Here is Chapter 3 of the prequel to Shokugeki no Nikola! Now, because the original idea for this chapter was quite short, I have decided to put two scenes in this chapter~! The first-... Actually, you all will be finding out what the two scenes will be about, mainly by the title, so there is no need for me to speak of what is to come here!
Oh, and to doctor3027, after reading your review, I had looked back to the first chapter and realized what you said was correct... I did mess up a little there... HOWEVER! That is a small mess up! Frankly speaking, when he appears makes no difference at all in this story! That being said... Let us pretend that mistake never happened. Besides, in the manga version of Restaurant to Another World, they showed us Heinrich dining in the first few chapters, yet in the Fried Shrimp chapter, they basically were telling us that he didn't officially become a regular at the restaurant until some time after Aletta was hired, so really, I don't think there's an issue here.
To PEJP BengtZone V2, I know nothing of the niece as I had not read of this person in the Light Novel. As much as I appreciate the info, until I read about her myself, I will not be writing about her.
So enough about that. Let us start this new chapter!
Part 1
Another Saturday, another day at work in Nekoya, for the other world, that is. And with this day of seeing the faces of the special, weekly customers, was a day for the said customers to see a certain young bundle of joy in the restaurant. Nikola was now five-months-old, and in those five months since her birth, she learned how to open and close her hands, grabbing objects, rolling over, babble, and sit up, granted she has something to support her. Each time the baby learned something new in front of the otherworldly customers, every single one of them practically cooed in joy, especially one certain beef-stew-lover, who lately had found it especially hard not to take the baby away from her family with each joy she felt around the child.
In these five months since her birth, Nikola also saw every customer, especially the Saturday customers, as her family. Each time she saw them, she let out joyful laughs, letting them all know quite clearly how happy she was to see them all. Well... almost all of them.
"Waaaaaaaahhhh!"
"There, there, Nikola. Don't cry. Big ole' Lionel isn't going to hurt you," Tomoe comforted, rocking the crying baby.
Lionel, the cause for the child's tears, crouched down at a corner in despair. For months since she was born, never, had the child ever, even cracked a smile around him. Much less not cry upon seeing him. Did he try giving her a gentle smile? Yes... Except his teeth were quite sharp that the baby most likely feared he would eat her alive. Did he try using a plushie to cover his face and play with her? Yes... except his claws were sharp enough to send fear to Nikola and cause her to cry. Did he try to make funny faces to get a laugh out of her? ... Did that need an answer?
So yeah... of the many customers who frequent Nekoya from the other world, Lionel is the one customer Nikola could not not cry around.
"Another failed attempt, huh?" Altorius asked, taking a bite of his pork loin cutlet.
"How many times is that already?" Tatsugoro asked, taking in a mouthful of his rice.
"Leave me alone..." Lionel simply said.
"Guess that means a pork cutlet rice bowl and beer again?" Makoto asked.
"Yes..."
"I really feel bad for you there. You're the only one Nikola won't smile around," Daiki said. "She was scared of Gerupa. And look at her now with the lizardman."
Indeed, as he said. Once before, Nikola was quite frightened of the omelette-rice-lover. Now? The girl didn't mind him. If anything, she enjoyed his company. Most likely because of his tail. Heck, the girl was with Gerupa now, who was picking the baby up and down lightly with only his tail as he enjoyed his favorite meal. Nikola let out joyful giggles, as she was enjoying the rise and fall like so.
"That makes me even more sad!" Lionel said, shedding anime tears at the sight.
It was then, Tomoe approached the lion demon and placed a hand on his shoulder. "If you want, Lionel, I can teach you a technique that can turn Nikola's frown upside down around you."
"And what makes you think there's a technique you have that I haven't tried yet...?"
"Because Gerupa came to me for help in that. And the result is as you see now."
That got his attention, as Lionel looked over to the lizardman, who overheard the conversation, looked back at him, and nod, confirming the woman's words.
"Really?! And what trick was that?" the lion demon asked Tomoe.
To answer that, Gerupa placed Nikola down in her baby carriage and took out a thin vine, with the ends stuck to each other. With the vine, he did a variety of tricks, from forming stars with it, a tree, even an alligator or a lizard. Some of those he needed his tail for. And with each trick, sounds of baby awe was heard.
"I doubt the rubber band- I mean, vine trick will work for you. Especially as my daughter will most likely focus more on your teeth as you do them," Tomoe said to Lionel. "But, there is one thing you can do. It may be hard for you to do though, given your demeanor."
"I'll do anything. If only to at least make her smile!" he declared.
Hearing that placed a smile on the woman's face. "In that case..." She then whispered into his ear the one thing she knows he can do to prevent Nikola from crying around him. And so to say... he was unamused.
"Why the he-?!" Before he could finish that statement, specifically the curse word he was about to speak, Tomoe covered Lionel's mouth.
"I know you weren't going to curse in front of my daughter," she said. "And it's either your pride or her smiles. I don't see any other way you can get her to stop crying from your appearance."
Lionel was sweating profusely at that point she made. He didn't like it, but he'd rather Nikola not cry before him than not do that thing.
"I'm sure they exist in your world, so I doubt I need to tell you how they work," the mother continued. "And you should have time in between your occupation to practice. Good luck~"
"I swear, you're more evil than the b- guy who made me gladiator in the first place..." the demon said. Tomoe simply giggled in response to this.
