We rode comfortably on the sled’s platform as we arrived at the largest town near the kingdom of Roukaku, the Sand Nation.
The town was surrounded by white walls, and its size seemed about the same as the inner district of Einzheil. Judging from the buildings, it looked far more developed than I had expected.
Well, any water problems common in deserts could probably be solved easily here with magic.
If only they could do something about this relentless sunlight, life would be much more comfortable.
「Hmm. I think the person we’re looking for should be in this town…」
Renge murmured calmly, completely unbothered by the heat.
I wondered if I’d eventually develop some kind of heat resistance just by being here long enough.
Anyway, back to the main point.
While following the map across the desert, we came across a small village.
It was said that earth dragons had appeared there, so we stopped by. But apparently, they’d already been defeated.
According to the villagers, an old man had shown up, defeated the earth dragon in an instant, and vanished like the wind.
That was most likely Kuduro-san.
「This town seems quite prosperous.」
Just as Wendy said, there were a lot of people.
Men wearing white turbans and women dressed elegantly in brightly colored saris walked along the main street, just as I had imagined.
…And yet, despite the recent appearance of earth dragons, the townspeople’s faces looked bright and cheerful.
「Now that you mention it, this town’s also surrounded by white walls.」
I remembered the small village we’d stopped at earlier, it too had been encircled by white walls.
I wondered if that was because of the earth dragons, but I doubted those walls had much defensive strength.
「That’s rightssu. Those white walls are mixed with herbs that earth dragons hate. Even after the dragons appear, the walls stay effective for about thirty days.」
「Thirty days? So, it’s based on time?」
「Yup. When the earth dragons get hungry enough, they can’t keep avoiding the smell foreverssu.」
…Makes sense.
So, the walls buy them some time, and in that time the subjugation teams, Renge, and the shrine maidens of past generations would finish the job.
At least they’ve prepared some sort of countermeasure.
「It’s still hot inside the town… They should really build more water spots. Ahh… the magic power ball my lord gave me feels so good.」
Sorte pressed the magic power orb I’d given her against her cheek, clearly enjoying the cool sensation.
Not that I was any different, I had mine against my neck as we walked through the town.
「Lord, I’m hungry.」
「Yeah… Let’s grab a meal and ask around while we’re at it.」
「Roukaku’s meat is the best, you know! They’ve got tons of spices, so every shop has its own flavor!」
Heh… spices, huh.
Might be worth buying some as souvenirs while we’re here.
If possible, I’d like to learn how to cook some of the local dishes and teach them to Mizera later… though actually learning from someone here might be a bit tricky.
「Oh, Renge-chan! It’s been a while!」
「Ah, proprietress-san! Long time no seessu!」
A rather well-endowed woman carrying shopping bags approached us.
From the looks of it, she was an acquaintance of Renge’s, quite a close one at that.
「Will you be stopping by my place today? The girls at the shop are always so happy when you visit, you know.」
「Oh, that sounds great! I’d love for master to taste your cooking, proprietress-san!」
So, she owns a restaurant or tavern, huh?
Now that I think about it, she definitely has the vibe of a tavern mistress.
Guess she’s out shopping for her store.
「Master…? Oh my, Renge-chan, I thought you didn’t like men?」
「Ahaha… umm… ehehehe…」
「Ara, don’t tell me, you’re smitten! Well now, you’ve got yourself a good girl, haven’t you, young man!」
Thud!
A sharp elbow jabbed right into my side!
Oof… this woman’s surprisingly strong!
「Alright then, that settles it! Come over to my place. We’re not open yet, so you can have the place to yourselves. We’ll celebrate!」
「Really!?」
「Of course! Renge-chan’s always been a big help to us.」
Well… that went fast.
Looks like we’ve already got our dining spot sorted out.
Shiro’s been clutching her stomach for a while, guess we’d better eat before she collapses.
※
「Nom nom chomp chomp gulp munch munch yum yum!」
「Ahaha, what a hearty eater you are! Makes cooking worth it!」
「Mm! Mmm! Delicious!」
「That’s wonderful to hear! Eat as much as you want! Eating well is part of growing up, you know!」
I appreciate the sentiment, really… but isn’t she opening for business soon?
If we eat this much, she might not have enough to serve the customers later.
「…my liege. I’ll go restock the ingredients.」
「I’ll go too. I can ask around the town while we’re at it.」
「Yeah, sorry, but could I ask you two to handle that?」
Aina and Sorte must’ve been thinking the same thing, they offered to take care of the shopping and the inquiries.
Their plates were empty, though knowing them, they’re probably still hungry, so I’ll have the owner set aside some food for when they get back.
「Renge-san’s master-san, you should eat more too! Proprietress-san’s cooking is best when it’s hot!」
「Ah, I am. Thank you.」
She’s probably one of the staff… but that skirt is short, and those legs are something else.
