Chapter 24: Dinner

Inside a potion store in the city of Athens, Aurora surveyed the inside of the store and then turned her gaze to the young woman who was tending.

“How long have you worked here?” asked Aurora to the young woman tending the potion store.

“I started a couple of years ago. Not only did I take care of the store, but I’m also in charge of producing some potions.” Commented the woman with a smile, and as she watched Aurora look at the potions on the shelves, she added. “Although multinational companies mass produce some potions and have a large distribution, there is nothing better than home production.”

“Each of these potions will generally be more effective than with their mass-produced counterpart.” The woman added with a touch of pride.

Aurora nodded, as the saleswoman’s words were not a sales pitch, but the simple truth.

There was a large potion industry, but its effects compared to custom production were quite small.

“Did you know alchemy from before, or were you taught when you worked here?” Aurora asked curiously.

To other people, it would seem as if she was meddling in other people’s personal affairs, but in reality, the woman didn’t mind.

After all, she had agreed to be interviewed.

“Actually, when my teacher came into this world, I was a refugee from Turkey because of the European-Demon War. So she took me as her apprentice and taught me,” confessed the woman honestly and looking at the store fondly, she added. “Eventually she opened this store and now I am dedicated to helping her when she returns to Terra nova.”

The people of Terra nova did not always stay in this world.

They had their business and their duties; it was common that they had to come back every so often.

Aurora asked a few typical questions and then said goodbye with a smile.

She had her entire interview stored in her holographic watch.

She hadn’t planned on interviewing the saleswoman, as she had only come to buy some backup potions, but after her big purchase, she somehow ended up interviewing.

“Where are they?”-TheSimplicityOfLife.

Aurora sent a message to the group.

“I’m interviewing the owner of a drone store...” -MachineControl.

Andrés was the first to respond, and the next moment, she got the answer she was looking for.

“We’re here...” -AliceSacredPapitas.

Alice’s reply gave the position on the map where she was.

They had returned to the Dimensional Marketplace, this time with the intention of conducting interviews.

In the morning, they had visited the ‘Acropolis Museum’ and then the ‘Acropolis of Athens’ itself.

They were dazzled by the ‘Parthenon’, but as they did not have many days, they decided to do part of their homework today.

Tomorrow would be Sunday, and they would be back in the evening, so the group conducted interviews today and leave the sightseeing tour of the temple of the Goddess of Knowledge for tomorrow.

Aurora headed to where her friend had pointed her out.

She had spent the entire afternoon interviewing, so Aurora was tired.

Sometimes it was entertaining to hear some stories, but other times she found it sad.

The Greek people had lived through the horrors of war brought on by a madman, and although they were now in a better situation, elsewhere in the Middle East, perhaps some people were going through the same thing.

While there was an exodus from the former Middle Eastern countries, it was hard to say that all the people could flee, even if large countries, organizations, and churches helped them.

When she arrived at the appointed place, she noticed Erica, Joslyn, and Alice interviewing a vendor at a street stall.

Alice had been in charge of shopping at her stall, and Erica was handling the interview along with Joslyn.

Waiting for them to finish, Aurora heard a minor commotion.

It sounded like an argument, and she, with some curiosity, moved to see what was going on.

“How dare a demon come so openly into this area?”

Aurora heard that angry shout and moved closer through the crowd to see what was going on.

“...”

When she saw the scene, she froze.

A young fighter was in a fighting stance with the intention of attacking a grown man.

This man would look like an average human if it weren’t for his reddish skin color and small horns on his head.

“Marc, calm down... Demons are not enemies here,” intervened a young man, stopping the fighter who was part of their group.

The reason for Aurora’s freezing was that... The group in question were students of the Hero Academy.

They were her classmates and worse...

“I am not a demon,” declared the russet-skinned man with an exhausted sigh.

It was hard to tell what race was considered ‘demonic’, but to the ignorant, demons were red-skinned beings with horns.

It was an image created from pure demons having those features, but in the end, it was a skewed image.