For the next six days, Lionel had been working in between his scheduled fights to practice with the thing Tomoe guaranteed would bring smiles to her daughter's face instead of the usual tears and fears. In all honesty, it was quite painful for him... and his pride... to have to do this. However, at this point, he'd honestly take anything that would help him with the baby. And this can help, then he must swallow his pride and do it. ... Even if it meant practicing in an area where someone may overhear or see him practice that thing...
Finally... after six long days... the Day of Satur came. After spending so much time practicing, it was time to put it to test.
"Ah! Lionel-san!" Tomoe greeted, serving minced meat cutlets to William. "Welcome. Will it be your usual?"
"Yeah," he nodded.
"Coming right up. And also..." She approached the demon and whispered in his ear. "Did you manage to practice that thing?"
Being reminded of the one thing that would bring a smile to her precious daughter's face made him sweat and gulp with a nod.
Seeing this reaction made her giggle. "She's taking a nap right now. You have time to mentally prepare yourself."
And that he did. As Lionel waited for his katsudon to be done and Nikola to wake, he had mentally prepared himself for his biggest and toughest challenge yet.
"Hey, Lionel," Daiki greeted from the kitchen, a cheeky grin on his face. "I heard what's going to happen. Looking forward to seeing your practice come to fruition."
"I don't know, Grandpa. I don't think he's got it in him to do it," Makoto doubted.
If it wasn't for the fact that they were even in his favorite place to eat, serving the one meal that can never be found elsewhere, Lionel may pound the old geezer and the heir and possibly crush their skull for that. Even more so when he's still not mentally prepared for the thing.
"By the way, Wilhelm. How's that granddaughter of your's?" Daiki asked.
"She's doing well," the ruler of the Great Empire of the other world answered. "I've been planning to set up a play date for her and Nikola, but it's hard to plan that without anyone else knowing."
"Why don't you invite your family over? We'd love to meet them," Tomoe insisted.
"If I do that, this place will be so packed, there will be no room for the other diners."
'And I won't be able to have the croquettes here all to myself,' Wilhelm mentally added. After all, croquettes are quite popular in his world, specifically the potatoes/cobbler tubers. And it was thanks to a certain chef that cobbler tubers exist in his world now. But that is a story for another time.
Tomoe pouted at his reason. "Shame. I was hoping to meet your family at some point."
"This coming from you? If I recall, don't you have a family of your own before marrying the Jr. Master?" Lionel asked, joining the conversation to take his mind off of what is to come later today.
"I do but... my family have their own diner to watch over, and my sister is also married and has a child of her own."
'And I don't think they'll react positively to meeting the customers of the other world...' she mentally added. If only she knew...
"Ah yes. I remember when you first arrived here," Alphonse spoke. "You were extremely shocked at seeing all of us here, especially Omelette Rice and Katsudon."
"Well excuse me for living in a world that only has humans and normal animals, not monsters or demons!" Tomoe defended with a blushing face. Seeing her act all embarrassed like that made the regulars present laugh.
Amongst the laughs, a familiar sound was heard. "Goo ga?" The moment they heard that sound, they instantly became silent, especially Lionel, who clamped his mouth shut and covered them.
Tomoe went to check on Nikola in her baby carriage and saw her baby awake. "Well, looks like someone got enough sleep," she said, picking the infant up and in her arms. "Look who are here, Nikola."
The baby looked to the side and saw the Saturday regulars looking back at her. She let out a giggle at the sight of so many familiar faces, which made the diners instantly love her all over again.
"Oh Lionel. I hope you're ready," Tomoe called the lion demon, causing the poor guy to flinch and freeze like a statue.
This made everyone else look at him teasingly.
"You better not think about running away from this," Wilheim told him.
"You wouldn't want to miss out on a chance to take your treasure," William said.
"This is the time you man up," Alphonse encouraged.
Through each their words, Lionel was sweating profusely, not at all mentally prepared for this. But, it was either get that thing over with now, or live on as a monster in Nikola's eyes for years to come. Between those two, it was the latter he can not handle much longer.
Getting up from his seat, the demon faced the mother-daughter pair and approached. Upon seeing Lionel approach them, Nikola's smile left her face, as fear took over the baby who tried to hide from the monster that may eat her.
Once within arm's distance, though, Lionel did the one thing a monster and a warrior would never do. He got on all fours, his eyes wide and cutesy-like, like a dog would do when begging, his fingers curled to hide his claws, as he went, "... Nya~" In a cheery tone. Or as cheery as he could.
Seeing this, the regulars, Daiki and Makoto held back their laughs, not wanting to ruin this moment for the demon who tried so hard to perfect the technique that would change the child's mind about him.
Nikola's eyes were still on Lionel, though in his experienced sight, he saw that the baby was not looking as fearful as she usually was. As such, he moved on to phase two; rolling on his back and showing his stomach. All while meowing. The sight of such a powerful warrior being reduced to an overgrown cat was making it just that much harder for the regulars and chefs to hold back their laughs. Lionel ignored their expressions and focused solely on Nikola, as she reached out to the not-cat. Tomoe noticed this and knelt down, holding her baby close to Lionel.
Happy as the demon was that the plan was working, he knew better than to leap in joy right now, not when he was so close to the goal. With the baby's hand so close to his face, he proceeded to phase three; friendly licks. He started it off nice and slow with the outstretched hand. That was when he realized... the whole plan was much harder than he had imagined!