Her socks stop just above the knees, leaving that generous “absolute territory” that perfectly shows off the elegant lines of her legs.
Whoever decided on this outfit for the employees knew exactly what they were doing.
Most likely… proprietress-san herself?
Legs are most beautiful not when still, but in motion.
As the muscles shift, the lines change, and each movement brings out a new kind of beauty.
Yeah, this proprietress-san’s a savvy one.
「So, so! Renge-san, what do you like most about him!?」
「Eeh, secretssu. It’s embarrassingssu!」
…Should I really be relaxing here?
I glanced toward Renge, but she said mealtime should be for unwinding, so everyone’s taking it easy.
Makes sense, if we stay too tense, we’ll burn out before we even meet up with Kuduro-san. Things will get hectic soon enough anyway.
So, Wendy’s watching proprietress-san cook to learn.
Shiro’s fully focused on eating.
Renge’s busy chatting.
Guess that leaves me to talk with the bespectacled staff member standing next to me.
「How is it? Proprietress-san’s cooking, I mean.」
「Delicious. Really good. The spice balance is perfect.」
「I know, right? Lots of people are fans of her cooking. Some chefs even travel from other countries just to figure out her spice mix. You’re really lucky to be getting to learn from her.」
That’s impressive, but yeah, I can believe it.
The aroma alone stirs your appetite, and once you take a bite, the subtle heat and spice make you want another without even realizing it.
It’s a hot meal on a hot day, yet somehow you can’t stop eating, even while sweating.
The slightly stronger seasoning is probably because this place doubles as a tavern.
Honestly, this would go perfectly with an ice-cold lager.
Would’ve been amazing to wash this down with a gulp of beer… but unfortunately, we’ve got business ahead, and I can’t risk getting tipsy.
「By the way, your glasses, aren’t they a little bent?」
「They are… I’ve had poor eyesight since birth. These were a gift, but they’re expensive, so I haven’t been able to afford proper repairs…」
「I see… mind if I take a look?」
「Sure, but don’t break them, okay?」
When she handed me her glasses, our faces were quite close.
Her eyes really did look strained, it wasn’t just for show.
I inspected the bridge and nose pads. Looks like that’s where the frame had warped slightly.
It’s thin metal, and bending it too much could easily cause fatigue and snap it, so I activated Handing just enough to adjust it.
「Hmm… maybe about like this…? Okay, try putting them on again.」
I had her put them on once so I could check the alignment, then took them back for some fine-tuning.
「Ohh, are you an alchemist?」
「Yeah, that’s my main trade. So? Any discomfort or anything?」
「No, they feel perfect! Thank you so much!」
Good. Nice and straight now.
I also reinforced the frame a bit so it wouldn’t bend easily again.
After all, glasses girls truly shine when their glasses sit just right.
「Ehehe. Renge-san’s master-san is such a kind person!」
The glasses girl bowed with a smile, giving a subtle glimpse of her cleavage, then took my empty dishes and walked away with a light bounce in her step.
「Master! No picking up allowedssu!」
「Eeeh…」
Is fixing a girl’s glasses considered picking up now?
「Hahaha! He’s a good one. A real man naturally draws women to him! So, Renge-chan, you’re here to hunt Earth Dragons again?」
「Hmm… you could say thatssu」
「That’s a vague answer. Huh? Wasn’t the army supposed to handle subjugations from now on?」
「That’s true. But this time’s… a bit specialssu」
So, the town hasn’t heard about the mass outbreak yet?
Maybe they just think a few Earth Dragons showed up like usual.
「Oh, that reminds me. I heard an old man was asking around about where the Earth Dragons were earlier.」
「Reallyssu!? Wh-wh-where was that!?」
「The dragons? Straight out the north gate. Is that old man a friend of yours, Renge-chan?」
「Sure is! North gate, got itssu! Master!」
「Ah, got it. Shiro, you full?」
「Hmm. Full. Need exercise after meal.」
Shiro patted her now round little belly, and I wiped the sauce from her mouth.
「We’re back. Got the supplies. Oh, and apparently an old man left through the north gate.」
「It’s probably Kuduro-dono. We should hurry.」
Perfect timing, Sorte and Aina had just returned, so we immediately prepared to leave.
According to what we saw marked on the map, there were quite a few Earth Dragons nearby. Kuduro-san might be in danger on his own.
「Phew. That was a great learning experience. Proprietress-san, thank you very much.」
「No problem at all. If you’re with Renge-chan, I’ll even share my secret spice mix next time. Now go on, give it your best! Come back safe, all of you!」
「「「See you later!」」」
And with our stomachs full and spirits high, we set out once again, this time, heading straight toward Kuduro-san and the Earth Dragons.
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