Published: July 4, 2025
One Hour Later.
The two stood at the entrance of the town.
“…I’m really tired. It felt more like a jungle than a forest.”
“…Shouldn’t we have come by Ryo’s ship?”
“Well, now that we understand that the other side of the town faces the sea, I admit that was the right way to go… but we couldn’t see it from the coast we were at, so it couldn’t be helped!”
They had come to this town, resigned to travel by land since it appeared to be deep within the forest, only to discover that the far side of the town faced the sea.
It may indeed have been easier to take the sea route around from that coast…
It looked like quite a large town, but apparently, there were no castle walls.
Ryo thought it was quite rare in this ‘Fai’ where there were monsters…
“It’s unusual for the Central Nations. If it were a pioneer village, that’d be one thing, but for a town of this size, there should be walls.”
The swordsman who once ruled as king in the Central Nations said this.
So, this place isn’t in the Central Nations?
Well, it was clear from its latitude being near the equator that it couldn't be in the Central Nations.
“There probably aren’t any powerful monsters that would attack the town. At least, not on land.”
“I see. A peaceful place is a good thing.”
Ryo nodded happily at Abel’s explanation.
Peace is the best.
Even a battle maniac prefers peace, right?
That's the idea of Parabellum.
Si vis pacem, para bellum.
If you want peace, prepare for war.
Without any walls to speak of, they considered the entrance… which was just where market stalls were starting to appear.
From there, the two entered the town.
But before they went in, Ryo stated clearly to Abel.
In a stern tone that allowed for no argument.
“If we find out where this place is on the map, we’re leaving immediately!”
Another hour later.
“Wow, this is incredibly delicious! The rice is fried with salt and pepper and… what is this, it’s moderately spicy. It’s not quite the same as fried rice… yes, it’s not fried rice because it doesn’t have eggs mixed in. The fact that the eggs are sunny-side up on top is nice too.”
Ryo praised the dish.
“You said you’d leave as soon as you found the map, didn’t you, Ryo?”
Abel was astounded by the sudden change of heart.
“A map of the surrounding countries might be a national secret, so it’s not something you can just get easily. More importantly, this food is delicious! They likely don’t have cakes, but good food is justice.”
Ryo cheerfully ate the fried rice with a spoon.
Across from him, Abel, who had just chastised Ryo, was also enjoying his food.
Both of them loved delicious things.
“The one with a slightly sweet and spicy seasoning was also good. Should we order another plate? Chef! We’d like another of the same, please!”
When Ryo said this, a chef cooking a little distance away raised his right hand as a signal.
Ryo interpreted this as a sign of acknowledgment.
Abel watched this from the side.
Noticing Abel’s gaze, Ryo said, “W-What’s with that look? I’m not thinking of having you treat me or anything. You don’t have any money, do you?”
“Oh… my bad.”
Ryo said, and Abel apologized honestly.
Indeed, Abel was broke.
He had been transported from the battlefield against demon Garwin and, as expected, had no money.
It’s not common for a king to keep cash in his pocket during a war, so it couldn’t be helped.
On the other hand, Ryo had been given money by the delegation even while he was active in the Western Nations, so he had some in his pocket.
Moreover, that money from the Western Nations could be used in this town as well.
Just like in the Central Nations, it seems that the value of currency—gold coins, silver coins, and copper coins—proportions with the amount, so it must be accepted even if the cultural sphere changes.
That’s why the two were able to enjoy a meal.
If it had been paper money, it would have been difficult…
“Once we safely return to the kingdom, I’ll charge you back with interest, so don’t worry about it.”