Chapter 23
Faint morning sunlight slowly poured through the room’s window, tilting little by little as time passed.
Eventually, the sunlight that had crept past the window gently tickled my eyes, which were still closed. Unable to resist the light’s stimulation, I slowly opened my eyes.
“…Tch.”
As soon as I got up from the bed, sharp pains greeted my whole body. My arms and legs trembled, and I found myself short of breath despite doing nothing, suggesting that the two-week journey had been an exceedingly arduous schedule for this frail body of mine.
Knock knock.
Just as I lay there dazed, it was well past lunchtime when Alter and Lir finally knocked on the door.
“Come in.”
I spoke without getting up from the bed.
I was aware that it’s polite to get up and open the door, but moving my body at this moment could truly damage something, forcing me to spend some time in the hospital.
“…Ugh.”
Lir let out a low exclamation at the sight of me lying in bed like a sick person, looking rather worse for wear.
Even though anyone might feel this way, reacting as if you’ve come across some vomit on the street is just too much.
Whether it’s this young elf or that queen, they’re equally lacking in manners….
“Um… I think it might be better to skip today’s lesson. You… don’t look too well.”
Alter looked equally startled by my state.
Is my situation really that bad?
“…Did you not eat breakfast?”
Lir noticed the breakfast left untouched on the table, now cold, brought by the young servant, and asked with concern.
“Not particularly hungry… and no appetite either.”
Though it hadn’t been mentioned before, I’ve been fed nothing but nutrient-packed salads and dry chicken breasts since staying in this castle.
Apparently, the servants are worried about my emaciated body, but as with the health food I had before, the taste here leaves much to be desired.
“The salad… is all dried out.”
Lir sighed while rummaging through the dried salad.
“Sometimes, it’s good to relieve stress by eating something sweet. Even if it’s not the healthiest. Beer or wine can also be excellent stress relievers, but…”
Alter hesitated a moment, scanning my body under the covers from top to bottom.
In this world, at seventeen, you can legally drink beer or wine. Unlike the real world, there’s not much strict regulation on alcohol here.
That said, there’s no way I would put alcohol in my mouth with this fragile body, as I might seriously risk a heart attack.
Seriously speaking.
“Well, sweets or pastries would probably be better than alcohol. Glucose is vital for brain activity, after all.”
“Can they be delivered?”
Since I really didn’t want to move from this bed, I asked Alter.
“…Is it really feasible?”
This colossal castle, spanning 120 square kilometers, is a crucial military stronghold filled with important individuals. Even if delivery exists in this world, it’s inconceivable that delivery personnel would be allowed inside. The import of any uninspected external food is also strictly forbidden.
Should food with poison or disease somehow infiltrate the castle, no one knows what kind of catastrophe might occur.
“…”
I really don’t want to leave the castle.
Moving around to get something to eat would obviously expend more calories than just sitting around and starving.
I know it doesn’t make much nutritional sense, but that’s how I feel at the moment.
I just don’t feel like moving.
Alter quietly placed a hand to my forehead upon seeing the expression on my face. It seems all my thoughts are written all over it.
Lir gently pulled on Alter’s sleeve, sighing softly. Alter immediately understood her intent, bowed slightly, and Lir whispered something into his ear.
Normally already soft-spoken, Lir whispered even quieter, muffling her mouth with her hands. It was impossible to understand what she was saying.
“…From the look on your face, you don’t seem willing to go anywhere. Well, let’s try suggesting it. It probably won’t hurt.”
After hearing Alter’s response, Lir inhaled deeply.
She appeared quite nervous before speaking, her face flushed red, and sweat trickling down her palms. What on earth could be so important as to make her this tense?
“There’s a bakery I know of where the chocolate pizza bread is quite delicious… If… if you’re okay with it, we might consider going together…”
Holding the brim of her hat while speaking in a small, timid voice, Lir voiced this invitation.
I couldn’t help but marvel at my enhanced hearing.
After spending over two weeks on the same carriage and tent, I seem to have naturally gotten used to the subtle whisper of Lir’s voice, even without realizing it.
“…Chocolate pizza bread?”
The marvel didn’t last long. Staring blankly at Lir’s hat, I couldn’t help but doubt my ears when I heard an unprecedented food combination.
