kscans

Chapter 42 - 3. A First Shopping Trip

"Claudia-sama. I think it is all right to relax a little more."

"No. In an unfamiliar place such as this, we never know what might happen."

Rilka spoke to Claudia, whose eyes were darting busily from one side of the main street to the other.

"For what it is worth, this is the capital's central street. I doubt anything terrible will happen."

It was just like Rilka to show such consideration for Claudia, as she was our guide. Then again, given who we had with us, she was not being overly cautious. Even with that personal alarm ring, its effectiveness is limited against the sort of person who just charges in recklessly.

"Um, was it really all right for me to accept this?"

Alfina, positioned between me and Mia, held a small pouch protectively with both hands.

"It is fair payment for your labor. You are receiving no special treatment," Mia, who had performed the assessment, replied. In truth, the pouch contained fewer than ten copper coins. That is not even a third of an hourly wage at a fast food restaurant in Japan.

The way Alfina handled the pouch, as if it were filled with jewels, was enough to make me feel awkward. That sum likely could not buy a single button on the clothes she wore.

This gap was a symbol of the difficult mission that lay ahead.

There was a reason we were all walking through the Royal Capital. It was one thing to give Alfina her part-time wages after she had finally returned to the academy, but then it came to light that she had no idea how to use money. A fact that was shocking, yet not entirely surprising.

Seeing Alfina ready to take the coins home and store them in a jewelry box, an after-school mission was hastily organized to teach her how to use money. But choosing where to go shopping was difficult. In any shop suitable for a princess, copper coins would be useless.

Since I, the one most accustomed to the world of copper coins, was useless in this situation, Rilka offered to be our guide.

And so we came from the noble district where the academy is located, down the capital's central street, to a crossroads between the merchant and artisan districts. To the east, we could see a public square along the road.

"How about here, Vinder."

"I see, the Forum."

The rectangular area was enclosed by pillars, with a flowerbed in the center and benches surrounding it. Several stalls were set up around the benches. The design reminded me of the ruins of a public forum in Rome. Those were a type of public works project built by ancient rulers to gain popularity with the masses.

Indeed, many citizens seemed to be using it. There were even couples here.

"The security is good here, and all the stalls are licensed, you know."

"You are a lifesaver. So, what do you recommend?"

It was a perfect choice for a princess's first shopping trip.

"Hey, you can at least handle the escorting from here on."

"There is such a thing as the right person for the job."

"Between me, a lady born with a silver spoon, and you, a commoner who clawed his way up from copper, you are clearly the right person."

The stalls lined up around the central flowerbed offered quite a variety. One was grilling meat, which you were meant to grab and eat with your hands. Not a chance. Another sold simple sweets like fried bread. I remember those being incredibly hard.

Then how about an item instead? One stall had enamel brooches arranged on a straw mat.

Maybe something like that would be good for her to wear on incognito outings like this one. Speaking of which, I wonder how that one lawless shogun who loved to stage ambushes on his own vassals managed to get his disguise as a poor retainer.

"So, what is the plan, senpai?"

"Well, haha. Ahem. Alfina-sama, is there anything you would like?"

With the exception of the person I asked, every girl there must have just branded me as completely useless. It's not right to make a princess who has never even used money choose, is it. This was a world away from the tea parties in the academy's gazebo.

"I will leave it to you, Ricardo-kun... No, that will not do, will it."

Alfina glanced at me with a troubled expression, but then she reconsidered and began to look at each stall one by one. She has a curious side to her, so perhaps she was enjoying this in her own way. We followed her slow, deliberate steps. We must have been a slightly surreal sight. Finally, the princess stopped in front of a single stall. Smoke was rising from it, carrying the pleasant scent of sizzling oil. I had expected her to choose something lighter, like some sort of pastry. This was a surprisingly bold choice.

"What is this food called?" Alfina asked the proprietor.

"Huh? You don't know yakitori? Where in the... oh, you are a noble lady."

The man's face clouded with confusion. Claudia started to step forward, but Rilka held her back.

"It smells wonderful."

"O, oh, we use chicken sourced from Dalgan... miss. The flavor is top notch, it is, ma'am?"

The proprietor, who had been intimidated by her Royal Academy uniform, seemed reassured by his customer's innocent demeanor and began his awkward sales pitch. By the way, your customer isn't a noble. Ignorance is bliss.

While I worried for the man's well being, Alfina placed her order. It looked like grilled chicken skewers made from thigh meat, seasoned simply with salt.

Ah, I miss teriyaki. I'm a firm believer that soy sauce can turn any dish Japanese, but there's no way I could reproduce that ultimate seasoning. Not that there's any rice to go with it, anyway.

The proprietor grilled the meat under the awkward pressure of Claudia's watching his every move. After receiving the skewer and handing over her copper coins in return, Alfina came back to us with a smile. We all followed suit and placed our orders.