'FLOWERS! She tasted like flowers!' he thought, resisting the painful urge to roar in joy right there and then. Nikola's mere scent was irresistible enough; the pure, sweet scent, mixed with the smell of the many dishes in the air. But Nikola's taste?! If he could, he would jump and devour the baby! ... Figuratively speaking.
But! Despite his urge, his want, his desire, he held them all back! Why? To not frighten the baby. Not when he had done all these days training for this, and certainly not when those trainings seem to be paying off. He will be damned if after all this hard work, he ended up scaring the poor child simply out of joy.
"N-N-N-Nya~" he struggled to say.
Upon realizing that the big, seemingly-bad monster was nothing more than a harmless kitty, Nikola smiled and let out a laugh. The baby even reached out to the big 'kitty' quite joyfully. The action made the regulars and chefs awe at the sight, as well as made it that much harder for Lionel to keep his composure.
'Hell! This must be hell from this world!' he thought to himself. 'No, no, no. Stay calm, Lionel. You got this. You got this. In fact, you're already at the final phase... Don't let me down now, training!' Calmly, or as calm as he could at least, he gently rubbed his face against Nikola's small body, tickling her slightly with his mane. The baby let out giggles upon contact, enjoying the feeling of his fluffy mane. Next Lionel knew, he felt small arms wrapped around his head, followed by a baby's coo.
'Success! She likes me~!' he thought, still holding in his joy, while everyone else just stared in awe at the cuteness being displayed.
"Hahah! Looks like all that special training paid off for you," William stated, feeling quite happy for the demon gladiator.
"Nya~" Lionel meowed, happy that he had finally got the young child to smile upon his presence.
"Just don't forget to keep up that act for a while," Tomoe told him.
Lionel glanced at her in shock and confusion. "Nya?!"
"Don't 'nya' me. You didn't think getting my daughter to keep liking you would be that easy, did you? If it was, she wouldn't liked you from the start already."
The gladiator paled slightly at that. He knew... He knew how hard it was to get Nikola to at least not cry around him; he had tried various other methods already before going to Tomoe for help, after all. But to think he had to keep this act up for some Day of Saturs?! God, help this poor demon!
Another babyish coo was heard, causing Lionel to glance back at Nikola. One look at the happy, smiling face, and Lionel's nerves and embarrassment had drifted away. "Nya~" he meowed again, resuming the cuddling, at the baby's delight.
The next day, in the other world, in one certain coliseum, a certain battle was fought and had ended swiftly.
"He's unstoppable!" the host shouted. "Since last night, the demon has been crushing his opponents in the blink of an eye, breaking his speedy records on ending his fearsome and powerful enemies! Not only that, but he has been fighting for hours, nonstop! Has the king evolved? Is his title unworthy of him now, or did he bring out the true meaning behind it?! It is Lionel, the Lion King!"
The crowd went wild at the intro, all chanting out Lionel's title. If only they knew where he got all that extra strength from, as well as what was on his mind.
'These monsters are all disturbing my thoughts,' he mentally complained. 'Now where was I...? Oh right! I was contemplating between that yarn ball and feather teaser. While such things do not interest me, while such a thing usually would be embarrassing for a great warrior such as I to have, if it is to see that joyful look on Nikola's face, to hear her glees and not tears, I will drown my embarrassment and be the best cat in her eyes!' Lionel unleashed a powerful roar in declaration of his determination, a roar that was mistaken by many.
"What's this?! A roar for more challenge?! Can nothing stop our king's sudden hunger for battle?!" the announcer questioned, while the audience all shouted for more fight.
Part 2
Eight months had passed since Nikola's birth. Today, of all days, is a big day in Nekoya.
"Nikola~ Come to mommy~" Tomoe cooed to her daughter.
Eight-months-old Nikola was wearing a pink silky baby dress and was on her hands and knees, slowly but surely crawling over to her mother with a very focused expression on her face. The regulars all watched quite intensely, silently cheering for the baby to get to her mother. Since she started to smile upon Lionel's presence, the baby had learned how to sit up and stand up, the last one with support, of course. Now? It was time to see her master her crawling ability. What felt like an eternity later, the baby finally made it to Tomoe, as she flopped down on her lap.
The customers all cheered in joy at her feat. "She made it! Nikola made it to her mother!" Alphonse cheered.
"That little girl... it feels like she grew up so fast!" Lionel exclaimed, shedding tears of joy.
"Soon enough, she'll be walking and talking, and helping out in the restaurant," Touchirou stated.
"Maybe not with the cooking, but definitely in waiting the tables," Aya said.
"Although, she should also get some education in this world, shouldn't she?" Alphonse asked.
"Now that you mentioned it, if I recall, didn't Makoto go to a place of learning when he was a child? What was it you call it again? A school?" Wilheim asked.
"That's right," Makoto answered. "And even if she does go to school, she can still help out in the restaurant, so long as it doesn't get in the way of her studies."
"Oh! But of course, we also have to remind her to not talk about the Sat- I mean, Day of Satur secret," Tomoe stated. "It'll be bad for the restaurant if that gets out, right?"
"That is true."
"Ah, I'm sure she can keep a secret," Daiki said.
"And how would you know that, gramps?"
"Call it a hunch. Now quit your yapping, all of you. Food isn't going to cook or eat itself." At the old master's words, the customers got back to eating.
"More pork soup!" they all then said.
