Chapter 82: Roast Beef

Chapter 82:
Roast Beef

 

Rorona, the Lord of Black’s servant and brood member, spread her black wings and bathed in the mercy of her god from up above. She was full of joy.

I’m finally one of the brood!

Up until now, Rorona had been a normal human, incapable of feeling the Lord of Black’s energy: the light of night, infused with death’s power. She’d had no way of knowing that sunlight—the Lord of White’s light, which she passed under every single day—was such a horrible thing.

But now, new to all this as she was, Rorona felt the Lord of Black’s power within her.

Oh, great Lord of Black, who lives at the end of our world, I offer you my gratitude. Thank you for blessing me with even an ounce of your amazing power!

Rorona ran her hand across the two small holes in her neck. They proved that she’d completed the ritual required to be one of the brood. She smiled, revealing two sharp fangs in her mouth. Her body wasn’t merely that of a weak human follower. No, it had the form of a true believer and brood member who fought the devotees of Chaos and the Lord of White…the form of one who would eventually lead the Lord of Black’s followers.

Long, long ago, the Ancient Six—including the Lord of Black—had battled the Million Colors of Chaos in an effort to erase it from this world. In that fierce battle of the gods, the Ancient Six had sustained numerous serious injuries, spilling their blood throughout the world. According to legend, a living being who bathed in the Ancient Six’s blood and lived to tell the tale became a brood member.

The brood member gained immortality and sometimes even the awesome power to transform into a dragon. However, there was no way to pass brood powers down via bloodline.

After the battle with the Million Colors of Chaos, each brood member eventually went on to lead the Ancient Six’s believers. Despite the brood’s immense powers, they couldn’t increase their own numbers. Aside from the Lord of Blue’s followers—who chose to live deep beneath the ocean—believers in the other gods decreased due to constant battles with other believers, as well as the war against the long-eared invaders, who had no god to speak of. Eventually, they disappeared from the Southern Continent’s surface…that is, excluding those in the ocean and the opposing forces of the broods of White and Black.

Since the Lord of White had a deep love for the race known as “humanity,” they occasionally appeared before human children.

A single baby was chosen to accept a portion of the Lord of White’s blood. In exchange for living a mortal life like any other, the baby gained the ability to transform into a dragon, marking them as a candidate to become a high priest. That was the birth of a “white child” who served as the Lord of White’s representative, bringing together the Lord of White’s followers into the strongest brood in all the world.

On the other hand, the Lord of Black’s brood could create new members, an ability the other broods lacked. As a result, the Lord of Black’s brood was never forced to disappear into the shadows as the others were. They could increase their numbers by sharing their blood, which turned those they were close to into brood members.

When it came to sheer fighting strength, the Lord of Black’s brood was slightly weaker than the others. Unless they covered themselves in the Black Dragon’s scales, they were largely incapable of fighting beneath sunlight. That was a fatal weakness. After the battle against the Million Colors of Chaos concluded, it was said that the Lord of Black had gone on a journey to the end of the sky, never to be seen again. The Black Brood would live on in the Lord of Black’s place, leading their followers.

Among the Lord of Black’s followers were individuals capable of mastering a prayer that allowed them to grow dragon scales. Those skilled human priests could eventually become high priests, granting them permission to join the Black Brood. The Lord of Black’s followers believed that the day would come when their children became brood members, faithfully serving the Lord of Black’s shrine, which the high priests governed. In exchange for safety, those followers provided the brood with a workforce, as well as the blood required to keep them active.

“Hrm…? I smell something quite appetizing.”

Rorona was a talented priest who’d only just undergone the ritual to become a high priestess and brood member. She now had senses far above any human’s, so she picked up on the mysterious scent immediately.

“It’s coming from over there.”

It was faint, but she sensed the Lord of Black’s energies gathering.

Rorona quickly spread her wings and traced the aroma’s source. The full moon in the sky illuminated the night, making it easy for her to navigate.

At her destination, the moon above lit a single door with a cat plaque on its front. The door was clearly out of place.

“Hmm. What’s a door doing here? I just barely sense the Lord of Black’s power coming from it.”

Rorona brushed her hand against the door’s surface, picking up on faint traces of her lord.

Is this some sort of magic?

She sensed the Lord of Black’s power within the door, but that power was different from the power of prayer. It didn’t take Rorona long to figure out what was so unique about it. The magic in the door required no prayer; it was directly harnessed from within a body or object.

Rorona had learned about that at the shrine. Thousands of years ago, a mysterious race with long ears had invaded the land. Those beings believed in no god, making them enemies of not only the Ancient Six and their followers, but also the followers of the Million Colors of Chaos. The invaders were capable of using something called “magic.” Besides those born with magical power, few people on Rorona’s continent could use magic themselves.

The Million Colors of Chaos’s followers, who believed their lord would one day return to them, did whatever was required of them to survive. The Lord of Red’s followers believed that strength was justice. The Lord of White’s followers were weak humans who didn’t question the quality of the power they chose to wield. In the battle against the long-eared invaders, there were brood members—even among the Lord of Black’s servants—who managed to steal magical techniques and use them for their chosen deity. However, they were few in number.

