The Other World Dining Hall - Chapter 124

Chapter 124 – Mont Blanc Pudding

There are signs of large scale Mothman breeding in a remote fort near the border.

The news caused a great upset in the Duchy.

When the Mothmen breeding and raids occurred before, the Duchy’s army moved and gained nothing, but endured enormous military spending and caused damage that could not be ignored.

Many soldiers and knights were poisoned and could not stand on the battlefield even if they survived, and the already 『Contaminated』 lands were transformed into dangerous places where the body could be destroyed just by entering.

Even worse, the monsters who liked the poison settled in, and some villages near the origin of the Mothman outbreak were abandoned.

It was an event that remained with the Duke as a bitter memory of the threat of irrational demons, unlike the empire that had demons who were savage and cruel, but could still be reasoned with.

If left behind, it will cause many tragedies once more. However, if the army moved and subdued the Mothmen, it will cause a severe amount of damages.

The king asked one of the wise men in the palace if there was any good way to prevent both, and one of them had a good idea.

Mothmen are vulnerable to the cold because they are bug demons. Adults aside, eggs and larvae that have not yet hatched will die if exposed to the freezing cold air.

Fortunately, she has an idea of ​​something that can produce that much cold air. At the northern end of the continent far west.

We can connect the forest with the cursed land that is forever covered in snow and ice due to some old Elvish magic that ran amok.

She said that she learned in detail from the great sage Altorius about a kind of transfer magic that connects two places.

The problem is that『She』was in a position where she couldn’t talk about national affairs.

Victoria, the witch of the Duchy, is the sister of the King and a disciple of the great sage Altorius.

She is a changeling, born as a half-elf with well-established human parents, the former Duke and Duchess.

Now, she returned to the Duchy and stays in the laboratory of the tower in the corner of the castle.

This was the first time that she, who was living a hermit-like life, only occasionally bringing the results of her research, was involved in an important matter of state.

As the Duke, he had confidence in Victoria’s abilities. Now that his father and mother had passed away, she was the closest family he had.

With a natural talent, a good mentor, and a long, long youth, he was sure that his sister, who used magic that he would never have thought of himself, would be right.

However, the grudge of the history and traditions of the Duchy against the half-elf who destroyed the Ancient Kingdom, is not so light that the Duke can move at his own discretion.

Whatever the idea, it cannot be easily accepted.

…Thus, a compromise was made.

*

(No way, I never thought we would meet again in this way.)

Loretta, a woman who is one of the court magicians of the Principality, saw her childhood friend in a carriage heading to the fort for the first time in about 20 years.

She has beautiful silver hair tied in a braid, a robe imprinted with an elf’s powerful magic, her hair was styled to hide her troublesome ears would not be visible, and she wore a hat with her eyes wide open.

She looked a little younger than Loretta’s daughter, just like a shy girl who has just grown up.

But what makes her who she is is the distinctive ears hidden behind her hat and hair, slightly sharper than humans.

…… Loretta’s childhood friend. Victoria is the sister of the Duke

(It was a direct request from the Duke, so I was wondering what it was…)

Loretta was born in a family that had produced court magicians for generations in the Duchy, and was a nobleman as well as a sorcerer.

After becoming an adult and being recognized as a full-fledged court magician, she married and had a child to take over the house where only her daughter and herself remained while studying magic.

After that, they were estranged because she was busy with research, work, and teaching children magic.

The reason why Loretta was summoned by her childhood friend, the Duke, was because of a request.

Destroy all the hordes of Mothmen aiming at the Duchy near the border with a freezing snowstorm.

Rosetta Fayston, the prestigious Duchy’s female court magician, is responsible for bringing together the sorcerers and preparing large-scale magic for that purpose.

Although her identity is unknown, she is apparently a magician with extremely high abilities.

The person in charge this time is Loretta, and she has agreed to buy all the credit from『Pudding』, who will help her, for an appropriate amount of money.

For Loretta, who was just introduced to 『Pudding』, she faced a dilemma.

All the achievements and rewards achieved will belong to Loretta, and will be recorded as such in public records.

In order not to leave a record of 『Victoria』 being involved in this series of incidents.

It’s an honor for the family, and she welcomes the opportunity to learn about powerful transfer magic that even Loretta doesn’t know, but it’s just that a childhood friend shouldn’t be used like that.

(Are you okay with that Victoria?)

While being shaken by a carriage, I almost said this as I watched Victoria, who reminded me of when I was a girl who didn’t know anything.

It seems to have been Victoria’s own idea, so I’m sure she’s satisfied with it.

