The Other World Dining Hall (WN) Chapter 93

TN: *Uploading this while listening to Deemo 3.2*, sorry (not really) for taking a long time to translate this. I was rereading Reika-sama. XD

Onion Gratin Soup

When she arrived at the restaurant, she would drink otherworld alcohol as much as she could.

It was how Bridget, a high priestess of light that had sent many spirits back to the netherworld since young age and had a nickname of "dwarf killer", enjoyed the otherworld dining hall.

In the evening, around the end of a simple dinner, the sun had completely set and the priestesses that she watched went back home.

After the director of the monastery had pa.s.sed away, Bridged headed to the place that only the director was allowed to use and went through the magic door that appeared at that place.

'Chirinchirin', as she listened to the sound, she went inside the restaurant.

A western warrior that loved bird meat as his alcohol accompaniment, an old dwarf woman of Western Continent that preferred fish dishes as hers but drank as much as Bridget, and the great sage of Kingdom that always ate roast cutlets with ale.

Certainly, they were Bridget's "drinking companions".

(Fumu, not today, huh.)

Maybe they were not coming or they had already gone home, but unfortunately they were not here today.

After the evening, there were not much customers in the restaurant and the remaining customers concentrated on their food.

(Oh well, there's no helping it.)

While drinking with companions that she didn't mind was nice, drinking quietly was also a good thing.

Thinking that way, she went to one of the clean tables and gently sat down.

[Welcome. Are you ready to order?]

Then the old man with strong life force that's withering… the owner of the restaurant came and asked for Bridget's "order".

[Well, I suppose I'll be ordering wine today. I'm in the mood for white wine. Then I want a dish to accompany it.]

For the moment, she ordered the otherworld wine and asked for something simple.

[Okay. I'll prepare the oiled sardines… that is fish pickled in oil.]

The owner thought about what he could cook with the ingredients left in the pantry, picked a side dish that suited her requested alcohol and went to the kitchen.

Then he came back and placed it before Bridget.

A cup of gla.s.s with thin leg, the "white" wine with yellowish white colour, and a small bread to eat with the fish meat and white cheese.

[Umu, this is it.]

Bridget was satisfied with the meal in front of her and wiped her hands with the hot cloth before picking up the gla.s.s cup.

The refres.h.i.+ng fruit incense of the wine tickled her nose and the alcoholic beverage containing little sweetness and sourness moistened her throat.

Then she reached out to the side dish and enjoyed the fish rich in oil and the taste of cheese softer than normal cheese, while wrapping it all up with white wine.

'Hoo', a breath leaked from her mouth due to her satisfaction with the combined taste.

Bridget, who had already finished eating, had too much ordinary food.

That's why Bridget preferred her side dishes to be light, like salted boiled beans or raw vegetable sticks, prioritizing only the alcohol of this restaurant.

[Owner, next liquor… I would like to order j.a.panese sake. I think cold sake fits well with this side dish.]

That alcohol had a different fruity fragrance than wine, and it fit well with fish.

[Okay. Isn't it poisonous for the body if you drink too much?]

The owner added a word of advice while carrying the liquor.

[Umu, it does not matter if it's only once in 7 days. Maa, I'll be careful though. And besides, haven't I reduced the amount of alcohol I drank? The liquors of this restaurant are just too good.]

To the owner's words, Bridget jokingly replied.

But that was a fact.

As a former heavy drinker, one of her forgiven vices was to drink alcohol every supper, but recently she almost never drank alcohol unless she was invited to a party.

Delicious alcohol became even more delicious when she endured.

After that, she refrained from drinking alcohol for this once in 7 days' time.

[That's true. Well, enjoy yourself.]

The owner replied with a smile as if he was relieved by her words.

[Aa, I'll do that.]

Bridget smiled again and continued her drinking.

(Umu, it's delicious. Alcohol is my life's moisture after all.)

