The Other World Dining Hall

Chapter 46

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Chapter 46

Cream Stew

‘Chirinchirin’, the half-elf magic warrior, Melissa, was thinking when she heard the bell sound.

(A, today’s the last day I’m hearing this.)

It was the end of the adventurer party that Melissa shared her pain and joy with; it had been 10 years since she found this restaurant.

10 years had pa.s.sed in a flash for Melissa who turned 60 this year, but it seemed that it was long enough for “humans”.

(It was fun when I just found this restaurant…)

A ruin not far from the city that used to be a stronghold, their party challenged it without knowing that its treasure had been robbed long ago.

When they finally reached the deepest part of the ruins after killing the beasts and weak lonely monsters that settled there, they found that “door”.

A magical door that appeared once in 7 days… a door to otherworld dining hall.

A restaurant of another world that served delicious food that Melissa had never seen, heard and, of course, ate before. She was captivated.

She could not go here every time, but she always felt like she’s here when something happened.

When her job succeeded and her purse was satisfied.

When she returned back to the stronghold after a couple of months of adventure.

When her friends died and she finished mourning.

When she taught the secret of the party to new colleagues who joined afterwards.

…And when the warrior leader and party’s wizard got married and it was decided to dissolve the party.

7 days ago when Melissa’s party decided to dissolve, a farewell party was held.

Her friends who got married and retired back to their hometown decided to start a business with the money acc.u.mulated in their adventurer life so far, while some decided to join another party and scattered.

For Melissa who was a magic warrior, she was not an exception. Her hometown that she had not visited for 10 years… the elven Forest Capital was close, but she decided to return to a human town.

In order to meet her mother that probably didn’t change.

Melissa was a half-elf…

However, she was not a changeling. She was a rare case with a “human father” and “elven mother”.

When her father was young, it seemed that he was a veteran mercenary soldier who fought a terrible demon party with a single spear and experienced a number of pandemonium.

When he went to the forest due to his curiosity, he accidentally helped her mother who was almost enslaved by a demon and got to know each other… they eventually got married.

When he was young, he had relationships with a lot of women that could rival Alexander until he got married, her mother laughed at that story.

…When Melissa was 10 years old, her father who had bald head and white beard at that time pa.s.sed away.

Melissa was the youngest daughter who was born late in their marriage.

Melissa’s mother who decided not to be in another relationship with another man loved Melissa, the youngest daughter, very much.

Along with the magic that her mother taught, her father taught the way of spear to all his children ranging from her oldest brother that was 50 years older than her to Melissa herself, it was extremely useful in adventuring.

And when Melissa reached 50 years old and said that she wanted to become an adventurer, she was sent off with a smile.

That’s why when her party decided to break up, she decided to return home.

When she came back to her hometown, she would help her mother who was an innkeeper of their family’s house which was converted to an inn.

In truth, she had

decided to leave the next day after the last feast.

Nevertheless, she decided to stay for another 7 days due to the owner’s words.

Yes, the owner who reminded her of her father told her this at the farewell feast.

—Are you returning back to your hometown?… If so, could you delay for another week, I mean 7 days before returning home?

As a farewell gift, I’ll make a special menu for you instead of the usual fare.

He reminded her of her father, a laughing old man with gray hair.

Special menu of otherworld dining hall.

She became anxious and stayed for another 7 days before visiting the otherworld dining hall.

[Yo, you came. Welcome.]

As usual, when the restaurant’s customers were trickling down, the owner greeted Melissa with a smile.

[Ee. Thank you for inviting me today.]

She replied calmly and went to her usual seat.

[Well, what will you serve today?]

To Melissa’s question, the owner deepened his smile and said.

[Ou. Today is… cream stew. First of all, it’s without meat.]

[Hee~… I see, you’re making cream stew today.]

Melissa understood why he called it a special menu.

Meatless cream stew.

It’s what Melissa usually ordered.

As Melissa was raised by her elven mother, she didn’t like eggs, milk, meat and fish that much.

It’s not that she couldn’t eat them; she was just not good with their unique smell.

To put it in another way, the cream stew made in this restaurant was good enough to be her favourite.

That’s why the owner served cream stew with lots of vegetables instead of meat every time she ordered it.

[Of course it’s not normal. There’re various surprises.]

Looking at Melissa’s expression, the owner’s smile deepened further.

[Wait a moment.]

The owner retreated to the back and took something that was already made.

[Sorry to keep you waiting. It’s Nekoya’s elf bean cream stew.]

A white soup was placed before her.

[As a farewell gift, it’s my treat today. Please enjoy.]

[Ee. Thank you.]

Melissa replied with a smile.

[Then, enjoy… hmm, welcome.]

[Nu. I’m here.]

Melissa picked up a silver spoon while the owner went to tend the regular Lizardman customer that just came.

(…There’s no meat after all.)

She lightly checked the ingredients of the stew.

The thick mushrooms that could be found during autumn, bright orange Caryute, fried Oranie, and the vivid green vegetable that was included afterwards.

