Chapter 19

“Bonus item…?” Kaito studied the card he had taken out of his item pouch. It had become a habit to check the bag each morning, and this morning, it had yielded this unfamiliar card. “What’s that?” Lilia asked innocently. Kaito casually flipped the card over, then stared, agog, at the word on the back. “C-c-c-cola?!” “‘Cola’?” Lilia didn’t understand. “Cola… No way—really?” He had assumed that sweet nectar would never pass his lips again after arriving here. That most beautiful of beverages, cola… “Why do you look so surprised?” “Huh? Because…” The elves drank mostly water and tea. Fruit juice was about the only sweet drink around. To think he might have a taste of cola, that beautiful and terrible thing… Kaito swallowed heavily. It would be all right for him. He was used to it. It might prove too stimulating for the elves, though. Maybe he should keep this one to himself… “Lord Kaito, are you all right?” “Fine! Just fine!” He chased the wicked thought away. “How about we clear this mission and get us some cola?!” The objective written on the card said Use ingredients from this world to make a delicious pizza! “……” Had he earned this card by making the kraken pizza? That had used only ingredients from this world. Now, though, it looked like he would have to come up with something new. “‘Ingredients you can find only in this world…’” The image of a dragon flashed through his mind. That would certainly be something unique to use in his pizza. However, he didn’t even know if dragons were edible, and he didn’t think he would have much luck defeating a monster that even the royal soldiers couldn’t overcome. How about we try something a little easier? The elves’ country was rich with agriculture. Surely there was something there he could use. “Lilia, what kind of ingredients might work in a pizza?” “…Tomatoes?” “Okay, but we’re already using those. We need something new!” “…Apples?” “Right, which are in our apple pies. You know what? Never mind.” Lilia was clearly not going to be any help here. Kaito resolved to go find some ingredients himself. I should be honest here. I just really want to drink some dang cola! I want to drink that delicious tongue-tingling, amber-colored carbonation!! I want to hear that fizzzzzz sound it makes!! All right, let’s do this!! Kaito took Lilia out ingredient hunting. There were plenty of different crops growing in the fields. “Lilia, what’s that?” “That’s cabbage.” “Lilia, what’s that?” “Potatoes.” Darn. All totally normal stuff. I knew whatever just happened to be growing nearby wouldn’t be good enough. Then Kaito spotted a plant with strange leaves growing by the roadside. These leaves…they look a bit like a carrot. Suppose there’s a vegetable growing underneath? “Lilia, what’s this?” “That’s a mandrake.” She uttered the terrifying name nonchalantly. “M-m-mandrake?” The terrifying plant of legend? The one that screeched when you pulled it up, heralding your death? That certainly counted as an ingredient he would find only in this world. But… “How do you harvest it?” “You don’t. But it’s supposed to taste bad anyway,” Lilia said, once again, casually. “Really? Someone’s eaten it?” “Hans accidentally picked one a while ago. It turned into a lot of trouble.” “Hans did?!” Then Kaito gulped. “By l-lot of trouble, d-do you mean…?” Could Hans’s persistent idiocy be a legacy of his encounter with the mandrake?! “The mandrake’s scream startled him so much that he fell in the river and got swept away.” “Oh, you mean that kind of problem.” Kaito relaxed. That didn’t sound so bad. “They’re unusual enough that we decided to try to eat it, but no matter how much we cooked or boiled it, it was always hard and never tasted good. That’s why nobody picks them.” “I see.” So mandrakes weren’t actually that dangerous, but they weren’t that tasty, either. Oh well. Kaito looked around. The village might not have been the best place to search for rare ingredients. “Can we head for the forest for a while?” “Sure,” Lilia nodded, still unconcerned. Kaito took that as a sign that the woods weren’t too dangerous. Kaito, a city boy through and through, wasn’t very handy when it came to the natural world, so it was with some hesitation that he ventured into the forest. “Lilia, you’re sure you know the route?” “It’s not a problem in this part of the woods. But if you want to go very far in, you’d need a professional guide and some preparations.” “Uh, we’ll just stick to what’s right here!” The woods were bright with midday light, and with Lilia, who knew the area, at his side, Kaito walked among the trees without much trepidation. Unfortunately, though, he found only ordinary trees and grasses. Nothing that looked especially edible. I was hoping for some berries or mushrooms or something. Just then, he heard the flutter of large wings above him. There was a creaking sound, and the light wavered. Kaito looked up in amazement at a bird flying directly overhead. Its wingspan must have been at least two meters. “Wh-what the heck is that?” “It’s very unusual. That’s a thunderbird.” “A thunderbird?” “Uh-huh.” “What? I thought thunderbirds were bigger than that.” “That’s about as large as the ones around here get. They vary by area.” “So they really are rare, huh?” “Around here they are. Normally, they live deeper in the woods.” Kaito looked up