Side Street Exploration
On the long-awaited Thunder Day (Friday), I came to the Royal Capital's market with Mr. Abe, Anny, and the head chef of the mansion in the Royal Capital, Mr. Ken.
We used the teleportation gate to go to the mansion in the Royal Capital. After greeting Liam and Martha and talking about spices, it turned out that Ken knew a lot about them, so we asked him to guide us.
“Well now, you really do love cooking, don’t you, Missy? You’re the first young lady I’ve ever met who said she wanted to visit a spice shop.”
Mr. Ken used to be an adventurer, but during a joint subjugation, Mr. Abe taught him some simple recipes. That’s when he discovered the joy of cooking and the happiness of making others happy through food. After some twists and turns, he changed careers, started working at a restaurant in the capital, and reunited with Mr. Abe, which led him to join the Lampail household.
“This girl is way more amazing than you think, Ken. She can turn trash into something delicious.”
“Hey, Mr. Abe! That sounds misleading! It’s not trash, you meant the chicken bones, right?”
“Wahaha! But if you hadn’t taught me, it would have been trash.”
“Yeah, it’s incredible. When Arthur came to teach us, I couldn’t believe my eyes.”
“What!? Arthur? Really?”
“Yes. Arthur comes to the Royal Capital and teaches us the dishes you made in the Lampail territory. So the chefs here always look forward to it.”
“I didn’t know that. Anny, did you know?”
When I asked Anny, who had been listening to the conversation with a big smile on her face:
“I knew. Every time I come back from the Academy, someone always stops me to ask about the parts they couldn’t get right.”
“I see~”
As we chatted, we turned off the main street of the market and walked down a side road for a while.
“Ah, Missy. It’s right over there, the spice shop.”
Mr. Ken pointed toward a small shop. It looked like a hidden gem known only to those in the know.
“You’d never find this place without Ken’s help.”
“Yeah. Last time I came here, I didn’t go down the side streets, so I had no idea there was a shop here.”
“Exactly. Honestly, most of the shops around here are pretty niche rather than mainstream.”
Just like Mr. Ken said, the side street had all kinds of specialty shops: not just the spice shop, but also stores for familiars, weapons, hidden weapons, armor, and more.
“Hey, hey, what’s a familiar shop?”
“Oh, that place sells collars, bracelets, and other items specifically for familiars after they’ve been tamed.”
“Tamed... Wait, there are tamers?”
“There sure are. And actually, Missy, in a way, you’re a tamer too. You have Snowy with you.”
“Oh, right. I guess I am a tamer.”
“What, you didn’t know? Depends on the tamer, but they can usually tame one or two beasts.”
“Hmm, so not everyone can do it.”
“Well, regular folks rarely even encounter monsters, after all.”
“Ah, true. …Can we look at the familiar shop later?”
“Hehehe, you’re curious, aren’t you? Well then, after we’re done at the spice shop?”
“Yaaay!”
Cling-clang.
The doorbell rang as I opened the spice shop’s door. Inside, various spice aromas filled the air, and at the back, a dark-skinned elderly lady sat on a chair reading a book.
“Welcome~... Oh? Isn’t that Ken? Long time no see~”
“Long time no see, ma’am. I brought the young lady from our mansion today.”
“Nice to meet you, I’m Joan. Um, do you have turmeric, coriander, cumin, and chili powder?”
“My, my. You’re quite knowledgeable for a noble young lady. Yes, I do. Just give me a moment... Oof, ouch ouch...”
“Are you all right?”
“Ah, sorry, dear. I slipped and hurt my back the other day, and it’s still aching.”
“Here, let me help you. Pain, pain, go away—First Aid.”
“Hmm? Oh, the pain’s gone. How strange. Thank you, dear.”
“You’re welcome. But I think you should have it checked out soon.”
“Yes, I should…”
The old lady gave a wry smile.
“Missy, to get healed at the temple, you need to make a donation.”
Mr. Abe reminded me, and I remembered.
But older folks have fragile bones. If she just bruised it, that’s one thing, but if there’s a crack or fracture, it won’t heal easily, and in the worst case, she might lose mobility.
Still, it might be a problem if I tried to take her to the temple myself. I don’t want it to come off as charity…
“Here you go, Miss. Found them all.”
“Thank you. These are exactly what I was looking for.”
“Glad to hear it. Here, this one’s a little gift. Thanks for earlier. Come again anytime.”
“Thank you! Is this… mustard?”
“Oh? You recognized it? That’s right. I bet you even know how to use it, don’t you?”
“Yes, I do. Thank you so much.”
After leaving the shop, I tucked the newly bought items into my pouch. Next stop: the familiar shop.
Ding, ding, ding.
“Welcome~ No need to buy anything, just take your time and have a look~”
A pink twin-tailed lady behind the counter called out cheerfully.
Just as I was about to look around the store, Mr. Abe spoke up.
“Missy, mind if I pop into the weapon shop next door for a bit?”
“Sure, go ahead~ See you later.”
“Thanks. Ken, Anny, I’m leaving her to you.”
The store was packed with items—collars, bracelets, brushes, even familiar food.
“If anything catches your eye, let me know~ I’ll explain it to you.”
“Thanks. Umm, is that creature on your shoulder a familiar too?”
“That’s right~ This little one’s called Mongar. Cute, huh~?”
“Yes, it’s very cute.”
After that, I wandered around the shop for a bit.
“If you ever tame something, come back here and I’ll help you find the perfect stuff~”
“Thank you. I’ll be back, then~”
Mongar was so cute...
I want to tame a familiar I can walk around town with too... I can’t let Snowy find out. She’d get mad, wouldn’t she~?
What do you think about this chapter?
