| “ | Don't overthink things. Having fun when you can is more important. | ” |
Bio[]
She claims to be a Food Soul from the Light Kingdom, but the way she looks, talks, and acts are all different from the Light Kingdom's style. She's never opened up to anybody, and people even think she's a little unsociable. But she behaves with incomparable enthusiasm and only gives the cold shoulder to Vodka.
Food Introduction[]
Borscht is a soup that can be enjoyed hot or cold and is very popular in Eastern and Central Europe. It is usually made with beets, giving it its characteristics ruby-red color, but there is also green borscht made with sorrel and white borscht made with rye or cabbage. No matter the color, this sour soup is a hearty favorite throughout much of the world.
Other Info[]
How to Acquire[]
Associated Events
- Harvest Diary (Borscht)
- Land of Repose
- Billowing Smoke (Super)
- Sea of Meteors
- Thousand Knot Wish
- Rain Prayers
- Encore Party XXIII
- Encore Party XXIV
- Encore Party XXV
- Encore Party XXVI
- Evening Goodbyes
- Encore Party XXVII
- Encore Party XXVIII
- Encore Party XXIX
- Encore Party XXX
Initial Stats[]
 Soul Power
|
1508 |
|---|---|
 Attack
|
54 |
 Defense
|
10 |
 HP
|
485 |
 Crit Rate
|
653 |
 Crit Dmg
|
365 |
 Atk Spd
|
1852 |
Skills[]
| Guardian Will | Basic Skill | |
|---|---|---|
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Borscht tosses her bag into the air, dealing 40% (80%) ATK as damage plus 15 (195) extra damage to all enemies, also dispelling all buff effects from the enemy team and dispelling all debuff effects from the allied team. | |
| Frenzied Wrath | Energy Skill | |
|
Borscht flings her bag, hurling the vegetables within at the enemy team, dealing 40% (80%) ATK as damage to all enemies, plus 245 (3185) damage, while also increasing basic attack damage taken by the nearest enemy unit by 30% for 5 seconds. | |
| Super Frenzied Wrath | Link Skill | |
|
Borscht flings her bag, hurling the vegetables within at the enemy team, dealing 60% (120%) ATK as damage to all enemies, plus 294 (3822) damage, while also increasing basic attack damage taken by the nearest enemy unit by 30% for 5 seconds. | 
|
blue = lvl 1
red = max lvlVoice Lines[]
| EN | JP | CN | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Contract | Master Attendant, I trust the two of us will get off to a good start. | |||
| Log In | Oh, it's you. You're back. I heard a noise just now, and it scared me. | |||
| Ice Arena | This icy cold brings up bad memories for me. So uncomfortable... | |||
| Skills | You'll regret this! | |||
| Ascend | Master Attendant, thank you for helping me. | |||
| Fatigue | I'm tired, so tired. Let me rest a bit. | |||
| Recovering | I'm not as fragile as you think. Wait a bit and I'll get back to work. | |||
| Team Formation | We're heading out? Very well, I've already gotten prepared. | |||
| Knockout | My ending... turned out just like theirs... | |||
| Notice | Master Attendant, is this alright? | |||
| Idle 1 | Too quiet. I don't like this. | |||
| Idle 2 | So far nothing's been exposed, and even the Attendant hasn't been an exception. Very good... | |||
| Idle 3 | Living on is my greatest hope. | |||
| Interaction 1 | Master Attendant, this is not how a gentleman behaves. | |||
| Interaction 2 | Working here is great. Of course, Master Attendant, you're not bad either! I really like it~! | |||
| Interaction 3 | My favorite color... well, it's not red anyway. | |||
| Pledge | ...At first I wanted to live a quiet life, but you're not planning to give me that chance. Alright, I ask that from now on you watch over me. It is my only request. | |||
| Intimacy 1 | You need to pay attention to taste in this life. I'll teach you how to dress yourself! | |||
| Intimacy 2 | In the past, I sacrificed too much to stay alive. Now, I finally don't have to worry. | |||
| Intimacy 3 | Being by your side is where I belong. I couldn't ask for anything more. | |||
| Victory | This victory has no special feel to it. | |||
| Defeat | The taste of defeat. I guess I'm used to it. | |||
| Feeding | Master Attendant? It seems you're taking an interest in me? | |||
Skins
| Blood Dance | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Vernal Exuberance | |||||||
Notes
- The people in Northeast China reads borscht as "苏伯汤" instead of "罗宋汤." "苏伯" is read as "su po" in Chinese, which sounds like "soup" in English.
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Main[]
Sprites[]
Sprite Animations[]
Normal[]
Other[]
Illustrations[]
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Contents of this page has been fan-translated by Revelery & Casualty0 and may not be completely accurate. Official translations will be added whenever it's available. |
I. Bar
Located in Nevras, there exists a bar in a certain village.
A drawing of keg is doodled on the old wooden sign. There wasn't any melodious and elegant music played in the bar, and those who enter and leave the bar are usually a bunch of stumbling, red-faced drunkard.
Opening the door, one can see wooden tables that are strong enough to withstand the beatings inflicted by the customers. Apart from that, one can also smell the scent of beer gushing out to the point that the air is able to make anyone intoxicated.
There aren't any customer who would raise the beer high up as a form of etiquette per se, but rather, customers who would cheer and jump for joy because of trivial matter. Individuals who don't know each other become friends thanks to a cup of beer.