Victoria has disappeared from the official scene since she came of age.

I met Loretta more than 20 years ago when my child wasn’t even born.

After that, I heard rumors that she learned magic from the Court Magician at that time and showed a magic skill that surpassed that of the Court Magician in a year, and became a disciple of the kingdom’s Great Sage Altorius.

Perhaps Victoria today is a magician who is excellent in terms of magicians as a whole, and is far superior to Loretta who has average talent as a court magician.

However, she looks like the girl she remembered meeting just before she was an adult.

Victoria reminded her of her own daughter, who has been very rebellious lately, and it made her feel like a bad adult using a child.

……I don’t like seeing my childhood friend and feeling that way, as it seems to be proof that I’m getting older.

“Hey …Vi- Pudding.”

“Victoria is fine. Loretta used to call me that way.”

In response to Loretta’s words, Victoria returned in a slightly moody manner.

It’s a mischievous face that reminded Loretta of when she was as energetic as a boy when she was younger.

“…Yeah. Then Victoria, how are you? Are you injured or ill?”

Oh, this kid is certainly Victoria that I know.

Realizing that, Loretta naturally relaxed her expression.

“Yeah. I’m a little lonely because I can’t make children, but my nephew and niece are cute, and I think my research on magic is interesting and fulfilling. Loretta, what about you?”

“I think It’s pretty fulfilling. My husband is kind, and my children are learning to use magic. It’s not always easy, though.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. I’m an aristocrat, court magician, mother. Lots of work.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. It’s the same everywhere, it’s not all fun and games. There are things like this.”

We both sighed and then gushed.

We kept talking until we got to the fort. To fill the gap of 20 years between us.

*

After arriving at the fort and meeting with the young knight who was in charge of the fort (for some reason, when he heard Victoria’s pseudonym, he was surprised to hear that reacting with “What!?”), the two operated. I decided to fill in the details in the meeting room.

“First, the Mothmen’s nest is her, the fort is here …It looks like there is an elf village in the south.”

“It would be troublesome to involve them. So we place the magic circle here..?”

The effective time and power of magic mediated by a magic circle increases dramatically. It is very effective when it comes to smashing a single nest of demons, as in this case.

“Yes, but it’s a very complicated formation. I’ll have to ask the sorcerer attached to this fort for help, and I’ll also need a guard to make sure I don’t get attacked before I finish writing.”

“I don’t know much about that, so I’ll leave it to you. If it’s Master, he can write it up on his own with magic power and bring it to activation in no time.

Victoria says it like it’s easy, but only an elf or a legendary sage can do such a trick.

The higher the magic, the more complicated and huge it becomes. Looking at the blueprints prepared in advance by Victoria, it seems that the size of the magic circle is as large as a small fountain.

It can only be written with a certain amount of magical power, and there are many small details, so it will take several days to write these.

“It’s no use wanting something that isn’t there. It seems that there are a few military sorcerers in the fort, so let’s get them to help.”

“Yeah. I don’t really understand that …so I’ll leave it to you.”

Although Victoria knows more about magic than most sorcerers, she has little knowledge of politics or military affairs.

(Perhaps her younger brother, in anticipation of that, asked me to accompany her, as I was an acquaintance and at the same time involved in the politics and military of the Duchy as a court magician.)

As Loretta thought so, Victoria spoke about the magic to be used.

While working out the details, Loretta was inwardly surprised.

(I knew you had a natural talent for this….)

Victoria’s final explanation of magic was difficult to fully understand, even for Loretta who, as the court magician, was the most educated in the Duchy.

She could vaguely understand that the explanations were correct, but the theories that led up to them were beyond her common sense.

The theory of the great sage was novel and complex. A disciple who understood this, and one of the best sorceress in the whole continent, the witch princess of the Duchy.

Loretta was reminded that Victoria has enough power to be called that.

(Isn’t she going to continue to research while still young for more than 100 years?)

So this is why half-elves are looked upon with a mixture of envy and jealousy even among magicians, Loretta realized.

I can’t catch up.

“…How did you know the northern end of the western continent where this magic circle is connected? Was it Altorius-sama’s knowledge?”

“There is that, but … I actually went there. It was so cold and I thought I’d die.”

As Loretta was trying to dispel the feelings of jealousy that arose in her heart, Victoria frowned for some reason.

Apparently, it’s the kind of memory she doesn’t want to remember.

“Eh?”

“On the west continent, I went to see a lot of old elf heritage left untouched. I went to the sandy country with my master’s transfer magic and traveled to the northern end.”

That’s ridiculous. I thought so, but I thought about it again.

