"Are you sure about that? The Summoner you encountered is in league with the Elf that you fought alongside the Knights about two weeks ago or do?" Inquired Consillia with a grimace.
"Mhm, no doubt about it, she brought it up completely unprompted, I hadn't even considered the possibility until she opened her mouth. Unfortunately, she did get away, though in my defense, I couldn't exactly ignore a High Level Monster attacking me," I replied with a shrug, taking a sandwich out of my Item Box as my stomach rumbled and biting into it.
I usually have breakfast around 10 or 11 AM, about half an hour after the usual time I wake up, but since I woke up so early today, I'm feeling pretty hungry right now, so I decided to eat earlier than usual.
"I see...well, this is still rather useful information, no doubt it's connected to the string of incidents that have been occurring across the island continent. Impressive work, this bit of information could prove to be significant, not to mention you inflicted a rather sizeable dent in the number of Monsters that the Knights were battling," She responded with a thoughtful nod.
About an hour had passed since I took down that Scythe Mantis. After that, it took a short while for the Knights to mop up the remaining Monsters after I sniped the more powerful creatures among them to make things easier for the Knights, so that we could get moving again sooner rather than later.
I then climbed back down the cliff, that Knight Captain lady thanked me, which was nice I guess, and not long after that, we continued making our way towards Centralis.
The Knights' impression of me has certainly improved, they probably felt like they were fighting an almost never-ending battle until I provided a bit of backup.
The Adventurers, on the other hand...
"I don't believe you, not for a second. You're probably just covering for the fact that you let the Summoner get away by claiming that you fought and defeated a High Level Monster, and a Scythe Mantis at that. Maybe in your dreams, loser," Scoffed one of the A-Ranks.
Hm, the S-Ranked dickhead has been strangely quiet after we got moving again, I think he actually does believe me and is just having a hard time accepting it.
"No, it's true, I've even got the evidence right here," I replied with a mockingly innocent smile, as I took out the Monster's Core from my Item Box.
"Tch, cocky little shit..."
It's easy to tell whether a Monster's Core is fresh or old, they have more of a glow to them within the first day or so after being plucked out of a Monster's corpse.
That glow then diminishes later on, as the energy in the Core dissipates and fades away bit by bit. Of course, if I used Preservation Mode, I could keep it fresh indefinitely, but I didn't bother doing that.
On another note, I'm really regretting taking it out while eating...the Core's all slimy and slick with the Scythe Mantis's bodily fluids, it's really ruining my appetite...
"Hey, that smells really good...where'd you get it? I've tried most of the restaurants and food stalls in the city, but this is a new scent," Remarked Aura, sniffing in the direction of my sandwich.
Oh, perfect timing.
"I made it myself, actually. I'm not particularly hungry, so you can have it if you want," I responded, holding it out towards her as I tossed the Monster Core back into my Item Box.
"Oh, thanks...let's see here-...mm! Wow, that's really good!" She exclaimed, her eyes gleaming as she took a bite.
Well, yeah...I used my knowledge of modern cuisine to cook the meat that's in the middle of the sandwich, so it's significantly more advanced than anything you can find in the restaurants of this world. Which isn't a brag, since it really isn't saying much.
It would be kinda sad if I was actually bragging about this...my cooking skills are decent and all, but by the standards of my old world, I'd probably estimate it at about slightly above average, just good without being remarkable or extraordinary.
"Heh, didn't take you for a simp, shithead. Just handing over your sandwich like that for free, that's not like you at all," Chuckled Arkiela tauntingly.
She's a glutton for punishment, isn't she?
I'll teach her a lesson later, one she's sure not to forget anytime soon.
And she's also wrong.
Sure, I could've offered Aura to buy it off me, but it was already about half eaten, so it's highly unlikely that she would've gone for it. It's more an investment...she's practically wolfing it down and looks like she's really enjoying it.
Which means, I've just created demand. And now it's just a matter of finding out how much she'd pay for another. I've still got a ton of cooked meat stored in my Item Box, just need to buy some bread to make more sandwiches with the meat.
Hm, it might be worthwhile selling this recipe to a restaurant...it's pretty easy to make and the ingredients for it are relatively cheap too.
Well, anyway, I worked pretty hard back there, so I should focus on regaining and conserving energy, it's very possible that another attack is lying in wait for us up ahead.
I really hope not though...I used up a few too many bullets for my liking back there, so I'd prefer not to have to waste anymore in a single trip...
...
...
"We've almost arrived, we should be there within the next five minutes or so," The Knight driving the carriage informed us as he opened the sliding panel at the front of the vehicle.
"It's about time, my back is killing me!" Responded one of the A-Ranks with a slight grimace.
"Yeah, feels like we've been in this carriage forever," Nodded the other one in agreement.
