Chapter 11

Kaito was getting the oven ready one morning when the door of his restaurant flew open. “Kaito! This is terrible!” It was Edmond, his face pale. “What’s going on? What’s terrible?” Judging by the headman’s pallor, it was clearly a pretty big deal. “A messenger just arrived from the palace!” “What? From the palace?” That made Kaito’s heart rate spike. He’d heard that Queen Eleonora, who lived at the palace, wasn’t a big fan of pizza. What had she sent a messenger for? Did she mean to charge him with sedition and throw him in jail? A whole parade of awful images ran through his mind in the span of an instant. “The messenger says you must bring a pizza to the palace—secretly, of course!” “Wh-why…?” “I don’t know. I was simply told that a pizza should be brought and that nobody should find out. A carriage is waiting for you.” “Whoa…” “Will you please come with me?” Kaito nodded and hurried out of the shop. Parked in front of the mansion was a black-lacquered carriage he had never seen before. The paint looked glossy, and the decorations on the edges were in gold. It took no more than a look to know this carriage was in a completely different category from Lilia’s cargo wagon. The horse was an impressive specimen; it looked strong enough to get anywhere you might want to go in the blink of an eye. Standing by the horse was a man, dressed in black to match the carriage. On his head was a black hat, his nose and mouth were covered by a black cloth, and his eyes, which were just visible over his mask, glittered with intelligence. And was that a sword peeking out from under his black cape? The man looked, overall, very dangerous. It was the first time Kaito had encountered such an intimidating person since arriving in this bucolic world, and he swallowed heavily. “Are you Lord Kaito?” the messenger asked, his voice muffled by his mask. “I am.” “The palace sent me. I have come on a secret mission.” “A secret mission…?” That sounded very serious, and Kaito’s anxiety ratcheted up another notch. “From what I have heard, you are the hero who brought the thing called pizza to this world of ours.” “I am…” Kaito nodded, thinking it didn’t seem like that big a deal. “The government is rather disturbed by the great and sudden revolution you’ve wrought.” “Uh…huh.” Great and sudden revolution? It’s just pizza. True, given what the elves had been eating before, it was probably quite a shock. But still…it was pizza. “Hence, the conclusion has been reached that a quick and quiet investigation is necessary.” “Sure…” “Quiet”… That was why they’d come in an ostentatious black carriage. People were already looking curiously from a distance. We totally stick out like a sore thumb. Edmond had once told Kaito not to expect too much of the country’s soldiers, and if this was how an emissary from the palace acted, maybe that made sense. A black carriage might have been a good idea if they had bothered to come at night. But showing up in the most visible place in town on a perfectly clear day? Kaito wanted to burst out laughing. Suddenly catching himself on the verge of a titter, he had to give himself a quick pinch to hold it in. The messenger was the picture of seriousness, and Kaito suspected that exploding in laughter would be frowned upon. “Well, then—” Snort. Kaito desperately suppressed a guffaw. “I understand. You just need me to make a pizza, right?” “Yes. When you finish it, I will transport it and you to the castle posthaste.” “I’ll get right on it.” The dough was already fermented, so all he had to do was shape it, put the toppings on, and bake it. “Will just one be enough?” “Yes.” “Uh, pizzas cost one silver coin each.” “You’ll be paid at the palace.” “Got it!” They were going to pay him. That meant this was real work. Kaito was excited. I think a tried-and-true margherita is the way to go. He quickly but carefully put the pie together, baked it, and put it on a tray with a silver lid. “It’s ready!” “Please get in the carriage.” The messenger held the door open for him. The interior of the carriage was surprisingly cramped, but maybe that was just the way carriages were. His escort started the horse running. As they came out onto the main street, Kaito heard someone call his name. “Hmm?” He looked out the window to see Lilia following them. She was pale-faced and running as fast as her legs would carry her. “Don’t run—it’s