Chapter One Hundred and Nineteen: Heading to the Royal Capital
As the commotion over the tartar sauce finally settled down… I found myself subjected to the "pay attention to me" attacks from Gomamiso, who had been completely ignored and was now sulking. The cat, huffing on my lap, refused to unbend its stubborn attitude even when I tried to appease it with leftover fungbird meat and boiled eggs…
I’m currently serving my sentence of holding its surprisingly heavy body while continuously stroking its throat. If I stop, it demands "more petting" with its front paws!
“Speaking of which, what’s our plan when we arrive at the capital tomorrow? Are we booking an inn?”
“No. I’ve already contacted… my brother to let him know I’m coming… He’ll probably reach out to us… I think…”
“Oh, you contacted him! That’s pretty proactive for you, Ville, especially considering how reluctant you were!”
“Well, showing up without an appointment would probably just get us turned away at the door.”
Mr. Ville, who had just downed a cup of barley tea in one go, exhaled with a slightly sullen expression.
It’s rare to see our usually calm leader so hesitant to go somewhere… but he still does the proper things like making appointments. I think he is really quite conscientious at heart.
According to Ville, his brother holds a busy position, so he’ll likely contact us in some way when he’s available. Until then, Mr. Ville, laughing in a somewhat dejected manner, suggests we could grab some food from the street stalls in the downtown area.
“Oh, so there are street stalls! Is it similar to Ellarge?”
“The downtown area has a similar atmosphere. You won’t see many food carts or stalls in the uptown area, though.”
“Ah, uptown… I see, so there’s that kind of area too…”
“It’s laid out with the royal castle in the center, surrounded by the administrative district, uptown, downtown… that kind of structure.”
From the diagram Mr. Ed drew on the table with his finger, it seems the city spreads out in concentric circles around the royal castle. There’s the administrative and business district, the uptown area with fancy shops and mansions, and the bustling, casual downtown… with different kinds of residents in each area.
In contrast, Ellarge is a port town where goods from other regions gather… So for better or worse, it feels like a "city of commerce." The whole city has a large shopping district vibe, with shops everywhere and people of all social classes working together in a bustling atmosphere…
Well, I suppose it’s natural for the cities to have different atmospheres, given their different origins.
“If Ellarge is a city of brick and plaster, Schulbrand could be described as a city of stone and flowers.”
“Oh! From what I’m hearing, it sounds like a beautiful place!”
“Mm! The downtown food stalls have lots of delicious things too!”
Mr. Xenon added this information with a smile. A city of stone and flowers… Does that mean there are many stone buildings? And flowers planted in windows and on balconies? From what I can imagine, it seems like a beautiful and bright city. Seeing Ms. Aria clench her fist with sparkling eyes, the food must be delicious too.
“Oh, right, wasn’t there something about mountain delicacies being famous there? Can we go on a food tour to try the rainbow longtail we had at the Wildcat Pavilion last time?”
“Rainbow longtail fowl can be fried, grilled, stewed, steamed… Each shop has its own unique way of preparing it.”
“Wow, that sounds amazing! I can’t wait!”
“It’s enough of a famous ingredient that people debate about which place is the best.”
As I unconsciously swallowed, remembering that rich taste, Mr. Ed laughed while listing some recommended dishes. At Mr. Ed’s words, Mr. Ville poured more barley tea into his cup with a faint wry smile.
Yup. Maybe inspired by Mr. Ed’s words, Mr. Xenon and Ms. Aria have started quietly discussing "that shop" and "this shop"… talking about their favorite places. If our party is like this, I can imagine the debates that must happen among the city’s larger population.
…Wait a minute, everyone seems oddly familiar with the capital…?
“Um… Have you all been to the capital before, by any chance?”
“Hm? Oh, did we not mention it? We originally based our activities out of Schulbrand.”
“Well, after Ville decided to run away from home in grand style, we moved our base to Ellarge.”
“…The journey… was tough… you know…”
“Mainly in terms of food, though.”
“What?!”
Amid the favorite shop debate that Mr. Ville had somehow joined, I timidly asked… and a shocking new fact came to light! Everyone used to be locals there! No wonder they’re so familiar with the city’s layout, atmosphere, and various shops!
Thinking about it calmly, I suppose it’s better that everyone knows the capital well, rather than none of the party members knowing anything about the roads or information there.
It’s just that I had this image that big cities might have places you shouldn’t casually visit… though that might be my prejudice…
“Come to think of it… I completely forgot to mention that. Sorry…”
“No, it’s fine. If anything, I’m relieved that you all know the capital so well. If I get lost, you’ll probably find me quickly!”
“…Ah… Why is it that I can only imagine you getting accidentally separated from us while being distracted…?”
Mr. Ville, with "I forgot" clearly written all over his face, hurriedly bowed his head. I made a fist to show him I didn’t mind… but that only made him lower his eyebrows and press his fingers against his brow…
…I don’t understand…
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