Isekai Kansha - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: A Delicious Meal and a New Friend

Together with Burke, Jin walked down the broad main avenue.

Street stalls lined both sides, selling everything from food to daily necessities. The neatly arranged layout gave the avenue a sense of openness, and the colorful roofs and banners made it pleasing to the eye. Many of the passersby wore clean, stylish clothes. Workers chomped on skewers as they stood by food stalls, while groups of women in matching outfits sat on stools, sipping juice and chatting happily. The whole place was bright and bustling with life.

At first glance, most of the people appeared to be human—though that might have been because so many wore hats. Even so, Jin could spot beastkin with tails and ears, and the occasional elf with long, elegant ears. Combined with the European-style townscape, the scene before him was the very picture of fantasy.

Jin, unable to contain his excitement, looked around wide-eyed like a country bumpkin, prompting Burke to chuckle and speak up.

"You look like you’re having a good time."

Usually, people from the countryside tried to avoid looking too much like newcomers out of embarrassment. Even if they couldn’t help it, they at least tried not to gawk. Jin, however, didn’t care in the slightest.

He openly voiced his admiration at the sights, smiled brightly at the people passing by, and let his eyes sparkle with every new and curious thing that caught his attention. His face was lit with joy from start to finish.

"Haha… Sorry, I’ve always dreamed of seeing a place like this. And now, for the first time, I finally get to."

Jin answered with a sheepish grin—not embarrassed, but genuinely happy.

The truth was, Jin’s only experience abroad had been a company trip to Hawaii and Korea back when he was an office worker. The picturesque European towns that were staples of fantasy worlds, he’d only ever seen in photos or on TV. And yet, here he was, walking through streets that looked straight out of old Europe. On top of that, beastkin with cat ears, elves with pointed ears—staples of fantasy itself—were walking right in front of him. And many of them were beautiful or cute.

How could his excitement not be through the roof?

All the questions and confusion from earlier had completely left his mind. Right now, Jin was simply having the time of his life.

"Hehehe. Well, I was born and raised here. But I’m glad to see you’re enjoying my town."

Burke found Jin’s pure joy refreshing, even endearing.

"Burke-san, have you always been a soldier here in the town?"

Curious after hearing Burke was a local, Jin asked casually.

"No. Up until about six years ago, I was an adventurer…"

For some reason, Burke’s face darkened slightly as he answered.

"Then… well, a lot happened. Around the same time, my kid was born. So I gave up being an adventurer and became a soldier in this town instead."

His words trailed off, as if to gloss over details.

"I see."

Jin didn’t press further. Everyone has painful and difficult moments in life. He only thought, vaguely, that one day he’d like to become close enough to Burke to hear his story when Burke was ready to share.

They continued chatting about lighter topics until they reached what looked like the central plaza. Burke stopped there and pointed to one of the large buildings that ringed the square.

"That’s the Adventurers’ Guild. After we eat, you should at least get your registration done today."

"So that’s it. Thanks, that’s a huge help."

Jin had planned to ask for directions later, so it was a relief to be told ahead of time—and the guild was in such a prominent location that he had no fear of getting lost.

About five minutes walk from the guild, they arrived at their destination: the tavern Traveler’s Rest.

Since it was already past peak lunch hours, the place wasn’t crowded, and they were seated right away.

"Now then, what should I get?"

Burke glanced at the menu hanging on the wall. Jin followed his gaze, only to find it written in an unfamiliar script.

He panicked for a moment, squinting to look closer—and though the letters didn’t change, their meaning suddenly clicked in his head. Relieved, he exhaled softly.

All right, but come on, don’t scare me like that, he grumbled inwardly. Sure, if it had been written in Japanese, that would’ve ruined the immersion—but still.

The menu offered three daily set meals and one special set, for a total of four choices. The most expensive was the special set at ten copper, while the daily sets were a flat five copper each.

"Burke-san, let me treat you to the special set meal. It’s the least I can do to thank you."

The idea came to Jin suddenly, but he meant it. He had fifty copper coins on hand, plenty to cover the cost, and he wanted to express his gratitude to Burke, who had been nothing but kind to him since they met.

