The Sea and the Seafood Market

After lunch, having rested for a while, I was riding in a carriage toward the sea. Lucien was the only one with me.

The others had already seen it, so apparently they didn't feel the need to go out of their way to see it again.

"I'm really looking forward to it. The sea must be so vast you can't see the end, right?"

"Yes! It's exciting, isn't it?"

Since Lucien and I were the only ones in the carriage, we didn't have to use polite speech. Apparently, the servants and guards were following us on foot. Carriages couldn't go all that fast inside the town, after all.

"After we go to the sea, I'd like to visit the market and stalls selling seafood. Is that okay?"

"It should be fine if we only look around for a little while. Jack is with us as a guard, too."

"Really!? Yes!"

"Is there something interesting there?"

"I was thinking we could buy some fish that looks delicious and have it used for dinner. There's also a dish I want to make, so I'd like to buy ingredients for that too."

"Can you cook, Leon?"

Lucien seemed quite surprised. Huh? Didn't he know that my family ran a restaurant?

"My family runs a restaurant."

"I see. I'd like to try your cooking too, Leon."

"Then I'll make something if they'll let me use the kitchen when we get back."

"In that case, we'd better buy lots. I'm carrying some money Grandfather entrusted to me."

"Really? Then I won't hold back."

We said that and laughed together.

After we had been rocked by the carriage for a while, it looked like we'd reached the seaside. When I got out of the carriage, the vast sea stretched out before me.

Oh! The sea, for the first time in ages!

The sea breeze felt great. Amazing... The sea was vast in every world.

I gazed quietly at the sea for a while, then turned toward Roger. He was staring at the sea with sparkling eyes.

Heh... What a childlike expression.

"Roger, how do you like the sea?"

"Ah, Leon-sama. It's amazing! I can't believe it's this vast and beautiful. I'm glad I got to see it."

"You were looking at it with such sparkling, childlike eyes."

"Wha—... I couldn't have been making a face like that."

Roger desperately denied it. He didn't have to deny it so vehemently. He had already returned to his usual expressionless face.

Well, he'd become much more expressive lately, so I supposed it was fine. We'd grown closer than before, and I didn't feel awkward when we were together anymore.

I shifted my gaze from Roger back to Lucien.

"Lucien, the sea is so vast and amazing."

I said that quietly so the servants wouldn't hear.

"Leon, it's amazing! There is so much water here. It's so vast and beautiful."

As expected, seeing it for the first time was moving. I was moved by nostalgia.

After a while, everyone had come back to themselves, and we decided to go to the market near the harbor. It was only a few minutes away by carriage, so we arrived quickly.

We got out of the carriage and entered the market.

Oh! It's lively. There are already so many people around, so I should use polite speech.

"Lucien-sama, may we stop at any shops that catch your eye?"

"Yes, let's stop at as many as possible! I want to see lots of shops too."

At the market, water had been put into containers resembling wooden boxes, with fish, shellfish, octopuses, and other seafood separated by type.

First, I wanted to eat octopus karaage, so I wanted to buy some octopus. I also needed white-fleshed fish for fish fried in batter, but what kind of fish would be good? I didn't know, so I decided that the Spanish mackerel we'd eaten earlier would do.

And if I was going to fry things, fried horse mackerel would be good too. If they had any, I'd buy some. I also wanted to eat yellowtail, so yellowtail it was. Salt-grilled yellowtail had been one of my favorite foods.

As I walked along thinking about this, I found a shop selling octopus.

"Lucien-sama, may I buy some octopus?"

"Yes. Then let's go to that shop."

"Certainly."

I approached the shop and called out to the shopkeeper.

"Hello. I'd like to buy some octopus."

When I said that, the shopkeeper looked at us suspiciously.

"Are you perhaps nobles...?"

"I'm not, but this is Lucien-sama of the Townsend ducal family."

"The Townsend ducal family? That's our lord's family! It's an honor to have you come to a place like this."

The old man suddenly began bowing over and over to Lucien. I wondered if nobles never came around here.

"Sorry for dropping by so suddenly."

"Not at all! We're honored."

"Do nobles ever come around here?"

"Of course nobles almost never come to a little town like this. Even people from the Townsend ducal family only came to see the magistrate."

So that's how it was. I'd gone and done something out of the ordinary again—and dragged Lucien into it with me.

Sorry, Lucien... But I have a feeling this sort of thing will happen again.

"Anyway, could I buy some octopus?"

"Sure! We've got some fresh ones today. The ones in that box are the best."

