Labyrinth Renovation – 049 | Sousaku – 創作

Episode 49: The Nyan Nyan Izakaya!

Maho here.
For some reason, Ziga-kun suddenly took a liking to me.

"Did you do something, Pochi? "
"I haven't done anything, woof. Is that person a new friend? "
"That's right. Everyone, get along well!"
"Alright. Nice to meet you, woof～! "

I don't know if he's being serious, but he suddenly realized his position…… maybe? I don't really understand, but it's not like he suddenly started lying. I seem to remember that there was a clause in the slave contract that said one couldn't lie.

"Ziga-kun, don't these children look like monsters to you? I think they look almost like monsters."
"No way! I don't know how they appear to humans, but there is no way we could mistake them for monsters."
"I see. Didn't you mistake them for monsters, Fiona?"
"I mean, they look completely like monsters. Their magic is different from that of animals, too."

Now Fiona is so used to them that she even snuggles up to them, but she was really scared when she first met them.

Anyway, now that the introductions were over, I explained to Ziga-kun about the hardware store, my relationship with Fiona, and what we would be doing from now on.
After I told him about how I actually defeated the monsters in the lowest layers, he started looking at me with eyes that seemed to say, “I'm completely in awe of you,” which made me a little uncomfortable. He's even wagging his tail like Pochi.

He also promised to call his former party members in Merry Jane and ask them to come.
It's a pretty famous party, but If I show them Pochi and the others, they'll understand right away…… Or so he said.
I don't really understand the beastfolk community.

◇◆◆◆◇

It was the perfect time, when evening is just starting.
He said they usually finish exploring around this time and are at the tavern, so we asked Seir to fly us back to Merry Jane.

"So, how many people are in your old party, Ziga-kun? What is the composition like? "
"If no one has left, there are 11 people. Also, please feel free to address me casually."
"I'll think about it. So, what's the composition? "
"There are only two scouts. The rest are all warriors."
"E-Ehhh? No mages or clerics?! "

Fiona reacted with exaggerated surprise.
They say that magic is more effective against monsters in dungeons, and above all, the difference in combat ability between having magic to heal wounds and not having it is enormous.
Apparently, there is something called a potion, which is a magical medicine, but it is quite expensive, and if you use it on a daily basis, you won't be able to earn any money.

"It's a brawn party, isn't it? Are scouts even necessary? "
"Scouts are absolutely necessary for exploring a labyrinth. A party without a scout will inevitably be wiped out somewhere."
"So that's how it is. What was the setup like when you were diving, Fiona? "
"Hm, hmmm～. Actually, when I went, we didn't have a scout, so besides me, there was a warrior, a mage, and a cleric……"

Just like Dragon Quest. Well, I guess that's why you fell into the transfer trap……
Personally, I wanted to see a Cleric's magic, but it can't be helped.
Well, I'll probably get a chance to see it sometime.

Ziga-kun's former party's regular hangout was located quite far down a back street.

"Is this place like a hidden gem?"
"It's because many people dislike the beastfolk. To avoid trouble, us beastfolk use places that specialize in beastfolk."
"Oh, there's such a thing."

There is little discrimination, but it does exist.
It seems that beastfolk are less common in terms of population ratio, so they are inevitably a minority.

"Besides…… it's easier to be with other beastfolk."
"I see."

Inside the store, there was a slightly animal-like smell, or rather, I don't know what it was, but it smelled like herbs or nuts.
It was already past dusk and the sun had set, but the interior of the tavern was reasonably bright thanks to magical lighting devices, and most importantly, many beastfolk were enjoying food and drinks.
The store itself isn't very big, but it seems to be doing quite well.
Some customers who noticed us looked at us with a “Why are humans here?” kind of look.
After that, their gaze turned to Ziga-kun.

"Ziga! Isn't that Ziga?! "
"Eh? Eh? Eh? Ziga-san? Ohーーーー! You're right! Ziga-san! "
"It's Ziga! Ziga is back alive! "
"You bought yourself back already? As expected of Ziga! "

People gathered around, pushing and shoving each other.
Hmm, hmm. Everyone looks cute and fluffy.

Ziga-kun explained that we had come together, and we were able to sit down for the time being.
I left the explanation to Ziga-kun, and Fiona and I decided to eat something since we were there.
This is my first time visiting a store with such a subtle fantasy vibe, and I'm really impressed. Let's take a picture.
Incidentally, since Seir stands out, I sent him home again this time. Although I am using him entirely for transportation, Seir himself seems to be proud of his teleportation skills, and he doesn't seem to mind, so it's not a problem.

"The shop assistant is a cat beastfolk, isn't she? Fiona, have you ever been to a place like this? "
"No…… Actually, I didn't know there was a place just for beastfolk."
"Well, you're a noble, so maybe you didn't even notice it. "
"I wonder…… That may be. I knew there were many beastfolk explorers, and I had seen them before, but I had only ever worked with humans."

I think there may be a slight divide.
Or maybe humans don't really care that much, but they just discriminate against them anyway?

"Nya nya nya~. What would you like to order? You're our first human customers, but if Ziga-kun brought you here, then you're important customers to us too!"
"Ukyaa! How cute! A kitty waitress! "
"Nya⁉ Nyan nyan nya⁉"
"Even her surprised face is cute! "
"Maho……"

Fiona looks at me with a disappointed look on her face, is this kind of thing considered a perversion in this world?!
But, come on, she's cute. It can't be helped, right? A girl with real cat ears serves you while saying “nyan nyan”! Plus, her eyes, mouth, and nose are subtly cat-like and cute.
The cat waitress was also surprised, saying, “Nya nya nya⁉” Perhaps it was a little too much of an otherworldly reaction.
No, perhaps this is more of a human rights issue? There may be rules against treating them like animals.

