Published at 25th of February 2023 8:12 pm

Chapter 296: To The Village Square

This chapter is updated by NovelFree.ml

「Kuhh, you don’t say, I also lost to a maid, not only to children.....」

「Fufun, I’m a countryside village girl after all. I also quite enjoy doing stone skipping」

Eric frustratingly groaned while Mina proudly say that as we parted from the children and are walking on the bridge.

After Eric lost, the children joined and everyone played stone skipping together, but as expected, Eric was really the weakest as he was completely defeated by Mina and the children.

Although, Mina is a village girl raised in Koryatt village. Naturally, she should have played stone skipping in the river, but it would be obvious for them and Eric to have a different level of skill since he has never done it before.

「By the way, what are we going to do now? They said to take some time first before heading to Tornell’s shop」

Right, when we said that we want to go to Tornell and Kuina’s shop, Kuina pulled Tornell and return in great haste.

She said that they want to clean and organize the shop first since nobles like us are going to visit their place. Well, they would naturally get surprised if we were to visit suddenly, so they want us to give them some time a little.

「There is a small square after we cross this bridge, it’s a place where the villagers are bartering things such as foodstuff. Want to have a look? You might eat seafood dishes depending on the situation」

「Heeー, so the villagers also make such transactions here as well」

The village of Koryatt’s village square was also crowded with people exchanging ingredients.

Well, but still even if the place is thriving in fishery, people will also want vegetables, wheat, clothes, and shoes since they are necessary. There’s a limit to what a single person can gather, so if each person plays their own part, then it would enrich everyone’s daily life.

「Alfried-sama! For sure, let’s go to the village square!」

When I thought about the situation again, Mina tells me that while she was drooling from the corner of her mouth.

It’s already clear that she’s aiming for the food.

Although, I’m also interested in the food and the local specialties unique to this village.

「Then, let’s go there」

「Okay」

We walked to the village square on the other side while enjoying the scenery that can be seen from the large bridge.

◆

After we crossed the bridge and walk ahead for some time, we can see many houses clustered together and the number of villagers gradually increases not long after.

Apparently, this place is where the villagers were concentrated and lived.

The villagers were removing fish scales, exposing them to the sun to make them into preserved foods, and hanging seaweeds, it was daily life like that of a village by the sea.

There is also the sight of children holding seaweeds running around and bumping into each other, then getting scolded by their mothers.

It’s a very peaceful sight not inferior to Koryatt.

「It’s here」

As I continue to follow after Eric while watching the villager’s daily life, we arrived at the village square not long after.

There are people displaying their prided items, and doing transactions using the system of bartering or with money.

The likes of grain-type foodstuffs like wheat and vegetables, mushrooms, and edible wild plants are lined up on top of the hemp cloth. There are also various items like ornaments made by connecting magic core fragments with a string, clothing, and shoes.

「Eh? They don’t sell that many fish just as I thought they would be」

「That’s because freshness is important with fish. So it’s difficult to bring them out and sell them like vegetables」

In this world where there is no perfect system for establishing cold storage, it would turn out like this. It would be different if there were people who can use Ice magic, but they are rare.

「Eh! Then, so that means we can’t eat seafood dishes here!?」

「No, when they finish their fishing then they will immediately bring them here to be traded. They mainly do it early in the morning, so after that will depend on your timing」

「S, such a thing……」

「But that doesn’t mean there are no seafood dishes for us. You can eat seafood soup like the one you can buy at that stall or fried foods that have been preserved to last long enough」

Looking over at the place Eric points to, there was a large pot with a fire under it, and they appear to be cooking something like soup.

And next to it, they looked like they were frying something with a large frying pan.

Perhaps it’s due to the large crowd of people that you can’t see anything specific if you don’t come closer, but the smell of seafood wafts in the air and stimulates our appetite.

「Hawawa, it smells so delicious!」

「A seafood soup made by the villagers? Smells nice」

I ate plenty of my light meal a few hours ago but made me slightly hungry due to the delicious smell of the seafood soup.

「Even so, it’s awfully crowded today?」

As we are happy smelling the wafting scent, Eric tilted his head in confusion.

「Hm? It’s already a little past noon, so it’s just the time for when people get hungry right?」

「I don’t come here that often but I didn’t recall the stalls being this crowded though....oh well, whatever. Shall we go then?」

We agree with Eric’s view, so Mina and I follow him without complaining.

And when we head toward the seafood soup place, we join the back line of people.

「Ah, Eric-sama. You can go on ahead」

And then, the people who had been lining up in front of us try to let us go first, perhaps they noticed Eric’s presence.

「No I’m fine, don’t mind me. We will wait here」

「No no, it looks like you brought the noble-sama from outside of the territory, so please go ahead」

I and Mina also agreed with Eric to wait, but the villagers seem to be concerned over it so they make us some space as though we force them to do so.