Sometimes, there would be travelers draped in grey robes, with either swords or magic wands rushing to the bar.The fervent customers do not care whether they have met each other before or not. With their new companions, they would come to the bar for a cup of specially brewed beer. This type of beer is not only cheap, but it's also aromatic.
Food that is laid on the table are usually ordinary and hard meat dishes. However, eating them and drinking beer is a common behavior among the customers.
Of course. In this place packed with drunkard, there'll no doubt be conflicts.
Two red-faced and drunk hooligans fighting over something trivial is an everyday scene.
Fortunately, the tables and chairs are sturdy. Because, during such situations, the other customers would either move the chairs and tables to form an empty field, or stand atop the chair and shout.
In a bar drowned with laughter and joy, there'll definitely be a gorgeous owner behind the counter. As to whom that boss is, that would be me.
I reclined behind the counter and looked at the two men. With sleeves rolled up and an obstinate expression on those red-faces, both of them are going head-on because of a small issue.
And that small issue would be whose hair is more yellowish. The conclusion? Those two would be having a manly face-off to determine whose alcohol-tolerance is greater.
Seeing these two childish fellows, I couldn't help but shake my head and rest on my chin while I watch them.
"Boss! Give me 2 more cup of beer! Make sure they're the biggest cups!"
"Coming~"
Two large cups of beer filled with white foam were sent to the two people from the barrel, while the onlookers watched the two people swallowing beer continuously for a long time.
"Oh oh oh oh! Drink up!!!!"
The friendship between drunkards is as elusive as the mood of drunkards. After a smooth drink, the two men, who had their swords drawn, leaned shoulder to shoulder and belched at each other with strong alcohol.
"Hey! Don't throw up in my store! Get out! Go out and vomit!"
I pinched my nose as I waved my hand while laughing at the two men who obviously lost their brains from drinking. I couldn't help laughing and filled them both a bowl of hot soup.
"Eh!!!! We'll be very sad if you say that, Boss--!"
"Boss, I want your soup too!"
"You two are so cunning! I want it, too!!!!"
"Leave now, there's too much people here. Remember to pay!"
The doorbell hanging on the door jingled.
The drunken people walked away with each other.
Standing at the door and waving goodbye to them, I returned to the pub to clean up the bottles of wine that were smashed on the table. This is the last job I usually do every day.
Suddenly, accompanied by the sound of the bell behind me, the wooden door was pushed open. I muttered in my heart that next time I had to let those guys kick the door when they drank too much to change a new door for me. Without turning my head back, I said.
"Sorry, it's closed. Please come early tomorrow."
"Borscht. It's me."
II. Formal Wear
The person didn't leave after hearing my words. The heel stepped on the ground with a muffled sound.
It wasn't the voice of the rude drunks that I was used to.
The voice was a bit out of place with this slightly shabby pub, with a noble aristocratic value.
The smile at the corner of my mouth had narrowed slightly, and I took a breath and put down the rag in my hand.
"This is the list of recent clients and their wishes." After I walked to the wine cabinet, I handed in several small paper bags that were deeper than the money box.
I looked at the man in front of me who couldn't shake off his nobility in every move, and supported his chin.
"Hello, have you chosen yet?" My dear Mr. Spaghetti? I'm going to have to start business here tomorrow."
"The client needs to be carefully selected."
"Good, you're the boss. You have the final say."
I forgot to mention that I have a small part-time job besides the tavern boss.
Just now, the man with a face full of "I'm an aristocrat" is the boss behind me. My job is to collect some information for him.
Whether it is the information of the person who needs to achieve their wish or the information he needs, it can be obtained from me.
I licked my lips and sat down on the seat behind the wine cabinet. With my chin in my hands, I stared at the luxurious clothes on the man who was bowing his head and examining the entrusted commissions carefully. My thoughts drifted away.
Once upon a time, my Master Attendant had worn such a coat, but she went to the end step by step.
My Master Attendant is the only daughter of the family of the Supreme Authority, the daughter of the aristocratic totalitarian.
The use of eating and dressing were all delicate. Even the tableware used for dining has to be a masterpiece.
I am her Food Soul.
Being regarded as her sister, I naturally need not venture out like other Food Souls.
I just need to be like another princess and accompany her every day in her house.
If the temperature of the black tea is not right, I can taste it with a special tongue. Even if a pinch of sugar is added to the dessert, it will be too tiring to eat.
Master Attendant told me that a qualified aristocrat shouldn't wear the same dress every morning and afternoon.
Every time you go to the ball, you have to make a new dress. Each dress must be paired with the latest jewelry.
And the feather fans in hand must be made of rare bird feathers, inlaid with the best gems. That's enough for me.
We are so spoiled that we are the focus of everyone's attention at every dance.
Countless aristocratic men want to please us in various ways.
And the first dance of each ball will be their target.
Now that I think about it.
The feeling of being sought after makes people intoxicated, lost and even unable to recognize the reality.
At that time, I still didn't understand that our graceful and luxurious dresses, extravagant jewelry, and layers of lace skirts were under stacks of incomparable power.
The direction they pursue has never shown us in hangers.
III. Awakened
All day long, we lingered in the dances, and the gorgeous dancing skirts bring layers of waves in the dance music.
We enjoy the privileges that civilians never dare to imagine, indulging in other people's admiration or envy.
