Chapter 9: The Special Region Research Society
On the next day, after school has ended, club activities start to begin. Yet news about a new research society about the Special Region has opened up.
"Hey," one of the male students say in the hallway, "didn't you hear? There's a new research society about the Special Region."
"Yeah, I heard." one of the male students respond, "It's being run by the transfer student."
One of the female students say, "Not only that, Erina Nakiri is the club advisor."
"For real?!" both male students are surprised to hear that.
"Yeah! Erina is the club advisor for that Research Society! Guessing she's interested in the Special Region too."
The club takes place in one of the classrooms that has a projector in the back. This classroom is primarily used for studying classical Japanese literature yet Saiba managed to get approval for using it for the club room. Many students have joined in as they try to take their seats. Hisako Arato is there up front along with Erina Nakiri sitting in the advisor chair. In the club room is Ryoko Sakaki, one of the members of Polar Star who is interested in learning about the Special Region and what kind of new fermenting processes are done. Next to her right is Yuki Yoshino, another Polar Star dorm mate. She has taken an interest as well because she likes to know about what kind of wild game she gets to cook while having her signature smile and is in great anticipation. Daigo and Shoji are there and are fighting over a seat. These four are in anticipation of learning about the Special Region. Yet the other forty-one students are too busy being blown away by Erica.
Saiba peeks out the door and sees all the students. 'Wow. I thought there will be a lot more than what I was expecting. But Erina made it a bit more exclusive because of the limited number of space. Yet I do see some of the guys from my dorm, so there won't be any hanky-panky and Erina won't do anything...inappropriate. Yet I wonder if I should record my lessons and have it broadcast it across campus. Oh well. Time to teach.'
The very moment Saiba stepped in, everyone stopped what they were doing and took their seats. Many of them stare at him intensely with some having their notebooks and pencils out along with being very eager to learn. Saiba hasn't gotten this much attention except from the female customers back at Yuki-Neko. He ignores them and continues to stand in front of the teacher's desk.
"Hello." he says to everyone in the classroom, "And welcome to the Special Region Research Society. For those who don't know who I am, I am Saiba Yukihira. I am from the Special Region and I wish to give you all the knowledge necessary for prepping the ingredients from that world. However, if you want to know about the ingredients and dishes of this world, we have to know about the world itself. A bit of a history lesson." He looks at Hisako, "Hisako, can you get the lights?"
"On it." Hisako heads towards the light switch and the projector turns on.
On the screen, the projector shows an old picture of some sort of mass of tentacles and orbs along with mouths trying to attack six dragons with a few stars in the background.
"Long ago, before the races and the other world was form, there was a mighty creature that had spread across the heavens. It had a mind of an infant, but a gluttonous appetite. This was known as Chaos of Many Tentacles. Six strong dragons did everything they can to stop it. There are times when they were victorious and times when they were forced to fall back. But in the end, after what seemed like forever, the dragons were victorious and the other world was created."
The projector switched over to a picture that looked like it was taken from an ancient temple with carvings of the six dragons on it.
"The six dragons were later treated as deities among the young races that started to appear on the other world and were given the names of colors."
The projector shows a sketching of a dragon in a volcanic land.
"This is Red. Goddess of Fire who holds a great treasure horde in her volcanic domain for over 10,000 years. She's very protective of her treasures, so best to avoid her."
Then switches over to a picture of a white dragon in stain glass of some sort of church.
"This is White. Goddess of Life and a patron for the weak who also shows mercy and loves humans and other races. Many worship her in many parts of the world and said to grant holy magic."
Then switches over to a sketching of a dragon in some coral reef.
"This is Blue. Goddess of Water and ruler of all the oceans and protector of all mermaids, sea serpents and other such dwellers in the water."
When the word 'mermaids' were heard, some of the boys imagine beautiful and lustrous mermaids they wanna bang. But the projector changes to a picture of a statue of a dragon that looks like it has gold-plating or painted gold.
"This is Gold. God of the heavens and light that claims the skies as well as the one who lead the charge against the Chaos of Many Tentacles. He also controls all the light in the world."
