My life in this other world is really shaping up. I got my first Divinity point, I finally got a [Story Skill], and now I'm going on a date with a cute girl. It seems like the average isekai plot. Where's the plot twist? I know something is going to go wrong. I can feel it. I've read too many manhwa to not see this coming.
"Hey Damon, why do you look so on edge? Relax a little. If you do good, I might let you take me on a second date." Yeah, fuck being on edge. Today has been a great day and nothing will change that. "The tavern is just a couple streets away now." I thought she said close to the castle though. We've been walking for 20 minutes.
"Here we are. McMillian's Tavern." I look up at the sign. It looks old; like it was made centuries before I was even born. "Is this really the tavern?" She frowned at me. "Yes it is. It's not a bad place. C'mon Damon, lets go in!" She grabbed my arm and dragged me in. "Hey Sarah, can I get a table for two today?" The tavern hostess looked at Alice and then to me. "Are his eyes supposed to be like that?" [Fireball] "Damon! Put away the fireball. It was a harmless question."
"Fine. Yes, my eyes are supposed to be like this. I was born with them this way." I disengaged my fireball. "Sorry for asking. Didn't think it would be a sensitive topic. Sure Alice, I've got a table ready for you two." Alice and I followed her to a secluded table near the back of the tavern. "Here are your menus. Hope you both enjoy."
"I haven't really eaten much since I've gotten to this new world. Do you have any recommendations Alice?" Her eyes sparkled at the question. "All the food here is good. But my favorite is by far the steaks. They also serve pork chops and also horse meat." The menu was much different from the cup noodles I ate almost daily back on Earth. Looking at the menu made me realize another thing though. "I have no money."
"You don't have any money? That makes sense. I planned on paying anyways, so don't worry yourself on the bill cutie." She knows her way around guys, that's for sure. I planned on ordering something like a burger and fries, but those don't exist in this world. "No burgers or fries? That sucks big time." Alice looked confused. "What's a burger and fries?"
"You don't know what a burger and fries is? It's a very common food back on our old planet. You must've not gotten out a lot then huh?" Alice looked very flustered when I said that. "Y-yeah, didn't get out a lot. I mostly stayed at home." I wonder if the cook here would let me try to make them. "Do you know the cook? I want to see if they'll let me make a burger."
"I know him, yeah. I'll take you to him." She got up and started to lead me to a room secluded in the tavern. "Who's that? Oh? Alice, you're back again. Good to see you darling. You brought a boy too? Good for you Alice." The chef looked like he was an actual dwarf. He had stereotypical elf ears and was relatively small. "Hey chef. He actually wanted to ask you a question."
"Yeah. Could I perhaps make a burger?" He looked confused. Guess people around here really don't what burgers are. "It's something you can do with cow meat. Here, let me demonstrate." I started making a burger just like how my mom taught me when I was little. First make a ball of the beef and smash it down. Put it in a hot pan with some olive oil. Flip the patty after 12 minutes to the other side. Grab a bun. Place the patty carefully in the bun. Grab a tomato and some lettuce. Slice the tomato into a thin slab. Cut the lettuce into a smaller shape. Assemble however you want.
"Voila, burger. I'm surprised it hasn't been done already. You had all the ingredients to make one. Here Alice, you should try it since you haven't had one before." She looked unsure. "Are you really sure it's safe to eat?" I nodded. She took a bite out of the burger and her eyes lit up in joy. "It's delicious!" The chef looked stunned. "Can you teach me how to do that? I want to put that, 'burger' on the menu." I wrote down the steps and handed it to him.
We went out of the kitchen and back to our table where 2 cups of ale were placed. "Yeah! Thank you Sarah. You should taste some. It's really good Ale." This time I was the one who was uncertain. Could I even drink the ale? "Uhm, I'm 16, I don't know if I'm allowed to drink this." She looked shocked to hear my age. Do I really look older than that? "16 is fine to drink ale in this world. You're considered an adult at 15 here." I was skeptical, but it wouldn't hurt to try it just once.
I took a sip from the ale. It was sweet. I couldn't explain it past that. All other words felt wrong. "This is good. It's really good." Alice smiled at me. "I told you~" We drank the ale together. I didn't drink another because I felt tipsy after the first one. Alice kept drinking though. "How can you drink so much and be fine?"
She just shrugged. "I've always had a high tolerance to everything. Spice, pain, alcohol. Just everything." I didn't know that about her. I guess I didn't really know anything about her. Then again, we were on a date. That's the perfect setting to get to know someone. "Why are Merlin and Lancelot training you? You guys left me alone and then walked out and said they would be training you."
I completely forgot that I didn't explain that to her. "Well, the Plassian Empire are going to weaponize their God Candidates against the Arthurian Kingdom. Since Lancelot and Merlin are Aces, they'd have to face off against the other Aces. But the Plassian Empire also have Berserker Bladers. They have 5 of them."
"6. There are 6 Berserker Bladers."
"What do you mean 6? Merlin said 5. How would you kno-"
I felt the sharp pinching of a blade piercing my stomach. "I'm sorry Damon. I enjoyed our date. I'm only doing this because I have to." [Would you like to look at her Status Window] Accept. My worst thoughts were confirmed in that moment. She wasn't a God Candidate. She was a Berserker Blader. But she was also an Ace. "You don't have to do this."
"If I don't I lose the only family I have left. I can't do that. I'm sorry Damon." I didn't know how to feel. Was she being truthful? Did she mean anything she said? Was this all a trap? I can't think straight right now. She struck me in the neck and made me black out. "I do like you Damon, no. I love you Damon, but I can't lose my sister. She's the only family I have left."