The Other World Dining Hall (WN) Chapter 19

Coffee Float

The southern region of the Western Continent…in the Sand Country, magic was popular.

The Sand Country was covered by inhabited desert where most of the land could not bear anything and nothing could be taken.

Even if you looked at the entirety of the two main continents of East and South, when it comes to the land size, no country was larger than the Sand Country. However, their national strength was considered as moderate strength at the Western Continent.

Their people lived beside the abundant sea, near the river, and at the sea of sand by making towns near an oasis.

Due to the land, it was inevitable that their magic developed.

Magic was over a thousand years old, it was an elves' creation that was so popular that it spread all over the world like an epidemic.

It is one of the few ways for the weak tribes to resist the great nature.

As such, due to the harsh nature of the country, magic has a strong presence at the Sand Country.

A way to make fire at the desert without using wood, a way to navigate the desert, the means to get water to create life at the desert.

And weapons to fight against the deadly monsters that adapted to the desert and the zombies1 who were travelers that died at the desert.

The Sand Country had more than twice the amount of magicians compared to other countries, it was natural that several caravans crossed the dangerous desert, and it was the norm for n.o.bles to have magical knowledge.

Because it was such a country, the very recent creation of "it" had spread explosively across the country and became its specialty.

Afternoon.

On the sky, the sun continued to s.h.i.+ne intensely throughout the year. The temperature of the neighborhood was at the peak and people avoided going out of the shade.

A young male magician opened his stall at the shade silently.

Pack the ground coffee seeds, a common drink in the sandy country, into a cloth bag and drop it into a copper pot filled with hot water.

The juice of the coffee which oozed out of the powder melted into the hot water, and the hot water was dyed dark brown.

Sugar, imported from an island near the Sand Country and was affordable even for commoners, was mixed into the drink.

So far, it's the traditional way coffee was made in the country.

[Well then…]

The magician's way of making the drink was different from this step.

As soon as the drink was made, he used magic and casted a spell.

The magic that generates coolness… In the country of sand where cool breeze had high demand, alongside with ignition magic, it was considered primitive.

The cold air was blown to the copper pot and its temperature cooled down considerably.

When it's done, take the pot and pour the coffee down the throat.

Cold coffee went down the throat more smoothly compared to hot coffee, and a refres.h.i.+ng sweet and bitter taste lingered in the mouth.

After finis.h.i.+ng, the man raised his voice.

[Come on, come on out! It's sweet, chilled coffee! It's chilled well!]

Hearing the shout, people started to line up in front of the stall.

[One cup.]

[Okay!]

In response to the customer, he poured the chilled coffee into a cup.

Drink it deliciously.

[Kuha~]

The voice leaked out from the mouth.

Drink it during hot days, chilled coffee. The taste was exceptional.

Magically chilled coffee.

It's what you drink when it's hot; shooting down common sense that cold coffee was acidic and tasted bad.

The coffee that was magically chilled at once was different from a coffee that naturally cooled down, it was good.

At the Sand Country which was a magical country, chilled coffee became a well-known drink.

Now a number of stalls were available selling chilled coffee in unbreakable coffee pots, moistening the throats of the people of Sand Country.

And, the inventor's name was…

Near the desert, far from the capital city.

A young man was standing in front of a black door with a picture of a cat.

A young man with neat facial features, brown skin like polished copper, black hair like black pearl, and a trained supple body.

He had a beautiful figure not defeated by his luxurious appearance of silk clothes dyed with vivid colours and golden ornaments adorning every part of his body.

His name was Sharif. One of the otherworld dining hall's regulars that lived at the Sand Country.

Sharif was nervous.

(Is it time?)

The time was when the sun was pa.s.sing through the middle of the east and gradually tilting to the west…throughout the day, the hottest time.

He usually visited at this time of the day…that's why Sharif was standing under the hot sun.

(This is not the time to think.)

He decided and opened the door.

While listening to the tinkling sound of the doorbell, Sharif inspected the interior.

(…Hmm, not today.)

There were a few customers at the restaurant, but there was no "girl".

Relieved, he sat at the back of the store, a less conspicuous seat.

[Here you go. It's the menu.]

The owner was accustomed to it, without a word, brought a gla.s.s of water and the menu to Sharif.

[Umu.]

Nodding regally, Sharif inspected the menu.

The section "beverage" was opened.

While looking at the usual beverage line up, Sharif ordered his usual.

[Coffee float with ice cream. Extra sugar for the coffee.]

[Yes, certainly.]

After ordering, Sharif returned the menu to the owner and relaxed on his seat.

(It's a strange place as ever.)

Around 5 years ago, while walking outside the castle town just because he was an adult, he found the door by chance while taking a moonlit walk.

The place when he curiously opened the door was the otherworld dining hall.

A restaurant from another world.

A lot of people from Sharif's world came and ordered otherworld cuisine.

Sharif himself found a black door, and sometimes ordered a variety of dishes at the restaurant.

Visiting once a month.

