Chapter 99: Sightseeing Kikka
After arriving at Kikka, I got off from the carriage with Roomba and walked down the street.
The inn for tonight is already prepared, and the luggage will be meticulously sorted by Tori so there won't be any problem.
We’re going to stop here for one night, and resupply the necessary stuff and ingredients. And now, we’re going to rest and recover our stamina, as we will leave for the port city of Esport tomorrow.
Irvine and Ilya were guarding the Toriela’s Firm, while Aleutia and Mort were going to buy some necessary stuff that will be needed later.
Only Roomba and I don’t have anything much to do, so we’re walking in the city together.
Various stalls are lined up in a row on the left and right of the main street, with the smell of roasted meat, fruits, and liquor stimulating everyone’s appetite.
All sorts of people were coming and going, with the voices of all sorts of people, merchants, and laughter were occurring at the same time, filling my ears.
「It’s an extremely lively city, huh」
There are only people as far as my eyes can see. A woman wearing ethnic clothes with light brown skin, a strangely fair-skinned man wearing thick clothes, a topless man with tattoos on his body, I feel that there are all sorts of people with different race gatherings here compared with the royal capital’s shopping district.
「That’s because this city is a place that connects the Aldonia kingdom with Misfrit Kingdom. So various people and stuff gathered here.」
It seems that Roomba had visited Kikka many times, he walked through the crowd looking used to it.
When Roomba walked, the crowd was being pushed aside by his imposing appearance and height, and it became easy for a kid like me to walk among the crowd since the people in the surroundings were avoiding him. We simply walked forward, it’s not the suggestive development where we’re holding hands so that we didn’t get separated.
Well, with this height difference I think it’s better if I just ride on his shoulder rather than holding hands.
While thinking of how great it would be to have a shoulder ride when I’m tired of walking, I look around at the stalls and shops lined up on the street.
「Ooh! That looks delicious!」
Meanwhile, Roomba - who is a head taller than the people in the surrounding - might have seen something, as he pulled my hand and walked to that place.
In the end, we’re holding hands.
However, when walking while holding a kid in a crowd, it will unwittingly take quite some space on the street.
The people who walked while avoiding Roomba look annoyed at this.
「Roomba, it’s hard to walk while holding hands, can you give me a shoulder ride?」
「Ou, alright!」
Agreeing to what I said, Roomba put both of his arms to my side and lifted me, and then he put me on his shoulder.
My vision suddenly became high, and when I’m the one who had to look up until just a while ago, now I’m the one looking down.
I can clearly see the hair whorl on the head of men and women of all ages clearly, I can even see and identify the shops and stalls at the back.
This is a good place. The riding quality is also not bad. Maybe it’s because Roomba’s body is trained well, his body almost doesn’t shake that much.
Because of that, I was able to sit and feel more comfortable than when I rode a horse. It would have been more comfortable if I did this from the start.
When I thought about such things, it seems that Roomba had arrived at the place he was looking at.
「’elcome!」
An old man who was grilling chicken meat skewers on a net looked at us and called out cheerfully.
For a moment, I thought it was a yakitori, but it seems that it has been seasoned with salt and pepper.
Anyhow, if you want to eat it then it’s better with Tare sauce, the salty taste is refreshing and it’s not bad.
The prior customers were standing in line, waiting for their chicken meat skewers, and so we waited for our turn while discussing how many we’re going to eat.
「Hey, how many yer’ gonna eat?」
「Six chicken meat skewers!」
「Aight!」
Naturally, it’s not three skewers for each of us, but it’s five for Roomba and one for me.
I took great pains coming to Kikka, so I want to eat something that I have never eaten before. I think I’m gonna slowly eat all sorts of foods.
The chicken skewer is something common, but it’s also the truth that I’m craving for having fresh meat while having a trip on a carriage. It doesn’t matter if it’s just one.
If I take out the ingredients from my subspace then it’s settled, but I’m currently enjoying a trip in a carriage, so I’m not using it. I can also enjoy the atmosphere of the trip itself.
Although, the possibility of me taking them out on our way back home is high………
「Are the two of you father and son? Your hair is similar, but your features are not. 」
The old man started talking to us while turning the chicken skewers on the net.
「Nah we’re not. This guy is my best friend’s son. Not my kid.」
Following Roomba who said that while smiling bitterly, I also shook my head up and down.
「Ahー, is that so. No wonder you don’t look alike, I thought you were father and son.」
「This guy is actually doesn’t look like his father.」
What are you talking about, the old man and Roomba started laughing.
Had I inherited Nord-tousan’s features like Sylvio-niisan, then I would have been born with more handsome features. And in that case, then perhaps I would have an even more of an easy mode in my life.