Among the demons, there were races of all kinds, all considered enemies of humanity and receiving the denomination of ‘demon’, by their actions, culture, place where they came from, way of life, or by the use of some particular magic.

But this one in particular...

“It’s a human...” Erica interjected in a serious tone as she stepped forward to stop her fellow academy member.

“Human? That’s a demon and demons are dangerous existences that must be eliminated!” Marc shouted with a jealous tone, then seeing the crowd looking at him like an idiot, he snorted. “Hmph, Greece is just a puppet of the Falion Empire and their ideas has tainted you guys, forgetting what the demons did to humanity.”

Was it out of embarrassment or because he was angry at being looked at that way?

Marc seemed to have gotten angrier than he should have.

Aurora didn’t know which of the two was the reason, but her eyebrows twitched.

It was true that the Falion Empire had been in favor of seeking peace with the demons, but their reason was that they knew that among the demons, there were some peaceful ones and others who sought to eliminate each other.

They also knew the madness of the demons and knew that if pressed, they could push them to strike back... by murdering civilians or performing mad rituals to summon existences that would cause fear.

Some earthlings saw that as an act of cowardice or even that something dark was going on, and it was the reason why the Falion Empire had too many detractors.

After all, the Falion Empire was not only the most powerful Empire on Terra nova, but it was known that its former Empress, who had led it to greatness, was apprenticed to the ‘Enemy of Humanity’ that most people hated.

“That’s not a demon. It’s a human... Specifically a ‘human of the fire lands’. Their skin is red, due to the fact that in the lands where they live, the fire element is so dense that they evolved, acquiring that hue as a form of natural resistance,” explained Alice eating her chips as if she was watching an interesting show, seeing that everyone present was watching, she shrugged and added. “As for his horns... It’s an inheritance from his demon ancestors, however, they hate them deeply because of their history.”

“Oh, thank the Goddess there is someone wise here,” said the red-skinned man with a grateful sigh, gave Alice a smile, and added. “Thank you, young lady. I was working. I didn’t think I was mistaken for a damn... A demon.”

The red-skinned man corrected himself as he was about to insult, glanced at Marc, and then disappeared like a spark that lost its strength.

“This...” Marc froze at Alice’s information, and seeing her look at him like he was an idiot, he gritted his teeth and fled in embarrassment.

It was hard for him to say anything in this situation.

The Greeks had an animosity to demons, as they had suffered quite a bit because of them, but because of the Falion Empire, most had accepted diversity and were not so quick to judge.

They were not the only ones who detested the demons; different races also had a history with them and came to hate them.

The crowd dispersed, and Erica approached Alice.

“I didn’t think you were so knowledgeable.” Erica commented sincerely, and with a slightly excited tone, she added. “Strong and smart... A perfect heroine.”

Was this the birth of a new Alice fan they were so proliferating at the academy?

Aurora just hoped it wasn’t that way, as it was too much with the fans in her other group.

“It’s just basic knowledge,” Alice replied in true, humble fashion.

There were many former players who had knowledge about Terra nova and its races, but among the youngsters, hardly anyone learned about them.

Erica and Joslyn gave a bright look at Alice’s ‘humility, but...

“How about we finish this quickly? I want to go to dinner. Today will be a special day,” Alice said, changing her image from a wise and intelligent heroine to a smart, intelligent and gluttonous heroine.

“Sure...”

Aurora’s lips quivered as the duo immediately agreed.

******

Aurora and the group continued walking through the neighborhoods, following Alice.

It was a bit far from the center of Greece and their hotel, which made the group doubt the person leading the way.

“If you want, I can look at the map... You know, to guide you better,” Andrés commented with a faint smile.

Aurora’s lips twitched as she heard those words that seemed to signal that Alice was lost.

She said nothing, however, as the surroundings didn’t look at all like a place where a restaurant would be found.

While it wasn’t dark, and people were walking around, this neighborhood was a suburb of rather rustic houses.

They were in a residential neighborhood where it would be hard to think there would be a restaurant nearby.

