Banica Conchita

"Hey there, servant. I wonder what you taste like?"

- Banica to Pollo

Banica Conchita, regarded as both Gourmet Noble Banica and Evil Food Eater Conchita, was a Duke of the Beelzenian Empire. Obsessed with food since an early age, the curious Banica made a contract with the Demon of Gluttony to taste all the foods in the world, leading her to eat the most grotesque foods imaginable. In pursuit of her obsession, she eventually devoured herself and the demon with her, becoming the new Demon of Gluttony.

Early Life
Banica was born in November, EC 296, the daughter of Muzuri and Meguru Conchita. During the birthday celebration, her parents and their staff ate the baemu pig that appeared among the gifts; soon after, servants began dying and it was learned the household had contracted the Gula disease. Because of the epidemic plaguing them, Banica was forced by her mother to eat everything she was given, scolding her when she had leftovers and stuffing them down her throat. After a famine swept across the area, Banica watched as her father killed Meguru during their struggle for his sword in March of EC 306.

With her mother's death, Banica fell into a depression and locked herself up in the basement's food storage. Lonely and uncomfortable in the room, she met Arte and Pollo, her new servants, at that time. Over the course of the summer, they became close friends. Five years later, in June, she was betrothed to Carlos Marlon, the third prince of Marlon, and the two became acquainted with each other. As a result of Banica's disturbing eating habits, the Marlon Royal Family dissolved the engagement in February of the following year. Returning home from her "failure", Banica immersed herself in food. At some point, Banica was told that a Demon had caused the deaths of all their servants, save for the head chamberlain, Ron Grapple, and her mother's desperation and ultimate demise.

Pursuit of Delights
"If that's the case, then I regret nothing. I believe I have already tasted almost all the cuisine of the world."

- Banica

Because of the constant food shortages occurring throughout the Beelzenian Empire, Banica embarked on a journey abroad in January of EC 316 and traveled to numerous foreign countries, searching for the best crop-growing and food-preserving methods to solve Beelzenia's problem. Discovering many new cuisines in her studies, the Beelzenian aristocrat brought back these new foods and their recipes to the Empire, radically increasing the domestic foods in the country. During Grabia's harvest festival held in August of EC 319, Banica arrived unannounced and participated in its tomato eating competition, winning by an overwhelming majority. Because of her contributions to the ailing Empire, Empress Juno returned control of the Conchitas family's territory to Banica and the young noble became well regarded as "Gourmet Noble Banica".

Two years later, her father died of a heart attack in August. Empress Juno, having custody over the family's territories, nominated Banica as her father's successor and she took up his title as one of the Five Dukes. Immediately afterwards, Conchita took increasing comfort in her dining hall and frequently ate there, stricken with grief by the loss of her father. At some point, she began developing a new wine dubbed "Blood Grave" with the cooperation of the local farmers for a certain someone. Sometime later, she learned that person had died.

Tasting Temptation
"Take away food from you, and what's that leave?"

- The Demon of Gluttony to Banica

In July of EC 323, Banica embarked on another journey, but swiftly returned after hearing that Ron had gone missing. The next day, Banica collapsed and was diagnosed with "visceral abnormalities" due to her self-abusive eating and confined to her bed. That evening, she reminisced fondly over the time she had spent eating when a voice rang in the room, asking what was left after taking away food from her. Physically unable to leave her bed, Banica managed to sit herself upright to see an apparition descend from the ceiling. After it introduced itself, the noble asked how it knew of her and it replied that it was a demon. Calmly asking if it was taking her to the afterlife, it responded that she would die in six months due to her eating habits.

Hearing this, Banica stated she was satisfied, believing she had tasted nearly all of the world's foods. When asked about this, she explained that she only regretted not having tasted the baemu of the Tasan territories; remembering Blood Grave, she admitted dying before its completion was difficult but that she was left uncertain since the person she was making it for had died. The demon then revealed she had only tasted half of the world's food, ignorant of the world of the "ultimate" foods. Intrigued, Banica noted how she would die in six months regardless and the demon offered her a contract to avoid her death and be able to partake in that unknown world.

