168: They say good food can make anyone happy.

"Ugh! Good! Too good—ahhhhhhh!"

Jitarou screamed toward the sky.

I get it. Ever since we got here, everything we've eaten—every single thing—has been delicious.

I might have preferences, but nothing’s bad.

"There's something over there too!"

Jitarou didn’t wait for our reply, charging straight at the next food stall.

"What’ll it be this time?"

"That tempura earlier was amazing."

"I'm going with the beef bowl. Beef and rice—shouldn't be special, but it’s weirdly good."

Kyle, Raidock, and I exchanged thoughts.

Then Eva, clinging to Raidock’s side, raised a finger.

"Probably the seasonings are different. I’m surprised commoners can afford strong, flavorful seasonings like that."

"Usually, when you say 'seasoning,' you mean salt, right?"

"Yes."

"Hey, Eva. You’re lecturing so smugly, but aren’t you clinging to my boyfriend a bit too much? Honestly."

Soral, on the opposite side of Raidock from Eva, glared with a deadly look.

"Is it really so strange that a delicate woman stays close to a strong man in a new land?"

"Delicate? You? You’re the one who burns down entire forests with a single blast!"

"You’re not exactly innocent either, archer lady. You can punch a hole in a castle wall with just one arrow, aren’t you?"

"Hey! Don’t say that!"

The usual argument had started again.

While the two argued, I turned back to Kyle.

For a split second, Raidock looked like he was about to scream “Don’t leave me behind!” but whatever. May curses fall on that pretty face!

Well, we’ve got nothing to do until the bigwigs from Mizoho Shrine Nation get back to us. So, under the excuse of exploring foreign cultures, we’re out and about the city.

The streets of lively Mizoho Shrine Nation are pumping with energy—enough to get us fired up too.

Yeah, basically, we’re just a bunch of city-slickers on a spree. Kyle’s barely hiding his excitement. Can’t blame him.

And leading the charge? Jitarou, of course. Can’t let him get away with that swagger.

Sniffing the air, he’s already shouting, “That shop’s got my attention!” or “That stall’s gotta be good!”—no proof, just pure instinct—and charging in before we can even stop him. So we’re stuck following along.

“Honestly, the fact that everything he gets excited about is a food shop is weird—but damn, whatever he eats, it’s all delicious.”

"Yes. I'm surprised."

Jitarou was next to leap into a shop that looked just a little more upscale than the ones before.

Inside, the staff immediately counted the number of people, then guided them to a large common room. The service was friendly and polite—genuinely likable.

Kyle didn’t even glance at the menu before ordering.

"Sorry. We’re new to this country, so we don’t know what kind of dishes you have. Could you bring us a course that lets us try a variety of flavors?"

"Got it!"

Ah. So this place wasn’t like the others—no single bestseller, but a wide range of dishes. Then it’d be best to get a few recommendations.

Still…

"Maina. You still got room?"

"Yeah. I can eat."

Maina huffed through her nose.

I’d have thought she’d already eaten quite a bit by now…

Adventurers like me and Raidock are known for eating a lot—nothing strange there. But how the hell does Maina’s tiny frame even fit all that in?

Leifan might understand.

“…Craft. You’re getting a really rude stare, you know?”

“Preposterous!”

The idea that Leifan’s known as a glutton? Not even if my mouth was torn open!

I’m covering my mouth with both hands, and yet Leifan’s eyes are icy. Weird. I didn’t even say anything…

“You’re too transparent with your emotions.”

Persia sighs, shrugging her shoulders.

Not from someone like a useless lump!

“…Should I cut you open?”

“Why would you?!”

“Your whole damn face says it.”

“Are you kidding?!”

That’s how we were, laughing and chatting, enjoying the sightseeing.

No, wait—this is inspection. Inspection.

When a mountain of food arrived, we just stared, dumbfounded.

On top of a giant ship model, side dishes piled up like they couldn’t stop.

“Hey… isn’t this just sliced raw fish?”

I asked the waiter, hesitantly.

“Just sliced…? Sounds like you’re slacking, but slicing raw fish right takes skill.”

They didn’t deny it was raw.

Mostly…

Bzzz. Bzzz.

A fish head, bones only, was twitching on its own—so it had to be alive.

“Try this sauce on the side! Tastes great!”

Yeah, it’s tasty—but eating it while the fish itself watches you? That’s… a little too much.

But while I’m still flustered, Maina pokes a piece of fish with her fork, dips it into the black sauce, and puts it in her mouth.

Chew, chew. Swallow.

Then she starts eating faster, stabbing piece after piece with her fork and shoving them in her mouth.

“M-Maina?”

“This is delicious.”

She’s shoveling it in—hurry, hurry. The fish gets smaller with every bite.

In that moment, hunger won over fear.

I go for it, copying her, shoving a piece into my mouth.

Juicy, crisp, faintly bland but rich with flavor, and the sauce—sharp with salt, but not like salt, some strange, otherworldly taste—mingles with the fish, spreading a brand-new flavor across my whole mouth.

“This… this is good!? No way!?”

When they finally hesitatedly brought it to their mouths, everyone’s eyes widened.

We’d all lived through times when just being able to eat was a blessing, back when adventurers were barely more than scavengers.

Eva let out a quiet gasp.

“Amazing. I’ve never tasted anything like this.”

“Sis, I like this.”

Camille seemed to like it too.

Kyle tried it and nearly choked.

“This is incredible. Maybe we should try a Goldendoon fish next?”

The waiter, who’d been listening, leaned in to warn him.

“Don’t know where you’re from, but fish you can eat raw? They’re only in the sea. Don’t even try river fish.”

“Really? That’s a shame.”

The sea, huh. Right—there was a sea to the south of the kingdom.

I asked Kyle about it.

"The sea’s a nest for powerful monsters. Fishing’s tough. You might manage a few bites, but boats? Hopeless."

"Is that so? Didn’t know that."

Come to think of it, I’ve never heard of sea transport or contact with other nations.

Yeah, this world’s just packed with monsters. Sometimes I forget, but it’s true.

"Wait—then how does this country even get so much sea fish?"

The shopkeeper grins.

"Simple. Hunters and warriors kick the sea monsters out of the way for us."

Guess the fighters here are stronger than I thought.

"After we finish eating, wanna go see the sea?"

"Yeah. But first—"

I smack Persia on the shoulder, staring at Fishy, whose bones are all that’s left except for the head and tail.

"Guardians don’t eat before their lord, that’s just lazy, huh?"

"Ugh! Shut up!"

I teased her a little about that old grudge, and Persia snapped, her face turning bright red.

Yeah. Everyone’s got their weak spots.

Still, the fact that I can heal any poison or food sickness on the spot—yeah, that’s the trust I’m counting on.

But it did make me feel a tiny bit better to rattle her.

She’d punched me flat when she joined up, after all.

I don’t even know when you’re in the bath!

…Well, it was unavoidable, I guess. Still, I did something wrong.

All I can do now is pray it never happens again.

Then, after she finally bit into a piece, she wolfed it down, saying “Delicious, delicious,” over and over, smugly glaring back at me. Seriously annoying.

Then again, Jitarou had already eaten his slice before Maina did—how he’d been ignored by everyone was a different matter entirely.

“Hey, you could at least look surprised, right?”

“Don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Satisfied, we headed toward the sea, where the port was said to be.

“Sho-yu…? If we can import this, a whole new industry might spring up.”

Kyle muttered quietly, already thinking ahead.

Yeah. Too damn good for a little brother. Big brother’s gonna be shocked.

Delicious is justice