Dragon in the Kitchen

by Composcreator

Summary:

ORIGINALLY STARTED ON FF.NET
Before going to Kuoh, Issei's parents decided that he needed some real world experience. What better place than a part time job working at a restaurant owned and run by a relative. Little did Issei know that this job would get him in contact with individuals who were out of this world, literally!

Chapter 1: 1-Welcome to Nekoya

NOTE: THIS CHAPTER WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED IN FANFIC DOT NET IN AUGUST 2018. THIS IS A FIXED FIXED VERSION AS WHEN I FIRST STARTED, WE DID NOT KNOW MIKI’S NAME. WHICH IS ALSO WHY I HAVE CUT DOWN PARTS OF THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR’S NOTE. PLUS IT MAKES IT EASIER TO POST ON AO3.

Hello.

Surprisingly glad to be getting back to this story.

 

I do not own the Isekai Shokudou or High School DXD.

 

 

“Talking”

‘Thinking’

Telepathic Communication

[Ddraig talking]

[Ddraig communicating telepathically to Issei or others]

 

Chapter 1: Welcome to Nekoya

 

School was over! No homework, to pop quizzes or exams! For one Issei Hyoudou it was even better as he was finally out of middle school! The cherry on top was that he would be going to Kuoh for High School, the famous former all-girl school that recently became co-ed! It would only be the second year of this new system by the time he enters meaning that the percentage of guys would still be low, making it the perfect place to make progress on his dream to being the Harem King! It was this eagerness that drove him out of his room and down for breakfast. Sure, he did not have any real plans, but that did not mean he was going to sleep for months until school started.

As it turns out, this break would be Issei’s busiest so far, yet most interesting and exciting.

“We need to talk.”

Hearing those words out of your mother’s mouth, with your father sitting next to her with a serious expression, the moment you walk down the stair for a late breakfast is not usually a good sign. For a moment, Issei feared that his parents would be making some crazy decree for the vacation period like say no porno or no allowance. Swallowing the lump of nervousness in his throat, Issei did as he was asked and sat across from his parents.

“I didn’t do something bad, did I?” He asked anxiously. While some might say that him peeking and being a perv deserved punishment, in context that’s that what he was asking. He legitimately was concerned that he may have accidentally done something that hurt someone or worse, failed his final exam and thus stuck in middle school for another year.

“No, it’s nothing like that.” His mother Miki sighed. “It’s just that we are very concerned for you.”

“I don’t understand.” Issei replied with a tilt of his head. He was certainly not taking any drugs or stuff like that…unless jacking off a lot counted.

“We know why you’re going Kuoh.” His father Gorou said as he joined the conversation. “While not for the best reasons, we are still proud that you were able to get into such a good school.”

“And I will admit that it’s a good way to get yourself a girlfriend.” Miki added. “Even with your perverted tendencies and your desire for a harem.” She half muttered. “But disregarding that, we want to talk about your prospects.”

“You mean my future?” Issei asked. “Are we talking about something we would have with the teachers about future plans?”

“Yes and no.” His mother conceded.

“Son,” his father began. “If you want any girl to stay with you, much less 2 or more, you will need to show some maturity.”

“We’re not asking you to act like an adult.”

“Of course not. These are the days of your youth you should enjoy. We would never want to take that away from you.”

“We just think it’s a good idea for you to get some real-world experience early on.”

“This is why we want you to get a job.”

Now, an average teenager, especially an American one (assuming they don’t really need the money), might complain about having to get a job, especially during the break. They would much rather spend their time having fun or hanging out with friends or, at the very least, vegging out in their beds as much as possible. Issei Hyoudou was not one of those kids. Sure, he would have less free time, but other than that he really saw no problem with it. Frankly, he saw it as a good way to start earning some money for himself as well as experience. Plus, he agreed with his parents that girls would definitely like a man who can actually do stuff over some useless boy. He’s seen the way his mom acts whenever his dad took care of things around the house for her, especially when she didn’t ask him to do it. If you can’t trust your parents who have been married for so long and are still happy with each other, who can you trust to give you general relationship tips.

“Sure.” He agreed. “Do you want me to start looking today or do you already have something in mind?” His parents could not help but smile at their son’s easy acceptance knowing that he would not waste this opportunity.

“Actually,” Miki replied. “There is a specific place we would like you to work.”

“I have a cousin who runs a restaurant. Our grandfather is the one who first opened it but he’s the one who inherited it since he studied the culinary arts. He’s the head chef and the manager; basically, he runs the entire place.”

“So, you want me to work for him as a waiter?” Issei assumed. After all, working in the kitchen required actual training or at least be training unless it was a fast-food place. That left him with the role of server. It wouldn’t be glamorous, but it would be good practice for interacting with strangers and convincing them to give him tips. Plus, he thought perversely, there could be ladies who flirt whim him playfully asking for a discount or other such scenarios.

“Actually no.” Miki said surprising her son and interrupting his fantasies. “He actually wants you to work with him in the kitchen on Saturdays.”

“Saturdays?”

“You see,” Gorou interjected, “while the restaurant itself is closed for the weekend, he seems to run a special catering service out the kitchen on Saturday.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes.” Keiko nodded. “In fact, this is something that has been going on since our grandfather’s time so it’s a bit of a family tradition. He doesn’t talk much about it since the customers he serves that day are quite exclusive, but apparently it can get pretty busy for him. So, he’d like an extra hand in both the kitchen and serving. He didn’t want to get any of his regular staff involved, so I thought it would be a great chance for you.” She smiled. “After all, what’s the point of practicing in the kitchen if you aren’t going to use what you’ve learned?” Her words made Issei blush as he did not expect them to know about how he tried to do his own cooking whenever they were not in the house, even when they had food ready for him.