There was no meat inside, the colourful vegetables floating in the fluffy white soup, and a delicious scent drifted from it.

(Are? This stew… the smell is different? Since there’s no meat, is it specially made?)

Suddenly, Melissa noticed it.

Just a little bit, the scent was different from usual.

It’s natural that there’s no meat smell, but she didn’t smell any milk.

(Well, I’ll know after I eat it.)

Thinking so, she scooped it to her mouth.

(…Un. It’s delicious.)

Melissa’s face softened to that slightly sweet taste in her mouth.

Lots of vegetables were boiled thoroughly to remove their astringent taste.

Everything was so soft that it felt like they were melting inside her mouth, and they absorbed plenty of the soup.

With the taste of vegetables supplementing it, the flavor of milk was elevated.

Then, the mushrooms.

The mushrooms that contained plenty of umami were quite nostalgic as they had the exact same taste as those found in the elven forest near their hometown.

Milk soup that contained the flavours of vegetables and mushrooms.

To that rich flavor that tasted delicious with every bite, Melissa smiled.

[Ou. Is it good?]

[Yes, very. Another serving please?]

She smiled at the owner’s question and nodded.

It was a pity to end such a delicious taste with just one bowl.

[Of course. I made plenty just for you. Please eat as much as you want.]

Such an owner smiled to the young woman that looked to be around the same age as his grandchild.

[…Fuu~, it was delicious. Thank you.]

And after eating 3 bowls, Melissa put down her spoon.

[Ou. It’s nice to see it being eaten deliciously. Thank you for your longtime patronage.]

[By the way, how do you make this? Even though I could taste the milk, I couldn’t smell it.]

At the farewell.

When she though so, Melissa asked him.

What she felt when eating this stew.

It was… a wonder that she couldn’t smell milk from it even though milk was an indispensable ingredient for making cream stew.

She thought that if she didn’t ask the secret then, she would never know it.

[Aa… first of all, I made this with the ingredients that came from your world. Not only the vegetables, but the soup as well.]

The owner answered Melissa’s question.

Ingredients that he bought from his otherworld merchant customer to make food for his beloved wife and grandchild.

The owner made this cream stew using only that.

…He made full use the techniques unique to his world.

[Then, in this world, milk that was not taken from animals could be made.

Elves are not good with animal’s smell, aren’t they? So today’s stew were made without animal products.

Ma, this is called vegan stew.]

The beans that the elves grew. There was something similar in his world.

As a result, when the worried owner tried to make it, it was possible to make a similar thing.

That is why the owner chose to make this dish as a farewell gift to a longtime customer.

[Well, how to make it… please find it yourself. Unfortunately I made it a rule not to tell my recipes to my customers.]

The owner would not tell the recipe.

To teach the recipes of cuisine, which was important for business, n.o.body would dare to do so to a customer.

[Ma, you can do it. That’s a gift from me.]

Since this was a customer who started to visit from around the beginning of otherworld dining hall, he was sure she could do it.

[…I see, thank you. It was really delicious.]

Melissa looked down when the owner said so with a smile.

This stew was the most delicious thing that Melissa had ever tasted and it would be the best gift to bring back home.

[Well then, I don’t think we’ll see each other anymore, take care.]

[Aa, take care. Also, I welcome you if you ever come here again.]

And the owner bid farewell to a longtime regular.

Probably he predicted that that would be the last words they would exchange.

—And 18 years had pa.s.sed since she ate that “special cream stew”.

The inn where Melissa served as a chef today was a great success.

[Fuu. It has become colder lately. Melissa, give me elf bean cream stew please.]

[Un… this is delicious.]

[Un, it really is. I ate a cream stew made by humans before, but this has no animal scent when eaten.]

[Maa, this is specially made by Melissa.]

[…This, is this tofu?]

[Excuse me! Another serving of elf bean cream stew please!]

More than half of the customer of Melissa’s family home inn was elves.

There was a special menu that could be eaten at the dining hall during the day and at the inn’s bar during evening.

Elf bean cream stew.

A magical stew that the elves who couldn’t eat animal products could enjoy.

Its reputation was no elves that lived in that area had never eaten it before.

Over the last 8 years since she last visited the restaurant, Melissa reached the truth.

On that day, the owner casually said “elf bean” cream stew.

She felt that there was a sense of incompatibility… she didn’t see any elf beans in the stew and she noticed it from there.

By crushing and simmering elf beans in water, she could make something similar to cow’s milk from elf beans.

Melissa learned about that and completed elf bean cream stew with reference of that day’s taste.

At first, she asked her elven mother to taste it, then her mother’s friend, then her acquaintance…

Eventually, the rumor was transmitted to the elves across the continent, and for Melissa’s stew, elves that came all the way from other forests brought reputation and the inn was striving.

[Yes, yes. Please wait a bit. I’ll serve it as soon as the new pot is done!]

Melissa shouted loudly while looking at her half-elf brothers and sisters entering the next preparation of a new pot of stew that could feed a few dozen people.

These busy days continued, making her eyes spin.

But at the same time, these days were fulfilling.

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