8-7 Part 2
Unfinished Business in the Port City
of Naglfar
- Also Known as a Food Tour -
Translator : PolterGlast
Picking up a shared carriage along the way, we ended up
arriving at the Maritime City Naglfar before noon. Getting dropped off
at Naglfar's northeast gate, we went around the outer wall of the city
counter-clockwise. Dragging along the world's noisiest companion, Sigrun...
However. Personality aside, it seemed Sigrun and I
weren't actually that incompatible. This pastime of eating while taking an
ultra-long-distance walk, which is rarely understood by others, was something Sigrun
thoroughly enjoyed with me.
Scattering crumbs of sea delicacies and nuts and fruits
imported from overseas as we ate, we proceeded along the dirt road at a pace
that would look extremely hurried to bystanders. The fact that I ended up
treating her to everything is probably because Sigrun doesn't have much
money on hand.
If they have money, they treat people. If they don't, they
mooch off people. Adventurers, more or less, all tended to be like that. To put
it poorly, they can't save money. To put it nicely, they are generous customers
who spend lavishly.
「Seriously though, you are tough...」
「You think so~? If I got winded just
from walking a little bit like this, I wouldn't last a day in this line of
work, you know?」
Unlike the massive Imperial Capital, Naglfar
is divided into prosperous areas and those that aren't. We ended up passing
through poor residential areas with no shops, farming villages, and semi-slum
areas multiple times.
It's a world that would surely pain Atomina-aneue's heart if she saw it. However,
no matter what benevolent rule is established, places like that cannot be
erased from this world.
Because birth and talent differ for each person. No matter
how much effort rulers may exert, the disparity in human aptitude is one thing
that simply cannot be changed.
As a method to equalize that, I hear there is something called compulsory
education in the other world I know of.
Because education is provided to all citizens, wonderful
stories are born like stars as a byproduct. While I yearn for such an other
world, I understood without thinking that compulsory education is impossible in
our world. Sadly, society doesn't have that much leeway.
「Even so, you're tough. I never
imagined there was a human capable of keeping pace with me. Wait, no—a Horned
Species, huh. Are all Horned Species this
tough...?」
You are mistaken. If anything,Horned Species are
frail. Their physical abilities and environmental adaptability are particularly
regrettable... However, they possess superior intellect and magical power
instead.」
「I'll say this knowing it's rude.
Coming from you, that's hard to believe.」
A free spirit living strongly with inherent forcefulness and
extraordinary martial valor; that is Sigrun's image. I can't imagine
what the original Horned Species are like from this female warrior at
all.
「Hahaha, I'm an oddball after all~!
Oh, more importantly, Shinza—look! they're selling dried scallops!」
I wanted to hear a little more detail, but it seems we
exited the poor area and came out onto a prosperous street, where numerous
stalls were lined up.
「We ate that earlier...」
「I want to eat it again; treat me!
Until the drinking money—I mean, the reward comes in, I'm short on cash... Oh,
sorry Shinzaaa, with this, I've come to like you even more~♪」
I paid the stall owner and had him fill a bag with dried
scallops. Taking out only two for my own share, I pushed the rest onto Sigrun.
「Yeah, I won't say I'm lending it. If
it comes down to lending you money, I'd rather just treat you.」
「Umu! I won't say I'm borrowing
either. I'm happy to be treated by you. Mogu... delishhh! I'm glad I came here
to play with you, hagu hagu...!」
Rather than a dog, she's like a cat. No, I feel like I'm
walking a huge leopard. If I take my eyes off her for a moment, she seems
likely to cause a commotion I can't handle...
「By the way, that talk earlier
reminded me. I hear you went to Corin Village?」
「Phew, I ate, I ate. ...Hm, Corin Village?
What's that?」
「A village deep in the northern
mountains that can't even pay decent request
rewards. Then do you remember an archer named Kachua?」
Then Sigrun's complexion changed into a bright smile.
How could she forget a village with such an intense village chief...
「Oooooh, Kachua, huh?! That
one is good! Truly, a good hot water bottle (yutanpo1)!」
「...Just to confirm, you mean the
human Kachua, right?」
I'll admit she was a good hot water bottle too. Thinking
about it now, I can't help but think I should have brought her back to the Imperial
Capital then and entrusted her with Aneue's protection.
「What obvious things are you saying.
Hoho, but is that so, Shinza also took a job there... Umu! I like you
more and more, and my appetite has suddenly increased!」
「Give me a break... If you stuff
yourself too much while walking, even you will get a stomachache...」
By the way, connected to Kachua from Corin Village,
I remembered one more thing. Kachua told me an interesting story back
then, didn't she?
「Look, grilled abalone!」
「You aren't listening... Fine.」
Among the stalls, there was a shop selling abalone. Sigrun ran up to it, shaking her hips and
chest, and called me like a huge leopard after all.
In the other world I know, a single-shell mollusk like this
that can be gathered anywhere seems to fetch an outrageous price. Paying the
money, I handed the abalone steamed with salt and wine to Sigrun. Ah, of
course, I took a slice too.
「Hagu hagu... Delicious, delicious!
This texture and the punchy flavor are irresistible! Here, you eat more too!」
「Nn, nugu...?! Oi, don't force it
into my mouth...」
It seems that was the last piece. Without any manners
whatsoever, Sigrun threw away the abalone shell.
「Don't throw it away.」
「Don't worry; someone will pick it up
and reuse it. If you burn and crush it, it becomes fertilizer too.」
I've heard that. Shells become a component close to
limestone when burned and crushed. And limestone has the power to improve soil
in fields, though I wouldn't say it's omnipotent.
「More importantly, Sigrun. You
don't look very knowledgeable, but—do you know much about mythology?」
「Hm, why do you think so?」
「Kachua said so. That you told her a story about a dragon who saved
the world. Let me hear that story too. I like stories; I have a weakness for
that kind of thing.」
「Ah, that? That is—muu, that, huh...」
For a moment, Sigrun made a face I didn't recognize. It
was a composed, intellectual look—the face of one lost in deep thought. But
that expression vanished in an instant.
「Don't tell me it's a secret.」
「Not enough to be a secret. But I
told Kachua, you see. It's better not to talk to people about it too
much.」
「Because it contradicts the teachings
of the State Church?」
「Well, something like that. Humans
have short lifespans, you see~. They let legends weather away in the blink of
an eye.」
It was a chance to ask Then how old are you?, but I
restrained myself. That was also a topic to stir my imagination, but right now
I'm in the mood to hear mythology.
「Then is the legend you speak of the
true history? Tell me.」
To seal the deal, I bought dried small sardines from a stall
that caught my eye and handed them to Sigrun. Sigrun bit into one
from the head.
「Umu! Once upon a time, in a certain
place... There was a gentle Dragon God and an evil Creator.」
1Calling a person a yutanpo means they have a high body temperature and are pleasant to hug or sleep next to for warmth.
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