“I know where I have to go,” Alice announced without pausing, and when she noticed that the group seemed to be looking at her strangely, she explained. “We’re visiting a chef, but he doesn’t have his own restaurant and every week he changes restaurants where he works. This week the restaurant is in the suburbs.”

Aurora, at those words, frowned slightly.

She had accompanied Alice many times before, but there were always times she wasn’t with her, so it was normal for her to meet people she didn’t know herself, but this particular person...

“We’re not going to bother ‘him’, are we?” Aurora asked, questioning seriously.

“Hmm... No,” Alice replied, immediately averting her gaze and quickening her pace.

Aurora shook her head at that blatant lie.

She could get the answer out if she used the tactic of walking up and staring at her to spit it all out, but since they were in a group, she refrained.

They didn’t walk far when they noticed a rather large tree in the middle of two typical suburban houses.

Alice stopped in front of the tree and the group’s eyes sparkled.

The tree was quite large, and in the middle was a door, as if inside was a house.

The windows between the wood of the second floor and the first floor, it was quite a pleasant sight to see.

The tree was large enough for humans to live inside.

It was strange for this kind of building to be in this kind of suburb of modern houses.

“This is it,” Alice stated, nodding to herself.

The entire group read the sign that said ‘restaurant’ that was in different languages and went inside.

Inside were a few humans, dwarves, and elves chatting amongst themselves.

The restaurant looked like a mix of bar-restaurant, and the interior was quite rustic.

The walls were the wood of the tree; there was a second floor with stairs carved from the same wood.

“Welcome to the ‘Little Tree of Life’!” Greeted an elf with a chuckle, sounding like a welcoming joke.

She glanced at the group and, noticing Alice, shouted to the kitchen. “Urfin, your visitors have arrived! Get your round ass in here!”

Andrés and Joslyn’s lips twitched as their belief of the elves snapped back... Again.

It was common to think of them as proud and haughty, yet polite and cheerful.

Aurora just smiled; she had been through that stage, but only very few elves held those traits, and like any race with a large population, it was hard to find characteristics that defined them all.

Footsteps were heard from the other side, and a burly, heavily built dwarf approached.

“Alice and Aurora, glad you could make it,” said the dwarf with a smile.

He had ignored the elf’s comment and was stroking his beard, trying to look like a mature gentleman.

That carefully braided long blackish beard was the first thing that came to mind for someone who thought of dwarves.

“We’re here for dinner.” Alice reported, nodding solemnly.

Aurora gave her friend a soft nudge, as her way of greeting was rather disrespectful... As if she cared only about the food.

That’s why she had to step forward.

“Sorry to bother you, Urfin. If I had known we were going to cause trouble for you, we wouldn’t have come,” Aurora commented, shaking hands with Urfin and giving him an apologetic smile.

Who the hell had thought Alice would invite them here?

They were basically talking to an important member of the Falion Empire authorities, an S-Rank.

“No need to worry. You already know I like to cook for people who know how to appreciate my food,” Urfin said, waving his hand as if it didn’t matter and giving her a signal he ordered. “Let’s go to the second floor. It’s all empty there.”

Aurora felt better hearing those words and only sighed when she saw that Alice was already following him like a lapdog.

The group went up to the second floor, slightly nervous about the surroundings and about Urfin.

It made sense of their nervousness, some of them were just meeting different breeds for the first time, but Aurora and Alice had already made acquaintances with this race.

The second floor was similar to the first, only the bar and surroundings were smaller.

“Do you like it? The owner wanted a style similar to her land... We had to bring in all this huge tree and then change it, but I think it’s worth it,” Urfin explained as he gave her a pick of the table, and seeing the curious looks of the group in the vicinity, he added. “Although it looks ‘rustic’, we have sought to merge modernity with magical elements, so in comfort it is equal to any restaurant.”

The entire group nodded.

Although the streetlights, air conditioning was magical artifacts, there was electrical power to charge devices and Wi-Fi as well.

“I have dwarf ale brought directly from Terra nova. It’s a delight. Would you like some?” Urfin asked, and before he poured some mugs, he murmured."True, you two are students now... I think you should drink something non-alcoholic."