Such a life is like a dream.
It seems that I will never wake up, but I'll wake up at any time. We didn't think that we would be awakened in such a cruel way.
On that day, people in plain and patched layers rushed into our dance party.
Everything seemed to remind us of the screams and the cracking of porcelain.
Your dreams are over.
My Master Attendant and I ran hard under the protection of the guards.
However, wide skirts is not suitable for such an action, and high heels on the feet sprained the ankles after a few steps and had to be discarded.
We didn't feel any pain when our soft feet ran on the smooth marble floor.
But when we left the house after captivity, the gravel on the ground soon broke through our feet.
The pain that I almost never experienced after birth made the beautiful eyes of Master Attendant quickly fill with tears.
But the horrible crowd behind us made it impossible for us to stop.
The gorgeous skirts on our bodies were gradually covered with all kinds of debris, and the outer layer of the tulle was already ripped.
Master Attendant fell because of her long skirt, and she rubbed her smooth and soft calf.
The delicate hairstyles on our heads were also scattered from the running, and the jewel-studded hair ornaments were in a flurry and wondered where they were going.
Even in such a mess, we dare not stop our pace.
One by one, the guards of her father fell down, and the nobles who fled with us were caught one by one in anger.
The clothes on my body were ripped, and my favorite skirt had became a hindrance.
I gritted my teeth and used the dagger left by the guard to tear open my long skirt. I pulled Master Attendant to hide in the snow-covered forest.
Behind us, people shouting angrily with torches woke us up from our dreams.
However, we woke up too early and too late.
The dream that should have been going on forever was cut by the people who can no longer be oppressed with the tools of their own hands, and we will be awaken by these cold hands.
And when we wake up, we will have no time to escape the hand that holds us so hard that we can't breathe.
Master Attendant and I held our breath and avoided the crowd behind us in this icy sheet.
The sound of the crowd's footsteps gradually went away. We just breathed a sigh of relief, but we saw a white eagle standing on a branch not far away, looking at us coldly.
White eagle.
"Borscht?"
I suddenly came back to the present, and recovered from the cold tears in my eyes.
I looked at Spaghetti standing in front of me with some doubts, and I barely pulled out a smile.
No matter how long it took, I couldn’t forget those eagle's eyes.
Spaghetti handed me his chosen client and patted me on the shoulder.
"I took her commission, and you arrange a time for us to meet."
I nodded somewhat absentmindedly, and the eyes that frequently appeared in nightmares kept my heart beating violently.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Go back soon."
"Well then, you make an appointment to inform me in the old way. I'm leaving first, your face isn't good, so take good care of your body, and don't let it affect our work."
"Hmm, no, it won't.''
I took hold of my still shaking hands and took a deep breath.
I am relieved with the familiar aroma of wine in the air.
It’s alright. It's over.
Now I'm not the only one who could exist as an expensive ornament at that time.
IV. Love
As a Food Soul, I don't know what kind of things love is for.
It seems to possess magic, that it can make the timid courageous, but it is also the most common lie of the fraudsters.
The newly selected client of Spaghetti is a very cute girl.
The girl has beautiful long, curly blond hair, a lovely bow behind her head, and was wearing my favorite gorgeous dress from the past.
Even though her appearance was obscured by a black robe, people like her was a rare breed on the pub's streets.
She stood timidly at the entrance of the door, looking out carefully at the still-busy pub, her young face under the hood was filled with curiosity.
It's another child who is being pampered.
Most of the big old men in the pub have never seen such fine skin and tender flesh.
They held their breath and tried to carefully ask the rare guest in their gentlest voice.
"Hello? What are you doing here?"
"I...I..."
I watched the girl who was frightened by the crowd and was about to cry, and couldn't help but remember.
In the past, my Master Attendant and I also had the appearance of this kind of weakness.
"Go, go, go, you all get out of my way! Don't frighten my guest. I'm closing early today."
"Eh!!!! How come!! I haven't even finished drinking yet!! "
"Today's drinks are free of charge, get out quickly!!"
"Good! Don't repent, Madam Boss!''
I raised my hand and took the girl into my arms, driving away the drunkards who were embarrassed because they were frightening to her.
Looking at the girl who finally settled down and sipped water in a wine glass, I couldn't help but open my mouth.
"Sorry, I don't have a teacup, only wine glasses. But you'll calm down. Can you tell me what you're entrusting us with?''
The girl gradually became reassured in the quiet pub. She gave me a grateful look, put down her glass and laughed shyly.
"Me? I came for my lover and my father." The girl's white face was flushed with embarrassment, and she told her story in detail.
Although her family was not as rich as my Master Attendant, she is still a lady of some family.
She fell in love with a servant who was quite different from her position, and the servant was also deeply in love with her.
However, her father would never agree with her that such a person who was totally unsuitable for her family was to become his son-in-law, and quickly decided on a rich and powerful fiance for her in order to lose her love interest.
Just as she was desperate, she heard our rumors and had the courage to fight for another slim chance for her love.
"Oh, I like my father the most. Although he is very strict, I know he is for my own good, but I also love him very much. I don't want to be separated from him."
The girl who said that was smiling faintly.
"I hope that we can live together in harmony and that he can be accepted by my father."
I looked at her longing smile and couldn't help wanting to speak.
But before I could say anything, the door was pushed open again and Spaghetti had came in.
