Chapter 92: Mille Crepe Cake

Chapter 92:
Mille Crepe Cake

 

The queen of the Land of Flowers, Tiana Silvario XVI, read through the tiny letter. To reach her, it had passed through numerous faeries’ hands. Each word was written in the Land of Flowers’ ink made of honey and pollen.

“Little ones with bat wings, eh?”

The letter was sent by Tielia, Tiana’s younger sister and an adventurer who’d left the kingdom.

 

***

 

Every now and then, faeries of the Land of Flowers left the country and traveled among their world’s humans. Those faeries were typically inquisitive and skilled enough at magic to protect themselves. Despite the safety that came with living in the Land of Flowers, the country lacked the excitement those specific faeries desired; they left to satisfy their own curiosity.

What faeries typically lacked in stamina, they made up for in magical prowess. They weren’t a race to be underestimated. Most of those who left for the human world called themselves mercenaries or adventurers, traveling with humans, half-elves, and dwarves. Some faeries returned after a big adventure, having amassed a great deal of skill, but some ultimately became corpses.

 

***

 

It had been some time since Tiana had received a letter from her little sister. It was full of seasonal greetings, stories of things Tielia had seen and heard on her journey, and even a direct request.

“I entrusted a letter to the little ones who saved me,” Tielia’s letter explained. “I imagine that they’ll eventually find their way to the Land of Flowers. Please treat them as welcome guests, hey?”

Apparently, while journeying as an adventurer in the human world, Tielia had come across a horrific bloodsucking race called “vampires” and engaged one in battle. A group of small people with bat-like green wings had saved her.

The group had all worn the same clothes and were led by a single man. They could spit acid, and they engaged the powerful vampire unarmed—madness, considering that the bloodsucking creature’s skin was hard enough to repel swords. They tore the vampire to shreds with their bare hands, using their whip-like tails to defeat the foe. They were more powerful than even Tielia’s strongest dwarf friend.

Paulo, the group’s mature leader, seemed to be in a class all his own. When the vampire turned into mist and attempted to flee, he used a strange power to transform into a dragon and take the creature down in a single breath.

Tielia and her friends were saved from having their blood sucked in the nick of time. They quickly expressed their gratitude to the small people. Then their mysterious saviors asked whether the party knew of anyplace where small folk like themselves lived, and Tiana’s little sister told them of the Land of Flowers.

After thinking for a moment, the queen decided how to handle her little sister’s saviors. “I suppose that’s fine. I shall meet them. After what they’ve done, it is only right and just that I respect their request.”

She turned to the Land of Flowers’ chancellor. “You understand, yes? According to this letter, a group of small people who can soar through the sky will eventually visit our land. Make sure to prepare for them. I imagine it will probably be the Day of Satur after next when they arrive.”

“Yes, Your Highness. But…um…what does any of this have to do with the Day of Satur?” the chancellor asked, tilting their head.

The Day of Satur held great meaning and importance in the Land of Flowers, but the chancellor didn’t understand how that linked with welcoming a group of foreigners into the country.

“Please. They saved my dearest little sister from death itself. In other words, we must celebrate! We shall order cake!”

A half-elf mage acquaintance of the queen’s had once told her about another land and its special baked goods for joyous occasions.

Despite being the Land of Flowers’ queen, Tiana couldn’t very well make decisions about crepes on her own. Her sister’s rescue was the perfect opportunity to order the pastry she’d heard of many moons ago. Or, at least, Tiana quietly thought as much to herself.

 

***

 

On the border of the Land of Flowers, a group of small, dragon-winged priests descended the peak of a treacherous stone mountain. From that mountain, one could distinguish a flower field from the grasslands.

“I believe that’s the Land of Flowers Lady Tielia mentioned, Lord Paulo.”

Paulo—the Lord of Green’s high priest—transformed his eyes into a dragon’s, capable of seeing thousands of miles into the distance. Confirming the massive flower field’s existence, he nodded to the priestess beside him, who happened to be his beloved wife.