Erica and Joslyn let out a small laugh as they watched Urfin put down the beer, getting a disappointed look to appear on Alice.

Aurora didn’t overthink that they were students and just ordered a glass of soda, making the others order theirs.

Urfin brought the pitchers of drinks and also the menu for the group.

Alice immediately took it to look over the menu with a solemn expression.

“Where do you two know each other from?” Erica asked curiously.

Andrés and Joslyn immediately looked on with equal curiosity.

Both Andrés and Joslyn were nervous to ask that question, but Erica, as the daughter of a wealthy family, had met many people, so she quickly regained her composure.

“He’s...”

“I know them through their work. Their mercenary group, though little known abroad, is excellent,” Urfin interjected with a smile.

Aurora just looked at him and didn’t say too much.

She could tell Urfin interrupted her so that Erica, Andrés and Joslyn wouldn’t feel nervous in front of some of the most important authorities in the Falion Empire... Or maybe Greece.

Still, technically she hadn’t lied. She had worked for Greece under Urfin, and they also had trade relations directly with Urfin.

“You’re a mercenary too?” Andrés asked rather incredulously, as he looked at Aurora.

“Yes.” Aurora replied, not caring about the incredulous look on the faces of those present.

Someone who had run away from the test and gone into hiding was a mercenary?

That seemed like a joke.

While Aurora had gotten better at demonstrating her skills and covering up the rumors about her going into hiding, the fact that she had abandoned her group was still present.

Surely they thought that Aurora did administrative work in the group.

“What is the name of your mercenary group?”

“Unfortunately, only Rank A groups have their names officially registered and we, being a Rank B group, we don’t have an official name,” Aurora explained rather calmly.

This time, both Urfin and Alice looked at her strangely, but Aurora just ignored them.

She wasn’t lying that they had no official name, and while others gave her strange names, she wasn’t willing to accept it.

The entire group asked Urfin about the names of the food and what it was, but since the details of the food were too weird for an Earthling, the group selected what they found most appealing.

The names of the food were not only strange but also the spices and ingredients they used were not from this world at all.

From veal, from a distant kingdom, a fruit with a strange name and appearance, to lettuce that grew in the lands of the elves.

Erica, Joslyn and Andrés looked at Alice, who had invited them today.

It was evident that every ingredient was imported from Terra nova and brought from lands far from that world... It was clear that the food was expensive, very expensive.

“You need not worry, although it may seem expensive to you, it is actually cheaper than you think,” calmed Urfin, noticing their hesitation and stroking his beard he explained. “Many of us are not from the Falion Empire, but from other regions of Terra nova. Bringing exotic ingredients when we travel here is our highest priority.”

The trio felt more reassured by those words.

Urfin wasn’t lying; although some vendors gave an astronomical price for some products brought from that world, it wasn’t as expensive as it seemed.

Terra nova was a world where the density of magical energy was abnormally high, making rare and valuable plants or ingredients here normal in that world.

Leaving an artifact on the table, Urfin made his way to the kitchen downstairs.

After a few minutes, the artifact projected Urfin from the kitchen.

“I like to chat while I cook. I hope you don’t mind,” Urfin said with a quiet smile.

“That’s okay...” Andrés replied quickly.

Erica and Joslyn nodded.

How could they refuse to talk to someone of Terra nova’s dwarven race and watch him cook?

The projection made the kitchen very well visible, and it looked as if the kitchen was directly in front of them, making it a very realistic projection.

The entire group watched Urfin’s quick movements as he cooked and listened to his stories about the ingredients or the typical Terra nova dish he was preparing.

While the names were strange, any neophyte with zero knowledge could tell that each dish belonged to a different region in Terra nova.

Not only was he creating dishes from the Falion Empire, but from other distant regions and different races.

Slowly, the food was being made, and the smell reached the second floor as the group listened to Urfin’s story.

From stories of food or Terra nova, the conversation turned to a personal interview with someone from Terra nova.