"You are the client. Come on, let's talk inside."
It can be said that if Spaghetti wanted to be disguised, he will still be a handsome guy enough for all the young girls to be able to narrate their difficulties.
I saw Spaghetti pass by me, looking into my eyes with a hint of warning, and I tightened my lips helplessly.
I just wanted to tell her.
Her love may not be so pure from the beginning.
In addition to the power of her descendants, my Master Attendant also had an excellent appearance.
It seems like a matter of course that men were obsessed with her.
However, when we were discovered in that cold place, the whole world began to collapse.
Or... this was nothing but a false empty shell.
We were detained in that little prison and brought back to the house that was originally our paradise.
At that time, we saw men who had been crazy in pursuit of the rulers.
They surrendered their rights and most of their wealth in the first place, preserving their vacant status and security.
Master Attendant seized the hand of one of the more gentle people and asked him to save us.
The man, however, was not gentle as in the past and threw away her hand.
"If it weren't for your father's promise, your husband has inherited all his property rights. Who would like to chase such a difficult young lady like you?" In such a simple sentence, the body, which had been frozen by the weather in the wilderness, was completely frozen even in the heart.
The sweet words that once used to be like honey, at this time, was a knife made out of ice inserted into the heart.
This sentence is like the beginning of all nightmares.
Love is nothing more than a fraudster's most common lie.
V. Borscht
There was once a country ruled by nobles who enjoyed most of the country's resources and privileges.
The brutality of the rulers gave birth to a breeding ground for the revolution.
When a ruler holds a weapon in his hand, the overthrow of privileges is only a matter of overnight.
At the top of the privileged class, there was a lady of nobility who, as a Master Attendant, never had to fight in dangerous battles.
Her Food Soul was taken in as her sister, and was brought up together in a luxurious and astonishing mansion.
They are like two princesses in the high court who have never experienced hardship. They are sought after by people and enjoy high esteem and privilege.
Such a delicate flower is the center of anger among the people in the revolution.
——When we work in the hot summers and cold winters, you are wasting the food we worked for.
——When we are hungry and cold, you will destroy a set of useless clothes as garbage.
——When our daughters lost their lives because of illness, you are at the same age as them while enjoying the pursuit of men drunkenly at a dance.
Even though the father of the noble lady tried his best to let all the guards protect the daughter who had been kept in the golden bird cage by him, all this was in vain.
The fine armor and the sharp weapons can't withstand the farm tools that countless laborers hold high.
In a short period of time, their own world completely collapsed.
This is really unbearable for the aristocratic lady who has never experienced the storm.
She laughed and cried, and at the end, she regained her former arrogance and severely bit the blood vessels on her wrist with her own teeth.
Even if they did something wrong, they also had to retain the dignity of their nobility when they leave. Their pride is by no means inviolable to civilians.
Borscht cried and wanted to cover the bone-deep wound on her Master Attendant's wrist.
Suffering can make people grow up, but for Borscht and her Master Attendant, the cost of growing up was too heavy.
The noble lady grew up in this moment. She touched Borscht's cheek and expressed her apology for Borscht before she was about to leave.
"Borscht, don't cry, I taught you aristocracy, to have the appearance of aristocracy, to have the pride of aristocracy, you have to live well...instead of me... "
Borscht cried, but also clenched her teeth.
She will always remember the eagle's eyes.
It was a girl with an eagle, and her eyes were as cold as the eagle's.
It was as cold as if she didn't deserve to be in her eyes.
Under her sight, Borscht thought that she could not let go, but the next moment she turned and simply left her, inexplicably grateful.
However, the follow-up soldiers who followed her immediately broke her hopes almost instantly.
Borscht, clenching her teeth, suddenly recalled the indifferent Food Soul. She still wondered why she would let her go so simply.
It turned out to be... just to play the game of catching mice.
But today, you let me go, one day, you will regret!
With a deep hatred, Borscht didn't know how she was holding her weak body, and she didn't know how she supported it.
With this hatred, Borscht grew up in a short time.
However, when she wanted to go back to the hell for revenge, those who became her nightmare had already left.
Even the country that was subsequently founded has long been shattered.
The purposeless Borscht was then in a sudden position, grabbing the hand that Spaghetti had extended to her with confusion.
"If you don't know what to do, listen to me, I will give you directions."
Like the arrogance written in the bones of the Master Attendant, the confident smile and the gentle smile of the Master Attendant have somehow overlapped.
"Okay..."
Today, in the little pub in Nevras, business is still booming.
Along with the sound of the door that was pushed open by the bell, a beautiful white eagle appeared first in everyone's field of vision.
Then there was a clean and pleasant voice, with some indifference.
"A glass of vodka with ice. Thank you."
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Contents of this page has been fan-translated by cakerollkarol and may not be completely accurate. Official translations will be added whenever it's available. |
I. Bar
There’s a little town in Nevras with a certain bar.
It has an aged wooden sign with a big wine barrel engraved upon it. There’s no elegant melodies playing, and the people coming in and out are mostly swaying, red-faced drunkards.
The bar also had sturdy wooden tables that could endure smashes. When the door opens, a burst of alcoholic fumes blows by, as if even the air is trying to get people drunk.
Customers lacking all manners hold their drinks up high, cheering and jumping for joy at the smallest of things.
People barely acquainted with one another could forge a friendship all thanks to a glass of alcohol.
