As a Vampire Lord, I've had my fair share of harassing—acquiring talented individuals and bringing them to my cause.

While it seemed like Warriors and Mages were the most important folks in this world, that couldn't be farther from any case.

We had a need for Farmers, Drivers and other Classes that helped take care of society and make it function smoothly. Without them, a Warrior would grow thin and Mages would literally starve to death—or rely too heavily on dry, crusty and tasteless rations.

When I had abducted—borrowed an Alchemist from ages long ago, one of the things that I had obtained from them was a rather invaluable product.

I stepped into the kitchen and gazed around to find it rather messy, the two women left eggshells on the countertop alongside other things.

"Ah, some people really aren't meant for the kitchen." I shook my head and then motioned to the especially enchanted shelves.

I saw some traces of wind magic, barely visible as Rose possibly attempted to pry them out earlier with much difficulty.

Smirking, I opened the two shelves with a snap of my fingers and looked at the painstakingly made runes of preservation etched on the walls that prevented food, and especially ingredients from spoiling.

A bag filled with the valuable item flitted out alongside my own flour, eggs, butter and other ingredients.

Bowls, spoons and other utensils for cooking flew out as the counter cleared itself and I disposed of the trash.

"First we separate the dry and wet ingredients from one another."

And they did.

One bowl for the flour, sugar, and salt and the precious baking soda.

Another bowl for the milk and eggs.

With a simple fire spell, I turned open the enchanted stove that was made by an Enchanter I worked with...

Regardless to say, these were things that were unavailable in the past—that I commissioned to be done? I paused and frowned.

Another pinprick stabbed itself through my mind, as if someone had planted a nail all over my head so I pushed the thought away and focused on my task.

When I was positive that the two bowls were mixed together, it was when I combined them together and made sure that there were no lumps in the batter that I had made.

"What are you making?" Princess Eleanor asked.

"Go back to your seat," I said.

Rose followed after and poked her head out of the door. "If you put in anything strange—"

"You'd wish that, wouldn't you?" I snorted and glanced over my shoulder. "Luckily there will be no aphrodisiacs, drugs or any bodily liquid—"

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"What did you say?" Rose's face turned bright red before she turned over to Eleanor. "Did you see what I mean, Your Highness? This monster—"

"Vampire." I corrected her. "Master might also suffice."

"This reprehensible being is speaking—"

"I did not think that someone of your stature knew how to cook," Princess Eleanor said with a smile.

"Well, not everyone is royalty." I shot back. "But I feel like everyone should know how to cook—"

"Even monsters who simply feed on blood?"

I rolled my eyes and focused back on the pan, with the help of telekinesis, I flipped the food over and decided to humor their conversation.

You'd think that two women knew how to sit down, but their curiosity led them to the kitchen.

"Nourishment. Sustenance. I admit that it only comes from that—but even Vampires can eat human food and dishes, and it fulfills a certain palate. Case in point—voila."

The stacks flew over and were caught in a plate as the made from scratch pancakes appeared before their very eyes.

"Wait, I nearly forgot the berries." Some flew over on top of the pancakes and I looked at it proudly. "Tada."

"Oh, you made pancakes!"

I blinked and looked at Princess Eleanor surprised for a moment.

When I once served pancakes to my friends and guests ages ago, they were surprised, flabbergasted—but ah, right. Naturally the dish became popular. Inwardly sighing, I floated over the other two plates towards the table and gave the princess a dour look.

"Of course, someone of royalty would know—"

"It's a long and well-known recipe." Rose corrected me.

"When Alchemist Crusbel discovered the baking soda by himself—"

"He claims to be the creator?!" Indignant, I stood up and balled my fist. "I'll have to visit and give him—"

"He's already dead. He's a well-respected Alchemist and in the People Who Changed History." Princess Eleanor explained.

"How long has he been dead?"

"Six hundred years ago."

"What age?"

"Forty-eight, I think he was trying to create some kind of powerful weapon and it exploded his entire house." Princess Eleanor explained.

I paused and finally managed to discover how long I've exactly slept. I almost expected that I would be asleep for a thousand years, but it was actually less. I borrowed the man when he was no older than eighteen years old, a young and aspiring Alchemist.

"So your kingdom must be quite young. Not even reaching a millennia," I said.

Princess Eleanor fell silent, but then said. "I believe that we will be celebrating our first five hundred years of existence. My father is the sixteenth king."

"Sixteenth?" I raised a brow. "Do you people live shorter lives? I usually assume that one can live up to a hundred—"

"Assassinations. Betrayals."

"Ah, now that makes much more sense," I said. "It appears that's also the situation for you?"

Eleanor smiled grimly. "I suppose you can say that... I have every reason to suspect that it's my own siblings, half-siblings that desire me gone."

I picked up the fork, sliced a pancake and then put it into my mouth. "Well, power corrupts."

Rose stared pointedly at me.

"What?" I said then pointedly shrugged. "Fine, it's far better not to discuss this during a meal lest indigestion be your end."

"It's completely fine." Princess Eleanor reassured with a simple wave of a hand. "After all, I am safe and faraway from the kingdom thanks to you—"

"There's no need to talk about it." I looked up. "I accepted the two of you to work as my servants and do mindless tasks for me. Forget about your roles before you stepped here into the manor, everything else is insubstantial."

Rose's gaze darkened. "You can't possibly think that it's a simple—"

"This is delicious!" Eleanor exclaimed. "Anybody would think that you were the Gourmet Elf Luscinda!"