Chapter 75 : Eating Around In The Royal Capital

 

A week later, Marian-chan came to pick us up with teleportation magic as promised.

「I don’t wanna make them suspicious of me, so I’ll drop you near the entrance to the royal capital. Please come to the royal palace on foot from there.」(Marian)

Marian-chan was talking to me, but I wasn’t really paying attention.

「Marian-chan… You’re so beautiful…」(Hanna)

「…Huh?」(Marian)

I couldn’t refrain myself from saying that, because…

Marian-chan isn’t wearing thief armor right now, and her hair isn’t tied up.

She’s wearing a beautiful crimson dress with her long blonde hair extended to the back.

She was like the sun shining in the middle of a dimly lit store.

「Marian-chan, you look like a real princess… Un! You’re so pretty, so beautiful!」(Hanna)

Hearing my words, Marian-chan blushed.

「W-Wh, What are you t-talking about!? Your eyes are just being tricked because I’m wearing a good dress! I’m not p-pretty at all!」(Marian)

「Eeh~ Why are you so shy~?」(Hanna)

「S, Shut up! I’ll also prepare dresses for you two to attend the party later! So prepare yourself!」(Marian)

While shouting to hide her embarrassment, Marian-chan handed me and Mira-san invitation letters to the “Moon Viewing Party”.

Only those who have been recognized as contributors to the Gran Kingdom are allowed to participate in the Moon Viewing Party which is held once every 30 years after the barrier is renewed.

Not only aristocrats who will participate in the party, but also knights, wealthy merchants, landowners, researchers, ect.

There will also be adventurers, but not many.

I feel honored to join people like them.

Well, in my case, protecting Marian-chan was my mission, so half of the reason why I was invited was because of my job.

「Ah, you may need this too.」(Marian)

After handing us the invitations, Marian-chan handed me a map of the royal capital.

However, there are marks and handwriting in some places.

「What do these marks mean?」(Hanna)

「Those marks are the locations of restaurants and food stalls with delicious food. I asked my maid who is familiar with the royal capital’s culinary establishments to mark them.」(Marian)

「Really!? Thank you!」(Hanna)

I’m so grateful, but… wait a minute…

Why did she prepare this kind of map for me?

「Umm, Marian-chan, do you by any chance think that I’m a gluttonous girl who eats a lot like a monster or something?」(Hanna)

「’Like a monster’ is a bit too much, but you like to eat a lot, right?」(Marian)

「W, Well, yeah.. Haha…」(Hanna)

I can’t deny it.

I’m a little embarrassed that Marian-chan always thinks of me like that.

Well, it’s my own fault because I ate a lot of food when I was in the underground labyrinth…

Now that she finds out that I like to eat a lot, I’ll gratefully use this map and eat around the royal capital, then!

Ahh! I can’t wait to try the royal capital’s specialties!

「Alright then, let’s get going. Come closer to me.」(Marian)

Mira-san and I came closer to Marian-chan and pressed our bodies against her.

As decided before, Galle-chan will stay to manage the store.

She has been learning to receive payments from customers, give customers the medicines and potions they need, and manage the goods, so I think she will be just fine.

Besides, thanks to Marian-chan’s teleportation magic, we don’t have to waste our time to make a round trip, so we will only leave Galle-chan for four days.

「Master, please protect Marian-chan!」(Galle)

Galle-chan bowed at me as she said that.

For the sake of Galle-chan who can’t come with us, I renewed my determination to protect Marian-chan.

「You can leave her to me! I’ll beat the enemies, buy souvenirs, and come back!」(Hanna)

「I’m counting on you, Master!」(Galle)

Marian-chan was just smiling while looking at us.

「Galle-chan… You don’t have anything to say to me?」(Mira)

「Hmph! I hope you will get fat from accompanying Master eating around in the royal capital!」(Galle)

「Nice tsundere.」(Mira)

Saying that, Mira-san raised a thumbs-up.

「Mumumu! I’m not acting tsundeーー」(Galle)

Galle-chan was complaining to Mira-san, but the scenery suddenly changed before she finished her line.

「Aa… I’ve done it… I still can’t control this magic well…」(Marian)

Marian-chan scratched her cheeks awkwardly.

「Umm… Should we go back?」(Marian)

「No, no! It’s fine, it’s fine!」(Hanna)

I feel like Mira-san and Galle-chan will start fighting if we go back.

Well, unlike before, I feel like they started fighting because they’re on good terms.

What cute girls.

「So this is the royal capital? This is my first time coming here.」(Hanna)

From Egg Tart, we have moved to a large city surrounded by walls.

A large building of the royal palace towered in the center of the city, shining brightly in the bright morning sun.

There were many shops around us, and the streets were overflowing with people; they seemed like they were just getting ready for work.

Tiaret is also a big city, but it looks like the royal capital is way bigger.