Still, this has to be a high priest’s magic…probably.

Judging by the strength of the spell within the door, Rorona surmised that a high priest wielding powerful Black magic had cast it. In that case, this door was nothing to be scared of, so Rorona opened it.

The sound of bells rang out, and Rorona found herself in a bright room.

Where am I?!

She gazed at her mysterious new surroundings and immediately spotted a follower of Chaos—a young lady walking busily around the room.

Rorona held her breath. How could a follower of Chaos be present in a holy space that a high priest of Black had entered? That was unforgivable. Quickly, Rorona attempted to summon her dragon claws so that she could eliminate the invader.

Stop. There will be no fighting here.

All the power immediately drained from Rorona’s body, and she nearly collapsed on the spot. She couldn’t resist the mysterious voice. No, she couldn’t even think to resist it.

Wh-what the…?! What was that?!

Immediately, Rorona looked around the room. The only ones present were a strangely long-eared girl wearing black clothes and a host of other sentient beings wearing outfits Rorona was unfamiliar with. Although they were bizarrely dressed, they were no cause for concern.

“Um, miss? Is something the matter?”

While Rorona had been busy surveying her surroundings, the young follower of Chaos had drawn close, a puzzled expression on her face.

“H-huh?! Um, not at all! I, uh…ah.”

Rorona’s determination to fight had completely vanished, so she tried to behave casually, only to notice a man and woman sitting nearby.

The pair appeared to have noticed Rorona as well.

“Hrm?”

“Oh, my.”

Unlike Rorona, the couple had pale white skin. They wore bizarrely designed clothes that covered both their arms and legs. Despite that, Rorona sensed who they were, since she’d trained long and hard to become part of the brood.

“Um…er…I’d like to talk to the two people over there,” she told the follower of Chaos. “May I sit with them?”

“Oh, you want to share a table? Let me check real quick.” Slightly confused by the request, the follower of Chaos politely headed off to confirm it.

Ah…maybe she’s not actually a bad person?

That thought crossed Rorona’s mind as she watched the young lady walk away. At the Lord of Black’s shrine, Rorona had been taught to eliminate any and all followers of Chaos on sight. However, she couldn’t find a reason to slay the girl, who didn’t seem like an evildoer.

“I just checked, and Romero and Julietta would love your company. They’d actually like to speak to you as well! Let me take you over to them.”

After being on the receiving end of the young lady’s bright smile, how could Rorona not obediently follow?

“All right. Thank you.” She let the follower of Chaos guide her to the table.

The couple set down their transparent glasses of blood-red alcohol and welcomed Rorona.

“Greetings. What a lovely night it is, yes? We certainly didn’t expect to run into one of our kind here. I am Romero.”

“And my name is Julietta. Forgive me for being rude, but did you just undergo the transformation?”

“Um, it’s a pleasure to meet you both. My name is Rorona. I only recently joined the Black Brood, so there’s much for me to learn.”

Although they were brood members, the pair didn’t seem to be priests. That befuddled Rorona as she returned their greetings.

The man…Romero, was it? He’s probably hundreds of years old.

Romero had likely been alive for quite some time. Did that mean that Julietta was his lover?

As Rorona thought the situation over, Romero shot a question at her. “Hrm. The Black Brood, you say? Rorona, where exactly do you hail from?”

“Huh? Where? Er, the Lord of Black’s capital, of course.”

Rorona was deeply puzzled about why Romero would ask a question like that. Aside from a handful of powerful brood members who could survive in the “outside world,” all others were required to study and train in the capital.

It wasn’t completely unheard-of for brood missionaries to create new members while traveling abroad, but it was fairly rare.

Something about Rorona’s answer seemed to further confuse Julietta. “The Lord of Black, you say? Not the Dark Lord?”

“The Dark Lord? Hrm. While darkness is indeed the Lord of Black’s territory, the Lord of Black is the Lord of Black.”

An unsettling atmosphere hung over the table. Why was Julietta asking such things? Rorona was speaking the truth, and nothing she said went against common sense. So why were the two in front of her so confused?

After a moment of quiet thought, the man raised his eyes as if he’d realized something.

“Wait. Could you be from the Vampire Nation? I didn’t think it really existed.”

Romero’s suggestion took both Julietta and Rorona aback.

“Huh? ‘Vampire’? What’s that?” asked Rorona.

“Oh, my!” added Julietta. “Vampires have their own country? This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

Romero chuckled at the befuddled women, deciding to tell them a story.

“This is just a tale I heard from some elder vampires who’d lived over a thousand years. Apparently, a long, long time ago, back when the elves were exploring the world and eliminating savage tribes and monsters across the lands, they discovered a nation of vampires. In that country, our kind ruled as nobility, and the human commoners offered blood and labor in exchange for protection.”

“Especially strong humans were chosen to become vampires and nobles,” Romero continued. “According to the tale I heard, lots of vampires lived there. They were even capable of being active during the day, for some reason. The elves stood no chance against them.”