Yep, that's right. Today is also Meat Day, the special day in Nekoya where the usual miso soup is replaced with exquisite pork soup. And with such a delicious soup, the regulars of the other world would have quite a much larger appetite than usual.
"I guess it's back to work for me, too," Tomoe stated, picking up Nikola. "Mommy will continue to play with you later, okay?" She kissed her daughter on the forehead and placed her in her crib, which is just by the piano, and pulled the drop-side up to secure her daughter in place.
While most parents would keep their infant at home, with one of the two also at home to watch over their child, as Tomoe and Makoto wish for Nikola to be social to people, they thought it was a good idea to have her in Nekoya, where there are always people to interact with. Besides, the Saturday customers always looked forward to seeing Nikola, as do the part-timers of Nekoya on weekdays. That, and there was a time when the parents tried to leave Nikola at home with just the mother... Well, let's just say Nikola wasn't comfortable being with only one parent, as the infant spent the whole day crying nonstop, unless if it was for naps, and wasn't willing to eat anything at all.
Speaking of Nikola, what nobody realized, was how smart and curious she was, the former for a baby. While most babies would be in their own little world, playing with whatever toys they were left with or paying some attention to the people around them, Nikola paid especially close attention to Nekoya's door. The reason? Every time the door opened, she could've sworn she was seeing different sceneries on the other side. And she noticed it was always when these customers, whom she saw as family, come in. Nikola couldn't help but be curious of what was on the other side of the door.
With all the strength she had in her little body, Nikola gripped on the bars as tightly as she could, and used the mattress as a jumping support to get to the top of the rail. Once she managed to get her body over the drop-side, she silently slid down to the floor.
"Well, that's all for me," Tatsugorou said, feeling a bit tipsy from the seishu as he got up from his seat. "I leave the payment on the table."
"Okay. Thank you for coming," Tomoe said. "Do you need any help opening the door?"
"I got it. Don't worry."
"Three more bowls of katsudon! And one bowl of pork soup!" Lionel requested.
"More curry and soup, please!" Alphonse called.
"Coming right up, guys!" Tomoe answered, heading to the kitchen for their orders.
Nobody noticed at all... Amidst their enjoyment in the food or focus on work, as Tatsugorou opened and walked out the door... he didn't leave alone.
It was only when dinner rush was dying down... They had finally realized it...
"NIKOLAAAAA!" Tomoe screamed out, searching everywhere in the restaurant for the child. "Nikola! Nikola! Nikola! Nikola! Where are you?!"
She wasn't the only one; Makoto, Daiki, and the remaining couple of regulars had searched everywhere as well.
"She's not in the bathroom!" the father informed.
"Not the kitchen either!" the great-grandfather followed.
Buddy, who was sniffing the floor to track the baby by her scent, found the trail leading straight to the door and let out a bark.
"You found her, Buddy?" Mashira asked, as he, Altorius and Tomoe approached the hunting dog.
Buddy simply clawed at the door lightly with a whine in response to his master's question. That in which made the pair of customers and Tomoe, especially the mother, go pale.
"M-My daughter... Sh-She's in... Your world?!" Tomoe questioned in fright.
"N-now, now, Tomoe-chan. Let's calm down for a moment," Altorius told her.
Tomoe grabbed the mage by his robe and started to shake him. "How the hell can I ever calm down?! My daughter is missing in your world and we don't know who she followed out! Even if you customers are very much so reliable here, we don't know about other people in that other world! What if she followed Lionel out? He's a gladiator, a demon, a fighter! And the best in the coliseum, last I remember! What if someone who has a grudge against him knows of his connection with Nikola and threatens her life?! Gerupa may be a hero of his kind, his village, and his people may like the omelettes my husband and his grandfather makes, but what do we know about what they think of humans in general?! They're lizard people, aren't they?! What if they think of my daughter as food?! And there are plenty of customers here who roam around your world; what if the door they took to this restaurant is in a very dangerous place that is not for humans, much less a baby?!"
"H-Hey! Calm down, Tomo!" Makoto told her, gently having the girl release the poor, old, powerful mage. "Look, I know you're more than just worried about Nikola-"
"I'm frantic," Tomoe corrected.
"Yes, I am aware of that. And believe me when I say I am also worried. But, isn't times like this the reason why you asked her to be our daughter's godmother?"
Once he brought up that point, Tomoe found herself calming down just slightly. "Y-You're right. You're right. Besides, if I recall, Red once said that she had placed a spell on the shop, one that allows her to see anything that happens to it. So surely she saw who Nikola had left with and is on her way to that customer and our daughter... Hopefully..."
Meanwhile, in one of the many woods in the other world, there was a woman picking up some berries from a bush. "These should be enough for now," the woman said to herself, as she picked up a basket by her side, one had eggs in it.
The woman was quite infatuating, and had on a thin, silky robe that hugged her figure. Unlike most women, however, one extremely noticeable trait of this person was the lower half of her body, which was nothing but a red, scaly yet smooth tail, much like a snake's.
That's right. This woman is not human, but a lamia. Unlike the lamia told in stories in our world, however, the lamia in the other world are not child-eating monsters. If anything, save for the tiny village of barbaric non-believer lamia up north, the lamia are peace-loving creatures, who sought to have friendly relationships with their human counterparts. And this lamia picking berries and eggs is one of the many peaceful ones.
As she slithered her way through the woods, the lamia halted when she heard a faint cry.
"Is that... a baby?" she questioned, making her way to the source.