“But I can’t be any real help in the kitchen!” He protested.

“As long as he has an extra set of hands that can help in anyway, he’ll be happy to have you on board.” Gorou reassured his son. “In fact, he offered to give you cooking lessons while on the job and afterwards.”

“Huh?” Issei asked, confused by that last part.

“Oh, that’s right.” Miki realized. “The plan is that every Friday you will take the train downtown and go to his restaurant. His flat is in the same building, and he sleeps there all the time, so you will spend the night with him. Then you will get up and help him all day Saturday. Then on Sunday, he will give you a few lessons before you come home.”

“That sounds like a pretty good deal.” Issei admitted. With each lesson he would be more helpful and thus more productive. On top of that this arrangement left him with quite a bit of free time. Plus, if things worked out, he could continue doing this once school started.

“I’m glad you think so.” His mother smiled. “Because you start this weekend.”

Issei just sighed in response. He did not even bother arguing about how the decision was already made for him. It was too good of a deal and to refuse it would be just plain rude.

“By the way,” Issei spoke up as his parents started to get up from the table. “What’s the name of his place?”

“Western Restaurant Nekoya.”

 

 

Okay.

I could use some help regarding Japanese culture. I know that their summer vacation does not happen at the end of the school year, but I can’t seem to remember what break they do have.

I chose to name the chef of Nekoya Takeshi Kaga from Iron Chef especially since that show was about using more than just Japanese cooking.

Currently in the middle of catching up on all the translations of the Web novel. I was following it for a while but then stopped because of IRL stuff. Now it is completely translated and I am rereading everything I read before. If anyone could tell me the difference between the WN and the LN, or if there even is a difference, I would greatly appreciate it. I will definitely be making changes regarding the other worlds passage of time as it seems like there is some inconsistency when it comes to some of the characters aging over the chapters. I will also be adjusting the rules of the door itself to make it more flexible.

The only other spoiler I will give is that this won’t be a short series but it won’t be too long either. I’ll keep it going for as long as possible, but when I feel like I can’t write anymore I will end it. In fact, I already have an idea how this story will end.

If you have thoughts on this story, please comment. Speak your mind!

That’s it for now. Please Favorite, Follow, and Review. But most of all, thank you for reading!

Chapter 2: 2-Welcome to the Restaurant of Another World

NOTE: THIS STORY WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FF.NET

Hello.

 

I do not own the Isekai Shokudou or High School DXD.

I have named the chef Takeshi Kaga, but others will still refer to him as Master as appropriate.

 

 

“Talking”

‘Thinking’

Telepathic Communication

[Ddraig talking]

[Ddraig communicating telepathically to Issei or others]

 

Chapter 2: Welcome to the Restaurant of Another World

 

The train ride was about an hour and twenty minutes long. Followed by a half hour walk. Honestly, Issei thought that 2 hours of transit was fine. It was still a good deal, and just from looking at the place he could tell this was a great eatery. Sure, it wasn’t one of those big fancy restaurants, but it was definitely popular. It was close to 7 in the evening by the time Issei got there but there were still customers coming in with just as many leaving regularly. Not only that, but the customers themselves were quite varied from office workers to kids his age, couples on a date to large families enjoying a meal out. Yep, this certainly looked like a good place to work.

His entrance to the establishment was announced with the standard sound of a ringing bell. It was a cozy place. Could fit about 20 groups at a time with the tables alone while the bar that peered into the kitchen had 15 stools. As he stood in the entrance waiting for a server and analyzing the place himself, he absently scratched the back of his left hand, having felt a tingling sensation there since he touched the door.

“I’m here to see the Master.” Issei said to the waiter who approached him. “I’m his nephew.” He was quickly guided to a table near the entrance to the kitchen, allowing him to watch as all the servers came in and out grabbing the food and drinks for the customers. He was a bit surprised by the wide variety of foods being served, especially since there were quite a few Asian dishes despite being known as a “Western Restaurant.”

“Then again,” he mused aloud, “Japan is literally at the Eastern edge of the world, so all other countries are west to us anyway.”

“Wow,” spoke a mature semi-deep male voice, making Issei look up to see a middle-aged man with beard wearing a chef’s outfit. “You actually came to that conclusion all on your own.” He chuckled. “It’s a shame grandfather never got to meet you.” He extended his hand with a grin. “Of course, he would also add that the important thing was to serve delicious food no matter what.”

“Well, it’s still nice to meet you Uncle Kaga.” Issei replied, standing up and shaking the offered hand.

“Same to you.” The man chuckled. “I’d like to talk a bit more, but we’re busy with closing. We’re still open for about an hour and then we need to clean up. Why don’t you go up to my flat to put your stuff down and then help out with cleaning the dining area once the door is closed?”

“Sounds good to me.” Issei smiled. Kaga led him to the elevator and gave him a few instructions before sending him up to the flat. Lucky for Issei it was a simple place with an extra room that had obviously been adjusted for him to use along with a standard bedroom and bathroom. Considering there was an entire restaurant downstairs, there was obviously no need for a kitchen. After taking some time to wash up after the long train ride, Issei came back down and helped take care of the dining area. Whenever anyone asked, it was explained by either him or his uncle that he would be spending the weekend here and that he was just doing his part to help out. Besides, Issei found it to be a win-win. He got an early start to make himself familiar with the work, and he got to eye the waitresses and female customers without getting anyone’s attention. At least, that’s what he thought until everyone left and Kaga gave him a whack on the head. Before Issei could even ask, the man just gave him a look that said he knew everything. He didn’t say anything about stopping him, but he knew, and he would deliver punishment when appropriate. It was just something that Issei had to accept.