The sun ruthlessly turned the world into a scorching land.

But only a few months ago, Sharif visited once every 7 days when the sun was at the peak.

…It was from that time that he got the reason to do so.

A tinkling sound was heard, the doorbell announcing another visitor.

Every time the sound echoes, Sharif checked the door.

(…Not that one.)

He heaved a sigh when he saw a half-elf magician who had come to greet his father along with her mentor before he became an adult.

While she was beautiful, she deviated from Sharif's preferences. Not only that, he also heard that she was around the same age as his parents.

Unfortunately, she was not Sharif's preference.

[Sorry to keep you waiting. Here's your coffee float.]

While Sharif was feeling dejected, the owner placed a gla.s.s cup and a silver spoon in front of Sharif.

(…Oh dear. This is so delicious.)

His mind restarted, he gazed at the drink in front of his eyes.

Several hard, transparent ice cubes floated, cold coffee filled a gla.s.s cup with water moisture gathering on its surface, with white chunks…ice cream.

The cup had a tube with bellows inserted, so that you can bend it and drink without tilting the cup.

It is a beverage that can only be found at otherworld dining hall. He, who lived at the Sand Country, favoured it.

First, Sharif gently touched the tube with his lips and sucked.

(Umu. Delicious.)

The drink flowed into his mouth, and he inwardly nodded to the sweet and bitter taste of cold coffee.

This cold coffee was the most recently made delicacies at Sharif's world.

…Specifically, ever since Sharif ordered a servant who could use magic to make it for him.

The otherworld coffee that was usually served hot was very delicious and fragrant, but the well-balanced sweetness and bitterness of cold coffee was a special taste for the desert country that was hot throughout the year.

Recently, there was a phrase "cold coffee and chilled coffee are different".

(Well, next…)

After drinking some of the coffee, he started on the ice cream.

Take a spoon and scooped a spoonful of ice cream. Contrary to the black coffee, it was pure white in colour.

Carry the ice cream to the mouth.

The cold sweetness spread in the mouth.

It melted quickly leaving lingering coldness inside the mouth, along with the taste of thick milk and eggs.

(The ice cream here is so delicious…)

While enjoying the taste, he thought so.

The ice cream used for coffee float was different from the usual ice confections that Sharif ate.

The ice confections were made by magically cooling various fruit juices and sugar water2. However, they have neither the sweetness nor the smoothness like this.

In addition, there were several other flavours of ice cream other than "vanilla" that was used for coffee float.

At the otherworld dining hall, there were several flavours of ice cream available during the summer.

The price was cheap, each flavours were different, and none was equally delicious.

Although it was regretful, even in the desert country that prided itself possessing innovative magic technology over the “Kingdom” of the eastern continent could not prepare such a variety of taste.

As for that matter, his younger sister who ate the ice cream he brought home as a souvenir from the restaurant had the same opinion.

…It was a miscalculation to do so. Ever since then, she always demanded him to bring ice cream as a souvenir.

Then, he ate the ice cream that had mixed with the coffee.

Another visitor entered the door.

[…Mu!?]

Responding to the bell sound, Sharif turned his head to the entrance and froze.

[Gokigen'yoh3, owner.]

It was a beautiful princess who entered.

Contrary to Sharif's brown skin, she had white skin and rosy cheeks. Light gold hair. Sea blue eyes and pale pink lips.

The clothes that she wore were modest, but made with high cla.s.s fabrics and tailoring.

Yes, she was…

[Welcome. The same order as always?]

[Indeed…Though, please show me the menu as well. I would like to try out some parfaits other than chocolate once in a while.]

It's the reason why Sharif cautiously entered the restaurant.

He sucked the remaining coffee using the tube.

[Yup. I decided. Owner. Excuse me, but I would like to order coffee jelly parfait today please.]

[Okay.]

Sharif looked at her beautiful visage; she was sitting at a seat of another table.

…Because of her, the remaining coffee tasted sweeter than before.

(Fumu. She was a little late today.)

When the sun began to sink, Sharif went back to the Sand country, leaving the otherworld dining hall while holding a box containing three types of ice cream that his sister demanded.

(She was so beautiful. Today was a good day.)

Sharif tried identifying the female.

A princess of the Empire, one of the great countries at the Eastern Continent.

She was First Princess Adelheid.

She was prettier and more beautiful than any woman at his country, and the happy face she made when eating the parfait.

Every time he saw it, her pale face always became red with blood and filled with happiness.

Her visage enraptured Sharif and a flame was lit in his chest.

(I have to consult with my father after all… I need to ask Ranna's help.)

His younger sister was the apple of their father's eyes. The young, intelligent Sharif decided to ask for her cooperation.

After all the other party was the princess of the Empire. While the strength of Sharif's country was similar, they were separated across the continent.

It's better to have more allies.

(My fair maiden. Will you respond to my love?)

While thinking such a thing, Sharif returned to the palace.

A desert country located at the southern region of the Western continent. The day the prince of the country proposed to the princess of the Empire was not far away.