The Duke remarked about the simplicity of the matter and, as the demon continued to goad her, promptly refused on account how her mother and the entire staff had previously been killed by a demon. As the Demon argued that her father was her mother's actual murderer, Banica silenced it and demanded it leave her presence. The Demon complied but stated it'd leave something for her and Banica saw someone come into the now dark room and leave something by her bed. Told it was something she wanted, the Demon said that ingesting it would complete their contract and reasserted its first question to her before disappearing and she fell asleep.

Banica awoke the next day and noticed the filled wine glass by her bed. Recalling the previous night, the noble questioned the validity of the demon's words and grew curious of what was in the glass. Wondering if it was the still unfinished Blood Grave, she smelled its contents and recognized the scent of baemu blood in it. Consumed by her curiosity, the opsomaniac prepared to drink the fluid despite her protests. With the glass at her lips, Banica hesitated, reflecting on how much she dedicated her life to food, accepting the truth of the demon's words. Having waned between life and death for three days, Banica engulfed the drink and forged a contract with the Demon of Gluttony. Through the Demon's power, Banica's figure slimmed and she made a full recovery. With her newfound abilities, the revitalized gourmand began tasting the foods she had yet to have tried.

Declining Obsession
"Even in death, you annoy me."

- Banica to Ildebrando

At the mansion of Duke Oruhari, a banquet was held in November of that same year, celebrating her recovery. Banica, accompanied by her twin servants, arrived to participate at the banquet, surprising everyone with her new, thin body. During the festivities, she asked her servants to bring out her dessert, and they presented her with numerous live insects and spiders. Delighted, Banica ate them despite her audience's disgust with a calm yet noisy vigor.

By November of EC 324, Banica refused to meet with anyone on the grounds of her earlier illness, transferring the management and supervision of her territories to her two servants. After deserting herself from the outside world, Conchita became more and more attached to her dining hall. At some point, she used the glass to reanimate her family's former servants, having her undead army guard her mansion with Arte as their commander.

Starting in EC 325, Banica hired a number of cooks to serve her meals but, because they were disgusted with her appetite, became irritated with them soon after and had Arte and Pollo murder each chef, being served their corpses for her meals as punishment. After hiring and cannibalizing thirteen chefs, Banica hired her fourteenth cook, Ildebrando, but quickly became annoyed with his disgusted behavior too, ordering her servants to murder the useless cook.

In the middle of the night, Banica discovered the thief Platonic in her mansion, the red wine glass in hand. Amused to see a thief in her home, she took the glass from the terrified girl and noted that she was cute enough to eat. At that moment, a revived Ildebrando came from the stairs after the thief and, following a scuffle, Platonic escaped through the garden. With a smile, Banica expressed her disappointment that she escaped, telling her former cook that he annoyed her even in death. Grabbing his arms, she pinned him to the wall and he struggled, injuring her neck. As the bleeding stopped, Banica stated Ildebrando needed to be punished and opened her mouth. Questioning what he tasted like, the Duke devoured him.

Great Loves
"And the pigs! And the dogs! And the birds! And the ground! And the residence! And the town! And the country! And the continent! I want to eat it all, all! So I— shall devour all of this world!"

- Evil Food Eater Conchita

Afterwards, Banica hired the famed Joseph as her cook. At some point, she realized he was actually her former fiancé, Carlos. While drunk one night, she pulled on Carlos' sleeve, wishing for him to stay with her in bed and he inevitably complied. Spending the night with her beloved, Banica became pregnant with child. When imperial messengers began arriving with invitations, she had her servants kill them. Several months later, while the Beelzenian army had begun surrounding the mansion, Banica told her beloved not to worry and leave it to them. Raising her arms, her undead horde rose from the ground and attacked the army while Arte and Pollo lead them on a rampage.

As the terrified Carlos realized Arte was riding on the revived grand chamberlain, Ron, Banica explained it was all of the mansion's previous servants she had brought back. As the Prince questioned what she was doing, Banica explained the realization she had from her journeys abroad, jumping from the window and slowly descending to the ground. After gracefully landing, she danced in circles with the screams of the dying soldiers and the laughter of Arte and Pollo in the background, describing her renewed desire to eat the entire world.