Once she arrived at the source of the crying, she was shocked to truly find a baby this deep in the middle of the woods, bawling her eyes out. The lamia looked around the area to see if there was anyone else, preferably the child's parents, nearby. Sadly, there was no one else around.
'Who would leave a child so young out here all alone?' she wondered, slithering closer to the baby.
As she got closer to the child, she sensed something about the little thing. Something quite... special about her. The lamia pushed the thought to the back of her head, as this was not the time nor place to wonder of such.
Nikola heard the sound of what seemed like sliding or dragging along the ground and looked up, ceasing her crying momentarily. The baby had hoped it was her parents, her great-grandfather, or any one of the regulars of Nekoya. Sadly, the face she saw when she looked up was very unfamiliar to her, and the child resumed her crying.
"There, there. Everything is okay," the lamia comforted, petting the child on the head. Thankfully, she had plenty of experience with babies, and even then, she didn't need the experience to know that this one was especially frightened. Slowly, but surely, Nikola's crying came to another halt.
"There we go. You're going to be okay," the lamia told her. "What kind of monster of parent would leave you out here?"
Being a baby she was, Nikola didn't understand the question. And even if she did, she couldn't speak yet, as she only let out some babbles in response.
The lamia can only look down at the child with a soft smile on her face. "Whatever the case, this is no place for an infant such as yourself," she said, gently picking up the little thing. "For now, I'll take you back to my home. We'll figure out what to do with you then." With that, she picked the basket back up and continued making her way out of the woods.
Some time later, the lamia arrived at what seemed to be a small village. There by the entrance were two other lamias, both who wore the same robe as the lamia holding Nikola, as well as some armor and equipped with a spear or sword.
"Welcome back, Lady Lucia," the pair greeted with a bow.
"At ease, you two," Lucia greeted back.
The lamia holding a spear noticed the child in Lucia's arms. "Lady Lucia, are you holding a human infant?"
"Why yes, I am," she answered, holding the girl close to her. "Poor thing was abandoned in the woods and incredibly frightened."
"What? But that's horrible..." the lamia holding the sword exclaimed, as her comrade gave Nikola some comforting pets on the head.
"What shall we do with this one, Lady Lucia?" the spear-wielding lamia asked.
"Hmm... For now, we keep this child with us. It's getting quite late, and she seems tired," Lucia answered. As if to prove her point, Nikola let out a yawn. The two lamia didn't argue against the idea and allowed Lucia to pass with the human.
Upon entering, all around there were many other lamia of all age and size. One lamia took notice of Lucia and announced, "Lady Lucia has returned!" Once those words were heard, the rest of the lamia turned to the returnee and the new face in her arms.
"Welcome home, Lady Lucia," they greeted.
"It's good to be back, everyone," she greeted back.
One lamia, whose features were quite similar to Lucia's, noticed the curious Nikola in her arms. "Mother. In your arms, is that...?"
"Yes. It's a baby," Lucia answered, gaining her people's attention.
"But mother, why would you ever bring a child here?" Lucia's daughter asked.
"Because I found this poor child lost in the middle of the woods, with no one else near her. I couldn't just leave her by herself. Besides, faint as it may be, surely some of you can sense it from her, can't you?"
The group of lamia looked at each other in confusion, wondering what she meant by what she said. One look at the child in her arms, however, it was then they noticed it. There was something special about this child. Very special, and at the same time familiar.
"Lady Lucia... By chance, this child..." one lamia spoke up.
"So you've noticed it. Yes... I have reason to believe this little one has some connection to the Lord of Red," Lucia spoke, much to the lamia's shock.
"This young child?" her daughter asked. "With all due respect, I barely sense an ounce of magic in her."
"True as it may be, Lilia, there is no mistaking the presence around her. Whether her parents had left her in the woods to be offered, or to save her from those who wish to use her in some way, it matters not at this point. For now, we keep this child with us. Raise her as if she is one of our own. I don't know what sort of connection she has to our lord, but it must be a sign of some kind. Perhaps she will introduce to our village something new, or perhaps a day will come when our lord will bask us in her presence, directly or not. I can't say for certain what will happen. But even if she doesn't have such relation to the Lord of Red, I can never turn back on a child in need. Wouldn't you all agree with me?"
The lamia looked at each other, unsure of the decision in raising a human child. Sure, humans and lamia are remotely similar, sans the lower half of their body and difference in strength, but raising a human child is not the same as raising a lamia, especially as humans are one of the most fragile race in the world.
A baby's coo was heard, and the lamia all looked down at Nikola. The little infant was looking at them all quite curiously, as though she sensed no sign of danger from any of them.
Lilia slithered up to the child and lowered herself slightly to her eye level. "Hi there. Are you scared of us? You have nothing to fear here," she said in a soft tone.
Nikola seemed quite unsure, being around so many people she didn't know. Then again, they didn't seem that much different from the Saturday regulars. Also, they kept mentioning 'Red', and whenever Nikola heard 'red', the first thing that came to mind would be her godmother. Do they know her godmother? If they do, are these nice people?
Lilia held up a hand and gave the baby some gentle pats on the head, all to simply calm the child. It was here Nikola finally realized that these people are all really nice people, as she finally smiled at the group and held Lilia's hand by the pinky. This one act, and all the lamia around her, Lucia included, felt their heart skipped a beat.
'So... So cute...' they all thought.
"Mother, I think I recall Lumia saying something about wanting a sister," Lilia spoke.
