Chapter 30

'I did visit French restaurants a few times before, but...'

Jio looked around the inside of the restaurant once more.

'They really nailed the concept here.'

Jio, who had more romance in him than fear, was not cowed even by being told, "This is a restaurant made from a dungeon where dozens of people died."

'Why should I be scared when delicious food is coming?'

To Jio, this restaurant, Histoire, made even the air feel sweet.

"..."

"Do you like it here?"

"The atmosphere is nice."

It was enjoyable to take in.

It was chaotic yet clean, dreamlike yet orderly.

The temperature of the colors, cool yet somehow kind, must have been the skill of the designer who had mixed white and pastel tones in just the right way.

It was a bizarre and fantastical design, as if someone's beautiful dream had been given form.

'Though there's a high chance this building wasn't designed by a human...'

A complicated and beautiful building that seemed to have given form to a dream, and sweet air that made his mouth water as if a fantasy had been brought to life.

This unusual experience, one he had never had in his life, made him excited as if he had come to an amusement park.

Even on Earth, there had originally been something called immersive dining.

It referred to restaurants where you could enjoy a meal while watching a performance in a theater designed around a single concept and becoming immersed in it.

Should he call it an interactive play where you could enjoy a meal?

'On top of that, this place is a restaurant with a story connected to an entire dimension called a dungeon.'

'Unlike pure theater, which could be called false, I suppose I'm inside a story that truly existed.'

'They even said the chef here is the protagonist of that story.'

This restaurant was quite tall, but its center was open, so the ceiling could be seen directly even from the first floor.

That did not mean the center was simply wide open in a circular shape.

There was a round lobby without railings and layers of connecting stairs.

There, guests could eat their meals.

The people seated in the aerial lobby enjoying their meals were placed in positions pleasant to look at, as if they had been chosen as the protagonists of this play.

"..."

The seats where Jio and Yu Seongun sat were at the edge of the fifth floor.

"..."

"Mm..."

Yu Seongun asked with a just-in-case expression.

"Did you want to sit in the lobby after all?"

"It is a popular spot, since it's where the dungeon's story took place."

"No."

"Oh, that was a quick answer."

"You kept looking at the aerial lobby, so I thought you might like that side more."

"I was admiring the structure of the building because I liked it."

"It is a pleasure to look at."

He had his dignity, so he could not refuse too strongly, but he absolutely did not want to eat in the aerial lobby.

'Having that much attention focused on me would be far too harsh an experience for a tenderhearted person like me.'

If he thought of immersive dining, that too could be called part of the play, but he did not want to eat in a space like that, where the gazes of complete strangers could plainly reach him.

Jio was shy around strangers.

"I was only admiring it."

"Then that's a relief."

At Jio's clean yet firm voice, Yu Seongun inwardly swallowed a sigh of relief.

'... I can't put Jio out in such a public seat.'

Jio was continuing to wear his hood as he wished, but that did not mean he could hide even his build and atmosphere.

No matter how much he imitated humans and lowered his caliber, where would his essence go?

'There are roughly nineteen gazes watching us... among them, eleven are Hunters.'

'About four of them feel wary and are preparing for a possible situation.'

'One C-class, two B-class, and one A-class.'

Histoire was a unique restaurant that made use of the remnants of a past dungeon as they were, so most ordinary people who had not Awakened at all tended to avoid entering it.

After all, the hurdle was too high to come here casually just to enjoy a meal.

The price was one thing, but above all, the fact that it was a place where a large number of people had once died was an automatic deal-breaker.

'There were a lot of people who said they'd have nightmares if they ate in a place like this.'

For Hunters, seeing people die was an everyday thing, so more than seventy percent of Histoire's guests were Hunters.

But even among them, people's reactions differed.

'The influence of the remnants still remains.'

Histoire's building could cause hallucinations and auditory hallucinations, and in severe cases, even mental breakdowns.

It would not be easy to end up like that unless one caused a disturbance in the restaurant, but there were many guests who could not endure the faint pressure welling up from the building itself.

"..."

That bastard Jio.

'If you're going to imitate a human, you should do it properly.'

If he showed himself calmly taking in the restaurant and enjoying it like this, of course he had no choice but to draw the guests' eyes.

In a space where things grew stranger the more one looked, he was openly giving off signs of not being human.

'... Besides...'

Even apart from that eerie atmosphere or behavior, there was something noble about Jio.

'Maybe he suits this kind of French restaurant better because he really looks like an aristocrat.'

Should he call it elegant, or intimidating?

He did not seem to intend it much himself, and in fact was trying to lower himself, yet there was dignity welling up from his every movement.

'Before, I only talked to him while he was in portrait form, so I didn't feel it strongly, but now that he's outside, his refined atmosphere really comes alive.'

'He also has a strong sense of neatness, like priests from a temple.'

Did he really think the words "ordinary person" suited him after carrying such an atmosphere?

'There are hardly any people like this among humans in the first place...'

Jio had a high respect and understanding for humans, but as expected, there were loose spots here and there.

