The Water Magician

The government notification was delivered to various locations that night.

However, for many citizens of the Free City, it was not until the following morning that they caught sight of it.

It was around their homes.

It was at their workplaces.

And it was... even at the inn.

"This has become a serious situation."

"Yeah. It seems that the grand duchy has already infiltrated the government."

Ryo and Abel were frowning as they discussed the government notification displayed in front of the 'Inn of Free Winds'.

In front of the notice posted in the lobby, not only were they present, but other guests seemed to be gathered and discussing as well.

Among them, some were considering wrapping up their negotiations in the Free City and returning to their homeland...

"But isn’t there someone even more important than the prime minister in the Free City?"

"That would be the supreme council."

Abel accurately answered Ryo's question.

The supreme council of the Free City of Kubevasa, composed of the chairmen of the eight major merchant guilds.

This supreme council is responsible for electing the prime minister from among the members of the free parliament.

As a result, the supreme council is said to be the most powerful institution in the Free City.

"But the country’s representative is the prime minister. It seems that the prime minister holds considerable authority under the law."

"I doubt this decision aligns with the intentions of the supreme council."

"That may be true. There might be some movement."

Both Ryo and Abel were completely unaware of the detailed actions of the Free City government.

Somehow, they felt averse to witnessing a country being invaded right before their eyes... that was the sentiment they held.

Still, they were not citizens of the Free City.

They were very curious about how the government would act moving forward, how the grand duchy would move, and how the citizens would respond.

"For the time being, we have decided what we should do."

"Yeah?"

"We're going to the adventurers' mutual aid association to get a guidebook and then go to recommended shops."

"...Is that really what we should be doing?"

"Of course, the main purpose is to check if those shops are open and if they have ingredients available."

"Well, if they’re not open?"

"That’s simple. We will raid the grand duchy embassy again!"

"Unlike yesterday, it seems that the grand duchy has become the suzerain state of this Free City..."

"That doesn’t matter. No, it actually makes it even more important. They have an obligation to ensure food reaches the citizens!"

Ryo stated clearly.

Abel understood that what Ryo was saying had a certain logic to it.

He understood, but...

"I can only pray that the grand duchy will act rationally."

Abel prayed to a god he had never seen.

Before noon.

Having safely received a restaurant guide from the mutual aid association, Ryo and Abel arrived in front of the shop listed on the first page.

"This is it. 'Food! Food! Food!'—that’s quite an aggressive name."

"Well, the type of shop is easy to understand."

Both Ryo and Abel looked around the entrance of the shop.

"There’s no sign indicating it's closed."

"Yeah. Shall we go in?"

The two entered.

"Welcome!"

A deep-voiced man greeted them from the back.

"There are two of us."

"Please take any seat you like!"

At that moment, Ryo and Abel secretly did a small fist pump.

At the very least, they would have a meal.

It didn't seem like they would go hungry.

Moreover, a quite delicious aroma wafted in from the kitchen at the back...

"This is promising."

"Since those kids checked it out for us, it must be delicious!"

And the two... sank into a sea of flavors...

"The last chicken dish was definitely over the top. That was Abel's oversight."

"The sweet and spicy stir-fried rice shouldn’t have been a large portion either. That was Ryo's miscalculation."

Ryo and Abel had eaten too much.

Yes, that’s right; everyone expected as much.

Only the two of them were thoughtless.

It couldn’t be helped.

Delicious food is addictive.

And the two decided to enter the café of the 'Inn of Free Winds' to let their stomachs rest.