Grudgingly, I agree...while the seats are comfortable enough and all, staying in a seated position for this long isn't great, and I probably don't have it as bad since I got the opportunity to stretch my legs during the earlier attack.
A few hours had passed since then, it was currently around 5 PM in the evening. We'd actually arrived in Centralis about an hour ago, but our actual destination is the Capital city of Centralis, named Mesial City, which is at the very center of the nation.
I've been looking out the window of the carriage every now and then after we arrived in the country, and I have to say, it seems so peaceful in comparison to Septen. It doesn't give off that same gloomy vibe that I feel in most of the places in Septen that I've been to.
Anyway, we soon arrived at the Capital, a squad of armed guards showing up to greet us and escort Consillia to the City Hall, the central building of the Capital, and where the governing body of the nation holds their meetings and stuff.
"Thanks a lot for the help, Adventurers of the Astaroth Guild. You're all free to do as you please until it's time to head back to Septen, so you can relax or do whatever you want, so long as you don't disrupt the peace, for the next three days," The Knight Captain, Livia, informed us with a smile, before adding, "We've booked you each your own room at a nearby inn, it was a long journey, so if you're tired, get some rest for the rest of the day."
The Knights would be accompanying Consillia, I'm guessing the intercontinental conference is supposed to be confidential and they don't want to run the risk of any information getting leaked by one of us.
Which is fair, they don't really know any of us, so they have no reason to trust us to that extent.
Plus, the downtime sounds great, this place has such a strongly different vibe to Septen. I'm pretty curious and intrigued to see what it's like here, so I have absolutely no complaints about not being made to attend the conference.
"Let me show you to the inn you'll all be staying out, please, follow me," One of the armed guards said to us with a polite smile as the rest headed off with the Knights and Consillia.
The guard then led the way, the five of us following after him as he guided us to the inn. It's kinda awkwardly quiet...or maybe they're all just tired, I feel a little worn out myself.
But I still plan to go exploring through the city, I can tire myself out properly, then head back to the inn and crash once I'm totally exhausted.
Yeah, I'll sleep in late tomorrow, bet I'll wake up feeling totally refreshed...the more tired I am before sleeping, the more soundly and deeply I sleep. Well, that's probably the case for everyone.
Anyway, we soon arrived at the inn, the guard spoke to the innkeeper, who then took us up to the first floor and showed us each to a room. As I stepped inside the room assigned to me and looked around, I stretched my arms up as I stifled a yawn.
Gotta say, for this world's standards, this is pretty nice. The room looks pretty clean and is on the spacious side too, and it's nice and cool in here. The lack of air-conditioning in this world was a nightmare to get used to, but I don't think that'll be a problem here.
Huh...maybe I should move to Centralis at some point, it's definitely a lot nicer than Septen. Then again, that could also mean that there'd be a lot less work for me if I moved here.
The inn also has hot springs, I've never actually been in one so I'm excited to try that out at some point too. Alright, I'll get changed and then head out to do some exploring.
"Mm, this is pretty pleasant, I'm really liking this room," I remarked, as I took my hoodie and body armor off and put on a loose fitting black t-shirt.
"Speak for yourself, shithead. I'm not sure what it is, exactly, but I've been getting some bad vibes from this country ever since we entered it, I can't quite put it into words, especially since it's something that's probably beyond the comprehension of you mortals. It feels like my skin is crawling, there's something really...something really off about this place," Shuddered Arkiela with a frown.
"Uh-huh, I'll keep that in mind," I responded dryly, before swiftly snatching her out of the air.
"Wha-...u-uh, what's this about?" She stuttered nervously, before yelping as I flicked her boobs.
"I've been holding back the entire day, waiting till I was alone...now, then, it's time to teach you a lesson, you little bitch. I've got a long list of things I'd like to try out on you, so-...," I began with a sadistic chuckle, her face turning pale, before I trailed off and glanced up as someone knocked on the door.
I reluctantly tossed Arkiela away, determined to pick up where I left off later, as I made my way towards the door and opened it.
"Hey," Aura greeted me with a smile.
"Uh, hey yourself. What's up?" I asked her, as she peered into the room curiously.
"Were you talking to yourself in here or something? I could hear your voice, though I couldn't hear what you were saying."
Crap.
"Yeah, I was just thinking out loud, I do that sometimes. So...did you need something or...?" I prompted her.
"Oh, yeah. I was actually just about to head out and go exploring. This place is so different to Septen, and it's my first time in another country, so I'm pretty excited to see what it's like. Don't want to get lost on my own though, I'm not that great with directions in a new, unfamiliar place, so wanna tag along with me?" She suggested with a grin.