“Indeed it is. Let me go talk to them first. I’ll have you and the others wait here.”

“Understood. Please, be careful.”

At his wife’s response, Paulo spread his wings and launched himself into the sky.

I certainly hope that the ones who live here are as agreeable as Lady Tielia.

 

***

 

Paulo had left his longtime home in the south and headed to the Northern Continent for missionary purposes. The northern regions were full of barbarians and savages.

According to rumors, the Lord of Blue, the ruler of the ocean, had directly ordered several high priests and servants to search for something on the Northern Continent—the same land where legends said the long-eared invaders lived.

Servants of the Lord of Blue could move in the water with great ease. By contrast, crossing the ocean was tremendously difficult as a follower of any other god.

The Lord of Blue, who lived deep within the ocean, was willing to give other gods’ servants permission to cross overseas if they went through the proper steps. The only issue was that gaining the Lord of Blue’s permission didn’t eliminate vicious waves, storms, or dangerous monsters that lacked enough knowledge to worship a god.

After hearing stories from a traveler who’d visited the Northern Continent, the Lord of Green’s followers had held a discussion among themselves. They decided that, of all the races that worshiped the Lord of Green, Paulo and his Lilliputians would be perfect to send as missionaries to the Northern Continent.

The Lilliputians called the woods their home and were extremely passionate believers, even compared to the Lord of Green’s other races. Their small bodies made it difficult for larger races to notice them. They also didn’t require much in the way of food. Additionally, many Lilliputians were enthusiastic about becoming strong enough to compete with other races, despite their size. On top of that, they were skilled at controlling their dragon wings.

More importantly, Lilliputians like Paulo had, after intense training, become high priests and priestesses. Lilliputian priests capable of controlling their dragon wings were chosen for the journey with Paulo as their leader. They would head all the way to the Northern Continent as a missionary group.

It didn’t take them long to realize just how trying a journey that would truly be.

Against all odds, they’d managed to cross the blue ocean and even memorize the Northern Continent’s language. In most areas of the continent, the language was based on that of the long-eared invaders, so the Lilliputians learned it fairly easily.

It was everything that came after that turned the journey into quite a struggle. Truth be told, it would’ve been much harder if Paulo hadn’t been present. He was a seasoned veteran more than capable of taking down most opponents. Fortunately, the entire group knew what sort of dangers to expect, so they crossed overseas without a single death.

As luck had it, savages were abundant in the Northern Continent, where the light of God couldn’t reach. In the land of the long-eared invaders, those who worshiped gods were hard to come by. Oddly enough, the beings referred to as “gods” in the Northern Continent took the form of humans, not dragons. Furthermore, their followers didn’t know how to transform into dragons modeled after their gods. They could only use unique skills based on elements their gods held dominion over. Even those as faithful as the southern high priests had incredibly weak bodies.

On top of that, one could count on both hands the number of races that believed in the gods: humans, half-elves, dwarves, and a few others. Those on the continent scoffed at the mere idea that someone like Paulo, from a race of small beings other races rarely saw, could ever become a priest.

There were even fools who mistook Paulo and the other missionaries for a new dragon-winged race, seeking to capture and sell them like some sort of attraction.

Ironically, the only race on the Northern Continent as devout as Paulo and the others were the demons who worshiped the Million Colors of Chaos. In fact, they held dominion over their own land within the Empire and seemed prosperous.

In Paulo’s home, there were numerous beast people and manticores among the Lord of Green’s devotees, but tribes also worshiped Gold, Red, and Black. Goblins and ogres worshiped the Lord of Green, just as Paulo and his companions did, and had settlements throughout the continent. Then there were the lamia. At home, they passionately followed the Lord of Red, with high priestesses scattered across the land.

Back where Paulo came from, all those races could be reasoned with, although there were differences between their cultures.

