Chapter 12: B-Steak

Chapter 12:
B-Steak

Romero nearly fell into despair as he watched the loathsome morning light illuminate the entrance to the cave.

“It’s already dawn?” he whispered.

“Wh-what’re we gonna do, Romero?” Julietta, his lover, gripped his hand tightly.

“It’ll be okay. I’ll protect you no matter what.”

Romero could feel her hand trembling in fear as he bit down on his lip. Having lived in the darkness on his own for so long, he thought he understood. He thought he understood what it would mean to be together with Julietta. But he couldn’t stop himself. After finally knowing the warmth of her love, there was no way that Romero could return to the darkness.

That was why it hurt so much, knowing that their pursuers were growing ever closer…

Death was knocking at their door.

Damn it all! If I were on my own, at least…

Indeed. If Romero were alone, he could at least accept his fate. His hands were already stained with blood. He was a being of the darkness that had taken many lives just to feed himself. He wouldn’t complain about meeting his end. He deserved it.

But Julietta was different. She chose to follow Romero out of the world of light but committed no sins of her own. She was still pure. The two of them fell in love and chose to live together. That was why Romero refused to let it end this way. He refused to drag his beloved with him down to the world of the Goddess of Darkness.

There has to be a way, Romero thought. Something, anything!

They couldn’t leave the cave. Their pursuers were already hot on their tail, and worse, the sun had risen. It was only a matter of time until they located this tiny cave. Things might have been different if the moon were still out, as it granted those who lived in the world of the dead its powers. But the sun, the symbol of light and life itself, was not their ally. Should their pursuers catch them in the daylight, their future would be gone forever.

Then it happened.

“Ah! Romero, look at that! It’s… it’s…!” Julietta raised her voice as she noticed something in the depths of the cave.

“What? A door?!”

It was as though the heavens had extended one last helping hand, for there was suddenly a mysterious door in the cave.

What’s going on? Why is there a door here? No, wait a second…

A black door with a picture of a cat on it appeared seemingly out of nowhere. After recovering from shock, Romero began to think. He grabbed Julietta’s hand and walked in silence.

“Romero? What is that door? Do you know what it is?” Julietta and her lover drew ever closer to it.

“No, I don’t. But it can’t be any worse than staying here.” Romero answered her question and put his hand on the surface of the door. What awaits us on the other side? he wondered. Despair? Or perhaps…

With the sun already up, they would be forced to remain in the cave until nightfall, no matter what. At this point, their only option was to proceed forward and try to grasp at any sliver of hope they could. The ringing of a bell sounded off as the door opened, leading into a somewhat dark room. Romero was relieved. The sun couldn’t reach wherever this place was.

“Let’s go.” Romero urged Julietta on.

“Of course, my love. I decided long ago to follow you wherever you go. I’ll be with you until the end.” Julietta nodded, her face still pale. The two took hands and stepped into the dark room beyond the door, and as it closed shut behind them, it disappeared.

A short time later, multiple men came storming into the cave. The warriors gripped silver swords in their hands, said to be powerful against beings of the darkness. Alongside them were wise sorcerers and priests of the Lord of Light. The latter had silver seals and spears made of white trees, crafted specifically to kill Romero. Around their necks were beautiful wreaths made from the aromatic galileo flower.

“Dammit! He’s not here, either!” one of the men cried.

“Blast it all! Where the hell did that cursed monster go?”

“It’s already morning!” a warrior said. “There’s nowhere left for him to run! Find him and kill him!”

“Oh, Lady Julietta, please be all right.”

A priest sighed. “No, I imagine it’s already too late. The young lady is probably already…”

The men were searching for the local lord’s young daughter, who had been kidnapped. As the sun rose into the sky, they continued their desperate search, unaware that the two had already fled to a place where they could no longer be found.

***

The couple looked around the lightless room, searching their surroundings.

“We’re in a basement, it seems…” Romero said.

Beyond the door was a somewhat narrow room.

“What is this place?” Julietta quietly brought herself closer to Romero, trembling with fear.

The room before them was a bizarre one. It was hard to imagine that a place like this was connected to the cave they were just in. There were lines of clean tables and chairs organized in the space. Each table had glass containers of some kind on top of them. On the walls were various pictures, and the wood floor was smooth and polished.

Is this some wizard’s room? Romero asked himself. I know for a fact this place utilizes a kind of teleportation magic, but…

Romero had lived some ten times longer than Julietta and was able to sense the magic flowing throughout the room. This place was overflowing with magical energies. He could sense the power of fire and darkness in it. Fortunately for the two of them, it didn’t appear to be the sort of dangerous magic that attacked uninvited guests, but that didn’t change the fact that he didn’t know what it was.

