Valuana's Belly

The Empire's citizens had always felt psychologically superior to their largest neighboring country; it was merely a matter of winning small or winning big. Yet there was one area in which they never skimped on praise for the Holy Kingdom: cuisine.

But Rorschach's first meal in the Holy Kingdom had been truly terrible. Could the Imperial filter really have been that thick?

Seeing that Mr. Arle and Miss Hill did not look like they were enjoying the food either, Rorschach felt somewhat reassured that his tastes had not diverged from those of humanity in this world. Hmm, it seemed the dwarf shoveling lentil mash into his mouth was the exception.

Sing also strongly recommended the wonderful flavor produced by adding Salt Bran Beans' salty, sour, astringent taste to boiled beans. Unfortunately, not everyone had a dwarf's tongue.

Back in his room, Rorschach decided to use Water Creation to make some pure water and rinse his mouth.

Dust? When he moved the cup from the bedside, it left behind a faint mark on the nightstand.

Someone else had been in the room. Presumably another agency officer. Rorschach brushed away the dust and checked around, finding nothing else unusual.

After thinking it over, Rorschach took off his leather armor and placed it on the windowsill, then extinguished the room's light.

Unable to sleep for the moment, Rorschach lay on the bed, picked up the empty tin cup, and poured mana into it. Light bloomed once more.

Unlike the blue light triggered by the stone earlier, this one was a bluish glow leaning toward white.

"Different materials, different colors." Rorschach changed the way he supplied mana, attempting to alter the so-called "frequency of mana."

The color changed again and again, until a steady milky-white glow appeared.

Rorschach abruptly sat up. It was not just the cup—his panel had lit up as well.

Light Spell (White)
"Light Activation (White)"

This was the first time Rorschach had independently learned a spell since coming here. It was a simple little trick, but he had done it without a Learning Scroll or his panel.

Although it was only white proficiency, that did not mean it had failed. It was merely unstable—Rorschach kept experimenting, adjusting the light's color and brightness.

The milky-white light appeared again. Rorschach now had a cup that could glow steadily for at least fifteen minutes, and his proficiency had reached "Blue."

It was late. Time to sleep! Rorschach fluffed up the coarse linen pillow and lay down.

The "cup lamp" gradually went out.

Comparing the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, especially their capitals, their temperaments were distinctly different, and it was evident from their architecture.

The Empire had a far vaster territory. The buildings of the Imperial Capital were grand and solemn, yet also revealed a pragmatic bent. The royal capital, though steeped in the imposing religious atmosphere of the Order Church, remained defined primarily by splendor.

Take the city wall before Rorschach, for instance. It was built from off-white quartzite. It was fine for ordinary construction, but its strength as a city wall was questionable.

Yet when the dawn sunlight spilled across it, it looked from afar like a holy curtain rising from the plains, gently wrapping Valuana within it in exceptional magnificence.

As for what would happen if the Empire attacked, Valuans would tell you not to worry: Oh, the God of Order's protection was the best defense.

Early in the morning, Rorschach's group entered the city through Valuana's southwestern gate. It was a passage specifically for goods entering and leaving the city; in particular, all the flour, meat, and vegetables for Valuana's residents came in through here. Rorschach exchanged a glance with the imposing stone beast atop the gate, then rode into the heart of the kingdom.

Not long after the caravan entered the city, it got stuck in traffic.

"My apologies, ladies and gentlemen, you've arrived at a bad time." A farmer poked his head out from the back of a large wagon stopped ahead, vegetable leaves still clinging to him. "We're unloading right now. We'll leave as soon as we're done."

Countless horse-drawn and donkey carts were parked before a tall building. Small vendors carried baskets of vegetables in and out, along with pigs split into halves and live chickens and ducks squawking away.

"Quack!" Gassediaz on Rorschach's shoulder joined the chorus.

A tall, thin man was counting the vehicles. When he reached Mr. Arle's caravan, he came over. "You're from another province?"

"We're not from Valuana, sir. We're just passing through."

The man had curly black hair, a trait of people from the southern end of the continent. "Sorry, sorry. You'll have to wait a little while. This is Valuana's Belly, after all. It just happens to be feeding time."

Rorschach could not see any connection between the building's appearance and a digestive organ. "Belly?"

"Young sir, you can call it the royal capital's belly—its stomach.

"Whether it is the tables of mages and great lawyers or the lunchboxes of factory workers, their ingredients all come from here. This is the largest vegetable market on the entire continent!"

After saying that, the tall, thin man went off to help, leaving Rorschach marveling. If one only looked at the magnificent huge building and ignored all the red and green foodstuffs, it looked practically like a station or even a monastery.

Rorschach watched as the tall, thin man stumbled. The wooden crate in his arms was full of potato-like tubers, several pounds heavier than the others.

The man swayed, then narrowly regained his balance. "The gods bless me!" He himself had thought he was about to take a hard fall, yet the tilting cargo miraculously righted itself.

Rorschach withdrew the invisible Mage Hand. After experiencing a rare traffic jam in another world, the group slowly began moving again.

In the royal capital, the Adventurer Guild stood right beside the Grand Cathedral of the Order Church, while the Empire's guild stood next to the Mage Guild. "By the gods' witness, we have finally completed this winding journey." In the reception room, Mr. Arle personally opened a bottle of golden Sparkling Wine. After the Maiden's Sigh, a lively, delightful sweet fragrance wafted out.

He personally poured wine for every adventurer and driver, then raised his Wine Cup first. "No matter what difficulties may come later, we can raise a toast to our success at this moment! Honestly, there were several times on the road when I thought this trip would end in failure."

Singlev happily drained his cup in one gulp. Even Hill, who normally did not touch alcohol, drank some.

"Everyone, please step outside for a moment. I need to settle the remaining payment for the adventurer guards."

Rorschach watched the drivers leave the room, and Mr. Arle came to him first.

"Mage Rorschach, it was truly wonderful that you joined the escort! Without you, let alone delivering the goods, I might have lost this old life of mine in the wilderness!" He gripped Rorschach's hand tightly, then took out a bag of gold coins. "Twenty-five Charles XVIs. Please count them."

The Valois Gold Coins bearing His Majesty the King's likeness were worth slightly less than Imperial Golden Eagle Coins, but it was still a substantial income. Weighing the heavy bag in his hand, Rorschach once again marveled at the Luowei Merchant Guild's generosity.

Mr. Arle took out two more bags and handed them to Singlev and Hill respectively. "Unfortunately, I cannot return to the Empire right away. You two must remember the paladin's request and not linger here. Thank you both."

"Don't worry, Mr. Arle. Once I buy my liquor, I'll head back north!"

Hill nodded in reply as well. "I will."

"You two, I'll be at the Tower of Stars. May the stars guide us to meet again!" To their surprise, Rorschach also shook hands with Sing and Hill.

"Young Master Rorschach, you will definitely become the greatest Archmage!" Singlev said, gripping Rorschach's hand tightly.