“So,” Kaga began as he and Issei locked all the doors. “Your mom explained everything to you, so you should already know what’s expected of you.”

“Help out for you mysterious Saturday customers, learn cooking on the side, rinse and repeat every weekend.”

“Pretty much.” He chuckled.

“So what exactly is the deal with these mysterious customers? Do we go to them, or do they sneak themselves here through the back door for illicit shadow society gatherings?” Kaga could not stop himself form letting out a few laughs.

“Honestly, it’s better if I just show you. Now come one…we’ve got a long day tomorrow, and I doubt your used to getting up early like I am.”

 

That Saturday morning was certainly a unique one for Issei, a routine he realized he would have to get used to.

After waking up early, his uncle had him shower while he made breakfast. Then, thanks to measurements provided by his mother, he was given his uniform, a simple white long sleeve shirt with black vest and pants, and told to get changed. Once dressed up, Kaga instructed him on serving customers and clearing up the tables, just to make sure he had it all down pat. Once he was satisfied, the two grabbed the ingredients to needed to start the morning. This confirmed to Issei that the customers do in fact come to the restaurant themselves, though it did raise the question of how it was so mysterious. From what he gathered, none of the other customers knew about this special service, so how would something like this go unnoticed? Those were the questions that ran through his head as he took care of the rest of the tables while waiting for their first customer.

The moment the clock chimed for opening time, the door opened with its own ringing sound.

“Welcome,” Issei began as he turned towards the door. “Is there anywhere specific you would like to…” his sentence trailed off a bit as he got a better look at the customers who entered. If he had to be accurate, he would have to say that they reminded him off…hobbits. Yeah, they were just like hobbits from the Lord of The Rings movies, except they were wearing shoes! It couldn’t be simple cosplay considering their heights, but still there was no way this could be real.

“Anywhere is fine!” One of them spoke up, a male based on the voice. “Just please bring us the menu as fast as possible!”

“Of course.” Issei replied, shaking his head. He took them to their table and set them up with water and towels then went to grab the menus. It was then that he realized that they weren’t written in Japanese, but some other strange language. Perhaps they really were from another country. Taking them to the customers, Issei only had to wait a minute before they were ready to order, asking for a variety of dishes across the menu. He barely managed to write them all down before the door chimed open again. This time he was faced with…tiny people.

There were about 50 of them but that did not change the fact that they were all big enough to fit in his palm. He was so shocked that he could not move. Lucky for him Kaga had come out and greeted them easily, already prepared with a tray ready for them. Issei could only watch as he ferried them to the table a couple of times before asking for their order yet seemingly prepared when they all called for hotcakes in unison.

Before he could get his bearings, Issei was confronted with two more customers. While one was a perfectly normal man, the other had tusks coming out of his chin like a boar. It took all his willpower to greet and guide them properly, all while they scrutinized him. Taking their order of assorted sausages and fried potatoes with drinks to the kitchen. Issei nearly collapsed.

“What’s going on here!” He cried out, though to his credit he was not that loud. “Hobbits, tiny people, and tusk people! Am I still on Earth!”

“We are.” His uncle Kaga replied with a chuckle as he worked the stove. “But they aren’t.” He turned to Issei. “You see, these special customers have another name for this place.”

“They call it, the Restaurant of Another World.”

 

Okay.

I am honestly surprised that this story got voted for being updated. I mean, I’m not planning to go full DxD plot with this one like my HS Wizard DxD story. What I really enjoyed about Isekai Shokudou were the character interactions and how it affected them personally. It was about the customers over the food itself which I preferred anyway. With this, I just basically want Issei to spend time with a unique cast of characters while also growing up outside of that life. Also, just a reminder but I will be taking liberties with the other world that the restaurant is connected to and some of the rules of the magical door itself.

Issei’s first customer was a couple of halflings followed by a village of Lilliput and finally a duo of demon and human.

If you want to change that, then just become a basic patron and vote to have my other stories updated instead of this one! I made it so that it’s only one buck for the basic membership and I won’t be lowering it anymore.

That’s it for now. Please Favorite, Follow, and Review. But most of all, thank you for reading!

Chapter 3: 3-The Old Time Regulars

AGAIN, THIS CHAPTER WAS ORIGNALLY POSTED ON FF.NET YEARS AGO. IT HAS BEEN UPDATED/FIXED FOR AO3

Hello.

 

I do not own the Isekai Shokudou or High School DXD.

I have named the chef Takeshi Kaga, but others will still refer to him as Master as appropriate.

 

 

“Talking”

‘Thinking’

Telepathic Communication

[Ddraig talking]

[Ddraig communicating telepathically to Issei or others]

 

Chapter 3: The Old Time Regulars

 

“So just to make sure I understand this.” Issei spoke as he put down a plate of Pork Loin Cutlet in front of an old man with grey hair and beard wearing white robes with what had a to be a magic staff leaning against the wall next to his seat. “You are all from the same world, with magic and everything. On that side, a door to this restaurant appears there every 7 days on what you call the ‘Day of Satur’, all over the map all at once. Each door can only be opened and entered once. When you leave, you arrive back where you came in, so no using this place as a quick travel. Once you’re back the door disappears.”