“Chocolate co-existing with pizza?!”
Pizza is all about the harmony of pepperoni, sweet and tangy ketchup sauce, and nutty cheese. On the other hand, chocolate is a strong, sweet dessert.
Mixing the sharp tang, savory, and nutty elements of pizza with the intense sweetness of chocolate sounded almost sacrilegious.
“Um… I was taken aback the first time I heard about it too, but people who’ve tried it said it tastes better than expected… really. Plus, because people seem scared off by the combination of chocolate and pizza, the café isn’t crowded, and the ambiance is pretty nice… so…”
Staring at her with a skeptical expression, Lir started nervously making excuses, as if she had done something wrong.
…They say the combination of chocolate and pizza is better than expected?
How?
Is such a thing even possible?
Creativity taken too far often results in nonsense. Most extravagant attempts usually end up in futility.
However, according to Lir, the chocolate pizza bread is quite popular with people.
So, the acceptance of creativity beyond limits implies that there’s profound research and philosophy behind it that a normal person can’t fathom.
I can’t just brush this aside.
“Let’s go.”
Slowly getting to my feet with my heavy body, I announced.
“Chocolate pizza bread that’s popular with people…”
…As someone who identifies as a hipster, this is a food I simply can’t pass up.
For the love of what kind of brain structure does a chef possess to think about combining those two foods? And I need to taste the rumored bread myself to be able to sleep tonight.
“Really?!”
Lir lit up with happiness, shouting a little louder than usual.
I, on the other hand, was surprised by her uncharacteristic loudness.
“…Yeah.”
It’s undeniable, going out alone to eat chocolate pizza bread is quite a feat. She might have been quietly longing to visit but lacked a companion to share the experience.
Given her personality, making friends probably isn’t very easy for her. Hopefully, she won’t face any harassment wherever she goes.
Raising my heavy arms with great effort, I rang the golden bell.
Soon after, a young servant entered my room.
“I would like to take a short stroll.”
“I’ll prepare everything.”
Leaving briefly, the servant soon returned and bowed deeply, gesturing for me to climb onto his back.
“Get on.”
Naturally, I didn’t refuse this service.
…Power does taste quite sweet, huh.
“…”
Lir stared at me, perched on the servant’s back, as if unsure what to say.
Looking down at people feels like this, huh?
The taste of power, the more you experience it, the sweeter it seems to become.
*
Alter mentioned there was more research to be done on the incantation and suggested that the two of us should go.
Though it felt a bit unsettling having the oldest one working while we go out to play, I offered him a coffee once more.
“Hm…”
Alter stroked his beard and glanced at Lir.
Lir remained silent, shifting her eyes restlessly.
…What is going on right now between these two?
Alter nodded, having understood the nervous flickers in Lir’s eyes and her small actions.
“No, go on, the two of you. I ate too much for breakfast today.”
Alter seemed to have understood fully what Lir was thinking, judging by just her glance.
Well, it’s not like I’m particularly jealous. Cultivating the ability to read the mind of an introverted elf won’t exactly help in surviving.
“We’ll be back, Master. I’ll also bring you a present…”
Having ascended to the carriage, Lir bowed through the window as a way of saying goodbye. Her flushed face showed no signs of calming down.
Thus, we arrived in the outskirts of the capital after disembarking from our lavish carriage a fair distance from the cafe, so as not to attract too much attention.
Although my legs were screaming in protest, it was a sacrifice worth enduring for the legendary delicacy of chocolate pizza bread.
The cafe had neatly maintained wooden floors and a warm ambiance from the dim glow of candles, creating its charm. The dulcet melodies of guitar played by the shopkeeper’s son allowed me momentarily to forget about war and battles, fully immersing myself in the atmosphere.
“Two chocolate pizza breads, one coffee, and a warm glass of milk, please.”
Lir entrusted the order entirely to me while claiming she wanted to visit this shop so much.
Soon, the milk and coffee arrived first. Since the pastries were freshly baked to order rather than pre-prepared, the lady in charge explained and sought our understanding.
Everyone’s daring and excessive enthusiasm for unique combinations…
This is a hipster. The chef here is indeed an incredible hipster.
I felt a strange kinship, sipping my milk while chatting idly with Lir, just to pass the time.
“Do elves consider those twenty-one years old as minors? Or more like infants?”