A tiny bit of light crept into the room from the back, where Romero could sense someone’s presence. He assumed that must be the master of this bizarre locale.

What do I do?

Things moved quickly. Suddenly the room was as bright as day. Julietta screamed, and she and Romero immediately moved into defensive crouches.

“Dammit! A trap?!”

“Wait,” said Julietta. “This light doesn’t hurt…”

The light of this room was nothing like that of the sun or the holy light that the annoying servants of the Lord of Light wielded. There was nothing magical about it: it was meant to simply brighten the room.

“Whoa there!” said a voice. “Hey, welcome. You folks are certainly early.”

Romero and Julietta heard a deep voice call out to them. It was coming from a middle-aged man standing at the far end of the room. He was a large, bearded man, appropriately fit for his age. He didn’t appear to be a sorcerer or warrior.

Judging by his stance and the limited magical energy of the man, Romero could tell he wasn’t someone who could hurt them. With that clear, Romero let down his guard for the time being. Unaware of any of this, the man continued to talk.

“Man, I’m sorry. We’re still just getting ready… Is everything all right? You both look pale as a ghost.”

Romero blinked. “Oh, uh, don’t worry about it. We’ve always been like this. We’re both fit as a fiddle.”

The man seemingly still had no idea what he was face to face with as he questioned the couple. Romero answered his question truthfully. While they both lacked sleep, they were feeling relatively healthy thanks to the lack of light.

“Might I ask, what is this place?” Romero collected himself.

He understood that the door in the cave was some kind of teleportation magic, which meant that it was safe to assume that they had surfaced somewhere else entirely.

“This is Western Cuisine Nekoya, a restaurant! Folks from your side call us the Restaurant to Another World, though.” As the master of this place, the man answered as he always did.

“This is a restaurant?” Romero asked.

“Are you telling me we’re in a different world right now?” Julietta gasped. They both shot their questions to the man at the same time.

“That’s right. For folks like me who live on this side, this is just a regular old restaurant. But for you ladies and gents over there, yeah, this is another world. Apparently.”

The man continued, flashing them a smile.

“So now that that’s outta the way, would you care to grab a bite to eat? Despite our size, we’ve got great ratings you know?”

Julietta whispered, “Romero, we should probably eat something. That way, we can, um, be a ‘customer’ here.”

“Hm, good point.”

Romero nodded his head to Julietta’s keen advice. If this truly was a restaurant, then by placing an order, the two of them would become customers. This meant that as long as they ordered something, they could stay at their table even until sunset without the master complaining. If they could use this place to hide out, that would be perfect.

“Understood. Then could we have two orders of your most expensive dish? Oh, and if you have any blood-red wine, we’d love two glasses.”

And so Romero placed their orders. Fortunately, he had money. He knew nothing of what the food from the other world was like, but surely the master wouldn’t complain if they ordered the most expensive meal on the menu.

“The most expensive dish, eh? Let’s see… That’d be the b-steak cooked beef. Are you okay with that? The stew’s not ready yet, unfortunately. And yes, we do have red wine.”

B-steak was the most expensive dish Nekoya had other than the beef stew. The previous master always used to refer to the beef steak as b-steak, so it became something of a tradition. Unfortunately, the meal wasn’t particularly well-liked in the other world. Apparently, beef just wasn’t all that popular. Recognizing this, the master made sure to confirm the order with his customer.

Romero instinctively made a face upon hearing that the b-steak was made from cooked beef but then remembered himself and nodded politely at the master. “Cooked beef, eh? Fine. We’ll have that. Also, would you mind not using any garlik? The both of us are terribly sensitive to its scent.”

At the end of the day, they were only placing orders so that the master wouldn’t give them a hard time about sticking around. It didn’t matter if the food was terrible or not. As long as there was no garlik in the dish, they could handle it. Beings such as Romero and Julietta were highly vulnerable to the herb.

“You got it. Hang on just a moment, and feel free to sit wherever you’d like.” The master returned to the back.

“He’s gone…” Julietta murmured.

“I think we’re safe now.”

The couple grabbed seats and let out sighs of relief, all the tension draining from their bodies. It had been three days since Romero and Julietta hit the road running. It was highly doubtful that their pursuers would ever find this place.

“So, cooked beef is the most expensive thing here, eh? What kind of restaurant is this?” Finally relaxed, Romero whispered to his partner as he looked around the interior.

“Good question. It’s too bad. This place is so nice-looking.” Julietta agreed with her lover and also took a glance around the room. It was a well-kept, comfortable little restaurant. The temperature was neither too hot nor too cold, and while the furnishings and decor were rather plain, the way everything was polished and organized made it all seem that much classier. Furthermore, on each table were a set of glass containers filled with herbs, spices, and sugars, free for them to use. As far as Romero and Julietta were concerned, this was clearly a fancy restaurant.