Some of the students started to think about how valuable the scales will be if they ever find any with yen signs in their eyes. But the projector changes to a picture of a cave painting of a green dragon.
"This is Green. Goddess of Earth and rules over all the lands."
Then the projector shows a drawing of a black dragon.
"This is Black, but many call her Kuro. Goddess of Death and the only known inhabitant on the moon. Because of her power, whenever she flaps her wings, she causes death to those that look up in the sky and erase them from existence. For that reason, she spent 1,368 years on the moon. Yet her worshipers are mostly vampires and other such creatures."
"Sounds lonely." Yuki quietly commented.
Then the projector showed a picture of a half-elf hero, a man with long hair and a staff, a male human priest, and a warrior in knight armor fighting against a demonic being and the Chaos of Many Tentacles.
"Things were alright until a rise of demons and their king try to summon the monster once again. So it was up to Four Heroes to fight against the monster and emerged victorious. Sadly though, one of the heroes disappear and was never seen again. I'm only giving the abridged version because there is a lot to talk about. It's only the first day, so I'm only giving an introduction. So let's move on to the geography."
The projector shows the map of the Eastern Continent.
"This right here is the Eastern Continent and where the Special Region is." Saiba pulls out a large stick to point at certain areas. "To the northern areas, we have the Land of Sea. It is more like an archipelago where humans and mermaids live together and it is said that it is where Blue resides. Further down, we have the Duchy of Samanark. This nation here is well known for its naval trade routes and good farmland that finance the entire Duchy. Yet one thing this nation is highly well known for is its raceless romances which lead to a high concentration of half-humans. Even one of the family members of the Samanark Family have a half-elf despite both parents being human. Further down, we have the Demon Kingdom."
Some of the students murmur to themselves about demons having a kingdom after that one part of demons unleashing the unholy abomination.
"I know what you all are thinking." Saiba says to everyone, "But don't worry. After losing their king and their deity, the demons surrendered and became more pacifistic after the war. However, the Demon Kingdom is under the control of the Great Empire to the south. Yet the demons require a place to live peacefully and would avoid discrimination, so the first emperor made it a puppet state. As for the Grand Empire, it was founded by Emperor Wilhelm I after the Four Heroes helped fight against the demons and saved his people from famine with the help of potatoes. Although, they are called cobbler's tumors in that world. One thing to note though is that the entire Eastern Continent is similar to this world's Europe in the middle ages but with a fantasy setting."
The projector switches over to a map of the Western Continent.
"And this here is the Western Continent. This area here is the Land of Mountains. This nation here is has cultures similar to Japanese feudal times and has great trade relationships with the Duchy of Samanark. This land is also home to many dwarves up in the hinterlands that dwell deep in the mountains to perfect their craft and mine. The dwarves are not only tough, but a welcoming bunch that love good food and alcohol."
"Well, what'd you expect from dwarves!? They're gluttonous beards on legs!" one of the male students shout out and everyone giggle.
Saiba smile in amusement, "Very funny. But let's head further down. This is the Land of Sands. The largest territory in the other world yet comprised of desert sands, which is where it got the name. The majority of civilizations are on the coasts, rivers, and oases that have a...um..." He looks at his audience, "What do you call the cultures in that Middle-East area?"
Ryoko says, "Just Middle-Eastern."
"Right, thanks. Yet magic here is quite advance because it is necessary for surviving in such harsh places such as having magic mesh on boots so you won't fall into the sands."
Then the projector switches over to a map of the Southern Continent.
"This here is the Southern Continent. Not much to say about this except it has humans, half-elves, beastmen and mermaids living down there and have a special plant that is best described as cubed-shaped tomatoes."
Then the projector switches over another map. However, the map looks like it was one-third filled in while the rest is being blank.
"And this here, is the New Continent. This is where the newly discovered and the special ingredients come from. And it is the most dangerous land ever known. The reason is because of not just the environment that makes it dangerous, but also the wildlife as well."
