Dawn of Courage (Chapter 221 Up) (2024)

It was the following day after the closing ceremonies for the King’s Hunt Festival. All the elves were chattering away, clearly happy at another successful event. They were also praising the Demon King’s champion party for their assistance in protecting the young nobles from the threat of Muu and his army.

At the time the party had gathered in the throne room. King Jean was sitting on his throne with his family. He looked quite pleased as he observed the party.

“Thank you once again,” he said sincerely. “Because of you the King’s Hunt Festival had another successful year. While it did have its fair share of intruders, much to our displeasure, the event still went off without a hitch. My intelligence network should be here soon to give you their report. They said it would be ready by morning. Let’s hope the celebrations didn’t distract them too much.”

Shortly afterward a servant walked up to King Jean, presenting him with papers. King Jean took them and looked them over, smiling.

“Excellent work. This should provide ample assistance to our allies fighting Muu. Please present them to the Demon King’s champion party.”

The servant nodded, collected the papers, and presented them to Sir Reginald, who graciously took them.

“Thank you very much,” the knight said. “These will aid us in removing the last few strongholds Muu has in this kingdom. Then it’ll be off to Mana Obsidian Kingdom to deal with the remaining Undead Bases Muu has left. Then, hopefully, we’ll have found a solution to Muu’s barrier and ultimately end this 3,000 year nightmare.”

King Jean nodded, “Yes, I know how you feel. We all want Muu dead. It would be a real boon to Edyn if we could finally be rid of him. He’s plagued our world for far too long, suffocating our livelihoods and causing people to lose hope in our freedom from him. But it appears you lot are inspiring hope once again in the hearts of Edyn. That bodes well, although, like you said, we still have the age-old problem of dealing with Muu’s barrier that can repel even the Goddess and Demon King. That vile Undead King sure is a coward to keep hiding behind his defenses all this time and not showing some actual backbone in the face of his enemies. Hopefully you eight will be the ones to end him for good. But, in any case, I suggest you head on out, as with another Undead Captain destroyed Muu might mobilize the few remaining ones in this kingdom to try to retake lost ground. Especially since you’ve been busy protecting the young elven nobles during the King’s Hunt Festival. You have our deepest thanks for that, as all the elves are singing your praises for what you did during the biggest event of the year. Now go, and hopefully you’ll find a solution to our Muu problem.”

Sir Reginald nodded, “We will find a solution, Your Majesty. Where there’s a will, there’s a way. And we’re pretty good at finding unorthodox solutions to our problems.” He turned to the party, “Come, team, let us gather some supplies and make our way back out into the world. We have boneheads to break.”

The party nodded and left the castle. They spent time purchasing supplies before finally leaving the capital. The various residents of the capital waved them goodbye, clearly happy at what the heroic party had done for them and their fellow elves.

A day later the party was camped out at one of the magical campsites. Angelo was watching over Nina as she attentively tended to a pot, giving her instructions as she worked on the party’s dinner. The rest of the party was slightly apprehensive of what to expect.

“That’s it, nice and steady,” Angelo said gently as Nina worked. “Don’t stir too fast or it’ll splatter. A hotpot dish is very simple but rewarding. Plus the broth will become quite flavorful, which can be a nice additional treat. Now, make sure the meat and vegetables are tender and cooked to the desired level.”

Nina nodded and continued to tend to the hotpot dish.

Kettu whispered in Nova’s ear, “Hey, Nova… not to sound pessimistic, but do you think it’s wise for Nina to practice cooking while we’re on the road? Every meal and every ingredient counts. So do you think it’s a good idea to let Nina practice cooking while we’re traveling?”

Nova replied in a hushed voice, “While I agree that it would be better if Nina were to learn how to cook in a more suitable environment, like a kitchen and not over a campfire, she isn’t going to get many other chances to learn how to cook until after this mission is over. Angelo has the knowledge and patience needed to teach her, as I admit I can be a bit short tempered when it comes to wasting ingredients because of my low income back home. But we need to have faith in her, as she really wants to learn how to cook. I know it’s mainly to help feed hers and my family later down the road, but when she comes back with me to Earth she’ll be left alone for quite a bit of time, thus she’ll need to take care of herself in my absence. After all, I work during the week so I won’t be home to teach her most of the time. While I’m worried that this is not a suitable time nor place to teach her such a necessary skill we don’t have a lot of other opportunities to do this. Just grin and bear it. For Nina’s sake.”

