The Shadow of an Otherworlder

We spend the night outside Agrostemma, the post town on the way to Veronica Gorge.

According to the princess, driving through a mountain pass after dark would be an act of suicide.

Even though the town has a fine main inn where the princess could stay, she seems to be spending the night with us. What an eccentric.

And since there is time before the food is ready, Melissa has agreed to teach us about summoning magic.

While preparing the meal, I listen along with everyone else as I dismantle the lesser dragon.

According to her explanation, summoning magic seems to work in a way similar to my Item Box.

It is a system that lets you store living things in a space created by magic. Living things cannot be put in an Item Box, but summoning magic is the opposite: only living things can be stored in it.

"Can you put anything living in there?"

"Sure, but any living thing you put in there will become a monster through the influence of magic."

In other words, even if you put an ordinary dog or cat inside, it would become a monster.

Apparently, even a living human would become a monster. What the hell? That's terrifying.

"Has someone actually conducted an experiment like that?"

"Of course, I have never done it myself, but that's what they say. We even learned it in school..."

Book learning and practical experience were two different things. But there was no way I could test it myself.

They had probably used criminals or death-row inmates for the experiments. Terrifying.

While feeling frightened by Melissa's story, I peeled the lesser dragon's hard scales and cut meat from its thigh.

Apparently, these scales could also be sold for a high price as material for scale mail and the like, so I carefully stored them in my Item Box.

They were light and hard, almost like ceramic, and when I put them together, they made a dry chinking sound.

I continued the conversation as I worked.

"Then what would happen if some mage with an enormous amount of magical power summoned themself? Would they become a lich or something?"

"A lich?"

"What's that, nya?"

"I've never heard of it."

Everyone tilted their heads at the unfamiliar word.

"I'm surprised you know about liches. But of course, that is considered a taboo and forbidden magic."

"Ah, so that's 'The Disease That Leads to Forbidden Magic'..."

"You read that book?!"

Melissa grabbed me, but her face was so close that when I looked down, I caught sight of the valley between her breasts.

Hmm, those were some pretty nice breasts.

"It was in the castle library."

"Why does someone like you get to read it?!"

"He exterminated the ghosts infesting the castle. As a reward, he was granted access to the royal library."

The princess explained the circumstances to Melissa.

"I-I can't believe it... Even I have never been granted permission to enter such a place..."

I explained what a lich was to everyone.

"A lich is what becomes of an extremely powerful mage who transforms into an undead monster."

"Something that terrifying really exists, nya?"

"Wow..."

If even the beastfolk, who were well informed about rumors around town, had never heard of them, then they were completely unknown to the general public.

"As always, your knowledge leaves me speechless."

"Much obliged. However, I am rather ignorant of common sense."

"Indeed."

The princess did not deny it. Well, she was right, so I could hardly complain.

I cut off about forty centimeters of meat and put the lesser dragon back into my Item Box.

I had put it into my Item Box immediately after defeating it, so it was still warm. Ideally, I would remove the organs, drain the blood, and cool it, but I had absolutely no idea how to process something this enormous.

Perhaps I could put it in a large river once we found one—or ask the guild when we returned to Astrantia.

I could use heavy machinery to do it... No, no. If I damaged the organs, I would ruin all that precious meat.

Anyway, since I had not drained the blood, I decided to cut the meat into portions and boil it once.

I took the largest stockpot from my Item Box, put in the meat, and filled it with water.

"Anemone, heat the water for me."

"Okay! Warm!"

I took vegetables and other ingredients out of my Item Box, then had Anemone make the bread and Primula make the soup.

There were nine of us, so including the princess, I suppose I should make enough for about fifteen people.

Primula had made soup for sale in Astrantia, so this amount was nothing to her.

The maids helped peel the vegetables and other ingredients.

"Good grief! Do you always use magic for things like that?"

"It's a peaceful use of magic, isn't it? I used Fireball to heat the bath before, too. Ha-ha."

I thought that was a hundred times better than using magic for murder or war.

When the lesser dragon meat boiled, a great deal of scum came out, so I discarded the water and added fresh water.

Then I had Anemone boil it again. Once it was cooked, I cut off a little and tasted it. Yes, it was fine.

