Chapter 410: Sandwich Of Death
The little roadside diner had never seen a morning like this.
Word had spread throughout Velmora with unbelievable speed that the Prince of Lust had rejected the grand feast prepared inside the Violet Palace in favor of breakfast at an ordinary family diner. Every passing minute drew even larger crowds until nearly every nearby street overflowed with curious onlookers.
Demons climbed onto balconies, leaned from open windows and stood atop wagons simply to catch a glimpse of their ruler. Yet despite the growing crowd, an invisible boundary remained around Damian and Rah’s table. Hundreds watched from a respectful distance, whispering among themselves, but not a single soul dared step closer.
The memory of Sol’s reign still lingered within everyone’s hearts. No one wished to become the first unfortunate soul to offend the new Prince of Lust.
Rah rested her chin upon one hand while quietly studying him.
"Do you love this attention?" she asked with an amused smile.
Damian briefly turned his head toward the sea of silent spectators before calmly returning his gaze to her.
Without warning he leaned forward and Rah instinctively leaned backward. Her azure eyes widened while a faint blush immediately spread across her cheeks.
"W... What are you doing?" she whispered hurriedly, glancing nervously toward the crowd.
Seeing her reaction, Damian couldn’t help smiling.
He slowly raised two fingers.
"I’m doing this for two reasons."
Rah blinked curiously.
"The first reason..." Damian began before his expression gradually grew more serious. "I can’t tell you yet. It’s the truth behind most of my victories against opponents who should far stronger than me."
His voice became noticeably quieter.
"Using it during my fight against Kaizer came with... side effects. Side effects that make solitude unbearable."
Rah quietly observed him. She could tell he wasn’t lying. Although he hadn’t truly answered her question, he had still revealed something deeply personal.
She respected that.
What Damian chose not to mention was the constant whisper lurking behind every moment of silence. The voices became louder whenever he found himself alone.
The noise of living people drowned out the darkness inside his mind. That was why he had insisted on leaving the palace.
"And the second?" Rah asked softly.
Damian glanced around the bustling streets once more.
"I’m homesick. I’m just trying to shove this new world in my face until I eventually start enjoying it."
His answer came so naturally that it caught her off guard.
Rah slowly nodded.
Clank.
The diner’s wooden door slowly opened.The elderly owner emerged carrying an enormous serving tray balanced carefully above his head. The tray itself appeared nearly wider than the old demon was tall.
Every few steps he wobbled dangerously beneath its weight before somehow correcting himself again.
Damian quietly watched the strange sight with growing confusion. The old man barely stood five feet tall.
Compared to Damian’s current twelve foot frame, he looked almost child sized.
As the old demon slowly approached, Damian’s attention drifted beyond him toward the streets. Everywhere he looked were ordinary demons.
None of them possessed frightening auras. Most weren’t even stronger than the average human athlete.
Apart from naturally sturdier physiques and their unusual appearances, they looked astonishingly normal.
It wasn’t what he had expected.
His thoughts were interrupted as the tray suddenly floated upward. The elderly demon let out a startled yelp when the heavy burden effortlessly drifted from his hands before gently settling upon Damian’s table.
"Wha..."
Before he could even react further, his own body suddenly floated into the air.
"Oh dear!"
His walking stick swung wildly while his legs kicked helplessly. A nearby chair quietly slid across the pavement before stopping beside Damian.
The old demon gently descended onto it.
"...Good heavens," he muttered while adjusting his glasses.
Damian could have sworn that was a British accent.
"This is my first time tasting demon food," Damian said while studying the enormous breakfast spread before him. "So tell me what all this is."
The old demon’s eyes immediately lit up.
He enthusiastically climbed onto his chair before standing proudly upon it, finally becoming tall enough to comfortably point at the dishes.
Watching the old man struggle so earnestly made Damian smile.
Beside him, Rah quietly covered her lips before deliberately looking away so she wouldn’t accidentally laugh.
The old man noticed nothing. He was simply delighted.
