lowered it.

"Master?"

"Yes, Lady Herrera."

The second maid quickly continued.

"He is currently inside one of the private dining rooms."

Aurora slowly stood from her seat.

"He’s eating?"

"Yes."

"With whom?"

The maid lowered her head.

"Another person, Lady Aurora. From what we could determine, he appears to be a young boy."

Herrera’s eyes immediately widened.

"He’s eating with someone?"

Leonora looked toward Aurora, her expression changing from curiosity to genuine surprise.

"Master actually came here without telling us?"

Samantha glanced between them.

"Then perhaps we should go and—"

Aurora immediately raised one hand.

"Wait."

Everyone stopped.

Aurora’s expression had become unusually serious, and for a moment nobody dared to say anything.

Then she spoke.

"This is a special occasion."

She looked around the room before continuing in a quieter voice.

"Master came to Starlight personally, and he’s actually spending his time here. We aren’t going to disturb him while he’s eating just because we’re excited that he came."

Herrera slowly smiled.

"You’re right."

She paused.

"But that doesn’t mean we can’t prepare something for him."

Aurora glanced toward her.

"I was about to say exactly that."

Bianca tilted her head.

"Then what should we prepare?"

Aurora’s lips slowly curved upward.

"Everything."

Samantha immediately understood.

"Everything?"

"Yes. Notify the other branches and have them prepare for Master."

Samantha’s expression brightened.

"I’ll do it immediately."

"Good."

Leonora was already standing.

"I’ll gather the members stationed nearby and make sure everyone knows that Master is here."

Aurora nodded.

"Do it, but make sure nobody causes a disturbance."

Herrera leaned back in her chair, her smile becoming increasingly mischievous.

"And when Master finishes eating?"

Aurora glanced toward the door.

"Then we welcome him properly."

She paused before adding,

"But don’t tell Master anything about this yet. I want this to be a surprise."

The others exchanged glances.

"Understood."

"Notify the other orders."

"Have everyone gather here as quickly as possible."

The two maids immediately bowed.

"Yes, Lady Aurora."

They turned and left the room.

The moment the door closed behind them, Herrera looked toward Aurora with a smile that was becoming increasingly difficult to hide.

"Do you think he’ll be surprised?"

Aurora smiled faintly.

"Probably."

Leonora gave a quiet laugh.

"Master actually chose to visit us today... What a blessed day."

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