When the old man and Roomba were having their conversation, the chicken meat skewers were grilled, so we paid for them and left the place.
「See ya!」
「Ou! We’ll pass through this place when we get back, I’ll come again and buy it!」
For some reason, I like such small encounters and parting, since this kind of custom has started to fade in my previous life.
Maybe Roomba is thirsty as he pointed his finger at a stall before us, just when I’m still eating the chicken meat skewer.
「Ooh, There are ale and fruit juice over there! Let’s go and buy them!」
He might just want to drink some alcohol after eating salted chicken meat skewers.
We’re just sightseeing today, so it’s fine to have a drink during the day.
I also want some, but Roomba is a strong drinker so he won’t get drunk.
At the stall selling ale, Roomba gladly accepted the wooden cup containing ale and immediately drank it.
「……it’s lukewarm」
Voicing his complaint.
「Well, that's an ale sold at a stall you know. There’s no way they will cool it down using Coldwater or Ice magic tool right?」
Apart from a high-class restaurant, it’s impossible for stalls selling cheap ale to cool down ale into an ice-cold ale. It’s not that they can’t do it, but they will definitely going to be in the red if they did that.
「Al! Can you do it for me, as usual?」
「Okay okay」
I receive the cup that Roomba raised, then I use Ice magic on it.
Faint cold air leaked out from the cup, and in the blink of an eye, the entire cup chilled.
He said ‘as usual’, that’s because I’ve chilled ale repeatedly back in Celia-san’s restaurant, in the mansion, and the likes, I don’t make any mistakes when doing it.
The villagers of Koryatt really liked to drink, so they often asked for my help.
In this world, unless you can use Ice magic, only those considerably rich people can drink cold drinks, there’s nothing you can do about it.
Because of that, I was invited to dinner, birthday parties, and such, but I don’t mind because they always give me some fresh vegetables, fruits, or meat.
「Ohー! This is it, this!」
Receiving the cold ale from me, Roomba can’t help but gulp the ale while making *gokugoku* sound as he drinks it in big gulps and exhales.
Because I also enjoy drinking alcohol in my previous life, I’m a little envious. One is considered an adult if they’re fifteen years old, so you can drink alcohol if you’re at that age.
It’s not like you’re forbidden to drink alcohol until you’re at an exact fifteen years of age, but because of the relatively ambiguous reason that it will be bad for children’s bodies, they will usually drink at around thirteen years of age.
I don’t know if my tongue or body would be able to taste the deliciousness of it at that time, but I won’t be able to taste it for as much as double the time. It’s really lonely.
Rather than that, I’m also thirsty.
「Roomba, I’m also thirsty so let’s go and buy a juice.」
「Nn? Ooh, sorry. The cold ale is just too good. Then, let’s buy the grape juice that is unique to Kikka.」
When I protested by pulling his mane-like light brown hair, Roomba started walking.
If he didn’t notice me pulling his hair, then I’m going to pull his rubber eyepatch with a snap *pachin*.
「Grape juice, you can drink it in the royal capital right?」
It can’t be harvested back in our village, but they are distributed in the royal capital. I’ve stored them in my subspace using Space magic, so it’s hard to say that it’s unique to Kikka. If possible, I would like to have juice that I have never seen before.
「The grapes here are produced in Aldonia. To tell you the truth, it tastes better than the grapes in our country. If you add it into alcohol, it will turn into easy-to-drink, mellow alcohol, and when you make it into a juice then it will be syrupy and rich in flavor.」
「……I see. If you said it like that, it makes me look forward to it. 」
If it’s not that much different from the one in the royal capital, then I’ll snap his eyepatch *pachin*.
After we passed five stalls - while looking forward to what Roomba said -, there was a stall that looked like what he described.
It was a simple stall with three large barrels lined up, but the crowd is amazing.
There are so many people here lining up while holding a cup in their hand, compared to the chicken meat skewers stall and the ale stall from before.
「A glass of rich grape juice from Aldonia, for six copper coins! Those who think it’s expensive will understand after you try drinking it! We guarantee its taste!」
A female salesperson raises her voice assertively, attracting customers.
Even though you can get fruit juice in the royal capital for about three copper coins, this juice is twice that price.
However, there are so many customers lined up who don’t care about that kind of price.
The one who receives the money from the customers is a young man - a different person from the barker - and passing them a cup.
After that, the customer took the cup and pulled the lever on the barrel. Then, a thick purple juice - that was closer in black - poured out from the barrel.
I see, so you pay for it and then you fill your cup by yourself, huh.
「Hey? It’s popular, isn’t it?」
「Un, let’s line up quickly!」
Saying that in a hurry, Roomba lines up in the back row.