“Precisely.” The mage nodded, eagerly picking up his utensils. “However, the doors do follow a schedule, before noon, after noon, and evening. So, one door could be used by one party to eat during the day and then another later for supper.” With that, he started eating his lunch. Seeing this, Issei backed up, giving him space to enjoy his meal.

Briefly, Issei thought back to how the day had gone so far. After the big reveal, he had to get to work taking orders and bringing customers their food. It was during this time that he noticed that their outfits matched medieval times. That explained the excitement of the customers, it was as if this was the only place they could eat these kinds of food. Before he could spend time contemplating how fortunate he was, he was busy with more customers arriving.

After what seemed like hours, business slowed down enough for Issei to catch a breather. That was when he asked Uncle Kaga to explain. While he couldn’t provide an exact answer, he did use the timely arrival of the mage to his advantage, identifying him as Artorius, a regular customer from the old days of the first owner Daiki Yamagata, Kaga’s grandfather and Issei’s Great Grandfather. From him Issei got a short explanation of how their world connected to this restaurant. Though that didn’t answer the “why” to this phenomenon, Issei was satisfied with the answer he got. He doubted he’d understand anyway.

Hearing the bell of the door ring, Issei turned and greeted, “Hello and welcome.” With a bow. Upon raising his head, he was surprised to see samurai walk in. It wasn’t just someone dressed like a samurai, but an elderly Asian looking man wearing the clothes of a ronin with a genuine katana by their side. This was a stark contrast to all the European outfits customers had one so far.

“Yes.” The samurai replied, eyeing Issei for a moment. It made the young man sweat a bit before the guest walked towards Artorius and sat next to him on the counter near the kitchen.

Before Issei could collect himself, the bell rang and another guest entered. The only way Issei could describe him would be old but jacked Robinson Crusoe. Seriously the muscles that man had could crush his head. Before he could get a word out, the customer called out his order.

“Master! A plate of curry rice and make haste!” He cried out, eagerly making his way to a table.

Mentally slapping himself for falling behind, Issei rushed to grab water and towels for the guests. However, by the time he had returned with the tray, the door opened once more.

“One Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl!” Roared a tall walking lion. As in a literal lion-man wearing gladiator like armor with tan-ish skin, orange mane, whiskers, the whole works.

“You got it.” Came Kaga’s voice from the kitchen.

“Sorry for the wait.” Issei managed to speak out as the shock wore off. All the other customer he had served so far had been human or human like, so he was still not used to seeing full blown fantasy creatures from World of Warcraft.

“By the way Master.” Artorious spoke up. “Who exactly is this young man?” With that, all eyes were on Issei. Even if he turned away, he would feel their gazes upon him from all directions. They were looking at him with varying intensities ranging from simple curiosity to intense scrutiny, and he could not tell which belonged to which one.

“He’s, my nephew.” Kaga said, stepping out of the kitchen and into the dining area. “To be precise, his mom is my cousin.” He now stood next to Issei and placed a calming hand on his shoulder. “He’s going to be entering high school soon, so he’s going to be helping out here for a while, maybe even longer.” He chuckled. “I hope you all treat him well.” Kaga then turned to Issei. “These are all regular’s back during grandpa’s time. So don’t worry too much. They know how things go.”

“R-right.” Issei stuttered a bit before bowing before them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all. Please treat me well.” He received a series of positive replies, and looked up to see friendly smiles, thought it was hard to tell with the lion guy.

“By the way.” Kaga said, turning Issei’s head towards the samurai. “I bet you’re wondering why Tatsugoro here is dressed so differently from everyone else.”

“Well-I mean…” Issei stuttered a bit. This was interrupted by a hearty laugh from the man himself.

“I’m actually from the western continent of our world.” He spoke, his voice one full of experience.

“Western continent?” That was an unexpected twist for Issei.

“For some reason, most of the customers enter through doors on the Eastern Continent.” Kaga added, picking up a menu. “Those that come from the West have said that their doors weren’t exactly easy to access or are rare. Which is why the menus for Saturday are written in the Eastern Continent’s language.” He opened the menu to show Issei, not that he could tell. “So whenever we have a new customer, make sure to ask them if they can read this language specifically.” At that very moment, the door opened and another customer came in, one who looked around incredulously. “Like right now.” Kaga chuckled, pushing Issei towards the new customer.

As Issei got to work, the adults watched for a moment.

“Time truly flies by before we know it.” Spoke Alphonse, the rugged man who ordered Curry Rice. “To think we’d see the coming of the third generation even in our old age. Truly we are blessed.”

“Speak for yourself Curry Rice!” The Lion man said. Yes, he was addressing the man, not the dish. “With the power of Pork Cutlet Rice Bowls, I’ll live to see the 5^th generation!”

“We’ll just have to see.” Kaga chuckled as he made his way back to the kitchen.

“Our age really is showing.” Tatsugoro chuckled, turning to Artorius. “And you’ve been strangely quiet. Is something going on in that egghead brain of yours?”

The mage in question watched as Issei led the customer to an empty table, handing them the menu and answering any questions asked. He then grinned and turned back to his meal.

“Not much, I just think that things might bet interesting here with him around.” He said, taking a swig of his beer. Hearing this comment, Kaga chuckled as he prepared the dishes.

“When you say something like that, it makes me wonder what that one customer might think of him.”

 

Okay.

Sorry for the info dump. And for those who want to nitpick some of the rules I’ve established, keep in mind I’m using light novel, web novel, manga, and anime as source material.

