Chapter 429: A Food-Centric Inspection
After parting ways with the strange resident Sword Master, I returned to wandering the streets.
“Hey, hey!”
Turning towards the voice, I spotted the Seabird Spirit.
I was in a southern alley with a view of the sea, an area where no one lived yet, and only the exteriors of houses had been completed.
“Need the latest intel?”
The Seabird Spirit tilted its head, wings resting on its chin.
“Yeah, I do.”
The intel it referred to was the secret exchanges that Lady Rosa communicated to Rosa’s Group.
It seemed Auro and the others had done some digging since then, and I heard that Lady Rosa was a noble from a fallen kingdom. She might be a relative of Rosa.
“Got it!”
The Seabird Spirit puffed up its round chest and began to relay the message.
“From the Sea Rose to the White Rose. The bag’s retrieval has been thwarted, no response from the bag. Two breaths are on our side.”
As the Seabird pressed its fluffy chest, a woman’s voice flowed out.
It wasn’t a code but felt more like a substitution. The Sea Rose must refer to Lady Rosa, while the White Rose is likely Rosa. But what’s this about a bag? And those two breaths—could they indicate the location and number of allied nations?
“Thanks. I don’t quite understand everything, but if I gather it all, maybe it’ll connect eventually? I’ll count on you.”
I offered some magic power and alcohol as thanks. I was sure they had drunk a lot at the banquet. Spirits are picky eaters, so they have a limited variety of food they can consume.
“Thanks a lot, partner!”
The Seabird Spirit happily gulped down the offering.
Lady Rosa’s goal is to gather funds through piracy and build alliances. —And something about a bag.
“This island has delicious water, too. It’s great!”
After downing three cups in quick succession, it wiped its beak with a wing.
“Well then, I’ll take off and deliver this message! See ya!”
With that, it took off energetically into the sky.
Is the Seabird Spirit flying under the influence? No, it’s not driving, is it? Flying while drunk? It seems a bit impatient, moving around in a hurried manner. I waved goodbye to the hardworking Seabird Spirit as it flapped away.
“Oh?”
A large shadow flew across the distant sky.
A dragon. I couldn’t see its color, but its shape was unmistakably massive. I’d love to visit the land of dragons someday, but I lack the courage to traverse that eerily frightening jungle.
I wonder where Dinoss met the Dragon Form Spirit?
Spirits often take on the form of the flowers or objects they originated from, or embody the image of their nature, or even the forms of things that were nearby when they were born. If I go to a dragon’s dwelling, I’m sure there will be Dragon Form Spirits there.
I need to get used to that unsettling atmosphere of the jungle, the way it feels distant from people. If I let my guard down, I might end up becoming part of the jungle itself—my thoughts dulled, drawn into the Spirit Realm, and that scares me.
I tore my gaze away from the now-invisible dragon and returned to my exploration of the town. I decided to skip the alleys and buildings for now and peek into the bustling market at lunchtime. Remembering the jungle made me want to be around people.
I waved at the tax collector standing at the entrance and stepped inside. The lunchtime market was naturally filled with stalls selling ready-to-eat food, and a crowd had gathered in one corner.
There were shops lined with baskets of various sizes, a fabric shop with goods brought in from outside, a shoe store, and a silverware shop. The food section had dried fruits, biscuits, and ham, along with hanging pig legs.
In this world, higher-end shops often sell meat with the legs of pigs or birds still attached to assert what kind of meat it is. It’s a bold way of selling, but unlike Japan, there are no refrigerated glass cases displaying the meat.
Block cuts of meat are the norm here, I thought as I strolled around. On the uninhabited island I was first sent to, it was all about fish or crabs, and my first experience with butchering meat was with Kanum, which was quite shocking.
Horned Rabbits and Demon Beasts are fine, but regular boars… When they’re hung up, ticks might fall off, and some individuals have severe parasites. At first, I thought eating Demon Beast meat was a bit off-putting, but now I’m definitely a fan of it.
Demon Beast meat retains remnants of Black Spirits, so it either needs to be cleaned off the meat or the person who eats it has to regularly visit the Temple to get rid of it.
If I’m worried about that, I should be more concerned about naming the Black Spirits I’m encountering.
By the way, there’s a seafood shop in the lower village, and early in the morning, fishmongers walk around selling their catch. Residents who want seafood stop them to buy on the spot. Inns and dining halls go to buy supplies, and if they’ve pre-ordered fish, it seems they’ll deliver it.
I dove into the snack section. I wondered if there was anything rare.
“What’s this?”
“Tomatoes, a specialty of the island! No poison, and they’re delicious!”
Well, that much is clear.
The most crowded stall was promoting tomatoes. They had tomatoes on bread, topped with something resembling soft tofu. Was that olive oil drizzled on top?
“What’s the white stuff?”
“That’s cheese made with Naruadeid this morning! It’s fresh and must be eaten today!”
“I’ll take one, please.”
According to the vendor, it was cheese. Probably made by mixing a bit of vinegar with milk and letting it set.
One isn’t enough. I carefully navigated through the crowd, trying not to drop it, and headed to another stall. Oh? Something looks delicious.
“I’ll take one, please.”
“Sure thing!”
It was a sandwich filled with stewed meat, served on a halved bread roll. As it was handed to me, the other half of the bread was placed on top, making a meat sandwich.
Both were wrapped in folded paper, but they looked like they might fall apart. I should eat outside.
Holding one in each hand, I made my way out of the market. I passed by the tax collector, but this much wouldn’t incur any tax. Some people eat their purchases inside, after all.
There still aren’t many vegetables. I munched away while recalling the items sold in the market. More and more residents are settling down, and shops are increasing, but it still feels a bit lonely.
Hmm, I wish they’d spread garlic on this tomato and cheese on the bread. I’d like some basil too. I’ll have to make something later and enjoy it.