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Floor 2 – "The Taurus's Hammer" - Town of Urbus
The restaurant I had taken us to was one of my favorites on this Floor. It was called "The Taurus's Hammer", and featured an extensive menu that included dishes such as Farfalle with Yogurt and Zucchini and Quinoa Enchilada Casserole. Its interior was tastefully decorated with mahogany furniture and candle-lit tabletops, giving it a cabin-esque and cozy feel.
After Sword Art Online went from being a fun and amazing experience to a horrifying game of death, one of the few things that had helped keep me sane was food. One of the few benefits to living in a virtual reality was that no matter how much food you ate, your physical shape and form would never change. In other words, it was literally impossible to get fat. This meant that you could, in theory, stuff your face with as much food as you could afford, and never turn overweight.
And, as if that wasn't enough, most restaurants were dirt-cheap compared to the real world, with only the most extensive of meals costing more than 100 to 500 Cor. The waiting time in said restaurants were great as well, as the NPC chefs all had their Cooking skill maxed out, allowing for speedy preparation of the meals.
Following Asuna deeper into the restaurant, I was surprised to see more than a few other players spread out across the room. When I had first eaten here after arriving on the Second Floor for the first time, the place had been completely empty. But that certainly wasn't the case anymore.
"This seems like a good spot," Asuna suddenly piped up, stopping in front of a table in the northwest corner of the room. It was nothing special, just a simple wooden construction with a grey and black tablecloth covering its surface, but it still had a certain rustic charm over it.
Getting seated at the table, it didn't take long for an NPC waitress to approach us, asking for our order.
"Hmm... I'll have the... Spinach Tortellini Chicken Salad with a bowl of... fried potatoes as a side," I answered, maneuvering my way through the menu with ease, seeing as I had been here multiple times before and already knew what I liked and didn't like.
"Noted. And what about you, Miss?" the NPC nodded, turning to face Asuna instead.
"Hmm, I don't know... What do you suggest, Kirito?"
"Hm? Oh... you're asking me for a recommendation? Are you sure?" I hesitated, shooting the menu a skeptical look.
"You said this was your favorite restaurant, so who better to tell me what to get and what to avoid," she retorted matter-of-factly, her eyes reflecting the light of the candle in front of us.
"Ahh, I suppose you have a point... Well then, what to choose... Hmm... Perhaps this one?" I muttered to myself, racing through the different options at mach 2 speed. It was surprisingly hard to choose now that I was no longer picking only for myself.
"Yes, okay, she will have the... Prosciutto Pasta Chicken Skillet with a side of sweet potato fries."
"Noted. Your estimated wait time is... 7 minutes. Thanks for eating with us at "The Taurus's Hammer"!"
Speeding away just as quickly as she had arrived, the NPC waitress headed for the kitchen to pass our orders along to the chefs. Meanwhile, I was left alone at the table with a female (that wasn't my sister) for the first time in years.
"Uhh... so..." I awkwardly started, not quite sure where to look. "Nice place, right?"
God damn I'm such an idiot.
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