Dark Fantasy: Super Coward Mode

I was wandering aimlessly, guided by the Outcast God.

At first, I only saw snack-like things, but gradually, more comforting foods started to appear.

For instance…

Kimchi stew, black bean noodles, pork cutlet, stir-fried pork… Isn’t that a feast of deliciousness?!

Ever since I was transported to this world, I had been craving these foods, so my stomach began to rumble.

“Oh, I’m so hungry.”

Having been dragged away without breakfast, my desire to eat something has intensified.

Let’s wrap this up quickly and head back…

As I walked along with the Outcast God, something about her movements seemed off.

Wondering if she was feeling unwell, I quietly observed her, but suddenly she crossed her arms and looked back at me.

“…Hmm?”

Nervously fluttering her wings.

Her mouth seemed to be mumbling something.

Most noticeably, she tried to put on a sulky expression, but it came off as rather clumsy.

This was likely a strong indication that something was bothering her.

“Friend?”

When I called her by her usual nickname, she shook her head vehemently, almost in a tantrum.

What was bothering her now…?

Ah.

Could it be?

“…Do you also need a name?”

Did I misunderstand her?

For a moment, her expression brightened before she shook her head and seemed to boil over in indignation.

Goodness, what an obvious creature.

Unlike the Watcher, who had a strong demeanor, this one kept hinting at her feelings like a cat.

At this rate, if I didn’t fulfill her wish, she would probably keep it bottled up.

A name, indeed.

Yeah, it is odd to keep calling a little one who happily followed me “friend.”

Though my confidence was a bit shaken when naming the Watcher earlier, I racked my brains.

Alright.

Her appearance resembles that of a fairy.

If she’s pink… I could call her a flower, perhaps?

After all, flowers are plants…

“Talia! How about the name Lia?”

An elfin name I recalled from a fantasy novel jumped to mind, and I tossed it out there.

It was quite a pretty name, and I thought the Outcast God might like it.

“…!”

Fortunately, this time my naming sense seemed to work, as her face lit up, and she zoomed toward me to embrace me tightly.

So, was receiving a name that great?

I was relieved she liked it.

When I tangled my fingers through Lia’s hair, she squeezed her eyes shut and smiled happily.

If I told people that “actually, the Outsider is quite the cute one!” they would probably think I’m crazy.

Once I pulled my fingers away from her, she flapped her wings, that same adorable flounder-like demeanor returning as she continued to guide me.

After all, she was such a charming little creature that this minor episode felt just cute.

“And here you keep trying to give me a silly name! Waaah!” (Watcher)

…Was that a pang of conscience I just felt? Nah, I decided to ignore it for now.

The tour continued, and the further we went inside, the more diverse the food became.

But how should I put it?

It felt like the foods, which originally maintained their identities, were starting to twist together oddly.

Like a seafood noodle soup suddenly covered in pasta.

Or pork soup overflowing with bright red seasoning, spilling out of the bowl.

This trend worsened the more we delved, and soon enough, the dishes began to bizarrely merge in shape, making me question if I was really looking at food.

But strangely, the sight of all that food seemed to ignite my appetite.

The urge to stuff something into my mouth surged.

Could it be that these were actually edible?

Yeah, what about that super coward mode, huh?

I won’t be influenced mentally.

Thinking this, I picked up whatever I could find, only to be left with half of a bowl that seemed to fit together like a puzzle.

Anything was fine.

I was starving, so let’s go…

“…!”

Just then, Lia flew over and grabbed my arm, desperately trying to stop me.

What’s the matter? I looked at her, and she shook her head vigorously, indicating that it wasn’t for eating.

Even though nothing had spilled on the floor, I thought it should be fine to eat, but since Lia said no, I felt I had no choice but to listen.

Letting out a deep sigh, I placed the bowl on the ground, and Lia exhaled with relief as she continued to guide me.

As I barely managed to suppress my appetite while walking, I finally started to see what appeared to be a building up ahead.

Lia, smiling brightly as if to confirm, pointed at the building and flew ahead with a little flutter.

Let’s wrap this up quickly.

I knew I wouldn’t find the food I desired back in my original world, but still, I had to eat something to get by.

Following Lia, I began to run and soon reached the front of the building where she had stopped.

The structure was… how should I put it…

It looked like one of those shabby hidden gem restaurants you often hear about in Korea.

There was a narrow attic door, and that flimsy awning seemed barely capable of blocking the sunlight.

And to top it off, the exterior walls were slightly cracked.

“Hmm?”

Upon closer inspection, I noticed some odd inscriptions on the outer wall.

Hmm… familiar writing style.

It appeared to be the writing of the Record Keeper.

I wondered what nonsensical ramblings were scrawled this time.

I had reached a level of expectation.

Thinking back on the previous guides, I might just glean some information about this Outsider.

…Still annoyed by the dizzying, vlogger-like tone, I found the information inside quite useful nonetheless.

So it really was a restaurant.

I wondered if the food was actually fit for human consumption.

Well, first things first, I should step inside and take a look.

With that thought in mind, I cautiously opened the door, and a loud ‘ding!’ suddenly rang out.

“Uh, um?”

Could it be a trap?

Panicking, I quickly turned to flee.

“Welcome!”

Before I could react, a vibrant yet mature voice called out from behind me.

