Chapter 16
The West District, Baltrain’s famed commercial district, lived up to its reputation.
“Books are wonderful. They soothe the soul.”
“Ugh... I’m not much of a fan of studying...”
“Ha ha ha.”
Fissel’s eyes sparkled in a large bookstore along the main street.
“Sensei! Look at this! What do you think?”
“Yeah, I think it suits you.”
“It suits a kid like Kuruni perfectly. Not bad.”
“Grr!”
Kuruni tried on this and that at a clothing store brimming with the latest city fashions.
“Is this... an accessory shop?”
“These are magic items. Simply put, they’re equipment with magical effects.”
“Oh...”
My curiosity stirred at the magic-item shop, which sold accessories like bracelets and necklaces imbued with magical effects.
The three of us went around looking at all sorts of shops.
It was quite fun to pop into random shops, sometimes making a fuss and sometimes quietly browsing.
Though the sun was beginning to sink, the West District’s bustle showed no sign of letting up. With our long shadows stretching at our feet, we ended up spending quite a while there.
“Wow, there really is all kinds of stuff here. Even things I don’t need catch my eye.”
“They’ve got a huge range, from everyday necessities to rare finds.”
“Yeah, I like the West District too. There are so many things.”
After making the rounds—though a few hours only let us cover so much—we took a breather.
Man, Baltrain is amazing. I probably shouldn’t compare it to Bidden Village, but still. I don’t usually go sightseeing, and I never left the village, so this is all incredibly fresh.
“Hehe. Beryl-sensei, you’re looking around everywhere.”
“Ha ha ha, it’s embarrassing. I am from the countryside, after all.”
Fissel called me out after noticing my eyes darting around.
Well, I couldn’t help it. Anyone coming from the countryside to a huge city would get excited, right?
“Was there anything that caught your eye, Sensei?”
“Let’s see... There was a lot, but I found the magic-item shop interesting.”
“Magic items are fascinating. I’m glad you liked them, Beryl-sensei.”
I thought for a moment before answering Kuruni’s question.
I’d assumed she liked books, but Fissel seemed even more fascinated by magic items.
“Fissel, you like magic items, huh?”
“Yeah. I have a lot.”
Fissel murmured, her expression softening ever so slightly.
There weren’t many people who could use magic, but magic items seemed to be fairly common in the city.
Apparently, they were made using magic ore, a mineral that stored mana, so magical talent wasn’t really a factor.
I didn’t understand the details very well. I mean, I’m a swordsman.
They had all kinds of effects: helping fatigue wear off, speeding up the healing of injuries, or providing a little resistance to heat or cold, among other things.
If anything, I figured they were items adventurers needed.
“Still, that was a nice change of pace. Thanks, you two.”
After taking a breather, I thanked the two who’d shown me around.
It was a pleasure I wouldn’t have discovered if I’d kept going back and forth between the Knights’ headquarters and the inn by myself.
“You’re welcome!”
“Mm.”
The two gave contrasting responses, but judging by their expressions, they seemed pleased, which was all that mattered.
They’d only accompanied an old guy on a little sightseeing trip, so I’d be happy as long as they hadn’t had a bad or boring time.
“Oh, right. As a thank-you, if you two have time, dinner’s on me.”
“Really? Is that okay?”
Kuruni was the first to react to my offer.
She’d always been a girl who ate well and slept well, even back at the dojo.
Everything she did was so soothing.
This was exactly the kind of thing I liked.
“That’d be great. I’m hungry too.”
Though her expression didn’t change, Fissel lowered her gaze to her stomach as she answered.
“All right, it’s settled. Do either of you have a recommendation?”
Even though I was offering to treat them, I was still a newcomer to the capital.
I didn’t know any good restaurants, nor did I know what either of them liked. Well, Kuruni seemed like she didn’t dislike anything, but Fissel struck me as someone with particular tastes.
“Oh, I want to go there! Regen’s grilled skewer shop!”
“Agreed. I like those too.”
“Grilled skewers, huh? Sounds good. I’m looking forward to it.”
Once we’d decided on dinner, the three of us immediately set off. I’d gone all the way to the West District with Kuruni right after training, so I was pretty hungry too.
Kuruni on my right, Fissel on my left.
The company was quite different from when I’d first arrived in this city, but it wasn’t bad. It almost made me feel like their guardian. Mainly because of Kuruni.
More than anything, it was nice to sightsee without worrying about people’s stares.
An old guy and two young women made for a somewhat unbalanced group, but we probably wouldn’t draw that much attention.
“Here it is! Their boar skewers are delicious!”
“Oh, boar, huh?”
After walking through the West District for a while, we arrived at a skewer shop facing the main street.
A boar was a medium-sized wild animal about as big as an adult. The hunters in Bidden Village hunted them from time to time, too.
Its meat was on the tougher, chewier side. But that was just its natural texture, and the right preparation could transform it. Since boars were plentiful throughout the Reberis Kingdom, people had come up with all sorts of ways to cook them.
“Hey, mister! Three boar skewers!”
“You got it!”
It looked like the kind of shop where you could watch them grilling from outside.
When Kuruni called out her order to the man who seemed to be the owner, he answered cheerfully and laid the roughly skewered boar meat over the charcoal.
“Ooh... It already looks delicious.”
“Mm. The boar here is exquisite. I guarantee it.”
Watching the boar meat, generously coated in sauce, cook made me unbearably hungry. The smell of grilling meat and that sweet-and-savory sauce were enough to whet my appetite.
Ooh, it really does look amazing.
From the looks of it, the portions were huge. One skewer alone would probably fill me up.
“Hmm, it’s crowded after all.”
“Yeah. Lots of people.”
“Hmm...”
I glanced around and saw that plenty of customers were buying skewers. A few people were walking along with skewers in hand, eating as they went.
The shop seemed to have a place to eat, but unfortunately it was full of other customers.
“Kuruni, you live in the East District, right? It’s a bit of a walk, so shall we eat as we go?”
“Sure! It’s been ages since I ate while walking!”
“I live in the East District too. This works out perfectly.”
And so, following the fine example of those who’d come before us, we decided to eat on the go.
“Here you go! Three grilled skewers!”
“Thanks.”
I handed over the money and received the skewers, then took one in hand.
Mmm, what a hearty portion. The bits of charred sauce were another big plus. This owner knew how to grill meat. No wonder Kuruni and Fissel had both given the place their seal of approval.
“All right, Sensei! Let’s eat!”
“Mm. Let’s eat.”
“Here you go. I’ll dig in too.”
Kuruni took a hearty bite, while Fissel nibbled her way along from one end.
Even just watching them eat showed how opposite they were. Back at the dojo, I’d thought they weren’t especially close or hostile. Maybe they’d become friends after coming to the capital.
Well, whatever.
I wasn’t going to pry into their private lives, and it was better if they got along.
“...Mm, delicious.”
The moment I took a bite of the boar skewer, the thick piece of meat yielded with surprising tenderness.
Hmm, they’d marinated it thoroughly from the very start of the preparation. That shopkeeper was no ordinary man if he’d managed to make boar this tender.
As soon as I chewed, the juices spread through my mouth, and together with the savory sauce, an exquisite flavor instantly took over.
Yeah, this was seriously delicious.
My cheeks relaxed without me realizing it. This was exactly the kind of thing I liked.
“Mmm! This is delicious!”
“Make sure you watch where you’re going.”
“Good grief. Kuruni, you’re so careless.”
“Hey! That’s rude! I’m a knight, you know!”
We chatted back and forth as we continued walking away from the skewer shop.
And so, the three of us savored our boar skewers as we each headed home.