"It has no fat at all and no strong flavor. It's like chicken."

I cut it into cubes, fried it in oil, and added a large amount to Primula's pot. I would make cutlets with the rest by slicing it thinly.

It was sure to turn out something like chicken cutlets. I dipped the meat in a mixture of water, flour, and eggs, then coated it with breadcrumbs.

"What is that spiky powder?"

"It is breadcrumbs—bread crushed into powder. Do they not have any in the castle?"

"This is my first time seeing them."

I fried the cutlets in oil, and the lesser dragon cutlets were complete. Since we had the princess, who was a big eater, I fried a large batch.

"The soup is ready!"

"The bread's ready too!"

"All right, let's serve everything and eat!"

"Oh!"

"My, you're efficient."

"I do this every day back home."

Freshly baked bread made by Anemone and delicious-looking lesser dragon soup made by Primula were laid out on the table.

Then there were the lesser dragon cutlets I had made. I brought out red wine for anyone who wanted alcohol.

"Lilith-sama, would you like bread or cooked grains?"

"I'll have the grains."

The princess had apparently fallen under rice's spell as well. Anemone and I ate rice too.

The beastfolk sitting on the ground dug into the food before anyone else.

"Wow, this is great!"

"It's meat, but it's so crispy, nya!"

Since the beastfolk liked strong flavors, I gave them a little extra mustard.

"It's hot!"

"But the aroma goes right through your nose, and it's delicious, nya!"

When Bell returned from her patrol, I gave her canned cat food and a chunk of dragon meat that hadn't been fried.

She held the meat down with her front paws, tore off large pieces, and ate them with relish.

"Oh! So you cover meat with crushed bread and fry it in oil."

Melissa was sitting beside the princess and eating the food with her.

"Come to think of it, Lilith-sama, are you not going to have someone taste your food for poison?"

"There is no need for that with you people, is there?"

I suppose that meant she trusted us. It was a great honor, but...

Two maids were standing behind her. They seemed to be planning to eat later. It was a rather demanding job.

"Was there anything similar in the castle's cuisine?"

"There was a dish made by coating something in flour and baking it, but this is my first time seeing anything like this."

The princess cut off a large piece of cutlet with her knife and brought it to her mouth.

"What do you think, Melissa? Is it to your taste?"

"Yes, it is very delicious, Your Highness the Princess."

"Lilith-sama does not seem to be picky about food. Would you like to try something unusual?"

"Something unusual?"

I took out the mayonnaise made from spider eggs from my Item Box.

"This is mayonnaise made from cave spider eggs."

"What?! Spider eggs? Give me a little!"

As expected, she had neither likes nor dislikes, and she was not averse to trying unfamiliar food. It seemed she would eat anything as long as it was delicious.

"Oh! It has such a rich yet surprisingly light flavor!"

"As expected of Lilith-sama. It is very delicious, but apart from me, only Anemone will even try it."

"What a waste."

"What about you, Melissa? Would you like to try the mayonnaise?"

I offered some to the female mage, just in case.

"N-no, thank you!"

But while denying it, she washed down her cutlet with red wine, then froze.

"What's wrong?"

"Th-this wine is incredibly delicious..."

"All the alcohol we make is delicious."

"That's right! Boss's alcohol is delicious enough to amaze nobles!"

Nyamena held up her cup of wine.

Melissa was eating in astonishment, but since it was the meat of the lesser dragon she had kept, she must have had complicated feelings about it.

Still, it was a monster, so it probably did not feel like butchering a beloved pet and putting it in a pot...

At least, that was what she herself had said. Then again, I had once turned colored chicks I bought at a street stall into a hot pot.

"Lilith-sama, this may be somewhat inelegant, but there is another way to eat it."

Anemone took a piece of bread she had baked and cut it in half. She spread mayonnaise, mustard, and sauce on it, then sandwiched a cutlet inside—a cutlet sandwich.

"You hold it in your hands and take a bite, like this..."

"Ha-ha, like this? This is delicious! It is certainly inelegant, but I doubt they would ever let me eat like this in the castle!"

The maids behind her wore expressions of dismay.

"Tiger, let's do that too, nya!"