Hearing it in the same tone that a shop owner would use when greeting a customer caused me to instinctively look back, and only then did I get to see how the interior of the building looked.

Neatly arranged tables and chairs, with a round table surrounding the kitchen.

However, the arrangement of the chairs was somewhat odd.

They were stuck to the ceiling as if glued there, and the lighting was shining from below.

The bizarrely twisted foods outside and the awkward imitation of a restaurant setup created a rather strange atmosphere.

And at the center stood a graceful woman in an apron, wearing a mysterious smile as if it were nothing at all.

A human?

No, there couldn’t possibly be a human in a place like this.

This meant that the woman was likely the Outsider Lia had intended to show me.

And to create such an imaginative space like this means…

‘Probably an Outsider of a high rank.’

Although the accuracy is debatable due to the hierarchy set by the Knights, it nonetheless served as a measure of how I should approach her.

Should I turn and run?

I should experience the nature of this entity at least once to analyze it, but there was no guarantee things would go as smoothly as they did when I faced the Gardener.

There was no assurance that every Outsider would be hospitable toward me.

Alright.

First, let’s retreat.

I didn’t know if I could escape, but since I hadn’t shown hostility, the Outsider shouldn’t chase after me.

With those thoughts in mind, I began to step backward slowly.

“Thank you for stopping by our Knight’s Restaurant.”

As I turned to leave, the Outsider spoke to me as if my entry was a matter of course.

I intended to ignore her and head out.

“Uh, wait?”

To my surprise, my body wouldn’t move as intended.

I thought it might be mental interference, but it didn’t feel like that.

Rather, it was as if my body didn’t want to leave.

“Are you a knight, by any chance? Or perhaps a Candle? According to our restaurant’s name, we have special service privileges for knights!”

Unintentionally, under the charm of her words, I replied.

“Yes, I’m a knight.”

“Oh my, is that so? Our restaurant strives to provide robust meals for knights who tirelessly work for the world!”

As if to prove her words, the enticing aroma of food wafted from inside the door.

This smell…

It was both familiar and nostalgic.

“Oh my, so you’re two guests. Is this little one part of your party?”

Lia was also drooling, eagerly anticipating the meal.

My stomach rumbled.

As if drawn by some invisible force, my hesitating feet began to move forward.

“Alright, welcome, guests!”

I entered the restaurant, following her lead.

Ding.

#

As the Outsider began to guide us, a chair near the round table suddenly moved with a loud ‘bang!’ shocking me.

Despite this, the Outsider smiled and encouraged me to sit, and I looked around with a cautious feeling.

It definitely evoked a warm nostalgia reminiscent of a shop in rural Korea, but was it truly okay to be here?

Considering how impulsive this choice had been, I felt a mountain of worry, yet seeing Lia happily dancing with the utensils set before her left me with nothing but a sigh.

I tightly clenched a party whistle in my pocket.

Just in case.

Well, having a restaurant is nice, I guess.

But why on earth would they open a restaurant in this place?

As I pondered, a menu suddenly floated into my line of sight.

Startled, I looked up, and there was the Outsider smiling a charming, not-so-ordinary smile.

“Here’s the menu! Please ring the bell once you’ve made your choice!”

“Ah, yes.”

I was taken aback by the Outsider’s polite demeanor that compelled me to speak formally.

Was there any Outsider who spoke to me politely before?

Most of them had been pretty casual with me.

「….」

Well, from the Outsider’s perspective, humans are likely seen as weak, inferior beings, so I guess cultural differences might account for this, hmm.

This wasn’t due to a fear of repercussions, of course.

Let’s check the menu first.

Since I’ve come this far, I have to choose something.

As I scanned the menu, I couldn’t help but shed tears at the names written before me.

“… Budaejjigae, Dwaeji Gukbap, Donkatsu, Jeyuk Bokkeum?”

Oh dear.

Am I seeing this correctly?

Is this really written accurately?

Not only that, but in the corner, proudly placed among the alcoholic beverages was ‘Soju.’

And at the very bottom of the menu…

‘All menu items are provided for free! Please refrain from trying to pay!’

“Sigh, *sniff*…”

“…!”

Lia, who had been excitedly choosing her menu beside me, was startled by my sudden outburst of emotion and gently tapped my arm, unsure of what to do.

But how could I not cry at this?

To be brought here without a clue and now provided with food from my hometown for free…

Did the Outsider hear my sniffling? The one who had been tidying up in the kitchen walked over, surprised.

“Ex-excuse me?! Are you alright?!”

“Sniff, I-I’m fine. I-I’ve chosen my menu.”

“I-I don’t know what’s troubling you, but I’ll do my best to make it delicious to comfort you!”

How is it that even her comforting words are so lovely?

Unable to stop the tears streaming down, I pointed to a menu item with my finger.

“Um, then… I’ll have the Jeyuk Bokkeum and a bottle of Soju…”

With my words, the Outsider smiled warmly.

“Order received!”

And thus began the cooking.

I felt an exciting thrill, but…

Thud.

Suddenly, a crashing sound echoed from somewhere.

Turning my head toward the noise, I saw a woman slumped over the table.

Drool trickling from her mouth.

What the…?

Lia zoomed over to check her pulse, but the result was…

Shaking her head.

… She was dead.

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