Chapter 231: Sashimi
「Whoa, this smells crazy. Is it soy sauce? 」
Retze said while taking a piece of the turban shell that’s been cooked without shucking.
I poured soy sauce the moment the juice seeped out of the turban shells. The shells tend to fly out because of the heat while the mollusks are being fried so there’s a need to be careful.
「I prefer this.]
Dinosso is eating another dish also made with turban shells. I shuck them, remove the beaks and other bitter parts, before stuffing the mollusk with finely chopped garlic back into its shell, then stir fry it with a little olive oil and butter. I adjusted the taste according to what’s familiar with them before frying the turban shells.
「What did the heroes come for? 」
「I heard they’re looking for Amadeo. It’s probably for the magic sword. 」
Ah, right, Amadeo. I remembered the sword being sold to him when Chris answered.
「From what I’ve heard, he came to check the sewage system in the upscale urban section of the residences in the fortress city. Nobody mentioned any names, but he bought the blueprint of the plumbing design that Jean came up with. 」
Yeah, the whole thing might’ve started in Canum, but the fortress city is also working on the new drainage system. That place has become the talk of town, probably because of the scale of construction since they’re working with the entire sewage system.
The movement of goods and people might be slow, but information travels fast with spirits as the intermediary. Wait, those three Japanese folks are there so shouldn’t they be able to do it themselves? I wonder why they don’t. The only things that the heroes allegedly made are jewelry and dresses.
「The issue here is how the hero traveled to reach this place. The information about the heroes and the reported time of that guy’s departure to the fortress city doesn’t match 」
Retze’s right, that’s bothering me too.
My 【Teleportation】 only works on places that are within the scope of what’s drawn in the map, which are also the sphere of my guardian deities and the contracted spirits. Think of 【Teleportation】 as requesting the help of spirits instead of a magic spell. I don’t think the heroes are chummy enough with the spirits to do that.
But then, maybe there’s a spell out there that can draw the same result from the spirits. Magic usually binds the spirit through a curse or whatever it will forcefully draw the spirit’s power irregardless of whether it agrees or not.
Another method is using teleportation plates like the ones Khan has. It might be impossible to make a new plate, but there’s a chance some of the old ones still remain.
The last method I can think of is the Fae’s Path.
「What did the hero look like? 」
「He’s a guy. Raven hair, ink black eyes, normal body built, a bit tall? He looks quite cool. 」
Dean sipped from his tankard, choosing his words carefully while staring at the sky.
「But the impression he gives is nasty. We didn’t really interact with each other, but it’s as if he’s looking at people like they’re objects — well, this is just an observation from afar. 」
Chris continued.
「Did that guy have a mole under his eye? 」
I drizzled melted butter and soy sauce onto the freshly grilled scallops. The aroma is heavenly.
「Yeah, he did, two moles lined up under his eye like this. 」
Dean pointed under his left eye.
「That’s my Changeling. 」
「Huh? 」
Oh, everyone froze.
「If it’s a Changeling made with a spirit, then I won’t be surprised if he can pass through the Fae’s Path. 」
Actually, it’s scary if he can go to places in an instant, like 【Teleport】, so please, let it be the Fae’s Path which takes a bit of time.
「Okay, setting aside how the heck he moved, don’t you think the impression is too much of a miss when compared to you? 」
Dinosso dubiously asked after gaining his senses, obviously discomfited about the whole thing.
「Jean, isn’t your self-perception a bit too weird? 」
「Nope, not weird. 」
I’d been acting and moving with the assumption that all the humans around Sis are her stooges after all. Well, I did mingle with guys from different schools than mine and folks I knew off campus once I entered highschool.
She’s probably delighted that I only had shallow, broad interactions with no attachment to anyone. Nah, maybe it’s more accurate that she’d crush whatever relationship I had if I feel drawn to someone.
「I never imagined I’d get along with people around me back when I was still in my own world after all. It’s only natural, particularly when I sense any connection to my Sis. 」
「But you look worlds apart, you know? 」
「That’s because there’s only two options for those who are summoned — either cast away every single thing from the previous world or remake it. I’m fine no matter how I look as long as I’m still me inwardly, so I abandoned everything about my previous self. 」
Besides, even if I meet Sis and her gang now, they probably won’t realize it’s me if my appearance changed.
「Why is your past so twisted despite you being such a super frank guy, huh? 」
Oy, Retze, what do you mean by ‘super frank’, huh?
「I’m not saying I’m proud of it, but I can be quite nasty, you know. Anyway, whatever you do, it’s best not to get involved with those four heroes. The lobsters are done. 」
I removed the pan with the spiny lobsters still in it and put it on top of the table.
I grabbed a pair of plastic gloves then pinched it and tugged the tail away from the head. I gobbled the meat while savoring the juicy goodness of the lobster innards still in it. The lobster is plump and its mellow sweetness permeated every inch of my tongue. Did you know lobsters also go well with mayonnaise?
「Yeah. It’s a pain-in-the-neck. Let’s just get it over with by saying you and that guy are two different entities. 」
Dean gave up on thinking! And yeah, he really is a meat lover guy.
「Well, they’re totally different from each other after all. Or is your perception of what’s around you skewed, perhaps? 」
Chris skillfully peeled off the shell while pressing down on the head.
I tried to imitate him by pressing on mine lightly — the shell was peeled off with a snap. Hoh, removing it is easier this way. Well, I haven’t had many opportunities to dismantle a large lobster, much less a crab.
「 The red pears are about to bear fruit. I’ll take you along to pick some if our schedules match. 」
「Ooh? I’ll go, I’ll go. 」
I jumped at Retze when he said that.
English pears don’t usually turn bright red, but apparently, there’s a pear tree that grows scarlet pears in the Magical Woods. I tasted it once and it was really scrumptious.
「Oh, if you’re going then wanna go to the Labyrinth too? There’s something I need your help with. 」
Dean turned to Dinosso and me.
「Rank exam? 」
「Dean is eligible to take the exam now, so I’m considering going with him. Amadeo’s been stuck forever in the Labyrinth, so it’s a relief that he’s finally moving on because of the latest ruckus about the hero. 」
Chris answered Dinosso’s question.
Strength is also desirable among the Gold ranks, so one of the tests in the advancement examination include diving into the dungeon after collecting all the silver stars, apparently.
NEXT CHAPTER
RELEASE RATE
I Got Transferred in the Middle of a Mountain
Speed up schedule by 10 hours
Current schedule: Every 80 hours
Thanks for the treat.