The Other World Dining Hall - Chapter 125

Chapter 125 – Ahijo

In the far north of the western continent is a frozen land that is covered in snow and ice, no matter what time of year it is.

It is said to have been created long ago by magic that ran amok, and in this land where no plants or trees grow and no living thing with blood can live, there live beings commonly known as the 『Yuki-Onna』1.

They are magical creatures left behind by the Forest Sage Eruru, who once ruled this land, and they are the rulers of this land where no normal creature can live.

They live on the magical power contained in snow and ice, and do not need to eat. They will not freeze, even in the freezing cold.

Sometimes they fly through the air on the wind, and when they use the magic of snow and ice, they will freeze everything on their path.

When they’re wounded, they can quickly freeze their wounds shut.

They may look like girls or women, but they are powerful enemies to humans, rivaling even the demons.

There are those who pretend to be human and go down to the south in the middle of winter, when the other lands are filled with snow and ice, to engage in 『expeditions』 to interact with people.

There are many reasons for this, such as to seek various things that are not available in the north, to have fun, to have children, or to meet their loved ones.

If there is snow or ice, they can live as long as a Half-Elf, but if there is no snow or ice, they cannot live more than a year.

For these girls, who cannot live even a year without snow and ice, the time when the human lands to the south are covered with snow and ice is a season to look forward to.

They move south when the snow comes and return to the north before the snow melts.

They will spend another year in the snow and ice of the north until the next winter comes.

“See you later.”

“Yeah. See you.”

Back in the white land after several months, Sayuki exchange goodbyes with her friends who in their hometown.

During the winter, they had spent time together as kindred spirits while going to the land of the humans, but in this white land, that was no longer needed.

In this land where they are covered with snow and ice all year round for their sustenance, and conversely where there is extremely little to live for, they are the absolute strongest.

They don’t need to gather in order to survive, and they are true to their own way of life.

Some of them hate loneliness and isolation and live in communities with other Yuki-Onna, while others find such relationships annoying and live alone.

Sayuki was more of a solitary person.

“…Well”

After parting ways with her friends, she found herself in a familiar white world.

Before returning to her home, there was a place she wanted to stop by.

“Well, how many days do I have to wait?”

I’m pretty sure it appears there once every seven days. But the last time I went there was about a year ago, and I don’t know how many days it’s been since then…

“…… Oh well. Just wait until they come out.”

The winter I had enjoyed with the humans has ended. Until the next winter, I would have to stay in this boring hometown.

Given the time it will take, waiting for just a few days isn’t anything to worry about.

I waited patiently for the black door with the picture of a cat on it to appear.

“Oh, there it is.”

The black door appeared in its usual place after two days.

It appeared on the pure white mountain surface, unobstructed by the wind.

I had seen it get caught in an avalanche once, but it wasn’t damaged, and it was connected to another world.

“Readying, readying.”

I put on my cloak tightly and fastened it with a belt to keep the cold air from escaping from my body. I’m sure this will be enough to eat 『that』.

I’m not sure what to say. That place is …… awfully hot.

The Yuki-Onna other than Sayuki hated heat, so going in was a little scary, even for Sayuki.

“Ei!”

After waiting for the sun go up, Sayuki opened the door.

Along with the “clink” sound, there came heat that was unlike the cold north.

*

A hail of cold wind blew through the western-style restaurant, as if to tell us that winter was not over yet.

I felt a little embarrassed when I noticed the surprised looks on the faces of some of the customers and a girl who looked like a waiter.

I’m not used to this, as I’m usually only in contact with my own people or the exotic people from the south that I visit during the winter.

To escape their gaze, I took a seat in the corner of the store, where the heat was a bit lower.

“…Welcome! It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” A waitress with golden hair speaks up soon after Sayuki silently took a seat.

I’m pretty sure she’s been working here for a few years now. I only see her once a year or so, but I guess she remembers me because I wear the winter wind around my neck.

“Yes. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you….Can I order something, please?”

Sayuki asked, pleased to have made an acquaintance with someone other than the Yuki-Onna.

I don’t have any doubts. I had already decided what I was going to eat before I came here.

“Yes! Your order, please!”

The waitress smiled and said.

Ahijo, please. Bread to go with it.

This is the 『hottest』 dish in the restaurant.

Sayuki waited for her food to arrive in the restaurant, which was as hot as ever.

(As usual, hotter than the inside of a human house.)

The heat in this place was probably too hot for Sayuki, but it would be comfortable for the humans and demons who visited this place.

Everyone was taking off their jackets or wearing loungewear.

While looking at them sideways, Sayuki did not take off her thick jacket …… to keep the 『cold air』 inside her body from escaping.

The body temperature of the Yuki-Onna is very low, so by putting on clothes, she can endure the 『heat』 to some extent.

It’s tolerable, but this restaurant is still too hot compared to the extremely cold snowy land.

I drank the cold, slightly sour water with ice that the waitress brought me earlier.

The water is neither hot nor cold by Sayuki’s standards. But in this hot room, it seemed to be delicious and soaked into her throat.

(Sweat is coming out ……)

Underneath her clothes, the sweat from her body slowly cooled down to ice, trying to cool her body even more.

It’s something that rarely comes out in everyday life, but strangely enough, it doesn’t make me feel uncomfortable. …… It even makes me feel good.

