“Your food is ready . Here is the Forest Hare Herb Grill and this is the Fried Forest Vegetables . And here we have today’s special, the Forest Boar and Wild Plant and Mushroom Meat Pie!”

The food arrived as we talked . The waitress talked in a leisurely manner, but her hands were quick as she placed the plates on the table . And she did not make any mistakes about who ordered what .

“Dessert will be served after you finish eating . Please enjoy . ”

Ah, I did forget to say anything about the timing . My mistake . Though, I guess its normal to bring out the dessert at the end . A waiter would know .

“Let’s eat then . ”

“Yes . ”

There was a steaming meat pie sitting right in front of me . A meat pie…I’ve never had one before . I suppose it was like an apple pie but with meat?

I slid my knife in to cut it open and heard a satisfying crunch . Ah, the texture of something freshly baked . Yeah!

“That looks good…”

Daniela looked at my dish with predatory eyes as she ate her forest hare with a fork .

“I’ll share it, alright?”

I chuckled as I cut the pie into eight slices like a pizza . The walls of the pie oozed with juices . This needed to be eaten quickly, or the pie crust would get soggy . I hate it when tempura and deep fried food get damp .

“You should eat it while it’s hot . ”

“Mmm, thank you . I will give you some of mine as well . ”

“Thanks . Ah, that’s good…”

Daniela offered me a bite off of her fork, and so I ate it . There was a smell of herbs, and something tangy? It was very good . I had ordered the meat pie but was eating the hare first…I needed to eat the pie . It was good manners to eat your food while it was still hot .

“Hmmm…mm! Mｍｍ, this is good…!”

I cut off a piece and brought it to my mouth . The crunch of the pie crust felt amazing . The filling inside had the strong flavor of the meat and the chewy texture of mushrooms, making it a joy to eat . And delicious . The wild plants inside burned just a little . I liked these kinds of hot spices . I had some spices in my hollow bag as well . There was one called akapiri seed powder . It sounded spicy . Daniela even sweated a little as she ate the pie . She was fond of spicy food, and so I often used akapiri powder while cooking .

Our hands didn’t stop as we continued to eat, and it didn’t take long until our plates were sc.r.a.ped clean . The fried forest vegetables that Daniela shared with me were seasoned with salt and also very good . This might be a stupid question, but I wonder if they have sea salt in this world?

“Here is your dessert! This is the Fruit of the Forest Berulu Sap Stew . And this one is the Forest Fruit Cake . Is that all you ordered?”

“Yes, thank you very much . ”

“Please enjoy . ”

The waitress smiled warmly and left us . The timing was perfect…but I guess it was her job to observe .

“Well, this looks quite nice . ”

“So does this berulu sap thing . But it does remind me of that forest goblin…”

“You should not be bothered by such things . This is a delicacy . Let us enjoy it . ”

“Yeah…I’ve been wanting to try this out, really . ”

All girls light up when they see something sweet in front of them . A modern girl would have whipped out her phone and unleashed a storm of camera flashes . But Daniela only jabbed a knife into her plate . She seemed like the type who would realize with remorse, that she meant to take a photo only after she had mutilated her dessert…

The berelu sap stew had the fruit of the forest, while the cake had forest fruit . I wonder if there was supposed to be a difference, as I break off a piece of the cake with my fork . It’s not one of those cream-filled cakes, but more of a pound cake in density . The sweetness and tartness of the fruits are incredible . This diner was the best . Everything we ate here was excellent .

We licked our lips in satisfaction at our dinner, delighted in our dessert, and spent our first night at the Leaves in Sunlight inn . And as was promised, Daniela coddled me well that night .

Then our second day in Valdorf began .

I, of course, woke up in my own room . And of course, Daniela was not next to me . I’m not sure why I expected anything else .

The morning sunlight streaks through the curtains like a forest roof . The sky will be clear today, I think, as I get up and wash my face before getting changed . We would go to the shoe and armor stores that we had found yesterday . I would have to make sure that anything I buy fits in with my current equipment . And so I put on everything except for the light armor, poncho and waist mantle as I head for the diner . I was wearing my old leather shoes .

“Morning, Daniela . ”

“Ah, good morning, Asagi . ”

Usually, Daniela would still be in a drowsy state, but the food here had taken a hold of her it seemed, and she was wholly alert . However, she had some unfortunate amount of bed hair, a glaring denial of her perfection .