dangerous! Stop that!” He was in a carriage. There was no way she could catch up. “Lord Kaitooooooo!” Still, Lilia kept running. It was clear she was extremely worried. “Huh?” Strangely, the carriage was unable to lose her. Apparently, she was quite an athlete. She’s fast!! Scary-fast!! Her furious pursuit made him think of the Noh play Dojoji. The girl Kiyohime, betrayed by the priest she loved, transforms into a giant snake and chases him down. Not that I’ve betrayed Lilia or whatever! The messenger seemed to sense something was wrong, because he picked up the pace. “Hey!” Lilia’s legs finally gave out, and she tumbled spectacularly to the ground. Kaito could only watch as she pitched forward as if in slow motion, both hands outstretched to catch herself. She slammed into the ground. “Liliaaaaaaa!!” People crowded around the collapsed elf girl, but the scene swiftly grew farther away. Oh, maybe she’s okay. But Kaito, unable to do anything for Lilia, found himself fretting as the carriage rocked along. After a while, the palace came into view. “Wow…” The first things he saw were the towering spires. It was a textbook castle, done mainly in white. It looks like… Oh yeah. There was some castle in Germany that had supposedly been the model for Cinderella’s Castle. Oh man, it’s on the tip of my tongue. Neuschbein or something. While Kaito sat racking his memory, the carriage pulled up at the back gate. The building was surrounded by a moat. At a signal from the driver, a gate opened slowly, and a heavy wooden bridge was lowered. Pretty sure I’ve seen this movie. Kaito felt slightly impressed. I’m in a fantasy world for sure… The carriage began making its way across the bridge. When it had entered the castle, the bridge gradually went back up. Kaito’s ride came to an end, at which point his escort reopened the door. “We’ve arrived, sir.” When Kaito climbed out of the carriage, he found himself in a dim, forested area. “This way, please.” Shortly thereafter, they emerged from the silent woods and found themselves confronted with one wall of the royal palace. The messenger knocked several times on the wall, part of which proceeded to slowly retract. They were obviously going in the back door—or rather, the secret door. “Now, inside. Quickly, please.” “Yes, sir!” Kaito entered, his heart pounding. He was in a dark hallway. There weren’t even any windows. Flickering candles on the wall provided the only illumination. Kaito followed the messenger until they arrived at a particular room. There were no windows there, either, leaving the place dark even in the middle of the day. “Now, give me the pizza.” “Sure.” “Wait here, please.” And with that, the messenger disappeared with the food. The room was as bleak as a prison cell, but it had one table and one chair. Kaito, faced with few other options, sat down in the stiff seat. What’s with the decor around here? This place is depressing. On the table sat a brass candelabra. The candle inside provided only the faintest illumination and wavered as if it might go out at any moment. I hope I get to go home soon… “Whew——” Kaito breathed a deep sigh. It seemed to be more than the guttering candle could take. The claustrophobic, windowless room was immediately thrown into darkness. “Yaaaaaaaahh!” Oh crap!! I can’t see anything!! Kaito groped his way over to the door and all but tumbled out into the hallway. Fortunately, the door hadn’t been locked. “Geez, that scared me!” His heart was still pounding. Being cooped up in that bizarre room in pitch-darkness is no joke!! “Now what…?” Kaito stood in a daze in the dim hallway. There was no sign of another living soul. Should I wait for the messenger to come get me here? For how long? The candles in the candleholders on the wall flickered unsteadily. No good. If those went out, too, I think it would kill me. Kaito started down the hallway, looking for his escort. The path continued along a gentle curve, at the end of which he finally found a door. The door was ajar, light filtering out from inside. It looked like sunlight—pretty bright sunlight, at that—so the room beyond must have had actual windows. Kaito peeked through the crack. This room was the polar opposite of the jail cell–like place in which Kaito had been waiting before. The floor had a carpet of a deep-blue color, and all the furnishings looked gorgeous. This was a proper reception room. In the