As you can see, I’ve decided to go with the anime designs for the customers. Some of you are not aware, but the manga has quite different designs for some characters. Heck, Artorius looks like a punk magician in the manga while the anime is more, shall we say, traditional. Well, since the anime is how I learned about the series and it what I’m more familiar with I decided to use those.

And yeah I’m going to take things slow with this. Short chapters and all that. Meaning I can do faster updated with this story when it gets voted.

That’s it for now. Please Favorite, Follow, and Review. But most of all, thank you for reading!

Chapter 4: 4-Red Meeting

THIS CHAPTER WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON FF.NET. FIXED FOR AO3

Hello.

Genuinely surprised by how much this dominated the poll.

 

I do not own the Isekai Shokudou or High School DXD.

I have named the chef Takeshi Kaga, but others will still refer to him as Master as appropriate.

What Up!

 

“Talking”

‘Thinking’

Telepathic Communication

[Ddraig talking]

[Ddraig communicating telepathically to Issei or others]

 

Chapter 4: Red Meeting

As another customer left, the open door revealing a dark night sky, leaving the dining area empty, Issei capitalized on this moment to take a seat and catch his breath. With this being his first real job, he found himself getting exhausted faster than he would like. It didn’t help that there could be times where the place was full of customers all excitedly eating and calling out their orders then suddenly just one or two filling the silence with the scraping of silverware against plate. The moments of calm did give him room to breathe, but it also made the jump to rush-hour more exhausting.

However, he did pick up on a few things from observing and interacting with the customers. Most of the regulars always ordered the same thing. And it wasn’t just that they ordered the same item multiple times today, it’s what they always got whenever they visited. The most variety came from ordering different fillings/toppings/flavors of the same dish such as spaghetti and its different sauces.

It was actually a point of conversation, or rather debate, between some of the regulars where they would poke fun at each other. Then they would start arguing about how their dish was the absolute best dish of Nekoya. In fact, the regulars were nicknamed after their favorite dishes. It was definitely going to take time for him to get used to that. Not that he would ever address them like that, but just hearing it every week would get him confused.

He also learned that Nekoya offered take out. While not surprising, Issei did not expect residents from another world to take food back home. Though it did make sense that some of them would like to take back food to share if the lizard man taking three orders of Omelet Rice to go was any indication.

As he rested, Issei realized that there was still cooking in the kitchen. Another look at the clock told him there was still time until the restaurant actually closed. This made him stand up with a groan, stretching his arms and back. Walking into the kitchen, he saw his Uncle Kaga cooking at one of the huge soup pots. Walking forward, he saw it was a full pot of Beef Stew, and fresh one at that.

“Do you actually plan to serve all that before closing?” Issei asked incredulously, getting his uncles attention.

“Yep.” The chef chuckled. “It’s all going to be gone by the time we close.”

“How many customers are we expecting?!” He asked incredulously. “And is this what they order every week?” Issei knew that it was the most expensive item on the regular menu which meant the same for the special Saturday menu considering the relative prices of the other items.

“Just wait and see.” Kaga replied humorously, stirring the pot and adding more to it.

With a shrug, Issei got started on wiping down the tables and countertop, making them ready for the final party of the day. The immature part of him was whining at having to deal with more customers at the last minute. However, his curiosity and imagination dominated his thoughts, coming up with different theories about who was coming. Maybe it was a family of vampires considering how late it was, or maybe even werewolves. Or maybe it was vampires and werewolves, putting aside their differences once a week for a delicious meal.

As his imagination started to run wild, the ringing of the door pulled him away from his thoughts and prompted him to stand up straight.

“Hello and welcome.” He parroted with a bow then stood up. “Can I take your…” his lost his words as he finally took a look at the customer.

She was the most breathtaking woman he had ever seen. She was tall with deep red flowing long hair that contrasted her lightly tanned skin but perfectly matched the red dress that hugged and propped up her glorious breasts and showed off her curvaceous figure and legs perfectly. The horns that crowned her head added to her perfections.

But there was more. Her physical appearance was not the only reason he was dumbstruck by her. It was as if she exuded some sort of presence or aura that she didn’t bother containing. It captivated him, not just in amazement, but in desire. A strange desire he could not quite define…

“Welcome back.” Kaga spoke, breaking Issei’s thoughts, making him realize that his uncle was now standing next to him.

“I have returned.” The woman in red replied, sending pleasurable chills up Issei’s spine.

“What will your order?” Kaga asked with a slight bow.

“You already know the answer.” A slight scoff in her voice. “Beef Stew.”

As she said this, she placed on the floor a soup pot, one that was exactly the same as the one on the stove right now, making Issei realize she had brought it in with her.

“Understood.” Kaga replied. Then he nudged Issei with his elbow, stirring him out of his thoughts, and jerked his head a bit towards the pot. Getting the message, he moved towards it quickly, blush creeping into his cheeks in embarrassment. He did not realize the woman’s eyes were following him as he picked up the pot, grunting a bit at its weight, and started making his way to the kitchen. His uncle, however, seemed to notice.

“This is my nephew Issei.” He said, patting the boys head as he passed, prompting him to turn around and bow again. “He’ll be helping out here for a while.”

“I see.” The woman replied, her eyes narrowing a bit at Issei, making him notice that they were slitted, almost reptile like. And it just made her even better.

With another small bow, Issei turned back around and started scurrying back to the kitchen. It wasn’t until he had put the empty pot next to the wash station did, he take a deep breath to calm his nerves. He had to actually grab the countertop to steady himself. A small laugh got his attention and the turned to see Kaga back in the kitchen.

