For some reason, Ludwig was confined in the kitchen ever since Claire's party entered the restaurant. Just the five of them ordered almost as much food as Rimuru's whole party yesterday. For your information, Rimuru's party from yesterday numbered 18 people. So at the very least, each person in Claire's party ate 5 servings of food.
However, after the second additional order, Ludwig came to know that the reason they ordered so much food wasn't because everyone was a big-eater. Rather, it was because of a single person; The woman with ash-coloured clothes.
Her stature didn't scream the fact that she was a big eater, at least by Earth standard. However, in a world where Mana reigned supreme, anything was possible. A lean woman who could eat his entire inventory? He had no doubt that kind of person existed.
Ludwig chugged down his iced coffee as he watched Raon keep pestering the party of five to the delight of the blonde kid. Ever since Claire sat on the table of his party, Raon made that table his temporary home. On the other hand, the two cats had chosen his side of the bar as their napping spot.
However, after chugging down his coffee, he returned to the kitchen rather than just sitting on his usual seat. Some of his regular customers hadn't come yet, so he had to use this lull of customers to cook for his employees. Well, rather than cooking, it's just frying the Chicken Katsu that was stored in his time-suspended cabinet.
As he finished putting the curry on top of the rice and the chicken katsus, he put two of it into the cabinet before calling Zhark who was taking over Bilo's work as he was currently resting. "Zhark, give these to Vilera, Valerie, and Bilo. Then you should eat too."
"Yessir." Zhark answered before moving away to the second floor with two plates of hot food in his hand.
Ludwig walked to his seat and sat down, the wood creaked under his weight. Not long after, Zhark's footsteps could be hard again in the kitchen. Even without the power of the system, he could feel him opening the cabinet where his food was stored and dug in. "Zhark, after you are done, tell Finka to eat. While she eats, you should cover for her in the dining area."
After gulping the food in his mouth, Zhark answered. "Yessir."
Ludwig nodded and opened his book again. Using the bustling chatter from the table of five plus Raon and the soft breathing of the cats as the background music, he dived into the book again.
But just as Finka entered the kitchen to eat, he could hear the sound of the wood floor across from the separator. Claire and one of her friends were approaching the bar. However, unlike usual, Claire was having a serious expression on her face. Realizing that she was approaching him for something important, Ludwig closed his book and put it on the counter in front of him before rising to his feet. "What can I help you with, Claire?"
Claire took the seat on the bar, her friend following suit with a glass full of whiskey in hand. "My friend here needs to ask you something. But first, can you prevent our talks from being heard by my other friends?"
"Easy enough." Ludwig answered and snapped his finger. Blocking sound from traveling far was something he could do with his space manipulation. After all, sound needed medium to travel, so he only needed to surround them with new space to isolate the environment.
Claire didn't look affected after Ludwig did that, however, the same couldn't be said for her friend. The woman looked into the air, her eyes sharpening.
"It's done." Ludwig said to Claire.
"Thanks." Claire nodded her head.
Then, the woman beside Claire looked straight at Ludwig. Those eyes made Ludwig shivered. After a long time, he once again felt small in front of a mere human, or at least someone that looked human.
"My name is Ilea, nice to meet you." The woman spoke.
Ludwig used his experience to reign his instinct to flee and steadied his shaking. Only after he was sure he's not shaking did he open his mouth. "My name is Ludwig. It's nice to meet you."
Since the introduction was out of the way, Ilea opened her mouth again. "I heard about this restaurant from Claire. She said this restaurant is connected to many different worlds?"
"That's correct." Ludwig nodded.
"From what I see from the food you serve me, it's food from Earth. My question is this, is your restaurant connected to Earth?" The woman narrowed her eyes as she threw that question. The atmosphere stirred, Ludwig could feel his body was being pressured by something. However, he knew it's not malicious. After all, the system was not reacting at all. In other words, it was just an everyday thing for the woman. She carried such pressure anywhere with her.
However, what surprised Ludwig more was the mention of his old world rather than the pressure. Her looks checked out with Claire and her party; She didn't look foreign even while sitting side by side with them. However, the fact that she knew that the food he served was from Earth only meant two things: Either she was someone who got summoned, or someone who got reincarnated.
"Unfortunately, no. The closest connection this restaurant has to Earth is a world inside a Virtual MMORPG game on Earth."
"Is that so?" Ilea raised one of her eyebrows. "So, how come you served food from Earth?"
Ludwig sighed in his mind as he heard the question. He knew this question was bound to come sooner or later as his restaurant kept opening its door to more and more worlds. After all, after Rimuru and Naruto, he was sure more and more people of Earth who got reincarnated in other worlds would come to his restaurant.
"I used to live on Earth." Ludwig started. "I died there and got reincarnated as a newborn years ago in Ortus."
Ilea just kept looking at him with her blue eyes even after he's done saying it. Her eyes were searching, probably trying to ascertain whether what he said was the truth or not. At the same time, he could see Claire's face hardening after hearing his words. Her eyes shook, probably surprised by the revelation. Seconds passed as the silence kept hanging around their head. But then, "I see. My condolences."
Ludwig smiled at her words. "Thank you, I appreciate it. Is that all you want to ask me?"
"That's all the question I have." Ilea nodded solemnly. "But, I want to ask you for a favour."
"As long as it's something I can do, I'll help." Ludwig answered.