“…They’re adults. Elves’ aging slows rapidly after twenty, but they don’t grow slower than other species.”
“So, you’ll continue living as a twenty-year-old appearance for 2000 years? That’s such a trickster race.”
Curious questions that weren’t asked at the right times, or…
“I heard you’ve been living in the magic tower since you were four. Isn’t it a bit early to be entering the tower?”
“My parents passed away early, so I had no choice… It was wartime, after all.”
“So, you’ve been studying at the magic tower since you were four?”
“Well, yeah… There wasn’t much reason to go out, and studying magic was quite suitable for me.”
“Now I understand why your social skills are the way they are.”
“…Don’t people usually keep such comments to themselves?”
We spent time conversing about her past and relatively mundane topics.
“Sorry for the wait.”
The freshly baked bread was placed on our table where we were chatting. The pizza bread on a pristine white plate looked ordinary on the outside.
Pepperoni, tomato sauce, and cheese.
Is the chocolate hiding inside the bread?
Seeming to masquerade as a plain pizza bread, its appearance wasn’t particularly special.
I appreciated this exquisite delight first with my eyes, rotating the bread from side to side.
Pondering the devil hiding inside this seemingly ordinary pizza bread made me feel dizzy just imagining it.
After completing a satisfactory inspection, I immediately took a bite.
“…”
…What.
Sure.
Hmm.
“Subtle.”
Contrary to my expectations, the chocolate hidden inside wasn’t of the sweet kind but of the bitter dark chocolate variety.
The salty taste of the pizza bread and the bitter dark chocolate combined in my mouth, creating an unusual harmony that offered an unprecedented taste experience.
“…I suppose more fun than expected.”
Indeed, it was a fresh combination, but it didn’t quite live up to my expectations when I heard the apocalyptic name “chocolate pizza bread.”
Furthermore, the taste’s degree of accomplishment wasn’t “extraordinary” enough to evaluate…
“Subtle.”
Lir also uttered the same phrase. Her slightly furrowed brows suggested uncertainty about how to categorize the flavor.
Apparently, it didn’t live up to the hype and was somewhat disappointing.
“The taste… is unique. People who like it might really like it…”
“Didn’t you say it was all good reviews?”
“Well, maybe people who didn’t like it just didn’t say anything? Rumors are usually driven by the talkers…”
Realizing her recommended shop was a failure, Lir began making rather pitiful excuses.
“Hm.”
It was something I was somewhat prepared for.
Unique and exotic food exploring is not always a success.
But it wasn’t completely inedible either, so instead of getting up, we slowly finished the bread on the plate while appreciating the guitar skills of the shopkeeper’s son.
While the bread wasn’t quite as expected, the cafe’s atmosphere was quite nice, so labeling today’s exploration as a failure would be misleading.
“Still, it’s not just chocolate pizza that they sell here. It’s worth visiting again occasionally when you think of it…”
Thud!
Just as we were enjoying the guitar performance and discussing a potential next visit, a solid knock on the wooden door echoed.
“Ah! Have you come, Miss Gwynn?”
A woman cleaning cups at the coffee bar bowed deeply upon seeing the young noble lady noisily entering.
“…”
The young noble said nothing, slowly approaching the counter. Judging by her lace and elaborately decorated attire, she must belong to a very powerful family.
“Is there any business today…?”
From the woman’s attitude, it seemed this young noble visited the shop frequently.
Even though the texture of the bread was fine and the subtle harmony of dark chocolate’s bitterness and tomato sauce’s saltiness was refreshing, it’s not surprising that aficionados could develop for unique foods.
While巧克力 pizza bread might not be the most delicious food, this place is probably the only one in the world where you can buy “chocolate pizza bread,” making it special.
After shifting my focus from the taste-divergent young noble, I lifted my cup, which still held warm milk…
Slap!
Crash!
“…?”
Out of nowhere, the sound of a slap echoed, followed by the crash of breaking glass.
The guitar music stopped abruptly, and both Lir and I froze momentarily.
The woman massaged her red, swollen cheek while bowing deeply to the much younger noble.
On the floor lay scattered broken teacups and a shattered glass coaster.
Witnessing the scene right in front of him, the woman’s son gripped his guitar tightly, his teeth clenched.