middle of the room was an elf girl wearing a beautiful light-blue dress. Atop her halo of pale golden hair rested a striking crown. Even just standing there, the girl looked like she’d stepped out of a painting. Her beauty and style were flawless, and she oozed nobility. “Wait… Could that be Queen Eleonora?” murmured Kaito. Eleonora didn’t move a muscle as she stared at the tray sitting on the marble table in front of her. “Hey…” That’s my pizza. Eleonora had her arms crossed and a suspicious look on her face, eyeing the pizza intently. Kaito remembered Edmond telling him that Eleonora was into healthy food and despised junk. “…Hmph, so this is pizza.” She picked up a slice, her hand shaking. “…Hrk.” Kaito’s breath caught in his throat. What would she do? Would she throw it away? The hero’s heart raced as he watched her. Slowly, almost fearfully, Eleonora brought the pizza to her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully—and then her blue eyes shot open. Maybe she doesn’t like it… But the next second, Eleonora began digging into the slice with gusto. She looked like a starving animal tearing apart its kill. “Whoa…” No sooner had the queen wolfed down one piece than she started on the next, and soon, she had polished off the entire pie. Wait, wait, wait. That was an XXL. It was supposed to feed four people! And he’d thought Lilia had an appetite! In his amazement, Kaito leaned a little too close. “Oops!” The door swung all the way open, throwing Kaito off-balance and sending him stumbling into the room. Crap! He looked up, and his gaze met that of the astonished Eleonora. Her light-blue eyes opened wide. “Gyyyyyahhhhhhhhh!!” She emitted a strange sound probably never before uttered by such royalty. “Who in the hell are you?!” Kaito couldn’t help noticing the tomato sauce and cheese still clinging to her lips. The fingers pointed at him dripped grease. “I-I’m very sorry! The candle went out, and— I mean, I thought no one was coming, so I went to find someone…” Kaito could hardly seem to get out a complete sentence. The queen was staring daggers at him. “You… You’re Queen Eleonora, aren’t you?” he asked nervously. She nodded slowly. So this was the girl who’d had to assume leadership of her country at sixteen. “…And I suppose you’re the High-Calorie Hero.” “Yes, ma’am.” No matter how many times I hear it, that still just doesn’t sound cool… “So it was you who made this pizza.” “Yes, ma’am…” Eleonora was gazing icily at him. “Belinda endorsed your pizza wholeheartedly, so I requested one to try for myself…” “Oh, you know Miss Belinda…?” His first delivery customer. A woman whose glasses made her look prudish but whose bookshelf full of Harlequin romances said otherwise. He’d heard she was employed as a tutor here. Eleonora lifted her chin so she was looking down her nose at Kaito, her lips twisting into a frown. “It is a vulgar food. Thick and oily, fluffy and rich—” Drool. The queen hurriedly wiped her mouth. “This is the first time I’ve eaten something so base!! You have some nerve bringing such coarse foodstuffs into my country!” “I’m very sorry…” “I simply cannot fathom why such an intelligent woman as Belinda would be so mad for such a thing. Though I will grant the flavor is very stimulating.” Her eyes flitted to the empty dish. “I may need to consider imposing regulations on this food.” “……” Regulations? And just when I was about to expand the business… But he couldn’t oppose the queen. Kaito tried desperately to think of a way to explain things to Eleonora, who was studying him gravely. At the same time, a doubt began to creep into his mind. Eleonora had been acting very strangely ever since Kaito entered. What she was saying didn’t match the behavior he’d witnessed. Could it be—could it be the queen had actually enjoyed the pizza but her pride was too great to let her admit it? If so, he still had a chance. Kaito decided to commit to the possibility. “Forgive me, my queen, for offering you something that does not please the royal palate! But you need not fear. I swear I shall never deliver a pizza here again, ever, for as long as I live!” “You mustn’t!!” Eleonora went pale. “You mustn’t say that, because, uh…um… Ah yes! This is the food the people are eating, is it not? The most popular menu item available? As ruler, it’s my duty to understand what moves my subjects. My office demands that I eat pizza!”