There are quite a lot of people lined up, but since it’s a self-service style after you paid for it, the flow of people is fairly fast.
I waited in expectation while getting stirred up as I watched the people sipping from their cup with relish.
And after enough waiting. Just like that, it’s our turn. I was anxious since the juice inside the barrel ran out when we waited, but then I was relieved since they still have some in reserve.
When I pour the juice by myself, I’m having trouble doing it while on his shoulder, so I got off from Roomba’s shoulder for a moment. Then, I paid the man six copper coins and received a special cup for the juice.
Now then, let’s pour some for me from here on, but at that moment the sales guy called out to me to stop.
「Aah, you can’t pour it in your ale cup!」
「Nn? I can’t?」
「Ale cup is twice as large as the special cup for juice, right. Please use our special cup.」
It seems that the guy was stopping Roomba as he was going to pour it into his ale cup.
It’s probably because the price will change depending on the size of the cup. They’re quite shrewd.
Rather, it’s not like this is his first time drinking this, just what is he doing I wonder?
When I was wondering, Roomba’s special cup came and he took it.
「……even though I can do it last time」
I see, did you use the fact that there was a crowd of people to pour it into your ale cup last time? You’re unexpectedly determined.
When I pull the lever, a thick, and rich grape juice flows out from the barrel. While I was impressed at the thick liquid which you can’t think of as juice at all, I pour the juice into my cup so that it won’t spill.
When you look at the stone paving on the ground below, it looks kinda sad. There were a lot of stains from grape juice wasted because of people being greedy.
This is undoubtedly that good.
When I took the cup with the grape juice and walked to the side of the road, Roomba also continued walking at quite a slow pace.
That was because he poured the juice until it’s just barely at the mouth of the cup, and it’s as if it’s going to spill so he came here while putting his mouth on the cup.
「You pour too much you know.」
「I’ve heard that it will be more delicious that way. Try drinking it.」
When I put my mouth on the cup - just as Roomba urges me -, a thick, heavy liquid enters my mouth.
The mellow fragrance of the grape overwhelms the inside of my mouth. Then the sweetness started to come out, spreading on my tongue.
The grape juice is even richer than I imagined.
「It’s really rich in flavor.」
「Hahaha, rightー?」
Roomba laughed as if enjoying my reaction as I raised my voice in amazement.
It’s frustrating, but it’s as delicious as Roomba said. If it’s this delicious, then I think six copper coins are worth it for this taste. It has a taste that can’t be compared with the grapes from the royal capital.
Even if there were the same grapes, then it wouldn’t be the same. I guess it’s something like Aldonia’s local specialty, huh?
While I’m still impressed with the juice, Roomba and I walked as we drank the juice sparingly as if to savor it.
I think it’s when the juice inside the cup had decreased to about half, that I suddenly had a thought.
「This is, wouldn’t it taste good if this was chilled with Ice magic to make a sherbet?」
「Sherbet?」
Leaving Roomba who was tilting his head as he talked incorrectly, I chilled my cup with Ice magic.
Chilled it with thoroughness, just cold enough but not to the extent that it will be frozen. It’s quite difficult to perfectly adjust the amount of magic used.
A thin film covers the juice as it makes a crackling sound *pakipaki*.
After that, I made a spoon with Earth magic and stuck it into the moderately frozen grape juice.
A satisfying, crunching sound - just like the sound you make when you step on snow - can be heard.
It has become a nice sherbet!
Then I stir it with the spoon to soften it and take a scoop.
Glittering stuff similar to amethyst is piled up on top of the spoon.
「What’s that? Sand……is that ice?」
I slowly moved the spoon toward my mouth, as Roomba watched with his mouth half-opened.
When I chewed it, there was a light, crisp sound, and the sherbet melted because of the temperature inside my mouth.
From the melted sherbet, came a pleasant coldness and an even more concentrated-like, rich grape juice.
「This combo is too strong………」
If this were spring then this would be delicious. And if you eat it on a hot summer day, this will taste even more delicious.
Aldonia’s grapes………can’t be underestimated.
Being able to use Ice magic, Alfried is happy. God, my gratitude to you.
「Oi! Is it good!? Although I’m not sure, do that for me too!」
Just when I feel like I’m ascending to heaven, Roomba shook my shoulder to bring me back to reality.
Ooh, if I stayed in that state like that then the sherbet would have melted.
I also use Ice magic on Roomba’s grape juice and make it look like a sherbet.
After that I made the same spoon using Earth magic and gave it to him, then Roomba proceeded to gobble it up.
Needless to say, Roomba started to suffer from headaches.
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