The Other World Dining Hall

While looking at the unpleasant morning sun’s light shine down and around the entrance of the hole in the ground, Romero fell into despair.

“The night has ended…”

“Wh, what should we do? Romero…”

Beside him, his lover, Julietta, tightly held onto Romero’s hand.

“It’ll be alright. Because I’ll definitely protect you.”

Feeling that hand shake with fear, Romero chewed his lip. Continuing to lurk in the pitch-darkness and living by himself for the longest time, Romero was supposed to know. What exactly it meant for him and Julietta to become lovers. But, he couldn’t stop. Romero knew too much of Julietta’s warm love to return to those long years of solitude.

For this reason, it was painful. Their pursuers were already drawing close… in other words, their death was drawing close.

(s.h.i.t! If I was by myself, it would still be acceptable…)

Right, Romero had still not given up. He, himself, was already stained. As an existence that was stained by the blood of the darkness and that had killed countless people and had even used them as nourishment. He would not complain about being killed after all that, and he had no intentions on doing so.

But Julietta was different. She had chosen to come along with him and bid farewell to the world of sunlight, but she still had a pure body that had not committed any sins. And so the two of them nurtured their love and chose the path that let them be with one another. Exactly because of that, he couldn’t allow her to be taken along with him to the land of the dead with the G.o.ddess of darkness resided.

(Isn’t there something… Something.)

It was too late to go outside. Their pursuers were drawing close, and more than anything, the sun had already risen. It was only a matter of time before their pursuers would find this hole in the ground that couldn’t even be called a cave. Never mind if the moon, which housed the power of darkness and distributed that power to all those that lived in the land of the dead, was still in the night sky, if the sun, which symbolized light and life, shined during the time that their pursuers caught up with them, the future that the two of them had together would be shut closed. It was at that time.

“Ah!? Romero! Look! Th, that!”

Julietta who looked at the back of the hole let out a surprised voice.

“What the… a door!?”

Whether they were helped by the heavens, there was a single door there.

(What’s this? Why is there a door… No, wait.)

There was a black door with a picture of a cat on it even though a moment ago there was nothing there. After being surprised by this unknown existence, Romero thought for a bit… Silent, he took Julietta’s hand and walked.

“Romero? What is that door? Do you know something?”

While being pulled along by Romero who was drawing closer to the door, Julietta raised her questions.

“No, I don’t know. But, it’s has to be better than being here.”

Giving that answer to Julietta, he put his hand to the door.

(Now then, is there something beyond this….)

At any rate, now that the sun had risen, they couldn’t leave this hole until the end of the day. In that case, if they wanted to hold on to even the slightest hope for survival, they had no choice but to move forward. The sound a bell ringing came along as the door opened, and they felt relieved as a dim room spread out before them. It seemed at the very least, that this was a place where the sun’s light couldn’t enter.

“Let’s go.”

Briefly, he urged Julietta.

“Yes. I decided to follow you no matter what. I’ll be with you to the end.”

Julietta had steadied her resolve in response, and with a pale face, she gave a single nod. And so the two of them took each other’s hands and plunged forth into the dark place inside of the door. The moment the door slammed shut, the door that felt that a ‘customer’ has pa.s.sed through disappeared.

And around the time the sun was drawing slightly closer to the southern sky.

“s.h.i.t! They’re not here either!”

“d.a.m.n it! Curse that abomination! Where did he go?”

“It’s morning already! They can’t run away! Search! Slaughter him!”

“Lady Julietta… Hopefully she’s safe…”

“No. That’s not likely. She’s probably already…”

Stomping, countless men entered the hole. There were warriors that were tightly grasping drawn silver swords that held great power towards the evil residents of the dark in their hands, magicians that had vast pools of knowledge, and priests, who served the G.o.d of light, wearing silver holy symbols and wielding wooden spears to kill Romero. All of the priests wore a wreath made of Galeo* flowers, which had a small particular smell to them, around their neck which offset their solemn appearances.

