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Chapter 380: Heart’s Desire

Hum, hum, hum, hum~.

「Where are we going? 」
「You’re really lively, huh… They’re gonna grill you for answers later, you know? 」
「Yes, yes. 」
If it’s after the food crawl, then I can take them on for however long they like.

「There’s a food market focused on selling ingredients just up ahead, so maybe we can start there first. 」
「Yeah! 」

The Es nation is built on the estuary of the River Es. Now that our destination had been decided, we walked along the bank of the river. The river itself was far too wide that I couldn’t see the other side; it’s like the sea for someone who was used to the rivers in Japan.

Once the sun set, the folks who had been waiting for the heat to abate were coming out for a stroll and were happily chatting while standing here and there. I also spot some sitting down.

It’s the same in Nalluahdid, families go out for a walk once it’s dusk, and they also enjoy sitting down and gossiping with their neighbors after strolling a bit. If I’m not mistaken, I also built small plazas here and there on the island.

「I think it’s over there? 」
Retze was staring towards the row of shacks by the riverbank, and there were also boats packed with vegetables and fruits floating on the river.

「So it’s a food market geared towards the town folks, huh. 」
The goods are varied, but it’s mostly food like fish and dates.

「Hauron said grilled corn is popular among those who do food stall hopping, but I guess it’s not yet in season. 」
「I already ate that before, but how to say this — like the taste of the corn is too harsh, or maybe it is not sweet, it’s kinda complicated. 」
It would probably have tasted better if they brushed the corn with soy sauce.

「It’s quite addicting once you get used to it, apparently. 」
Retze laughed.

They sell various fish and shrimps caught in the River Es. Is that a catfish? They also have many fish that I’ve never seen before.

The first one I bought was a crepe-like wrapper filled with boiled fava beans seasoned with cumin, salt and other spices.

「Their fried stuff is also mostly made with fava beans, huh. 」
「I thought it was way too green, only to find that they also added some shredded green leaves too. 」
A vivid verdure hue greeted us when I broke the flat croquette thing that Retze bought for me into half.

They eat a lot of fava beans and jute mallows too.

「Oh, I found a knife suited for jute mallows. 」
Jute mallows become extra slimy when crushed with this crescent-shaped knife, apparently. I don’t really need my jute mallows to be sticky, but I still bought it.

「Hey, don’t buy too much weird stuff, okay? 」
「Yes. 」
I distractedly responded to Retze as we walked through the narrow marketplace.

「Oh? Sausage? 」
Retze stopped.

「Ah, it’s really sausages, it’s the first time I saw one like this. 」
We immediately bought some and took a huge bite.

「Hm? 」
「Eh? 」
The intestines weren’t stuffed with meat!

「What’s this? Beans? 」
Retze seemed puzzled as he examined the part he just bit.

「No, it’s rice. 」
Ohhh!! I can finally cross-breed!!

「I want this but raw!! 」
Please!

「Then, why don’t we look for that while walking around? 」
「Yup, it’d be nice if we got our hands on some unhulled rice. 」

The rice in the sausages were apparently stuffed into the intestines first, boiled once, then deep fried? The food is still piping hot, but it’s very tasty.

I also found other dishes — rice wrapped in grape leaves, rice that had been boiled with milk, and rice wrapped in turnip leaves. So, the staple food is bread, while rice is for dessert, apparently.

「Cough! 」
「This is way too sweet. 」
Retze was also grimacing.

We tried a cake that looked like it was a cross between a steamed bun and a sponge cake. It was divided into 5 inch square slices and it was ultra sweet. Es desserts are sweet as they come, but this one exceeds all of the others by miles.

「Can you still eat half of the quail? 」
「Yup. 」
Retze and I were already full to bursting, but it didn’t feel right ending our food crawl with this sugary after-taste, so yeah, we still got halfsies of the quail.

「Ou, this is my specialty sauce! 」
It’s just as the barbecue uncle said, the quail was flattened and stretched and dipped in the sauce before grilling it.

I asked Retze to divide the portion into two. Mm, so good, it has a deeper flavor than chicken.

I also managed to get my hands on unhulled rice, which I thought wasn’t in season. The climate may be different here, but they can still plant a lot of crops after the flood. They must sow the wheat and rice in winter and harvest them in spring.

「Alright, we’re full now so let’s go home? 」
「Shouldn’t we bring them back something? 」
「…bring back something, you say… 」
Retze muttered with half-lidded eyes.

「Why did you put that inside a jute bag, huh? 」
「Ah, folks can pretty much see that part of the pillar, so after entering the town, I panicked when I realized that and ended up chucking him inside the bag. 」
「I see. Well, that can’t be helped, huh. So, what’s up with the ribbon? 」
「It’s a present, right? 」
「Hey, think first whether it’d be appropriate before you give something to someone. 」
「But I already confirmed it with Goddess Es. 」
「So even Goddess Es is also out of it, huh. 」
With an expression that says ‘oh goodness me’, Retze went back to the store where we bought and ate the quail bbq and bought some again.

「By the way, is the Doggy in the ‘younger brother Doggy’ referring to a dog? 」
「Yup. His appearance is that of a dog, but he can also turn into a human. 」.
The quail barbeque wrapped in palm leaves hung from my hand as we made our way back to the inn.

「It’s quite troublesome that the word “Doggy” stands out too much among all the confusing things we’ve been talking about. Based on what Hauron had been mumbling earlier, he’s the younger brother of the guy in the jute bag and he’s also powerful like that guy, right? 」
「Probably? He was the one who chop-chop the deity in the jute bag after all. 」
「Hey, that’s so dangerous. 」
We stopped halfway and drank our chai in one go.

「Hauron and Khan hadn’t realized it yet, it seems. Well, it’s not like they have little kids around them. Still, I wonder when they will realize ー it’d be great if it doesn’t get exposed. 」
「I already said this before, but I’m gonna repeat it again. Doggy’s incident was an accident, an accident, you know? I never thought that I’d overwrite his name and contract with him just by calling him Doggy. 」
I thoroughly explained. Yes, it’s an accident, an accident, alright?

「…You really… You know what, wait a bit before telling that to Khan and the others. Let things calm down first before revealing that, okay? 」
I stopped in my tracks, so Retze turned to me and said that.

I already said it was an accident!!