"Waitress-san, what do you recommend here? "
"Today's recommendation is Samopo's carpaccio. Also, please try our specialty dish, Mega Shrimp grilled with herbs."
"Okay, okay. They all sound delicious. Two servings of both, please."
"Would you like a drink with that?"
"A drink…… Well, why not give it a try? Bring it along."

The food seems to have a proper menu with a variety of choices, but it's interesting that the drinks are just listed as “drinks.” In the old days in Japan, it seems that there was a time when being offered drinks meant only sake, so perhaps this place is following that trend.
Well, everyone around us seems to be drinking beer, so I guess in this world—or at least around these parts—beer is what people generally refer to when they talk about drinks.

When I was welcomed at Fiona's house, they served wine, but I heard that it was quite expensive, so it must be something that ordinary people cannot afford.

"H-Hey, Maho. Did you just say Samopo and Mega shrimp? "
"That's what I said."
"Maho, do you even know what that is? Can you eat it? "
"I don't know, I guess I'll have to give it a try. Well, I can eat most things, so I'll be fine. So, what is Samopo and Mega shrimp? I just assumed that mega shrimp was a big shrimp based on the name."
"Mega shrimp is definitely shrimp. It's shrimp caught in the ocean. Because it looks powerful, many explorers eat it for good luck."

So far so good.
As a Japanese person, I'm grateful that shrimp is so plentiful. A big shrimp might be like a japanese lobster or a normal one, so whichever is fine. I'd like some delivered to our place too. The cooking cheat will take off!

"Samopo is a large fish caught in the northern part of the country. These also have sharp teeth…… Oh, look, there they are!"

Fiona gestures toward something. Behind the counter, a cat-eared chef was cutting up a large fish.
Huh…… Isn't that salmon? So Samopo is a type of salmon fish.

"…………But, you know, the way it's prepared…… It's just different. I wonder if you can eat it, Maho. It's a dish that you eat raw, without cooking it! I've heard rumors that beastfolk eat samopo raw……! "
"Well, that's obvious. It's called carpaccio, isn't it?"
"I guess so…… Huh? Aren't you surprised? It's raw? Do you eat fish raw? "
"Well, parasites can be a little scary, though……"

I see, so people rarely eat much raw fish in this world either. In fact, I had never eaten raw fish in this world before. There wasn't even a hint of raw meat.
I am a typical Japanese person, so I love raw fish and meat.

As an aside, my father was a bit of an eccentric, so I had quite a few opportunities to eat raw liver and yukhoe, which were prohibited from being served in restaurants. My father bought it fresh from a butcher he has known for years and cooked it himself. I loved it so much that I ate it all the time, but when I introduced myself in middle school and said that my favorite food was raw liver, my teacher teased me about it, which remains a good memory.

"Thank you for waiting! Drinks and Samopo carpaccio for two! "
"Oh～. It looks delicious! "
"M-Maho…… What, really? You're totally fine with that……? "

Fiona seems to have a slight…… no, a significant aversion to raw fish.
Well, maybe that's what it means to have never eaten it before.
It looks exactly like a salmon carpaccio with a vivid pink color. Even though this world is supposed to be a different world, it is quite similar to Earth, except for magic, dungeons, and the existence of gods. They are particularly close-connected when it comes to living things. Well, strictly speaking, they may just look similar, but since I can live in this world without feeling out of place, it feels to me like it's almost the same thing.
In other words, this fish is surely 99% salmon. Probably.

"Let's dig in! Hmmm. The citrus sauce blends perfectly with the rich fatty salmon…… delicious! "
"Nya-nya! Wonderful. I heard that humans don't like raw fish."
"I really like it. The seasoning is just right. How about opening a store at my place? "
"Nya nya nya⁉"

With a taste like this, they don't need to be in a back alley— they could easily settle on a spot on a major street corner.
In any case, there aren't enough shops, and if the beastfolk are living in cramped conditions, we should just invite them to move in. Right now, they can reap all the benefits of being an early participant.

"I'll have some alcohol too! Hmm, hmm. It has a pretty strong flavor. This one also has a slight citrus taste."

As an aside, like I said, my father was a bit of an eccentric, so I was often made to drink alcohol.
It was completely against the law, but my father said, “It's much scarier to mess up because you don't know anything about alcohol, especially for girls,” so I've been made to drink various kinds of alcohol little by little.
Beer, wine, whiskey, sake, shochu, spirits……
The result was that my father said, “Be happy, you're incredibly tough when it comes to alcohol. You take after me”.
Consequently, it feels like a long time ago now that my parents were both happy about that trait of mine. They say that being able to hold your liquor is a powerful weapon in society…… Well, it doesn't look like I'll be entering society anytime soon, though.
……Well, at least that experience might be useful now.

"So, Fiona, are you going to eat it? Or not? "

While I was getting another beer, Fiona was frozen in place, hesitating whether to eat the samopo she had speared with her fork. Even a Level 16 Magic Swordsman finds raw fish a tough opponent.

"Uhh…… I can't believe Maho is really okay…… This traitor……"
"Well, if you're not going to eat it, I'll eat it all myself. Ah, it's so delicious, yet you can't savor it. Poor thing. Nom, nom, gulp, gulp. One more! "
"You may look small, Maho, but you sure can eat a lot. Alcohol too…… aren't you drinking too much? "
"That's my strong point."

In the end, Fiona couldn't eat the raw fish, so I ate it all.
Well, I guess she'll have to postpone her debut with raw fish until another time. The hardware store has sashimi knives and soy sauce, so I'll prepare some sashimi.