After driving her undead horde across the region to attack the nearby towns, Banica continued indulging her insatiable appetite. When Carlos attempted to escape a few days later, the Duke sent her twin servants to capture him. Once they successfully brought back the cook, Banica demanded to know why he had suddenly left. After a short silence, Carlos asked if he could take a holiday. Annoyed at the gesture, she denied him the request. She then declared he would continue working for her, though forbidden from leaving the estate.

Soon after, her lover served them soup and she readily devoured it. Seeing Carlos cough blood and collapse, Banica questioned what was wrong and realized it was poisoned before watching her lover die. She then ordered Arte and Pollo to cook her beloved. Served his body for dinner, Banica ate his remains with glee, finding his blue hair was especially delectable for the salad of the first course. While enjoying all the new flavors she tasted, Banica broke into tears. At some point, Banica gave birth to her and Carlos' child.

Ultimate Evil Food
"I wonder what I taste like?"

- Banica before eating herself

Around August of EC 325, Banica grew curious about her servants' taste and ate Arte. When Pollo approached her soon after, Conchita questioned what it was he tasted like, eating him as well. Once all the food supplies ran out and the still hungry Banica realized she had eaten everything in the mansion, the Duke heard the cry of a baby and remembered the child she had with Carlos. At the revelation that the baby was something to eat, Banica hurried upstairs toward the child.

Once Conchita reached the child, she heard the demon encourage her to eat the child and was surprised to hear from the demon again. As it explained how Carlos' use of the Golden Key for poison had greatly weakened it, Banica pointed out how she had only felt numb after eating it. The demon then noted how the man must've been consuming the poison for some time since his body had a high concentration of its deadly magic, and Banica eating him had dangerously weakened its life. Saying the child was the antidote, Banica asked if that was something to eat and the Demon clarified how the baby could counteract the poisonous Wrath magic she ingested.

When the demon demanded she eat the child immediately and attempted to intimidate her, Banica scoffed that she wouldn't be spurned by the creature and refused. The Demon of Gluttony then attempted to use its remaining power to sway her, desperately reminding her that, without food, she was nothing. As Banica continued to refuse to eat, the Demon told her the child was the only thing left in the home to satiate her appetite. Wondering if that was true, Banica looked upon her right hand and, at the realization, smiled. Once she stated there was more to eat, she explained that she had yet to eat herself. As the weakened Demon pleaded for her to stop, Banica questioned what she tasted like before gorging on herself until there was nothing left.

Consuming the demon along with herself, Banica maintained her identity as the demon of the Glass, seeking to become the "Master of the Graveyard". Confined to her vessel, the Glass of Conchita was taken from her mansion by Elluka before being stolen by Platonic. Although amused by the thief, she was disappointed that the remnants of Sloth magic prevented her from possessing her. She was given to AB-CIR shortly after and witnessed the mage change from a male to different female bodies over time, meeting with her several times.

Demon of Gluttony
"Even I'm not able to perfectly read a demon's mind."

- Abyss I.R.

In EC 491, the "demon" was placed in one of the Four Mirrors of Lucifenia by the mage, having changed her name to Abyss I.R., and made difficult to extract by anyone save for Prime Minister Presi. As part of their plan to possess Queen Anne's son, the mirror was buried on the shores of Lucifenia and soon after discovered by Prince Alexiel and Princess Riliane; Abyss I.R. then summoned the demon and Conchita manifested before them. Smiling, she prepared to possess the boy but hesitated when he extended his hand to her in turn. Unable to possess the innocent and kind boy, Conchita decided to possess Riliane instead, rendering them both unconscious as a result. Although recognizing the child's appearance was similar to Arte, she was disappointed to find she wasn't an actual reincarnation of Gretel.

Another day soon after, Banica heard the bell chime for their three o'clock snack time and, hungry, appeared before them again. As she greedily gazed at their meals, Riliane refused to share her snack with the demon. With a wretched look, Banica stated she could eat the entire world and still be hungry for more. Alexiel then gave the demon some of his snack, pitying her. Claiming she was grateful, she told the six-year-old a secret legend about the ocean: if you wrote a wish, placed it in a bottle, and threw it in the ocean, your wish would come true. Later on, Presi borrowed Banica's power, allowing himself to be completely possessed by her, so that he could defeat Elluka Clockworker. After Presi was defeated, Elluka sealed the demon back into the mirror; she was later recalled to the Glass by Abyss I.R. and created another Gula pathogen for the sorceress.

