VIO Ch 42.2 – A Stroll Around the Royal Capital (VI)

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Translator: mii

editors: sleepchaser, junirenn

The Verdurous Spirit Yuglena protected the Kingdom of Istiah. Thanks to the divine protection the royal family received, the kingdom was blessed with lush green land. On the other hand, the Cerulean Spirit Aslair protected the Kingdom of Ruslan, and due to its divine protection, the kingdom was blessed with water.

Rumours had it that the royal castle built on the seashore was as beautiful as a pearl.

“Yes. Our sea trade is prosperous and the seafood is delicious. Which reminds me, I’m truly surprised when I heard Istiah mixes its ink rather than using the natural form of ink like us. We use squid ink in Ruslan,” Night said.

Finding the topic of conversation interesting, Vio leaned forward slightly. “Squid ink? It’s possible to use it to write with?” he asked, before taking a drink from one of the beverages that had been served. “That’s fascinating.”

Vio then drew Lantz into the conversation, asking him questions with enthusiasm. Perhaps incited by the two of them conversing with keen interest for the topic, Night also joined them, passionate in his words. 

Absorbed as they were in their conversation, they didn’t notice that time had passed by. Unbeknownst to them, Dally stood next to their table, arms full of plates of food.  “It’s done,” he said, his words snapping them back to their surroundings. “I baked these in the oven.” He placed down the plate of said dish. “These? Grilled with salt.” Another plate was placed. “This is meat Doria and salad. There’s also bread and soup.”

The table was filled with dishes in no time. 

Since this restaurant was located in the downtown area, everything, from appetizers to desserts, was served at once. Vio, Lantz, and Night pushed their conversion to the back of their minds and stared at the dishes. They looked even more delicious than they had expected.

Jill promptly stood and placed the dishes onto their individual plates, which Rille then served to their group. Impressed by the work style of the servants, Dally said from the back of the counter, “Both of you work well, y’know. How ‘bout working here?”

“I’m honored, but I’m Young Master’s butler,” Jill replied. 

“I work for Master too!” said Rille.

“Yeah? What a shame. But come anytime if you have a problem. I’ll hire ya,” Dally replied with a shrug.

Vio smiled at their exchange and brought a piece of the baked fish Jill had cut up for him to his mouth. Dally stared at Vio nervously. The other guests were also looking at him, waiting for his reaction. 

“This is delicious! It’s crunchy and bursting with flavor as well,” said Vio. “It’s a pity that I can’t eat this at the castle.”

At last, a smile spread across Dally’s lips. “Ain’t that right? You sure got a good head on ya shoulders, boy!”

“Haha, as expected from the best seafood restaurant in the royal capital!” said one of the regular customers.

“Even the taste suits a noble’s tongue. You’re awesome, Dally!” said another.

The seafood dishes Vio ate at the castle were delicious, but the kitchen was far from his room. As a result, the dishes would have cooled by the time they arrived. On the contrary, Dally’s dishes were freshly-cooked and warm. The taste of light seasoning was delectable.

“I’m glad Sir Cheval brought me here,” Vio said.

“No, it’s me who should be glad. I’m sorry that it’s noisy here,” Cheval replied, relieved that Vio was happy with the meal.

The dishes were all so delicious that Vio forgot to restrain himself. Although he ate in an elegant manner, he scarfed down his food. Soon, his plate became empty.

“It’s unusual for Young Master to eat like this. I will also have a bite…” Jill said. The moment the food fell on his tongue, his eyes widened. “Oh.”

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“The meals in the castle are delicious, but the cooks go heavy on the seasoning, don’t they? I prefer a lightly-seasoned meal like this.”

“Yes, this is very delicious. Especially since I am old now, and eating lightly-seasoned meals is easier for my digestion,” said Jill as he took his time starting to eat, savoring the taste.

Rille ate a small bite with a happy expression. “I also love how it tastes! It turns out Master likes these kinds of meals. I’ve learned something new today. Then I will do my best to cook this in the future!”

“But aren’t river fish expensive in Leca town?” asked Legion innocently.

Shooting a glare his way, Rille snapped, “What a lack of sense! Even if you’re aware of this, you shouldn’t voice it out of courtesy!”

“…I’m sorry,” said Legion in a meek manner. For some reason, Cheval looked jealous of their exchange.

“By the way, did you find a sword that fits you, Legi?” Vio asked, turning to him.

Nodding, Legion said, “Yes. I found a sword that has the perfect weight and a nice swing. Such is only natural from a store renowned for its great section of product. The owner is unsociable, but he has good judgement.”

“It’s not just the sword. The quality of their knives was so impeccable that I almost purchased too many,” said Night. Vio knew little about weapons, but since Night usually hid weapons like throwing knives on his body, Vio assumed Night was talking about the throwing knives in the store.

Then, Legion and Night fell into a conversation about weapons. Things Vio didn’t understand. Such as the halberd displayed being beautiful and the magic cast on each weapon being refined matching very well with the shape of the weapons.

Although this could be considered as their first proper meeting, Legion and Night were cheerful and friendly with each other, as if they were old friends. Perhaps because they had previously fought each other with swords. 

Vio took in their conversation. Having a friend looks fun.

Not only did Vio rarely step foot outside the mansion, he also almost never appeared in high society events. Naturally, he had no friends among the nobility. The only person that he could consider calling a “friend” had been Erik.

After he had recalled Erik, a trace of gloom settled in his heart. Since it would be rude to the delicious meal should he allow these thoughts to roam free, Vio chased away the haze within his mind.

As he concentrated on how delightful to the senses the meals were, he overheard the regular customers, who had lost interest in observing Vio and the group, gossiping with each other.

“In the end, what’s with that hand coming out from the wall?” whispered one of them.

“I heard a traveler disappeared recently,” said another, completely serious. “I was worried that thing would kidnap my kid, but this brat straight up called it ridiculous! We ended up fighting, and I even had to push his curfew earlier.”

“You too? It’s the same with my wife. She told me it’s just a ghost story. Even though I was only worried about her, she actually laughed at me.”

Hand coming out from the wall? What’s that? What a strange ghost story. Vio wanted to keep listening, but the gossiping customers seemed to have finished their meal. One or two of them stood up and left the restaurant.

“Lord Violant, the soup is tasty. Please have a sip,” Legion said with a smile.

“Hm? Ah, yeah. Thank you,” said Vio, pulling the bowl of soup closer to him, all thoughts of the mysterious ghost story vanishing from his mind. 

Author’s note:

※ Regarding the squid ink 

As I was thinking about the ink, I saw a documentary on TV about it by chance. It seems like a long time ago, people actually used squid ink to make writing ink. At the start, the ink would be black, but as time passed, the color would turn brown. Also, sepia means “squid ink.” (T/N: In Japanese)

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