Draped in long, grey, wind-blown robes were the rushing travelers. These tired journeymen sometimes carried either a sword or a staff. Friendly customers didn’t care whether they’ve met before or not. They’d pull their new companion for a swig of the bar’s special brew.
Though the special brew here isn’t pricey, its flavor was rich.
The food laid out on the table are mostly simple and rustic meat dishes. Huge bites of meat, large gulps of booze, a commonplace sight, as it was their typical diet.
Of course, in a place filled with drunkards, conflict is inevitable.
Two ruddy and intoxicated brutes are fighting because of some trivial matter, practically an everyday occurrence.
It’s a good thing the bar’s tables were tough, a godsend for times like these, when drinking buddies would pull away the table and chairs to clear out space, or stand atop chairs to loudly jeer.
This bar, filled with laughter everyday, wouldn’t even function without the beautiful owner, standing behind the bar counter.
And I am that bar’s owner.
I reclined behind the bar counter, watching those two red-faced men act up, rolling up their sleeves because of some nonsense.
Ah, the two of them were discussing whose hair was more blonde. They came to the conclusion that they must engage in a duel between men. —–A drinking contest.
I couldn’t help but shake my head at those two childish drunkards, propping my hand under my chin as I watched the commotion.
“Miss barkeep!! Two more glasses! The biggest glass!”
“Coming~ Coming~”
I filled up two pints of beer, brimming with white bubbles from the barrel, and sent the pints to those two. Bystanders continually jeered as they watched the two relentlessly gulp the beer down.
“Oooooooh!!! He’s finished!!!!”
Friendships between drunkards are as indecipherable as the feelings of a drunkard. After a smooth drink, the two men, originally champing at the bit to go at each other, had draped themselves around each others’ shoulders. The two, leaning against one another, were both belching and vomiting, while reeking of alcohol.
“Hey hey hey! Don’t puke in my shop! If you have to puke, do it outside! Puke outside!”
I pinched my nose as I waved my hand, mockingly berating the brainless men. I couldn’t help but smile as I ladled them both a bowl of hot soup.
“Hey!!! You hurt our feelings saying that, ma’am!”
“Ma’am, I want the soup you made too!”
“The two of you’re so sly!! I want some too!!!!”
“Go away, scram, who said I have that much, and hey, remember to pay up!”
The bell hanging on the door swayed, ringing.
People who’d drunk themselves into a state supported one another as they left.
After I finished waving them goodbye at the door, I returned to the bar to clean up the beer bottles and glasses, crookedly toppled over the tables. Usually, this was my last task at the end of the day.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang, the noise accompanied by the sound of the wooden door pushing open with a creak. I internally muttered about making those fellows who liked to kick my door when they were plastered replace it. I didn’t even turn my head around to address the newcomer.
“Sorry, but we’re closed for the night, please come earlier tomorrow.”
“Borscht. It’s me.”
II. Formal Wear
The newcomer did not leave upon hearing my words. There was the muffled sound of heels stepping on the ground.
What drifted into my ears was not the voice of rough drunken men that I’d gotten used to. That voice and this slightly crude bar were somewhat incompatible, as the voice carried the conceited nature of an aristocrat.
The smile originally at the corner of my lips slightly weakened, and I let out a long sigh as I put away the rag in my hand.
“This is the list of the recent commissioners’ names and their wishes.”
After I walked behind the bar counter, I brought out small pieces of paper, buried deeper inside the money box than the money itself, and handed them to the newcomer.
I watched the man in front of me, who can’t seem to drop his haughty air from his every move, prop a hand under his chin.
“Hey, are you done choosing yet? My dearest Mr. Spaghetti? I have to open the bar tomorrow too.”
“Commissioners need to be carefully picked.”
“Fine, fine. You’re the boss, whatever you say.”
I forgot to mention, aside from owning a bar, I also have a part time job.
The fellow from just now, with “I’m royalty” written all over his face, he’s my boss from behind the scene. My job is to help him collect information.
It doesn’t matter if it’s about the wishful commissioners’ information, or needed intel, it can all be collected here.
I pouted as I went behind the bar counter and took a seat on a chair. Both my hands cupped my chin as I watched that person, dressed in luxurious refinery, lower his head to thoroughly inspect the commissions one by one. My thoughts gradually drifted afar.
Once upon a time, my Master Attendant had also worn this kind of regalia. However, she walked step after step towards her demise.
My Master Attendant was the daughter of someone who held the greatest power, the courtly daughter of totalitarians.
The expenditure for clothes and food was nothing less than lavish, even the dining utensils are all expertly crafted luxuries.
I was her Food Soul.
I, who was regarded as a little sister to my Master Attendant, naturally had no need to venture out into danger like other Food Souls.
All I needed to do was act like any other princess, accompanying my Master Attendant, staying by my side as we went through everyday life confined in the mansion.
If the black tea’s temperature had even the slightest difference, my refined delicate palate could detect it in one sip; if the dessert contained a pinch more of sugar, the flavor would be so rich that it was impossible for me to put it into my mouth.
Master Attendant once told me, a worthy noble cannot wear the same skirt in a single day’s morning and afternoon.
Everytime we partook in a ball, we must get a new skirt made, and every skirt needs a matching set of the latest jewels.