"Sure! Let's copy them! It's better if you spread on plenty of this yellow spicy stuff."

The beastfolk seemed to like mustard. It was delicious with meat too, after all.

"Oh! It's spicy and delicious!"

"Nyaa!"

The beastfolk enjoyed the spicy kick of the mustard.

"Is this yellow spicy stuff a spice too?"

"Yes. It is made by crushing plant seeds."

Mustard greens—in other words, rapeseed. But this world did not seem to have Chinese cabbage or cabbage, so perhaps it did not have rapeseed either.

Even when I looked along the roadside, I had never seen anything resembling rapeseed.

After everyone finished eating, I gave Mairen-san and the other maids cutlet sandwiches and soup in cups.

"Mairen-san, you and the others should eat with everyone else."

"That would not be proper."

Even as she said that, the bespectacled head maid took a bite of her cutlet sandwich.

"D-delicious! The bread and meat blend together in my mouth..."

"Head Maid! If you sandwich various things in bread like this, you can grab a quick meal when you are short on time!"

"Indeed. We should imitate this."

I left the cleanup after the meal to the maids. They were professionals, and incredibly efficient.

"I wanted Nyamena to go into town and gather some rumors for us, but..."

There were still carriages traveling along the highway, so apparently it would be some time before the gates closed.

"I still can't do that, okay? The men would probably gather around me because of my scent."

Humans could not detect it at all, but apparently beastfolk could.

"If a beautiful woman like Nyamena were in that state, it would be like throwing meat into a pack of black wolves."

"That's right. Kenichi, I'll go into town, nya!"

"All right—then I leave it to you. Will one silver coin (50,000 yen) be enough for expenses?"

"That will be plenty, nya."

Myaree took the money and raced down the highway at incredible speed.

The gates would close while she was gathering rumors, so she would not return until tomorrow morning.

"Well, I suppose we should prepare the baths."

"What? A bath?"

Melissa looked surprised. Well, of course she would be.

"I'll bring out another shed and use it as a bathhouse. Lilith-sama used it when we were at the castle too."

"Ha-ha, Melissa. It was quite comfortable."

"Once we head into the pass, we may not be able to bathe, so we should do it while we can."

First, we needed to secure water. I could buy water from Shangri-La for cooking, but for a bath...

According to the website, nine two-liter bottles cost 1,000 yen, for a total of eighteen liters.

The bathtub held 200 liters, so twelve sets of bottled water would be enough to fill it. That would cost 12,000 yen per bath.

There were two bathtubs, so it would cost 24,000 yen a day... Wait, if we bathed for ten days in a row, that would be one gold coin. Compared to the princess's wealth, that was pocket change.

More importantly, the question was whether there would be somewhere to set up the house at the site.

"But getting naked in a place like this..."

"I'll bring out a shed specifically for bathing. You're dressed like that, yet you're embarrassed to be naked?"

"This is a mage's formal attire!"

Was she saying that she wore it because it was a mage's formal attire, even though she found it embarrassing?

I brought out another shed, installed the bathtubs, and had Anemone and Melissa heat the water.

Melissa did not seem eager either, but if the princess told her, "Cooperate!" she had no choice but to obey.

She probably wanted to take a bath herself, too.

Then the girls' giggling and squealing began in the bathhouse.

As expected, the maids did not bathe. They planned to go in later.

However, Anemone was sitting in my lap while I sat cross-legged.

"Aren't you going to bathe, Anemone?"

"I'm not..."

"Girls should keep themselves clean and smelling nice."

"Do you like that sort of thing, Kenichi?"

"Of course."

"Then I'll go in..."

Anemone stood up and entered the shed.

It had soap, shampoo, and conditioner—all the essentials were already inside.

Well, I suppose I should prepare the jet heater.

------◇◇◇------

In the morning, I woke up in my sleeping bag outside. The girls had slept inside the house, crammed together in a small room on the beds.

Still, it was better than sleeping outside. Normally, they slept in carriages or spread blankets inside tents.

Being able to sleep in beds in a place like this was already incredible. Not one of the women complained.

Melissa said there was a barrier spell, so I had her cast it. It was meant to protect the princess, so I had no grounds to object.

