Hello Scrolls and Nazarins, Mr.Bones bringing another chapter of this Blue Roses arc, I hope you are enjoying my fanfic The One Who Came Back.
A visit to the new E-Rantel leads to a lively dinner.
With you
The One Who Came Back
Chapter 48: The Menu
After going through the workshop, the Blue Roses felt somewhat disoriented. They had faced Death Knights before and knew that it was the real deal, something capable of laying waste to an entire city, yet it had stood still for 15 minutes in a room full of visitors.
A young Naga, obviously very nervous, carried out her duties under the guidance of what was probably her supervisor. For the adventurers, it was strange to see these beings who typically wore rags or random pieces of armor as clothing dressed in this manner. Yet here they were, with the upper part of a well-tailored suit in a new and unfamiliar style, elegant earrings, a fashionable hairstyle, makeup, and an ornamental accessory at the tip of their tails.
The younger Naga explained the duties and rights of visitors, basic legal matters, and how to act in emergencies. She pointed out the layout of the neighborhoods in the city and its main tourist attractions.
When they finished their session, they retrieved their weapons, their temporary visitor visas, and headed for the exit. There, they were greeted by a sensory explosion. The giant statues at the entrance were impressive, but the inside was breathtaking.
The smells, the colors, the sounds – everything was vibrant. Unlike Arwintar, where massive white buildings were the standard, creating a beautiful but sterile, grandiose but oppressive, and lovely but intimidating hegemony, everything here was more colorful and seemed to have an order. Despite the presence of large buildings, they were not the norm. Different styles seemed to cater to different clienteles. Shops of all kinds were present. Perhaps, being the city's entrance, this area concentrated examples of what could be found in other neighborhoods. Everything seemed cozy and inviting.
Walking through the streets, they noticed that the sidewalks had trees providing shade but not obstructing the view. The streets were made of stones so polished that the joints were barely noticeable, and there was a rune carved every few meters. "A rune," explained Gargaran, strangely the only one knowledgeable about the art.
They went to an inn with a large number of adventurers, all of whom seemed very excited about the prospect of delving into the Dungeon. That was something they would do themselves in the next few days, for sure. They decided to go out and explore the surroundings. They had been to E-Rantel before, but it was before the expansion. Even the old area had been completely remodeled, so everything was new.
The night was beginning, and the streets were lighting up. The lampposts used magical lights, making the street much brighter. Food stalls surrounded the squares. The smells were pungent. Bards entertained passersby, luring them to the restaurant district. It felt like a festival, but apparently, this was just an ordinary night.
After strolling around, they decided to grab a bite to eat and headed to a restaurant with foreign letters, but there was a sign announcing: "We Serve Humans."
"We probably shouldn't go in there," Gargaran said, remembering something.
"Why? It's a human restaurant, what's the problem?" Lakius replied as she opened the door.
Inside, they noticed a large number of beings, almost none of them seemed purely human. Everyone was busy with their affairs and enjoying their dishes.
"Because it's not a restaurant where they serve humans, it's a restaurant where they 'serve' humans," Gargaran whispered, trying to maintain a smile to disguise her discomfort.
Lakius's stomach instantly churned. "We have to get out of here," she sang softly.
"We can't," Gargaran retorted in the same melody, "it would be rude."
The warrior made her way to a table and sat down, and her friends followed suit. The idea was to leave as soon as possible without drawing attention, but the waiter was efficient, an insectoid being with four arms.
"Good evening, ladies, my name is Iricth. I will be your waiter tonight. I believe you wish to see our menu for humans, or would you like to try the house specialty?"
"Uh, yes, um, the human menu... FOR humans, that's it, the menu for humans, please," Gargaran groaned.
Lakius was too dizzy to speak.
"Here you go, feel free to browse."
"What do we do?" murmured the leader of the Blue Roses.
"I don't know about you, but this steak looks really good to me," Gargaran said.
"Not ABOUT the food," Lakius yelled, whispering.
"I think we don't have many choices. We can just apologize and leave," Evileye finally joined the conversation.
