With the various amounts of establishments that looked like places where we can get a bite to eat it was difficult choosing which one we wanted to go to. The buildings that seemed like restaurants could in reality, not be restaurants at all, all the results of the current language barrier.

Of course, yeah, I could definitely learn this language if I wanted to but time is of the essence, I shouldn’t waste the time spent in this city studying a foreign language. Besides, there are many ways to interpret things, the language just not being a way.

Our group wandered on every street and corner, we were lost and were indecisive. One person would ask what the other was in the mood for and then that person would pass on the question to another, forming a cycle of dodging questions. It was either we pick something or spend the rest of the day wandering around until it was time for us to return to the hotel.

The question finally fell onto me after everyone had the chance to dodge the question. I don’t understand why they would hand the responsibility to me, I’m just as helpless and indecisive as everyone else. But since I’m the last person to answer I’ll try and end the cycle.

“Erm...anyone up for…desserts?”

Elizabeth and Alexandria’s eyes lit up with stars.

Seems like I hit the nail on the spot…..now….where would desserts be, there’s gotta be some dessert place in this big ass city. Guess we gotta wander some more until we spot a place, this so far was the plan until we ran into a certain someone.

As we were wandering we ran into the same ginormous lizard wearing the red cape with a gold trim as we were turning the corner. I ended up bumping into the lizard mayor and I realized it was him when he overshadowed me. I look up and back up in surprise.

He said something but none of us could understand, I blurted out a “umm.” And the lizard mayor was surprised.

“Are you okay?” Said the lizard mayor.

“Oh! So you speak our language as well.” I said also somewhat surprised.

“Yes just a little, I am the mayor of this city, it is nice to meet you.”

“Likewise.”

This is a bit...awkward, the social and political gap between the two of us was very long, some random schmuck talking to probably the most important person in the city that every, probably even infants, could easily recognize.

“So where are you heading to?”

“Oh...we’re just finding a place where they serve desserts...do you happen to know any?”

“Ah yes! There’s this one dessert place not too long from here. In fact! I’m currently on my way there, would you care to join us?”

“Us?”

From behind the large lizard mayor two smaller lizards in cute clothing showed themselves. They hugged the legs of the mayor as they tried to avoid eye contact with me and the others. Another lizard that was female walked up to us.

“Hello, nice to meet you, I’m Margaret, this is my husband Hefarian the mayor of the city. These two little kids are ours, Nina and Gino, say hi you two.”

The two lizard children shyly waddled up and both mumbled “hello.” They were normal kids and this was a normal family, well, at least that’s what it looked like.

I turn to Hefarian the lizard mayor and say, “sure” to his offer.

We casually stroll down the street with no problems at all...is what I would like to say but every time we passed people they would stare, gossip, and sometimes guards would follow us only until Hefarian shooed them off. News spreads quickly in this world so tomorrow I might be on the front page of a newspaper with the title of, “Who’s this person and why he’s with the mayor.” Oh boy I just can’t wait for more trouble…The moment we return to the hotel there’s probably gonna be a huge commotion.

“This is the place.” Said Hefarian stopping and slightly raising his arm.

The little kids who before, were too shy to even mutter a peep, were now jumping around all excited and eager to enter the building. But they weren’t the only ones excited, even Elizabeth and Alexandria were excited even though it didn’t look like it since they were probably trying to act more adult like. Which is something a kid would also do.

Hefarian’s wife walked up and opened the door which made a small bell ring. She ushered everyone to enter the cafe before she did, it was a generous gesture in which we couldn’t deny.

Hefarian went in first, then his two kids, next were Alexandria, Elizabeth, Robbert, and Maishaza. I was last for some reason but it didn’t mean much. I thanked Margaret, slightly lowering my head and she responded with “No problem at all.”

The cafe was fancy as hell, chandeliers on the roof that lit up the whole building. To the right was a large glass window in which the tables with two chairs for couples sat.

“Alexandria what’re you staring at? The lights hurting your eyes or something?”

“I wasn’t looking at anything! Just your imagination!”

“Sure…”

There was a bar table and bartender in the middle of the building and to the left was a door leading to the bathroom and to the right was an entrance to the bakery which was made obvious due to the waitresses and waiters going in and out with large serving trays with either pastries or empty pastry covers.

“Hey Hefarian they serve alcohol here?”

“Haha! Of course not, it’s non alcoholic beverages!”

And then he got close to my ear and whispered.

“If you want some alcohol I’ll invite you to my private estate some day, I’ve got the finest wine.”

The private estate of an important political figure? Never mind that, FINEST BOOZE? I'M ALL IN!

A human waitress came up to show our table, she looked unphased by the fact that our whole group was full of animals and monsters. She casually walked us to a large round table and gave each person a menu.

Hefarian, his wife, and their kids sat on one side of the round table, Alexandria, Elizabeth, Robbert, Maisazha, and I sat on the opposite side.

The menu wasn't large, three pages filled with desserts, pastries, and drinks, some had some bitterness to it, some were slightly sour as said by the descriptions but nonetheless all were sweet.

