CH 31

In the clear sky, many pieces of laundry are dancing in the wind.

The castle town of the royal city stretches straight north from the main street, and from there, it becomes a slope leading to various alleys. In addition to the main temple of the god Styx, there are also temples of various other gods scattered throughout the city, and there are many public baths, all of which demand cleanliness. Towels used there are washed every day and flutter in the wind. There are also many inns and hotels that welcome pilgrims, and every day is a festival to welcome people from all over the continent.

The city of Arachnosarumus, the capital of the Styx Kingdom, was the largest city in the world, filled with sunshine and vitality from corner to corner, and people never stopped coming.

I can’t go out alone in such a place. It’s impossible. I’ll definitely get lost and won’t be able to return to the castle.

But today, I have a helper. Or rather, the mastermind who lured me out of the castle, Nikita.

“It’s this way.”

We easily passed through the castle’s main gate and walked through the back alleys side by side. I’m not sure if this was a good idea, and doubts swirl in my mind, but I can’t go back now. The castle is getting farther away.

“Hehehe, it’s been a while since I walked outside with a woman.”

“Well, I’m not sure if you can call me a woman.”

“Don’t be so modest. Oh, since I brought you out here, shall we chat along the way?”

I was still wary of Nikita. Even though I had come this far, I still didn’t trust him completely.

Nevertheless, I had followed Nikita of my own free will. The first reason was that I was curious about Calamarachia Tiganita, which was Thanasios’ favorite food, but perhaps I was just bored. It was not a good thing. I might be causing trouble for Thanasios, but here I was, running away from the royal castle.

There were still many doubts and anxieties. However, as I listened to Nikita’s story, his way of speaking seemed to enjoy reminiscing about the past.

“His Royal Highness Prince Athanasios is called Thanasios-sama by those close to him… Well, he was very mischievous as a child. It was natural for him to sneak out of the royal castle, and the soldiers would run around the capital to catch him. However, during various lessons, he would perfectly answer all the questions and overwhelm the adults, so he was feared as a child prodigy favored by the main god Styx. He is still feared to this day.”

It seems that Thanasios was very mischievous as a child.

The fact that the prince, who possessed both beauty and intelligence, had such a childhood was a fresh story for me.

“On the other hand, I am a bit incompetent and have a sulky personality, so even the king had a bad impression of me. There were times when I spent more time in the gambling halls than in the royal castle.”

“G-Gambling halls?”

“Yes, I enjoy gambling. That’s why I am still a follower of the god of wisdom and gambling, Hermes.”

Nikita smiled meaningfully. Although I understood that a gambling hall was a place for gambling, I couldn’t imagine anything beyond that. Moreover, I didn’t understand why Nikita, a member of the royal family, believed in Hermes instead of the main god, Styx.——Later, I learned that Nikita had been expelled from the priesthood of the Styx Temple, but even then, I still didn’t fully understand.

Nikita, who was beautiful and somewhat similar to Thanasios, had a slightly shadowy laugh and felt more unfathomable than anyone I had ever met. Even if I listened to his story and his background, I would never fully understand Nikita. However, it was not impossible to talk to him, and little by little, I found Nikita’s story interesting.

“Anyway, Thanasios-sama would come to me at the gambling hall and win the bets with his natural talent and good luck, so I was stripped of my clothes.”

“Well.”

“He also won my future life and my loyalty in a bet. Since then, I have been in the service of our wise prince.”

To be honest, I didn’t understand half of what Nikita was saying. It was all about a world I knew nothing about. Until recently, the castle and the monastery were my entire world, and I couldn’t even imagine what a town or a gambling den was like. Nevertheless, I was intrigued and tried my best to understand.

As we walked down an alley, a tantalizing aroma wafted towards us. I could smell a salty scent and an exciting spice that I had never experienced before. Unconsciously, my mouth began to water.

What could it be? What kind of dish was it? People passing by were entering a shop that had barrels and chairs lined up in the alley. They were enjoying crispy fried food, a white sauce that I had never seen before, and a slightly alcoholic drink on top of the barrel for lunch.

My eyes were fixed on the scene. Nikita pointed to the shop like a tour guide.

“That’s why I used to be asked to buy Calamarachia Tiganita at that tavern over there. I still occasionally bring it as a souvenir. Remember that it’s your husband’s favorite.”

Taberna, the dining hall. I’ve heard the name before. It’s a shop that serves cooked food.

To be honest, I’ve never been to such a shop before. I wanted to go, just a little bit, my heart was racing. After all, it smells so good. But I don’t have any money, how can I order anything?

Overcoming various conflicts, I finally mustered up the courage to ask Nikita.

“Um, Nikita-sama, there’s something I’d like to ask you.”

“What is it?”

“Embarrassingly, I’ve never been to Taberna before. I can buy things, but I’ve never eaten there or gone on a food run… If you could teach me how to order, it would be very helpful… Yes.”

Even if I can’t buy anything today because I don’t have any money, I can buy something next time.

I looked up at Nikita with such a desperate feeling.

Then, with a very gentle expression, Nikita took out some coins from his pocket and placed them in the palm of my hand.

“These are obolus coins used in the Styx Kingdom. They are used more frequently than drachma coins in the castle town, so I’ll give you about ten for now.”

“Thank you so much!”

“Well then, let’s go inside.”

Nikita invited me, and for the first time in my life, I stepped into the dining hall, Taberna.

There, an unexpected person was devouring meat.

“E… Eleni-sama?!”

“Korya? What are you doing here?”