It is said that when he was young, the great sage Altorius traveled all over the world with his friends to defeat the demon king who was still active at that time as one of the four heroes.

I’ve heard that it was the transfer magic that Altorius revived that made it possible.

“So, you’ve been to a lot of other places?”

“Yeah. On the eastern continent, I went to the wetlands south of the empire, to the city of the dead, and to the Red Dragon Mountains.

It’s a very dangerous place, so I’ve been told not to go there when my master isn’t around.”

…In addition, it seems that my friend has had an unexpected adventure in the last decade.

“…Can you tell me more about it later?”

“Of course!”

Loretta nodded happily to Victoria’s words.

There was a knocking sound on the door.

“Ah, I’m sorry. Ms. Pudding …I was asked by the owner to give this. Is it okay?”

From the other side of the door, there is a man’s voice that was a little familiar.

(I believe …that’s right. The man in charge of this fort …Heinrich, wasn’t it?)

He must have been a young knight who greeted us when we came to this fort.

Something has changed… it seems to be calmer.

“Can I open the door?”

“Yes.”

I nodded to confirm Victoria, and she opened the door.

As expected, a young blonde knight, Heinrich, stood there, holding a white box.

“Well, uh, Pudding. I didn’t think you would come to help. Thank you. This is a thank-you gift. It seems to be seasonal? I asked the owner and he said this would be good.”

It was apparently a gift for Victoria. It was a little awkward, as if she wasn’t used to this kind of thing.

(Oh my… this can’t be ignored1.)

In other words, this knight named Heinrich seems to be acquainted with the magician Pudding for some reason.

“Because it’s a namagashi, ask me to eat it early.”

“I know. Thank you.”

However, Victoria smiled when she receives the box that was presented to her.

“… Um. Well, I delivered it. See you later”

Heinrich, perhaps embarrassed by this, blushed a little, closed the door, and left with a clatter of footsteps..

“…and what is it?”

After he left, Loretta asked Victoria.

“Pudding that the owner recommended. Egg sweets. Very, very delicious.”

Victoria, who was just looking into the contents of the box, answered, then thought for a moment and continued her words.

“… I didn’t bring a winter box today so, Loretta why don’t you eat it with me?”

*

I don’t know what it’s made of, but it’s a strange white box with a winged dog demon drawn on it.

It seems that there is a sweet called 『pudding』 in it, which has a slight cold air.

(Rather, pudding…)

With that in mind, I looked at my friend who now goes by the alias “Pudding”, a wandering adventurer-magician.

I thought it was just a random name because there is no such word as “pudding” in the language of the Duchy but it seems to have originated here.

“No way Shripe… I didn’t think Heinrich could be distracted by this.”

And, looking at the previous exchange, Victoria and Heinrich seem to know each other and have a close relationship.

I didn’t know that the young knight, who is still in his twenties and rarely goes up to the castle, and the forty-year-old princess, doesn’t appear in the public eye could have such a connection.

While Loretta was thinking about this, the box was carefully opened in front of her.

“It’s delicious. Pudding.”

Inside the box, there are two transparent glass bottles, and an unfamiliar white material.

Judging from her words, what is in the glass bottle is a food called pudding.

Victoria hands something to Loretta.

“This is a spoon? What is this made of?”

Loretta, who took it naturally and began to observe what it was like as a magician, tilted her head.

I understand that it is a spoon for eating that pudding. Made quite small, it’s just the right size to scoop up the contents from that little jar.

But I have no idea what it is made of.

(This transparency is glass, crystal … but then it should be colder.)

The spoon is so transparent that you can see it completely through the other side of the spoon, but the spoon does not have the weight and coldness of glass or crystal.

Rather, it is much lighter than a spoon made of wood. At least there was nothing similar to it in Loretta’s knowledge.

“…What is this made of?”

“I don’t know. When the master asked the shop owner before, he said it was made of plastic.”

…… It was a substance I had never heard of.

With a slightly amused smile at Loretta’s growing confusion, Victoria brings out the main course of the day.

It’s in a glass bottle.

“It’s a pudding … if it’s autumn season only, maybe Mont Blanc Pudding.”

Victoria hands her friend the pastry she loves so much.

“Pudding?”

Wasn’t that Victoria’s pseudonym?

I receive it without thinking so.

(I’ve never seen this food before…)

It was packed in a transparent glass bottle, and when viewed from the side, it was found to be neatly divided into layers.

The bottom of the jar is black, the yellow part above it occupies most of the jar, and something brown is on top of it.

(She’s eating it normally…)

From the looks of Victoria, I’m pretty sure it’s safe to eat.