“Why did you come to this world?” Joslyn asked, and before they looked at her, she shyly explained. “I heard from my father that individuals from Earth as players created too much destruction on Terra nova.”

At that time, when the virtual machine that everyone thought was a game was connected to another real world, how many people performed atrocities, thinking their actions would have no consequences?

Their number was as high as the number of players there were worldwide.

“Yes, that is true. The destruction was enormous, but some people caused that destruction,” Urfin said, completing the last few steps of a plate, then paused and looking at the group, he explained. “It was the God of Time and Space who connected the two worlds, but we had been informed of the arrival of those people. ‘Players’ who would be immortal would arrive on our world.”

Revelations had come from the gods informing of the arrival of the ‘players’, and time was given for that world to prepare.

“But not all those players were bad, and among them were excellent players. They helped villages clear monsters, rebuilt cities, created kingdoms, expanded huge trading companies or simply saved millions of people,” Urfin stated with a smile and continuing with his cooking; he commented. “I understand that this world has also had great wars, but in our world, wars are normal.”

Chopping some vegetables that looked strange, he continued.

“I am over a hundred years old and during my life, I have lived through dozens of wars. All those wars before the players came to our world.” Urfin reported with a severe tone.

Terra nova was known to be a fantasy world with medieval touches, but it was very dangerous.

Dangerous races that liked to murder, evil gods that spread chaos, ambitious people looking to conquer kingdoms, calamities and dragons that wanted to destroy cities.

It was a chaotic world and always with different ‘events’ that led all people to believe that this world was a game...

“I don’t deny that there are people who hate players, but in my case I met good and bad players. The former being the majority.” Urfin commented, and as he checked the pots and pans and the ovens where the different dishes were, he muttered. “That’s the reason I came to this world, to help friends who helped me in their time.”

The group was young and had not been through Terra nova.

While they heard stories from their parents, people usually didn’t talk much about that world, as some felt shame in thinking it was just a game.

They were ashamed of their actions and all that happened on that world caused by the earthlings.

But others were proud of their way of living on Terra nova and for their actions or friends they made... Friends who years later came to support them again.

“I hear that some people think that Greece is a puppet of the Falion Empire. What do you believe about that?” Andrés asked with a solemn tone.

It was a rather tricky question, but it was a question that needed to be asked as an official interviewer.

“It is an image created from lack of information. The God of Time and Space allowed us to come to this world, but he did not give only the privilege to the Falion Empire. Dozens of kingdoms, churches, trading companies or ordinary people can come to this world after passing the necessary checks,” Urfin revealed and seeing the surprise of the group, he gave a smile and explained. “The Church of Knowledge is the one who is in charge of performing the checks.”

Aurora nodded; conspiracy theories and other naysayers who only complained had covered that information up.

It was known that the official number of people coming from Terra nova did not exceed ten thousand, and they were all kinds of people, from those who came to trade or simply to travel.

From powerful kings to humble merchants, all could travel, but to have the opportunity, they had to pass through the control of the Church of Knowledge.

“In these last few years of peace, it’s normal for people to take it as a vacation and not as a crusade to help, but that’s better. I think we need to improve relations between the two worlds,” Urfin mentioned, and this time, the entire group nodded.

The group of naysayers was a minority, and a large majority liked Terra nova.

Not only because of their past, but because of those individuals who came to help in a time of need... Perhaps in some cases, they were colleagues and friends from years ago.

“I don’t deny that some people have a desire to take revenge on the players or simply conquer this plane, but well... Those people want to conquer the hundreds of planes that are connected to Terra nova, so it’s a normal thing.” Urfin explained with an amused laugh.

Only Alice laughed, and when they looked at her, she shrugged and commented. “A small part of humanity has a desire to conquer Terra nova with modern weapons.”

Aurora could say nothing to refute her.

The desire for conquest was in the humans of this world or the races of any other world... And more so when people believed that modern weapons could conquer medieval worlds that only used magic.

Even though in that particular world they could encounter dragons that could devastate modern cities...

“Dinner is ready, I hope you like it,” Urfin said with a smile.

Such matters lost importance when the smell of food reached them.