"I believe she did as well," Lucia agreed, catching on to her daughter's idea. "Now... What shall we call her?"
"Hmm... Let's see. If she does have a connection to our Lord of Red, it would be fitting to give her a name related to our lord." Just then, a stomach growl was heard, and Lilia's face turned pink.
Lucia giggled at her daughter's expense. "Well, we have plenty of time to think of a name for this child. For now, let us have dinner."
A few days had passed since then. In the world of Nekoya, many customers were wondering why Nikola, who was usually in the restaurant with her family, was missing these past few days. Makoto managed to make up an excuse that the infant and Tomoe were in the latter's home town to meet her side of the family. To avoid suspicions, Tomoe had truly gone back home to visit her family, whom she hadn't seen since she married her husband. Of course, that didn't mean she wasn't worried about her missing daughter.
In the other world, on the other hand...
"Laima. Be careful, now," Lucia told Nikola, the baby whom they named Laima.
They were currently helping her practice walking. While lamia have tails to slither, Nikola was a human, and humans walk on two legs. Thankfully, there was a village of humans near the lamia village, where they would often take in priests there as... trainees, so they had seen how humans move with their legs. Likewise, since they were aware of how weak humans were in comparison to their race, they took things easy with Nikola.
"Okay, let's stop the practice here," Lucia said, gently letting Nikola sit on the ground.
"Laima's a really fast learner!" exclaimed a lamia, one younger than Lilia, yet similar to her and Lucia, as she used her tail to pick Nikola up and place the infant on her lap.
"Be careful with her, Lumia," Lucia warned. "Though unclear, Laima may have some connection to the Lord of Red. If something were to happen to her, we may face the lord's wrath."
"Yes, Grandmother."
As Lucia watched her granddaughter play with their new family member, a lamia guard approached her. "Lady Lucia." She turned to the guard. "A scout has returned and, unfortunately, no one in the human village has said a word about any missing children."
"Which may mean she might be from another village or got transported here somehow..." Lucia said, both in understanding and in more confusion. Just why would anyone bring a baby so far in the woods for any reason? Or was it more that this child got involved in some kind of teleportation magic?
Just then, a loud roar was heard. "NIKOLA!"
The lamia in the area all turned to the shout and saw, to their great shock, a red dragon flying their way. And as far as they knew, there was only one red dragon that exists. Next they knew, flames surrounded the dragon in a sphere. The flame dispersed almost as quickly as it came, and a womanly figure had landed on the ground.
"There you are, Nikola! I've been looking all over for you," Red exclaimed in relief.
While the lamia were all nerved and on guard of this unfamiliar person, they also couldn't help but tremble upon her presence. Nikola, who was being held close by Lumia for her protection against this stranger, instantly recognized the person. How could she not? For this was the person who was just as motherly as her own mother.
The infant squealed in great joy at the sight of the familiar face and happily reached out for her, in which Lumia and Lucia had noticed.
"W-Who are you?!" Lilia demanded with a stutter.
That one question, and Red simply glared at the group of lamia in response. The one glare alone unleashed a heavy atmosphere for most of the snake ladies. "A silly question, coming from the very race who worships me. Appearance aside, surely my presence alone is enough," she answered.
None dared argued against such statement, not because they believed her, but more because the air felt too heavy for them to speak. Only one sound was heard, and that sound was none other than the joyful coos from Nikola, who was the only one unaffected by the pressure. Like the flick of a switch, Red lessened the glare, and the air felt light for the lamia group once more.
"Nikola~!" In the blink of an eye, the dragon-in-disguise rushed to Lumia and snatched Nikola out of her arms, cradling the happy infant. "Are you okay, Nikola? You're not hurt, are you?" As if answering the question, Nikola let out more happy squeals and giggles. Just the sound alone brought joy to Red, as she held the baby closer to her and snuggled her face. "You had your mother so worried~"
"B-By chance..." Lucia dared speak, getting Red's attention. "Are you, perhaps... the Lord of Red?"
While the lamia looked at their leader in shock, Red simply smirked at the guess. "As expected of the great priestess, and leader of my believers," she answered. Everyone looked at her, puzzled by the confirmation, while Lucia bowed her head to the one of the six great dragons, and the very one her kind worships.
"Oh great one! Please, do excuse our rudeness towards you!" she exclaimed, causing all the other lamia to bow. "From what you said earlier, that child is... She's your child, milady? Had we known, we would never have thought of adopting her in our family. Of course, that is not to mean we wouldn't care for her, still."
"Now, now. There is no need for any of that," Red waved off. "While this baby is of great importance to me, she is not mine. And as you had found and helped Nikola, I shall spare you for your rudeness." Hearing that brought relief to the lamia group, as well as made them all wonder just who is this child to be so important to the Lord of Red. "Instead, since you took great care of my goddaughter, I shall reward you."
Days after that meeting, after Red had left the lamia with Nikola, the snake ladies were all shocked to find, in the cavern that housed one of Red's shed scale and the group of lamia that were soon to be mothers, a door. While it did not seem particularly special at first glance, they sensed incredible amount of magic emanating from it, as well as the divine powers of Lord of Red herself.
"What is... this door?" a lamia asked.
"Could this be the gift the Lord of Red spoke of?" asked another lamia.
"Then... would that mean today is this 'Day of Satur'?" another asked.
Lucia moved out of the crowd and towards the door. "There is only one way to find out," she said, reaching out to the door.