The projector shows a four JSDF tanks trying to take down a Troll Kong with the beast crushing one of the tanks with its four arms. The next picture shows a Pincer Fish tearing a fishing boat apart with its right pincer. Another picture is shown with an Underbite Dragon attacking a supply convoy. Another shows many adventurers and JSDF soldiers trying to fight against man-eating plants. And the next picture shows a completely ruined and overgrown town that looks like it was abandoned a long time ago along with another picture that shows a JSDF camp being taken by rapidly growing plants. Some of the students are getting frighten by this new information and just how dangerous the New Continent is.
Daigo stood up, "Hey, uh, Saiba? If it is that dangerous, why would so many people risk their lives in such a place?"
Shoji also stands up, "Yeah, bro. It looks like it is almost impossible to get anything there."
Saiba answers, "There are a multitude of reasons why people get food from there. Yet the top three are: food, money and the thrill of adventure. Since this is a new land, people wonder what is in there despite the risks. People do love the thrill of adventure and love to see what is out there. Has anyone ever gotten the itch to see something new or explore something they've never seen before?"
Everyone just look at each other before they think about it. Some of them do remember wanting to see things, but never had the chance to see them.
"Exactly. As for the other reasons, many of the ingredients are considered valuable and sell for a high price. Some of them are even worth a king's ransom. And the taste of these ingredients are on a whole other level than the ingredients everyone is used to. However, not everyone comes back as you all saw. Many adventurers go out and only a few come back. One time, two hundred adventurers went out to get the most difficult hunt ever known and only eight came back empty handed. Forget about the heavenly rumors and stories you heard or find on the internet. It is as close as you can get to hell."
The students murmur among themselves on how dangerous the New Continent is once again. Not only that, they wonder how is it possible for anyone to survive or gather any ingredients to such a place.
Ryoko raises her hand, "I got a question."
"Yes, Ryoko?"
Ryoko stands up, "I was, well everyone is, wondering how is it possible to obtain more ingredients from such a dangerous place? Is there some farming methods for certain ingredients?"
"There is such methods." Saiba answers, "However, only a few ingredients that are possible to grow outside of the continent in foreign soil. Certain species of vegetables, fruits and other plants in capture levels one to ten and less than one are capable. Anything higher had met with disastrous results. Not to mention that only certain animals can be domesticated. Creatures such as Crab Pigs, Heat Bison, Barbecue Pigs, and Water Storage Camels. Some of the other domesticated animals such as Sizzle Cattle, French Toark, Giga Horses, Spice Cows and other animals are a bit trickier and rare to find outside of the New Continent. As for how many adventurers came back, there are special teleporters set up in the former settlements as a quick way to get back without the ingredients spoiling. That way, the ingredients will remain fresh for the time being until taken to their actual destination."
Daigo stands up, "I think I remember you saying something about bridging the gap between the dishes made from regular ingredients and the ingredients from the Special Region?"
"Indeed. My main reason is to help bridge this large gap in hopes of preventing any further deaths. My mother, Yukiko Yukihira, is one of the adventurers that search for these ingredients in the New Continent. These types of adventurers are called, Gourmet Hunters."
Yuki remembers something, 'Oh yeah. I think I remember him saying his mother's name is similar to mine. But her name is Yukiko not Yuki. Guessing she goes by Yuki to her friends. Or worse yet, Yuki-Yuki with a name like that. Sounds like a terrible pop idol name.'
Saiba continues, "But you're all probably wondering on how is it possible to travel between this world and my world."
The projector changes pictures to show one half of the picture showing a guarded tunnel at the base of Mt. Fuji while the other half shows a similar guarded tunnel.
"There appears to be some sort of portal that links your world with my home world. The portal isn't exactly visible, but it is there. Yet both sides are extremely well guarded unless you have the approval of a high-ranking JSDF officer in-charge of the area and approval of the government of whatever side you're on. In other words, you need to do a lot of paperwork before passing. You may need to sign weeks to months in advance in order to get through. If not, you can't go in."
Some of the students got up and start asking questions. All of them ask at once that it is hard to hear.
"One at a time please!" Saiba says to the students. "One at a time. Just keep in mind that this is only the first day and all your questions cannot be answered in one day. Like I said, I'm only giving everyone the abridged history of the Special Region so you might want to wait until tomorrow. This is only the introductory part of the research society. Please keep that in mind." Saiba looks over at the large, red cooler with a white lid next to him, "Plus, I do have one Special Region I would like to introduce to everyone."