I don’t really have much of a sweet tooth to be honest, something being too sweet is definitely a no, I don’t think it’d benefit my health either. I may have not gotten diabetes in my last life but that doesn't mean I’m gonna try and get it this life.

Looking at Robbert and Maishaza it seems like they aren’t too fond of overly sweet things as well, but that couldn’t be said for Elizabeth and Alexandria, as well as the two little rascals.

“Everyone ready to order?” Said Hefarian.

Everyone nodded in agreement which prompted Hefarian to wave for the waitress.

“Hey how come no ones freaking out about the fact that their mayor is here?”

“Well, it’s because I’m a regular here, and I always go out in public.”

Eh...I don’t think someone as important as this guy should be doing things like this, who knows what could happen outside, important figures doing what he’s doing right now is how they get assasinated.

“Are you ready to order?” Said the human waitress in a frilly dress.

We went around the table starting off with me.

“What’s the least sweetest thing you got here?”

“L-Least sweetest?”

“Yeah.”

“Um...maybe the taoi fruit cake?”

“It’s a slice right? Not like a whole cake.”

“Yeah!”

“Ok then I’ll have one of those.”

“I'll have the same!” Yelled Robbert.

“Me too!” Yelled Maisazha.

I give them the stink eye, what’re they doing ordering the same shit as me!?!?

Both of them avoided eye contact whistling as they twiddle their thumbs.

And on the polar opposite both Alexandria and Elizabeth ask as well as the two rascals. “What’s the sweetest thing you’ve got” Robbert, Maisazha, and I looked at them funny, we knew that ordering the sweetest thing at a place that basically only serves sweet things is not a good idea.

Maisazha held his stomach, Robbert held his teeth, and I held myself. Maisazha feared the stomach aches that could ensue, Robbert feared the cavities. And I feared diabetes, I wasn’t sure if this world had the concept of diabetes or anything similar to it but since I know I’m not taking any risks.

“Our sweetest item on the menu...maybe...the...husoi cream cake.”

You can already tell it’s not a good idea when the waitress has to think about it, if everything is overly sweet it’s obviously gonna be hard to pinpoint which of them was more sweet than the other.

And then the unexpected.

“I’ll have that too.” Said the mayor.

WHAAA!?!? I didn’t really think he had a sweet tooth, thought he had just been tagging along with his children in which they would feast on the pure sugar pastries.

And so the waitress walked away with our orders written on a small notebook.

“So...Antonio.” Said Hefarian in a low tone.

“Y-yeah?”

“How was the monster kingdom that’s ruled by the human empire? I-It's fine if you don’t want to talk about it if it’s like that.”

“N-No no it’s fine. Um...about that place, oh boy where do I start. That place was a complete mess, people of the monster race living in extreme poverty while the humans living in the inner city were in fancy clothes and tall mansions.”

“I see..”

“But that’s not even the worst part!!! There’s this guy who is of the monster race and has almost all of the authority in the slums and some power within the inner city, he’s a real jackass I’ll tell you that!”

“Mmm… I am sorry to hear that you’ve been through such troubles brought to you by this man, what was his name again?”

“Ezekiel."

“I’ll remember that.”

The waitress came back with a tray full of delicious looking desserts, they had mysterious ingredients Antonio was unaware of but he didn’t need that information in order to see.

She placed the desserts in front of those who ordered it, the “kids” which included two actual kids and Alexandria as well as Elizabeth, their eyes were sparkling in amazement, unable to hold back once they were let free out of their cage.

“Well the, lets dig in.” Said Hefarian in a gentle tone.

The “kids” were finally let free out of their cages, they took their forks cutting off large pieces of their dessert and basically inhaling it.

I sliced a small piece of my dessert and tasted it, it was sweet, almost too sweet. Was this really the least sweetest dessert they really had? Are they playing a trick on this old man? I’ll bare it for now but I don’t think my health will be happy later on.

After a couple of small bites I finally hit my limit, as expected from a dessert cafe they were very sweet. The “kids” on the other hand ended up finishing up to the very last crumb on their plate, and even more than that they craved for more sugar. Maisazha and Robbert managed to finish theirs...somehow, but the result was that the two men looked as if their souls were being sucked right out of them.

I slide my half eaten dessert towards Alexandria which made her red.

“W-what are you doing? This is yours!”

“Don’t sweat it, I’m done with it, you finish the rest, it would be a shame to let such a delicious dessert go to waste.”

“....”

“Then I’ll finish!” Yelled Elizabeth raising her arm to the stars.

“N-No! I-I’ll finish it! Don’t worry!!!”

She grabbed the plate and put it down the hatch, she really can eat can’t she?

She chewed with her mouth filled to the brim, like a squirrel hiding it's acorns in his cheeks, a very tomatoey red faced squirrel that is.

It was peaceful but as always our peace always is interrupted by a certain someone, and I have a feeling it’s not gonna be too long before I see his face once again.