"Grandmother! You can't really mean to go through that door!" Lumia gasped. "I know this is a gift from the Lord of Red, but what if it's a trap? What if deep down, she truly hates us for taking that child?"
"The Lord of Red is not someone who would do something as lowly as that. Or have you no faith in our lord, even after she had spared us?" Lumia stayed silent at the question. "But just in case, if I'm not back within the hour... seal this area, and order the guards to find a new nesting area."
No answer was given at the order, not that Lucia needed one. She still trust in the Lord of Red, but for the lord to leave this odd door in their safe nesting area, and one that was to appear once every seven days, on this 'Day of Satur', she just couldn't help but wonder why, and where exactly would this door lead her to. Pushing the thought to the back of her mind, Lucia finally grabbed the door by the knob and opened it. What she least expected to see...
"Nikola~! You have no idea how worried mommy was for you~!" ... was a grown adult female cuddling a familiar infant. As well as-
"Somehow, I knew you couldn't wait until later on tonight for me to bring her back." -The Lord of Red being here!?
Lucia felt a slight spit take at the sight of the lord in disguise, this time fully clothed as opposed to the last time they met.
Nikola was the first to notice the lamia standing(?) by the door and reached out to her with a giggle, prompting the other two females in the room to turn to the door.
"Oh! You're a new face. Welcome to Nekoya," Tomoe greeted, acting as though nothing had happened.
"So you came after all," Red spoke, causing the lamia to flinch. "Tomoe, this is the person who found and took care of Nikola."
"Really?!" Tomoe asked, before approaching the lamia and holding her hand in gratitude. "Thank you for looking after Nikola! I was so worried about her when she disappeared to your world."
"N-No, no. It's fine, really," Lucia assured. "I'm just glad your daughter is back where she belongs."
"But I truly must thank you somehow! How about for today, whatever you wish to order on the menu will be on the house?"
"Hey, Tomoe! I know how grateful you are, but don't make those sort of decisions in my restaurant!" Daichi called from the kitchen.
"Isn't it fine for today, gramps?" Makoto asked. "Besides, you were just as worried as Tomo for the past seven days on Nikola's disappearance. Plus, it'll only for today, which I doubt will be any different from Meat Day."
What the two men said got Lucia to realize one thing; this area on the other side of the strange door... is a dining establishment.
"Um... If I may be so bold as to ask, is this... an eatery of sort?" Lucia spoke.
"Yes. This is Western Restaurant, Nekoya. Also known as, by people of your world, the Restaurant to Another World," Tomoe answered. "We serve all kinds of dish here. If you can read Eastern Continent language, I can get you a menu. Of course, if you have any preference, our chefs can make something off menu."
"Then... if you have any delicious egg dish, I'll have that."
"Coming right up," Makoto answered, getting ready to cook the requested dish.
Taking a seat, Lucia decided to take the courage to start a conversation. "For the Lord of Red's gift to be a door to a restaurant... I most certainly didn't expect this. Much less see you in this very restaurant once more."
Red simply let out a small chuckle at those words. "Indeed. If this was any other eatery, I wouldn't even bother breathe in the same air as anyone around the place. But this place is special, and as such is a part of my territory. Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't come until later in the evening, but since Nikola had gone missing here, it was only right to return her here as soon as possible. Her mother, especially, had been panicking for quite a while upon noticing her disappearance."
"Hey! I know you can see what goes on in this restaurant by your magic, but there are things that are better left untold!" Tomoe pouted.
Red simply chuckled at her friend's expense. "But I must admit, it was very amusing~"
Lucia was simply shocked that a mere human dared speak to one of the six great dragons in such a tone, and grew even more shocked at Red's response to such disrespect.
She felt something fall on her tail, and looked down to see Nikola on it, the baby who was looking up at her with an innocent smile on her face. By some instinct, the lamia picked up the small infant in her arms. "Hello, there. Do you remember me?" As though answering the question, Nikola happily squealed and giggled at her.
"It seems my daughter took quite a liking to you," Tomoe said.
Lucia flinched slightly at her voice. "A-Apologies..."
"Hm? For what?"
"I-If it... may seem like I'm taking your daughter away... Please do believe me when I say I have no intention of separating a mother from her child. I may be a monster, but I would never stoop so low."
To the lamia's confusion, the human mother only giggled. "You're not the first monsterfolk who comes here. Many other regulars of this restaurant love Nikola, and some of them have been tempted to take her away to your world. One even came close to do so. Of course, should that ever happen, they would face the wrath of the other regulars, Red included."
"Indeed. Speaking of, I have yet to feel satisfied in delivering my wrath to that wandering swordsman of the Western Continent. For him to be so careless enough as to not notice Nikola following him out the door and put her in the danger she was in. Had my follower not found her, who knows what would happen then," Red said, a vein popping up on her face.
"I thank you kindly to spare him, as he is still a customer of this restaurant," Daichi said, coming out of the kitchen with his grandson, both holding closed pots. "Anyway, as promised, two pots of beef stew on the house."
"You say that, but I will still pay regardless. Even if you won't take them for my stew, at least put it towards whatever dish the lamia will be having," Red said, placing some gold coins on the table.
"Oh no you don't! We agreed that this is on the house for you if you found Nikola! In other words, free food!" Daichi exclaimed, forcing the coins back in the dragon's hands.
"Even if you, the master of this restaurant, say that, I refuse to give nothing for such delicious delicacy!" Red argued, forcing the coins in the elder's.
