Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating - Chapter 61

Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating

Chapter 61   Eldania

In the middle point between Trieste City and Eldania lies Barrel Town.

The next morning, I savored the subtle soup at the inn and gathered my strength by eating it. Once it’s in my stomach, it’s all the same.

Fortunately, the black bread was decent. There’s a variation even in black bread, and I heard from fellow travelers in the caravan that there are old, rock-hard loaves that are terrible. Sometimes, during a journey, you encounter really awful meals, they jokingly informed me.

When asked about the secret of my soup, I explained that the umami comes from a mushroom broth that’s not commonly available. However, their expressions turned ambiguous.

“Do you sell those mushrooms?”

“Well, we hardly have any stock left.”

“How did you acquire them?”

“We gathered them from the nearby plains, just outside the slums. Four kids managed to gather about four in half a day. They’re quite abundant.”

“I see. And where exactly did you gather them?”

“Um, it’s on the outskirts of the slums, on the open plains.”

“I see, it’s quite an untouched land indeed.”

“Oh, by the way, there are similar-looking poisonous mushrooms there, so please be cautious.”

“I-I see. Thank you.”

At that point, I could sense them withdrawing. As a merchant, their serious expression was quite intense, resembling the predatory gaze of a hawk or eagle stalking its prey.

Although I understand their eagerness to find a business opportunity, I apologize for having a personal use for it.

It would be great if people bought it just for adding a little pepper. Oh, speaking of which, it tastes delicious with pepper too. I haven’t bought sugar and pepper yet.

It may come as a surprise, but when the transaction amounts to gold coins, I still haven’t mustered the courage to buy them so easily.

Yes, but I’ll buy them next time.

We continue our journey along the road today.

We take a lunch break and have a meal. Everyone comes again to have our soup. I’ll charge them for it, you scoundrels. Just kidding, but everyone seems to have become fond of it.

We continue along the road tirelessly.

As the night grows late, we settle for a simple and improvised dish.

Once again, I fall asleep surrounded by the sweet scent of girls.

The next morning, the third day of our journey. Time for breakfast.

We quickly settle for some Ilk beans.

The other members of the caravan grumble because it’s just beans. They want a tasty soup, they say. Well, tough luck.

Since we don’t have enough people for night watch duty, we’re exempted from additional charges for the meals. It’s a mutual arrangement.

We don’t serve generous portions of the soup to the others. They get a small bowl with just a light serving.

We resume our journey by carriage.

We’re scheduled to arrive in Eldania by early afternoon.

We move forward with a clattering sound.

Although the carriage is relatively steady, occasionally we hear a rattling noise when it hits small stones on the road.

Rattle.

“Unya.”

“Awu.”

“Myau.”

Suddenly, adorable voices of girls can be heard from the cargo bed. Their voices seem somewhat inappropriate, and I’m the only one feeling a bit uneasy.

Hehehe.

I am an evil slave trader, transporting three beautiful slave girls. We provide them with nutritious meals every day. We ensure they can sleep forcefully and soundly at night. Occasionally, we engage in moderate conversation and exercise. We raise them into healthy, smooth-skinned, and well-built beauties.

Hehehe.

With such role-playing fantasies of being a slave trader running through my mind, we continue moving forward. But seriously, if Ciel, who almost became a slave, heard these thoughts, she might slap me and say, “Stop it!” I should keep such thoughts to myself, yeah.

As we continue on the road, we notice thin white smoke rising above the forest in the distance.

“Edo, there’s smoke.”

“Yeah, wonder what it is.”

“Don’t worry, they’re cooking.”

“Oh, it’s the kitchen.”

It’s not a signal fire; it’s the smoke from cooking.

Since we’re using magic stoves, there’s no smoke like with electromagnetic cookers. However, if you’re cooking with firewood, it’s natural for smoke to be present.

If we had proper charcoal, there would be less smoke, but we weren’t using such luxury items. In that case, magic stoves seem to offer better cost performance.

We head in the direction of the smoke for a while.

Finally, the city gate comes into view.

The gate remains destroyed and non-functional.

There are soldiers. It seems there are people after all.

A total of eight soldiers, with swords, spears, and even archers.

The caravan slows down, passes through the gate, and comes to a stop inside.

“Good job, we’ll stay here overnight. And for the elves, this is where the journey ends, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then we’ll bid farewell when we depart tomorrow.”

Inside the gate is a terrible sight.

Most of the wooden houses are completely destroyed, with piles of wood scattered around.

There are several makeshift shelters near the center, where people are living.

The central fountain is still functioning, providing water.

There are about forty residents.

We deliver supplies such as ingredients to a decently built shop, similar to Dridon General Store, within this area.

“I have arrived to deliver your order. My name is Gid.”

“You finally made it.”

“I apologize. It seems I was delayed.”

“No worries, you’re the substitute, right? It’s impressive that you made it all the way here.”

“Yes, I appreciate your kind words.”

Gid spoke to the shopkeeper and received his payment.

“Hey, hey, over there, along that street.”

“What is it?”

Mina seemed to have spotted something keenly.

“It’s cherry trees, right? They’re sweet, aren’t they?”

“Oh, indeed.”

Along the main street, there were traces of a fallen trunk, but in these past eight years, new shoots had grown into perfectly sized trees.

Those trees were cherry trees, to be precise.

More specifically, they were cherry trees that bore cherries, and they must have bloomed with beautiful pink flowers in spring.

“Oh, you mean Sakura Street.”

The shopkeeper explained.

“Those cherry trees belonged to the lord, but since the lord fled as well…”

“Oh, you mean that corrupt lord?”

“You’re aware of it?”

“We live in Lanierda, after all.”

“Well, I suppose you would know.”

The Eldania lord, Count Beben Driandon, was the first to escape in a carriage as soon as he learned of the monster rampage.

It’s a well-known story even in Lanierda.

Of course, the story doesn’t end there.

The defending army made their own judgment and barricaded themselves with the citizens within the city walls, reaching a hopeless situation.

That’s when Duke Salvatoria of the Elven Kingdom, located beyond the Helhorn Mountains to the north, urgently dispatched the Elven Knight Order.

With a pincer attack by the defending army and the Elven Knight Order, they managed to secure a route for the citizens to escape.

However, the soldiers themselves acted as shields and the majority of them were wiped out.

It appears that even the elite Elven Knight Order that came to provide support was annihilated.

“I’m grateful to the elves.”

“Oh, um, yes.”

“If it weren’t for the Elven Knight Order, it would have been difficult for the defending army alone to even escape.”

“It seems that way.”

“We did something terrible to Salvatoria afterwards. Everyone feels regret. We can’t sleep peacefully with our backs turned to the north.”

“Thank you very much.”

I checked the name I saw during the appraisal.

It read Gid Ratmini Netkanen Salbakia.

Salbakia and Salvatoria, huh?

So, they seem to have quite a connection.

Since the shopkeeper still appears to have more information, I continue the conversation, disregarding Gid’s slightly somber expression.