The party reluctantly nodded, clearly worried about Nina’s first real foray into cooking. Nina was oblivious to the conversation, as she was too heavily focused on her cooking. After a bit she seemed to finish, looking nervous.

“Okay… I think that about does it,” she said, although her tone was heavy in concern. “Hotpot’s on, gang.”

The party held out their bowls, trying to keep themselves in good spirits for Nina’s sake. Nina served everyone some hotpot consisting of thinly sliced meat and various vegetables in a broth. After everyone had gotten a serving they all sampled it, their eyes widening.

“Umm… Nina… I hate to say this…” Zeeker said cautiously. “But… this tastes terrible.”

Nina’s wings drooped as she tasted her own creation, “Sadly… you’re right. Where did I go wrong?”

Angelo replied with a sad smile, “Come, come, Nina, don’t get upset. Not everyone gets a success in their first foray into cooking. If I had to guess you used too much seasoning in the broth and undercooked the vegetables a bit. You’ll get it eventually. Cooking is something of an art, thus it requires patience and practice. So don’t fret, you’ll get there eventually.”

Nova nodded, “Angelo’s right. While I’m a wiz in the kitchen now back when I was younger I screwed up as many meals as I succeeded. I actually took a youth cooking class during one of my summer breaks and that helped a lot. And, frankly, I’ve tasted worse. Aunt Fig’s broccoli casserole tastes like you just ingested toxic sludge, and Uncle Donny’s squid surprise is… best left unsaid. You just need to learn to measure your ingredients better and get a good time rhythm down. Practice makes perfect, after all. So try not to let it get you down, as this hotpot was your first major attempt at learning how to cook. You’ll get there eventually.”

Nina gained a weak smile, “Thank you, though I’m still disappointed in myself. I guess I wasted all those ingredients, even if there wasn’t a lot put into the hotpot. Guess we should dump this failed recipe and let you take over. Well, okay, the recipe itself is fine, it’s just my execution of it is… lacking. I’m sorry, everyone.”

With great reluctance Nova grabbed the hotpot, walked over to the outskirts of the magical campsite, and dumped the contents into some bushes. The rest of the party followed suit with their bowls of food. Nova quickly washed the pot before returning to the campfire.

“Okay, I’ll make something quick and easy, as we’re all still hungry,” he said.

The party nodded, prompting Nova to go to work. Within a few minutes a new meal was being prepared, much to the party’s eagerness. Nina sulked a bit off to the side, clearly discouraged at her failure.

“I need to learn how to cook before this journey is over,” she said silently. “Not just for my sake but for everyone’s sake. I can’t keep wasting ingredients, as every bit counts when on the road. I appreciate Angelo taking the time to teach me and having the patience to put up with my failure. Especially since I can’t depend on Nova all the time: there will be times he'll be at work, thus leaving me alone for extended periods of time. I’m not looking forward to that but I know it’s necessary. That’s why I want to learn how to cook. Not just for Nova and our future family, but also for me to gain a bit of independence. I just hope Nova isn’t mad at me for wasting perfectly good ingredients.”

In a matter of minutes Nova had made a more suitable dinner. The party gathered around to be served with greater eagerness, though Nina still seemed a bit down. Nova served them the food he made, allowing them to sit down and begin eating with more gusto. It wasn’t long before the food was gone and everyone felt more satisfied. Nova and Nina washed the dishes before putting everything away. Before Nina could enter the tent Nova gently grabbed her by the arm.

“Hey, listen, Nina,” he said gently. “Don’t worry about the hotpot blunder. Everyone makes mistakes. I’ve made too many to count. Like I said before, I screwed up a lot early on before gaining something of a 50/50 rate. That cooking class I took did wonders for me. I know you’re a bit upset about not only failing to make a simple hotpot, but also for wasting ingredients. It’s okay, Nina. Everyone starts somewhere and not everyone gets it on their first try. Cooking is a tricky thing, as it can be classified as a science at times. Especially baking, which requires extremely precise measurements. You’ll learn how to cook eventually, Nina. Don’t let one failure discourage you. My first forays into cooking were bellyflops, too, and to this day I still can’t make a decent omelet or ham steak.”

Nina looked at him with sorrowful eyes, “I know… but I can’t help but be frustrated. I know it’s a necessary skill to have, one that can change your life, and I’m still upset I can’t cook a decent meal. Although I am surprised that someone with your cooking ability can’t make certain things. But what should I do, Nova? I don’t want to keep wasting ingredients. Can you give me some pointers or maybe teach me an easy recipe?”