“She’s quite the woman, isn’t she?” He teased, getting back to the soup pot. Instead of dignifying that with a response, Issei huffed and took care of things in the kitchen, trying to put off going back to the dining area as long as possible.

While keeping himself busy, Issei’s thoughts remained on the woman now waiting for her meal. There was something about her that made her stick in his mind, and not just her body. Her posture, her voice, everything about her drew him in

And this feeling he had, it was a desire much different from the lust he normally felt. But what was it?

“Order up.” Kaga said, getting Issei’s attention. He watched as plated the Beef Stew, hot steam billowing from the deep liquid as it left the ladle and pooled in the bowl. His uncle turned to Issei and grinned. “Go on.” He said, clearly teasing Issei a bit more. With a huff, Issei cleaned his hands, composed himself with a few deep breaths, put the bowl on his serving tray, and walked out.

He entered the dining area to see the woman in red sitting at a table with her eyes closed. The mere sight nearly made him freeze again. The way she sat with such poise was captivating. She seemed to be calmly waiting, but Issei could somehow tell that it was merely the posture of a hunter, waiting for their prey. Nothing would distract her and anything that tried to get in her way would be dealt with extreme prejudice. It should have scared Issei, but it somehow made him more excited and captivated with her.

“Thank you for waiting.” He speaks up, getting her attention as he approached. “Here’s your Beef Stew.” He placed the bowl in front of her before stepping back and standing in his corner of the dining area. He could have just gone back to the kitchen and clean up more. Instead, he chose to stand and watch. As if this was something he had to see.

She took her time take the spoon to the soup. Gently she brought the utensil to her lips, slowly sipping up the broth, an expression of peace upon her face. Even the way she swallowed (and yes, he could actually hear her swallow) seemed to carry weight. Each spoonful of stew was drunk with grace and pleasure. Even when she brought the vegetables to her mouth it was like art in motion.

But that was nothing compared to when the ate the beef that was the namesake of the stew. If there was background music, this would be the moment where it went from calm and gentle to intense and focused. She picked each piece of meat with her spoon with precision that would make neurosurgeons jealous. And when she brought it to her lips, Issei swore he could see some tongue flicking out, as if to sample the meat before it entered or even bring it in more quickly. As she put it in her mouth and started to chew, her aura seemed to blaze, like when a guitarist in a concert would shoot off pyrotechnics except this was even more passionate.

Issei watched, captivated by the experience itself. The sounds of silverware scraping against bowl barely brought him back to the present, just in time to realize the woman in red was standing up.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Issei spoke up, to which the woman merely gave him a look then nodded.

“Master,” she called out. “I’m ready to pay.” As she finished speaking, she reached into her cleavage, making Issei’s eyes pop out of their sockets. He never thought he would see the legendary boob pocket in real life! By the time Kaga stepped into the dining room, she had already pulled out 2 large coins.

“Thank you very much.” He bowed lightly, accepting the coins. Issei realized they were both gold coins and was confused. Just one bowl could not be worth that much. Then Kaga moved to the side and said, “It’s ready.” and allowed the woman to walk past them towards the kitchen. The men followed with Issei lagging a bit. They arrived to see her approach the huge pot of Beef Stew. She stepped forward, grasped it on both sides, ignoring the handles completely, and lifted the entire pot off the stove without jostling it at all. Issei was stunned to see her unaffected by the weight and the temperature. Just who was she?!

“I’ll be going now.” She stated, turning to leave. Kaga moved to the side while Issei rushed towards the door. He stood and waited, opening it for her as she approached. As the bell rang, he gave a half bow of deference. She continued forward, firmly carrying the pot of stew while keeping it steady with unnatural ease. However, before she crossed the threshold back into the other world, she stopped. Hearing the stop in her footsteps, Issei looked up in worry.

“Red.” she said all of a sudden, confusing Issei. Without even looking back, she continued. “You may address me as Red.” With that she returned to her world, and Issei found himself letting the door close on its own.

The sound someone clearing their throat brought him out of his trance. Turning he saw Kaga leaning against the entrance to the dining area, the grin back on his face.

“What did you think of your first day?” He teased making Issei pout a bit.

“It was crazy.” Issei mumbled. “But fun.” A small smile crept on his face.

“Good to hear.” Kaga chuckled. “Now let's clean up. Tomorrow’s your first lesson and we’ll need to make sure you have enough time to get back home.” With that he went back to the kitchen. Issei did not follow.

Instead, he stood there, staring at the door. The strange door that gave entrance to residents from another world. From wizards to warriors, from beastmen to tiny people no bigger than his fingers.

And a woman in red who just blew him away.

They came for years, decades, just to eat the food of this restaurant. The food of his great grandfather and his uncle.

Issei clenched his fists, not realizing that the hairs on his left arm had been standing up ever since the woman entered. But that did not matter at all. All that Issei cared about was a new goal. Not one to replace his dream of having a harem, but something he would put in just as much effort into.

One day, not matter how long it takes, he would be a better chef than his uncle and great grandfather before him. He would take over the restaurant. And he would serve food to the residents of the other world; they would enjoy his cooking.

Especially Red. He finally had a hold on his feelings from before. What he desired so strongly was recognition. He wanted to acknowledge him. To respect him. He wanted her to want his food even more than his uncles.

And Issei was going to make that happen.

 

Okay.

So I did throw in a bit of a Food Wars reference there. Honestly, the one crossover between that series and Isekai Shokudou I came across was disappointing. I mean, it just reused food from the series. I can understand not being able to really create those crazy foods, but its out of character to serve those stuff in a restaurant for no reason.