Seeing how lacking he was in the details, he truly seemed not to be human after all.

"..."

Of course, Jio was not thinking anything at all.

'It's been a long time since I've been to a restaurant like this.'

That was all he thought briefly, as Giovanni.

In truth, all the dignity and other attitudes he had shown until now came from Giovanni, who had been a nobleman, doctor, and priest.

He simply had not been aware of the habits and atmosphere that came out on their own.

"This is your bread to start."

"Thank you."

Jio's heart pounded.

'Bread.'

He could not believe how glad he was to see a lump of flour after such a long time.

Remembering the meals he had shared with his disciples when he had lived as Giovanni made him feel even better.

Yu Seongun seemed to guess how Jio felt.

"Do you like bread?"

"Please don't worry."

"There is nothing I do not eat, and I am not picky."

"You really do like food..."

"That is correct."

Jio tore off a small piece of bread and placed it on his side plate.

'It's small and round.'

Then he did not eat it all at once, but broke it into little pieces and ate it bit by bit.

At that behavior of Giovanni's, Yu Seongun stared at him.

"..."

Yu Seongun was inwardly certain.

'An aristocrat... or perhaps he belonged to a class equivalent to one.'

Judging by those manners that paid attention to every single thing he ate.

'It didn't stand out much at the set-meal restaurant.'

'Did he have some connection to France?'

'Or apart from that, maybe there was simply something related to Western cuisine...'

Leaving Yu Seongun to ponder, Jio continued eating.

"The bread is delicious."

"Is it?"

"I suppose it does have a nice aroma."

"It is plain and savory."

The outside of the bread was so dry it could be called crisp, but that did not mean the crust was hard or tough like badly made bread.

Inside the crust, which broke apart crisply like layers of pastry, was a soft interior with steam rising from it.

'It definitely doesn't feel like sliced bread or a dinner roll, and if I had to find the closest thing, maybe ciabatta.'

'But even for that, it's absurdly fluffy, so it's a little different from what I know...'

Between the fluffiness, as if meringue had been puffed up and given texture, he could feel a delicate chewiness.

It had a satisfying bite, with one variation from the crisp crust, another from the soft and fluffy texture, and another from the chewiness that melted in.

The plain, savory flavor of the bread itself, which brought out the natural aroma of the grain, and the faint wood scent of the oven were also excellent.

'It's not excessive, and it's harmonious overall.'

He wanted to kidnap the person who made it.

"This oil smells good too."

"Ah, right?"

"They say it's an oil mixed with olives and mushrooms."

"Olives and mushrooms?"

"They're both dungeon varieties that were improved."

"Maybe this might suit your taste better."

"It is certainly an unusual attempt, so I like it."

"I think it is good."

Usually, oil for dipping starter bread like this was often paired with balsamic.

Balsamic, which could be called a sticky grape vinegar, had an excellent tart and deep flavor, but unusually, this oil had salt in it instead.

'It's almost like eating sashimi.'

Jio suddenly thought of a mermaid with dark blue hair.

She had been a proud, sensitive child.

'... Aria especially hated strong flavors, so she liked dipping bread in oil without vinegar.'

'It would have been fine even if I had put salt in it like this... I didn't think of it back then.'

Then again, salt was expensive then, so it had been difficult to keep a generous supply.

Even though they had lived in a seaside village, salt had been a precious ingredient.

"..."

It really was like sashimi.

The bread was especially tender while still preserving the texture of its crumb.

As if he were dipping fatty tuna belly, with fine veins of fat woven through it, into sesame oil and salt, the lively bread gave him that kind of impression too.

'... Maybe because the oil and salt are together, the aroma is amplified in its own way, and the sweetness of the grain stands out more.'

'It definitely pairs well with the texture of freshly baked bread.'

Around the time he was nibbling away at the bread, the second dish came out.

"This is onion soup topped with three cheeses."

Unlike the creamy soup most people thought of, this was a brown, clear soup made by relying solely on the sweetness and umami of onions.

"..."

The deep yellow and orange cheese spread widely enough that the inside could not be seen had melted to exactly the right color.

Jio gently scooped up the soup.

'The cheese isn't that thick.'

Unlike the crispy surface of the toasted cheese, the inside was delicate and soft.

Perhaps because it was the surface touching the onion soup, it was coated in the rich umami unique to well-sautéed onions.

'The texture of the onion is well preserved too.'

'If the onion's original shape is still this visible even though it's cooked enough to be crushed with the tongue, that means they made the soup with incredible care.'

'It must have taken quite a lot of time.'

Cheese on top of onion soup.

It was an obvious combination if one thought about it, but Jio did not particularly like it when the cheese on top was thick.

As a personal preference, he did not care for cheese that turned tough like rubber once the soup and bowl cooled.

'Some people might say that, rather, it's like the radish or meat in radish soup, or that it makes the texture richer, but... that's not me.'

'I want to eat soup.'

But the bowl of this soup kept its warm temperature, and the cheese was not very thin but not thick either, making it excellent to spoon up.

