CH 33

Chapter 33 : We were thrilled to make our way to the city of Ulaine Donagh.

That night, Seto volunteered to keep watch.

Perhaps it was because of the healthy life he had been leading as of late, but his first overnight watch in a while was impeded by moments of drowsiness.

Satis suggested that we take turns, but… I’d rather be alone right now. (Seto)

Everybody was sleeping peacefully in the meadow beside the road.

Leaning against a tree, Seto lost himself in his thoughts while gazing at the nightscape.

Come to think of it, that letter I got from Ahas Patel this afternoon… I wonder what’s written in it. (Seto)

Suddenly remembering the events of this afternoon, he almost reached into the pocket where he had put the letter.

However, a voice coming from behind stopped him in his tracks.

[Seto, would you like some tea?] (Satis)

[Satis? I thought you were sleeping.] (Seto)

[I had trouble falling asleep. …So I decided to stay up until I could.] (Satis)

[I see… there’s no helping it then, if you can’t fall asleep.] (Seto)

He put the letter aside for the time being so he could read it again during daytime.

For now, he decided to enjoy a cup of warm tea with Satis sitting next to him.

He was not knowledgeable about which type of tea leaves gave which flavor, or any other know-how, but he could feel that it helped him relax naturally.

Feeling relieved that the scenery before him remained unchanged even at night, Seto talked to Satis about tomorrow.

[What’s the next city like?] (Seto)

[Well… I’d say it’s smaller than the city of Clay Shut, but the public order there isn’t as bad. I believe it’s called “Ukraine Donagh”.] (Satis)

The city of Ulaine Donagh.

Otherwise known as “The adventurers’ Kitchen”.

There were a great number of stores selling gear such as weapons and armor, and most of all, the blacksmiths there were the cream of the crop.

Although they were all a bit pricey, it seemed that just as many martial arts masters went there looking for those high-quality articles.

[Nevertheless, we’ll be close to the sea, so we’ll be treated to an even better landscape.] (Satis)

[Ohh, the sea, huh. Which means… we’ll get to eat that food, right?] (Seto)

[What food?] (Satis)

[Something I heard rumors about. …Although, when I first heard people talk about it, I was questioning their sanity.] (Seto)

The name of that food was sushi.

It was a dish from a foreign country, but due to how delicious and rare it was, all sorts of restaurants had started putting it on their menus.

[It’s an incomprehensible dish where raw fish is served on top of something they call “Shari*”. I can’t even imagine what it’s like.] (Seto) (T/N: Shari is the name of sushi rice seasoned with vinegar.)

[Ahh yes, sushi. …Now that you mention it, I’ve never tried it before either. But I have no idea if we’re going to find a restaurant that serves it in Ulaine Donagh.] (Satis)

[If we don’t know, we can always ask. It’s close to the sea, so I’m sure we’ll find one.] (Seto)

[it’s not exactly a port town, but… Well, let’s just hope there’ll be one.] (Satis)

The city had a large distribution of seafood from the port, so there was a large variety of fish-related dishes.

Having only ever eaten river fish, Seto was impatient to have a taste of sea fish.

Grilling and drying were the only ways to cook fish that he knew, so he was eager to try a fish dish cooked by a professional.

And since they earned a considerable amount of money in Benjamin village, they might be able to stay there for a while.

The sea, huh… I wonder what kind of delicious food we’ll get to eat there. (Seto)

With these thoughts in mind, they both waited for dawn to break.

In the end, Satis decided to stay awake with Seto, and remain next to him all night long.

Time passed, and dawn came.

The carriage passengers began to wake up and prepare for the departure.

If they proceeded at the usual pace from this time on, they would reach the city before noon.

We’re finally at the end of the trip, huh… I hope we get to eat sushi. (Seto)

The sea, huh… I think there should be a beach nearby. Fishing there might be a good activity. Hmm~, what else could we do? (Satis)

They had a peaceful time thinking about different things in the rocking carriage.

Seto fell asleep along the way.

He lied down skillfully in spite of the lack of space, with Satis giving him a lap pillow.

[We’re really sorry for taking up so much space, even though it’s so cramped.] (Satis)

[It’s fine, don’t sweat it. …For a kid, he’s seriously tough. Why not rest as well, miss?] (Passenger A)

[No, thanks. I’ll be fine.] (Satis)

Satis replied politely and kept stroking Seto’s hair as he wheezed lightly in his sleep.

The journey to Ulaine Donagh went without much trouble.

Satis wondered what to do next once they had found lodgings.

Considering Seto’s hunger, she thought about having a meal first.

…Rather than sushi, I would prefer a sole meunière instead. (Satis)

As she pondered that question, Satis started feeling hungry as well.

I know. We’ll have plenty of time ahead of us, so… we could tour the city and enjoy all kinds of food. (Satis)

The city was almost in sight.

The markets had been busy since morning, and the sound of wrought iron could be heard here and there.

This city was also famous as a tourist attraction.

Satis was excited by the taste of the air, which was different from that of the other places she had been to.

[Hmm? Looks like we’re almost there.] (Seto)

[Ah, you’re finally awake. Take a look. This is the city of Ulaine Donagh.] (Satis)

This was their first city since restarting their journey from Benjamin village, and it further tickled Seto’s adventurous spirit.