I am sitting in the hotel room that Arla and I had been in before. I'm just reading a book related to the history of Arcadia. I should probably study the way this world is since countries from my previous world are non-existent, as well are cultures. That would be smart. I put a ripped piece of paper in the last spot where I am leaving off on my book and place the book on the end table next to the bed.
It has been a week since had left the medical facility, and took some time to rest in the hotel we booked a while ago. Been kind of nice to just sit back and relax. The doc said even though I have a faster healing factor than other races I am not going to heal from my wound that easily. But that is not surprising, a wound like this in the previous world would make someone in critical condition. I was but the fact there are magic and supernatural medicines and the fact I am not human does put me in a good situation for recovery.
As I throw the covers off of me, I pick myself up and begin walking carefully over to the door to get something to eat from downstairs. As I make my way through the building and then down the stairs, I see the White tiger man sitting and reading something and he takes notice of me. He waves to me and I respond in the same way. I make my way out of the hotel and take a right towards the marketplace.
*5 minutes later*
As I arrve I search around for something I might feel hungry for. I am not really feeling anything specific but I do want something warm or hot in my mouth. Plus something that will make me full. Which is important as well of course.
*5 minutes later*
As I am browsing the wares and food I start smelling something seasoned with a hint of spice and garlic in the air. I start making my way over to the smell and I see a small stall where there appears to be an Elf woman with brown hair, blue eyes, and very pale skin, handing over a wooden plate to what I assume to be a customer. They receive food that looks like beef, some seasoning with greens, some kind of sauce on the side, and a wooden fork. Behind her in the stall is what looks to be a male Beastman with black fur with fairly broad shoulders and wearing gloves in front of a grill.
I stand behind them and as they walk away with their food I see there are tables and chairs right behind the stall where it looks like about 20 people are eating. Various ages, genders, and races. They seem to all be enjoying themselves.
As I make my way up to the stall I am greeted by the brown-haired elf woman and she gives me a wide joyful smile.
"Hello sir! How are you doing?" she asks with energy and a jump.
"Eh, could be better, I kind of feel like I have an empty hole in my stomach today," I say vaguely about being hungry and on an empty stomach.
"Aw, well maybe a belly full of wonderful food with fill that hole in your tummy!" she says reaching under the stall front and pulling out a menu
I was suddenly in shock a bit when she said "Hole in your stomach" because of how accurate that was to me about a week ago. But I won't tell a stranger "Well my childhood friend took her sword a stabbed me through the gut nearly killing me a week ago....."
I take the menu from her hands and it shows what looks to be various types of meat of chicken, beef, and fish. As well as ways they want the food to be cooked plus sauces. I look behind her and see the only other person in the stall which is the Wolven near the grills.
He must be good at cooking all at once since he has a pretty decent menu for a stall this size. Also, meat is hidden somewhere in this stall. I look through the menu and I don't find something that resonates as being THE ONE I want to eat. But I guess I will go with some beef with some butter, lemon, medium spice, and some greens on the side. As well as "signature sauce"
"I guess I will have the standard beef with lemons, greens, medium spice level, and also this mystery sauce you mention," I say pointing at the menu
She takes it back from me gives me a smile and nods, she turns around and recites the order I had told her.
"I need a standard beef with lemons, greens, medium spice level, signature sauce honey!" she declares
I am guessing those two are a thing since she said, honey. Wonder if they both started this stall together or if one of them started it and the other joined in on the business.
I then begin to leave and let the next person who might be behind me have their order taken. But as I am taking 2 steps I get stopped by the elf. He taps my arm as I am moving away and I stop. I turn my head and then the rest of ym body in response.
"Uh, yes? Oh, did you want me to pay upfront? Sorry I have some-" as I am putting my hands in my pocket to pull out some coin I brought with me, she stops me again.
"Oh no that's not it, but you can pay now if you want. But the thing is, Kavin pre-cooks much of the food before the order as a way to have food available to be eaten within minutes or even seconds of the order given. So your food should be ready within a few seconds actually." she says gesturing to Kavin behind her placing a slab of beef in a bowl and handing it over to the elf.
She takes the bowl and begins pulling out a lemon and squeezing it over the beef steak, sprinkling a bit of salt, some greens I don't recognize, and a brown sauce on the side of it and hands me the food with a wooden fork.
"Thank you miss," I say as I take the food from her hands.
I bow my head a bit forward and walk around the stall and find a spot somewhere to eat. Even though there are fewer than 25 people, it seems quite lively and active. Granted there are not that many tables but some decent chairs. I move over to where the is a single chair somewhat in the left corner near the back of another market stall.
As I take a seat I begin sniffing the food a bit more and try to think hard about where the hell I have smelled this before. Either it was in my previous world, or it was something a while ago in this world. I guess what really matters is the taste. Also texture
As I put the food on my lap and use the fork in my food I realize I don't have a knife. I guess I will use an older method. I take the fork at the base of the food, and then move a part of the steak in the mystery sauce and take a small bite of it.
I begin chewing it and I realize it tastes like something from my previous world! I then begin chewing it more aggressively and swallow it and the juices seeping out of the steak with the nice spice and tang of the salt combined with the sauce makes my mouth want to chew on it forever. I take the steak and put it in my mouth and more vigorously eat it with the sauce within seconds.
*1 minute later*
I am licking the bowl with my long tongue getting everything I can and feeling like needing to burp. I put my fist on my chest out of reflex and try to burp but it doesn't come out. So I take my fist and hit my chest and I burp for about 2 seconds. Lara would call me gross no doubt. But she ain't here so who cares. I stand up and try to pull out a small pouch of coins I can pay. I think the payment was maybe 7 silver coins.
As I get behind what is 2 people already in front of me I lean over to the left to see what the person at the front of the line is ordering. As I look it seems she is writing something down but the beastman who was behind her cooking isn't there right now. Maybe he is taking a piss break.
Since I might wait for a while, I begin to just tap my feet on the ground and I notice the guy at the front of the line move out with food in a bowl already even though the beastman isn't there. I am guessing it is because their system revolves around them pre-cooking the food and having them ready to be served when they are ready to eat.
I move in forward in line and make sure I have the right amount of money in my hand and look at the signed from a distance to make sure I got it correctly. Yeah, it is 7 coins. I wonder how that applies to tax. Never paid attention. Hm...
As I am thinking about the money system the person in front of me moves out with what looks to be a salad of some kind. Not a big of a salad myself due to the bland nature at times. I need seasoning and heat in my food personally. As I take a few steps I hand the bowl and hand over my wooden fork.
"Thank you for the meal, tell your uhm, boyfriend?" I ask trying to make an assumption
"Oh, well close enough, Kavin is my husband. We have been married for about 7 years now and he had the great idea of starting this food stall in Arcadia."
"Oh? You and he are not in Arcadia then I take it?"
"Well, I am not from Arcadia. Came from Hestian village near the Arcadian border. Kavin lived in the same village but he was a very....eccentric kind of person when we first met. We eventually got along and began dating and got married. We only recently moved to Arcadia about eh, 4 months ago I think" she says leaning forward with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Wow, well hope you are your husband ge-" before I give my final greeting I feel someone grab my shoulder and turn me to the side.
As I see him he looks like a middle ages man in his 50s, with brownish hair, messing brown hair that looks like he hasn't showered, a green shirt, and brown pants. He begins to say something as I am examining him.
"Y-you....pardon me *hic* I-Black walking crocodile....." he mumbles with him proceeding to lean backward but stabilizes himself.
I look at him with confusion with that sentence he just gave me. I continue examining him and see his left hand has a greenish-looking bottle with what I assume to be alcohol. Guessing he is drunk.