Thanks to that, the natural taste of the onion seemed to stand out better too.

"..."

"Do you like it?"

"I like it because it feels as if my body is warming up."

"Onion soup does have a bit of a nourishing-food feel."

"I think similarly."

The process of sautéing firm white onions until they turned a deep caramel color.

That process was the core of onion soup, and if the onions were burned or not sautéed enough at that stage, one would end up eating bland onion water, let alone umami.

But this soup, which had squeezed out every bit of the onion's sweetness, umami, and inner flavor to the last drop, deserved to be called nourishing food.

After all, it would be impossible to draw out all of the onion's flavor to this degree without a considerable amount of care and time.

'Kidnap.'

Let's kidnap the chef.

"This is a cheese flower salad with amra puree."

At the newly served dish and the unfamiliar word that soon followed, Jio naturally looked back at Yu Seongun.

It was a beautiful salad, topped with bits of flower-shaped cheese covered in a pale yellow sauce, with neatly trimmed petals surrounding them.

"..."

"..."

He needed an explanation.

"..."

"Ah... are you curious what the ingredients are?"

"If you do not mind, may I ask what amra is?"

"It's one of the representative fruits brought from a dungeon and successfully improved."

"Do you know avocados?"

"I do."

"It's a fruit with flesh that has a soft quality similar to that, but it has as strong a savory aroma as nuts."

"The oil contained in the flesh is incredible, and oil like that doesn't burn at most temperatures, so I understand it's often used in Chinese cuisine."

"Then the flesh itself is..."

"Right, this is my first time seeing a place use amra as a puree too."

"In the first place, even just last season, they served fruit salad."

"Histoire changes its menu every four months, so it's fun to visit."

"I see."

The fruit called amra was an even paler yellow than a chick.

'... It's about as savory as peanuts or walnuts.'

That did not mean it immediately brought nuts to mind.

If anything, it resembled the savory flavor and sweetness one felt after chewing rice for a long time.

Then, at the end, a dense sweetness like honey and the tartness unique to fruit struck lightly and gave the flavor variation.

'It definitely has a lot of oil too.'

'It's almost like the marbling of beef...'

This sweet oiliness, which somehow made him think of beef bone broth, matched extremely well with the flower petals spreading fresh fragrance.

Jio's gaze naturally went to the cheese flower, which had a shape similar to an azalea.

"..."

When he gently split the cheese flower, he could tell this was a "flower" that had grown this way from the beginning.

"... The cheese flower..."

"Are you interested?"

"Should I get you some seedlings later?"

"Please do."

"Sure, then."

"I'll buy some for you on the way back after the trip."

"Thank you."

A flower that grew into cheese.

It was a story that drew together every bit of childlike wonder he had and did not have, and made him excited.

Was this not exactly the sort of thing that would appear in a fairy tale he had read as a child?

'When I think of the troublesome process humans go through to make cheese, it's an extremely appealing flower.'

In the first place, what was cheese?

Was it not a symbol of effort, something obtained in tiny quantities only after taking milk and putting it through the wringer over and over?

When such a processed product appeared proudly as a flower, he could not help being surprised.

The petals were thin and beautiful like a work of art.

'What principle is this?'

'The flavor itself seems similar to tête de moine...'

It was a semi-hard cheese that maintained its form, but would crumble softly if tapped.

While it had the softness and savory flavor unique to milk, it was a cheese that boasted a strong nutty aroma and a sharp spiciness.

The cheese flower had a slightly stronger spiciness at the tip of the tongue, but it was not enough to be unpleasant.

Should he say it was just enough to refresh the oily flavor of the amra puree and the rich heaviness unique to cheese once?

'The harmony is a work of art.'

'Could the chef perhaps be an intangible cultural asset?'

Above all, the cheese flower, which had twice the sweetness and savory flavor of tête de moine, also had a hint of honey.

It was the kind of delicate sweetness one could taste when turning an azalea blossom over and sucking on it.

That matched this flower salad to a frightening degree.

Jio was excited at the thought of returning to the cabin and planting this flower.

"You really look happy."

"Yes."

Why state something so obvious?

"Humans are happiest when they eat."

"Uh... they are?"

"At least I am."

He had been that way ever since he picked up potatoes his grandmother had roasted in the furnace and ate them.

He could not escape this utterly sensory pleasure.

After that, the fantastic courses continued.

A gratin rich with the scent of truffle, and french fries with a little cheese on top.

Brisket slowly roasted at a low temperature and then imbued with the scent of wood, and garlic made into crispy chips and placed on top.

For French cuisine, which was famous for being rich, the harmony was exquisite, so the course did not grow tiresome.

"Was it fairly all right?"

"It was not all right."

"It was extremely good."

"I'm glad you seem to be enjoying yourself..."

If he was going to imitate a human, how about at least pretending to pay attention to his surroundings?

'Humans are more social creatures than you think...'

Yu Seongun, who had spent the whole time enduring the gazes asking "What on earth is that?" in Jio's place, smiled bitterly.