[Fair warning: This is just the party touring Ravenblack. Sort of like a filler? The next chapter will feature the travel! Hope you guys enjoy it!]
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We headed back to the inn, pleased with the quest. On the way, I complimented Mili quite a bit, since she exuded quite a powerful ‘Praise me’ aura, and she deserved it too, for finding such a perfect quest.
Halfway through, Maria splits up from us, since the inn she’s staying at is at the opposite edge of town. We bade our farewells and promised to meet each other at the guild the next day, since we were going to go on a sightseeing tour in Ravenblack.
Since I came here, all I had focused on was quests and money, so I never really checked out Ravenblack. Crap, I forgot my tertiary objective.
I reviewed the ‘objective list’ that I made.
1. Find my idiot classmates, if they are here.
2. Find a way to undo the Slayer’s curse
3.Sightsee!
And I so blatantly forgot it… Truly, I’m such a fickle person.
I berate myself as I head back to the inn, with Mili happily pulling at my hair.
I walk into the inn and greet the landlady.
“Yo! Yuu boy, huh?”
“Ah, Landlady san!”
“So, what’s new, Yuu boy?”
The landlady was a woman who was in her mid 40’s, with her hair tied up in a bun above her head. She had quite the build, rivaling that of a musclebuilder back on Earth. It seems she was an adventurer, back in her youth.
“Landlady san, I’d like to change our rooms”
“Change?”
“Yes, I’d like to book another single room”
I had already decided this, since Mili and Saki can stay in the same room, and I, the untameable beast should be locked up alone.
Just kidding. Girls should have their privacy after all.
“Oh! Understood! Then, that’ll be a 100 more nirs, allright?”
The landlady cheerfully claps my back, knocking out the air from my lungs. I weakly smile and walk up the stairs, towards our room.
As I opened the old wooden door, for some reason, I saw Saki rolling around on the bed. She was sniffing the bed, and squealing, for some reason.
I walk in, and greet her.
“Yo, Saki…. You alright?”
Her body freezes, and I could almost see a chill run up her body. She quickly sits up and nods her head, quickly.
There was a bit of stew at the corner of her mouth. Good, she ate well.
She looked like a pile of bones when I met her, and she’s improved at least a bit now. She responds more, and her face looks a bit more lively. What kind of beasts would such people be to violate such a beautiful woman!
My inner rage exploded, gazing at the cute and pretty woman before me. Saki was, without doubt, a really pretty girl. Her face was like a finely sculpted piece, with a straight nose and high cheekbones. Her figure was like a fruit that was yet to ripen, with an hourglass like figure and long slender legs. Mili had braided her long flaxen hair into a single braid, like Maria san. Her hazel eyes were so beautiful, that men would write poems about her.
And they made her a slave.
I pat her head, and wipe of the leftovers from her lips. Her face turns a bright shade of red. I guess she’s still not good with men.
She doesn’t talk much, forget much, not at all, and just nods to respond. Well, there’s nothing wrong with that, she’ll gradually open up.
“Saki, did you eat okay?”
I ask her, and she nods quickly. Mili walks up to her and starts playing with her. Both of them were like best friends. Mili used to read storybooks for her, and teach her stuff, and she would listen attentively.
I sigh, and head towards the makeshift kitchen I made. Yosh! It’s time for Yuuya to show off his cooking.
I take out the turtle meat, which tasted a bit like beef, oddly. It had a similar flavor, so it was good enough. I take out the magic knife and rapidly chop the meat into fine pieces. I take out a large bowl that I had bought from the store, and put in the meat. I then add the lumek, a rice like cereal, except it was red in color. I add the rest of the spices, and vegetables, mixing them into a fine mixture.
I roll them up into small balls of about 10cm in diameter, and place them on the cooking board I made. Mili and Saki curiously look at my performance, intrigued. Huehuehue, I shall show you my power!
I take out the flat pan like skillet I had borrowed from the landlady, and heat it with Flame. I add the meatballs and heat it. I turn it over occasionally, letting it turn into a beautiful golden brown. I drained the excess grease, and let it simmer after adding some water.
My pseudo meatballs were now piping hot, and I assure the curious young uns to wait. Waiting for it to simmer, I began preparing a stew from the remaining ingredients, completely devoted to my work.
“Dinner is served!”
A while later, I serve up my meatballs and stew set. Mili prods the meatballs, while Saki sniffs the stew.
In order to make them understand, I bite into the soft and chewy meatballs.
Delish~
It reminds me of home. I used to make these whenever grandma bought meat. Ah… I kinda feel homesick. I hope those guys are fine…
Mili shows an expression of pure ecstasy as she bites into the meatballs, and Saki chews on it, like a little squirrel.
And so, we retired for the day, after a delicious dinner.
I was lying on my bed in an adjacent room, staring at the ceiling, when a knock resounded.
Ara? Who’s it at this time of the night?
I head to the door, cautious. I gently open the door, and peep through the crack.
It was Saki.
She stood there, hugging a blanket like a pillow, staring at me. I opened the door wide.
“Saki? What’s wrong?”
She extends her hand and grips the hem of my shirt, and tugs at it. Huh?
“Did you not get sleep?”
She nods, and keeps tugging at my shirt.
“What is it, Saki?”
Then, to my surprise, Saki spoke.