"You see, the blonde little girl over there is also someone from Earth. However, unlike you, she ended up in our world through some kind of summoning. If the day when the door of your restaurant connects to Earth comes, please tell us." Ilea said, her eyes became softer than ever.
Ludwig looked at the blonde little girl who was chatting animatedly with Raon. He couldn't even start to guess just how confused and scared she was when she was first summoned to another world. At least for him, he had read such things happening in novels and manga, so rather than being scared and confused, he quickly adapted. But such a young girl couldn't have consumed what he had, could she? Moreover, at her age, being away from her parents for even a few days was enough torture.
Ludwig looked at Claire straight in the eyes before shifting his gaze towards Ilea. "I'll certainly do so. Even if I forget, I doubt a certain patron of this restaurant would let such a monumental moment slide." He said before letting out a chuckle as memories of Rimuru complaining about the price of the cola start playing in his mind.
"Thank you. We will really appreciate it." Ilea answered.
However, as Ludwig received Ilea's gratitude, his mind couldn't help but to churn. In one of his conversations with Rimuru throughout his identity crisis phase, Rimuru had asked him about whether he wanted to return to Earth or at least looked at the place he used to live or not.
He told Rimuru that he would be lying if he didn't want to at least look at the place he once called home. However, throughout his life on Earth, he was exposed to a theory that said there were thousands of different Earths out there. It seemed nothing but a fantasy back then, but after reincarnating to a different world, he started to think it was not just a mere fantasy.
Moreover, even if there's only one Earth and all the people who got reincarnated or summoned to many other worlds came from the same Earth, there's a matter of years. The restaurant could suddenly connect to the Harry Potter world, Marvel Universe, DC Universe, or Earth written in Korean Webnovel or Japanese Light novels. All happened in different timelines.
As his thoughts reached that point, he felt obliged to tell the two women in front of him about it. Of course, he could just play dumb and let them look forward to it. However, even if they could fight the disappointment that they would feel at that time, he couldn't be sure it would also be the case for the little girl. As an adult, preventing kids from being harmed was not a choice but a duty.
"No need to thank me just yet." Ludwig started, his tone dipped, telling them that the matter he was about to tell them about was a serious one. "From what I gathered through our conversation, it seems like you guys wanted to help reunite the girl with her family. I really supported it, but, as someone who has talked with one of my customers about returning to earth or at least visiting the palace we once lived at, I felt I needed to tell you this.
"Back on Earth, there is a theory called Parallel World Theory or Multiverse Theory. Since this restaurant could connect to many worlds, there's a high chance that it will connect to many Earths. So I hope you won't just bring the girl out as soon as we connect to Earth. Rather, some of you have to check her address first."
Silence slipped into them again as soon as Ludwig finished speaking. Ilea was looking at him, but her mouth kept opening and closing on loop. In the meantime, Claire was massaging her forehead. She looked just like the very first day she entered the restaurant.
Ludwig scooped his glass of cold coffee and let them digest his words. For someone who never thought about it, it would be quite a revelation even when they had been sent to another world through whatever method the higher power chose.
After some time passed, Ilea opened her mouth. But this time, she didn't close it again right after. "I never thought about that. No, not the multiverse theory as I have experienced being sent to another world after being sent to Elos but about multiple Earths. Now that I think about it, I saw it in a Marvel Movie. Thank god you remind me about it. Else…" Ilea's body turned as her eyes drifted towards the blonde girl.
"That's why I decided to tell you about it. I don't want her to be hurt after getting hopeful because she has returned to Earth."
"I should thank you again." Ilea said.
"It's fine. I think it's an adult's duty to prevent kids from being harmed."
Ilea smiled at his words, but then as if she suddenly remembered something, she frowned. "By the way… Do you think this restaurant will connect to the world inside a movie too?"
One of Ludwig's brows rose as he heard the question. No one was in the restaurant except for Raon, the cat sibling, and Claire's party, so there shouldn't be any clue that could make her think so. However, rather than straight out denying it, Ludwig just answered vaguely. "I think the chance is quite high for that to happen."
"You think? Why?" Ilea asked.
Ludwig opened his mouth, but before the words could go out, he remembered that Claire was also inside the space with them. However, rather than thinking whether to tell him or not, the first thing that appeared on Ludwig's mind was the fact that the woman was quite trustworthy.
Whenever Rimuru had a problem, Claire would always help him in finding the solution. She always complained about her station, yet, she was always willing to help. She also treated Kushina kindly. She heard her problem and told her about the way to solve it. So, Ludwig thought by keeping her in the loop, he would also get more head to think together with. After all, Rimuru wasn't really a help in that front even with that Unique Skill of his.
"Claire, what I am about to say is something that only I and Rimuru know until now. I won't give you a choice. I want you to keep you in the know too after this. So please bear with me." Ludwig didn't even give Claire a chance to move her head before he shifted his gaze to Ilea. "Do you perhaps read Manga back on Earth, Miss Ilea?"
Ilea frowned at the question, but she still answered regardless. "I do. Why?"
"Are you familiar with a manga called Naruto?"
"Of course, I read that manga quite a lot. Heck, I also watched the anime."
Ludwig nodded, "Tell me, do you know the name of Naruto's parents?"
Ilea cocked her head to the side, "It's Minato and Kushina. But, why are you asking me that?"
At that moment, he could see Claire whipped her head towards Ilea, mouth wide open. "Y-you know Kushina, Ilea?"
"Huh?" Ilea let out such a sound at the question.