He pondered for a second before saying, “I may have an easy recipe for you to try out. It only requires three ingredients and it’s very easy to make. Even dad can make it and he’s about as dexterous in the kitchen as Dominic is competent. Seriously, dad is a disaster zone in the kitchen, and he IS a scientist. If you think you’re bad, you should see him in the kitchen. What a mess he can make just by cooking something as simple as scrambled eggs. You’ll get it eventually, Nina, it just takes time and patience. But I think the recipe I have in mind might be a good starting point for you, as it’s very simple, requires very few ingredients, and still tastes really good. Do you want to give it a try?”

She nodded, gaining a small smile, “Yes, please, Nova. Especially if you think it’s a good starting point for me. Thank you. And I’m sorry that you have to work so hard to help me.”

He gently cupped her face, saying softly, “That’s what lovers do, right? Support each other and guide them when needed. You did that for me, remember? Now it’s my turn to do it for you. For now, let’s go to bed and worry about the cooking later.”

The two lovers shared a tender kiss, making Nina’s heart sing with joy. They pulled back, looking at each other lovingly, before heading into the tent to rest. Tomorrow was another day.

The following morning the party was gathered around the campfire. Nina was attempting to make another meal, this time Nova giving her instructions. The party all had apprehensive expressions but they wanted to have faith in the Phoenix Clan woman as they waited for her to finish.

“Okay, now gently but quickly flip the bread and egg over so you can cook the other side,” Nova instructed.

Nina obeyed, using a spatula to flip each slice of bread with egg over, revealing the opposite side of it, which looked nicely toasted. Seeing this got the party a bit more hopeful that Nina would succeed this time.

“Okay, let the egg and bread cook for a few minutes to ensure the yoke is cooked through, as undercooked egg is very dangerous. Gently lift the bread slice up once every minute to check on the egg to see if it’s not runny and to make sure the toast doesn’t burn.”

Nina continued to obey Nova. After a few minutes of cooking and checking the meal Nova gave her a nod. Nina gulped as she gently took off each slice of egg toast from the skillet, one after another, and served it to the party. Everyone was curious about this recipe but unlike the previous attempt it actually looked good. Nina also served some slices of bacon with each dish, which looked a tad overcooked but not bad.

“The moment of truth…” Nina gulped.

Everyone cut a piece of the egg toast, gulped, and put it in their mouths. Their eyes widened a moment later.

“Nina…” Elizabetta said gently. “This… is… actually good!”

Nina’s wings, which were stiff with anticipation, instantly relaxed, making her sigh with relief.

Kettu bit into the bacon, saying, “Bacon’s not bad, either. A tad overcooked but not enough to ruin it. Does give it some nice crunch.”

Angelo smiled, “Looks like Nina has taken her first successful step forward to learning how to cook. Good show.”

Nina blushed, “Thank you. It’s a really simple dish so I don’t think it deserves that much praise.”

Van finished another bite before saying, “Hey, it’s a good starting point. And eggs can be screwed up really easily. Trust me, I know firsthand. I couldn’t fry an egg if my life depended on it, something that Serena, my wife, teases me about. This is actually a good attempt, Nina. Nova, what is this food item called?”

Nova replied, “An egg in a basket. Also called a bullseye egg, an egg in a nest, a gashouse egg, a popeye, and other such interesting names. It’s a fried egg inside a slice of bread cooked in butter or oil. Very simple but also very easy to mess up. Shame I don’t have any ketchup left, as I prefer my eggs with ketchup. But I felt it was a good starting point for Nina, as it only requires three ingredients and is pretty straightforward. Yes, it is easy to screw up, as I’ve done so a few times myself, but it’s still simple enough that it can be a useful beginner’s recipe. Granted, I told Nina to break the yokes of the eggs so it'll cook more evenly, as the real challenge is to cook it with a fully intact yoke depending on the user’s preference for how they like their eggs, but overall a good first step in the right direction.”

Nina smiled, “Thank you, Nova. This was a good starting point for me. Nothing against Angelo’s hotpot recipe, but this was much simpler for me to practice on. I’m just glad it turned out okay. And at least I know I’m not entirely helpless in the kitchen. I’ve taken my first real step forward. I just hope it’s not a ‘one step forward, two steps back’ situation.”