She sincerely thought that it was good that she did not belong to the "abstinence faction".

Though the pope was accomplished in defeating the demons and demon king that wors.h.i.+pped the Evil G.o.d, the abstinence faction disliked him who was in a position to lead the priests and priestesses that were subordinates of the G.o.ddess, she heard that the abstinence faction spent their lifetime in training without knowing the pleasures of the world.

Back when the pope was still the high priest of the hero party, the abstinence faction used to be the mainstream of the Light religion, but now he was the spokesperson of the Light G.o.ddess.

For Bridget who belonged to the "enjoyment faction" that underwent the trial of enjoyment for a year as a matter of course, it was a slightly unbelievable old story.

(…Well then, slowly.)

After that, she enjoyed the single cup of otherworld alcohol and was thinking of finis.h.i.+ng it for today.

[Owner, sorry, but… I would like to finish soon. Well then, I would like to order onion gratin soup for the end.]

[Okay. It takes a bit of time to serve, is that fine?]

To Bridget's usual order after several servings of alcohol, the owner nodded.

[Aa, it's fine. Since I'm drinking while waiting, I have no problem.]

She affirmed her order while drinking a gla.s.s of brown whiskey with clear ice.

After their usual conversation, Bridget slowly drank her last cup of the day.

[Thank you for waiting. Here's your onion gratin soup.]

As she placed down her empty gla.s.s, the owner almost simultaneously brought her order.

A small bowl filled with brown Oranie soup and topped with bread and cheese.

The soup was Bridget's last order after she drank plenty of alcohol.

(Well then, let's eat.)

She grabbed a well-polished silver spoon, and while being careful not to touch the hot bowl, Bridget avoided the Oranie and scooped up only the soup.

The soup on the silver spoon was clear dark brown without murkiness and had fragrant aroma.

She drank the soup so that it could be poured into her body that was thirsty from drinking alcohol.

(…Umu, this. .h.i.ts the spot.)

Clear soup without murkiness containing strong flavours of vegetable and meat slid over her tongue.

This one spoon of soup was more delicious than the various treats she enjoyed during her year of enjoyment.

To that flavor, Bridget mindlessly smiled.

The first spoonful of onion gratin soup was only the soup.

That's the way she summed up the flavor of her dish.

From the next spoonful, she also scooped the onions.

Sliced Oranie was included in large amount into the soup before baked with bread.

Now, she would taste it.

The thinly sliced Oranie had absorbed plenty of the soup.

When she brought it to her mouth, the sweetness of Oranie and flavor of soup blended in her mouth, overflowing, and left its fine taste on her tongue while disappearing into her stomach.

'Hoo', a sigh leaked from her mouth after she swallowed.

After enjoying the soup sufficiently, she decided to eat the bread that could be regarded as the protagonist of the onion gratin soup.

A piece of bread with melted cheese on top.

It was soft as it absorbed the soup and could be easily cut with the spoon.

The bread was dyed brown by the soup with pale yellow melted cheese on top of it.

She brought it to her mouth and chewed on it, the soup it absorbed overflowed in her mouth.

The finest soup, the soft bread, and the greasy flavor of cheese were blatantly conveyed to Bridget.

(Aa, how delicious. This is the best after all.)

Thus, only when she tasted this onion gratin soup, it was as if she drank alcohol in this one spoonful.

And when she drank the last spoonful of soup, her quiet and enjoyable night slowly ended.

She paid the money and left the restaurant.

On the way back to her room where there's no bright light like the restaurant, she suddenly thought while paying attention so that she did not fall down.

(…In any case, that door will be entrusted to a successor.)

Although Bridget looked young, she's actually much older.

She did not know whether she would further advance her rank or retire, but the day when she would retire from this monastery would come and she would have to surrender the door to the next high priest.

(Well, there's nothing I can do even if I think about it.)

She was a little interested in how the next priest would handle the door while Bridget gently entered her room so as to not make a sound.