After Ney Marlon was given the glass, Banica recognized her soul as that of Arte and slowly eroded at her sanity while the girl used her power. When Ney completely succumbed to her mental instability at Castle Hedgehog, Banica possessed her entirely and transformed Ney's attire to that of herself before the crazed Ney attacked Kyle Marlon. After Ney was subdued, Banica appeared in Kyle's vision alongside a young Ney and laughed at the girl for hoping to be reborn, saying she was instrumental in the creation of the Master of the Graveyard. She then merged Ney's soul with the glass, taking her hand and walking away from Kyle during his dream before they were swallowed up in the splashing waves of the ocean. Later, Abyss I.R. reclaimed the vessel and attempted to have Conchita possess Riliane. Ney's influence inhibited her and the demon did not respond, leading to the sorceress' defeat.

After Elluka Clockworker collected the Glass from Mikina Freesis, Conchita was sealed in her vessel. The Glass later ended up in the hands of Lemy Abelard. Recognizing his soul as that of Pollo, she eventually absorbed his soul into the Glass around EC 610. Afterwards, the Glass passed onto a variety of owners over time until it was collected by Judge Gallerian Marlon and kept within his home. While there, Banica recalled her previous owners since becoming the Demon and the unknown amount of time that passed as she awaited the time she would become the Master of the Graveyard. Banica's glass was among the vessels of sin that laughed at the Clockworker's Doll, telling her they were all the same. Sometime before EC 990, after the Glass awakened, Banica took on the form of the Master of the Graveyard.

Legacy
By the time Elluka Clockworker infiltrated the Conchita Mansion as part of the Empire's investigation into rumors of Banica's cannibalism, Conchita was discovered missing and her castle empty and in perfect order. The Empire determined Conchita had fled to one of its neighboring countries and discontinued Elluka's investigation. Her child that she also left behind eventually had offspring as well and continued for several generations, leading to Germaine Avadonia. Ma later created a film of Banica during her demonic possession, adding her commentary as she watched the film with a captured visitor to Evil's Theater.

Sanan Noi later created a fairytale based on her called "Vampiress Vanika" that became famous throughout Evillious, highlighting her legendary birth and remarkable savory. Included in the tale were the "undead soldiers" that were dug up in the cemetery and cursed to serve her forever as her reanimated servants through the power of her cursed red wine glass. It was said she would wither away if she failed to drink wine made from human blood for three days.

Among the folklore in literature surrounding Banica was that she was possessed by a glass vessel of "Sin", which turned her into a "Evil Food Eater". Historical records conflicted about her actual figure, some saying she was large and plump while others claimed she was beautiful and thin. Many of the dishes and recipes brought back to Beelzenia on her travels were incorporated into its culinary tradition including the Blood Grave wine she loved, which continued to exist nearly two centuries later in the Kingdom of Lucifenia.

Personality and Traits
"Of those possessed by a Deadly Sin, Banica Conchita was perhaps the more happy."

- Ma

Conchita was an opsomaniac with an intense desire to consume the most delectable cuisines in existence. Her obsessive behavior was worsened by her mother's abuse and eating everything without any leftovers became a habit for the child. As a result, food became the center of Banica's existence and she dedicated a majority of her life to satiate her endless curiosity for the tastes of every food.

Becoming an insatiable food connoisseur, Banica's appetite began to evolve until she desired to travel abroad and taste foreign meals which recipes she would later take back home. However, she was initially reasonable with her tastes, eating fine cuisine and other meals considered delicious by the majority, although she was not beyond eating foods religiously considered taboo such as the baemu pig. After developing Blood Grave, the wine became Banica's favorite. Coinciding with her appetite, Banica's table manners were crude and often disturbing to those around her, relentless in stuffing food in her mouth hastily and noisily.