“Don’t worry, Nina,” Van said with a smile. “I doubt it’ll be like that. But, for now, let’s enjoy our food, as you did a good job this time.”

Everyone nodded and resumed eating, clearly happy and surprised at how good the meal was. Nina felt a bit proud in making progress in her desire to learn how to cook.

Several hours later the party was fighting monsters in a different location. As they tore through the monster horde, doing everything they could to come out on top, they were thinking about Muu’s army. Soon the last monster was felled, allowing them to take a break. They collected the most valuable parts from the monsters before moving on.

“It’s almost time for lunch,” Kettu said.

“Guess I should get things set up, then,” Nova said.

Sir Reginald, who was looking at the map, said, “Hold on, Nova. There’s a restaurant not far from here. Why don’t we go there instead? It’ll save us some ingredients and it’ll be nice to sit at a table. How does that sound to you all?”

“I’m down for that,” Angelo said cheerfully.

“Same here,” Van nodded.

“Let’s do it!” Elizabetta smiled.

Nova nodded, “Okay, I think it’s safe to say we’re going to try that restaurant. What’s it called?”

“According to the map, it’s called the Carnivore Café. Huh, interesting name. But it’s worth a look. Let’s go before they get the lunch rush.”

The party nodded and started to make their way toward the location of the restaurant. Along the way they ran into a traveling merchant with a firokoko-drawn cart.

“Hello there,” he said. “You lot aren’t going to the Carnivore Café, are you?”

Zeeker nodded, “Yes, we are. Why? Is it not good?”

“No, no, the food is good. But they have an… interesting set of policies. Let me give you some advice that might come in handy. First off, do as the bouncers say. Those guys could break a Centaur in half if you don’t obey them. Try to avoid picking a fight with them as they’re very strict in enforcing the rules. It’s a fight you won’t win, that’s for sure.”

“Okay, so we need to stay in the bouncers’ good graces,” Nina said. “I take it there’s more?”

The merchant nodded, “Yes. Secondly, be forgiving to the staff, especially the head chef. Their policies are… unique, to put it lightly, and they can get a bit carried away. But if you’re polite to them and are willing to forgive them for any antics they pull they make your visit worth it by giving you free drinks with free refills.”

“So be polite and be forgiving to the staff?” Kettu pondered. “Interesting. Is there anything else we need to know?”

“One last thing, and it’s crucial. When they ask how you want your meat cooked, tell them ‘rare’. Trust me on this one, as it’s possibly the most vital piece of advice I can give you.”

“Tell them to cook our meat ‘rare’?” Nova scratched his chin. “I feel like I’ve heard something like this before, as I’m getting some déjà vu right now. Hopefully it’ll come to me later. But thanks for the advice. We’ll keep that in mind.”

“No problem. Just remember all that and your visit to the Carnivore Café will be as painless as possible. Now, I gotta get going. Take care.”

He shook the reins on the firokoko, telling it to start moving, which it did, carrying the cart down the road. The party continued to make their way to the Carnivore Café. They soon found it. It was nestled in a cave next to a waterfall with a gold plaque positioned on top of the cave entrance.

“Okay, my sense of déjà vu is getting stronger,” the pink-haired man said. “Where have I seen this before?”

Elizabetta clutched her stomach, saying, “Don’t worry about it now, Nova. I’m hungry. Let’s just go and eat.”

The party entered the cave. They soon found the front desk, which was just a plain desk in the first room of the cave, as there was a door behind it. And sitting at the desk was a burly bouncer. He was easily the size of Dominic, if not bigger, with more muscles than an army of soldiers, and was only wearing a pair of shorts, a green bowtie, and shoes.

“Jeez, you could grate bones on those muscles,” Zeeker said.

“And he’s huge,” Nina said in awe. “Makes me wonder if he and Dominic come from the same place or are the same breed.

The bouncer said, “Welcome to the Carnivore Café. Are you here to dine?”

Sir Reginald nodded, “Yes, we are.”

The bouncer replied, “Good, very good. Now, we have some policies that we expect to be followed, otherwise things might get… messy. First off, you need to place all your weapons, equipment, and magical accessories into that bin over there.”

“Wait, what?” Van sputtered, quirking an eyebrow. “Why?”

“It’s for the protection of our patrons and staff. We try to avoid any… conflicts, as we occasionally get a rough customer or two. So you’re going to have to comply to this rule. Otherwise…” Just then three more equally large and muscular bouncers appeared from the door behind the first one, “It won’t be pretty.”