“Daniela, your hair in the back . ”

“…Hm? Ah, it has always been this way . ”

Lies . Don’t tell lies .

We had a spectacular morning meal and went back to our rooms . There I put on my armor . All of it . No weapons though . I didn’t want to draw any attention by showing the ancient elven sword . I had heard that such artifacts were popular among n.o.bles, and I did not want anyone to try and steal it… I decide to take the iron sword with me, as it was better than nothing . This one had sentimental value to me, and I didn’t really want to take it out . It was already in a bad state, and I would hate for it to get worse .

I’m careful to not hit the door or walls with the sheath as I leave the room . The hollow bag was on my back, and I had everything I needed . And so I locked the door and handed the key back to Dorothea at the counter .

“Are you going out on a quest then?”

“Nah . My sword and shoes were a little cursed, so I’m getting new ones . ”

“Wh, oh, uh, should I be worried…?”

“The curse seems to be an Asagi exclusive, so I wouldn’t worry . ”

“What did you do…?”

Miss Dorothea gave me a suspicious look . What did I do, indeed…

“Asagi . ”

I looked in the direction that the voice came from, and there was Daniel in full battle armor . It was like she was off to go hunt a wyvern . She was even wearing her mask .

“You two look like you are about to suppress a stampede . ”

“With this old iron sword?”

Dorothea laughed heartily, which I returned as we left the inn . We were headed to the shoe store . They say that fas.h.i.+on starts with shoes . I pull out the sheet of paper where I had marked the location, in order to check the route . Turn east at the big fountain on the main road and make a left turn after the third block . Continue from there to a dark area with a tight row of buildings that formed a small shopping district . The shoe store was supposed to be located in this district . It seemed very hidden away when I was copying it off the map at the information center, and now that we were here, I found that it really was hard to find . This area seemed like it was purposely hidden . The word ‘slums’ entered my brain, but the people who walked here were the same Adventurers and tourists that could be seen on the main street . This town was pretty safe after all .

The buildings here were also made of wood . Though there were no sprinkler-like mechanisms installed in the area, except the one near the entrance . There was likely another by the exit . The shoe store was near the exit .

Shoes lined the front of the store, which had a shoe-shaped sign in front of it .

“Hanfell’s Shoe Store,’ huh . ”

“These are good shoes . What about this?”

Daniela picked up a shoe and showed it to me . But it didn’t really look like it was for Adventurers? And was that a bright red ribbon on it?

“Those shoes raise the force of your magic spells . But you look like a fighter, so it should be of no use to you . ”

A voice suddenly rang . But I couldn’t see anyone . I immediately thought of ghosts, but why would anyone haunt a shoe store? I was sure that someone must be near us, and so I kept looking around me .

A voice suddenly rang . But I couldn’t see anyone . I immediately thought of ghosts, but why would anyone haunt a shoe store? I was sure that someone must be near us, and so I kept looking around me .

“Down here!”

“Ouch!!”

I heard the voice and felt something punch my thigh . It was a strangely effective throw, and I nearly teared up when I looked down to see a child wielding a wooden hammer . This little s.h.i.+t . He hit me with a hammer!?

“Get out of here if you are not buying! You are hurting my business!”

“Oh, I’ve got business here alright . I’m here to buy shoes . Get out of my way kid, so I can go inside . ”

I was not very amused after being a.s.saulted with a hammer . It may have been wooden, but that s.h.i.+t hurt .

“Kid!? A kid you say!? b.a.s.t.a.r.d . As if I would sell my shoes to the likes of you! Get out!”

“Your shoes?”

I looked down at the fuming hammer boy .

“Indeed! All of these shoes were made by me! Hanfell, the shoemaker!”

Is that right? The hammer boy’s name was Hanfell . And now he said he wouldn’t be selling me any of his shoes . That wouldn’t do . I would have to fight monsters in plain leather shoes .

“Uh, sorry . Hanfell . Please allow me to buy your shoes . ”

“That’s Mister Hanfell . You sandal wearing b.a.s.t.a.r.d . ”

Grrr! This kid was infuriating!!

“Your food is ready . Here is the Forest Hare Herb Grill and this is the Fried Forest Vegetables . And here we have today’s special, the Forest Boar and Wild Plant and Mushroom Meat Pie!”.