Among her eating habits, Banica often held out her fingers to her mouth to lick them or sample any food or drink on them. Similarly, she often questioned what a new meal would taste like before eating it. Her love of food also became a coping mechanism for Banica, immersing herself deeper and deeper into her craft when confronted with a loved one's death or personal failure. During her journeys abroad, Banica came to the realization that she desired to taste all of the world's foods and it became the center of her existance, to the point that she considered her entire identity to be based on that fact.

But, after being introduced to the world of the "ultimate" food, Banica became enraptured in less favorable delicacies, such as insects, and even began to eat her plates. Under the influence of the Demon of Gluttony, she became persistent in pleasing her endless appetite and lost any boundaries to what she considered food. As her tastes continued to descend, she eventually indulged herself in necrophagia and cannibalism out of curiosity for how humans would taste. Once she concepted the idea to devour herself, Banica believed she was the ultimate food she was desiring and took glee in eating her own being.

Towards the end of her life, Conchita became a recluse, isolating herself within her castle and no longer governing her territory; as part of her apostasy, Banica dined more and more often without concern for the Beelzenian Empire's reaction. When not indulging her appetite, Banica took up a hobby of gardening, although doing so to grow more food for her to eat. Evolving her true goal, Banica resolved to devour the entire world and all its foods for her pleasure. As the Demon of Gluttony, Banica's obsession with food continued unabated, even claiming she could devour the entire world and remain unsatisfied.

Although monstrous while eating, Banica was a calm individual, acting unbothered when first meeting the Demon of Gluttony and unflinchingly conversed with it despite the peculiar situation. Similarly, she loved both her parents dearly, slipping into a depression with each of their deaths, and became defensive when the Demon of Gluttony mentioned her father's involvement in her mother's demise. She was also extremely affectionate towards Carlos, falling in love with him during their reunion and bearing his child. However, after her lover's attempted betrayal and murder-suicide, she was heartbroken and driven to tears.

After making her contract with the Demon of Gluttony, Banica also acted cruel and domineering, unflinching with sending her undead army on a rampage across Grabia. Similarly, she was ruthless towards her employees, expecting them to praise and worship her. Defiance was looked upon as a nuisance and, once considered useless to her, Banica had no qualms killing and eating the "traitors" for offending her. She also took joy in "punishing" her offenders, often by eating them alive. While acting as the demon of the wine glass, Banica enjoyed possessing others and was disappointed when humans were beyond her influence. In contrast, she appeared to express gratitude toward Prince Alexiel for sharing his snack with her, sharing her knowledge of a legend to him in kind.

Like Carlos, Banica held a close connection to her servants, Arte and Pollo. Having met them as a child, the twins helped the young noble come out of her depression after her mother's death and they quickly became friends. As her personal servants, Banica rarely traveled anywhere without them in tow and relied on them for nearly every task the Duke desired. She also trusted in them to manage her territory and protect the estate as she became negligent in her duties as Duke.

In spite of this, her growing hunger and curiosity for new tastes led to her devouring both faithful servants. However, after becoming the Demon of Gluttony, Banica began seeking to reclaim both servants, absorbing the souls of Hänsel and Gretel from their reincarnations in order to reclaim them. As part of this, the new demon wished to become the Master of the Graveyard, although unaware of it's real meaning, and planned to have both her servants with her when the time came.

Skills and Abilities
"If it weren’t for Banica Conchita, Beelzenia would have declined earlier."

- An Oruhari duke

Banica was a practiced food enthusiast and a major contributor to Beelzenian culture. Practically since the day she was born, Banica had a remarkable appetite and became unmatched in her speed and volume of food intake to the point that she easily won competitions involving the talent. A food enthusiast, Conchita developed an excellent taste in food and was well versed in the tastes and flavors of many delicacies from both within and outside of the Beelzenian Empire, earning her title as "Gourmet Noble Banica". Because of this, she, with the help of Grabia's farmers, was able to concept and create Blood Grave, a fine wine that remained a popular product for nobles across Evillious well after her death. She also developed a keen sense of smell, able to detect even faints scents of a dish's individual components.

