Episode 1: Ascend, Gastros Mountain!
Scene: In the countryside of Astraea.
Yuuki and the three members of Gourmet Palace were on an expedition in the mountains, seeking some special ingredients that they'd heard rumors of.
Pecorine
It looks like this "Gastros Mountain" really has all kinds of uncommon ingredients, Kyaru!
Pecorine
And we should be able to get even rarer ingredients in that spot we heard about... Hee hee, I'm so excited!
Kyaru
Yeah, yeah, we've heard... Now do something about that drool spilling out of your mouth!
Pecorine
Whenever I imagine delicious food, there's nothing I can do about it! And right now, all I can think about is the super-rare ingredients at the mountaintop...
Kokkoro
Pecorine, please use this tissue.
Pecorine
Thank you, Kokkoro!
Kokkoro
Master, this hankerchief is for you. Your face is a little sweaty, so I'll wipe it off.
Kyaru
Ahh... This is more like a picnic than a guild activity. There should be strong monsters around here, so you should really be a little more careful...
???
Eeeeek! Help meeee!
Kyaru
W-What!? I heard a conspicuous voice just now!
Pecorine
It seems like there's something happening up above, doesn't it? Let's go see!
Anne
Ruu, we're fine! Now, just multicast a composite light and wind spell!
Ruu
L-Light... Compost...!?
Grea
... Anne. This might be too much for her...
Anne
R-Really? Okay, then, um... How about this! ... Spirits of the past! Heed my call!
Gigas
Roaaaar!
Pecorine
Hello, there! Are you okay?
Kyaru
Wh... What was that magic just now... I've never seen anything like it before! An unthinkable spell... Just who is that girl!?
Pecorine
Kyaru, let's fight together with those girls! Yuuki, the usual, please!
Yuuki
1. "Leave it to me!"
2. "The usual?"
Option 1.
Kokkoro
Master, please back up Kyaru and myself, as well. Together, let us defeat this monster.
Option 2.
Pecorine
Oh, there you go again, playing dumb as usual. Now then, please power us up!
End of branches.
Pecorine
Oooh, I'm brimming with power! Okay, here I go!
Kyaru
Pecorine, I'll stop it in its tracks together with Koro, and then, you look for an opening and take it down!
Pecorine
Understood! I'll be right there with the two of you!
Grea
... Ah, who are you...?
Kyaru
Leave the introductions for later! Let's take this guy down first! Haaah!!
Kokkoro
After Lady Kyaru, I'm next... Yah!
Kokkoro
Now, Lady Pecorine!
Pecorine
I've got it! Here goes! Hi-yah!
Gigas
Roaaaar!
Anne
Whew! ... Huh? Something fell from it?
Anne
A fragment of a magical stone...? Could this be...
Ruu
Pant, pant, pant...! I thought I was gonna be dinner...
Pecorine
It'd sure be terrible if you ended up as dinner!
Ruu
Yeah, it'd be terrible.
Grea
... Anne, do you know these people?
Anne
... I don't. But maybe...
Pecorine
Well, everyone, now that we've beaten that monster, why don't we exchange introductions over some food? My stomach is all rumbly!
Kyaru
What are you on about now? There could be more monsters nearby, couldn't there? And plus, you're probably the only hungry one here...
Someone's stomach growls.
Kokkoro
Hmm... Could that noise have been you, Lady Kyaru?
Kyaru
Ooh... Shut up! You're always like this, Koro!
Anne
... Ha ha. Well, I'm feeling a little hungry, too. If it's all right, then please, let us eat with you!
Grea
A-Anne...!?
Anne
It'll be fine! They all seem like good people! Not to mention, if we talk to them, we might be able to figure out what situation we're in!
Grea
That might be true...
Ruu
My tummy's also growling up a storm after all that running! Food! Food! I'm so excited!!
Later.
Kyaru
Now, then, let's introduce ourselves properly. My name is Kyaru.
Kyaru
The one cooking over there is Pecorine, and the little one here is Koro... Or, rather, Kokkoro.
Kokkoro
I'm pleased to meet you. My name is Kokkoro, and I serve as my Master's guide.
Kyaru
And lastly, this person here is Yuuki. He's the one that Kokkoro called her "master" just now.
Kokkoro
Master has a mysterious power that can strengthen the rest of our abilities.
Anne
Huh, is that right...! Nice to meet you, Kyaru, Kokkoro! And you, too, Yuuki.
Anne
I'm Anne, and this is Grea! And the little girl here is Ruu! We're students at Manaria Magical Academy...
Anne
... Though, do you know about Manaria Magical Academy?
Kyaru
Manaria Magical Academy...? Was there a place like that around here>
Kokkoro
I cannot recall hearing of it. At the very least, it does not seem to be near the continent of Astraea...
Anne
... So it's true.
Grea
Anne... Could you explain this to us?
Anne
Yes. This world... is probably different from Mysterchia.