But on the Northern Continent, they were nothing but savages that couldn’t have cared less about the gods’ teachings. They simply had no interest in learning about Paulo’s faith, so they hurt and robbed the missionaries remorselessly. Constantly hunted down and treated as intelligent beasts, the small folk had no choice but to flee them.

Among the worst of the Northern Continent’s residents were the fools with the Lord of Black’s direct blood blessings, the brood beloved by the dark of night, who didn’t even worship the Goddess of Darkness—known to Paulo as the Lord of Black.

Paulo and his fellow believers thought regularly about how badly they wished to obtain that sort of power, the grace of God. Therefore, hearing those fools claim that the Goddess of Darkness was a being to be scorned, and wasn’t worth worshiping, was unforgivable. It enraged Paulo, and together with his comrades, he sought to take down the Lord of Black’s brood.

During their missionary journey, the Lilliputians had encountered faeries. At home, Paulo’s people either worshiped the Lord of Gold, who held dominion over the skies, or the Lord of Green, who held dominion over the earth. In this new land, however, they were apparently friendly with the long-eared invaders known as elves on the Northern Continent.

The faeries—who’d descended from that race—seemed to have little interest in, or familiarity with, the gods the humans worshiped. However, they possessed the same techniques known as “magic” that the long-eared invaders had. The faeries had formed their own unique culture and carved out a kingdom for themselves on rich, fertile land.

The faeries were a small race not unlike Paulo and the other missionaries. They didn’t believe in the gods, but could be reasoned with.

The faery girl that Paulo happened to meet upon slaying a member of the Black Brood had explained that she was actually the little sister of the woman who led her people. The Lilliputians’ next destination was then decided; they continued their journey and finally made their way to the Land of Flowers.

So, this is the place? I see.

As soon as Paulo descended into the Land of Flowers, his experience as the Lord of Green’s high priest enabled him to sense the region’s tremendous magical power. It was so remarkable that, had Paulo been back home, things would immediately have devolved into a struggle over the land.

The area was so rich in magical power that it could’ve been called a holy land—a place governed by a high priest or priestess.

This is incredibly fertile land. I feel the strong blessings of the Lord of Green here. It makes sense that the faeries call this place home.

As Paulo flew into the nation covered in blooming pink flowers, its residents came out to greet him, as if to support that thought.

In their hands were wooden staves; on their backs were insectoid wings completely different from dragon wings. An ogre-like titan made of vines, likely created by the faeries to protect their land, stood with them. The faeries’ eyes said they were on guard.

“From your appearance, I assume you to be the little folk with bat wings whom Lady Tielia mentioned in her letter,” one faery said.

“Not quite. The wings on our backs are dragon wings, given to us by the Lord of Green. Make no mistake, however, we have come here on Lady Tielia’s invitation.”

As a high priest, Paulo made a point of emphasizing the faeries’ error before taking out the note Tielia had given him.

“Hrm…this is genuine. You and your people are now our nation’s guests. Queen Tiana will see you; follow me. Ah—what of the others?”

“I have them waiting outside,” Paulo replied. “Let me call them.”

If nothing else, it appeared as though the faeries wouldn’t attack the Lilliputians anytime soon. With that in mind, Paulo went back to his companions.

Well, I certainly hope this queen and her people have at least some understanding of God’s heart.

With that concern in his stomach, Paulo headed to the mountain, where his wife and the others waited patiently.

 

***

 

The Land of Flowers reverently welcomed Paulo and his people as heroes for saving Queen Tiana Silvario XVI’s little sister. Numerous faeries showered the group with words of gratitude, and faery children innocently approached Paulo and his people, seeming to take great pleasure in observing their similar-but-different wings.

At home, that would’ve been considered rude behavior toward a high priest and his companions. However, it was clear that it wasn’t done out of malice or a desire to reject the Lilliputians’ beliefs.

Hmm. This is quite a lovely land. It’s completely unscathed by war.