Victoria is eating very, very deliciously.

Watching her, my appetite was naturally whetted.

(Since we’re here. Shall we eat it?)

As a Sorceress who is trying to unravel the world, Loretta has more than average curiosity.

Immediately, following Victoria’s example, she removed the paper covering the bottle and opened the lid.

(The smell isn’t special…)

I check the smell lightly and scoop up a spoonful of the brown part on top.

It seems that the yellow part underneath is a mixture of some kind of nuts.

The top of it is covered with something as white as freshly fallen snow.

The neat shape made me feel that a professional chef was involved.

(……Hmm.)

After observing for a while, when I brought it to my mouth, the taste of thick cream spreads on your tongue.

A sweet cream with a slightly powdery astringency peculiar to nuts.

It’s less sweet than the sweets you usually eat, but you can see the taste of the nuts.

(Oh, this is marone.)

Loretta, who had a feeling of déjà vu in the taste, thought a little and realized that it was marone.

Was it crushed carefully and mixed with sugar? It had a smooth texture and was delicious enough with this cream alone.

After tasting it enough, touch the lower part, the yellow part.

(It feels strange.)

The yellow part was egg and milk. It was not liquid, but very soft and easily crumbled.

A plastic spoon, which seems to be more fragile compared to a metal or wooden spoon, sneaks in.

So this time I scoop up the yellow part and carry it to my mouth.

(Hmm. It’s soft and cold …not too sweetness.)

I tasted it on my tongue.

It has a strong sweetness and is firm. The softness that collapses in your mouth without you having to chew is likely to become a habit.

(The ingredients are eggs, milk, and sugar, with some ground marone added for flavoring.)

I see, I know the ingredients. Speaking of which, it is said that there is an egg confectionery called “Prince’s Favorite” in court dishes these days. Is this it?

I have an idea of where it came from.

“… The pudding part is delicious by itself, but Montblanc pudding is delicious when eaten with the cream above and the caramel below.”

I followed the words of Victoria, who is an expert on the pastry called pudding.

“…Well, it’s a very different impression.”

I was impressed by the fact that it brought out the best in both the pudding and the cream that I had just eaten.

The soft egg flavor and sweetness of the pastry catches the slightly astringent, less sweet cream.

A pastry that makes you eat two things at once. And it’s in a bottle.

(Truly, a strange pastry.)

With that thought in mind, my spoon continued to dig into the pudding until it hit the bottom.

Oh, there’s something black in the back.

The moment the spoon broke through the pudding, a blackish brown juice gushed out from the slit.

The black juice that overflows from the hole created by the spoon piercing the pudding dyed the bottom part of the pudding.

(What kind of juice is at the bottom of this?)

Loretta dipped the tip of her spoon into the juice and licked it.

She dipped the tip of the spoon into the juice and licked it. The juice seemed to be sugar based and was sweeter than anything she had ever tasted before. However, it also contained a slight bitterness that could not be hidden.

(It’s sweet, but bitter. ……? Maybe it’s burnt sugar juice?)

After some thought, Loretta got the right answer.

If it were an ordinary pastry, it would be considered a failure. But.

(It’s surprisingly delicious. …… It goes well with pudding.)

It’s also a great way to make sure you don’t overdo it.

The soft flavor of the pudding suppressed the strong sweetness of the brown juice, and the strong sweetness of the brown juice emphasized the flavor of the pudding.

This brown juice and pudding go very well together.

“How was it?”

As she finished, her eyes met Victoria’s, who seemed to have been looking at her the whole time she was eating, and Loretta smiled.

She smiled at Victoria, who seemed to have been looking at her the whole time she ate. She could see the trust in her eyes that she thought the food was good, and the fear that it would not be accepted.

“It was delicious. Very good.”

So Loretta answered honestly.

“Good. I knew Loretta would understand, and she did.”

Victoria smiles in relief.

Victoria smiled with relief, not worried about the future.

(I’m sure the Mothman extermination will go well.)

Loretta was sure about it.

Edit: Edited it even more. Still dunno what the author means by this line, so I improvised. Maybe I should change the pronouns to third person?

TL: Edited it a little so it isn’t that bad anymore.

TL: Sorry for not translating for a while! A lot to do with school and other stuff.

1も隅に置けないわね: The literal translation of this is “Cannot be put in the corner.” It is an idiom used in many ways, such as to say “talent can’t be hidden in a corner”. I think this was used to say that Victoria’s reaction can’t be ignored but i’m not completely sure. Take my words with a giant pile of salt and read more here.