As for Issei’s decision at the end there, I knew ahead of time that he would make cooking for Red his goal. But as I was writing it ended up being taking over the restaurant itself. I’m surprised that I actually ended up writing that, but kind of glad that I did.

 

That’s it for now. Please Favorite, Follow, and Review. But most of all, thank you for reading!

Chapter 5: 5-The Future Looks Interesting

Hello.

It has been a long long long time since this story was updated. You can thank my supporters who voted for this to get an update after so long. I'd also like to thank my friend who wishes to remain anonymous. Not only is he helping with writing this, but he’s also helped me see how to continue this story. I won’t go into too many details now but do know that we have plans going forward.

This chapter itself is going to basically be a sort of transition/setup/hinting. Nothing major happening. Honestly, with this story itself, these will be short chapters.

 

“Talking”

‘Thinking’

Telepathic Communication

[Ddraig talking]

[Ddraig communicating telepathically to Issei or others]

 

Chapter 5: The Future looks Interesting

Morning came and Issei...did not know what to think. Everything that had happened felt...unreal. Serving a whole bunch of characters from some fantasy world, all of them loving and treasuring his uncle's restaurant and cooking, and that gorgeous woman at the end who took his breath away.......

But it wasn’t a dream. It was all real. The fact that he was waking up at his uncle's place was one thing, but with how tired he was, tired like never before, it really hammered in that he did a full day’s work. In fact, when his eyes landed on the clock, he realized he had overslept a few hours.

“Should have known my first part time job would wipe me out like this.” He muttered but then smiled to himself. He was tired for sure, but at the same time, he had never been so motivated. He was even more motivated than he was when studying to get into Kuoh. He could tell that this truly would be a goal equal to his Harem King dream. And who knows, perhaps this new goal would be a key step to the first one.

“They say good food is key to a man’s heart.” Issei chuckled out loud. “Though looking at everyone yesterday, I’d say it’s key to anyone’s heart. Kind of enforces the idea that guys who cook can get all the girls.” he laughed out loud.

“Looks like you're in a good mood.” Came Kaga’s voice from the door to the room Issei was borrowing. He stood there with a smirk on his face. “Guess it was a good thing I let you sleep in after your first full day at work. Nice job making it through by the way.” His compliment made Issei smile widely. “And from the sound of it, you’re ready for your first lesson.” Kaga added.

“Uncle Kaga,” Issei spoke up getting out of bed. “You have no idea how ready I am.”

 

Meanwhile in the other world

A certain old man was going through some of his notes and organizing some thoughts and observations. While some of the regulars of Nekoya knew him simply as Pork Loin Cutlet and the Master knew him as Artorius, there were those who knew him by a more prestigious title. The Great Sage Artorius, one of the 4 heroes who saved the world from the Demon King and by extension the Demon God he tried to summon. While known as the greatest magic user, he does not see himself the same. He knew that there were elves out there who knew more secrets of magic than him and probably forgot as much, not to mention the 6 Dragons worshipped in this world. Which is why he never stopped studying, observing and learning as much as he could even in his old age.

And it was the observations he had made about Nekoya, the Restuarant from Another World, that he was pondering. He was one of the first to visit the restaurant years ago, back when the previous Master was not only young, but just recently married. It is a memory he will forever remember no matter how old he gets or how long ago it was. Not just for the discovery of a magical door that leads to a delicious restaurant in another world, but the reunion with his old comrade Yomi, thought to have perished in the final battle but was now living a happy life. It was only natural he would become a regular there, but even more natural that he would study the restaurant, the door, and the magic that connected the worlds. Not only did this allow him to formulate a magic circle that could summon the door but also draw some conclusions.

Most notably, the magic that connected the restaurant to this world grew with the business. When they first started appearing, there were very few of them. He knew that in the early days, only a few customers would come on the Day of Satur. Yet slowly, more and more doors began manifesting in this world. Artorius was able to tell that the door and restaurant worked similarly to magical dungeons. These were dungeons that fed on magic and life force to grew larger and stronger, feeding off those who entered. Whether or not they died, their energies became nourishment for the dungeon allowing it to expand and regenerate monsters periodically. The restaurant was nowhere near malicious, but it could not be denied that as more customers visited Nekoya, more doors appeared. Every customer that entered feeds the magic.

It was also clear that the door responded to strong wishes. While some customers simply happened upon the door, there were many who shared stories of discovery during moments of great need and desire. Even Artorious himself discovered the door when he was lost in memories of his comrades, though he also suspected that his connection to Yomi herself was also factor in the door appearing in front of him that first time so many years ago. Truly whatever magic that constituted these doors was more complex than anything he could ever imagine.

That said, there was much he did not know about the other world, the one that Yomi now lived in and where the restaurant was. Based upon Yomi’s words when describing that world, there was no real magic presence. Yes, there were spirits like the one she exorcised from Nekoya in secret after her and her husband bought the property, but she had not encountered anything else. He had always found it strange that a world with seemingly no magic could connect to their own world. Yet now it seemed he and Yomi were mistaken.

 Issei Hyoudou, the new hire at Nekoya and Yomi’s great grandchild. To others he seemed like a normal boy with a healthy interest in women (the boy cold not hide the way he grinned or started at some of the female customers that entered while Artorius was there, and honestly he could not blame him) there was more to him. Something that not even the boy himself knew. But Artorius could sense that within him was a great source of power. What that was he could not say with just a look or feel through his magical senses. But he could tell for sure it had great potential, and implied that there was much more to this other world than he previously thought. However, as interesting as that train of thought might be, Artorius didn’t have too much interest in investigating. He was already exploring one world of magic. Trying to explore another one in his old age was not reasonable. He would rather spend his time in Nekoya just enjoying beer with pork loin cutlets and rice.