"Then three good ones, please. I also want some Spanish mackerel, horse mackerel, and yellowtail. Where should I go for those?"

"The stall three down has plenty of fresh catches."

"I see. Thanks!"

I bought the octopus, had Roger carry them, and went to the next shop.

"Hello! I'd like some Spanish mackerel, horse mackerel, and yellowtail."

"Sure thing! How many of each?"

"Hmm... Three Spanish mackerel, one yellowtail, and six horse mackerel, please. Choose good ones for me."

This time, the shopkeeper was an energetic older woman. She didn't pay any attention to our clothes at all. Maybe she thought we were merchants' children.

"Will these do?"

"Yes! They look delicious."

"They are. My husband is a skilled fisherman."

I bought the fish from the cheerful woman, so my mission was complete for now.

I secretly put some refined ice into the wooden box Roger was carrying. Now we wouldn't have to worry about the time.

All right! Next, it was time to eat while walking around. This market didn't just sell fish to take home; it also sold food that people could eat as they walked.

"Lucien-sama, is there anything you'd like to buy?"

"I don't really know what to choose, so I'll follow you, Leon. Everything is new and fun to me."

"Then how about we eat as we walk? Would that be all right for you, Lucien-sama?"

"No, today should be fine."

Yes! Lucien's attendant looked a little reluctant to allow it, but seeing that Lucien was enjoying himself, the attendant seemed to decide not to stop us.

What should we eat? There was fish that had been cleaned and grilled, octopus grilled on skewers, grilled shellfish, and more.

Hmm... It was hard to choose, but I wanted shellfish!

"Lucien-sama, shall we eat some scallops?"

"Yes, the ones we had at lunch. I liked them too."

"Then let's go."

I headed for the shop selling scallops.

"Hello. Could we have some scallops? How many..."

How many should we get? Would the attendants and guards want some too? I decided to ask.

"Will everyone have some?"

"No, we'll pass."

"No, you should have some too. It's all right once in a while."

"But..."

"Since we have the chance, let's all eat together. Thank you, Lucien-sama."

Since Jack-san, one of the guards, suggested it, we all decided to eat together.

"How many will it be in the end?"

"Five, please!"

"Five, then. I'll grill them now, so wait a moment."

The shopkeeper grilled five scallops for us. Then, using an iron skewer or something similar, she pried the meat out of the shells and sprinkled salt on it. It looked incredibly delicious!

"Thank you!"

"Here you are, Lucien-sama. Oh, should someone taste it for poison?"

"I will."

Lucien's attendant tasted a little to check for poison, then handed the scallop to Lucien.

"Thank you. Then let's eat."

"Yes!"

I took a huge bite of the scallop. The meat was so large that I couldn't finish it in one bite.

So good! The savory juices burst into my mouth, filling me with happiness. Since it was seasoned with only a little salt, the natural flavor of the ingredient really came through. As expected, seafood was best when it was fresh and freshly grilled.

I finished eating completely satisfied. It was fantastic.

"Lucien-sama, that was delicious, wasn't it?"

"It was so delicious I was surprised! If I'd been hungrier, I would have wanted to eat more."

"Then let's buy some scallops to take home, too. Excuse me, could we have twenty scallops?"

"Sure thing. Thank you."

I bought the scallops and was about to go look at another shop when I noticed a large number of scallop shells packed into boxes.

What do they do with all these shells?

"Ma'am, what do you do with these shells?"

"These? We throw them away on the beach."

They just throw them away!? Then there must be a lot of shells on the beach!

"Are there a lot of shells on the beach?"

"Yes. They're piled up like a mountain."

"I see. Thanks."

Didn't shells have quite a few uses? I think I remember seeing something about it on TV. If I recall correctly, baking them, grinding them into powder, and spreading it over fields should make fertilizer, right?

I wasn't sure, but I'd find out by trying. If I could make fertilizer, it might become a specialty of this town.

Then seafood might attract even more attention, and people might even be able to eat it in the Royal Capital!

For now, I wanted to take some shells home.

"Ma'am, could I have these shells too? We don't have a box to carry them home in, so could I have the box as well? I'll pay you a little for them."

"Really!? You're willing to take something like this off my hands—and pay for it? I have no reason to refuse!"

"Thanks."

The attendant carried the shells for us. There were probably more than ten kilograms, so they must have been quite strong.

"Leon, what are you going to do with something like that?"

"I came up with something, and I plan to test it. Since we've bought quite a lot, shall we return to the magistrate's residence?"

"Yes, let's. Quite a bit of time has passed."

And so, carrying our plentiful spoils, we returned to the magistrate's residence.