"A promise is a promise! And though we don't do discount here, we do promises!"
"Then at least put this towards whatever dish you'll be making for the lamia!"
"Even if she orders for a hundred of those, at most it wouldn't even cost a single gold coin!"
"Then consider it as payment for casting a spell on Nikola that enables me to see where she is should this incident happen again!"
"That's not how payment works, and I am very sure you know!"
"Why are you so stubborn?!"
"That's my line!"
As the two argued about the coins, continuously placing them in each other's hands, the other three humans and lamia just stared at the scene in amusement and dumbfounded.
'The Lord of Red... Acting like this?' Lucia mentally questioned.
Seeing that there was no way to convince the master to take the coins, Red decided on an alternative. "All right then. In that case, consider it an act as Nikola's godmother. If I recall, it is this world's custom for a parent provide for their child in some way, and money is one of them, is it not?"
"Well, in a way that is true," Makoto answered. "Then again, it's not in gold coins, nor do we give them that much money, especially as infants."
Red ignored the second half of the answer and said, "Look, see? So it you won't take it for the restaurant, then take it for Nikola!"
The master had a feeling of de ja vu right then and there, as this wasn't the first time Red had tried to overpay him. He simply sighed in defeat, knowing that this woman of a dragon wasn't going to change her mind, as she didn't back then. "All right, fine, you crazy woman."
Smirking in victory, Red finally took the pair of pots in her hands, and made her way to the door. Seeing that the dragon got her hands full, Tomoe got up to open the door for the customer. Thankfully, Nekoya's door recognizes whoever leaves the restaurant, and connects the door to where that very customer was last before entering the place. Before the disguised dragon crossed the entrance, she looked back to Lucia. "Enjoy whatever it is they'll be serving you." With that, she made her leave.
Lucia, on the other hand, was still baffled on the situation. From what she knew, the Lord of Red wouldn't save a child over some stew. Yet, the fact that she did, as well as the fact that she used some magic to summon the door to her kind's nesting area... Does this eatery serve food fit for gods?
"Sorry for the wait. Here are you scotch eggs," Makoto said, approaching her with a plate of food.
On top of the white plate was a lush of green vegetables and red sauce, accompanying a sort of meat dish. While one of the meat was in a round form, and sizzling at that, the other was cut in half, revealing thinly diced meats and yellow and white, eggy insides.
"The one cut in half is hard-boiled egg. The one uncut is soft-boiled," Makoto informed. "Enjoy your meal."
And that she did. Upon tasting the hard-boiled scotch egg, Lucia was baffled beyond belief. The meat on the outside was salted and seasoned perfectly, bringing out the savoriness of the meat, as well as the sweetness of vegetables. The egg was lightly salted, mixing well with the meat's savory flavor.
"It tastes better if you add chili sauce on it," Tomoe advised, putting Nikola back in her crib.
"'Chili... sauce'?" Lucia repeated in a questioned tone.
"The red sauce by the vegetables."
Lucia looked down at the said liquid on her plate and, as the female human advised, dipped the egg in it before taking another bite. She was taken aback by the spicy and sour taste, but found that it truly did taste even better than just eating the scotch egg alone. Once she finished off that one portion of her dish, the lamia looked to the other portion.
'That young man said that this is 'soft-boiled',' she recalled. 'What does he mean by 'soft-boiled'?'
Before she poked her fork in it, Tomoe told her, "I'd cut that in half first."
Taking that as a word of advice, Lucia looked to the knife that was given to her with the fork and used it to cut into the egg. Once she did, yellow juice started oozing out of it, to her astonishment and understanding. 'Now I see. The boiled part he was referring to was the yolk,' she thought. 'But... is it safe to eat?'
The answer to her question came as soon as she took a bite of the soft-boiled scotch egg. The yolk may not have hardened, but it was not at all raw. If anything, the rich flavor coming from the yolk was making the meat coating all the more delicious. This dish alone cleared away all her wonders about this restaurant. 'This place... Restaurant to Another World, Nekoya... It is very fitting as a part of the Lord of Red's territory,' she deemed quite dazingly.
A babble and a small weight on her tail brought her out of her thoughts, and Lucia looked down to see Nikola on her, the latter who managed to escape from her crib again.
"Nikola! How did you get out of your crib again?!" Tomoe gasped in shock, dropping her cleaning supplies to get the infant off the new customer.
"Wait, she got out again?!" Makoto asked, emerging from the kitchen once more.
"Yes. My god, where did she get this sneaky little trait of her's...?"
"Not from me, I know for sure."
"Oh? This coming from the guy who managed to keep this place a secret since childhood?"
"Hey now. That secret and this sneakiness has no such relationship."
From their conversation, it didn't take long for Lucia to put two and two together, and realize that Nikola was more special than she had ever imagined. This made her think back to when she gave Nikola the name 'Laima', as the lamia couldn't help but smile from the meaning behind the name.
After the delectable meal, Lucia had ordered some more scotch eggs to take home for her fellow lamia to try, and thus had became a new regular to the Restaurant to Another World, as well as became a new member of Nikola's 'family'.
"Truly... A work of fate."
Sorry if it felt like the chapter had ended abruptly, or if it felt a little rushed. In all honesty, I was having a bit of trouble as to how to proceed with Part 2. After a suggestion from a reviewer, I just couldn't help but want to do this scene. I hope it is still to everyone's liking all the same.