It’s dewishioush!
Mariel-chan, following the enticing scent, wandered aimlessly until she arrived at a food stall selling skewers that appeared to be chicken.
"Hey, welcome! Our skewers have a special sauce you won’t find anywhere else! How about one?"
The man, presumably the owner, skillfully applied a white sauce mixed with herbs to the meat skewers and lifted them with a sizzle to show.
"O-One, please!"
"Oh, m-me too! Umm, I will take five!"
Mariel-chan eagerly ordered, almost drooling, and I was pulled along, ordering enough for everyone.
"Alright! They just finished cooking!"
The skewers handed to us emitted a tantalizing aroma, distinct from the simpler skewers around.
Leon-sama stopped Miria from paying and covered the cost himself. I thanked him and moved to a nearby bench to sit down.
Having grabbed the skewers so quickly, I decided to clean my hands with a simple clear magic spell before biting into the meat.
Splash…!
Most skewers become tough when overcooked, but this meat—probably chicken or maybe Cockatrice?—was tender and juicy. The sauce blended with the herbs and filled my nose with its fragrance. I knew this was...
"Hafuu... mayo-grilled... sho good!"
Mariel-chan said dreamily as she ate, her cheeks puffed out.
I knew it! This sauce was unmistakably mayonnaise.
"Oh? You’re quite knowledgeable, Ojouchan! That’s right, this sauce uses something called mayonnaise, invented by some noble lady. Tastes great, huh?"
"Yesh! Dewish!"
Mariel-chan, it's bad manners to talk with your mouth full!
But as a mayonnaise lover, she nailed it by finding this stall based on the scent alone...
"I meant to guide you here, but you literally sniffed it out before I could.”
Leon-sama said with a wry smile, tossing his finished skewer into the bin by the stall.
Mariel-chan’s obsession with mayonnaise must come from somewhere...
Leon-sama watched her with amusement as she cheerfully ordered a second skewer, no longer nervous.
"As expected of a student from Adelia Academy. Rich folk love this sauce because it makes veggies tastier, but I figured it could work for skewers too, and it’s been a hit.”
The stall owner said with a wink, handing Mariel-chan her second skewer.
"Mayonnaise has infinite potential! You should definitely try using it in other dishes!"
"Uh... sure? I’ll think about it."
The owner seemed a bit taken aback by her passionate speech, which made me chuckle.
Since the skewers were delicious, I decided to order more as souvenirs for Sei and the others.
We also visited Leon-sama’s recommended soup shop and a place selling baked goods afterward.
Finally, he led us to a spice shop. Even from a distance, the wide selection of goods made my heart race.
"Leon¨-sama, is that shop...?"
"Yeah, Ray told me about it. Sorry for putting you through the trouble, but I figured your recipes wouldn’t disappoint. I’ll cover the cost here as an apology, so buy whatever you need for testing.”
Leon-sama said with a grin.
What? Buy as much as I want? … Wait, is the money for this coming from the national treasury…!?
I gave Leon-sama a pointed look, and he seemed to understand, smiling mischievously.
"Don’t worry. I’m using the money I earned as an adventurer to pay for this.”
Huh? As an adventurer? What is Leon-sama up to!?
Sure, Kurogane is also registered as an adventurer for my sake, but still!
I couldn’t find the words to respond, so Leon-sama shrugged nonchalantly.
"I can’t bring back every monster I cull to the Royal Palace, and the economy needs some of them circulating in the market. This way, I can earn some pocket money and enjoy street food. No complaints, right?"
Wait, what?
If the citizens knew that the kingdom's revered Sacred Beast was moonlighting as an adventurer for pocket money, they might cry!
"Wouldn’t His Majesty get mad at you?"
I asked in a small voice, and Leon-sama gave a wry smile.
"Yeah, he was. He grumbled that it wasn’t fair—he had to retire from adventuring when he became king, but I get to keep doing it."
His Majesty… complaining about fairness to a Sacred Beast…!?
Now that I think about it, Otousama used to go on monster hunts with His Majesty when they were younger.
That’s how he met Tirie-san, the current Adventurers’ Guild Master, and Uncle Galvano, who were adventurers back then.
Otousama always tried to avoid getting too involved with His Majesty, but maybe he’s more eccentric than I thought...
"Well, that’s enough about that. Go on, buy as much as you want.”
Leon-sama said, gently nudging me toward the shop.
A slightly deep voice called out as I approached the store, "Hey there, cutie. What brings you to a shop like this?"
The young man, with tanned skin and a classic salesperson's smile, greeted us.
… Wait. Could this man be from Samonar?
What do you think about this chapter?