Gripping his wife’s hand, which had found his out of concern, Paulo calmly observed his surroundings. The faeries, who were no different in size from the Lilliputians, truly called a beautiful land their home. It was full of enough magical energy to be a holy land, and flowers bloomed regardless of the season.

The faeries told Paulo that they ate honey and flower seeds, so they were never left wanting for food. Furthermore, in the past hundred years, there’d been no war to speak of. Looking at the faery citizens made that clear; not a single one wore the scars of battle.

Paulo had met many different people on his journey through the land. Besides a handful who inhabited capital cities, however, most lived very poor lives. The Land of Flowers’ standard of living was clearly much higher than elsewhere on the continent.

As he considered the faeries’ living conditions, Paulo kept flying forward, eventually spotting a building made of vines and flowers. In front stood a woman with bright green hair.

Paulo could tell who she was at first glance, thanks to the powerful magical energy emanating from her. The girl named Tielia had an impressive magical energy level, but the woman in front of him had powers rivaling his as a high priest. She was clearly the ruler.

“Welcome! My little sister owes you all a great deal. I am Tiana Silvario XVI, queen of this great nation.” The woman introduced herself.

As a show of respect, Paulo did the same. “You have our immense gratitude for accepting us into your homeland on this day. My name is Paulo, and I come from the far lands of the Southern Continent. I am no one significant, but the rank of high priest was granted to me by the Lord of Green, ruler of the earth. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Tiana narrowed her eyes in response to Paulo’s greeting. She immediately voiced what she’d noticed.

“Oho! You come from the south? I see now. Your clothes and skin color—you come from the same place as they do.”

“‘They’?”

“Yes.” Tiana nodded. “I happen to know someone who dresses similarly to you all, has the same dark skin, and possesses magical powers on your level.”

“Is that so? Where did you run into this person?” Could another high priest from Paulo’s homeland have crossed over?

“In the other world, actually.”

“Excuse me?” Paulo seemed stunned by the queen’s words. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, you see, once every seven days, a door connecting to another world appears here in the Land of Flowers,” the queen explained. “I met the person in question there.”

“Actually, perfect timing,” she went on. “As fate would have it, the door to the other world is scheduled to appear here tomorrow. We planned on throwing you a welcome banquet there and would be ever so pleased if you joined us.”

“Of course. But why a banquet in another world…?”

Tiana’s smile deepened. “Beyond the door is a place called the Restaurant to Another World. It serves all manner of otherworldly snacks and pastries.”

“Er, what?” Once again, Paulo looked stunned.

 

***

 

The next day came, and the sound of bells filled the air as the door to the other world opened.

As soon as the group stepped through, a follower of Chaos wearing a bizarre outfit greeted them. She seemed friendly with Tiana.

“Welcome, Lady Tiana! We have your mille crepe cake ready to go!”

“Many thanks,” Tiana replied. “I thought we’d come by within seven days of ordering, but we cut it much closer than I planned. I’m glad it didn’t go to waste.”

As soon as the follower of Chaos revealed herself, Paulo told his companions to calm their nerves and hostility. “Remember, we were invited here by Lady Tiana. Don’t do anything that casts shame upon me.”

He glanced around the room for the first time. I feel the strong presence of fire and even a bit of darkness. It’s almost like a holy land. I knew it.

Paulo’s vertically slit dragon eyes made out the gods’ powers flowing through the restaurant and quickly discovered who Tiana had been talking about.

The legless Lucia and Katalina of the White, eh?

Among all the continent’s high priests and priestesses, those two were particularly well known for their immensely strong powers and faith.

Lucia had evidently just finished eating a meal with a priest she’d likely chosen to be the lamia “husband.” She wore a big smile as she spoke to him. Katalina, on the other hand, was alone, waiting for the meal she’d ordered to arrive.

I understand now. No wonder nobody’s causing a fuss.