“Wait.” Rorona wasn’t stupid, so she was able to read between the lines of Romero’s tale. “Perhaps, when you say ‘vampire,’ you’re referring to the Black Brood?”

Putting together everything they’d spoken of up until that point, the “Vampire Nation” was actually the Lord of Black’s territory, where high priests and other leaders covered their bodies in dragon scales to defend against the sunlight. That was also where the Black Brood ruled over humans. Therefore, the “elves” Romero spoke of were likely the long-eared invaders.

“Yes, that seems to be the case,” Julietta agreed. “We call ourselves ‘vampires,’ but you refer to us as the ‘Black Brood.’ Ha ha! It’s a true pleasure to meet you.”

“I know that this is the Restaurant to Another World and all, but I still never thought we’d meet a vampire from the Vampire Nation!” added Romero. “It really is a delight to make your acquaintance.”

One thing was clear: The couple were no enemies of Rorona’s. Once all three of them came to that conclusion, Romero and Julietta revealed their fangs with big smiles.

Rorona responded in kind with a smile of her own, revealing her fangs. “Likewise!” Then she shot a question at them. “By the way, did you call this place the ‘Restaurant to Another World’?”

“Indeed,” said Romero. “As luck would have it, this restaurant exists in another world. It’s a rather strange place, but the food is delightful.”

“It actually has a different name,” Julietta added, “but everyone simply refers to it as the Restaurant to Another World.”

The couple answered succinctly, making Rorona glance down at the food and drink they’d been indulging in before she arrived. Looking at the food on the table, she couldn’t help but voice her honest opinion.

“This undercooked meat is an otherworldly dish?” She tilted her head.

The thinly sliced meat’s outer edges seemed well done, but for some reason, the center still looked pink. A slew of vegetables sat underneath the meat, and atop it was some kind of juice. In that sense, it certainly looked like a proper meal, but Rorona couldn’t help focusing on how undercooked the meat seemed.

“Yes, it’s called roast beef,” Julietta explained.

“It goes wonderfully with red wine, in fact,” Romero added. “If you primarily want a satisfying meal, I recommend the beef steak. But if you’re here for the fine drinks, roast beef is perfect. Would you like to join us? I can guarantee its taste.”

The couple sitting in front of Rorona vouched for the undercooked meat’s flavor.

Well, they seem nice enough, she thought. It would be rude not to try the dish after the pair’s recommendation. Picking up the fork that the follower of Chaos had left moments earlier, Rorona stretched her hand toward the roast beef.

When she stabbed her fork into a thin slice of meat, she was surprised to find that it was tremendously tender.

I wonder if this is okay to eat. Rorona mused for a moment about the dangers of ingesting unprepared meat but realized the folly of her thoughts. Oh, wait. I’m not human anymore, so I should be fine!

The moment she bit into the tender meat, her eyes widened.

“What the…?!”

It was far from undercooked, although it looked that way to the naked eye. The meat was indeed well done. Its surface was intoxicatingly aromatic, and its center was tender and juicy. Each bite spread more of its salty, spicy juices through her mouth. The roast beef wasn’t hard to chew, like undercooked meat. Instead, it was easy to bite through. It was entirely different from fried or boiled meat.

Rorona hadn’t known that meat could be prepared like this.

“Well? Surprised?” Watching his fellow vampire react to the roast beef, Romero offered an explanation. “It may look as though it’s just been cooked normally, but that’s what makes the food here so fascinating.”

Romero had felt the same way as Rorona when he first ate the beef steak at the Restaurant to Another World. The steak looked simple at a glance, but really, the chef had tinkered with it until it was perfect. That was why Romero and Julietta were so fond of this place.

“Now then, please, eat up. If we need to, we can just order more!” Julietta explained with a smile, prodding Rorona to indulge.

The brood member quietly moved the dish of roast beef closer to her, continuing to shovel meat into her mouth. Although the tender beef was cooked through, delicious juices remained inside, exploding into Rorona’s mouth with each bite.

The greens’ hint of spiciness shot through her nose and melded perfectly with the faintly sour red sauce mixed with the juices. Rorona felt as though she could keep eating the roast beef forever.

“As I mentioned earlier, the roast beef is delicious on its own, but it becomes an entirely different beast when paired with red wine. Please, give it a try.” Romero passed his wine glass to the youthful Rorona. She immediately took a sip and found the sour, bitter red drink delectable.

Mmm. This wine’s quite good!

It was likely made from some unfamiliar fruit. Rorona agreed that it went quite well with the meat’s flavor.

“Ah, excuse me, Aletta, my dear,” Romero said to the follower of Chaos. “I’m sorry, but could we have another plate of roast beef? Oh, and some bread as well?”

The trio ate and drank. Midway through their meal, the couple suggested that Rorona try some of the warm, soft, sweet bread—an unfamiliar food. Yet again, it paired amazingly with the roast beef. Rorona was left with a full stomach and an overwhelming sense of joy and gratitude.

The Restaurant to Another World, huh? This place is pretty great. And Romero and Julietta are tremendously kind.

Rorona would certainly have to come again, she thought to herself as a smile stretched across her face.