Chapter 398: Strolling Through the Street Stalls
The place I landed in seemed to be a commoner’s district. Many houses were built from piled earth and stones, with a few wooden structures scattered about. Behind them rose a small hill, suggesting that foot traffic was likely sparse.
“Shall we head toward the Main Street?”
Once the gazes around me faded, I dispelled the Optical Camouflage Magic and walked toward the direction where people were gathered. Occasionally, I passed by some pedestrians, but it seemed I wasn’t attracting any particular attention.
“What is that…?”
“I wonder what it is…”
As the crowd began to thicken, I spotted it just before reaching the Main Street. It was a statue sitting with its large feet facing forward, disproportionate to its body size. With narrow, slanted eyes and a smile, it was clearly meant to be cute, yet it somehow exuded an eerie vibe.
“Ah, well, whatever… More importantly…”
A delicious aroma wafted through the air.
“Wow, there are so many street stalls!”
Upon stepping onto the Main Street, I was greeted by a lively atmosphere. A quick glance revealed that it seemed to be populated solely by humans. The conversations I occasionally overheard were all heavily accented, making me feel as if I had entered another world. I spotted a few strange statues here and there but decided to ignore them.
“Isn’t there an overwhelming number of takoyaki stalls?”
“Huh? Isn’t grilled squid just a whole grilled squid?”
“What’s a tako-sen?”
Lured by the enticing smells, I began to explore the stalls, only to find many unfamiliar items. I was dying to indulge in some snacks, but I had to hold back. Observing the other shoppers, I noticed that they were using a different currency.
“Hey there, young man, aren’t you going to buy something?”
Caught off guard by the street vendor’s sudden voice, I couldn’t help but chuckle. Even though I had no intention of buying anything, I found myself mesmerized by the takoyaki vendor’s skillful movements.
The takoyaki batter was poured into a special plate, and after it had cooked for a while, he deftly inserted skewers and flipped them one after another, as if performing magic. I couldn’t help but think that, surprisingly, I didn’t possess the Skill for making takoyaki.
“Now, that’s not right. If you don’t show some capability, your girlfriend might lose interest in you.”
“Uh…”
Though I thought it was none of his business, I found myself at a loss for words.
“Here, eat this and cheer up.”
He offered me two pieces of takoyaki, placed in a thinly shaved wooden bowl with a long skewer sticking out. The skewer was a bit thicker than usual, which felt slightly off, but the takoyaki looked undeniably familiar.
There was no mayonnaise, but the sauce drizzled over it was topped with dancing bonito flakes, igniting my anticipation for a new culinary experience.
“Is it really okay?”
The price tag read ten for ten Jil. So, two pieces for two Jil? I couldn’t quite tell if that was expensive or cheap.
“Of course! If everyone enjoys good food, then we all become happy. Hahaha!”
Rather than being annoyed at us for just standing there, he burst into a hearty laugh.
“Well then, I’ll dig in.”
I popped one into my mouth and handed the bowl to Rio. The outside was crispy while the inside was gooey—exactly what takoyaki should be. The rich dashi flavor was incredibly delicious.
“Tasty, right? Next time, make sure to pay for it properly.”
“Yes, thank you very much!”
After expressing my gratitude to the vendor, Rio and I resumed our exploration of the Main Street.
“That was really delicious… Hmm, I wonder if there’s a place that buys materials from adventurers.”
“It would be nice if there was a place like the Adventurer’s Guild.”
I was curious about whether such a Guild existed, but I decided to put that thought aside for now. There were simply too many enticing stalls, and I found myself forgetting my original purpose. If I could convert my materials into cash, I could indulge in some shopping, but that was a low priority.
“For now, let’s head toward the harbor.”
If large ships were frequently departing from this island to Isolage, there had to be some buzz about it at the harbor. I kept my stall observations to a minimum and directed my steps westward toward the harbor.
“Wow, it’s huge.”
Upon arriving at the harbor, I was overwhelmed by its size. A long pier stretched along the coastline, seemingly endless. There was also a sturdy breakwater offshore, keeping the waters inside the harbor calm.
Street stalls were set up within the harbor as well, and unsurprisingly, there were more shops selling seafood. However, there were still a few takoyaki stalls around.
“But I don’t see any giant fish.”
“Yeah. Maybe the areas where giant fish live can be crossed, but they can’t be caught?”
“Still, even without catching those, this town has a lot of ingredients available.”
That was true. I noticed stalls selling accessories and daily necessities, but most of them dealt with food. The prices for ingredients were surprisingly low as well. Perhaps even if someone managed to catch a giant fish, it wouldn’t be worth the effort due to how cheap they were.
“You’ve got a keen eye, lad. Is this your first time in the city?”
As Rio and I discussed the town, a burly old man interjected our conversation.
“Uh, yes. I’m surprised by how much delicious food there is.”
I was used to being treated like a child, but being called “lad” brought a sense of nostalgia. It had been a while since someone had referred to me that way, probably since my master.
So this place was considered a city, huh?
“Right? But that’s also why there are so many people. I heard that some important folks sent out troops to search for new lands.”
“Oh, really…”
That was the kind of information I was most eager to hear. It seemed that this country had quite a few chatty individuals.