Erina started salivating.
"For real!?" Daigo asks, "You're the man, Saiba!"
Everyone in the room are excited to try a sample of something from the Special Region. They all jump for joy and some cheer for what they're about to taste. Saiba opens the cooler and pulls something out of it. What he pulls out is...a piece of cotton candy.
"HUH?!" everyone went.
"That looks like regular cotton candy." one of the female students point out.
"At first glance, it does." Saiba says, "But this is no ordinary cotton candy. This is cotton candy from a Cotton Candy Tree! Capture level less than one. And this is cotton candy was picked in the spring."
Yuki starts drooling as well as having starry eyes and rosy cheeks, "There are trees that make cotton candy!?"
"You got it!" Saiba points and winks at Yuki.
Erina approaches Saiba to try out the cotton candy. The students in the research club are surprised to see Erina taking an interest in such a rare treat. Erina takes a piece of the cotton candy and takes a bite. Everyone was shocked that Erina took the initiate and try something new.
In Erina's mind, she is in a forest full of cherry-blossom trees. The breeze feels calm as petals scatter about with her hair flowing with the wind. Erina is at total awe with her surroundings at the beauty of the scene.
'This cotton candy...taste like spring.'
Back in reality, Erina's face is in a pleasant state with her cheeks blushing. But she snaps out of it.
"This is incredible!" Erina is in delight, "This cotton candy is less sticky and more fluffy! This cotton candy has all of the essence of spring in every fiber of the threads!" She looks at the cotton candy, "This natural cotton candy far exceeds any manufactured or man-made cotton candy that exist. It's like...it's like... It's like tasting the spring air with cherry-blossoms at full bloom."
The students in the research society are shocked even more so when Erina gave it a positive review.
"Did she just give a positive review!?" one of the male students say in shock.
"No way." another male students speaks and is just as shocked, "The God Tongue gave that transfer students a positive review with just a sweet taken from a tree."
"There is something else you should know." Saiba speaks, "The cotton from the Cotton Candy Tree changes flavors and colors based on the seasons. Yet many people use it to create the fluffiest of mattresses that are more comfortable than normal cotton. Although some people ended-up eating them in their sleep."
Many of the students giggle and chuckle.
"But that is enough now, let's all give it a try."
"For real!?" Yuki jumps up and is excited.
"Of course.
"YAAAAAAY!" the students cheer.
The students line up to give it a try. Once they take their first bite, they are in a spring setting as they enjoy the most delicious treat they've ever eaten.
"It's so fluffy!" one of the female students shout out.
"This is totally awesome, bro!" Daigo and Shoji say in unison.
Yuki looks at her treat after taking a bite with tears coming from her eyes, "It's the beee-haa-est!"
Hisako takes a bite and goes, "So good." with a smile on her face.
To Saiba, the first day of the Special Region Research Society is a phenomenal success...as he keeps away from Erina, who stares at him with hungry eyes. Everyone enjoys the sweet treat as they exit out.
"That was awesome!" one of the male students loved the new club.
"Yeah!" one of the female students agree, "Not only we get a brief lesson on the Special Region, but we also get an awesome treat at the end."
"And I'm so glad we got Erina Nakiri as our club adviser!"
"Not only that, she seemed to enjoyed it too!"
Once the students leave, Erina waves goodbye to everyone as they left.
"Now then." Erina says before turning around, "Let's do some, 'private lessons' right Saiba-" She turned around and noticed Saiba is already gone. "Um, Hisako? Where did Saiba go?"
"Huh?" Hisako looks around and noticed Saiba isn't there, "I didn't see him leave. Guess he gave us the slip."
Erina gets upset for a few moments before calming down and smile, "No matter. Since we're living in the same dorm, we have plenty of time."
AN: Hey everyone. Things have been chaotic this week. I had to help out my grandparents move stuff into their garage and remove toilets so they get a new floor. Thing's been pretty busy. Anyway, stay safe out there!
Also, check-out Universal Fandom Wars and create your own empire with it. And you guys get to create your own stories with it. Have fun! :D