 .

The food arrived as we talked . The waitress talked in a leisurely manner, but her hands were quick as she placed the plates on the table . And she did not make any mistakes about who ordered what

 .

“Dessert will be served after you finish eating . Please enjoy . ”.

 .

Ah, I did forget to say anything about the timing . My mistake . Though, I guess its normal to bring out the dessert at the end . A waiter would know

 .

“Let’s eat then . ”.

“Yes . ”.

 .

There was a steaming meat pie sitting right in front of me . A meat pie…I’ve never had one before . I suppose it was like an apple pie but with meat?.

I slid my knife in to cut it open and heard a satisfying crunch . Ah, the texture of something freshly baked . Yeah!.

 .

“That looks good…”.

 .

Daniela looked at my dish with predatory eyes as she ate her forest hare with a fork

 .

“I’ll share it, alright?”.

 .

I chuckled as I cut the pie into eight slices like a pizza . The walls of the pie oozed with juices . This needed to be eaten quickly, or the pie crust would get soggy . I hate it when tempura and deep fried food get damp

 .

“You should eat it while it’s hot . ”.

“Mmm, thank you . I will give you some of mine as well . ”.

“Thanks . Ah, that’s good…”.

 .

Daniela offered me a bite off of her fork, and so I ate it . There was a smell of herbs, and something tangy? It was very good . I had ordered the meat pie but was eating the hare first…I needed to eat the pie . It was good manners to eat your food while it was still hot

“Hmmm…mm! Mｍｍ, this is good…!”.

 .

I cut off a piece and brought it to my mouth . The crunch of the pie crust felt amazing . The filling inside had the strong flavor of the meat and the chewy texture of mushrooms, making it a joy to eat . And delicious . The wild plants inside burned just a little . I liked these kinds of hot spices . I had some spices in my hollow bag as well . There was one called akapiri seed powder . It sounded spicy . Daniela even sweated a little as she ate the pie . She was fond of spicy food, and so I often used akapiri powder while cooking

 .

Our hands didn’t stop as we continued to eat, and it didn’t take long until our plates were sc.r.a.ped clean . The fried forest vegetables that Daniela shared with me were seasoned with salt and also very good . This might be a stupid question, but I wonder if they have sea salt in this world?.

 .

“Here is your dessert! This is the Fruit of the Forest Berulu Sap Stew . And this one is the Forest Fruit Cake . Is that all you ordered?”.

“Yes, thank you very much . ”.

“Please enjoy . ”.

 .

The waitress smiled warmly and left us . The timing was perfect…but I guess it was her job to observe

“Well, this looks quite nice . ”.

“So does this berulu sap thing . But it does remind me of that forest goblin…”.

“You should not be bothered by such things . This is a delicacy . Let us enjoy it . ”.

“Yeah…I’ve been wanting to try this out, really . ”.

 .

All girls light up when they see something sweet in front of them . A modern girl would have whipped out her phone and unleashed a storm of camera flashes . But Daniela only jabbed a knife into her plate . She seemed like the type who would realize with remorse, that she meant to take a photo only after she had mutilated her dessert….

 .

The berelu sap stew had the fruit of the forest, while the cake had forest fruit . I wonder if there was supposed to be a difference, as I break off a piece of the cake with my fork . It’s not one of those cream-filled cakes, but more of a pound cake in density . The sweetness and tartness of the fruits are incredible . This diner was the best . Everything we ate here was excellent

 .

We licked our lips in satisfaction at our dinner, delighted in our dessert, and spent our first night at the Leaves in Sunlight inn . And as was promised, Daniela coddled me well that night

 .

Then our second day in Valdorf began

I, of course, woke up in my own room . And of course, Daniela was not next to me . I’m not sure why I expected anything else

The morning sunlight streaks through the curtains like a forest roof . The sky will be clear today, I think, as I get up and wash my face before getting changed . We would go to the shoe and armor stores that we had found yesterday . I would have to make sure that anything I buy fits in with my current equipment . And so I put on everything except for the light armor, poncho and waist mantle as I head for the diner . I was wearing my old leather shoes

 .

“Morning, Daniela . ”.

“Ah, good morning, Asagi . ”.

 .

