Chapter 59
The slightly charred skin was still crackling, filling the air with a savory aroma.
When I slid my knife into it, it split open easily with a crisp, satisfying sound, revealing beautiful white flesh.
I slowly brought it to my mouth.
It flaked apart.
The tender flesh melted in my mouth.
It had the distinctive flavor of river fish. At the same time, a refreshing coolness passed through my nose, strangely fascinating. The seasoning was exquisite as well. It should have been a simple dish, grilled with nothing but a little spice and salt, yet every element blended perfectly, and it was no less delicious than the elaborate dishes I had eaten in the Imperial Capital.
"―――Delicious."
The words slipped out instinctively. The quiet shopkeeper silently bowed his head.
Surely, nothing else was needed in this moment.
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"Hey, are you asleep?"
"What are you spacing out for, Livote-taro?"
I glared at the uncouth fellows who had interrupted my silent communion with the shopkeeper, as if to say they were being noisy. Of course, they were incapable of understanding such an adult atmosphere.
"This is pretty tasty."
"Fish is nice once in a while!"
This was Jure, a town in western Rudek. The Marle River, one of Rudek's major rivers, flowed nearby, and the town was famous for its river-fish dishes.
Apparently, the lower reaches of the Marle River were called Haksha.
Livote and the others had come to this town because a provisional route had been decided for the highway to Golbel.
Roa and the others were heading out to inspect the actual site and make the final decision, so Livote had decided to accompany them.
Incidentally, it was unusual for Roa's party to travel with so many soldiers; this was a sizable group.
That was because Prince Zerand and Prince Shandar, the son of the King of Golbel, were traveling with us.
Apparently, during this inspection of the road, the King of Golbel would come all the way out to the vicinity of the border. In other words, it seemed to be a considerate attempt to arrange a meeting between Prince Shandar and the king while they had the chance.
And since the King of Golbel was coming in person, Rudek decided to send an emissary of suitable standing as well. Prince Zerand, who had also represented Rudek during the previous goodwill mission, was chosen.
The two princes and Roa were currently meeting with the lord of this land.
I had no particular intention of sitting in on the meeting, so I had come to this restaurant to pass the time—not because I was looking forward to it.
It had been a miscalculation that the twins followed me despite my not inviting them—in fact, despite telling them not to come—but so far, I was satisfied with the food.
If Lufa were here, the twins would probably be somewhat quieter, but Lufa was currently with Roa at the town lord's residence.
This time, Lufa was accompanying us at Prince Zerand's request.
"If you'd like, would you care to stop by the royal family's villa on the way back?" he had asked.
It was probably the best invitation he could manage as a prince, but...
"Sure! Shall we all go? It'll be fun!"
Lufa's equivocal reply had left him looking both pleased and disappointed.
Thus, the main purposes of this trip were to inspect the road, meet with the King of Golbel, and finally stop by the royal family's villa.
To be honest, the villa at the end held little interest for me. However, if Roa was going, I ought to accompany him.
A royal villa, huh...
What kind of food would they serve there? Would they use local ingredients, I wonder?
"Hey, Livote-taro."
"If you're not going to eat it, hand it over."
While I was lost in thought, the next dish had apparently arrived. Looking over, I saw that the twins' plates were already empty.
"Don't be ridiculous. Of course I'm going to eat it."
I shielded the plate from the twins as I brought another exquisite dish to my mouth.