Kettu sighed, “Let’s just do as they say. We were told they have unique policies so let’s just roll with it. We will get our stuff back, right?”

The bouncer nodded, “Yes, of course. It’s just to ensure that no fights can break out, as we can get a mean piece of work every now and then.”

The party heaved collective sighs and removed their weapons, armor, and magical accessories, placing them in a bin next to the bouncer. This response prompted the other bouncers to smile and return to their posts.

“My sense of déjà vu is getting stronger,” Nova said. “I know I’ve seen something like this before somewhere. But I can’t quite remember it.”

The bouncer said, “Hey, you need to remove that ring on your right pointer finger.”

“I can’t. It’s been permanently welded to my finger.”

“How?”

“It’s the Demon King Ring. I’m the Demon King’s champion. As such I can’t remove the ring from my body without severing my finger. And I’m not interested in losing a limb. Again.”

“The Demon King’s champion has come to dine here?” The bouncer asked. “This is an honor. Very well, I guess we’ll have to make the exception this time, as even we know that the Demon King Ring cannot be removed from the Demon King’s champion’s body. Anyway, the last step you need to take is to tell me how you want your meat cooked.”

Sir Reginald replied, “Rare all around.”

The bouncer gained a look of disappointment, something that didn’t go unnoticed by the party.

“Is that a problem?” Zeeker asked.

“No, no, it’s not a problem,” the bouncer said. “Have you been here before?”

“First time, actually,” Elizabetta replied. “Why?”

“No reason. Rare it is. Please proceed down the next few rooms to the main restaurant. Enjoy your visit.”

The party was now very curious but they proceeded down the next few rooms before coming to a darkened room. Now cautious they slowly moved forward, wondering what this room was. Suddenly, the door behind them locked when they got to a certain point, startling them.

“Okay, now I know I’ve seen this somewhere before,” Nova said. It then dawned upon him, “Uh-oh… I think I remember where I’ve seen this scenario before. Everyone, prepare for a burning sensation.”

“What do you—” Kettu asked.

Suddenly, the room was alight with fire, revealing the floor to be a giant grill. The party became alarmed before they tried to focus on not getting burned.

“Ow! Hot! Hot! Hot!” Zeeker sputtered.

“What’s the deal with this place!?” Sir Reginald sputtered.

“Try having bare feet!” Elizabetta snapped. She then tripped and fell on her backside, scorching her rear and thorax, “Yowch!”

Nina looked up, saying, “And we can’t hover over this as there are flame jets above us. We can’t avoid any of these flames!”

Angelo was hopping from one foot to another, “Why would they do this!?”

Nova, who was trying to keep himself from getting burned, replied, “I think I’ve figured out their ‘policy’, and it’s not a pretty one. Makes me worried what the daily special could be.”

Van kept jumping to keep his hooves off the grill, “I think I’ve figured it out, too, Nova. This fire better stop or it’ll melt my horseshoes.”

Zeeker sputtered, “Kettu! Tail! Tail!”

“Huh?” Kettu said before noticing the tip of his tail was on fire. “Yikes!” He quickly tried to put out the fire on his tail. “Ow! Hot! Hot!”

“I’m about ten seconds away from dousing this place with Water magic,” Nina said bitterly. She then got burned by a flame jet, “Nine… eight…”

“Wait a second!” Angelo said. “The flames are cooling down!”

Sure enough soon the flames died out, allowing the party a chance to rest and recover.

“Van, healing spell, please,” Nova said.

“One healing spell, coming up,” the Centaur said. “Vitalize!”

Everyone was bathed in healing energies, making them relax more. Soon a voice from the other door could be heard.

“Ohoh! The meat should be ready now.”

The doors unlocked and a new figure emerged. It looked like a member of the same clan as the Charlie Horse Brothers, being an anthropomorphic horse. He had light brown fur, a matching mane, and green eyes. He was wearing a white chef’s outfit, complete with fancy hat, and a belt full of cooking knives.

“Now let’s see…” he said. His eyes widened in surprise. “What’s this!? The meat is still raw!” He then regained his composure, “Oh, well, I suppose I can cut it up into tiny steaks. Now…”

But before he could try anything Nina spat, “We’ll chop YOU into steaks! Thunder Crash!”

The horse chef was struck by a bolt of lightning, stunning him. Kettu then transformed into his Werebeast form and gave the chef a powerful uppercut. As the chef came down Van launched a double rear kick, knocking the wind out of the horseman.