“Still though,” he said out loud to himself as he finally put down his private notes. “I can’t help but wonder how that child will affect things.” With the way the magic of the door worked, and the fact that this Issei would be coming and working at the restaurant for the entire Day of Satur, he would most likely become a great source of power for the door itself. There could be many more doors appearing in this world, and there is even a possibility of him affecting the way it responds to wishes. On top of that, the magic of this world and its residents could affect the boy in turn, maybe even awakening whatever sleeps within him.

“Curry Rice and Teriyaki have a point.” Artorious smiled. “To come across this sort of discovery at this age, it truly is something.” he sank into his chair, the smile still on his face. “I do hope I live long enough to see what could become of this third Master of Nekoya. I'm even a bit jealous of my student.” He chuckled, thinking of a certain duchess. “In fact, I can’t help but wish I am there to see their first meeting. It should be something interesting indeed.”

 

Meanwhile, Artorius is not the only one in this world thinking about Issei Hyoudou...

 

In a mountain that very few have been to and even fewer have lived to tell about it, was a sight beyond any mortal's wildest dreams and even the imaginations of the nigh immortal elves. Piles of ancient treasures including enough gold to fill castles and magical items powerful enough to ruin a whole continent. But none of them compared to the one who lived there and owned all of those treasures.

She was a titanic Dragon with fiery red scales and neatly pointed horns decorated like a crown on her head. What's more is the fact that this Dragon held an air of authority around her that came from more than just her size and power. But despite that she also possessed this elegant alure which could be charming if she wasn’t so imposing.

This was the Red Dragon, one of the Six Great Dragons of this world, literally worshipped as Gods. Her power was so great any movement of hers beyond this mountain made countries and continents tremble in fear. And in her luxurious lair, she was...eating beef stew from a cooking pot with her dragon tongue, one small lick at a time...

This was the true from of Red, the most famous customer of The Restaurant from Another World. Her power and status were so great that even in her humanoid form, she would make other customers from the world uncomfortable and unable to enjoy their meal. As a result, she came to an agreement with the previous Master of Nekoya, one maintained even in the current generation, where she would be the final customer on the Day of Satur. She agreed for it allowed her to enjoy her precious beef stew in complete silence, immersing herself in the dish. It was so great that she absolutely had to have a whole pot to herself to enjoy back in her lair. For this reason, she had declared Nekoya her treasure and placed upon it magics that marked it as such and granted it her protection.

Which is why she knew about Issei from the beginning of the day. The magic allowed her to observe at any moment and specifically informed her whenever changes were happening in Nekoya, and Issei Hyoudou working there was certainly something to pay attention to. Not only was he a relative of the Master and thus likely to inherit the restaurant, but she could also tell there was something...unique about him. Unfortunately, she could not tell what that was from watching through her magic, so she refrained from making any judgement until she met him in person.

So when the time came for her to visit Nekoya, she used the time waiting to be served to get a feel of the boy. Interestingly, there was the soul of a powerful dragon sleeping within, though she was not sure on the how or why. Still, this did confirm for her that there was a strong magical community in this other world. While others might jump to conclusions, she could tell that this was merely a coincidence that the great grandson of the first master of Nekoya happens to bear the soul of a dragon within. Furthermore, she was certain that the boy would remain in control even once the dragon woke up. As for his personality, she found it amusing. It was normal for mortals to be enraptured by her form, be it her true form or her human guise. Yet for this boy, it was apt to say that that the female form, or perhaps even female affection itself, was a treasure to him. As a dragon herself, she would never look down on such passionate desires. She could tell that any woman with him would be, to continue using the metaphor, treasures he greatly valued and protects. Plus, his admiration of her own form simply meant he had most excellent taste.

These were thoughts running through her head as she continued savoring the pot of beef stew one lick at a time, her mastery of fire allowing her to keep it warm despite the hours that had passed. While enjoying her treasure, her magic allowed her to watch as the young man was taking lessons from the current master of Nekoya. Even she could tell he was a pure novice in the kitchen, but she could also see a willingness and even eagerness to learn.

“Issei Hyoudou.” she said out loud to herself. “You are a most interesting one. I do look forward to seeing how you enrich my treasured Nekoya.” It was then that a stray yet amusing thought entered her mind.

“I suppose this means, you are now my treasure.” she chuckles in a way that would most certainly excite the boy.

 

Okay.

As usual, this was a small chapter. I know I know, it still took quite a while for it to happen. Again, did not start on this until it got voted, and even then, there was a lot of rethinking. I had to look back through the story to sort of remember my old ideas and think on how I wanted to develop them. Not to mention a lot of family stuff happening that killed my motivation as well as took up my time.

However, I do think I have managed to not only continue the story well, but also set up future events, both cannon and original. Part of it comes down to our own interpretation of how the magic works as well as the different characters.

At the end, I am satisfied with what we have done. And I hope you readers enjoy it yourself. Though I will say this for my supporters, it will be a long while before this gets updated again lol. Mainly because, as of posting this chapter, undecided on what should happen exactly in the next chapter. Soooooo many possibilities. And no, I do not have the energy to write about every single day that Issei works at Nekoya lol. So, we’ll just have to see.

One small thing to point out, the mention of a spirit being taken care of by Yomi is actually from the manga, not something I made up. Just wanted to point out.

That’s it for now. Please Favorite, Follow, and Review. But most of all, thank you for reading!