I had come to the market in Jaisal, where I saw new possibilities in water sales.

　However, it's not the elegant one with a row of fine shops like the royal capital. It's like a gathering place made of simple cloth tents.

　However, I can feel cooler than expected just by blocking out the sunlight.

　After all, the temperature of the sunshine around here will be ridiculous.

　There are not many kinds of foodstuffs in the market. Meat seems to be in abundance, but there was little variety of vegetables.

　A few green vegetables that are on the line were very bullish prices for what is valuable.

　After all, it is probably difficult to grow vegetables only in the desert.

　However, it is not that there were no vegetables at all; there were some potatoes, roots and leafy vegetables that are resistant to drying.

　Unlike ordinary green vegetables, the prices of those vegetables are very reasonable.

　However, there was a certain charm to this town that made me think that the lack of such vegetables didn't matter.

　It was the abundance of spices.

　There were dozens of spices: red powder like paprika powder, black powder, brown powder, peas in their shells, dried leaves of some kind, blue chili pepper, and so on and so forth.

　If you go to the shops, you will find a wide variety of spices, even blended by the shopkeepers.

　This is the first time I've seen such a large number of spices in this world.

　I've seen a few spices from Rasul in the capital, but that seems to be only part of it.

It's our specialty spice. You want to try some of our specialty spices?

Yes, please.

　As I stared at the spices, I nodded firmly when the owner offered to let me try them out.

'Don't mess with it,'

　I put out my hand honestly, and the owner offered me some of the characteristic spices in a bottle.

　I licked it, and a tangy, spicy spiciness, followed by a rush of flavor and bitterness.

'This is delicious,'

'Right?　It also removes the smell of meat and accentuates the taste. You can sprinkle it on vegetables or add it to soup.

　He was happy to be praised for his spices. The owner seemed to be very good at it and told me how to use it.

　It's true that with this complex flavor, just pouring it over meat and grilling it makes it a feast. Or rather, it definitely goes well with rice. I'm sure sister Elinora or mother Erna would be happy to eat it.

　I think I underestimated the awesomeness of the spices.

''Ah........but it's kind of spicy!

　I didn't think so at first, but later on the spiciness came in a zesty way.

　It was spicy as if it burned on my tongue.

Spicy?　I tried to keep the spiciness down to make it easy for everyone to eat.

　I think the Rasulian taste buds must be crazy to think that this would be easy for anyone to eat.

'Water, please,'

Can I have a drink or two of coppers?

　Two coppers for a glass of wine is no joke.

　It's a bad business practice to charge for water for feeding them spicy food.

No, I'm still good.

　I have a lot of money, but I didn't want to pay a lot of money to get it for nothing.

　I had no choice but to stick my hand in my backpack and open the sub-space and try to get the water bottle out.

　Then the owner of the store gave a nice smile here and there.

'By the way, if you're having a hard time, I recommend this lassie juice, okay?　It's sweet, delicious, and keeps the spiciness down.

What's the price?

Four coppers.

　I don't know what it is, but I feel that the owner of this shop is really messing with me.

　But if it's a tasty drink that provides instant relief from the spiciness, you have to buy it.

　The spices are so spicy that my tongue is tingling and I'm starting to sweat.

''I'll buy it.''

Always.

　The owner's really nice smile pisses me off, but right now I'd rather drink something called Lassie Juice that doesn't bother me.

　I'm not sure if it actually helps to reduce the spiciness, but right now I wanted to put something sweet in it anyway to fool my taste buds.

　I take the cup as if to take it from the owner, and drink the white liquid juice with a gulp.

'Sweet and refreshing!'

　The sweet taste spread in the mouth. It was like coconut milk, with an elegant and refreshing aftertaste.

　And above all, the spiciness that had been burning in my mouth was gone.

　I didn't expect it to disappear so completely.

Lassie juice, would you like to buy some?　Six silvers in a barrel.

"Please add two of the owner's characteristic spices. This will increase your chances of being a favorite in the future.

　When he said that and paid with gold coins, the shopkeeper's eyes went black and white.

　Then, he smiled with a smirk.

''........Ho, you're surprisingly strong. Alright.''

　It felt good to have gotten a little payback at the end.



　◆



　I bought lassie juice and spices for the shopkeeper and stored them in sub-space in an unpopular place.

　While I was doing this, my stomach started to feel lonely.

　Perhaps my appetite has been increased after tasting the spices earlier, but I feel more hungry than usual.

　We could smell the spices in the stalls here and there.

　This is also unbearable.

　If you look into the stalls, you will find meat and root vegetable soups mixed with various spices for sale.

　The smell is very appetizing.

'Do you like it?'

Isn't it painful?

Oh, our soup is sweetened for the kids.

　I think I heard the same line earlier, but if you say it's not spicy, I'll eat it.

　I pay my brother and ask him to put the soup in a wooden plate.

　There are no benches like in the plaza in King's Landing; people sit at the end of the street or in the shadows in front of their houses to eat.

　I felt it was a bit unbecoming to sit on the ground, but I decided to learn it because different countries have different cultures.

　We sat on the brick steps and drank the soup.

'Oh, it's so complex,'

　This must have also been a combination of several spices. Umami, sweetness, bitterness and sourness were all blended together.

　It was interesting to see the flavors change one after another in my mouth.

But it's still spicy!

Are you sure?　How hard can it be to get in here?

　I wonder if he heard me, or the brother who was selling the soup turned around and smiled.

　It seems to be true around the smiling faces of the Rasulians around me.

　As expected, it's not so much that it's too spicy to eat, but it's spicy enough.

　But it's also delicious enough that it doesn't feel like it's a pain.

　The spicy broth mixes with the meat and root vegetables and is very satisfying to eat.

'What is this meat?'

　The square meat in the soup.

　It's very elastic and unlike anything I've ever tasted before.

　It tastes like beef, but it's not that juicy. It's a strange taste.

'Oh, that's desert alligator meat.

They're around and they're cheap in here.

　As I stared at the meat in the wooden spoon, an uncle hanging around the area told me.

'Heh, I see.'

　They seem to be crocodiles that live in the desert. There are also desert lizards and desert lizards, and the meat here seems to be made mainly from them.

　Meat from a desert crocodile? No wonder I've never eaten one before.

　It's interesting to me, so I'll try to buy those meat as well.

　It would be fun to sprinkle some spices on it and try to taste it.

　If I tried it at the mansion, Bartolo would ask me where I got it from, so I would try it at home secretly.

　I enjoy the crispness of the root vegetable, which is like a lotus root. It tastes almost like burdock.

'Oh, it's spicy.'

　As I proceeded to eat the soup, the pain finally became unbearable.

　The burning pain was gone as I sipped the luscious juice I had unbearably transferred to my water bottle.

'Oh, I'm so glad I bought it,'

　This soup is too spicy for me, but I can eat it with lassie juice.

　This is still a little on the spicy side, but I guess such a little is not enough to match the tolerance of the Rasulians.