Usually, Daniela would still be in a drowsy state, but the food here had taken a hold of her it seemed, and she was wholly alert . However, she had some unfortunate amount of bed hair, a glaring denial of her perfection

“Daniela, your hair in the back . ”.

“…Hm? Ah, it has always been this way . ”.

 .

Lies . Don’t tell lies

 .

□ □ □ □.

 .

We had a spectacular morning meal and went back to our rooms . There I put on my armor . All of it . No weapons though . I didn’t want to draw any attention by showing the ancient elven sword . I had heard that such artifacts were popular among n.o.bles, and I did not want anyone to try and steal it… I decide to take the iron sword with me, as it was better than nothing . This one had sentimental value to me, and I didn’t really want to take it out . It was already in a bad state, and I would hate for it to get worse

I’m careful to not hit the door or walls with the sheath as I leave the room . The hollow bag was on my back, and I had everything I needed . And so I locked the door and handed the key back to Dorothea at the counter

 .

“Are you going out on a quest then?”.

“Nah . My sword and shoes were a little cursed, so I’m getting new ones . ”.

“Wh, oh, uh, should I be worried…?”.

 .

“The curse seems to be an Asagi exclusive, so I wouldn’t worry . ”.

 .

“What did you do…?”.

 .

Miss Dorothea gave me a suspicious look . What did I do, indeed….

 .

“Asagi . ”.

 .

I looked in the direction that the voice came from, and there was Daniel in full battle armor . It was like she was off to go hunt a wyvern . She was even wearing her mask

 .

“You two look like you are about to suppress a stampede . ”.

“With this old iron sword?”.

 .

Dorothea laughed heartily, which I returned as we left the inn . We were headed to the shoe store . They say that fas.h.i.+on starts with shoes . I pull out the sheet of paper where I had marked the location, in order to check the route . Turn east at the big fountain on the main road and make a left turn after the third block . Continue from there to a dark area with a tight row of buildings that formed a small shopping district . The shoe store was supposed to be located in this district . It seemed very hidden away when I was copying it off the map at the information center, and now that we were here, I found that it really was hard to find . This area seemed like it was purposely hidden . The word ‘slums’ entered my brain, but the people who walked here were the same Adventurers and tourists that could be seen on the main street . This town was pretty safe after all

 .

The buildings here were also made of wood . Though there were no sprinkler-like mechanisms installed in the area, except the one near the entrance . There was likely another by the exit . The shoe store was near the exit

 .

Shoes lined the front of the store, which had a shoe-shaped sign in front of it

 .

“Hanfell’s Shoe Store,’ huh . ”.

“These are good shoes . What about this?”.

 .

Daniela picked up a shoe and showed it to me . But it didn’t really look like it was for Adventurers? And was that a bright red ribbon on it?.

 .

“Those shoes raise the force of your magic spells . But you look like a fighter, so it should be of no use to you . ”.

 .

A voice suddenly rang . But I couldn’t see anyone . I immediately thought of ghosts, but why would anyone haunt a shoe store? I was sure that someone must be near us, and so I kept looking around me

 .

“Down here!”.

“Ouch!!”.

 .

I heard the voice and felt something punch my thigh . It was a strangely effective throw, and I nearly teared up when I looked down to see a child wielding a wooden hammer . This little s.h.i.+t . He hit me with a hammer!?.

 .

“Get out of here if you are not buying! You are hurting my business!”.

“Oh, I’ve got business here alright . I’m here to buy shoes . Get out of my way kid, so I can go inside . ”.

 .

I was not very amused after being a.s.saulted with a hammer . It may have been wooden, but that s.h.i.+t hurt

 .

“Kid!? A kid you say!? b.a.s.t.a.r.d . As if I would sell my shoes to the likes of you! Get out!”.

“Your shoes?”.

 .

I looked down at the fuming hammer boy

 .

“Indeed! All of these shoes were made by me! Hanfell, the shoemaker!”.

 .

Is that right? The hammer boy’s name was Hanfell . And now he said he wouldn’t be selling me any of his shoes . That wouldn’t do . I would have to fight monsters in plain leather shoes

 .

“Uh, sorry . Hanfell . Please allow me to buy your shoes . ”.

“That’s Mister Hanfell . You sandal wearing b.a.s.t.a.r.d . ”.

 .

Grrr! This kid was infuriating!!.