After hunting with Shio, teaching Margot magic, and just generally goofing off, it was already the weekend.
“Solido Day,” which seemed to be the equivalent of Saturday, was when the town square hosted a weekly market.
The market was a precious opportunity to find necessities for the week, as well as imported goods from afar…
Unlike on Earth, there were no 24-hour stores, and no department stores where you could find everything.
The transportation network and inventory management were underdeveloped, you see.
So if you didn’t stock up at this time, you might find yourself unable to get food or clothes, even if you had the money!
Well, of course, there were shops in the town itself, but fresh meat and vegetables were only available on this day. Livestock slaughtering was also done early in the morning on this day.
And then there were things not found in this town… like books and wines from distant lands, citrus fruits, plant-based fabrics, spices, and so on. It was common to get these things at this market.
By the way, Midford’s main industries were agriculture, mining, and inn management.
They sent agricultural products and iron to the “frontier cities,” which were at the forefront of development, and made money by lodging merchants who came and went from those frontier cities.
Well then.
That being the case, people were already gathering in the square by the time the morning bell rang.
Of course, it wasn’t as jam-packed as Monaco or Macau, but I felt it had about the same density as Tokyo’s 23 wards. The atmosphere was like a bazaar in the Middle East or Asia.
Well, in total, there were probably less than ten thousand people.
There weren’t even ten thousand people living in this town of Midford, and even if you included the surrounding farming villages, it probably wouldn’t reach a hundred thousand…?
Including the residents of nearby farming villages, travelers, merchants, passing Striders, and so on, there were probably less than ten thousand people showing up at the market.
Well, that’s about the population of a medieval city.
Stalls lined the square, and people sat on mats, selling things from their stalls.
Of course, there were many merchants selling proper goods from proper stalls, but there were also mysterious, grimy street vendors, which added to the fun.
…Unfortunately, I’ve never found a good item at these stalls. Is my observation range bad? In games, there are always amazing bargains at these stalls.
Anyway, such stalls and stands were lined up in a row.
At the annual “Year-End Market,” luxury fabrics, furs, jewels, and even Magic Stones were sometimes auctioned off here…
But at the weekly market like today, food and daily necessities were the main items.
Specifically?
Vegetables and livestock brought by the farmers.
Simple dishes using those ingredients… well, in this region, it would be meat pie, I guess?
A semi-circular pie crust filled with minced pork scraps, apples, leeks, onions, dried fruits, and nuts, flavored with cinnamon.
“Huh? Meat and fruit? Doesn’t that clash?” …That’s what the average Japanese person might think, but don’t worry, it doesn’t suit the Japanese palate at all.
I’ve been overseas a lot for work, so I don’t mind it that much.
And then there’s the slightly expensive grilled chicken glazed with a honey-based seasoning, and pork sausages, which are also often sold.
Since there’s a river nearby, grilled river fish and boiled river shrimp are also sold.
The drink of choice is definitely ale.
While ignoring the smell of such miscellaneous food and drink, I…
“Ah! Good morning, nyaa!”
Met Mirei, the daughter of the Striders Guild’s leader.
Huh? Yeah, a date.
Mirei.
A young demi-human in her teens.
The leader of the Striders Guild is a human male, but his wife is a feline beastman, and their daughter, Mirei, is a demi-human.
She has dark brown hair and cat ears as her trademark, and she’s a young, passionate beauty. Also, she’s got huge boobs.
Shio is flat-chested, Margot is average, and Tris is a loli, so when I want to grope big boobs, I grope Mirei’s.
Big tits are a blessing…
And Mirei, while pressing those big boobs against my arm, said this.
“Dru-san, thank you for coming today, nya!”
Hmm, so cute with all the flattery.
“No, no, it’s for Mirei’s sake.”
“Ehehe, I’m happy, nya! Then let’s go look around the shops right away, nya!”
Yes.
Today’s date is the type where Mirei wants to look around the market and buy something that looks good.
You don’t want to go along because women’s shopping takes a long time?
Hmm, that’s something a short-lived race would say.
Changelings like me are long-lived like elves, so time is practically infinite.
Thinking about it that way, it’s not bad to spend a day or two accompanying a woman shopping.
Also, you won’t be popular if you have that attitude, so be careful.
“Dru-san, shouldn’t we eat something first, nya? I’m hungry, nya~”
Oops, I should pay attention to Mirei first. It’s a date, after all.
“Good idea, if it’s a stall, Gramps Sam’s fried pies would be good, right?”
“Oh, that’s a classic, nyaa~!”
The place we headed to was Gramps Sam’s food stall.
Here, bite-sized fried pies about the size of gyoza are sold, and they’re popular.
But there aren’t that many people, so it’s treated like a hidden gem.
“Yo, Gramps Sam. How’s it going?”
“Oh, it’s Dru, eh? That painkiller from before worked well, thanks.”
“I see. But that’s a strong medicine, so please keep to the dosage, okay?”
“Of course. The butcher Bonanza, who collapsed from overuse of medicine, is still a hot topic. So… is this a date today? Good for you, being young and all.”
“Yeah, you’re jealous, right? Give me two bags of fried pies.”
“Alright.”
I receive the pies from Gramps Sam, who has a bald head and a mustache.
They seem to have been made in advance, but they’re still warm.
Crisp to the touch, the filling is deer Magic Beast Meat, boiled bird Magic Beast eggs, leeks, and parsnip-like root vegetables.
The seasoning is like fried gyoza on Earth, so it’s delicious.
“Mmm! Delicious, nyaa!”
Mirei is also very satisfied.
I also think it’s pretty good.
The quality of the meat is a bit questionable, but not enough to make you sick.
As for the taste, it’s Magic Beast Meat, so it has a wild flavor.
Magic Beast Meat is sometimes tastier than inferior livestock meat in this world.
“Oh, Gramps Sam has improved his skills.”
“Where did Gramps Sam come up with this recipe, nya? Isn’t fried food more of a southern thing…?”
Mirei asked.
Then Gramps Sam said with a half-smile.
“I learned it from him.”
Pointing at me.
“…Eh?”
“Huh? Gramps Sam’s deli menu is under my supervision, you know?”
Because the food in this world isn’t very good.
In exchange for regularly supplying Magic Beast Meat to Gramps Sam, he’s accepted a little of my supervision.
“Eh?! Is that so, nya?!”
“Gramps Sam used to be a Strider. Mirei was still a child back then, so you probably don’t remember, but he was quite skilled, you know?”
“Hee…”
“He inherited his dead brother’s deli and retired from being a Strider, but at that time, he learned various dishes from Dru! That became popular, and now he’s living a good life! I’m really grateful to Dru!”
Gramps Sam said, giving a thumbs up. He’s energetic.
“Dru-san really does a lot of things, nya…”
That’s how we enjoyed a fun meal on the street…