Chapter 23

Reginalt gazed up at the sky, his usual nonchalant demeanor hidden, and there he stood with a serious expression.

(As expected, it didn't work.)

Even if he advised Friedrich to give up on Alexandia, he knew that the capricious Friedrich would never stop. That's why he intended to act as a safety valve, trying to rein in his reckless master and minimize the damage, ensuring they didn't cross any lines. However, it turned out to be an unnecessary worry, as their unusual strength had already averted the crisis.

Having seen their prowess with his own eyes, he judged that they could easily handle any opposition with their strength. All he needed to do was cover for his master's reckless tendencies in certain situations, and everything would be fine. He thought that eventually, his master would realize he couldn't win and would calm down.

But in the brief moment he took his eyes off, his master had already taken the next step, and in the worst possible way. It was too late. There was no stopping him now. His master was already on his way to them, and it was impossible to intervene at this point.

He couldn't help but regret his misjudgment. But he couldn't let it end there. If he couldn't stop it, he needed to consider the future and act accordingly.

---

In Another World, when you take a potion, you can taste it, as the system allows for the experience of taste.

That's why you can "eat" in this world. In Another World, eating ingredients can temporarily boost your abilities or serve as a substitute for recovery items, providing various effects. However, the effects are not as strong as those from a healer's support magic or specialized potions (only a few percent), so most people enjoy the food for its taste rather than its effects. Of course, eating doesn't make your real stomach full, but the ability to savor food is wonderful.

--- Wait, if you can eat as much as you want without gaining weight, it's perfect for people on a diet. VR dieting. This could become a trend. More female gamers will join.

---

When invited to have a meal by Lady Alexandia (Irene was strongly against it but was overruled), I found myself at a restaurant near the adventurer's guild. We usually just hunt, so it might be nice to spend some time in the city once in a while. Fortunately, I have enough money from completing quests, so I decided to splurge and enjoy the day.

The restaurant also serves as a tavern, with a row of bottles on the counter. There are about a dozen tables, making it larger than I expected. It's clean and somewhat stylish. We were seated at a table by a waitress, and the place wasn't very crowded, as it was just before lunch time.

As we sat down, a new customer arrived, and another waitress was attending to them. It looked like it would get busy soon.

"Welcome, what would you like to order?"

The menu... I can't read it.

"I'll have a rye bread sandwich and a potage soup."

"I'll have a summer vegetable salad and Spätzle with bacon and spinach."

Wait, they can both read it?

What's Spätzle?

What should I do? Should I order the same thing?

Ah, I can ask the waitress.

"What do you recommend?"

"Potato gratin, sausage platter, and mushroom cream soup."

"I'll have the gratin and the soup."

As the waitress headed to the kitchen, I asked Irene about Spätzle.

"What is Spätzle?"

"Oh, it might be unfamiliar to you, but it's a type of pasta."

I see, it's pasta.

Given the medieval European setting, the food culture is likely based on Europe. There are many types of pasta.

I regret not ordering something I didn't recognize, but I don't want to end up with a bad dish.

There might even be dishes made from monster ingredients.

Lady Alexandia seemed a bit uneasy.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, it's just that I've never been to a place like this before, so it feels a bit novel."

Ah, it's a bit like a casual tavern, which might not be suitable for a lady like her. It's like seeing a lady at a family restaurant or a fast food place.

"Lady Alexandia, please calm down. I advised against eating in such places for this reason."

"No, Irene. This is also a way to learn what common people eat."

Irene's comment could be seen as a business disruption in real life, and Lady Alexandia's perspective was from a completely different angle. "Common people"... I thought she was a lady, but she must be from a very high-class family. Even so, she plays games.

As we talked, our orders arrived. The Spätzle I was curious about looked like short, soft, yellowish macaroni. It looked delicious. The sandwich was a black round bread with cheese, tomatoes, and lettuce. My gratin was steaming hot and smelled delicious. I took a spoonful and put it in my mouth. The flavor of the bacon and the sweetness of the potatoes and white sauce spread in my mouth.

"Delicious."

The words slipped out naturally. Is this really not real? To be able to reproduce such delicate flavors... And this is just a part of the game. The creators didn't compromise at all.

"Mr. Chaos, you're eating too fast."

"Chaos, I know it's delicious, but it's embarrassing."

It seems I was unconsciously eating quickly. They chuckled, and I felt a bit embarrassed. A different kind of heat rose in me.

But this means the soup should be good too. I never knew about this aspect of Another World. I'm glad I was invited today. I tried the mushroom cream soup. It was delicious. But something felt off. It wasn't the taste. My body felt strange. It was vibrating at a steady rhythm. Could this be... damage? And it seems to be DoT (Damage over Time) damage.

I opened the status window to check. My HP was gradually decreasing. It's definitely poison. The status window shows "Poison." When did this happen?

That's right, the mushroom soup. In Another World, eating can boost abilities or heal, but there's a low chance of receiving bad status effects. For example, cheese can slightly heal HP but has a low chance of causing the "Poison" status. The mushrooms in the soup were probably the cause. The game's food is so realistic that I forgot it's a game and chuckled.

"Is something wrong?"

"No, nothing."

If this were a real restaurant, a poisoned dish would be a big problem, but this is just a game. I'm not angry at the NPCs, and the food is still delicious. Fortunately, it won't kill me immediately, and I can use an antidote in an emergency. Let's enjoy the meal.

Feeling good, I resumed eating and suddenly felt like someone was watching me. I met the gaze of some familiar men. They must have come in after us. Ah, they're the guys who tried to hit on us the other day! Did they follow us? How desperate are they for encounters in the game? I glared at them to deter them.

