Chapter : 13
The Bachelor Aristocrat Wants to Refresh
“I’m heading out for lunch!”
The next day at noon, after finishing a meal at the mansion.
I was working on the air conditioner’s blueprint in the workshop when Tristan’s relaxed voice echoed through the room.
I had been concentrating on my work since the morning, but apparently, it was already lunchtime.
Tristan stuffed his wallet into his pocket, put on his jacket, and stepped outside.
Rouge was out on errands, so she wasn’t in the workshop today.
Inside, I was left alone.
I wanted to keep working, but progress wasn’t coming easily.
I had finished selecting the materials and finalizing the design shapes, but the magical circuit connecting the ice magic stone and wind magic stone wasn’t convincing. There had to be a simpler, more efficient way.
I had been thinking about the magical circuit endlessly, but I still couldn’t find a satisfactory solution.
“Maybe I should change my mood a bit.”
I felt like my thoughts had become too rigid.
At times like this, it’s best to step away from magical tools and refresh your mind.
It just so happened to be lunchtime, so I decided to boldly take a walk through the city.
Human concentration lasts, at most, about an hour and a half. Spending more time than that doesn’t yield good performance.
With that excuse in mind, I put on my jacket and stepped outside.
The air inside the workshop felt stagnant, but outside, it was refreshingly crisp.
Rouge probably made sure to ventilate the room when she was around, but with just the two of us men, things like that tended to get neglected.
I made my way toward the central district and reached the street lined with food stalls.
On both sides of the street, stalls stretched in a row, filling the air with tantalizing aromas.
Among them, the strongest scent came from a seafood tomato soup.
Peering into the large pot from a distance, I saw various seafood: giant squid, queen shrimp, scallops. Each ingredient was huge.
With such luxurious ingredients soaking in the soup, it had to be exquisite.
One bowl cost six hundred Soro, which is a bit pricey for street food, but still, a considerable number of people were waiting in line.
Considering the ingredients, the price was reasonable. The fact that many people bought it without hesitation proved how delicious it must be.
After lining up, my turn came quickly.
“Hey! Welcome!”
“One seafood tomato soup, please. Also, one grilled armored crab skewer.”
“That’ll be nine hundred Soro. Thanks!”
Next to the pot was a large grill with various seafood skewers lined up.
Among them, the bright red armored crab skewers looked incredibly delicious, and I couldn’t resist ordering one.
After paying the owner, I received a bowl of soup and the skewer.
The soup bowl was deeper and larger than I had imagined. This was going to be filling.
Luckily, a standing-eating space next to the stall was empty, so I slipped in and took a spot.
“Let’s start with the grilled armored crab skewer.”
I wanted to eat the soup too, but steam rose from the bowl, making it too hot to eat immediately.
It seemed better to tackle the moderately warm crab first.
The armored crab, true to its name, has a shell developed like a strong suit of armor.
Its defense is incredibly high, making it hard to “defeat,” but the meat is firm and very tasty.
I took a bite of the red meat, marked with grill char.
The crab’s umami spread in my mouth. The salt sprinkled on it complemented the flavor perfectly.
Grilling over charcoal had enhanced the aroma as well.
As I chewed, the meat’s firm elasticity resisted my teeth while releasing the crab’s rich flavor and a taste of the sea.
It was as delicious as I had expected.
After finishing the grilled armored crab skewer, I moved on to the seafood tomato soup.
By the time I had finished the crab, the steam from the soup had cooled slightly, making it just the right temperature to eat.
Scooping it with a wooden spoon, I found giant squid rings and scallops.
The first thing I noticed upon tasting it was the rich seafood flavor.
All the umami from the various seafood, absorbed into the soup, combined with the slowly simmered tomato flavor—irresistible.
It seemed plenty of chili-like spices were also used, giving the soup a satisfying punch.
And then, the giant squid and scallops absorbed all that umami.
“Delicious.”
It was impossible for something like this not to be delicious.
Every scoop brought a generous amount of large ingredients, making it very satisfying to eat.
I had been thinking of entering some random restaurant, but sometimes enjoying street food like this wasn’t so bad.
After filling my stomach with street food, I wandered the street aimlessly.
Even if I returned immediately after lunch, I wouldn’t feel like working. I wanted to stroll outside a little longer.
At times like this, being alone is nice. If someone were with me, meaningless actions like this would be difficult.
“If you like, please take one!”
While wandering aimlessly, someone suddenly appeared in front of me and handed me a flyer.
I took it, and the woman distributing the flyers smiled and walked away.
Oops. I took it reflexively.
I must have been noticed because I was walking absentmindedly.
It was probably just an advertisement or a promotion for some boring store. A piece of paper containing information I didn’t care about.
Looking for a trash can to throw it away seemed troublesome.
For now, I decided to put it in my pocket and discard it when I found a trash can.
When I unfolded it, I saw it was a concert announcement.
According to the flyer, an orchestra composed of various races would perform.
On the flyer, black silhouettes of different races lined up holding instruments.
“Huh, so there’s such an event at the Royal Opera House…”
I knew the opera house existed, but I had never been there before.
I was curious about the interior and simply interested in the music of this world.
The performance seemed to last a considerable time.
It would extend well past lunch break, but right now, I was only working on the air conditioner design, with no urgent tasks.
My absence wouldn’t slow Tristan’s work either, so it wouldn’t be a problem.
“Let’s go see it.”
[Author’s Note]
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