Grea
...!?
Ruu
But there was a Gigas! Is this not Gigas Mountain?
Anne
That was a different kind of magical creature. As proof, remember that a magical stone fragment fell from it when we defeated it, right?
Anne
Most likely, that magical stone read the mind of its original user, and summoned a magical creature from that user's memories.
Grea
So that wasn't just any catalyst, but a catalyst for a summoning spell...
Anne
Ruu, you were thinking about the Gigases while you were infusing this stone with your thoughts, right? Thinking, "that trip was super fun," or something similar.
Ruu
Ah... I might've been! I was definitely thinking about how that trip was way more fun than the assignment while I was touching the rock!
Grea
So, the stone absorbed those thoughts, causing it to take the appearance of a Gigas...
Grea
But then, why did the summoned being attack Ruu, who should have been its master?
Kyaru
W-Wait just a moment! You're saying you came from a different world!? What kind of story is that...
Kokkoro
It certainly does seem to be quite unbelievable. Is such a thing truly possible?
Pecorine
Hmm... But think about it, Kyaru, Kokkoro. We've encountered all sorts of mysterious things up until now.
Pecorine
Who knows if there are one or two alternate worlds to ours, right?
Kyaru
You're being way too credulous...
Kyaru
But, well, hypothetically... And this is just hypothetical, you hear? Supposing that your story is true... Then, when you crossed over into our world, your magic should also have changed, right? Causing your summoned creature to become just another rampaging magical monster.
Grea
Maybe... Certainly, when one crosses into a different world, one would expect all manner of mysterious anomalies to occur...
Kyaru
But why did you even activate magic to send you to another world?
Anne
Well, that's... Ahaha...
Grea
... Anne got a little carried away. The magic she poured into the magical stone was excessive, and... this was what resulted.
Kyaru
Huh? What do you mean!? You're saying you've got such an incredible amount of magic... That's ridiculous...
Anne
Ehehe...
Kyaru
... That wasn't a compliment.
Pecorine
Okay, everyone! Thanks for waiting! I've got a Pecorine special, coming right up! Please, enjoy the food!
Grea
... I've never seen cuisine like this. Can we really eat it...
Ruu
Munch! Nom, nom! T-Tasty! Super tasty!? It looks weird, but it's good!
Anne
Mmm, delicious! The crispy texture is enjoyable, and it's full of umami flavor!
Grea
... Ah, it really is good.
Pecorine
Ehehe! This is monster cuisine, made from fresh ingredients that we hunted and gathered ourselves!
Grea
... M-Monsters?
Ruu
Ehh, what's a monster? You sure eat weird things here.
Kyaru
That's not true, okay!? We eat normal things, normally!
Kokkoro
Consuming monsters is one of the tenets of Gourmet Palace's guild activities.
Anne
I never thought that monsters could be cooked to be so tasty... Pecorine, you sure are a great cook!
Grea
Yes, I was surprised as well.
Kyaru
Um... Aren't you all a little quick to accept the idea of monster cuisine?
Kokkoro
Certainly, they were rather quick to adapt from their initial surprise.
Anne
There are cultures that eat monsters in Mysterchia as well. But I've heard that preparing them is very difficult, so you're really something, Pecorine!
Pecorine
I'm being praised! Ah, simply terrible!
Pecorine
Now, now! There's still plenty to go around, so feel free to get seconds! And for dessert, let's have some of those monsters that Ruu is leading around!
Grea
Y-You mean Omeme...? Those little creatures are Ruu's friends, so that might be a little...
Ruu
... Drool. I wonder what kind of desserts they'll become.
Grea
R-Ruu!? Are you sure? Are you really sure...!?
Ruu
Yeah! ... Huh, Omeme, are you shivering? Are you crying tears of happiness? That's so nice!
Grea
Wait, I'm not sure that's right...! Um, it's okay, Omeme, we're not going to eat you...!
Later.
Pecorine
Ahh, that was delicious!
Anne
Yes, thank you, Pecorine! I feel so full.
Grea
Now that we're energized... We should think of how we might return to Mysterchia.
Anne
Do you think it would work if I caused a magic overload, like before? I remember how to do it, so all we'd need are the materials...
Grea
Materials... You mean a magical stone. The Gigas we defeated earlier only had this one piece, but what if we defeated a lot of them and collected all of their fragments?
Anne
Yes, I feel a great deal of magical energy coming from farther up this mountain, so I think we'll find plenty more Gigases if we move upward!
Pecorine
Oh, so you're all headed for the mountaintop, then! The truth is, we're also headed that way in search of some rare ingredients! How fortunate!
Yuuki
1. "Let's all go together."
Anne
You'll really come with us? Thank you! It's reassuring to have you there, since we're still not used to this world. I'm looking forward to traveling with you!
Anne and Yuuki's parties merged into one, and they headed for the mountaintop in search of the Gigases.