The five of us sat on a stone bench, skewers in hand.

"Well then, time to eat...?"

Alfina held the skewer, a puzzled look on her face. I made a point of taking a huge, bold bite from my own skewer to show her. Just as the man boasted, it was not bad. So Dalgan deals in chicken, not just beef.

"Princess, I will prepare some cutlery at once."

Claudia offered, but Alfina just looked back and forth between the skewer in her hand and me. The grilled skewer held in her pale hand slowly moved toward her pink lips.

Pak...

Her adorable lips parted, taking in just the smallest, topmost piece of chicken.

"My, this is very delicious."

With a faint sound from her throat, Alfina pressed a hand to her cheek. It is amazing she can have a reaction like that from eating grilled chicken. The fact that it looks completely natural is practically a foul.

"Vinder, you scoundrel. What strange things are you teaching Alfina-sama?"

"This is just how you eat this kind of food."

"That is right. Even at meals, people eat bread with their hands, so please just let this slide."

Rilka and I tried to smooth things over. Come to think of it, the sandwich was invented by a nobleman. Maybe there was some rule about it being acceptable to eat bread with your hands.

Claudia glared at us, but she ultimately relented upon seeing Alfina's happy expression. In reality, while it was tasty, it was still just food stall quality. But with things like this, the atmosphere is a huge part of the experience. And more than anything, this was her very first purchase with money she had earned herself.

"That was delicious. But I am a little thirsty now."

"You are right."

I spotted another stall selling fruit water. Though it was called fruit water, it was nothing more than water with a drop of lemon juice in it. Still, it would be good for cutting through the grease in our mouths.

"All right, this is my treat. Everyone wait here."

"Ricardo-kun, please allow me to get it."

Just as I was about to use my money to make up for my earlier blunder, Alfina spoke up. The two of us walked over to a stall a short distance away. Our second shopping trip went off without a hitch, with the sole exception of the brazen old woman at the stall who mistook Alfina and me for a couple.

Holding containers made from the cut stems of some plant, thinner and softer than bamboo, Alfina walked beside me with a radiant smile.

"I have so many new experiences when I am with you, Ricardo-kun."

"You should thank Rilka for today."

"Yes. You are right. I will be sure to thank her later."

Alfina said, looking up into my face. Seeing her happy smile, I felt a little relieved. When I had seen her at the academy after so long, she had looked a bit tired. The prophecies must be a great burden. If she was able to refresh herself even a little, then that was what mattered most.

"By the way, Ricardo-kun, you will be leaving the capital tomorrow, will you not?" Alfina asked hesitantly. Had she heard about my business trip from the Grand Duchess?

"Yes, it seems a problem has come up with the apiculture. I am going to see it for myself."

"For firsthand information?"

The term I had taught her came from a classmate's mouth. It gave me a strange, pleasant feeling.

"That is right. There are many things you cannot understand without seeing them directly."

"Thank you for spending time with me, even though you are so busy."

"It is only a day's trip by carriage, so there is not much to prepare. If anything, Alfina-sama, I imagine you are the one with many burdens, with the prophecy."

I steered the conversation toward what was on my mind.

"That... It is all right. My role is almost finished."

Alfina said. The images flowing from the crystal were becoming clearer, if I recall correctly. That would mean the image of the calamity has already solidified.

So now they are likely examining potential disasters and formulating countermeasures. This is in the realm of politics, or perhaps administration. If the Prime Minister is personally overseeing it, the number of people and the amount of information he can access must be on a whole different level. But I knew there was more to it than that, which is why I noticed the faint shadow on her expression.

"Alfina-sama, why do you go so far for the Oracle Princess..."

"...!"

Just as I was about to ask, Alfina stopped walking. Between the pillars lining the square were several stone tablets. The one she had stopped in front of was particularly large. A relief was carved into the stone. The composition depicted about a dozen men and women in old-fashioned clothing resembling togas. Perhaps the subject was mythological.

Even my untrained eyes could see the impressive skill, but the content was a complete mystery. For example, what sort of artistic intent could be behind the blank space in the center?

"It is a magnificent relief sculpture."

Come to think of it, it is tactless to continue talking about work at a time like this. Alfina would probably be knowledgeable about its style and motifs.

"...Yes, it is."

Alfina offered a refined smile. It was as delicate and beautiful as the relief itself, and somehow just as fleeting...

"But we should probably head back. Everyone is waiting."

"Ah... them!"

Claudia was glaring at us, Mia had a judgmental stare, and Rilka was covering her mouth with a sarcastic smile. A variety of gazes were fixed on us. Alfina gave a small wave with the hand holding the drinks and headed back to the bench. I hurried after her.

Today, let's just focus on helping her relax. The difficult conversations can wait until after I get back from my trip.