That night, I was in the large building within the elf village.
Usually used for meetings and such, it had been exclusively rented out by the demon lord's army.
This was an arrangement made by Logan, the clan chief.
Gathering inside were the executives of the demon lord's army and those of equivalent standing.
On the arranged tables sat a profusion of dishes.
All had been jointly prepared by the village elves and Grom.
Due to the drawbacks of becoming undead, my sense of smell was gone, so I couldn't enjoy the aromas.
However, just the sight of such delicious-looking dishes was enough to fill my heart with satisfaction.
Along one wall stood several barrels of alcohol.
Enough had been prepared to be more than sufficient even if the number of people in the room increased tenfold.
"...Hmph."
On a slightly elevated platform, Diera was holding up her glass.
She looked over the others present, including me.
In the silence, after taking ample time, she opened her mouth.
"Everyone, thank you all for gathering here today. I am truly grateful. Therefore, I—"
"A toast to the recapture of the Republic!"
Cutting in with the shout was Henry.
He held a bottle of firewater in one hand.
Judging by his flushed face, he had already drunk several cups.
With his voice as the signal, the demon lord's army's feast began.
The executives exchanged pleasant conversation.
Still, celebrating the Republic's liberation felt uneasy.
Normally one would celebrate victory, but in truth, the Demon Lord's forces' calculations were correct.
The Republic had been territory originally slated for handover.
Rather than feeling frustrated at losing it, they were actually eager to offload it to another country so they could move on to other matters.
While I was thinking such things, Diera was grumbling at Henry.
"The archers! We agreed I would take the lead, didn't we! Don't tell me you're planning a rebellion...!?"
"Don't nitpick on a drinking occasion. You're showing your level compared to the predecessor, aren't you?"
"Ugh, wielding sound logic against me..."
Their argument wasn't serious.
It was closer to playful banter.
Even when dealing with the former Demon Lord, Henry maintained his usual demeanor.
He didn't yield an inch, and in the end, he even held the upper hand against her.
(It's fine to leave them be)
Having decided that, I looked down at the table.
There was a glass placed there.
Inside was a translucent white liquid.
When I swayed the glass, I noticed it had a slight viscosity.
Looking closely, countless red particles were mixed within it.
"..."
I bring the glass to my mouth.
I tilt it and swallow the contents down.
Of course, as a skeleton, drinking like a human is impossible.
The liquid mercilessly drenched my jawbone and various other bones.
(Hmm?)
The dampened spots began to tingle with a strange sensation.
Just then, Luciana sat down directly across from me.
"How does it taste?"
"...Bitter. There's some spice, too."
I gave my impression of the liquid.
From the wetted part of my jawbone, the taste of bitterness and spice was indeed being transmitted to me.
I do not have a tongue to perceive taste.
The fact I could taste it at all was likely due to magical properties infused into the liquid.
It had been carefully engineered so even the undead could enjoy food and drink.
Luciana pointed at her own glass and explained.
"It's something the Director concocted, then I adjusted. I had the Bone Minister taste-test it, but the verdict was just 'decent.' I wonder if it can make you feel like you've had a meal?"
"Yes, this is good. I appreciate it."
It was a beverage developed for my sake.
Despite being useless for the living, considerable time and effort had been invested in it.
It certainly wasn't delicious.
However, it was not a significant issue.
The important thing was that I could taste something with the drink.
For someone like me who had lost all sense of taste, this was a major advancement.
Luxury goods possess that much value.
I realized this acutely after no longer being human.
Trial and error using spicy substances and holy magic had already been underway.
The laboratory was progressing development in these areas separately from weapon research.
It was a most welcome development.
"I'm glad. I was worried because it tastes so awful when I try it myself that I can't properly check it."
Luciana stuck out her tongue and gave a wry smile.
It was certainly not something I would want to volunteer to taste-test.
Yet she had surely created many prototypes for my sake.
Luciana was devoted to me no less than Grom.
Her reason for belonging to the Demon Lord's Army, it seemed, was that she had been awestruck by my strength.
As long as I reigned as the supreme being, she would never betray me and continue to obey.
There could be no more dependable subordinate.
As I drank the liquid while making small talk with Luciana, a sound came from behind me.
Turning to look, I saw Dolda wandering with a fork in each hand.
"Neck... missing neck..."
Dolda was muttering in his usual groaning tone.
The old wolf's head was masticating thick slabs of flesh.
Its gaze was scouring the dishes on the table like a tongue licking them.
(Is it storing everything it eats inside its body...?)
As I harbored this trivial question, a figure appeared standing before Dolda.
It was Yura.
She pointed a finger at Dolda.
"Warning to individual designated Dolda—cease your rampage immediately. If you persist, suppression measures will be initiated."
"No can do, NanoDa... if neck... breaks... "
The two projected an atmosphere where neither would yield a single step.
Of course, it wasn't a truly tense confrontation.
There was no need for mediation.
"What a peaceful scene."
"Isn't it. Quite heartwarming."
As we watched their exchange, Luciana and I each took a sip of our respective beverages.