It was night. The main hall of the Scarlet Devil Mansion was set with tables, chairs, and a dazzling array of food. Remilia sat at the head table, quietly awaiting the arrival of her guests.
"Hahaha! I'm first!"
The first to rush in was Cirno, followed closely by the Great Fairy.
"Cirno-chan, you shouldn't talk so loudly!" The Great Fairy, as always, cautioned Cirno not to engage in behavior that might annoy others.
Remilia glanced at the loudly shouting Cirno, then immediately dismissed her. The best way to deal with someone like that was to ignore them, ensuring her own composure wasn't disrupted.
"Kars, go keep an eye on that one. I don't want her interfering with the other guests, understood?"
Since Kars was the one who invited her, he was naturally responsible for managing the situation. Kars had no objection. He walked over to Cirno and led her to a separate section of the hall dedicated entirely to desserts.
Soon after, Reimu Hakurei and Marisa Kirisame arrived.
"Huh? This place is a bit different from what I expected." Reimu looked around. The banquet setup was not the kind she was familiar with, but rather in a distinct European style. Considering the nature of the Scarlet Devil Mansion, she quickly accepted the decor. In the end, a banquet is a banquet, no matter the style.
"Welcome, both of you. But Reimu, where are the guests you invited?" Remilia rose from her seat to greet them, then looked behind them at the empty space. She wondered where the others Reimu had promised to invite were.
"We're not traveling together. They'll bring their people along on their own."
"Is that so? Well, please enjoy the food on the tables."
As Reimu approached the dining table, her attention was immediately captured by the array of luxurious-looking dishes. The meals, made from top-grade ingredients, looked incredibly appetizing just from their appearance. For the habitually thrifty Reimu, this was a stark realization of how the wealthy lived.
Just as she was about to grab a particularly tempting-looking steak, she felt a tug on her sleeve. She looked down and saw Kars.
"Huh? I don't recognize you, little one. Is something the matter?" Although she didn't recognize Kars, she assumed he was related to Remilia and asked why he approached her.
"Excuse me, Miss Shrine Maiden, could you tell me what kind of people you invited?" Since he had promised Patchouli and the others that he would find a wife at the banquet, he needed to take action. The most suitable person to ask was the Shrine Maiden; someone like her surely knew many people. Getting information from her would save him considerable time.
"Ah? Well, I invited a lazy, vulgar old woman who likes to pretend to be young, and a hard-drinking Oni. The former will also drag her entire household and some friends along."
"Why does that sound so unimpressive?" The descriptions immediately put Kars off the idea of meeting them. His expression darkened with worry.
"Don't look so down! A banquet should be cheerful! Come on, have a drink." A hand suddenly landed on Kars's shoulder. Before he knew it, he was inexplicably given a cup of sake and made to drink it. Kars then looked at the girl beside him, who was about his size, had two massive, disproportionate horns on her head, and reeked of alcohol.
"The Oni I mentioned is her. Suika Ibuki." Reimu introduced the girl. Suika smiled at Kars.
"Hello, I am Kars Scarlett. Welcome to the banquet." To ensure he didn't commit any breach of etiquette that might upset his Little Auntie, Kars properly introduced himself to Suika Ibuki.
"Since we know each other now, we're friends! So let's drink!" Suika immediately tried to pull Kars off to drink, but he politely refused.
"My apologies, but I need to attend to the arrival of other guests and can't join you for a drink just yet." If Suika had met his criteria for a potential partner, Kars wouldn't have refused, but clearly, she did not.
"That's a shame. Then let's drink together next time." Suika nodded and went off to fetch more sake from the banquet table.
"Kars? Wait, aren't you that huge guy? Why are you so small now?" Hearing the name, Reimu remembered the stout Kars. Seeing his current infantile appearance, she wondered if this was a disguise or his true form.
"It's a minor issue; I'll recover soon. Now, Miss Shrine Maiden, please enjoy the banquet food. These are all exquisite dishes carefully prepared by Sakuya. I hope you like them, but I must excuse myself."
After watching Kars leave, Reimu refocused her attention on the steak, her expression lighting up with anticipation.
"Alright, time to enjoy this delicious meal."
Reimu picked up her knife and fork, ready to eat, only to realize the plate where the steak had been was empty. Not only that, but her entire table's worth of food had been reduced to just empty plates.
"Mmm, mmm, mmm! So delicious! Youmu, hurry and get more! It's a rare chance to eat this much for free!"
"Lady Yuyuko! If you eat everything, the other guests won't have anything left!"
The pair of mistress and servant had a pile of empty plates stacked before them. One was eating at a frightening speed, while the other was frantically running back and forth to supply more food. This sight drew the attention of Remilia and the others.
Sensing their stares, Youmu Konpaku couldn't help but lower her head in embarrassment. Her mistress, Yuyuko Saigyouji, however, continued to eat happily, until she accidentally grabbed Youmu's nearby floating half-phantom and tried to stuff it into her mouth.
The half-phantom, sensing a threat to its existence, immediately struggled wildly in Yuyuko's hand, which finally snapped Youmu out of her shock.
"Lady Yuyuko! Don't eat my half-phantom!"