The feather fan in my hands also needed to be made from feathers of rare birds, mosaicked with the best gemstones. Only then do they suit me.
And so, my pampered Master Attendant and I became the focal point at every ball, for every guest.
Countless noblemen would use all sorts of methods to please and fawn over us.
Thus, my Master and I’s first dance at every ball would always be the impetus for the noblemen’s squabbles.
Thinking back now, that feeling of being pursued, aside from how intoxicating it was, it could also make one lose themselves so much that they’re unable to discern what is real.
The me from back then did not yet understand that the opulent clothes Master and I wore, the ostentatious jewels, the layers of lace dresses hid incomparable power.
Their chase was never directed towards my Master and I, who were more like dress mannequins than people.
III. Wide Awake
My Master and I would spend all day at those balls, reluctant to leave. Flamboyant dancing gowns lifted into cascading billows, synced with the dance music.
We indulged in privileges that commoners wouldn’t dare to imagine, immersing ourselves in the adoring, envious eyes of others.
This life was akin to a fantasy world.
It’s as if we could never wake up, yet simultaneously, could awaken at any moment.
We would’ve never thought we’d be awoken so cruelly.
That day, people dressed in patched, unadorned clothes stormed into our ball.
The sound of shrieks and porcelain breaking seem to be all calling for our attention.
Our dream came to an end.
Master Attendant and I managed to escape under the protection of the imperial guards.
However, the wide hemlines of our skirts were not suited for this kind of movement, the heels on our feet sprained our ankles after a few steps, and I had no choice but to toss them aside.
We felt no pain on the supple arches of our feet when we were running on the smooth marble floor.
But once we left that small, captive manor, the gravel was quick to pierce our feet.
My Master Attendant had barely experienced pain since the day she was born. Her beautiful eyes quickly welled up with tears.
But the terrifying mob behind us made it impossible for us to stop running.
As we ran, the luxurious skirts on our bodies were gradually ripped and torn by various objects, and the chiffon of the outer layer was completely destroyed early on.
My Master fell from her excessively long skirt, and scraped the skin of her smooth and lithe calf.
The refined hairstyles on our heads also fell apart as we fled; the gemstones embedded in our hair accessories disappeared somewhere while we were in the midst of panic.
Even in our piteous state, we didn’t dare stop our pace.
The personal guards of Master Attendant’s father’s fell one after another, and during the raging chaos, the nobles running alongside Master and I were caught.
The clothes on our bodies were utterly ruined, and the once beloved wide skirts became a handicap instead.
Gritting my teeth, I used the dagger left behind by the imperial guard to cut away at the long skirt, then pulled Master Attendant away to hide in the snowy, ice-covered forest.
The people behind us, furiously yelling as they held up burning torches, startled Master and I awake from our beautiful dream.
However, we awoke too early but also too late.
This dream that should’ve been eternal was broken by the farming tools of those who could no longer endure their oppression. The pampered Master and I were pitched awake by ice cold hands.
But now awakened, we were too late to escape from those very hands, strangling us.
In the midst of an icy plain, Master Attendant and I held our breath as we hid from the crowd behind us.
The sound of the mob’s footsteps gradually grew distant, and we’d only just let out a sigh when we spotted, on a tree branch not too far away from where we stood, coldly watching us was…
A white hawk.
“Borscht?”
When I suddenly snapped back, my back had broke out in cold sweat from those eyes.
I looked at Spaghetti, standing before me and suspiciously looking back, and I forced myself to smile.
No matter how much time has passed, I can never find a way to forget that pair of eagle eyes.
Spaghetti then passed the commissioner he selected to me and patted my shoulder.
“I’ve accepted her commission, go arrange a meeting time for us.”
I absentmindedly nodded; those eyes, a recurring image in my nightmares, my heart relentlessly beating against my chest.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing. You should hurry back.”
“Right then, you schedule a time and use the same method to notify me. I’m leaving first, you don’t look that well. Take care of yourself, don’t let it affect our work.”
“Yeah, that won’t happen.”
I held onto both my slightly trembling hands, and sucked in a deep breath.
The familiar smell of alcohol in the air eased me.
There’s nothing to worry about, it’s all in the past.
The me of today is no longer an expensive decoration.
IV. Love
As a Food Soul, I don’t understand what kind of feelings romantic love can bring.
It’s as though love possessed magical powers. It can make a coward muster up courage, yet at the same time, love is also a conman’s most frequently used lie.
Spaghetti’s newly picked commissioner is a cute young girl.
She had a head full of long, slightly curly, pale golden locks. A cute bow was pinned to the back of her head; she was even wearing a gorgeous dress that the old me would’ve liked.
Even though she was using a long black robe to disguise herself, someone like her on the streets of my bar was a rare sight.
She timidly stood at the door of the bar, carefully lifting her head to look around the still neat bar. The hood of her robe revealed a puerile face full of curiosity.
Yet another coddled child again.
Even most of the boots inside the bar have never seen this kind of pampered aristocrat.
They held onto their breath, and did their best to use their most gentle voice to quietly ask this unusual guest:
“Hello? What did you come here for?”
“I…I…”
The young girl looked ready to cry, and I, watching, couldn’t help reminiscing.
Don’t tell me Master Attendant and I looked as weak as this back then……
“Scram, make way! Stop scaring my patron already, we’re closing early today, closing early!”
“Ey!!! What’s the big idea!! We’re not finished drinking yet!!”