The barrier could apparently drive away ordinary humans and small monsters. Of course, if the enemy had a mage, it could be dispelled, but it was still reasonably effective.

Anemone was sleeping beside me inside the small tent I had set up outside. When I searched Shangri-La, I found two-person sleeping bags and decided to buy one.

It was shaped like an ordinary futon with three sides closed, like an envelope, and it was quite warm. It would be more than adequate as long as we were not in a frigid region.

We could probably fool around inside it too. Bell was lying on top of the sleeping bag, and when she noticed I had woken up, she licked my face with her rough tongue.

Perhaps she was hungry.

"Yaaawn... Well, time to get up."

I went to the river and filled a large plastic container with water.

I brought out a table and began preparing breakfast. The princess had requested the cutlet sandwiches she ate yesterday, so I took the lesser dragon cutlets from my Item Box.

But cutlet sandwiches first thing in the morning? That was heavy.

In any case, the princess's vitality was incredible. She probably had to be that tough to live calmly inside a castle where all manner of fiends and schemers lurked.

Someone with a fragile psyche would never last there.

I had Anemone, who had woken up, bake the bread, and used yesterday's leftover soup.

As I was setting out breakfast, Myaree returned from town.

"Good morning, nya!"

"You weren't attacked in town, were you?"

"I sent anyone who tried flying, nya."

Judging by the way she spoke, there had been men who tried to bother her. Her fur was always brushed, so it shone beautifully.

Of course the beastfolk men would not leave her alone.

Everyone except the beastfolk sat at the table for breakfast. Apart from the princess, who was eating a cutlet sandwich, everyone else was eating granola.

"This crunchy stuff is delicious too."

Melissa muttered that, but no one had ever called it bad, so perhaps it was a flavor everyone in this world enjoyed.

"Myaree, did you hear anything interesting?"

"People say supplies will stop coming in, so prices have gone up, nya."

"Naturally."

"And the people who were at the pass are coming back, nya."

The pass was impassable, so there was no point in waiting there. The castle had received word that about a hundred meters had collapsed, so someone must have gone to confirm it.

"The road is closed, so there is no point in waiting. But is there a detour?"

"If you go east from Dahlia, there is another pass."

Primula seemed to know a detour, but...

"The route would be from the royal capital to Dahlia, then over another pass and north toward Sobana?"

"Sugar, salt, and other goods headed for Dahlia come over that pass."

But transporting goods from Sobana to the royal capital would be an incredibly long detour. It would take two months.

The merchants turning back might mean they were betting on that route.

But the bridge at Iberis had fallen too. Had that information not reached them?

After all, information only traveled through people's rumors.

"Apparently, some people are walking across the landslide debris and carrying goods, nya."

"What? Is that safe? Isn't there a cliff below?"

"Good grief. That is an act of suicide."

The princess was right. If supplies became scarce, prices would rise, which meant that even carrying a little would earn money.

Besides, the people doing that sort of work were probably beastfolk, who were light on their feet and strong.

"Still, that's quite a gamble."

"Yes. Gambling with one's business is hardly admirable."

Primula's motto was cautious, steady commerce, after all.

Her words reminded me—speaking of gambling with one's business, I wondered what had happened to the young merchant I had given a ride to when the bridge collapsed.

"Did you hear anything else interesting?"

"I did! There's an Imperial city across from the border city, right? Um... What was it called again?"

"Donkres Westendstadt."

Nyamena supplied the answer. Two cities stood side by side along the border between the Kingdom and the Empire, facing away from each other.

The Kingdom's city was Sobana, while the Imperial city was apparently called Donkres Westendstadt.

One feature of the Empire was that its people's names and place names tended to be absurdly long.

"That's it! They say the Empire's 'Dragon Slayer' is visiting that whatever-stadt, nya."

"The Dragon Slayer? You mean that person we heard about before?"

"That's right, nya."

The person was believed to be an otherworlder like me, possessing the special ability to make mayonnaise.

An Imperial mage and a court mage serving Emperor Brünnhilde.

"Could the Imperial army be invading?"

"If that were true, word would have reached the royal family first."

The princess was right. In that case, perhaps that mage had gone ahead alone.