“Mana Ball!” Nova stated strongly.

He fired a condensed sphere of magical energy from the Demon King Ring that rocketed toward the horseman, striking him with it. The horseman chef quickly got to his feet.

“Time to make my getaway!” he said. “With this!”

He threw a large amount of black pepper at the group from his apron, blinding them and forcing them to cough and choke.

“Black pepper smokescreen deployed. Now, I’m out of here!”

He quickly retreated while the party was distracted by the pepper.

“He’s-hack-gone, isn’t-ugh-he?” Nova coughed.

“Yeah-gack,” Zeeker choked. “But he’s-cough-still in the building.”

“We-ugh-need to have-hack-a word with him,” Nina snarled.

“Let’s-guh-go inside,” Sir Reginald suggested.

The group crossed the grill and entered the door on the other side, into the restaurant proper.

Now that they were actually inside, it looked much more like any other eatery they’d seen; it wasn’t even a dive, but instead had all the appearance of a high-class restaurant. Everything was hardwood, with pleasant décor on and around the tables and booths, which were cushioned in red; chandeliers hung overhead and candles burned on tabletop as well. There were even flowers growing from jars on the tables.

“Well… this is rather fancy,” Kettu observed. “Fancier than I was expecting.”

Sir Reginald nodded, “Same here, Kettu.”

They continued to observe the area. There were a lot of strong-looking individuals from different clans. A pair of rather rough-looking Hopper Clan members were seated in a booth in the back, a Ironhide Clan member seated at the bar, drinking a large mug of beer or mead, and a trio of witches from the Magic Clan at a table to the left. There were also a handful of humans, both male and female, along with some Centaurs, Werefolk, and elves scattered about.

The party’s attention soon turned to the head chef, who had just emerged from the kitchen, along with two more members of the same clan, all sharing the same worried expressions.

“Well, there he is,” Elizabetta growled.

“Looks like he wants to talk,” Van said calmly. “Let’s see what he has to say.”

The party approached the counter where the three horsem*n were waiting. The head chef gently twisted his apron as the party stood before him.

“Excuse me, sirs and madams,” the head chef said quietly. “I hope we have not given offence. You all seemed, well… very angry back there. I assure you it was nothing personal. It is just the way we operate here. You understand, yes?”

Nova replied calmly, remembering the traveling merchant’s advice, “So your policy is something along the lines of ‘cook the weak, feed the strong’, right? Have to prove you're tough to get in here otherwise you’re on the menu?”

“Our policy in a nutshell, yes,” the horseman quickly nodded. “You’re very understanding people, aren’t you? Most would that this kind of thing badly, no matter the circ*mstances, but you are professionals, yes? You don’t hold grudges over business, right?”

All three horsem*n smiled nervously, so worried that it was almost pitiful.

The party looked at each other before exchanging nods.

“We’ll get over it,” Sir Reginald said. “It’s not going to happen again, right?”

“Of course!” the head chef nodded. “You have proven yourself, and our bouncers have excellent memories. They will wave you through in the future.”

“Then we’re square,” Nova gave in. “We’re just making a point ourselves when you get down to it. All part of business of being the Demon King’s champion, you know?”

“Ah, of course!” the horsem*n’s eyes widened in understanding. “A reputation to uphold, yes? Good, good! I’m glad we were able to work this out amicably. And the Demon King’s champion has come to our abode? Most wonderful! As per our reputation, you get free drinks and refills. But there must be something else I can offer, especially for the Demon King’s champion…” He pondered for a moment before his eyes lit up, “I’ve got it! How would you like to learn the secret cooking technique of this restaurant?”

“Okay, you’ve got my attention,” the pink-haired man replied.

“As do I,” Angelo chimed in.

“I’m game,” Nina said, still feeling a tad hot under the collar but keeping it in check.

The horseman smiled, “Wonderful! Let me show you the legendary cooking technique that made this place so famous: the Lightning Chop skill. On moment, please.”

He ventured back into the kitchen, leaving the other two horsem*n behind, who looked relieved that the party let them off the hook. The head chef returned, carrying a Quick Piglet. He gently placed it on the countertop and took out his cleaver.

“Watch closely, now,” he said.

