9-3
Equivalent Exchange with a Katsu
Sandwich
Translator : PolterGlast
The next day after reconciling with Father, I woke up in a
cheap inn in town. It was lively last night, but by the time I woke up and went
down to the lobby, there were no guests, not even a receptionist.
Leaving the prepay establishment, I headed for my usual cafe
first. It's a bit far from here, but I get an irresistible craving for their
bread in the morning.
Incidentally, today's goal is circling the Imperial
Capital. I'll finish this half-done task first and receive the reward
called VIT (Stamina).
- Exploration -
【Do another 10 laps around the
Imperial Capital】 7/10 laps completed
- Reward: VIT +100
- 『What are you going to eat this
time? You're a genius at turning trials into hobbies...』
After all, no matter how much power I have, it's not enough
to carry out justice. If I have stamina beyond the limits, fleeing the country
after Father passes away will be that much easier.
「Oh my, isn't that Ashley!
It's been a while! I was just starting to feel down, thinking you might not
come anymore!」
「Not happening. Auntie's Kebab
Sandwiches are my life. If I couldn't eat them, I'd starve to death.」
Before, I didn't think anything of being called by the name Ashley.
But now that I'm officially recognized as the Emperor's child, I wonder if this
will be a problem...
However, even if I ask her to call me Shinza starting
today, I doubt Auntie would listen...
「Aha, two again today, right? Just
wait!」
「Also, give me a box of Katsu
Sandwiches in addition today. I'll make it a packed lunch.」
「Aye, it'll take a little while, so
wait a bit!」
After that, I ate breakfast on the shop's terrace for the
first time in a while. After debating whether to reveal the truth, I decided
against it and headed north of the Imperial Capital. From there on,
well, it's not much different from before.
Reaching the North Gate from the bustling Red Avenue, I
started walking clockwise along the inner perimeter of the castle wall at a
brisk pace. Of course, running was an option, but the Katsu Sandwiches in my
bag probably wouldn't survive. Therefore, I walked.
As I walked, a thought suddenly occurred to me. The old me
only knew the Imperial Capital and its suburbs. But now it's different.
Running around to Naglfar in the west, the Duke Aion territory in
the south, and Corin
Village in the north, I learned the
vastness of this Empire and the world.
Seeing the prosperity of the Imperial Capital after
knowing the world was truly astonishing. The Imperial Capital was huge,
richer than anywhere else, and while I won't say perfect, it was ideally
managed.
Slums like the ones I saw in Naglfar are rare here.
Because workers with low earnings often base themselves outside the defensive
walls or in inns. Being able to live inside the Imperial Capital was, in
itself, proof of affluence.
「...I'm hungry.」
About two hours have passed since departing from the North
Gate. I've been getting unusually hungry. So, I gave up on having the Katsu Sandwiches for lunch and decided to make it my second breakfast
instead.
Just around there is a well-managed irrigation canal. Being
on the outskirts of town, it was quiet, and the atmosphere brought by the stone
waterway was nice, so I bit into a Katsu Sandwich out of sight.
Delicious. The Imperial Capital is rich after all.
Selling meat that has been deep-fried in breadcrumbs specifically sandwiched in
bread is something you rarely find in the outside world.
Since starting as an adventurer, I can eat whatever I want
to eat as much as I like. I thanked the God confined in the celestial prison
that it was good to be born in the Imperial Capital.
「Ah, delicious. Delicious, delicious,
Katsu Sandwiches are delicious.」
「——!」
By the way. I've been watched for a while now. While I was
happily munching on a Katsu Sandwich, a small figure wearing a hooded robe had
been staring at me from the shadows the whole time.
Doesn't seem to be a bandit.
But doesn't feel like a beggar either. Those guys form Beggar Guilds and fight
over turf. I don't know the actual circumstances, but they're a weird bunch.
「Gulp...」
No need to think about it; the other party seems hungry.
Seemingly forgetting themselves completely, they finally staggered over here.
Then standing in front of me, they stared enviously at the whole
process of my meal. When I moved the Katsu Sandwich up, down, left, and right,
pretending it was a bird, the person in the hooded robe moved their head and
eyes along with it.
「Today's breakfast was Kebab
Sandwiches. Two of them at that.」
「...Kh?!」
「In other words, this is a second
breakfast. And I plan to eat it all here.」
「Second, breakfast... Looks
delicious, kyan...」
「Yeah, and after this, I plan to eat
fast food all over the place. Fried potatoes, fried chicken, and I'll snack on
dried grapes too.」
Juru-ru, the
sound of slurping drool could be heard. I suspected an unlicensed beggar, but
that seems wrong too. I felt no small interest in this unidentified he—no,
judging by the voice, she.
「However, that's a strange accent.
Are you perhaps a foreigner?」
「Th... That's right, kyan...
Technically, came from outside, kyan...」
「Alright. Then if you tell me an interesting story, I'll give you
one of these Katsu Sandwiches. Here, payment in advance, eat.」
「Ah... I-Itadakimasu! Ngu... Hagu
hagu hagu... D-Delish... Delishhh kyan... Delish...」
I knew it, but she was completely starving. At a pace that
made me worry she'd choke, she put it all in her stomach already.
「Alright, you ate. Tell me a story,
anything is fine.」
「Ah, yes... I'll think, a little, kyan.」
It will probably take a little while for the nutrition to
reach her brain. Thinking it wouldn't be right to dig into a new Katsu
Sandwich, I gazed at the waterway and waited patiently.
「Not yet?」
「Ah, uu, ah...」
「Anything is fine. I've never been
outside the Empire, so even trivial things are fine.」
「Sorry, when it comes time to talk, I
can't think of anything good... So this is called a Katsu Sandwich. Ah, it was
delicious...」
「If you're hungry, anything would
taste good. If you want to eat more, tell me a story.」
「Ah, what a good person...」
「I wonder about that. Everyone has a
hidden face.」
She seems grateful for the charity. Perhaps that's why she
thinks a boring story won't do. Eventually, perhaps blood finally started
circulating to her brain, the hooded robe girl looked straight at me.
「An interesting story, nothing comes
to mind... But, if it's an interesting thing, I have one, kyan.」
「What does that mean concretely—oh...」
When she lowered her hooded robe, something I completely
didn't expect appeared there. Good judgment. If I get this for a single Katsu
Sandwich, it's a bargain among bargains.
「E-Embarrassing hyan...
S-Sorry for looking like this... kyan...」
It was a race called Beastman, rare in the Empire. And a woman resembling a white-furred wolf at that. She flattened her ears and looked up at me.
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