“Master… Sleep with”
*BBBOOOMMM!**CRAASSHHH*
I was one step away from yelling in surprise before I regained composure.
Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.
“Saki?”
Her face was red, and she looked at the floor, embarrassed.
“Scary…”
I see. I led her into the room, and gestured her to lay on the bed. She nodded and laid down, and stared at me expectantly.
I’m sorry Saki, but I have no wish to become a lolicon.
Saki had a body that suggested she was a young woman, but mentally, she was just as old as Mili. Just as old as Mili mentally is, anyways. I lie down on the ground, and continued counting the patterns on the ceiling.
******
“OU! We’re gonna go sightseeing today!”
“Ou!”
Mili shouts back, energetic. Saki nods, giving her approval.
Today, we shall explore Ravenblack.
Early in the morning, we headed to the guild, as we planned with Maria. Today, Maria was going to show us the specialties of Ravenblack, since she was a resident here.
Today, we were wearing civilian clothes, the expensive looking coat that I had bought once. Mili was wearing a cute robe, which was an elven dress, according to her. I had Saki wear a top that looked quite good on her, with golden designs, and a long red skirt.
We headed to the guild, to meet Maria, who was in…..her usual attire.
“Yuuya! Let’s go!”
We head out, intent on touring Ravenblack.
Ravenblack was a major town in Ugraok, a trade point between the capital Ugras and the neighbouring towns. The numerous highways in this area further promoted its safety, and the town prospered due to its prosperous position. Or so, the guide Maria san said.
“Well, this is the adventurer’s section, so not many attractions are here, except for the weapons shop and the utilities shop.”
She explains, leading the way, heading deeper towards Ravenblack. The streets were filled with people, and some adventurers had even set up shop. We wandered through the streets, and Maria showed us several stores, so I bought a small magic staff for Mili, and a knife for Saki.
We kept heading east, and reached a darker part of the city. Mostly nobles and other superior looking people roamed the area. But what made the place dark was the excessive number of slaves.
Some pulled on their dog leashes, others whipped them like animals and rode them. Shit. Even Saki looks uncomfortable.
“Yes, this is the Slave district, and most slavery businesses are conducted here. Slave traders and merchants flock to this place, but its honestly a bit too stifling here.”
Saying so, Maria quickly leads us away from the oppressive atmosphere, and Saki’s breath relaxes. I rub her head in order to calm her down, and she turns red again. Geez, this girl.
This time, the place was much more vibrant ,with arts and crafts filling the streets. The shops were filled with sculptures, and paintings and little shops that sold souvenirs. We examined the goods, and I had a portrait made of our group. Ah, this is going into my collection. I put it into my ring, and was determined to keep it safe. The crafts district, according to Maria,a great variety of professions, like blacksmiths, sculptors, painters, woodworkers all made their living here, and this was the centre of business.
We moved to the central part of town, and the scene changed considerably.
The busy and bustling streets became more refined and less populated. The balconies and windows were decorated with plants, like a noble’s house. A few minutes in, we reached a square, which was filled with benches. In the middle of the square, a magnificent fountain stood, gushing out the water in a mesmerizing way. We stood there, gazing at it for a while, before hunger brought us back to the real world.
*Raaaaooooor!!*
A terrifying roar howled, the source was Saki’s tummy. She looked quite embarrassed,and covered her arms with her stomach, looking around wildly as if she were being attacked.
Haha. She’s quite cute.
“Maria, we should get something to eat you know?”
I reminded Maria, and she gave a ‘Leave it to me’ pose.
Mili was also looking uncomfortable. I guess hunger torments all.
We headed a bit west from the central square, towards a place where even more visitors were present.
There were various stalls and stores, and the delicious smell of food wafted through the air. I could barely keep myself from licking my lips, as we headed towards the first delicacy.
“Swwwweeet~!”
I leaked a bit of my thoughts, involuntarily. The sweet, which was called a Gulais, was a diamond shaped soft block, with a creamy color. On biting into it, an incomparable sweetness burst into my mouth, sealing my senses.
Mili was so charmed by it that she bought a dozen more. Well, who’s got a sweet tooth?
Definitely not Saki, who bought at least double that of Mili. I encouraged her to eat as much as she liked, so she went all out.
Maria refrained from eating, since she disliked sweets. Under the orders of Maria, we ordered the next confectionary, something that was round, with a granular surface. According to Maria, it was called a Clalis, and it was her favorite food item.
It had a gooey texture, and a spicy yet subtly hidden meaty taste permeated my mouth. A perfect balance, this time I ordered a dozen. And Maria ordered quite a few, since it’s been quite a while since she ate them, it seems.
After eating a lot more of the delicacies from Ravenblack, tired, we headed to a quiet terrace café.
The sun was setting, and we were presented with a wonderful view. We gazed at it, sipping the Oolong tea like Klamook tea, peacefully.
After the tea, weary, we headed back to the inn, in order to get sufficient rest before the long trip tomorrow.
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“Bags?”
“Check”
“Clothes?”
“Check”
“Food?”
“Check”
“Backup food?”
“Um…”
“Mili?!”
“Ok, I’ll pack it. Check”
“Umu, good. Saki?”
“Check”
“Mili?”
“Check”
“Then let’s head out!”
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[ It's my first attempt at describing cooking. Hope there's no major mistakes. Please point it out if there's any!]