Due to her excessive eating, Banica's obesity reached over 100 kg, severely crippling her movements and becoming a major detriment to her health. After making her contract with the Demon of Gluttony, the feudal lord's overweight form downsized into a more slender and fit figure, with her health similarly improved to the point that she completely avoided certain death. As part of her deal with the Demon, Banica was capable of eating anything and everything, including indigestible material such as human hair or deadly toxins. When consuming the latter, she became numb but was able to survive. Similarly, the Demon's power allowed any normal injury dealt to Banica quickly heal and any fall from great heights became a slow and light descend. Therefore, her body remained healthy and practically invincible regardless of what she ate, even able to envelope herself completely.

Banica was also able to reanimate the dead killed by the Gula disease through the power of the Glass and used this to great effect to guard her home. In spite of the low intelligence of the undead soldiers, Banica was able to command them effectively, through Arte, to create an unstoppable army. As a downside, Banica's powers and life were connected to the Demon, and its destruction would lead to her conventional death.

But, because she devoured herself and the demon, Banica took on all the former demon's powers, able to manifest in a phantom form long after her death, take possession of individuals who came in contact with her glass, create and enhance the pathogen for the Gula disease, and reanimate the dead through her own power. Despite this, she was also subject to the limitations of the Glass, able to be utilized by Irina Clockworker for her own ends, although even the sorceress admitted her cooperation was unpredictable and could easily ignore its wielder's wishes should she choose.

Character Connections
Carlos Marlon: Banica’s fiancé and later, meal. Banica's feelings during their engagement are unknown, however she saw its cancellation as a failure to comfort herself over; she eventually discovered Carlos was disguised as her cook, Joseph, and fell in love with him, siring a child with the prince in the process. She was left distraught by his attempt to kill her and his own suicide and took comfort in devouring his body, finding him delicious, but began crying while doing so.

Joseph: Banica’s fifteenth chef. Banica saw Joseph as only a means to satiate her gluttonous hunger, and did not have concern for him as a human being. As time passed, however, she began to fall in love with him—it was during the course of this romance that she discovered "Joseph" had been replaced by Carlos.

Arte: Conchita's servant and later, meal. Conchita had a close friendship with Arte stemming from childhood; due to this relationship, Banica relied on Arte to attend her every need as a loyal servant, even trusting the maid to reign over her territories. While devouring her later out of curiosity, Banica continued to depend upon Arte, seeking out her reincarnations to merge with her again.

Pollo: Conchita's servant and later, meal. Conchita had a close friendship with Pollo stemming from childhood; due to this relationship, Banica relied on him to attend her every need as a loyal servant despite his evident stupidity, even trusting him to reign over her territories. While devouring him later out of curiosity, Banica continued to depend upon Pollo, seeking out his reincarnations to merge with him again.

Meguru Conchita: Banica’s mother. The strict dietary discipline and harsh punishments that Banica received from Meguru helped inspire in the noble to have an even greater fascination with eating; after her death, Banica was inconsolable for a time, and resented the Demon of Gluttony for his perceived role in her death.

Unknown Child: Banica's infant child she had with Carlos. Although about to eat the child under the demon's suggestion, Banica inevitably chose to devour herself instead, sparing the infant.

Master of the Graveyard: Banica's later incarnation. After taking the place of the Demon of Gluttony, Banica attempted to become the new Master of the Graveyard, although unaware of the title's true meaning.

Conceptualization and Origin

 * Banica's name is a torsion of the English word "cannibalism".
 * Conchita is a diminutive of the Spanish word for "conception".
 * Conchita, due to her occupation as a feudal lord who was believed to regularly drink blood and later be reimagined as a vampire centuries later, may be partially inspired by Vlad the Impaler.
 * When crafting the story for Evil Food Eater Conchita, mothy desired to make Conchita more akin to a monster rather than a human.

Curiosities

 * She shares the same birth month (November) with her Vocaloid.
 * Banica's father, Muzuri, wished to name her "Muraramurajakotasupopopo"; when asked about the origin of the name, mothy stated: "Ask Mr. Muzuri."
 * Due to their lineage to Duke Venomania, both Banica and her child had the potential to develop Hereditary Evil Raiser Syndrome and pass it onto future generations.

Gallery
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