"Lilith-sama, can permission to cross into Imperial territory be granted immediately?"

"If you are a merchant with a respectable record, it can be granted, but... Don't tell me you're thinking...?"

"I would like to meet that Imperial mage..."

"What will you do after meeting them?! Are you thinking of abandoning me and defecting to the Empire?!"

If she was worried about me defecting to the Empire, she should not have treated me to such wonderful hospitality, I thought.

Still, the princess had helped me.

"Of course not. I could never abandon the delicate flower blooming in the royal capital to cross over to the Empire."

"Say that wooden line while looking me in the eye one more time!"

"I would never abandon my family and seek asylum in the Empire. If you are so worried, you can simply take my family hostage."

"Grrr..."

The fact that the princess hesitated might mean that in this country, taking hostages was considered a stain on the pride of royalty and nobles.

Well, that sort of thing probably differed from country to country. There must be nations where hostages were perfectly ordinary.

"You are always scheming and deceiving one another like that. No wonder you become suspicious of one another."

"If you show the slightest weakness, you will be dragged into hell. In a world where all manner of monsters and schemers run rampant, it cannot be helped."

"Goodness, what a difficult situation."

"That is precisely why I want someone like you, with no ties holding you down!"

"I said I was on your side, Lilith-sama, but I must decline that."

At my immediate answer, the princess's shoulders slumped again. Melissa, who had been listening to us nearby, opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but then fell silent.

"Another immediate answer?! You could indulge me just a little!"

"I did listen to your request, Lilith-sama. Or would you like to return that necklace?"

"No! It belongs to me!"

If she was from a noble family, she certainly had plenty of ties holding her down.

"Princess! We maids are always by Your Highness's side..."

"Oh, yes—only you girls are on my side..."

The princess and a kneeling maid embraced and shed tears. Unfortunately, I was not the sort of middle-aged man to be moved by such a cheap melodrama.

Mairen-san in particular was over twenty, so I could not trust those tears. Her face and figure were exactly my type, though.

But if I said that aloud, she would definitely try to seduce me, so I kept quiet.

"Joking aside, Lilith-sama, there is a strong possibility that the Dragon Slayer is from the same homeland as I am."

"Is that true?"

"Yes. Therefore, we may be able to persuade that mage to join the Kingdom."

If that person was an otherworlder too, they were probably starving for food from their original world.

That would be a good lure. Even if it did not work, meeting them would be enough.

We might learn something about how that person came to this world. Still, it was not as if I particularly wanted to go back.

Living in the middle of nowhere in my homeland would not be all that different from living in this world.

I often thought that as long as I had Shangri-La, I would have no trouble making a living.

If there were no online shopping and no Item Box, and life consisted of one hardship after another, I might wish to return.

"On the other hand, what if the Imperial mage persuaded you to defect too?!"

"As I said before, that is impossible if it means leaving my family behind. I understand that royalty and nobles cannot trust even their own parents or siblings, though."

"Grrr..."

"You insolent fool!"

Melissa grew angry, but I was only stating the truth. Once we finished clearing the earth blocking the highway, however, I thought I might visit Sobana, the border city.

The two cities reportedly had populations of 200,000 each, with about 400,000 people living back to back, and active trade across the border.

But then the princess said something outrageous.

"I am going too!"

"To Sobana?"

"I must keep watch so you do not run away!"

She was still saying that.

Was she serious? I asked her again, and she said she was serious.

Seriously?

"Meow."

Bell came over to my feet and rubbed her body against my trousers.

I crouched down and stroked her glossy black fur.

"Good girl. The princess says I'm planning to abandon all of you and run away. This is what you get with royalty and nobles who cannot even trust their own family..."

"That is absolutely impossible!"

Anemone came running over and hugged me.

"I do not live like this because I particularly enjoy it!"

Perhaps I had taken the joke too far. I stood in front of the princess, who wore a gloomy expression, bowed deeply, and spoke.

"With the lives of your people resting on your shoulders, I could never endure such a burden myself. I understand how you must feel, Lilith-sama. Please forgive my rudeness."

"..."

Even if one could live without want, the life of royalty and nobility was not a world I envied at all.