What happened next was difficult to describe. The horseman held his knife over the Quick Piglet, motionless for a second, then it seemed to blur, vibrating strangely as if it was moving in every direction at once while remaining absolutely motionless at the same time. There was a flash of movement toward the Quick Piglet, and then it fell apart into thin, even slices, blood draining neatly without a splash. The horseman’s knife was completely clean.

“Holy slag!” Nova sputtered.

Nina and Sir Reginald seemed to agree with this statement, wide eyed in surprise.

“Quite the marvelous technique,” Angelo said. “I’ve heard rumors of the Lightning Chop cooking skill but never actually seen it before. How many slices?”

“Forty seven is my best record,” the horseman said modestly.

“I must admit I’m impressed,” Nova said. “Might come in handy. Definitely have to practice it a bit. You lot aren’t bad at all.”

“Much appreciated! Please, pick a table and a waitress will give you menus, along with our daily specials.”

“I dread to know what the ‘daily specials’ are made of,” the party collectively said silently.

Nevertheless the party made their way to a table and got themselves settled. A rather sexy waitress in an equally sexy outfit walked over and handed them menus. After ordering some drinks they looked the menus over, hoping to sift through anything that might’ve been made from a poor sap who failed to endure the trial by fire. After a bit the waitress brought them their drinks and they placed their orders.

“Well… this certainly proved to be an interesting dining experience,” Zeeker said with a scowl.

“I hear ya, Zeeker,” Elizabetta huffed. “But we played by the rules and now we don’t have to worry about ever getting grilled again. Well, literally, I mean. Though I’m not sure if I’m going to put this place on my list of eateries I want to visit again even if we’re not going to be chopped steaks.”

Nina sighed, “Let’s just let it go, gang. But it was fortunate that we met that traveling merchant prior, as he gave us some very sound advice. I’m still not happy about all this but it’s best we just get over it and hope that our meals are free of… unwanted ingredients, let’s just say.”

Nova took a drink from his mug of liquid before saying, “Yes, let’s just let it roll off our backs like water off a duck. At least now I remember where I saw this scenario before. Back in my Breath of Fire 2 video game, only in that case it was run by cat people and they had you rub salt and pepper on your bodies prior to getting grilled. Wish I had remembered that sooner but whatever, it’s over now. By the way, what kind of clansmen are those horsem*n? They resemble the Charlie Horse Brothers. What clan are they?”

Sir Reginald explained, “They’re from the Gallop Clan, a clan of horsem*n, obviously, and are related to Centaurs, albeit more like distant cousins. They’re not a bad clan by any means, as only bad eggs like the Charlie Horse Brothers make them look a bit shady, and they do have some odd tendencies. But they’re still allies in the fight against Muu so it’s best to be respectful and not lump them in with goons like Claymore and Galvin, as they can be dangerous when deemed enemies.”

“Duly noted. And what’s in this drink? It tastes really good. Tastes like it has a mix of cherries, strawberries, and sparkling cider. I think it was called a cherry cider blitzkrieg.”

Kettu pondered, “Cherry cider blitzkrieg? Now where have I heard that name before?”

Soon the food arrived allowing everyone to tuck in, though they ate with caution. Nova had polished off a second serving of cherry cider blitzkrieg and was about to drink his third when Kettu’s eyes widened.

“Ah! Nova! Don’t drink anymore of that stuff. It’s extremely alcoholic. It only takes one and a half mugs of that stuff to make someone terribly drunk.”

Nova, who was in mid-sip of the drink, took a moment to process this before turning to Kettu.

“Wait, what?” he said. “This is alcoholic? I’ve never touched alcohol in my life. Yet… strangely, I don’t feel even the slightest buzz.”

Zeeker looked surprised, “Wait, you’re not feeling anything from that stuff? It’s alcohol content is through the roof yet you’re not feeling anything? What kind of alcohol tolerance do you have to be able to resist something like that?”

“You’re guess is as good as mine,” Nova shrugged. “Either my tolerance is higher than even I knew or I could be lucky enough to be immune to it. Highly doubt that last one but given how my life has been I wouldn’t rule it out, either.”

Nina, who sipped her iced tea, said, “At least you have a form of tolerance to alcohol. The Phoenix Clan can’t stomach a single glass of wine without getting drunk. I speak from experience.”

“What do you mean, Nina?” Angelo asked, surprised.