"Huh, I had the same idea, actually, I was just about to go explore the city myself. Sure, why not? I'm not opposed to doing that with some company," I replied with a nod.
"Great! Well, no time to waste, so let's get going!"
"Yeah, okay. But maybe dial it down a notch or two," I responded with a wry smile.
"If I'm excited, I see no reason to suppress that excitement. Come on, you should be excited too...it's not everyday you get a date with a girl as cute as me," She grinned jokingly, her gaze fixed on my expression...I think she's trying to provoke a reaction out of me.
Trying to get me flustered, are you? You're gonna have to try a lot harder than that. Let's try a little Uno Reverse Card action, shall we...
"Hm, yeah, I certainly can't deny that's true. And, to be frank, I do find you very attractive, so it's definitely a nice bonus," I replied bluntly, before doing as she did and glancing at her to see her reaction.
"Wh-wha...I mean, y-yeah, I know I am!" She huffed in response as she tried to play it cool, not very convincingly.
Heh, she's walking faster and going ahead of me, probably trying to keep me from seeing her face. I followed behind her as she headed down the stairs in silence, taking in deep breaths in an effort to compose herself.
The two of us then left the inn and walked out onto the street, Aura almost immediately getting over her embarrassment and her eyes lighting up with excitement as she looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings.
"So, do you have anywhere in particular that you want to go?" I asked her.
"No, not really...hm, how about a bar or something?" She suggested after mulling it over.
"Sure, I'm cool with that."
"Hm...should we just look around till we find one or what?" She frowned uncertainly.
"Just act like a tourist and ask someone," I replied with a shrug, before glancing around and approaching a middle aged man, plastering on an amicable smile as I got his attention, "Excuse me, sir, so sorry to bother you. My friend and I here are visiting this city for the first time, and we were wondering if there are any good bars nearby?"
"Oh, that's nice, welcome to Mesial. I hope you're finding our beautiful city to be to your liking. And to answer your question, there's a bar just around the corner up ahead, it's quite reasonably priced and has a wide selection, I recommend that place," He responded with a smile, before nodding politely and continuing on his way.
Hm, strange...
"Wow, didn't know you could be so nice and polite. You're pretty rude to most people," Remarked Aura in bemusement.
"It's just that I see no reason to be polite to people who are rude to me. In that same vein, I see no reason to be rude to random strangers that I have no animosity towards, that'd just be creating unnecessary trouble for myself," I pointed out with a shrug.
"Hm, yeah, guess that's makes sense. Well, now that we know where to go, shall we check out the place that old guy recommended?"
"Yeah, sure, let's go for it."
"I have to say, it's so nice here. I wonder why it feels so different to Septen?" She mused curiously, as we began heading towards the bar.
"The simple answer is resources. The areas in and around Centralis are rich in resources, which directly impacts quality of life," I pointed out.
"Huh, is it really that simple, though?" She wondered thoughtfully.
"Yeah, the impact of quality of life on a person isn't to be underestimated. The more satisfied people are in their day to day lives, the less stressed they are, which is significant when it comes to stuff like crime rates or even how friendly people tend to be. Those who lead more difficult lives are more likely to be rude and suspicious of others, while those who live easier lives are more likely to be friendly and welcoming, like that guy was. On that note, though...there's something a bit off about the positive vibes these people are giving off," I frowned, lowering my voice a bit.
"What do you mean? They seem normal enough to me," She replied, looking around uncertainly.
"It's hard to explain, but when I spoke to that guy who told us about the bar, well...I don't know, the way he spoke, it felt a bit off. Like it was a bit scripted or forced, I could sense a hint of tension. And now that I'm paying more attention to the other people around us, I can feel that same tension from some of them.
Hm, maybe it's-...okay, I could be wrong, this is just an educated guess, but it's possible that crime isn't tolerated here. Like, even minor crimes like shoplifting and whatnot are strongly cracked down on and punished severely. The tension I'm feeling, it could be stemming from a strong desire to stay in line and avoid earning the wrath of whatever force works to keep the peace in the city," I surmised objectively.
Now that I'm looking around, there are a lot of guards patrolling the streets...they certainly look a hell of a lot more vigilant than any of the Knights I've seen in Bael Town and Astaroth City, not that that's saying much...
"I mean, I could see that being a possibility, but I don't know, it seems like a bit of a stretch," She replied with a wry smile.
"Yeah, maybe. But let's go ahead with the assumption that I'm right about this and avoid causing any trouble while we're in this city. We may have a few days off to relax and do as we please, but that doesn't mean we should get too carried away."
"True, I'd prefer to relax peacefully while we're in Centralis, so I certainly have no intention of causing any trouble."
"Mhm, same here. Hm? Oh, I think that must it, the bar that old man recommended. Let's see what it's like..."
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