(Everyone said it was hard to be hot like this, but…)

The Yuki-Onna who invited me to this place did not like it much. The food wasn’t bad, but it was too hot.

I’ve heard that there was once a Yuki-Onna who fell into a spring of hot water underneath that extremely cold land and died after melting in no time.

I’ve also heard that there was a Yuki-Onna who failed to return from the south during the snowy season, and ended up not living until the next winter.

Hot weather is a dangerous thing for snow women.

That’s why Sayuki, who feels more or less comfortable with it, might be a little crazy.

“Thank you for waiting. I’ve brought your food.”

While I was thinking about this, different a waitress with black hair and a face like a person from the south, brought the food to me.

The food was placed on a wooden plate with a black iron bowl.

“Please be careful, it’s hot. Be careful, it’s very hot. You might get burned if you touch the dishes. Take your time then.”

I know that. I know this because I can tell just by looking at the heat of the bowl, which is far beyond the heat of this room.

On the plate, brightly colored Schripe and a variety of vegetables, the names of which Sayuki does not know, are simmering.

The dish was brightly colored, with red, green, brown, and sunset-colored ingredients floating on top of the golden oil with green herbs.

Right next to the ahijos, the main course, is a shiny brown loaf of grilled bread.

Next to the Ahijo was a browned loaf of grilled bread, and next to it, a glass of water with ice. This combination is Sayuki’s favorite.

(Well, let’s start with the first sip…)

She gulped down her spit, picked up a silvery spoon, and dipped it into the golden oil.

On top of the spoon is a golden oil with green herbs sprinkled on it, and a sunset-colored ring of Schripe. I gently blow on it as it is poured into the still hot oil.

If my breath is too weak, it is so hot that it literally melts my tongue; if it is too strong, it freezes and chills me.

If it is too strong, it will freeze and become cold. It should be hot enough to burn, but cool enough not to actually burn.

Sayuki knows that this is the heat at which the food tastes best.

(……mm)

She takes a bite and is satisfied.

It’s a great way to get the most out of your meal.

What comes out of the batter is the flavor of the oil used to boil it.

The pungency from the red Togaran slices and the pungency from the finely chopped white Galeo mixed in.

The two gave the oil a unique flavor, and it overflowed with the umami taste of the Schripe’s flesh.

I couldn’t help but sigh, filled with the unique aroma of the fish.

Ah, yes. This first bite is the best part of Ahijo.

With this in mind, I sink the spoon into the bowl.

The next thing I picked up was a mushroom-shaped vegetable with a pale green stem and a dark green umbrella.

Softly stewed, it crumbled easily in her mouth, something she could not even see in her hometown.

Its softness and the flavor of the fresh plant spread out at the same time.

It did not have the bitterness or strong saltiness of the 『vegetables』 that Sayuki knew people ate.

(Hmm. Vegetables are delicious after all.)

With that thought in mind, I picked up the next vegetable. Bright red. It was tinged with oil and shone smoothly like a polished stone in the light from the ceiling.

This one had a slightly sour taste in my mouth. It crumbles and the sourness mixes with the flavor of the oil.

It’s not the same as the green vegetable, but it’s also delicious. If I were to ask which was better, it would be difficult to say.

And finally, the mushrooms. Even in a land covered with snow and ice, you can find a few of these underground.

The mushrooms are brown and plain in color, but they have a concentrated umami flavor.

It absorbed the oil and entertained Sayuki with a unique texture.

(Fuu…… First, one bite at a time.)

The first bite was to taste each of the ingredients one by one. That was Sayuki’s way of eating.

Next, she picked up the …… bread.

The bread was freshly baked and had cooled slightly. It was still quite hot in Yuki’s hands, and she tore it apart with her hands.

The brown lump cracks open and the white contents come out.

She dipped it, which tasted slightly sweet even when eaten as it was, into the …… golden oil.

The white surface was quickly stained by the oil and turned golden brown. I brought it gently to my mouth.

The sweetness of the bread and the taste of the oil soaked Shripe and vegetables spread in my mouth.

Once I was satisfied with the flavor, I placed the ingredients on the pedestal made of the bread.

“More bread, please.”

I say to the waitress who passes by before I eat. I know I’m going to run out anyway.

(……Hot)

When you eat hot food in a hot room, you will feel your body warm up.

It’s a sensation that warms you from the inside out. My clothes are probably soaked with sweat that rarely flows underneath.

But it was comfortable. The secret pleasure of the Yuki-Onna continued until all the food on the plate was gone.

As soon as she paid and went outside, a snowstorm blew as usual, caressing Sayuki’s body.

A normal creature would be prepared to die, but for the snow woman, it was the coldness that she needed to live.

Her sweat-soaked body, warmed by the food and the restaurant, cooled down as quickly as she could.

(Ah, so comfortable……)

As I take off my sweat-soaked clothes and breathe deeply, the air of limpid snow and ice fills my lungs.

This air was the last thing that Sayuki feasted on when she visited this restaurant.

(Ahijo – Dish fried in Garlic Oil)

1 Yuki-Onna – Also known as Snow Woman. The Yuki-Onna is a Yokai that is described to have white skin and a white kimono. She is said to appear in varying locations such as snowstorms or mountains.