“Well, one reason is because our bodies are so lightweight. Both males and females of my clan weigh less than 100 pounds. That’s because of our hollow bones which better enable flight. But phoenixes in general can’t stomach any sort of alcoholic content, much less the Phoenix Clan. I remember when I drank my first, and only, glass of wine during a royal gathering. I got drunk pretty much immediately. However, I was able to hold myself together long enough to get home before crashing. The morning afterward wasn’t pleasant but my parents, who basically never praise me, where actually surprised that I was able to keep myself together and

“Then what do you drink at special occasions?” Elizabetta asked. “Surely you must have something to mark an occasion like an anniversary or something, right?”

“We drink sparkling cider during such events. It’s not alcoholic yet it’s like drinking champagne, so it gives us the quality and class of a specialty drink without running the risk of getting drunk. Which brings me to ask… Nova… when we get married… can we skip the alcohol? I don’t want to ruin our wedding by getting tipsy over champagne or something.”

Nova chuckled lightly, “Sure, Nina. We’ll serve sparkling cider, as we have that back on Earth, too. And I haven’t had sparkling cider in a long time so it’ll be a nice treat at our wedding without the risks.”

Nina smiled warmly, “Thank you, beloved. Now, let’s finish our meal and get the hell out of here before we witness some poor sap becoming the next daily special.”

The party nodded and finished their meals and drinks. After paying the bill they made their way out of the restaurant and back to where the bouncer was.

He turned to them, “I was told by Chef Vinny to allow you in whenever you want without you going through the usual policies, as you’ve proven your strength and worth. Your stuff is all in that bin over there. Thank you for coming and hope to see you again.”

The party collected their stuff, making sure that everything was present and nothing was missing or stolen, before leaving the restaurant and making their way back out onto the main road.

“Well, now that we’ve gotten fed let’s resume our mission,” Sir Reginald said.

Just then a bombastic voice said, “I found you! You won’t get away from me this time!”

The party collectively groaned as they turned to see Dominic march up them.

“Can someone please explain to me where he keeps getting all those Get Out of Jail Free cards?” Nova bemoaned.

“Hah! No dungeon can contain Dominic the Daring!” Dominic said proudly. “Now to finally take my revenge on you!”

However, he suddenly fell to his knees, clutching his stomach, to the party’s confusion.

“Umm… but first… could you give me something to eat?” he said in a more timid voice. “I’m hungry.”

An idea dawned in the heads of the party. They all exchanged devilish grins, something that went over Dominic’s head, nodding, before turning back to the criminal goon.

“Sorry, Domi, but we’re not giving you food,” Zeeker grinned.

“Why?!” he sputtered.

“Because there’s a really good restaurant just down that path,” Elizabetta said darkly.

Dominic’s eyes lit up, “A restaurant? Around here?”

Sir Reginald nodded, “Yes. We just came from there. It’s called the Carnivore Café. They have excellent food and good daily specials. They have some strange policies but once you get past that it’s all good.”

“The waitresses are also quite the hot numbers themselves,” Van chuckled darkly.

Dominic looked elated, “Really?! Sounds like my kind of place! Where is it?”

Nova pointed in the direction they came from, “Down that way, in a cave next to a waterfall. Don’t mind the cave, as it’s just the opening. The restaurant itself is gorgeous. But we have some extra advice. Do as the bouncers say or things might get… messy. But the most important advice the regulars say is to order your meat ‘well done’ with extra grill marks. You won’t believe how good that is. It’s to die for.”

Dominic stood up eagerly, “My kind of place! Carnivore Café, here I come! And you lot wait here until after I’m done eating, as I have to destroy you when I get back.”

“Whatever you say, Domi,” Kettu grinned darkly.

“Enjoy your dining experience,” Nina smirked.

“Give our regards to the chefs,” Angelo chuckled.

Dominic quickly made his way toward where the Carnivore Café resided, clearly eager to feast. When he was out of sight the party exchanged high-fives and laughs.

“That poor sucker!” Kettu howled. “I almost feel bad for him. Almost.”

“Wouldn’t I like to be a fly on the wall to see what happens to him,” Elizabetta rubbed her hands eagerly.

“Amen to that, girl,” Zeeker chortled.

Nova chuckled, “Alas, we have Muu’s army to break into bits so we’re gonna have to leave Dominic to his dining fate, as much as we’d like to see it. Come on, let’s get going.”

The party nodded and they continued their journey. As they walked further and further way, they were unable to heard the screams of terror emitting from Dominic’s mouth as he learned the true nature of the Carnivore Café firsthand.

Next Chapter: The Magic School Fuss