The best in the domain who were selected to find the lord’s kidnapped daughter were desperately looking for Romero and Julietta while the morning sun shined down on them… About the fact that they escaped to a place where they couldn’t be found, they still had no idea.

The two of them, having narrowly escaped their pursuers, investigated the room which had not a single light in it with their eyes that could pierce through any darkness.

“This is… an underground room it seems.”

What was beyond the door was a small underground room.

“I wonder what exactly this place is.”

Gently, Julietta who was close to Romero tightly huddled up to him and trembled. Thinking about the fact that this underground room was connected to that hole, this was quite the strange place. Many finely maintained tables and chairs were lined up, and on top of the tables were arranged bottles and jars made of gla.s.s that were probably left there as furnishings. The wall was decorated with paintings, and the wooden floor was glossed.

(A magician’s living room? …There’s no doubt that some kind of teleporter magic is involved.)

Romero who had lived ten times as long as Julietta was sensitive to the magic in the room as he sniffed it out and made that judgement. The inside of this room was filled with magic. Thankfully, there didn’t seemed to be any dangerous magic that would attack its ‘invited guests,’ but it was unknown what cla.s.s of magic it was.

…In the back where a faint amount of light leaked out from, he felt the faint presence of a person. Mostly likely, that was the master of this place.

(Well, what sh…!?)

“Kyah!?”

The change suddenly fell upon them. Abruptly, the room became bright as day.

“s.h.i.t!? A trap…?”

“This light…. It doesn’t hurt?”

The two of them that had protected their bodies by reflex realized that. The light that brilliantly shined on the two of them had no pain like the light from sun or the holy light that the followers of the wretched G.o.d of light manipulated. It seemed like it had not even the slightest amount of magic in it, and it simply illuminated the two of them.

“Uoh!? …Toh, welcome. You’ve come at quite an early time.”

He called out to the two of them with a deep voice. What called out to them was a middle-aged man standing at the border of the room in the back. The man had an orderly beard and a firm build with solid muscles where normally they would be withered away for someone his age.

(…Fumu, he doesn’t seem like a warrior or a magician, but…)

From the man’s movements and the spa.r.s.e amount of magic inside of him, he didn’t seem to be something that would harm them… Seeing that he didn’t have the power to harm them, Romero let down his guard for the time being. Not noticing Romero’s behavior, the man continued speaking.

“I’m really sorry about this. I’m still in the middle of preparing… Are you alright? The two of you, your complexions don’t seem well.”

“Ah, aah. Please don’t mind that. It’s something both of us were born with. We are very much healthy.”

To the man who curiously asked without noticing ‘what exactly’ he was faced with, Romero instantly answered. It wasn’t a lie. It was true that he was feeling a little lacking on sleep, but thanks to the fact that not one shred of the sun’s light had touched him, his physical condition itself was fine.

“More importantly, what is this place?”

Pulling himself back together, Romero asked.

He knew that the door in the hole was a teleporting type. Which meant that he should think of this as a completely different place.

“This is the ‘Western Style Cathouse,’ a restaurant. But ‘people on the other side’ such as yourself, Sir, call this place the Other World Dining Hall.”

The man answered like always. As this restaurant’s owner.

“A restaurant is it?”

“Other World, Dining Hall? Then does that mean that this is this an Other World?”

At that answer, Romero and Julietta asked that at the same time.

“Well, yes. Just so you know, in this world, this is an average restaurant. But for people on the other side such as yourselves, this place is otherworldly.”

And so he continued to speak.

“That being the case, would you like to eat something? Even though my restaurant looks like this, it’s quite popular you know.”

As he said that, a smile rose on his face.

“Romero, wouldn’t it be better if we ate something? …Um, if we do that, we would become this restaurant’s ‘guests.’”

“I see, that makes sense…”

With the words from the modest Julietta, Romero nodded. If this was a restaurant, if they ordered food, they would become ‘customers.’ If they were customers… Even if they were to stay here until the sun set, there wouldn’t be any complaints. If there was a way to peaceful settle all of this, this would be the best way.

“Alright. For the time being, we’ll have two servings of the most expensive dish in this restaurant. And… if there is any wine as red as blood, we would like to have that too.”

