Chapter 431: Stroll
I strolled around Canum’s town with the Canum kids in tow.
「Here, Jean! 」
Tina was beaming.
「It’ll be faster if we go this way~ 」
「It’s a shortcut~ 」
En and Vak gently pulled my hands.
Majority of the houses in Canum share walls, so neighbors are quite close to each other. However, most of the buildings lined along the main road are relatively huge stores, so there are enough space in between the walls for a person to pass through.
Apparently, the back of the stores used to be the homes of the family that ran the business in the past, but now, most of them have been sold off through the course of the years, and people who have nothing to do with the shop live there. Although the alleys that led to the houses had doors back in the day, most of them are gone now, and even if the door is still there, the locks are often broken.
The kids knew really well which of the doors were broken and whether they could pass through. Tina and her siblings had been mingling with the other Canum kids such as the butcher’s snotty kid, so they’re also well-versed about these doors in no time at all.
The information passed through word of mouth from one playmate to another shouldn’t be underestimated ー such as ‘alleys to avoid because the residents there are scary’, or ‘promises to block the places they pass through so the grownups won’t discover them’, things like that.
『Alrighty, I’m counting on you guys! 』
I took out a few pill bugs from my pockets and released them in a few places while the kids pulled me around.
I stationed pill bugs in the spots where En, Vak, and Tina usually hang out, especially in hidden areas that could be prime ambush locations. I also gave them permission to actively take over in case of emergency.
『If stinky folks chase after these kids, please trip them. 』
『Yeah, we’ll pull their toes~ 』
『I’m gonna make them slip~ 』
I requested the spirits in the alley, the spirit of the chipped pavement, the spirit of the stone paving that became smooth after being trodden down so many times to keep an eye on them.
Not only them, I also asked the stationary spirits who remain on the same spot, like the spirit of the city walls, the spirit of trash, the spirit of the alley, the spirit of the aged stone walls, the stagnant air spirit and others, as well as spirits on the move such as the spirit of the passing breeze, the spirit of the afternoon light and the spirit of the shadows in the night.
I let the kids take me to their emergency hideouts and escape routes, then I stationed some larger spirits there as well ーactually, rather than station them, it’s more like I shared my mana with the spirits already present and asked for their help.
After sneaking through the kids’ secret passage, we ended up in the plaza, with the food stalls lined up all around us. The hot offal stew is a big hit now, but I skipped it—I can’t deal with those shared dishes they hand out, especially since they never wash them!
Since I’m treating today, I splurged a little and got the kids something nicer than their usual snacks.
「You like this? 」
「Yup! 」
「Woohoo! 」
「Meat~ 」
We stopped in front of the store with a huge pot of stewed pickled meat and arrowroot and a stack of buns the size of two fists combined.
This stall is okay, the germs are still in the acceptable range, and it’s the shop that meat lover Dean also recommends.
「Uncle, 4 please. 」
「Aye! 」
The stall guy pierced the meat with a two-pronged fork and pulled it out of the pot. He then deftly sliced them thinly ーit’s not that thin for me, though. He split a piece of bread in half, piled the meat on top of the bun until it’s almost overflowing, drizzled a bit of broth on top and it’s ready to go.
The kids got their share one after the other, and we left the stall while munching on the buns. I also ate something similar on the island some time ago, but this is more bulky and more tasty than that one.
It costs 2 copper coins a piece. Twi fairly decent sausages go for about one copper coin, or maybe a copper and a small copper coin. On the island, meat of this quality might cost about twice as much.
The monsters might be scary, but we can’t deny that the Magical Woods is really bountiful. Still, the island wins hands down when it comes to seasonings. It’s obviously a given since the island is near Nalluahdid. Even if Canum imports seasonings, the flavor and aroma are like night and day.
「Shiva’s dishes are tastier, huh. 」
It’s true that I also contributed a lot of goodies, but I think her handmade dishes are the best in Canum. It’s impressive how she knows exactly how to add a strange ingredient to a dish just by tasting it.
「Mama’s food is yummy, but this is yummy too! 」
「It’s even yummier when it’s a secret! 」
「It’s yummy if it’s just sometimes! 」
Tina, En, and Vak all chime in.
ー Hey guys, it’s not a secret from Shiva, you know? I properly asked permission to take you guys to eat out. Ah, but asking for permission is a secret, I guess.
「Did we cover most of everything? 」
「Yup, pretty much, I think. 」
「Yup. 」
「Yup, should be. 」
Seems like we’ve covered all the areas these kids usually go to based on their own assessment.
「I already requested the surroundings to keep an eye on you, but always remember that it’s still safest when you’re with Dinosso and Shiva, so be careful, alright? Just think of today’s trip as a good luck charm of sorts. 」
I’m most worried about them letting their guards down.
「Yes, we’re gonna be careful. Ah, but I’m gonna be strong enough in case something happens ー if Jean didn’t come back then, we’d have been kidnapped for sure. 」
Tina’s brows had a tiny furrow between them.
The incident that Tina was referring to was when some bastard rascals on horseback held the children hostage while threatening Dinosso and Shiva. It happened in their former place, where the family used to live in seclusion.
「Don’t push yourself too hard, okay. Even if you’re strong, if you push yourself too much you might still end up in a bind…. I think you were really cool as you stood in front of En back then, Tina. 」
The memory of the shock I felt when I saw her trying to protect her little brother despite being so young flashed in my mind.
「Yup. We were supposed to keep quiet but I screamed when I saw Papa back then. I need to work harder. 」
Ah, come to think of it, Tina did shriek when she saw Dinosso being kicked, accidentally revealing their place to the enemies. Seems like Mommy and Daddy are teaching her well.
「I’m gonna do my best so I’ll be the one to protect Sis Tina next time. 」
「Yup. But we’re gonna do our best to run away first before that. 」
Vak and En seem to be doing well with the elite training from the legendary Goldies too. Seems like I don’t have much to do ー I mulled as I bit into my meat sandwich.
Oh well, today was pretty fun with a bit of nostalgia and thrill. I had a blast wandering around with the kids and I also learned a lot, so I guess it’s okay.
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.