Read Novel Full Vol 17 Chapter 4
Vol 17 Chapter 4
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Chapter 4 – Just So-so
We arrived at the fortified city, the gateway to the desert. We immediately bought the traditional costumes adapted to this region and the desert, the type that covers the attractiveness of the women, and we were able to escape the envious and lustful glances of the women. After we felt comfortable, it was time for dinner… and scorpion and lizard steaks were served.
“Carla, how is it? Is it good?”
Alessia-san interrupted Carla-san, who was not bothered by the scorpions or lizards, and continued to eat the steak without worrying.
As expected from the party leader. She is reliable.
“Hmm?”
Carla-san tilted her head with a puzzled look on her face when Alessia-san called out to her.
She was so focused on the food that she didn’t even notice us looking at her. Carla-san is so absorbed in her food, it’s adorable.
“Is the food good?”
Alessia-san asked Carla-san again, who looked at us with a puzzled look on her face.
Carla-san frowned and thought about the question. Apparently, it is not a taste that she can immediately describe as delicious.
“Hmm, the Armored Scorpion is plump. The Desert Lizard is plump and juicy. Not too bad?”
Carla-san probably thought about it a lot before she answered. But I don’t know. I don’t understand why the word “plump” is used in both cases when they look completely different.
…Rimu is getting impatient, and when that happens, I will have to check it out for myself. Carla-san, who loves to eat, describes it as so-so. If it doesn’t taste bad, it should be okay.
I think for a moment and put my hand on the scorpion meat. I was less afraid of the lizard meat, but Carla-san’s expression “juicy” worried me.
What is the juice? Lizard extract? Suddenly, the scorpion seemed to glow.
Anxiously, I put the cut scorpion meat into my mouth. I was a little pleased to see all the beautiful women’s eyes focused on my mouth, but I guess they just wanted to see my reaction because they didn’t understand Carla-san’s answer.
Ah, yes, it is indeed plump. The texture is like octopus? It tastes like shrimp, but the flesh is chewier, and my impression is that it is closer to an octopus.
The texture is octopus, and the taste is shrimp? As you would expect from a fantasy world, even the ingredients are fantasy.
The seasoning is salt and… nut flavor?
Well, I can see why Carla-san described it as so-so. It’s not that it’s bad, it’s just that it’s more unusual than the usual food in the Southern City.
However… if you ask me if it’s good. I can’t proudly say that it tastes good.
But the taste is not that bad, so my fear is lessened. Next time, let’s try lizard meat.
I have heard that the lizard meat on Earth is similar to chicken breast, but I have heard that the lizard meat here is plump and juicy.
The thought scared me, so I cleared my mind and put a piece of lizard meat in my mouth.
It is indeed plump and succulent. The texture is like the thigh meat of a tough local chicken. The texture is completely different from that of an octopus, but there is no doubt that it is juicy.
The juices seep out of the meat.
The seasoning here is salt, chili pepper, and nuts. Perhaps nuts are the basic condiment in this region. The spicy, nutty taste is not bad.
The scorpion meat and lizard meat are not bad and have potential.
Other than the flavor and spiciness, the taste is monotonous, so I’d rate it so-so, but I think it could become a delicious dish if it were fried, deep-fried, or made with earthly seasonings and techniques.
But these are scorpions and lizards.
Are they really food that we should go to such lengths to eat?
I will go out of my way to buy scorpion and lizard meat and store it in a rubber boat. Once they are brought to an environment where they can be cooked, a series of prototypes will be made to make them tasty.
This may be fun, but the fact that the finished product is a scorpion and a lizard dish is subtle.
If it were a dragon, the impression would be completely different, but it is a lizard, isn’t it?
“Wataru. How is it?”
“…It’s just so-so.”
I’ll explain in detail, so please don’t look at me with those pitiful eyes.
Oh, Rimu, I’m going to cut it into pieces, so wait a little longer.
＊＊＊
“What are we going to do now?”
After dinner, we all agreed the scorpion meat and lizard meat was so-so. Then we gathered in Alessia-san’s room and began discussing the future.
“First of all, we have to deal with this cold weather.”
Dorothea-san replied to Alessia-san’s words. It is true that we must take measures against the cold.
At night, it was only slightly cold until we entered the desert, but as soon as the sun went down, it quickly got colder.
It seems to be the same in this world, where the nights in the desert are cold.