And so, Romero placed his order. Thankfully, they had money. They had no idea what kind of cooking the Other World had, but for the time being, there shouldn’t be any problems if it was the most expensive thing.

“The most expensive dish? That would be the beef steak… That’s grilled cow’s meat, but would you be fine with that? I still haven’t done my preparations for the beef stew, you see. And red wine right?”

Listening to Romero’s order, the owner confirmed it with him.

It was a dish that was as expensive as the beef stew in the Other World Dining Hall. What was traditionally called beef steak from the previous owner’s time was not very popular with Otherworlders. It seemed like cow’s meat was not very liked. The owner asked again him again as he confirmed the order.

“Grilled cow’s meat huh… Well, that’s fine. We’ll have that. Aah, by the way, she and I can’t stand the smell of galeo. Please don’t use any galeo.”

At first, when Romero heard it was grilled cow’s meat, he made an uncertain face, but pulling himself back together, he gave a nod. At any rate, ordering food was the condition to stay at this restaurant without any complaints. If it was unappetizing, they could just leave it there. Galeo which was often used to cover up the bad smell of meat… As long as the thing that could be considered a natural enemy to Romero’s kind wasn’t used, there would be no problems.

“Understood. Well then, please wait just a moment. Please sit anywhere you’d like.”

The owner pulled back to the back of the restaurant as he accepted the order.

“He left…”

“…Somehow, we were saved.”

As they sat in a random chair, the two of them spat out their stretched nerves along with a breath. It had been three says since Romero and Juliette fled hand-in-hand. There was no way their pursuers could come all the way here.

“But grilled cow’s meat is the most expensive dish… What kind of restaurant is this place?”

After a pause and have plenty of time to look around, Romero muttered that.

“I know… Even though the inside of the restaurant is so beautiful.”

Julietta was of the same opinion as she looked around. The restaurant was well maintained and a very comforting place. The inside of the room was not hot or cold but kept at a comfortable condition, and the furnishing and ornaments were plain but their shape and the fact that they were lacquered with gloss made them seem like high-cla.s.s goods. On top of that, gla.s.s bottles were lined on top of the tables and were filled with expensive spices and sugar that could be freely used. According to Romero and Julietta’s common sense, this should be a very high-cla.s.s restaurant.

In spite of that, cow’s meat was there. To Romero and the others, cow’s meat could be expressed in the single phrase ‘shoe soles’ to summarize them. Normally speaking of cows, they were slower than horses but raised for their strength for field work in place of farming tools, for milking, or possibly for both purposes. As for the meat, when the cow grew old and weakened, got injured and could no longer move, or got too old to give birth to calves and bear milk, it was normal for cows to be processed and eaten. Of course, its meat failed in comparison to the pigs and chickens that were raised to be killed for meat, the sheep and goats that were raised for their wool and skins, and the wild boar meat that hunters brought back. Cow’s meat was hard and stank, and it was something fed to dogs or the poor and peasants ate. That kind of thinking was the basis for all of this.

It would be better if it was used in a stew where it was cooked for a long time while constantly removing the sc.u.m, but just grilling it generally couldn’t make a decent meal. The line of thinking of the two of them was normal in the Other World.

“Well, it’s fine. It’s not like we ordered it because we wanted something to eat.”

The payment was something that was for allowing them to stay here. Romero explained it as that as he lightly answered and letting out a single yawn.

“I’m starting to feel drowsy…”

“Yes, me too…”

As they stayed in the comfortable restaurant, they started to feel like dozing off. Because normally at this time, they would be in a deep sleep, it was something that couldn’t be helped. As they stayed like that, the owner brought out the food.

“Thank you for waiting, your beef steak. It’s been seasoned with Chaliapin sauce, I mean, there’s no galeo but… is oranie alright?”

The owner asked that. He realized it after he made it, but if strong smell vegetables themselves were no good, then the Otherworldly things called oranie… onions would be no good as well. If it was going to be like that, he would have no choice but to make it again using grated daikon soy sauce.