“Today’s drinks are free, now shoo! Shoo!”
“Alright, alright! Don’t go back on your word, ma’am!”
I raised my hand and hugged the girl close to me, driving off those drunkards, looking sheepish for frightening the girl.
Watching the girl finally relax and cup the alcohol glass with both her hands, I couldn’t help but open my mouth.
“I’m sorry, I don’t have any tea cups here, only drink glasses. Can you tell me what exactly you’re commissioning us for?”
The girl had eventually relaxed from the now quiet bar. She appreciatively glanced at me, put down the glass in her hands, and bashfully smiled.
“Me? I’m here for the sake of my lover and my father.”
A red blush rose onto her pale delicate face, and she looked embarrassed as she detailed her story.
Her family wasn’t as well off as my Master was, but she was still a girl who hailed from a wealthy household.
She fancied a servant from a completely different class compared to her own, and that servant reciprocated her love.
But no matter what, her father would never let this servant, completely incompatible with her lineage, become his son-in-law. Furthermore, he’s decided on an affluent fiancé for her to make her give up.
Just as she was about to lose hope, she caught word of the rumors surrounding Spaghetti and I. Mustering up her courage, she decided to fight once more for an uncertain chance for the sake of her love.
“I… like my father a lot. Even though he’s strict, I also know he’s doing this for my own good. But I also really love my beau, and I don’t want to separate.”
As she said that, a faint smile spread across her face.
“I wish we can live together in harmony, and that he’ll be accepted by my father.”
I looked at her longing smile and couldn’t keep myself from saying something.
But before the words could leave my mouth, the door was once again pushed open, and Spaghetti has already walked inside.
“You must be the commissioner. Come, we’ll talk in the back.”
One could say that if Spaghetti desired so, he was a man with enough charm to make any sheltered young girl feel relaxed enough to spill out all their troubles.
I watched Spaghetti walk past me, and the look he gave me held a warning. I reluctantly pursed my lips together.
I just wanted to tell her.
From the very beginning, her love has never been pure.
Aside from her prominent background, my Master was also born with superb beauty.
The men’s infatuation with her seemed like the norm.
However, after we were discovered in that freezing place, our entire world started crumbling down.
Or rather… it had always been nothing but a false shell, holding nothing.
We were locked up inside that tiny prisoner transport, then brought back to the mansion, once our paradise.
At that time, we also saw the men who used to crazedly pursue my Master Attendant.
In the first hour, we handed over our rights and much of our assets, to ensure we would retain our safety and now empty status.
Master Attendant grabbed onto the hand of one of the men, the one who treated us with the most kindness, begging for him to save us.
But that man was not as gentle as he’d been before when he shook off her hand.
“If it weren’t for your father’s promise to let your husband inherit all his fortune and power, who would willingly go after a hard to please and spoiled little miss like you.”
With just a simple sentence like that, it further froze up our bodies, already cold from the weather in the wilderness, so much so that even our hearts became ice.
The once honeyed words were akin to knives of ice ruthlessly piercing through the heart.
It’s like this sentence started all of the nightmares that followed after.
Love is nothing more but a liar’s most used lie.
V. Borscht
There once was a country ruled by nobles. They enjoyed much of the country’s resources and privileges.
The ruler’s cruelty gave way to the birth of a revolution.
When the ruler held his weapon so high, overthrowing his power was a matter of one evening’s revolt.
And at the very top of this ruling class was a noble lady. She was a Cooking Attendant, but she never had to engage in those dangerous battles.
She regarded her Food Soul as her own little sister, and together, they lived a plush life in that astoundingly sumptuous mansion.
Not once did they experience hardship; like two princesses in a tower, pursued by all and living a life of luxury.
Such a coddled flower, of course, became the center of the revolutionaries’ fury.
When we were risking ourselves working in freezing cold and scorching heat, you were recklessly wasting the food of our labor.
When we were suffering from cold and hunger, you destroyed useless finery like they were garbage.
When our daughters died from illness, your girls, the same age as them, enjoyed a hedonistic [1] life at balls, reveling in the attention of suitors.
The noble lady’s father raised her in the captivity of a golden bird cage, and did his best to have all the imperial guards go defend his daughter, all for nothing.
No matter how sophisticated the armor, no matter how sharp the weapons, they could neither withstand nor stop the countless laborers and the farming tools they held.
Within a short span of time, their world completely crumbled down.
For a noble lady who’s never gone through any trials or tribulations, it was quite difficult to endure.
She laughed, she cried. But ultimately, she regained her previous haughtiness and used her own teeth to ruthlessly bite through the blood vein on her wrist.
Even if it was them that did wrong, they would still leave behind their noble dignity when they passed. Their pride could not be violated by peasants.
Borscht wept as she thought about trying to cover the deep wound on her Master’s wrist, deep enough to see bone.
Suffering makes one grow, but for Borscht and her Master, the price of growth was far too severe.
In this unforeseen event, the noble lady matured instantly. She stroked Borscht’s cheek as she apologized to Borscht, facing the imminent departure of a beloved one.
“Don’t cry, Borscht. I taught you this before: a noble must retain their noble appearance, a noble must have the pride of a noble. You have to continue living…in my place…”
Borscht sobbed as she gritted her teeth.
She will forever remember that pair of eagle eyes.
The person who carried the eagle, her eyes were as cold as the eagle’s.