"No! I'm tired of this, I don't want to walk on eggshells every time we encounter other species. Before I joined the Blue Roses, I traveled to many places, met all kinds of people and tried all kinds of food, things that would make you faint. Now I want to be able to eat in peace, wherever I want."
Everyone was amazed by Gargaran's attitude.
"Sorry, I didn't know you felt this way."
"Don't worry, but we only survived last time by luck. I don't want to go through that again because of my stubbornness."
At that moment, the waiter returned.
"Hello, ladies, would you like to place an order?"
"I think everyone will want this dish, please."
"Except for me," Evileye said.
"Would the lady like to see the drink menu? We have a very fruity Bard. But if you prefer something stronger, an adventurer at the... mithril level would be recommended."
Evileye looked at the waiter strangely through her mask.
"Are you saying, blood?"
"Yes, I believe the lady would prefer drinks rather than solids, wouldn't you?"
"Do you know... that I... you know."
"AH! Yes, I apologize, I didn't know it should be something to hide, I'm sorry for the indiscretion," the waiter said vigorously, bowing his body at a ninety-degree angle.
"N-no, it's okay, you don't need to, it's not something so... important anymore, but how did you know?"
"Pheromones, Iricth's 'nose' can detect them. If the lady's concern is about other customers, you don't need to worry. We receive various species, and vampires come here frequently."
"Oh!" said the vampire, removing her mask. "If I may ask, where does the supply of... human 'protein' come from?"
"Haha! Great expression, I think I'll use it from now on. Well, it usually comes from adventurers. With great risks, the possibility of an early end still exists. So we make contracts for usage. The family or acquaintances get the... spoils."
"But wouldn't that encourage crime?" Lakius asked, finally joining the conversation.
"It could, if everything didn't go through health inspection. The Elders Linchs check the origin, if they have any diseases, and the nature of the death. They use various spells. If any 'protein' comes from a crime, the perpetrator is automatically located. As for the drinks, they come from registered suppliers, taken under pre-established standards, classified by age, sex, type, lifestyle, and species. After all, non-human species may prefer different flavors. Elves are in high demand since there's no availability."
"But, I think the Theocracy always sells slaves, even though it's prohibited here. They could negotiate and then set them free."
"The Sorcerer Kingdom would never negotiate with slavers," the waiter said firmly. "Doing something like that would only encourage trade and slavery beyond the reach of His Majesty's laws."
"But it wouldn't be the Kingdom, it would be you," Lakius replied.
"Miss, we are the Sorcerer Kingdom, and the Sorcerer Kingdom is us. What we do reflects on His Majesty. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll bring your orders in a moment," the waiter said as he left, leaving the Blue Roses deep in thought.
"The evil boss is confused," Tina said.
"Yes, confused," Tia agreed.
"I didn't expect this kind of conversation. Of course, I'm confused, and what about you? You all seem too comfortable."
"We are ninjas, trained to infiltrate any society. We've been to the City-State of Argland. It's not much different from here. We have more experience," the twins said simultaneously.
Lakius pondered this. Was she really so naive? Tia and Tina came from a group that was paid for assassinations. Gargaran was already an experienced adventurer, while she was just getting crawling. And Evileye literally had centuries of life. She was only a noble who got lucky with her lineage, acquired a powerful sword, and was fearless. What else did she know about the world?
At the end of dinner, a drink was served to Gargaran. Something colorful with an umbrella on top.
"What is this?"
"That gentleman sent it to you."
Everyone looked at the huge paladin at the bar.
"Is that a RobGoblin Paladin?!" Lakius exclaimed, amazed.
"Yes, miss, that's Urbuk, a follower of His Majesty's religion, but..."
"Tell him I appreciate it, but I'm not interested," Gargaran said, trying not to be impolite.
"But, miss, it wasn't him who sent the drink. It was that gentleman over there," the waiter said, pointing to a young and small Haflin with very pointed ears who raised his glass and winked.
"Excuse me, friends, I have a date. Don't wait for me," Gargaran said, going to join her admirer.
"There goes our tank. What strange taste you have," Evileye said.
"Look who's talking, and you're all swooning over Momon?! Given his size, he'd split you in half if everything were proportional," Gargaran quipped, leaving the vampire blushing and the others laughing.