“Aah, it’s fine. As long as there isn’t any galeo, you don’t have to worry.”

“I’m fine with it as well. Thank you.”

Romero and Julietta nodded at the seasoning the owner used. Only galeo was no good, they had no problems with other vegetables. And also, there was no problems using strong smelling vegetables with the strong stink of cow’s meat. …At any rate, they had no expectations whatsoever.

“Oh, that’s good to hear. Anyway, thanks for waiting. Your beef steak.”

With a relieved face, the owner lined up the food that was carried and brought on a wagon. What he brought out was meat that sent sizzling sounds into the air, soup, and bread.

From that meat, a fragrant smell drifted about.

“…This is cow’s meat?”

Looking at it, Romero asked without thinking. It was completely different from what he was expecting.

“Yes. At our place, we can’t really use Wagyu beef, but it’s made from pretty good cow. I’m sure it’s delicious.”

The owner gave a nod to Romero and placed the food in front of them. On top of a black metal plate was the beef steak. Varied and colorful vegetables were thinly sliced and colored the top of the steak, and meat juices and brown something mixed into a sauce covered it as well as a good burnt smell came from the top of the iron plate.

“And this is the wine… grape liquor.”

“Y, yes… thank you.”

He got confirmation from the two of them and gently poured wine from the bottle into the winegla.s.ses. The transparent, dark wine filled up the prepared shaped gla.s.ses.

“Well then, feel free to have seconds of the soup and bread. Enjoy.”

After placing the food in front of them, the owner said that one thing and headed back.

“… It’s way better, than I expected.”

Looking at the food right in front of his eyes, Romero muttered that bit by bit. From the food right in front of him, he felt a very delicious atmosphere. A savory smell and vivid appearance. He swallowed his saliva without even noticing. He had no expectations, but the savory smell of grilled meat that came from the beef steak made it seem all the more appetizing.

“Well then, shall we eat?”

“Yes.”

The both of them nodded to each other and took knife and fork in hand. Thinking about it, the meal they had yesterday night was a raw rabbit that the both of them chewed on. In that regard, just having a decent meal was something to be thankful for. The forks pierced the meat, the knives cut it.

“Ooh, its tender…”

At that sensation, Romero was surprised. Whether the way it was prepared was good or the meat was of good quality from the beginning, the meat was so soft that you wouldn’t think that it was cow’s meat. The knife quickly entered and cut it apart. At the place it was cut, the meat had a faint red color to it. From there, meaty juices flowed and poured out, and when it fell on the black plate, it made a faint sizzling sound. As that sound entered their sharp ears, the two of them stabbed a bite-sized cut piece of meat with their fork and brought it to their mouths.

“…Oh my.”

At that taste, Julietta unintentionally let her voice leak out. That meat was surprisingly soft. Holding it her mouth, when she chewed it, it was easily bitten apart and the flavor of high-quality meat and fat spread in the middle of her mouth. The overflowing meaty juices mixed with the salt and the high-quality seasoning known as pepper that was added to the meat, the sharp taste of thinly cut oranie and the sweetness of the cooked oranie, and the strong flavor of the brown sauce, which had an unknown, strong, delicious flavor that the two of them did not know about, to create a magnificent flavor.

“…So the most expensive thing has this kind of flavor.”

At that flavor, Julietta gave her impressions. After she had tried it, she now knew. The meat that was of good quality to begin with along with the way it was carefully prepared to bring out its flavor to the limit was so soft that it was hard to think of it as cow’s meat, and the sauce that was used to season had an elaborately-designed wonderful flavor. The multicolored, fresh vegetables that came with it were also delicious.

To Julietta, who was a n.o.ble’s daughter and appropriately knew about the things known as luxuries, even if she was unexperienced with it, she couldn’t describe this as something that was just grilled meat even if she was incorrect. That’s what it meant to be the most expensive thing on the menu.

“I heard a rumor about it but… cow’s meat that was raised to be eaten had this kind of flavor.”

