Now back to the present, Servi and Momo entered the restaurant and immediately started drooling. Wonderful and enchanting smells and flavors and sights assaulted all of their senses.  

A dwarf dressed in an exquisite robe picked up two menus and asked Momo and Servi to follow him. They did so, and Servi took careful note of the scenery. The tables and chairs were wooden, like the Warden restaurant, but the walls were where it changed drastically. Instead of framed paintings or drawings, long scrolls littered the walls, and each one had a different kind of monkey on it. One that particularly caught Momo's eye was a yellow monkey that looked like it was throwing lightning. The name Wukong was engraved at the bottom of the scroll. The floors were wooden and a tiny bit dirty. The chances of a small restaurant like the Monkey Noodle House having enchanted floors were slim to none.  But instead of taking away anything from the restaurant, it only added to its charm.

“Here you are. So, may I start you off with drinks?” said the Dwarf in the robe. His beard was neatly trimmed, and his hair pulled back in a ponytail. 

Servi and Momo sat down in the wooden chairs and glanced through the menus he had placed on the table.  

“What do you recommend? This is my first time here,” Momo asked. 

“Is it the same for you as well?” he glanced at Servi.  She nodded, and he clapped once.

“Wonderful. For drinks, I recommend the green-white tea. It’s a wonderful blend of two different leaves fused together to create a masterful flavor that soothes the mind. As for your meal, I’m partial to the spicy pork ramen. However, as the name suggests, it is spicy and not for the faint of heart.”

“What about if I don’t like spicy food? It hurts my tongue.” 

“That’s right. Singi have a bit of trouble with food like that, don’t you? My apologies. In that case, then I suggest the chicken ramen. It’s not spicy at all, yet it's very flavorful.” 

“In that case, I’ll take the green-white tea and the spicy pork, please,” said a girl with blue overalls and black hair.  

“And I want the same drink, but the chicken ramen instead, please,” added the cute Singi with a pink tail. 

"Excellent choices, ladies. I shall put your order in right now. I’ll be back momentarily with your drinks,” the Dwarf clapped once more before taking the menus away. Servi and Momo thanked him, and off he went through a sliding door near the back of the room. When it opened, delicious aromas filtered through, causing Servi and Momo to take a long sniff.  

While they waited, they talked about the place.  

“This restaurant feels so friendly and inviting.” 

“It does. If the food is as good as it smells, then we might need to come back. Oh, I forgot to ask about the dango.” 

“Agreed. The name sounds familiar, but I don’t think I ever had it,” admitted Servi.  

“From the picture, it’s three little balls on a stick. I imagine they’re filled with sweet goodness!”  

Momo’s tail made a dull thunking noise as it thwacked against the chair, and her face glowed red with embarrassment. A few seconds after that, the Dwarf returned to the table carrying a tray holding two cups, but they weren’t wooden. Standing about as tall as a glass Servi would find in the Warden restaurant, it was wobbly and uneven on the sides but sturdy and stood flat on the bottom. Gold lines ran up through the side as if the black cups had been broken and repaired.

“I can see the looks on your faces, so please, allow me to explain. These cups are handmade. A family member enjoys the art of pottery, and so I buy them from her. The gold lines are a staple of this restaurant, and I don’t believe I’ve seen it anywhere else. It’s called kintsugi. My family believes that when something is broken, you repair it using a different color material. In this case, the cup broke, and I repaired it using melted metal with a coat of gold.” 

“It’s interesting, but is it safe to drink?” 

“Yes, ma’am. Everything in this restaurant is very safe to eat and drink from. If it helps, think of the gold lines as a design to bring out the uniqueness of every piece.” 

“Woah... That's so cool!" Momo exclaimed. The Dwarf sat the tray down and gave the two friends their green-white tea. Like its name suggested, the cup was filled with green and white liquid.

Servi took a sniff. She smelled fruity herbs, and the scent somehow relaxed her.  Carefully holding it to her lips, she tilted the cup back. A warm liquid filled her mouth and slithered down her throat. 

“It’s good… It’s better than good,” Servi said, who was impressed by how easy it went down.

After seeing her friend try it, Momo put the black and gold cup, made with love and affection, to her soft lips. She daringly dipped her pink tongue in the liquid before smiling. Then she took a decent-sized gulp and swallowed before letting out an ‘Ahh...” 

“I take it you like it. Is there anything else I can get you while you wait for your lunch?” 

“Umm… Can you tell me about dango? I saw it in this...” Momo retrieved the welcome book and showed it to the Dwarf.  

He smiled. “Dango is a dessert snack made from rice that has been sweetened. It’s actually served pretty often with the tea you’re drinking. Would you like some?” 

“Yes, please!” replied Momo, whose tail happily swayed.  

“Very well, I shall put that order in.” With a small clap, the Dwarf in the silver robe walked away with the tray under his arm.  

“This place is amazing!” Servi agreed by nodding and taking a drink of her tea.  

“So, I assume we’re both gonna sign up for the mentorship program?” asked Momo.  

“I was planning on it. If one of us can win the tournament, we can get the camping set. If we do that, then we can finally take on quests that want us to travel. If both of us enter, then that’s double the chances of actually getting it.” 

“Hey, wouldn’t it be cool if we both made it to the finals? The two of us dueling it out and knowing that no matter who wins, we get the tents?” said Momo.  

“It would be. You’ve seriously gotten better. I was gonna ask you to spar with me, but on second thought, let’s wait until the tournament. There’s a chance we could face each other.” 

But I’m sure you’ll wipe the floor with me. I’m nowhere near as strong as you, is what Momo wanted to say, but she thought it wouldn’t fit the mood.

“Who do you want as a mentor?” Momo asked as her hands gripped the lumpy cup.