「Ah, please」

「We can get it later」

A villager gives way to us and then the other villagers also give way their line as though it were a chain reaction, the crowd of people then split and the place opens up. Before we know it, we had a better view of the place as our eyes met with the stallkeeper.

If nobles were to line up, the people would readily give way their line. I was a little moved by such an extremely noble-like incident.

No, in fact, it would be tiring if things become like this every time but I can’t say that I don’t yearn for such a noble-like situation to happen to me.

「Mina, I feel a bit touched by this. This situation feels just noble-like」

「W, well, for better or worse, Alfried-sama has become familiar with the Koryatt village after all」

Mina answers while smiling wryly when I say that in wonder.

This kind of thing won’t happen in Koryatt village. If anything, the villagers will get angry if I just casually cut their line.

「Eric-sama, please. We can’t keep the visiting noble-sama waiting」

「……sorry」

Since the stallkeeper called out to us like that, we decide to read the air and allow us to go ahead first.

It would be impolite of us to decline their good intention here. Let’s think of this occasion as the villager’s hospitality.

As I peer into the seafood soup, there were ingredients such as shrimp, fish meat, carrots, cabbage, shellfish, and seaweed inside the pot. The seasoning is probably fish-based dashi. I also saw something that looks like large fish bones inside.

This looks really delicious. After we brought the seafood back to our mansion and stew them in miso, we’re going to be able to make sea lettuce soup or leftover fish soup.

「Please give us three seafood soups 」

「Alright」

After Eric requests that, the stall keeper next to this place calls out.

「Eric-sama, would you like some from our stall? We have fried, sweet and salty small crabs, you know」

The stallkeeper presents a round wooden plate to us, with small-sized red crabs that can be picked with your fingers. Looks like it was fried with sesame seeds and salty-sweet sauce.

The bright red color and the salty-sweet sauce whet our appetite.

「Thank you. Then we will also get this one too」

After Eric receives three wooden plates of those, he hands them over to me and Mina.

Then he passed three copper coins to the stallkeeper.

「Ah, you don’t have to, it’s fine」

「No, I want to pay」

Perhaps the stallkeeper felt the firm intention from Eric’s words that he grins and said 「Thank you for your purchase」.

「That’s nice of you to pay for the food properly」

「The nobles and villagers are supporting each other after all. So we have to be firm in this sort of situation」

Eric told us with a self-satisfied look on his face when Mina praised him, I guess he was happy about it.

Oh well, just because we’re noble doesn’t mean we can get them for free since it will trouble the villagers. I also properly pay them when I bought something in the village.

「Okay, here’s the seafood soup!」

It looks like the preparation for our seafood soup was finished while we settle the payment for the small crabs.

「It is still hot though, are you all right with this?」

「Right. Set aside the soup for now――」

As expected, it’s going to be difficult to settle the bill while holding hot soup in your hands, so I lift them with the non-attribute magic Psychic.

「Uwaa! The dish is floating!?」

「For real. What’s happening?」

Maybe he was surprised at the suddenly floating dish that the stallkeeper shouted and the surrounding villagers also start to get noisy.

「I only make them float with my magic, don’t mind it」

「O, ooh, so it’s floating due to noble-sama’s magic. Amazing」

The stallkeeper and villagers calm down after I explain it to them, and they let out voices of admiration.

「……can I pay now?」

「Ah, hei! Thank you very much!」

Coming to his senses after Eric call out to him, he hurriedly received the copper coins and bowed.

「By the way, stallkeeper. It’s awfully crowded today, isn’t it?」

「Yes, people are coming to see the noble young lady accompanying Luna-sama, so it looks like everyone is gathering here. Look, it’s that person sitting over there」

A noble young lady accompanying Luna-san? There is no one in our house being called like that though.....

As I looked in the direction his finger pointed to while doubting it, I saw Eleonora-neesan and Luna-san sitting on the bench over there.

It’s the usual Eleonora-neesan, who used to sit cross-legged, with legs spread apart, or throwing herself down, but perhaps it’s because she’s in public that she’s smiling politely and sitting with her legs neatly arranged.

「Eric, let’s find some other empty space」

「O, ooh」

How can I eat at such a conspicuous place like that?

I try to take Mina and Eric to move to another place, but then someone put their hand on my shoulder *don*.

I ignored it and tried to move but, I can’t move at all due to the force being applied to my shoulder from this hand.

Such a gentle and strong power.....

When I fearfully look back, I saw Eleonora-neesan with a beautiful smile on her face as she says,

「Al, let’s eat here」

Thus, I was being dragged away by Eleonora-neesan, maybe the use of Psychic to float the dish backfired on me, huh?

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