Volume 7, Chapter 14 – The Banquet of Sharikla

“Princess Sara, how did you come to know Saint-sama?”

The one speaking to Sara-san during our voyage toward the town of Sharikla is Khalid-san.

“Yes. She rescued me while I was adrift.”

“My, my. Perhaps it was divine providence that brought you two together.”

“Yes.”

And then the conversation trails off.

“Princess Sara, your hair is truly beautiful. Shall I assign someone to attend to your personal needs?”

“No, that is quite alright.”

“I see. In that case…”

And, well, that’s pretty much how it goes—there’s never really any conversation.

Sara-san clearly has no intention of keeping the dialogue going, but I feel a bit sorry for Khalid-san, who keeps making one attempt after another without giving up.

Leaving the two of them to it, I spend the day enjoying the sunshine.

The breeze brushing against my cheeks is a bit chilly, but thanks to this excellent robe, I don’t get cold.

And above all, the sun just feels great.

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◇ ◇ ◇

After three days of sailing, we entered the port of Sharikla in the evening. As Khalid-san guided us ashore, a large crowd of people was there to welcome us.

Of course, they greeted us with the usual “Bitan” prayer. ¹ Bitan (ビタン) is not the name of the ritual itself. It’s a Japanese onomatopoeia that describes the exaggerated THUD! of someone suddenly dropping flat onto the ground. Throughout this arc, the author repeatedly uses it as a running gag whenever people immediately throw themselves face-first into a full prostration to pray before Fiene. Since the comedic effect comes from the repeated sound effect rather than the ritual’s name, I kept Bitan to preserve the joke instead of replacing it with a plain description like “prostrated themselves.”

Well, this is an official visit, so I suppose it can’t be helped, but I really wish they’d give it a rest.

After introducing ourselves to the Emir of Sharikla, who had come to greet us, we boarded a carriage and headed toward the Emir’s residence via a parade.

Needless to say, everyone lining the streets to welcome us was doing the usual Bitan too.

Sigh. Honestly.

◇ ◇ ◇

Now then, we’ve decided to stay in this town for about five days.

That’s because we’ll be Enchanting swords with Purification Magic here as well.

The request for this town is for 300 blades.

Even at a pace of one hundred a day, we’d be done in three days, but just like in Eibra, I’ve been asked to visit orphanages and hospitals.

I don’t dislike going to places like that to help people, but seeing how things went in Eibra, I get the feeling my powers aren’t actually that necessary…

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Well, I hope the crew can use this time to recharge their energy.

And then, dinner time arrived.

The reason the usually energetic Lu-chan seems so subdued today is likely due to the meals we’ve had so far.

It’s because they keep serving things like skewered meat heavily seasoned with pepper and other spices, or some kind of bean paste flavored with salt, garlic, and oil—basically, dishes that just don’t quite suit our tastes, and I’m fed up with it.

Because of that, we’ve been getting by with the food I have stored in my Storage.

I really hope I can eat some delicious Yellow Planet cuisine today…

“Saint-sama, it brings me heartfelt joy to be able to share this dinner with you.”

“Thank you as well.”

The Emir welcomes us as we enter the banquet hall. Then, the first course is brought out.

Ah, it’s the usual bean paste and flatbread. I mean, it’s not bad , but it’s just, you know.

I don’t dislike it, but I wouldn’t say I like it either.

The second course is a vegetable salad.

Yes, this is delicious. A vegetable salad dressed with olive oil and lemon is delicious no matter where you go.

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The third course is a serving of skewered meat and vegetables.

Ah, this is the usual spice-heavy version.

Well, it’s not bad, but the spices are a bit too strong for my liking.

And the meat isn’t all that tender, either.

I was fed up with the lack of meat in the town of Izar, but it seems people in this country actually do eat meat after all.

The fourth course… oh? This is a dish I haven’t seen before. Perhaps because I was looking at it with interest, the Emir explained it for me.

“Saint-sama, this is a traditional stew of our country called Saluna. It is a dish where mutton is slowly simmered with vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, and potatoes, along with spices.”

“That sounds delicious.”

It somehow smells a bit like curry, and the thick consistency is curry-like too. Additionally, it’s served with white rice whose long grains are light and separate.

I scoop some up with a spoon and bring it to my mouth.

Hmm. How should I put it… it’s delicious, and it has that curry-like spicy taste, but it’s not curry rice.

How should I describe it…?

A deep umami, drawn out from the bones and meat, spreads gently through my mouth.

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The acidity of the tomato provides a nice accent, and the meat is tender.

However, it’s just, well, I feel like the spices are still too strong.

I’d probably prefer something a little milder.

Still, this might be my favorite Yellow Planet dish so far.

I glance over at Lu-chan and see her eating away happily.

Ah, thank goodness. Seeing Lu-chan enjoy her food makes me feel happy too.

Then, the next plate is brought out.

Ah, this is a sweet that was served often in Eibra.

Guess this is the last course, then.

I was just starting to feel full, so the timing is perfect.

This sweet looks like a reddish gummy, heavily coated in sugar with nuts inside.

When I eat it, I get the aroma of the nut and a very faint scent of roses; the texture is gummy-like as expected, but since a massive amount of sugar is used, an intense sweetness spreads through my mouth along with a crunchy sensation.

It’s not a sweet I’d want to eat every day, but every once in a while, this kind of thing is nice.