“Hmm… I guess a tank. I wanna learn the shield from someone experienced. I gotta tell you, I like being defending and taking attacks. What about you?” 

“I want someone cool and strong to teach me the bow. Maybe an Elf?”  

Servi laughed a bit. “You are good with the bow. Remember, you split that arrow this morning? I don’t even think I could do that.” 

“Was it really that amazing? It just felt like luck to me.” Momo downplayed her achievements.  

“Luck or not, the fact you did it in the first place was astounding,” Servi took another sip of her tea. Momo wanted to finish it off, but she decided to wait for the dango.  

As if hearing her non-existent prayers, the Dwarf returned with a tray, which held two black and gold bowls along with a wooden plate. Placing the tray on a nearby table, the Dwarf served the two bowls first, then the square platter last, placing it in between the two friends.  

One bowl had a yellow-like liquid and radiated the smell of chicken. The other one was red, and Servi could smell the spiciness. It threatened to overcome her smell buds, but Servi fought them off.  

“Now, the chicken ramen isn’t spicy, but it just came out of the kitchen, so please be careful. In the meantime, why not enjoy the dango? I’ll be back later to check on you.” 

Thanking the Dwarf, he went on back to the kitchen before coming right back out and going to another table.  

“Do you know what these are?”  Momo asked. She pointed to two pairs of sticks sitting next to a fork.

“I dunno. Maybe you’re supposed to eat with the sticks? But then why would he give us the forks?” Servi glanced around after she replied and discovered that about half of the patrons were using the sticks, and the other half chose the fork.  

“I guess it doesn’t matter,” Servi said after finishing her surveying effort. 

“I’m gonna use the fork.” 

“Same here. Remember, it’s hot. You don’t wanna burn your tongue again.” 

As if remembering the incident from this morning, Momo carefully blew on her bowl, allowing the white steam to radiate upwards and outwards. Servi did the same before plucking a green dango from a stick. There were three to a skewer and four sticks total, so they each got six. They weren’t that big. Maybe a tiny bit bigger than a dupla. Popping one into her mouth, Servi took a swig of her tea and smiled.  

“It’s got a sweet flavor, but it’s not overly sweet. Try it.” 

Momo grabbed one, looking at it as she spun it around, and finally popped it in her mouth.  It was like happiness radiated outward. If her tail was hooked to a generator, she would probably be able to power a city for a day.

“It’s so good!!” Momo exclaimed.

“I know!!” 

Losing their self-control, the two friends suddenly found themselves dango-less.  

“Noooo….” whined Momo in an exaggerated manner. “It’s all gone…” 

“Such a sad, sad day.” Servi closed her eyes as if she was praying, then giggled. Momo found that comical and joined her in snickering.  

“Now then,” said Servi as she lifted her fork. “I do believe the main course has cool down enough.” 

Momo stuck her fork in and pulled out half an egg that had been boiled. “Egg? I thought it was just chicken and noodles.” 

Servi dug out her egg and carefully bit into it before tossing the whole thing in her mouth. “It’s delicious,” she said.

Momo followed suit and ate hers, then immediately went searching for another.  

She found it, ate it, and searched some more, finding the chicken, the noodles, and two small pink swirls that were edible. But there weren't any more eggs. “How sad. I’ll miss you, Mr. Egg…. You were so delicious.”

Servi giggled and said they’ll honor the egg by enjoying the meal.  

Deep inside, Momo was thrashing around in happiness. Her dumb and stupid little jokes and mannerisms would’ve gotten her in trouble back in her village, but here, even Servi joined in. It was like she found someone who understood her, someone who laughed at her corny jokes that weren't funny, or even a joke at all, but still laughed anyway to not make her feel bad.  

A few wordless minutes later, both bowls were empty, and only the broth remained. As Momo wiped her mouth with a napkin, she asked what to do about the liquid left inside.

Resuming her surveying operation, Servi found that most people were lifting the bowls to their mouths and drinking the liquid as one would a cup of green-white tea.  

“Really? It doesn’t seem right, but everyone else is doing it.” 

“Bottoms up!” said Servi as she started drinking her soup. She lifted it carefully, making sure not to put too much strength into and set her alluring lips to the bowl. The red broth flowed from the bowl to her lips before entering her mouth. She placed the bowl down and enjoyed the liquid's spiciness before swallowing it. She could follow the heat that traveled through her throat before suddenly disappearing when it entered her stomach.  

Seeing her friend do it, Momo followed suit. The yellow liquid pooled around her mouth as it opened slightly. Using her tongue to direct the flow, she swallowed some and returned the bowl to the table. Servi pointed to her mouth, which became yellow with broth, and Momo quickly took a napkin and cleaned herself.  

Momo giggled, pointing to Servi, and the black-haired girl noticed the area around her mouth was also stained.  

It seems the embarrassment has switched from me to her. Yes! I got to see her like this… 

With haste, though not as much as Momo, Servi used a napkin the Dwarf had dropped off to clean her mouth before finishing off the rest of the broth. Following her friend once again, Momo did the same. And soon, both their bowls were empty.  

“Oh man, I’m so full…” Momo said. She leaned back and rubbed her tummy. Servi agreed and did the same, copying her friend.

“It’s actually a lot of food for being so cheap.” 

Picking up their cups, they finished off their drinks before getting the attention of the Dwarf. They asked for the check, and it came out to 28 dupla total. Splitting it in half, they paid 14 each, and both left a 2 dupla tip for the excellent service.  

“We gotta come back here again,” Momo rubbed her stomach as the two walked out. The lingering taste of spicy pork remained on the tip of Servi’s tongue, and it would probably stay there until dinner. 

I would very much like to try this food one day. Can we? Itarr asked. Since Momo was with her, Servi only nodded.