「Wow. The buildings are neatly arranged.」(Mira)

I have no choice but to nod to Mira-san’s impression.

This city is so tidy.

The urban planning is really well done.

The houses, the streets, the rivers.
Nothing is randomly placed.

Looks like this city was designed to make it easier for people to live in.

Above all, the uniformity between the buildings and the landscape is wonderful.

No flashy colors were used on the roofs and walls, only white and pale colors, giving a calm and bright impression.

Some people around us started saying, “Isn’t that Princess Marian?”, “No way. Perhaps it’s just someone who looks like her.”

「Oh, shoot. I’m going back to the royal palace before people find out who I am. You can enjoy this city for a while.」(Marian)

After saying that, Marian-chan suddenly disappeared.

It feels awkward to be left here, but it can’t be helped.

「Well then, let’s walk around the city before going to the royal palace.」(Hanna)

Mira-san nodded.

「A date with Hanna… Hehe~」(Mira)

「A, A date, huh…? I feel a little embarrassed now… Anyways, let’s visit the stores marked on this map!」(Hanna)

「Yaayー」(Mira)

Mira-san applauded as I opened the map.

First of all, I want to eat meat!

「Let’s go eat the royal capital’s specialty, magical dry-aged meat!」(Hanna)

Magical dry-aged meat is meat that was stored in a space with high concentration of magical energy for a certain period of time.

According to Galle-chan, it tastes completely different from normal meat.

The moment you chew it, the savory gravy will flood your mouth.

After walking for a while, we finally found the recommended store that was marked on the map.

It was still morning but the store was already open.

An old man who seemed to be the cook was now grilling meat in front of the store.

The customers were entering the store as if they couldn’t resist the delicious aroma of the grilled meat.

The price seemed to be a little expensive, but I got a lot of reward money from Marian-chan.

「Oji-san! Can I get two orders of dry-aged meat, please!?」(Hanna)

「Which one do you want, 30% or 50%?」(old man)

「Eh? What do those numbers mean?」(Hanna)

「Ojou-chan, is this your first time coming here? It’s the percentage of the magical energy concentration. Meat that is aged in a space with higher magical energy concentration is more delicious, but it’s also more expensive.」(old man)

「I see… Umumu…」(Hanna)

I looked at the store signboard.

The ‘30%’ meat is 15 pels, and the ‘50%’ meat is 30 pels.

It’s quite pricey…

But I have money now!

Should I order the 50% one?

But, it may be better if I order the 30% first since I don’t know how it tastes.

But…. Ughh… No, I will order both!

「Oji-saーー」(Hanna)

「ーー80% please!」(?)

When I was about to order, someone interrupted from behind.

80%? But the signboard only said 30% and 50%…

「Hoo… You know this store’s secret menu, huh? Ojou-san, you must be one of our regular customers.」(old man)

The old man who grills meat grinned as he said that.

Secret menu? There’s something like that!?

「Hmph. Obviously. Who do you think I am?」(?)

…’Obviously’?

Wait, don’t tell me….

I looked back to the person behind me.

「Gehー!」(Hanna)

Yup. She is the person I don’t want to meet the most.

「Uwa! Hanna Falsett…!」(Cecil)

Looks like she also doesn’t want to meet me either.

Cecil stepped back while leaning her body backward, and bumped into the dark elf girl who was standing behind her.

「Aw, Cecil, what are you doing? ーOh? Hanna! Why are you here? No, it doesn’t matter. Aaahh~♡ I’m so happy to see you here! Is this a coincidence? Or… destiny~!?」(Rozelia)

Uwaahh… Even Rozelia is here too…

Well, I know they’re always together, but, come on!

Why do I have to encounter these people in this beautiful royal capital!?

Aa-aah…

「I’m just eating around! What the hell are you guys doing here!?」(Hanna)

When I asked, Cecil snorted, took out a piece of paper from her bag, and showed it to me with a proud face.

It was the same paper as Marian-chan gave me and Mira-san.

「We’re going to attend a party hosted by the royal family, the “Moon Viewing Party”! Only the people who have contributed to this kingdom are invited to the party! This is the result of my efforts as an adventurer!」(Cecil)

「…So you’re going to participate in the party too, huh…? This is the worst…」(Hanna)

「How’s that!? You’re jealous, aren’t you!? Hahaha! A person like you will neverーー Hold on…..」(Cecil)

After acting arrogantly in front of me, Cecil suddenly tilted her head.

「What did you say? “So you’re going to participate in the party ‘too’”? Too!? Y, You… Don’t tell me….」(Cecil)

I took out the invitation letter from my pocket and showed it to her with a proud face.

「Hmph! Did you think I wouldn’t get an invitation!? Puu! Puu! Too bad, I’ve been invited too, you know!」(Hanna)

「Ha, Haaaahhh!?」(Cecil)

 

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