And yet they served beef.

For Romero and his partner, beef could best be described as the absolute bottom of the barrel. In their world, cows were most often used as farming tools to help create fields for growing crops. This was primarily due to the fact that they were much slower than horses but significantly more powerful. They were also used to produce milk. Those were the primary reasons that a farmer might own a cow. One would find themselves eating cow only after the creature had grown old, gotten injured, or could no longer produce milk. Only then would they be killed and eaten. It went without saying that the quality of the meat was significantly lower than that of a lamb or sheep, which would be killed and eaten immediately after harvesting its wool. It also paled in comparison to beast meat acquired by skilled hunters. Beef was tough and gamey, so it was primarily used as food for the poor, farmers, or dogs, That was just the way it was.

Not to mention the effort needed to stew the beef for a long period of time and extract the scum from it. Simply cooking the beef would only make it leathery and hard to eat. Romero and Julietta weren’t the only ones who felt this way; most people in their world believed this to be the case.

“Well, whatever. It’s not like I actually want to eat anyway.” In his mind, Romero was paying for the right to sit in the restaurant.

Having made peace with his own logic, he let out a yawn. “I’m dreadfully sleepy.”

“Me, too,” said Julietta.

Being in such a cozy environment caused their exhaustion to catch up with them. At this time of day, the two of them would normally be fast asleep, and given their current set of circumstances, their fatigue was unavoidable. Eventually, the master returned with their food.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. Here are your b-steaks, topped with chaliapin sauce. I know you both said no garlik, but what about oranie?” The master asked the couple.

He only realized it after having made both b-steaks, but most folks in the other world that couldn’t handle heavily aromatic herbs like garlik frequently disliked oranie. In other words, onions. If these customers were the same, he’d have no choice but to go back and remake the b-steaks with soy sauce.

“No, that’s fine,” said Romero. “As long as there’s no garlik, I can handle it.”

“Me as well. Thank you.”

Garlik was the only herb that had any effect on them. Plus, using a strong taste to mask the smell of the beef was a smart idea. That said, they still didn’t expect much from the meal.

The master smiled. “Thank goodness. All right then, here are your b-steaks.”

With a relieved expression on his face, he grabbed the food from his cart. He brought out plates of sizzling meat, bowls of soup, and bread.

The steak had an incredible aroma.

“You’re telling me that this is beef…?” Romero couldn’t help but let the words slip from his mouth. This was far different from what he envisioned when he made their order.

“Yup! Unfortunately, we don’t serve wagyu beef here, but I can guarantee you that we use the good stuff! It’s dang delicious.” The master replied to Romero and lined up the food in front of them. The b-steaks were on black metal plates, and the meat was topped with an assortment of colorful vegetables, meat juices, and a sauce mixed with some kind of thinly cut brown stuff. The beef sizzled on top of the metal plate, its great smell wafting into the air.

“Ah, and here is your red wine,” the master said.

“O-oh, you have my gratitude.”

After checking with the couple, the master began to carefully pour wine for them. The thick red liquid filled up the finely crafted glasses.

“Oh, and bread and soup refills are on the house. Take your time and enjoy.” With his job done, the master returned to the back of the restaurant.

“This is quite a ways better than I expected.” Romero whispered his reaction to the food lined up in front of him. Everything looked delicious. The fragrant aroma and even the visuals of the food made his mouth water. He didn’t expect much from the meal, which in turn ended up making the smell of the b-steak in front of him that much more appetizing.

“Shall we eat?” Julietta asked.

“Of course.”

The couple nodded at one another and grabbed their utensils. Come to think of it, the last thing they had eaten was a rabbit they caught the night before. They even bit into the animal while it was still alive. At this point, they were simply grateful to have any kind of decent meal at all. The pair stuck their forks into the meat and cut with their knives.

“Oh, how tender.”

Romero was stunned by the feel of the meat. It was so soft that he could only assume either the chef was a pro at preparing it or the quality of the meat was exquisite to begin with. The knife cut through the steak with no resistance whatsoever. The slightly red insides of the meat peered out from the cut as its juices flowed freely onto the hot plate, creating a sizzling sound. As they took in these sights and sounds, both Romero and Julietta took bites.

“Oh, my.”

Julietta couldn’t believe her taste buds. The meat was so incredibly tender. With each chew, the fine beef split apart, spreading its fatty flavor throughout her mouth. The meat juices fused with the salt and high-quality pepper, while the heat of the thinly cut, raw oranie fused with the sweetness of the lightly-cooked oranie. These great tastes were brought together by the delicious brown sauce.

“So that’s why this is the most expensive dish on the menu,” Julietta said.

