Chapter 44: Meditation
[Edited By Arthur300000, ArchmageNaoki, and Deathbricks]
"In the next few weeks, the government might pass out a new policy to combat the declining of the human population."
*Click*
"If I can't be with you, let's die together." Said a woman with a pointy knife.
A man with panic stricken face replies "Stop, we can still talk it out! Nooooo~"
*Click*
"♪ The wheels on the bus goes round and round. Round and round, round and round. ♪"
*Click*
I'm flipping through programs on the wall-sized Television while bouncing on the large heart-shaped super fluffy bed. It was a very big surprise to me when Ms. Kathy, one of the hotel staff, showed me the room. It's a grand hotel suite for panties’ sake!
The super lucky dad who is the cause of all this is lying comfortably on the recliner on the balcony and discussing plans for tomorrow with my brother. He must be tired from the drive from grandpa's home, but he looked more relaxed than usual. The family debt must've been weighing down on him more than I thought.
Because the outside walls are mostly made of glass, I can see a lot of the town and the landscape, bathing in the amber color of the twilight sun. The only two buildings that are taller than where I am right now is the peak of the church and the airport which resides on top of the nearby hills.
The suite itself is bright and spacious. It also has the shape of a horseshoe surrounding a small swimming pool filled with air bubbles and a whirlpool. Even though Ms. Kate called it a hot tub, I doubt anyone would bathe in there naked. The 'tub' is connected to the glass wall, so anyone with enhanced vision like mine can see people's ass from far away if they know where to look.
*Clack clack clack* I trace the strange noise and found Mr. Bobo trying to open the snack bar refrigerator by himself... I forgot to ask Ms. Kathy whether or not the food inside is free.
"Kuro, let's prepare for dinner." My sister came out from the restroom in a smoking hot black one piece dress.
I want to ogle her a bit more, but the food takes precedence here because the hot dog's effect began to wear off. I jumped down from the super fluffy bed and turned off the wall-sized television. What left is to put on my boots-
"Kuro, aren't you forgetting something?" She flourishes and points at her gown.
"You look beautiful, Pristia." I smiled and told her. Then I proceeded to put on my shoes.
"Thank you." She rolled her eyes. "But you also need a formal get up." Oh, that's what she meant.
It is quite bothersome to dine in the restaurant with a strict dress code. But since this is a chance to taste luxurious food for the first time I took out my red gown that I got from the first day shopping with my sister and skipped to the restroom. My mom who is still adjusting her earrings inside the bathroom also looks sexy in her white dress.
I quickly swap my clothes with the awkward-to-walk super long dress. I roll the hem up and skip back outside the restroom. Before I could get far, my mom pulled me back.
"That's not the way you should walk in there." My mom lectures me. I looked around for help, but it seems I have no allies left. Even my dad said, "It's a good chance for you to learn some basic etiquette."
.
"Alright, swing your foot, touch your heel to your toe, chin up, and pull your shoulder back." *Wham* Instead of heel to toe, I go head over heel when I stepped on the hem. This is my third mistake. I think I'm improving because in my last few flip I tore my dress into two in the process. Luckily the dress has a self-repairing function but according to my sister splitting my clothes and exposing my panties in public is not proper dining manner.
"If you’re having trouble you can lift the dress from the floor slightly like this." My mom shows me her fluid movement. It's not that difficult to walk normally in this dress. It's trying to walk gracefully that’s my problem. There are too many things for me to focus on. Now I can understand why there are so many clutzy girls in novels. Their dresses require too much attention!
Why did I buy this dress? Well, at that time everything was too overwhelming, and I didn't understand the scariness of walking in a dignified fashion yet.
[Mistress, you are hunching again.] Gah! Even Skynet is having fun pointing out my mistakes! Even though I put on formal clothes, I still keep my hair clip and Skynet with me because both of them represent my entire wealth in this world, materially and digitally.
My sister also tried to persuade me to leave them in the room's safe box for a while. I know that she wants me to look pretty, but I stood my ground. Well, it was less standing and more tickling, flopping and screaming about but you get the point. Luckily this time my mom is on my side which made my sister relent. Still, she transformed my backpack into a satchel by moving its straps around a bit… I never knew that my bag can do that. Anyways, I still have to consider what to do with Skynet during my adventure. She is too fragile as is.
Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.
It took me a full hour to get the walking down. My mom also complimented me on being a quick learner. Even with her encouragement, the torment doesn't end there. I still have to learn how to sit and stand in this dress and the formal greetings.
.
.
.
As I finished the hellish training which doesn't make me stronger at all, we left Mr.Bobo saunter about in the room. To exit the suite (which occupied almost the entire top floor), we entered the elevator in the center of the south wall. I was afraid that someone might press the wrong floor in the middle of the night. However it seems this elevator is private, and one also needed a key card to use it.
"Hey Aunos, what is the next field assignment?" I asked my brother as we arrived at the restaurant twenty minutes early. I don't know whether the cause we arrived early is because I'm really a quick learner, or I’m a lost cause.
"It's a garrison job. A Beastmen country is requesting for our assistance because they have to divert their main force to combat an immortal class monster that appeared in their territory recently." Oh, so they don't have enough personnel left to protect the town?
"But why us? Shouldn't they hire full-fledged adventurers?"
"It's the cost. There are over a thousand hamlets and villages on their borders, not to mention the roads and other transportation routes connecting them. It's virtually impossible to hire adventurers to protect all that. On the contrary-"
"Us, high school adventurers, are a lot cheaper." I finished his sentence. He nodded.