Earlier in the morning, the queen had explained to Paulo that conflict was off-limits in the other world. He’d wondered why and how that was the case. Now that he was actually in the restaurant, it all made sense.

Paulo had heard that, some ten years earlier, Lucia and Katalina had found themselves on the same battlefield. The light and fire of their fierce standoff had burned the area to nothing. If two people like them had fought here, it would’ve been catastrophic.

They weren’t the only powerful beings present. Numerous strong individuals were visiting the restaurant, starting with Tiana at his side. Not all were as powerful as Paulo, but that said, even somebody as skilled as him wouldn’t stand a chance if they tried to pick a fight here.

“I’ll be right out with your food. Hold on for just a moment.” The follower of Chaos retreated to the kitchen.

“Over here, Sir Paulo,” said Tiana.

“Ah. Let’s go.” Paulo motioned to the priests accompanying him, and they followed Tiana to a giant table likely meant for humans.

Paulo overheard the faeries’ conversation.

“What’s up with today’s crepe?”

“Well, I heard that the queen specially ordered something called a mille crepe cake to celebrate Sir Paulo’s arrival.”

“What is it?”

“Beats me. But I know it’s a pastry for special occasions. The queen apparently heard that from Lady Victoria.”

The faeries were clearly excited about what was coming their way.

“Lord Paulo…?” said a Lilliputian priest.

“Come now, they’re throwing this banquet for us,” Paulo said. “It would be rude not to accept their hospitality. Please, enjoy yourselves.”

Paulo and the others weren’t particularly knowledgeable about the Northern Continent’s customs, never mind the customs of a completely different world. They had no clue what the queen had requested.

I imagine that mille crepe cake is some sort of sweet pastry.

The meal the faeries had treated Paulo and his companions to the previous night was a rather sugary dish of honey-covered flower seeds. Judging by that, the faeries clearly loved confections in general.

Eventually, a human—likely the master of the restaurant—came out with a dish in hand. “Sorry about the wait. Here’s the mille crepe cake you ordered.”

As soon as he spoke up, the faeries immediately moved away from the table’s center. The master put the plate down in the open space.

Paulo’s first impression was that the mountain sitting on the plate was thick, round, and egg-colored. At its very top was some stuff that reflected the ceiling light.

What’s this thing? It’s huge. Some sort of fried egg, perhaps?

“Let me cut this up for you.” With the large silver knife in his hand, the master gently cut the mountain into small slices.

If he’d done so the usual way, the cake wouldn’t have looked as delicious, so he carefully cut it into long, thin pieces. First, he cut the mille crepe cake in half, then in quarters, then eighths, then sixteenths. Any further, and it would’ve fallen apart, so the master stopped there and began putting the slices on small plates the waitress brought over.

As he placed cake on the plates, the faeries offered each other their impressions and predictions.

“Hoh! This mille crepe cake’s quite a pretty dessert.”

“Fruit crepes are beautiful, but this has its own artistry in and of itself.”

“That’s all whipped cream, eh? Wonder what it tastes like.”

Meanwhile, Paulo and the Lilliputians were dumbfounded by the otherworldly cake in front of them.

This is a pastry?

It was absolutely nothing like the pastry the Lilliputians were familiar with. Removed from the main mountain, the mille crepe slices had a mysterious makeup. Their insides were bright yellow and white layers, set atop each other numerous times. The pattern was nearly perfect, with each stripe the same length and size. The cake was so beautiful, in fact, that it felt as though it’d be a waste to eat any of it.

“Take your time and enjoy.” The master had a happy expression and was clearly pleased that they were so struck by the cake’s beauty. He disappeared into the back.

“Shall we eat? That plate there is for our guests. Nobody else touch it,” Tiana warned the faeries strictly and seriously.

The faeries quickly withdrew from the plate next to Paulo and the other Lilliputians, flying to the other plate instead. Once the queen gave them permission, the faeries began to cut into their “prey.”