Now that she’d actually eaten the dish, she understood. The already high-quality beef had been treated in order to bring out its maximum potential. It was so tender that it was hard to believe it was actually from a cow. Meanwhile, the sauce atop it was delicious in its own right. Using colorful vegetables helped to make the dish visually appealing and beautiful.

As the daughter of a noble family, Julietta was experienced in all manner of luxuries, and yet this was a completely new experience for her. She could say without a doubt that this wasn’t simply “cooked meat.” She fully understood why this was the most expensive dish here.

“And this is what cow tastes like when raised specifically to be eaten. I’d heard the rumors, but…” Julietta said.

Sitting across from Julietta, Romero agreed with her assessment. Now that he gave it some thought, in the Kingdom and the Empire, as well as a handful of other large nations, cows were bred specifically with eating in mind. They would also take newly born and cook them as food. Apparently, young cows that knew nothing of the strains of physical labor produced tender, delicious meat incomparable to the average stuff. It was said to even be fit for royalty. Romero hardly expected to encounter such a delicacy at a street-level restaurant such as this.

No, that’s right. This is the Restaurant to Another World.

Romero remembered the master’s words from earlier. It had taken some time to get there, but he finally understood their true meaning. As far as he was concerned, he knew of no restaurants that could produce food like this in his world. He said to Julietta, “We made the right choice in fleeing here.”

“Yes, you’re right. I doubt that Father, the knights, or the priests can follow us here.”

The couple held their transparent wine glasses up.

“To our future in the dark of night,” said Julietta.

“So that we might have the blessings of the Goddess of Darkness.”

Romero and Julietta indulged in the red wine after offering words of prayer, meeting eyes and smiling at one another over its delicious flavor.

For this one moment in time, despite the accursed sun’s presence high in the sky, the couple were able to share a wonderful, joyous time together.

***

By the time they returned to the cave from whence they came, it was already evening.

“It looks like we’ve been saved,” said Julietta.

“Indeed. For a brief moment, I wasn’t so sure what would happen to us.”

After their toast, the couple enjoyed the soft bread and soup accompanying their meal and went on to try a variety of other foods as well. They ended up staying in the restaurant until the sun set. That day, all sorts of customers came by and ordered all manner of dishes. There were commoners and even nobles. Julietta was stunned to see a princess of much higher noble rank than even herself. Knights, swordsmen, and even mercenaries stopped by at different times of the day. The pair even saw a sorcerer and a diviner. Visitors also included other races like elves, dwarves, and halflings. Much to Romero and Julietta’s shock, Lizardmen and Lilliputians even dropped in for a bit. The restaurant had all manner of customers.

Each one of these visitors ordered dishes that Romero had never seen before and indulged themselves in them.

“But I couldn’t believe my eyes when that high priestess of light showed up.”

“Heehee. You should have seen your face.”

Just as the sun was beginning to set, a high priestess bearing a Gold Sigil came to the restaurant with three young priestesses, likely her disciples, in tow. One could spend their whole life at a monastery, dedicating themselves to their beliefs, and even then it was unlikely they would ever become a high priest or priestess. Only the truly gifted were afforded that title. Judging by the shape of the high priestess’ sigil, she was a follower of the Lord of Light. What rotten luck.

The couple froze in place upon seeing the young woman and her companions. Julietta almost fainted on the spot, Romero moving close to steady her. They then spent the next chunk of time attempting to lay as low as possible.

Fortunately, the high priestess who seemed to be watching over the three girls didn’t seem to notice them. If she did, she chose not to engage in a “monster hunt” so as to not disrupt the other customers. In fact, she never so much as even glanced in their direction, too focused on enjoying the confectionaries and tea that she and her disciples ordered. Once they purchased a gift to take with them, they peacefully left the restaurant. It was easy to joke about it in retrospect, but if Romero and Julietta ever had to face off with a high priestess in real combat, they would stand no chance. Those of that title were said to be capable of even annihilating liches from this world. In that sense, Romero and Julietta were tremendously lucky.

“Well then, shall we be on our way?” Julietta asked.

“Yes. I will always be by your side, my love,” answered Romero.

And so, the lovers who had been saved by good fortune took each other’s hands and shared a kiss. They had vowed to each other that no matter what hardships awaited them, they would be together. That was why Romero chose to drink of her blood, and that was why Julietta decided to throw everything away so that she could be with him.

“Your hideout is just a little further, right?”

“Yes. If we fly all night, we should get there. Just hold on for a little while longer. And maybe, once we’ve finally managed our escape, we can visit that restaurant again.”

“I’d quite like that. We owe the master our lives, after all. Not to mention the amazing food!”

They’d finally gotten this far. With their hearts and stomachs full, the couple shape-shifted into a legion of bats and flew across the moonlit night sky.