"Yeah, that and the fact that the school doesn't have to prepare a training ground for us. It's a win-win situation for both sides. Now they can just put a single full-fledged adventurer in each town for supervision, the rest of wherever else being trainees. It's not a best case scenario, but it should suffice for a short period of time." Well, all I care is I get to see a real Beastmen town! Now, one of the great mysteries can be solved: [What do cat girl panties look like?]
I nagged my brother to tell me more about Beastmen, but before my brother can answer me, a waiter came to invite us inside. I followed my dad and my brother to the front desk of the restaurant where they deposit their jackets. I wish I could deposit my dress here, but if I do so, I will only have bra and panties left on my body. This is what they call gender inequality, huh?
The inside of the restaurant is large. There was even a band of musicians performing a strange musical instrument in one corner. One guy is blowing what looks like a monster horn while another one is playing some kind of violin made of bone and metal. The scent in the air was absolutely delicious. I spotted a tasty looking clam on one of the tables. Eh-he-he-Oops, I'm drooling.
I quickly grab all the menus in front of me as soon as I sit. It's not because I'm starving, it's because every time I visit a restaurant in this world the waiter always takes the order from the youngest first then adult last. The hotdog stand on this afternoon also did the same. Which means in this case, the first one they take an order from is me.
There are three expensive looking menus on the table, A La Carte, wine list, and chef’s recommendation. Even though my dad said that the hotel coupon only includes the chef’s recommendation course, I still want to know what this A La Carte thing is about. To my horror, it's filled with incomprehensible text, most pronounced like "Bluh-Bluh-et-Blah-Blah-et-la-Bluh-Bluh." Holy garter belt! The price on most of them is more than one gold coin! So, A La Carte thing must be a cart sized meal, I concluded.
I skipped the textbook thick wine list because I learned my lesson from that martini accident. I picked the chef's recommendation menu up. It only consisted of one page with two words on it, "Meat" and "Vegetable." Finally, an understandable menu.
"What would you like, miss?" As expected, the waiter asked me first. I pointed at the chef’s recommendation and said, "I want meat."
"Would you like a wine or soft pairing?"
"No wine." I answered.
"Soft pairing it is then." The waiter decided for me. I have no idea what soft pairing is, but as long as it's nonalcoholic, it should be fine.
I nibble the bread while waiting for my meal. Damn, this bread is wonderful. I sneakily store some of them in my storage device.
"That's bad manners you know." My brother whispers to me. Dammit, I thought no one saw me even though I have my sneak skill at max and has all perks.
Shortly after all the bread on the table is gone my dish has arrived. It's super small and only consists of two bite size pieces of meat decorated beautifully with colorful vegetables. I grumble a bit after seeing its size. This must be because it's free.
[The meal here will come in multiple courses, mistress.] Skynet clarified.
[Oh, it's from the internet?]
[Actually, when I was still in my main body I frequented this kind of places.] ... And you spent too much and ended up with me, huh? I made a mental note not to leave money matters to Skynet and pop one piece of small meat in my mouth. Without warning my mouth exploded. Well, not literally.
The taste is more complex and powerful than anything I've eaten before. It felt like putting a universe into my mouth. After I had eaten the second bite, I cried. My brother had to elbow me a few times before I noticed what had I done and force my tears to stop. The juice that comes with the dish is also fantastic. It harmonizes perfectly with the fragrance and complexity of the meat.
"Thank you for enjoying the meal." The waiter smiled at me and took the dish away. I'm so embarrassed.
The second dish came shortly afterward. The dish is also very small and served with a shiny metal dome cover. The juice I had was also swapped out. It looks wasteful because I only sipped a little bit and saved it for later, but since they gave me another one I won't complain. So, this what pairing means, huh? They provide drinks matching with the dish they serve. The servers also tell me the dish name, but I doubt I can pronounce it. He also told me to open the cover myself when I'm ready.
The taste of the first dish is still lingering in my mouth, but I can't wait to try another. I quickly open it and-
*SCREAMMMMMM* A grotesque thing on the plate screamed at me. I quickly slam the cover shut with enough force to shake the table. Everyone looks at me worriedly. My dad murmured "Maybe it's too fast for her."
I shoved the dish to my brother while Skynet tells me that I should just leave it there if I don't like it. However, it's expensive. One shouldn't be wasteful with food. His eyebrow is twitching, but after some insisting he took the plate. Do your best brother.
The waiter also asked me what's wrong with the dish. I told him "I don't want anything screaming or wiggling, or anything alive." He nodded then went back to the kitchen.
[Phew, what the heck was that? My heart almost flew out of my chest! And why does everyone act like they didn't hear that scream?] I complained to Skynet.
[That is a part of the thorax of a very strong magical monster. The noise and image you received is a defensive mechanism that transmits directly to its attacker's mind.] Ohh. I look at my brother who now has two plates of the accursed thing. He opens his dish first. Yup, there is no sound at all. That means if I don't want to eat it, that thing is just a delicious looking harmless piece of meat. What a troublesome meal.
[You know mistress, that one's considered a rare and incredibly precious delicacy.] I gulped. Then *SCREAMMMMM* Gah!
"How can you eat that with a straight face?" I grumble to my brother.
"You just need to empty your mind. Have you never encountered this kind of monster before?" He shifted my plate back to me. Then he said: "You should practice emptying your mind with this then." ...