---

"Boy, I'm not saying this to be mean, but it's better not to get involved with him anymore."

The tough guys, who were previously enthusiastic, now looked uneasy. Friedrich's face turned red with anger.

"What! What are you saying? I paid you a lot of money!"

"There's no way we can threaten or fight him. You should know that best. And with this latest incident, what else can you do?"

This goes back a few hours. Friedrich, who was trying to get rid of Chaos, who was bothering Lady Alexandia, was in a bind. He realized that violence wouldn't work. He couldn't find a weakness to exploit, and he was at a loss. So he resorted to his last option.

"Is the thing ready?"

"Hehe, it's all prepared. But, boy, I didn't know you had the connections to get this. Are you familiar with this kind of thing?"

One of the tough guys pulled out a small vial of colorless liquid.

"Hmph, that's none of your business. Or do you want me to shut your loose mouth?"

"No, no, please spare me. As long as I get paid, I'll keep my mouth shut."

Their plan was to poison Chaos and remove him from Lady Alexandia's life. The vial contained a highly potent, odorless, and tasteless poison that would quickly incapacitate anyone who ingested it.

"But how do we get him to drink it?"

"It's simple. They use a lot of potions and mana potions in their battles. We just need to swap the potions at the item shop with poisoned ones."

"Boy, you have a scary mind."

They laughed without a hint of remorse. The restraining servant was away, and there was no one to stop them.

However, their plan went awry. Today, they didn't seem to be going out. Instead, they were going to have a meal. Friedrich's hatred for Chaos deepened. There was no time to waste. He changed the plan to poison the food.

They entered the restaurant after them and mixed the poison into the soup Chaos ordered. One of the tough guys distracted the waitress while another sneaked into the kitchen to add the poison. All they had to do was wait for Chaos to collapse. Friedrich started to smirk, thinking the plan had succeeded.

But Chaos didn't collapse after drinking the soup. He even finished it. Friedrich was puzzled, and the tough guys were terrified. That's why they all urged Friedrich to stay away from Chaos.

"Is this really poison? It had no effect at all."

"It's real. You can test it on an animal if you want. I checked it before buying it."

"Then why didn't it work on him?"

"Perhaps... he's one of the underground people."

"Underground people? What do you mean?"

Friedrich asked, puzzled.

"There are assassins in the underground world. They use various methods to kill, including poisoning. But they also train from a young age to resist poisons, so this time the poison didn't work."

"So he might be a professional assassin. That explains the intense battles."

Indeed, given the intensity, it's likely he received special training.

"I'm also from the underground world, but we can't match a professional. He's a real monster."

"The glare at the end was probably a warning. 'You did this. I'll let it slide this time, but not next time.' I'm sorry, boy, but I'm out of this job."

"Wait, you guys!"

Friedrich tried to stop the tough guys from fleeing, but it was in vain.

"Where do you think you're going, you cowards?"

A chilling voice echoed, and Friedrich and the others froze. It was a voice they recognized.

"...Reginalt"

Friedrich barely managed to say the name of his servant.

"I didn't expect you to resort to such despicable means so soon, Friedrich."

Reginalt's expression was stern, filled with anger. Friedrich had felt that Reginalt would be the first to object if he used such methods, so he had left him out of the plan. But Reginalt seemed to know.

"Reginalt, you know?"

"Yes, I do. Friedrich, those tough guys are outcasts in this city. They stand out, and it's easy to investigate them."

"Damn, what are you going to do?"

"I'll report to your father. You'll be disowned for attempting to harm the noble lady and her associates. Even your mother won't be able to protect you this time."

Friedrich felt the world go dark.

"Boy, it's not too late. If we get rid of him, it's all over."

Friedrich's eyes lit up at the tough guy's words.

"...That's right. A mere servant defying me! What a joke! And if you report to my father, you'll be punished for failing to supervise me."

"No, that's not the case. Your father appointed me as your servant because he was suspicious of your actions. It was easy to infiltrate because you were hated and feared by the household. You know why they feared you."

"That's..."

Friedrich faltered. The image of a girl came to mind.

Her name was Judith—his family's servant and his first love. He had thought of her as a sister since he was young, but his feelings had turned to love. However, it was a one-sided love. She had a distant lover, and his confession was rejected.

This rejection turned his love into hatred. His naivety and spoiled upbringing led him to commit a heinous act. He lost his love, and she lost her life.

He was suspected but never convicted due to lack of evidence. However, those who knew about his relationship with her and his actions feared him.

"Now, you'll confess to all your past deeds. And these men will pay for their crimes. What will you do?"

Reginalt spoke firmly to his master.

"Hey, you guys, kill Reginalt! I'll make you my servants."

But his master remained a villain to the end. With those words, Reginalt completely abandoned him.

"I forgot to mention..."

He told his master, ignoring the surrounding tough guys.

"I'm stronger than I look. I can take down these city thugs."

---

After everything was over, Reginalt was reading an old letter. It was the last letter written by his lover two years ago. It spoke of the young noble boy, who was like a younger brother to her, and her concern for him, asking Reginalt to support him if anything happened to her.

If things had been different, or if he had firmly advised Friedrich, something might have changed. But deep down, Reginalt couldn't deny that he had hoped for this outcome, harboring a grudge against Friedrich.

"...I'm sorry, Judith."

Would his apology reach her? Friedrich, "When did you start thinking of me as a revenge-seeker?"

---

It's hard to keep the story serious! I feel like I wrote this just to include this line. I received feedback that the plot felt familiar, and some readers were expecting this kind of development, so I'll try harder.