The First City under the Former Organization—Flumouth
Yusila Seafood Shop
The seafood shop's business had originally been fairly good, with nearly every table occupied each night. Tonight, however, there was only one table... Or rather, all the diners had paid and left half an hour ago, while those who came afterward had promptly departed upon seeing who was seated at that table.
Two Special Record Combatants, along with William—the man who had slain one of the Seven Marquis—were gulping down wheat beer and devouring all kinds of seafood.
Although some of the seafood had already been contaminated by disease, and ordinary people might contract Fish Scale Disease or Fish Eye Disease after eating it, to the three of them, those pathogens were more like seasonings from the Old World, making the ingredients even more delicious.
Mr. Asimov also unzipped his collar for the first time at the dinner table, undoing the ring-shaped collar that covered his nose and mouth.
His nose was perfectly normal,
but his mouth had been completely sealed with tiny chains that pierced his lips. Even his tongue had been entirely removed. This method reduced Asimov's frequency of speech, giving him the feeling of "doing more and talking less nonsense."
The other purpose was to seal away his "appetite," allowing the monks to focus on their work and reducing the chances of making mistakes.
Now, Asimov had forcibly pulled the chains from between his lips, removed the iron nails from his mouth, and returned to his normal appearance. He had cast off the monastery's "fasting" restrictions and was feasting to his heart's content.
Zede, sitting nearby, had little need for food. He was usually confined beneath the Teaching Building, and the Academy would deliver whatever he wanted to eat. Not to mention that he now had an