"Nah, you don’t need to. I didn’t do anything."

Burke waved it off, but when Jin pressed again, he eventually gave a smile and nodded.

"Well, I guess a little indulgence like that won’t anger the gods. Thanks."

With Burke’s approval, Jin ordered two of the special sets. Their meals arrived promptly.

The table was soon filled with dishes: meunière of white fish fried in plenty of butter, two skewers of alternating meat and onion grilled to perfection, a simple salad sprinkled with cheese and salt, and a bowl of corn soup. To top it off, a basket of hard bread came with unlimited refills. It was a hearty spread that left the table packed.

"Looks great. Let’s dig in."

Burke grabbed a meat skewer in one hand and took a bite.

"Yes, let’s."

Jin, on the other hand, pressed his palms together.

"Itadakimasu."

Burke stared at him like he’d just done something strange, chewing his mouthful of meat.

"What’s that? Some custom from your homeland?"

"Yes. It means I’m grateful for the lives that became this meal, and for the people who prepared it, and that I’ll enjoy it to the fullest."

Jin chuckled awkwardly, realizing his habit had slipped out, then explained. Originally, it had religious roots, but nowadays, the meaning is more about appreciation.

"Ho. Thanking the cook and the ingredients, that’s a rare one. Do you do that every time?"

"Yes. And when the meal’s over, this time we say ‘gochisousama’, to express our gratitude for having enjoyed such a delicious meal."

As Jin spoke, he bit into the skewered meat. Delicious. Maybe it was the quality of the ingredients—though seasoned simply with just salt and pepper, the flavor was incredible. He tore into it eagerly.

Next came the fish. The delicate white flesh paired perfectly with the buttery sauce—this too was delicious. Virtual reality really is amazing, Jin thought to himself, still laboring under his misunderstanding as he enjoyed the meal.

Burke, meanwhile, continued eating while looking thoughtful.

"I see. Well, during festival meals, I also give thanks to the gods before eating. But now that you mention it, the one working hardest for me every day is my wife. Maybe I should start saying something like that to her."

"I think that’s a great idea. But you don’t have to cling to the exact words ‘itadakimasu.’ Like you said, even just a simple ‘Thanks for all your hard work’ or ‘That was delicious, thank you’—as long as you’re honestly telling your wife that, I think that’s more than enough."

Jin added an apologetic, "Sorry if that sounded a bit preachy." Even while eating, the two managed to keep their conversation flowing smoothly.

"Got it. Still, for a young guy, you’ve got a bit of a… homely air about you."

Burke probably meant Jin came across like an old man. But Jin, despite being older than he looked, had never actually had a household of his own. He just smiled wryly in return. And so he enjoyed both the idle chatter and the delicious food with Burke.

Having developed diabetes back in his twenties, Jin had lived under strict dietary restrictions for years. To eat this much, this freely, without worrying about calories—it had been ages since he’d tasted such joy. What an incredible thing this virtual reality is, he thought again, moved for all the wrong reasons.

They wiped the plates clean, even mopping up the sauces with bread, and finally sipped a tea-like drink that was served at the end. The two continued their leisurely talk.

Burke turned out to be quite the talker, while Jin naturally slipped into the role of listener. Burke was thirty-four, with a wife and one child—a devoted, doting father. Their marriage seemed happy too, and Jin even had to endure a few shamelessly sweet anecdotes.

Jin didn’t mind at all—he actually enjoyed listening to other people’s stories. Even if he teased or envied Burke’s tales of married life in his heart, he still listened with genuine enjoyment. Their conversation could have gone on forever, but Burke’s break was coming to an end.

And so, with a pleasant, satisfying meal behind them, Burke returned to his post.

"Once things settle down, let’s go have a drink sometime. I know a good place. But next time we’re splitting the bill."

Hearing that as they parted made Jin truly happy.

"Oh, almost forgot—one last thing. Welcome to Lienz! Glad to have you here, Jin."

It seemed Jin had gained yet another friend.

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