“The clothes we bought today are made with a very loose-fitting robe, and if we put on the clothes we bought on Master’s ship, we should be fine, don’t you think? I want a jersey.”
Yes, Ines is right. If we put on the clothes inside, we won’t be noticed even if we wear clothes from another world.
But since I’ve only traveled to warmer climates, I don’t have a lot of thick clothes. I should have brought down jackets and sweatshirts.
When I find a place where I can summon a luxury liner, I’ll summon it and go shopping. For now, I’ll just wear layers of clothing, like jerseys and long-sleeved T-shirts.
“Ah, there’s plenty of room in these clothes. Then I can use my main equipment.
I see. If Alessia-san and the others, who are novice mercenaries regardless of their abilities, wore high-end equipment, they would stand out, so they had to lower the ranks of their clothes and equipment.
Since their faces would be hidden, they might not have to worry about their weapons either, except in the city.
“Wataru. Please summon a rubber boat with a set of equipment for us later. Oh, but first, please summon a rubber boat with our regular clothes.”
Alessia-san asks with a bright smile. She must be happy to be able to use her main equipment.
But first, we need protection from the cold.
“I understand. We’ll go back to our room, change and come back later.”
After summoning the rubber boat with the luggage that Alessia-san and the others had left with me, I returned to our room.
“Well, now that we’re settled in, let’s discuss our future plans this time.”
We put on warm clothes inside and reassembled in Alessia-san’s room. With hot canned coffee and cocoa in hand, the discussion resumed at Alessia-san’s signal.
The destination had already been decided. Then, the focus of the discussion would be how to get there.
A trip to the desert, huh… All I know is that you don’t move during the hottest part of the day. And camels.
“Since we’re not used to the desert, do you want us to join some merchant corps somewhere?”
“Umm, since we are unfamiliar with the desert and we are 10th class mercenaries, if we joined a merchant corps, we would be in a position to pay them money and be protected.”
Ilma-san looks uncomfortable at Dorothea-san’s opinion.
“We don’t have a lot of money right now, but with a little business, I think we can make it work, don’t you?”
We’ve been spending a lot of money on clothes, but if we do a little business as usual, we’ll be fine.
If push came to shove, we could make a killing on ice cream and shaved ice during the hottest part of the day.
But I wouldn’t do that because not only would it be conspicuous, but it would also lead to a straight line of enclosure.
“I’m worried about the money, but the biggest problem is that it will make it harder to use Wataru’s boats.”
Ilma-san’s concern is understandable. We have not yet decided whether to travel by day or by night, but either way, it is likely to be a grueling, sand-covered journey.
In that case, there is a big difference between using the Hideaway and not using it.
A night in a tent and a soft bed, wiping yourself with a cloth or a warm bath. Obviously, the soft bed and bath would be the better choice.
“But it’s an unfamiliar desert journey. The wisdom of experience is important.”
Claretta-san explained the importance of experience with a reluctant expression on her face. I guess she’s reluctant because she doesn’t like not being able to use the Hideaway.
I don’t like it either.
Well, on a normal journey, as long as you know the directions, it doesn’t matter, but what about in the desert?
There’s a compass, so we won’t get lost. But I think it would be dangerous to get stuck in a strange pit.
In the movies, it’s common to be swallowed by sand and sandstorms, right? I can survive a sandstorm, but I can’t imagine what would happen if I sank into the sand.
“If we want to meet the merchants, Master and Ilma will have no problem, but the rest of us are not familiar with the language.”
Oh, that’s right. The other members of the group cannot speak the language fluently.
When we travel together, we will have many opportunities to talk, and it will be difficult.
“Yes, you are right, the language problem is a big one. Then it might be safer to give up working with others and travel independently.”
Claretta-san, who had been stressing the importance of experience, seemed to have been swayed toward independent action by Felicia’s words.
“Then let’s stay here for a while and gather information. Wataru and Ilma will be the main people, and the others will follow and escort them. You two, gather as much knowledge as you can for our trip to the desert.”
“Understood.”
“All right.”
Information gathering time again.
It was possible to recover the information in Toyen, but in the desert, it might be difficult to recover it.
First, we need to go to the mercenary guild to see if they have a reference room, and we also need to hear directly from experienced people in the mercenary and merchant guilds.
We also need to visit a bar.
At the very least, I’ll have to buy them drinks, and I’d like to earn some extra money by doing business. Things are getting busy.