“Lord Paulo…?”

“Lady Tiana is treating us. Let us partake.”

Hearing her husband give the okay, Paulo’s wife approached the mille crepe cake. She took a piece from the top and respectfully offered it to him.

“Then you should be the first to eat, Lord Paulo. Otherwise, the rest of us couldn’t possibly indulge.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Paulo nodded and took the slice from his wife’s whipped cream-covered brown hands.

Hoh, this top layer… Some kind of boiled fruit?

As a high priest, Paulo had a sharpened sense of smell that he’d trained for years on end. It allowed him to immediately recognize what was spread over the cake’s surface: some normally sour fruit, boiled in sugar acquired from another race.

The great thing about the stuff was that it was easy to store, and even a bit of it gave someone the energy to live. The Lilliputians were a little race, so it was difficult for them to hunt wild beasts without a priest’s help, or even to farm and harvest corn. Therefore, this stuff was a popular food among Paulo’s people.

When Paulo had been just a powerless young lad, he’d often eaten it as well. As he thought back on his youth, he at last bit into the mille crepe cake.

“This is delicious…” Paulo hadn’t intended to think aloud, but did so nonetheless.

Within the mille crepe cake’s sweetness were the sour, slightly bitter jam; the crepes’ soft, egg-yellow surface; and the perfectly sweet whipped cream. The top of the crepe had all those elements, and they combined and spread magically through his mouth.

Paulo took another bite. This time, it was free of jam, allowing him to experience the flavors of the whipped cream and crepe on their own.

Paying real attention to the pastry’s taste, however, Paulo realized that it still ever so faintly tasted of sour fruit. The balance between the whipped cream and crepe was different, so the cream’s taste was stronger. Its milk flavor helped suppress its rich sweetness as it dissolved from his mouth’s heat.

Once the cream vanished into thin air, all that remained was its aftertaste.

The crepe is delicious, too. It reminded him of a dish the Lilliputians made back in his homeland; they beat cornstarch in water and fried it. Ultimately, however, that was considered food for the poor. This was entirely different.

The master had likely beaten eggs as well as water into the mixture. Judging by how well the crepe paired with whipped cream, he’d probably added milk as well.

I bet this’d be delicious with meat or marmett.

Paulo continued to dig into the perfect little dessert. Eventually, the last tiny piece found its way to the bottom of his stomach.

As he finished, he noticed that the other priests had begun to feast. They were frantic, almost like a herd of beasts eating livestock thrown to them. The mille crepe cake was tall compared to Paulo and his friends, but it gradually became smaller and smaller.

Noticing the priests’ behavior, Paulo panicked and quickly neared the plate. “Wait! Wait! I haven’t had my fill!”

The banquet to welcome Paulo and his friends continued until everyone had eaten far too much.

 

***

 

Tiana and Paulo returned to the Land of Flowers with full stomachs. The ride wasn’t an easy one.

“Well, did you enjoy yourself, Sir Paulo?” The ruler smiled.

“Yes. Thank you very much, Lady Tiana,” he responded.

“That’s wonderful. I hope we can continue this amicable relationship for a long time to come,” Tiana said, her smile deepening.

“If at all possible,” said Paulo, “we wondered whether we might get permission to spread the word of our almighty Lord of Green throughout your land. We would never force anyone to become a follower, of course.”

“You have my permission. Feel free to use the Land of Flowers as a hub from which to spread your god’s teachings through the continent. We welcome you as friends here, high priest of the Lord of Green.”

Only after visiting the restaurant had Tiana truly learned how vast the world was. These little missionaries from a mysterious, unknown land were part of that very world.

Tiana still didn’t know the Lilliputians all that well, but she was certain that they had no ill intent. Now that she knew that much, she felt relieved. That was why Tiana had been so willing to accept Paulo’s request.

On that day, the seeds of cultural exchange were planted firmly in the ground.