The citizens of the Empire had always held a psychological edge over their largest neighbor, the only question being whether it was a small victory or a great one. Yet, there was one domain where they lavished the Holy Kingdom with praise: its cuisine.
However, Rorschach's first meal in the Holy Kingdom was nothing to write home about. 'Could it be that the people of the Empire view it through rose-colored glasses?'
Seeing that neither Mr. Ah Le nor Miss Hill looked like they were enjoying their meal, Rorschach felt a bit more confident that his palate wasn't completely out of sync with the humans of this world. 'Right, it seems the Dwarf shoveling down mouthfuls of lentil mush is the exception.'
Singrev even enthusiastically recommended how delicious the salty, sour, and astringent flavor of sumac berries was when added to the boiled beans. Unfortunately, not everyone possessed a Dwarf's palate.
Back in his room, Rorschach decided to use the [Water Creation Skill] to conjure some pure water and rinse his mouth.
'Dust?' He lifted the cup from the bedside table, leaving a faint outline behind.
'Someone else has been in the room... It must have been the other specialist.' Rorschach brushed away the dust and checked his surroundings, finding nothing else out of the ordinary.
After a moment's thought, Rorschach took off his leather armor, placed it on the windowsill, and extinguished the light in the room.
Unable to fall asleep, Rorschach lay in bed and picked up the empty tin cup. He infused it with Magic Power, and a glow lit up once again.
Unlike the blue light produced by the stone earlier, this time it was a whitish-cyan glow.
'Different materials, different colors...' Rorschach altered the way he channeled his Magic Power, attempting to change its so-called 'frequency.'
The color shifted again and again... until a stable, milky-white light appeared.
Rorschach shot upright. It wasn't just the cup that was lit up—so was his status panel.
[Light Technique (White)] "Generate Light (White)"
This was the first magic Rorschach had learned on his own since arriving in this world. It was a simple little Trick, but he'd done it without a Learning Scroll or relying on his panel.
Though he had only reached 'white' proficiency, it didn't signify failure, but rather instability. Rorschach kept experimenting, adjusting the light's color and brightness.
When the milky-white light appeared again, Rorschach had created a cup that could glow steadily for at least a quarter of an hour. His proficiency had also reached 'blue.'
'It's getting late. Time for bed!' Rorschach fluffed his coarse linen pillow and lay down.
The 'cup-lamp' gradually faded.
...
Comparing the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, especially their capitals, revealed a stark difference in character, one that was evident in their architecture.
The Empire was vaster, and while the architecture of the Imperial Capital was grand and solemn, it also betrayed a pragmatic streak. The Royal Capital, on the other hand, though steeped in the grand religiosity of the Order Church, still had magnificence as its keynote.
Take the city walls before Rorschach, for example. They were built of off-white quartzite, which was fine for ordinary buildings, but its strength as a fortification was questionable.
Yet when the dawn sun bathed the walls, from a distance they resembled a sacred curtain rising from the plains, gently enfolding Valuva in an exceptionally gorgeous embrace.
As for what would happen if the Empire were to attack, the Valuvanan people would tell you not to worry. "Oh, the Protection of the God of Order is the best defense."
Early in the morning, Rorschach and his party entered the city through Valuva's southwest gate. It was a passage dedicated to the entry and exit of goods; in particular, all the flour, meat, and vegetables for the residents of Valuva came through here. Rorschach met the gaze of the majestic stone beast atop the gatehouse, then rode into the heart of the Kingdom.
The convoy hadn't been in the city for long before it ground to a halt.
"Sorry, sirs and ladies, you've come at a bad time." A large cart was stopped up ahead, and a farmer's head, still dotted with bits of leaves, poked out from the wagon bed. "This is our time for unloading. We'll be on our way once we're finished."
Numerous horse-drawn carts and donkey carts were parked before a tall building. Small-time vendors bustled in and out, carrying crate after crate of vegetables, alongside half-carcasses of pork and a chorus of live, clucking chickens and ducks.
"QUACK QUACK!" Gaisde Yazi, perched on Rorschach's shoulder, joined the ensemble.
A tall, thin man was taking count of the vehicles. When he reached Mr. Ah Le's convoy, he walked over. "You're from out of province?"
"We're not from Valuva. We're just passing through, sir."
The man had curly black hair, a common trait for people from the southern end of the continent. "My apologies, you'll have to wait a bit. What can I say, this is Valuva's Stomach, and it just happens to be 'feeding' time."
Rorschach couldn't see any resemblance between the building's exterior and a digestive organ. "Stomach?"
"Young master, you can call it the Royal Capital's belly—its stomach.
"Whether for the dining tables of Mages and Senior Lawyers or the lunch pails of factory workers, all their ingredients come from here. This is the largest food market on the entire continent!"
With that, the tall, thin man went off to help, leaving Rorschach to marvel at the sight. If you ignored the red and green produce and only looked at the magnificent, massive building, you might mistake it for a grand station or even a monastery.
Rorschach watched as the tall, thin man staggered. The wooden crate he was carrying was filled with tubers, making it quite a bit heavier than the others.
The man wobbled and barely managed to steady himself. "Divine Spirits be praised!" he exclaimed. He had been sure he was about to take a hard fall, but the tipping crate had miraculously righted itself.
Rorschach withdrew his invisible [Mage's Hand]. Having now experienced a rare Otherworld traffic jam, the party slowly began to move again.
In the Royal Capital, the Adventurer's Guild was situated right next to the grand cathedral of the Order Divine Teachings, whereas the Empire's guild was beside the Magic Guild. "Gods be my witness, we have finally completed this arduous journey." In the reception room, Mr. Ah Le personally uncorked a bottle of golden sparkling wine. With a sound like 'The Young Widow's Sigh,' a lively and pleasant sweet aroma wafted out.
He personally poured a drink for every Adventurer and driver, then took the lead in raising his glass. "Whatever difficulties may lie ahead, for now, we can raise a glass to our success! To be honest, there were several times on the road I thought this trip would be a total loss."
Singrev happily downed his in a single gulp. Even Hill, who usually didn't touch alcohol, took a drink.
"My friends, if you could all step out for a moment? I need to settle the final payment with our Adventurer guards."
Rorschach watched the drivers leave the room. Mr. Ah Le approached him first.
"Rorschach Mage, it was a true blessing to have you on this escort! Without you... forget delivering the goods, I might have lost my own life out in the wilderness!" He gripped Rorschach's hand tightly, then produced a bag of gold coins. "Twenty-five Charles XVI coins. Please, count them."
The Valois Gold Coins, imprinted with the likeness of His Majesty the King, were worth slightly less than the Empire's Golden Eagle Coins, but it was still a considerable sum. Hefting the heavy bag in his hand, Rorschach once again marveled at the Lowe Commerce Association's generosity.
Mr. Ah Le then took out two more bags, handing one to Singrev and the other to Hill. "Unfortunately, I cannot return to the Empire immediately. You two, remember the Holy Knight's instructions and don't linger here. My thanks to you both."
"Don't you worry, Mr. Ah Le! I'll head back north as soon as I've bought my ale!"
Hill nodded in response. "I will."
"You two, I'm at the Tower of Stars. May the stars guide us to meet again!" To their surprise, Rorschach also shook hands with Singrev and Hill.
"Young Master Rorschach, you're going to be the greatest Great Mage one day!" Singrev declared, gripping Rorschach's hand tightly.