at a nearby tree. He guessed it was at least a meter in diameter. The leaves and branches made it hard to get a good look, but he thought he saw some kind of nest. “Hey, is that…a thunderbird nest?” “Looks like it.” “And do they lay eggs?” “Probably.” A light bulb went on over Kaito’s head. Thunderbird-egg pizza! That’s the ticket! That just screams “alternate world,” doesn’t it?! Kaito didn’t have any confidence in his ability to hunt an actual thunderbird, but getting some eggs would be just a matter of picking them up, right? Then it’s mission clear, and that cola’s all mine. “You know how to climb trees, Lilia?” “Not very well. And I’m not dressed for it…” “Ah…” Lilia was wearing a skirt that went down to her knees, but her legs and feet were bare. “Okay, I’ve got it! I’ll go up there!” “Will you be all right?” “…I don’t know!!” When it came to climbing trees, Kaito had a very vague memory of having tried it back around the time he’d been in elementary school. Or maybe he hadn’t. Either way, he had to get up that tree, or he would never get his eggs. Kaito placed one hand firmly on the trunk and reached out for the nearest branch. Then he felt his outstretched hand and his foot begin sliding. “Erk…” He slipped straight back down the trunk, landing on his butt on the ground. “Awww…” Darn! He couldn’t even climb one little tree. He came to his knees, disappointed. “Lord Kaito, are you okay?” “I thought I’d finally found a rare ingredient…” “Do you really want eggs that badly?” “Not just eggs. Thunderbird eggs! A delicious ingredient that can only be found in this world! That bird looks too strong for me to catch, but I thought maybe I could at least get an egg…” “Would the bird itself be good enough?” “Sure. Thunderbird pizza sounds pretty good, right?” “Wait here a moment.” Lilia went running back the way they’d come. Kaito sighed and leaned against the tree. It seemed like a good idea at the time… When Lilia came back a few minutes later, she was carrying a wooden bow and arrows. “Huh?” “I’ll get it when it comes back to its nest.” “Huh? Huh?” Unlike Kaito, who was starting to quake visibly, Lilia was very calm as they waited for the thunderbird. At length, they heard the flapping of huge wings and a screeching cry. Lilia quietly readied an arrow and took aim at the thunderbird, its wings spread wide. Kaito held his breath. Lilia looked like the bravest person in the world to him at that moment. Then she let the arrow go. “GRAAAAAAHHH!!” With a tremendous cry, the thunderbird came crashing down. The arrow had pierced it clean through the throat. “Whaaaaaaaat?!” Kaito looked at the thunderbird lying in front of him, dumbfounded. How could it be so easy? “Lilia, that was amazing!” “It was? But all elves can use bows.” “Really? So archery is an elf’s specialty…” But it was still pretty amazing. The two of them carried the thunderbird home. Lilia took care of the rest. Watching her, Kaito felt like he was watching someone wring the neck of a chicken. She pulled out all the feathers and drained the blood. Maybe he would have felt squeamish before, but now he was too excited to taste the meat to be frightened. “Here you go!” Kaito took the thunderbird meat Lilia had given him and sliced it into manageable pieces. He boiled it up, then worked in olive oil, parjee, hanahakka, and salt. He got the crust ready and covered it in tomato sauce. Then, on went the Thunderbird slices, along with some mushrooms to give it some texture, followed by cheese sprinkled over everything. A dash of olive oil, and into the oven it went. “Here it is—my Thunderbird Special!” He and Lilia each took a slice. “Bon appétit!” The flavor of the aromatic meat filled their mouths. “Oh yeah, it’s good!!” “Wow, I never knew thunderbird was so delicious!” “It’s got a crisp, simple taste like chicken tenderloin, but it’s definitely meatier. You can feel the weight of it!” He’d never expected the pizza to come out so well. The meat was soft, the flavors complemented each other perfectly, and there was no unpleasant aroma. “Phewww…” In no time at all, the two of them had finished the dish. That was when it happened. There was something like a flash of light, and a bottle of cola appeared on the countertop. “Yeeeeeeeessssss, colllllaaaaaaaaaa!!!” Kaito grabbed the bottle and broke into a dance. “Lord Kaito, are you okay?” “Thank you, Lilia! This is all thanks to you!” He took out two glasses and poured the cola into them. “Taste this! I want to share it with you.” “So this is cola… It has a nice amber color, doesn’t it?” Lilia eyed the bubbly liquid with interest. “Is this alcohol?” “No, just a carbonated drink, but it’s pretty stimulating. Don’t let it take you by surprise.” With some hesitation, Lilia brought the glass to her lips and drank a few experimental sips. “!!” With a look of shock, she put it back down. “Wh-what is this?! It’s so tingly! And sweet and delicious! I’ve never drunk anything like it before!” “Right? Ahhh, cola’s the best…” Kaito gulped down the rest of his drink and exhaled in satisfaction. “That feels so good.” This was a day that would be long remembered for the meeting of gourmet dishes from two different worlds: thunderbird-meat pizza and cola. A toast to a mysterious and wonderful combination. Kaito and Lilia smiled at each other, then clinked their glasses.