NOVEL NEXT Chapter 28 - Dinner Menu
Dinner Menu
As I was chatting with Kei-san, a kind-looking man approached from the back of the guild. Huh? Wasn’t this…
“Ludo… sensei?”
“Ahaha, yes, it’s me. Can’t tell it’s me without my white coat?”
That’s right. Without his white coat, he seemed so different that I wasn’t sure.
“Ludovic has a very… common face.”
“Sorry for being such a plain, ordinary old man.”
“I didn’t say that. Ludovic, you have a very comforting aura, the kind that puts patients at ease.”
“You have a way with words. Well, I’ll take that as a compliment.”
It was true that Dr. Ludo had an ordinary face. Not particularly handsome, but not unpleasant either. But as Kei-san said, he had a kind and gentle aura, the kind that made you feel at ease under his care. It was a good thing for a doctor to have… Besides, after meeting so many handsome people, I was feeling a bit overwhelmed. In that sense, Dr. Ludo’s ordinariness was comforting!
“Sorry for the wait. It seems I was the one running late.”
Then, Schlie-san’s voice called out. I turned around and saw him, smiling radiantly. Ahh, so dazzling! Of course, I like handsome men. It’s a feast for the eyes. But there’s something comforting about seeing an ordinary person. This Special-grade guild was amazing. They even had the balance down perfectly!
“Schlie, you’re joining us? And Kei too?”
“I’d love to, but I have a prior engagement tonight.”
Kei-san replied with a troubled smile. I’d assumed we’d all have dinner together, so I was a little disappointed. A date, maybe? It must have shown on my face, because Kei-san knelt down, met my eyes, and took my hand. Like a prince.
“Meg, please excuse me for having to leave you. I’ll make it up to you next time.”
And then, they lightly kissed the back of my hand.
Whoa!! A real-life prince! A handsome lady in disguise!? As my eyes widened in surprise, Kei-san narrowed their eyes, pleased with the successful prank, and stuck their tongue out playfully.
“…This guy… is biologically female, right?”
“Yes, Ludo. That’s my understanding as well.”
“Not that I mind.”
“I agree.”
Kei-san, overhearing our conversation, glanced at us and said,
“I am who I am. Besides, gender is a trivial matter. It’s nonsense to be bothered by it.”
See? I’m happy, aren’t I? They asked, and then, with a “See you later,” they left the guild.
Wow, so cool…! It’s no wonder the girls in town are smitten, it can’t be helped. I nodded, convinced.
“Well, I’m hungry. Let’s head for the cafeteria.”
“Indeed. Meg, head chef Leopolt’s cooking is exquisite.”
“! I’m sho excited!”
My stomach rumbled, “Guu~” I couldn’t help it; the thought of food! I chuckled, trying to play it off, “Ehehe,” and Dr. Ludo picked me up.
“We kept you waiting. It’ll be faster this way.”
“Ah, th-thank you…”
I felt embarrassed, as if I’d come across as a glutton, and shrunk back into his arms. Dr. Ludo and Schlie-san chuckled. It’s fine, it’s fine…!
And so, we arrived at the cafeteria, which was already bustling with people. It was dinner time, after all!
A delicious aroma, somehow nostalgic, filled the air. …Wait, is that fried food?
“Everyone has the same menu. It seems like Cheak Katsu today.”
“Cheak Katsu?”
I tilted my head at the unfamiliar name. I understood ‘Katsu,’ or rather, I assumed it was the same as what I was imagining because the smell matched.
“It’s a dish made with Cheak meat coated in bread crumbs and deep-fried. A local specialty.”
“You can eat a lot of delicious dishes in this town that you can’t find anywhere else. You’ll never get bored! I especially love Katsu. We have it with Porug and Bilf sometimes too.”
Um, I understand ‘Katsu’…! But I couldn’t say that. I still didn’t understand the most important part. But it was probably… chicken, pork, beef, something like that. The names sounded similar. Well, it was just a guess.
“I’ll go find us a table. Why don’t you two get your food first?”
“Alright.”
Schlie-san said and went to look for an empty table. I, still in Dr. Ludo’s arms, was taken to the food counter. It was a self-service system, like a school cafeteria, where they served food to the people in line. And you had to take your own tray to the designated area after you were done. Efficient.
…I was aware that we were attracting a lot of attention on our way to the counter. A child they’d never seen before, an elven girl, no less, being carried by the guild doctor. I’m sure they were wondering what was going on!
But it seemed like the rumors had spread to some extent. I overheard things like, “So that’s the child…” and “She’s actually real…” I was like some kind of rare creature. It was a little awkward, but for now, I had to focus on the food before me!
“Tioris, I’m sorry, but could you give her a smaller portion? We’ll eat whatever she doesn’t finish, so it’s fine to give us a little extra.”
“Wow, she’s adorable! I thought it was a joke when I heard the rumors, but it’s actually true. Alright, I’ll also prepare a smaller spoon and a dessert fork for her.”
“Thank you.”
I listened to Dr. Ludo’s conversation with the orange-haired woman at the counter, feeling guilty. Sorry for the trouble!
But to be honest, I couldn’t focus on that right now. Because what was on my tray…
…was unmistakably a “teishoku” (set meal.)
On the main plate was shredded cabbage, a tomato, and what was probably chicken katsu. It was covered in what seemed like a tomato-based sauce, reminding me of Italian cotoletta.
And this was the shocking part. There, on my tray, was glistening white rice and miso soup.
Wh-What? Japanese food exists in this world? Was this a coincidence, or was it fate? It seemed like they had a fairly developed culture, and the food was delicious, so it wouldn’t be strange if they developed their own version of Japanese food… But I couldn’t help but feel that this wasn’t a mere coincidence, my chest tightening with unease.
“Alright, here you go! Eat up, little girl!”
The woman’s cheerful voice brought me back to reality. Yeah, there was no point in overthinking it. They did say the food here was unique to this town, so maybe if I did some research, I could figure out where it came from. I made a mental note to investigate this later.
“Okii! Thank you, Onee-shan! It looks yummy!”
“How cute! It doesn’t just look delicious, it is delicious!”
“I’m sho excited!”
After a brief exchange with the woman at the counter, we left… or rather, Dr. Ludo did.
Because I was still in his arms. Dr. Ludo’s carry was all about that comforting embrace, and he had a faint medicinal scent. This is a message from the Carry Master.
I was surprised by Dr. Ludo’s potential, effortlessly carrying me and two trays of food without a hitch. He could probably hold his own in a fight, even though he was a doctor. And waiting for me to finish talking before leaving was incredibly considerate. What a gentleman!
We returned to the table where Schlie-san was waiting. He brought over his own food, and after joining our hands together in prayer, we began dinner.
Eh? Of course, I was on Dr. Ludo’s lap, why?