He proudly pointed toward a large dark loaf.
"This fresh Black Bread, was baked using my grandmother’s recipe. Our family has passed it down for over four hundred years." he announced proudly
Damian raised an eyebrow before smiling.
"Alright. What next?"
The old man’s finger moved toward the steaming platter of roasted meat resting beside the bread.
"This is our famous peppered Gehenna."
He declared proudly,
"What the fuck is a Gehenna?"
The question escaped Damian almost instantly and Rah burst into laughter before hurriedly covering her mouth.
"It’s basically one of this world’s many breeds of lamb," she explained while struggling to regain her composure.
Damian slowly nodded.
"That... actually sounds much better."
His attention shifted toward several smaller dishes arranged neatly beside the meat. One contained fresh peppers. Another held a thick black substance resembling glossy tar.
"And here, we have extra peppers if Your Majesty enjoys stronger flavors. Beside that is congealed venom from a thousand year old Black Wriggler."
Damian stared silently at the tiny bowl.
"...Excuse me?"
His eyes slowly lifted toward Rah. She immediately noticed the concern written across his face.
"Yes, It’s spider venom." she admitted
"It won’t kill you unless you consume ridiculous amounts, It’s one of the most popular bread spreads throughout the Underworld."
Somehow, that explanation made him even less comfortable. Inside their telepathic connection, his voice echoed with complete disbelief.
"Who the hell spreads congealed venom from a thousand year old spider on bread?"
Rah immediately bit her lip.
"We’re demons, damn it!" she laughed through their mental link.
Damian dramatically rolled his eyes.
"As for the tea..." the old man continued enthusiastically.
Rah gently placed a hand upon his arm before shaking her head.
"Thank you for the meal."
She smiled warmly.
"I’ll guide my husband through the rest."
The elderly demon bowed respectfully before climbing down from the chair. As he walked away, Damian slowly turned toward Rah.
His expression had become deeply suspicious.
"The chocolate drink... What’s it actually made from?"
Rah immediately rolled hers.
"Don’t be dramatic."
She reached for the bread.
"It’s chocolate."
"Just... chocolate."
"That’s all you need to know."
Damian remained unconvinced. He chose not to ask further.
Rah skillfully sliced open the crispy loaf before spreading a thin layer of glossy black venom across the inside. She added fresh vegetables, several slices of the steaming Gehenna meat before sprinkling additional peppers across the top and finally closing the sandwich.
She handed it to him.
"So this is an average demon breakfast."
Damian examined the surprisingly hefty sandwich.
"It seems... filling."
Without another word, he took a fearless bite. After surviving Kaizer, he certainly wasn’t about to fear breakfast. The instant his teeth sank through the bread and his eyes widened.
The dark crust shattered with a satisfying crunch. Yet beneath it, the inside remained impossibly soft, almost creamy.
The meat melted apart effortlessly while releasing rich savory juices balanced perfectly against a subtle sweetness and pleasant sourness that could only have come from the venom.
The peppers arrived last. They were not overwhelmingly spicy. Just enough heat to tie every flavor together.
Somehow everything blended into perfect harmony.
Damian slowly lowered the sandwich and he stared at it with complete disbelief.
"Oh my God... This is actually good."
His eyes remained fixed upon it as though he had just discovered some legendary divine artifact.
Rah smiled warmly. Standing just inside the diner’s doorway, the elderly owner secretly peeked around the frame.
The moment he heard those words, his eyes immediately became watery. His wrinkled face blossomed into the brightest smile it had probably worn in decades.
Unable to contain his happiness any longer, he hurried back inside the diner to excitedly tell everyone working in the kitchen.
Rah quietly watched Damian take another bite with the enthusiasm of a child discovering his favorite meal for the very first time.
That was the Damian she loved.
Despite becoming one of the strongest beings in existence, he still reacted to simple joys with genuine wonder.
If the entire city hadn’t been watching them, she would have leaned over and kissed him without a second thought.