Cold, as if Borscht didn’t deserve to be in her sights.
Judging from what she’s seen, Borscht believed she’d never be freed. But the Food Soul simply turned around and left a second later, leaving her inexplicably grateful.
However, the pursuing soldiers that appeared immediately afterwards instantly shattered her hope.
Borscht, gritting her teeth, suddenly remembering that cold Food Soul; it was suspicious how she simply let her go like that.
It turns out… this was nothing more than a game of cat and mouse…
By letting me go today, you will regret it one day!
Feeling deep hatred, Borscht didn’t know what came over her, she didn’t know how she supported her weak body, nor did she know how she managed to brace herself, little by little.
Borscht relied on this hate, and she quickly matured.
But when she thought about going back to that hell for revenge, the people who became her nightmare have long gone.
Even the country established soon afterwards was also long ago destroyed.
While a purposeless Borscht was in a dazed state, she grabbed Spaghetti’s outstretched hand in front of her.
“If you don’t know what to do, then listen to me, I’ll give you directions.”
Like the arrogance instilled in her Master and the others’ bones, she didn’t know why that confident smile and her Master’s warm smile dazedly overlapped together.
“Okay……”
Present day, business is still booming for that little bar in Nevras.
The bell hanging on the door rang as the opened door knocked against it. A beautiful, white hunting eagle appeared first in everyone’s sight.
What followed was a clean, captivating, and yet, somewhat cold voice.
“A glass of vodka with ice. Thanks.”
Notes
- ↑ Translator’s Note: The proverb used here is 醉生梦死, a lotus-eating lifestyle, which means ‘to lead a befuddled life as though intoxicated or drunk in a dream’
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| Togi Node I - Attack | |
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After an attack, Borscht gives self (10, 13, 17, 21, 25, 29, 35, 41, 49, 60) pts of Energy. 45s CD. |
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After attacking, deals an extra (31, 41, 52, 63, 76, 89, 105, 125, 149, 180)% ATK to all enemies, with a 12s CD. |
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After an attack, boosts all allies' basic atk dmg (7, 9.2, 11.7, 14.2, 16.9, 19.8, 23.4, 27.8, 33.2, 40)%, lasting 4s. 12s CD. |
| Togi Node II - HP | |
|---|---|
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Boosts basic atk dmg (7, 9.2, 11.7, 14.2, 16.9, 19.8, 23.4, 27.8, 33.2, 40)%. Basic atks have a 30% chance to deal (5.2, 6.9, 8.8, 10.6, 12.6, 14.8, 17.5, 20.9, 24.9, 30)% ATK as continuous skill dmg to the nearest two enemies for 4s (10s CD). |
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Boosts basic atk dmg (7, 9.2, 11.7, 14.2, 16.9, 19.8, 23.4, 27.8, 33.2, 40)%. Basic atks have a 30% chance to deal (5.2, 6.9, 8.8, 10.6, 12.6, 14.8, 17.5, 20.9, 24.9, 30)% ATK as continuous skill dmg to the farthest two enemies for 4s (10s CD). |
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Boosts basic atk dmg (7, 9.2, 11.7, 14.2, 16.9, 19.8, 23.4, 27.8, 33.2, 40)%. Basic atks have a 30% chance to deal (8, 11, 14, 17, 21, 24, 29, 34, 41, 50)% ATK as continuous skill dmg to the nearest enemy for 4s (10s CD). |
| Togi Node III - Crit Rate | |
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Every 20s, the next 3 basic atks of all allies must crit, and allied basic atk dmg is boosted (7, 9, 12, 14, 17, 20, 24, 29, 34, 42)% for 4s. |
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Every 20s, any debuffs will be dispelled from all allies, and their ATK is boosted (17, 23, 29, 35, 42, 49, 58, 69, 83, 100)% for 6s. |
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Every 20s, all allies recover (14, 18, 23, 28, 33, 39, 46, 55, 66, 80) pts of Energy and their skill dmg is boosted (5.2, 6.9, 8.8, 10.6, 12.6, 14.8, 17.5, 20.9, 24.9, 30)% for 4s. |
| Togi Node IV - Crit Dmg | |
|---|---|
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In battle, one's skill dmg is boosted (1.7, 2.3, 2.9, 3.5, 4.2, 4.9, 5.8, 6.9, 8.3, 10)%. |
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In battle, one's basic atk dmg is boosted (2.6, 3.4, 4.4, 5.3, 6.3, 7.4, 8.7, 10.4, 12.4, 15)%. |
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In battle, all of one's dmg is boosted (1.4, 1.85, 2.35, 2.84, 3.38, 3.96, 4.68, 5.57, 6.65, 8)%. |
| Togi Node V - Attack | |
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Basic Skill Bonus Effect: Deals (21, 27, 35, 42, 50, 59, 70, 83, 99, 120)% ATK as skill dmg to the nearest enemy. |
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Basic Skill Bonus Effect: Deals (8, 11, 14, 17, 21, 24, 29, 34, 41, 50)% ATK as skill dmg to the nearest two enemies. |
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Basic Skill Bonus Effect: Deals (5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, 17, 20, 24, 30)% ATK as skill dmg to the nearest enemy. Deals a second hit at (26, 34, 44, 53, 63, 74, 87, 104, 124, 150)% ATK if target's HP is below 40%. |