Why?

The two knights led me to their outpost. As I went, I pondered what I should do. First things first, I need to learn how long I've been gone. It felt like an eternity being inside that place, but it could just be my perspective since feeling pain all the time will surely make you feel everything runs slow, and you just lose your perception of time — maybe it's just me.

"So, how long has it been since your so-called heroes slain the demon king?"

I expected that it would be Neolen to respond first as always, but it turned out it was Heiness who answered my question.

"About 95 years ago, master."

"Hm, when was the summoning initiated again before that?"

"The heroes came and trained for 5 years."

It was still like three months since the first arrival to this world that I was sacrificed to that place. Therefore, I had been gone for about 100 years. Quite a long time, huh. Are those bastards still kicking?

Damn, I don't know what would happen if I saw them. But a hundred years, that was a long time, and a human lifespan commonly ends beneath that. They could have used some kind of magic to keep them young, being as cowards as they were, I can imagine them delaying their inevitable demise.

Or if they died, hm, I guess I should just find their graves and raise them, and subject them to eternal suffering. Depending on my mood.

I control death, I can return them as undead. That being said, I cannot resurrect someone to life. Although, I could not only cast undead based spells, but also normal type of magic, so maybe there will come a time that I can learn to resurrect someone? But who knows.

At that moment, we arrived at our destination.

"Oh, I'm impressed you built cabins here."

"Yes, this place has been guarded for a long time now, so it was decided to build a few small houses," Heiness said.

"... Wait, you're wary of this place — no, of that place?"

"The Hero King of Kels always wanted this place secured, and is supported by other nations."

"They are alive?"

A smile crept on my face at the fact that those bastards were still alive.

"Interesting, they must be a bunch of old people now."

"Um, no, master. They still appeared to be around their thirties."

"What?"

"The heroes from another world apparently age slower than normal humans."

"Huh, I see," I suppose this was better than beating old people. "Alright, take me to your main cabin, and there's food, yes?"

I still haven't felt hunger, but I wanted to eat something. Come on, it's a basic human need.

"Yes, please follow me."

I followed Heiness to the biggest cabin and she opened the door for me to enter. I left the zombies outside of course, and thus, there were only the three of us, me and the two knights.

I sat down on the chair by the dining table.

"Please bring a lot of assorted food, fruits, bread, whatever."

Neolen glanced at Heiness, the latter nodded and went further in the cabin to retrieve some food. A short while later, Heiness returned with colorful fruits, dried meat, and bread.

I nodded in contentment.

"Alright! Been a while since I ate, let's see."

I deliberated over which I should pick, but in the end grabbed the dried meat. I'm going to start with the big one. I bit on the tough meat and immediately chewed when I successfully bit a part of.

I froze for a moment with wide eyes, then I chewed again and began to feel the meat with my tongue before swallowing it.

I froze stiff. My hand holding the meat trembled intensely then the meat fell to the surface of the table with a thud. But my fingers trembled not of nervousness, but of emotional shock.

"A-Aaah…" a weird distressed noise escaped my lips.

"M-Master, something wrong?"Heiness timidly asked.

"Is the food not to your liking?" Neolen inquired.

I ignored them and grabbed a fruit and took a big bite without a moment to waste. When I felt the food in my mouth, I threw away the fruit in my hand violently, destroying it as it hit the wall.

I then grabbed the bread and ate.

But at that moment, the bread slipped from my hand, as I felt despair once more.

"N-No… It can't be…"

I was in disbelief.

"WHY?!"

I rose from my chair in rage and smashed the table completely, sending debris all around the room. In fear, the two knights stepped back immediately.

I clenched my fists.

"Why? Why can't I taste anything!?"

No no no no! This can't be happening. I have teeth to bite then a tongue to taste. But, why? Why was there no flavor whatsoever...? Nothing...

And worse of all, the food felt like it turned to ash the moment they reached my throat.

"This can't be real...."

It can't be.

I grasped my head in despair. I could not understand. Was I not human? Was I only denying that possibility? No! I'm different from the undead I spawn!

I'm different from normal, I know it! So, a simple taste should have been possible… I can't even swallow and fill my belly.

Only then did I realize… I had no tears. This emotion was supposed to be what caused a normal being to cry. But, why don't I…?

My heart sank at this discovery.

"Ha-ha… Ha-ha-ha... This is a joke…"

All of this. This is ridiculous. Whose fault was it that I turned into this? Those damn bastards… those classmates of mine...

"No…. wait… maybe it's not enough. The life force I have absorbed may not be enough. Yes, yes, I need more. Maybe I'm not whole yet. Yes, that must be it."

I need more living beings. And perhaps, simple taste buds might return to me.

"M-Master?"

"I'm calm… I'm calm."

I took a deep breath. Truthfully, I have no need to breathe oxygen, I haven't breathed when I was at the cave after all. This was just a manner of habit.

"I'm calm… maybe there's still hope…"

I turned to look at my knights. Then anxiety built up within me. What if I was no different from them? Unable to taste anything.

"Heiness, Neolen, perhaps you might already have an idea what happened?"

The both of them nodded their heads.

"As undead, you will be unable to taste anything ever."

Both of them were silent. They must be feeling upset since they were just humans recently. The notion of being unable to taste anything must be hard to take in. Do I feel guilty of turning them into undead? No, for I needed them. I must have no regret in my decisions.

Neolen picked up a fruit and took a bite.

"Ah."

Disappointment was all over his face. Then he dropped the fruit back to the floor.

"... It is bizarre, but the sense of taste is not needed to serve the master."

Neolen looked at me, then to Heiness.

"Yes, having no taste is not a problem for me too."

Were there needs psychologically changed too? Or was it the feeling of installed loyalty the reason why they were able accept that easily. As I thought, they were different from me who were not mentally changed in some way. I was still human mentally, and emotionally.

"I need more life to absorb. Surely that will complete me. Then, if I get my senses, I should also be able to give you some other senses like taste," I said to them as I sat down on the chair."

The both of them looked at me dumbfounded.

"What is so surprising? I can enhance you if I want to. So changing or improving your body would be no trouble."

"Master, you have no need to think about u—"

"No."

I interrupted Neolen.

"I'll do what I want… Now then, tell me, where can we get some life source nearby?"

"There… There is a village."

Heiness was the one to suggest that, but with a bit of hesitation.

"Should be enough. Alright, before we set out, I will need some information about things, and about the heroes."