Romero who had the same opinion remembered such a thing. Thinking about it, in the kingdom or the empire, there was a country as big as a dukedom that raised cows for the sole purpose of taking their meat, and he heard of people serving the crushed meat of newly-born bulls when there was sufficient labor already.

The meat of young cows that did not know an ounce of labor and were carefully fattened was unbelievably softer and delicious than normal meat, and it was something appropriate when entertaining royalty and n.o.bility. It was unthinkable that such a meal could be found in a street side restaurant.

“No, this is the ‘Other World Dining Hall,’ isn’t it?”

And the words that the owner said, this is the ‘Other World Dining Hall.’ He finally understood the meaning behind those words. I see, the only restaurants that could bring out something this delicious around here… did not exist in Romero’s world as far as he knew it.

“…As I thought, escaping here was the right thing to do.”

“Yes. If it’s here, father, the knights, and the priests can’t chase us here.”

The two of them took their transparent gla.s.ses filled with red wine in hand.

“To our future living in the night’s darkness…”

“With the blessings of the G.o.ddess of darkness…”

Their words of prayer along with the wine was very clear, and at its delicious flavor that had no trace of being watered down, the two of them looked eye-to-eye and laughed together. At that moment, the two of them no longer paid any attention to the fact that the foul sun was shining in the sky at this time and pa.s.sed the time in happiness and a great deal of satisfaction.

The two of them had only returned to the hole around the time the sun had completely set.

“It seems like we’re saved.”

“Aah. At one point, I wondered what was going to happen to us.”

After that, the two of them drank cup after cup of wine, savored soft white bread, soup, and various other dishes, and stayed in the Other World Dining Hall until the sun had set. Customer after customer had visited the restaurant and ate the food there as they pleased. From ordinary commoners to n.o.bles… and even a princess that was way above Julietta. Knights and samurai, mercenaries and warriors. Magicians and onmyoujis. Demi-humans such as elves and dwarves, on top of that even things such as monsters like lizardmen and lilliputs… All kinds of customers gathered at that restaurant.

They did as they pleased, ordered food that Romero and Julietta had never seen, and ate them in such as appetizing ways.

“But I was surprised at that time. To think that there was a high priest of light.”

“Fufuh. That’s right. I remember your face at that time, Romero.”

At around early noon, a young woman, who could only be reached by a handful of geniuses at the monastery even if someone were to devote their whole life to the road of belief, wearing a golden holy symbol which was the signs of a high priest (judging from the shape of it, they could guess that she was a believer of the G.o.d of light) led along three young girls who seemed like disciples, and at that moment, the two of them froze. Julietta fainted on the spot and was supported by Romero to keep her from falling over, and after that, Romero held his breath to make himself unnoticeable while carefully watching them.

Fortunately, the high priest which seemed to be the mediator of the group sat at the end of the restaurant, or maybe she noticed them and refrained from beginning to ‘exterminate abominations’ at this restaurant to not be a bother. Without once looking over at Romero and Julietta, the four of them enjoyed sweets and tea and even went as far as to buy souvenirs before heading back. Since they safely made it out alive, it ended up becoming a funny story, but if at that time they fought with the high priest that was said to ma.s.sacre luxuries, it was easy to imagine that the both of them would lose their lives. In that sense, it was possible that the two of them had good luck.

“Well then… shall we go?”

“Yes. I’ll follow you… no matter where.”

And so, thanks to their magnificent luck which led to them coming out with their lives, the two lovers took each other’s hand and exchanged a kiss. No matter what difficulties they might come across, they vowed to live together. It was for this reason that Romero sucked Julietta’s blood, and Julietta chose to throw away everything she had until then to go together with Romero.

“Is it just a bit further? Your hideaway.”

“Aah. If we continue to fly the rest of the night, we’re sure to make it. It’s just a little bit more, please press on… After we safely escape, it would be nice to go back to that restaurant.”

“Yes, I think so too. We couldn’t possibly thank the person at that restaurant enough… Most of all, the food there was very delicious.”

At last we made it this far. While becoming full from that feeling… the two of them turned into the appearance of a swarm of countless bats and flew on into the tranquil night illuminated by the full moon.