Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Heat Stones and Market Thieves
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"Ner, we have to walk from here to Sharton Street. Let's grab a simple breakfast and get going. Mind standing up for a sec?"
"Yeah!"
Lianus sprang up with a bright reply, and Nihil lifted the carriage seat to pull out the food and utensils stored inside.
Sir Evan hopped down from the coachman's perch and stepped into the carriage, his eyes going wide at the breakfast already laid out row after row on the makeshift table. Lianus and Bella, who'd been watching the whole time, were just as stunned.
"When the heck did you even prepare all this?"
"Nil, this isn't simple at all!"
"Eek! Looks delicious! Come on, young masters, let's dig in quick!"
"No telling when we'll get to eat comfortably today. Load up now."
Nihil only responded to Lianus's question, then pulled out a glass teapot last of all. He poured water from the canteen into it with a glug-glug, then scooped a bit of tea leaves into the strainer.
It was obvious he meant to brew tea, so Lianus tilted his head and asked,
"How're you gonna boil the water?"
"Ner, you've got some stones in your bag, right? Mind grabbing them?"
"Oh, yeah!"
Lianus rummaged eagerly through his bag—he definitely remembered seeing stones in there—and handed two small ones over to Nihil.
"You can boil water with stones?"
"Yeah, these are heat stones. They were in the relief supplies for Sharton Street—seen 'em?"
"Heat stones?"
"Ah, me!"
Bella suddenly shot her hand up and chimed in.
"I know heat stones! Those little pebbles that go in hand warmer pouches, right?"
"...Hand warmer pouches?"
Nihil cocked his head, unfamiliar with the term, so Lianus kindly explained.
"I know hand warmer pouches too. They're little cloth bags filled with pebbles. Shake 'em to make heat. They're rationed to servants working outside in the cold seasons. So the heat stones in the relief supplies must be the main ingredient."
Lianus nodded as realization dawned, and Sir Evan chimed in next.
"Guards on outer wall duty in winter or knights out monster-hunting get them sometimes. I brought some just in case, but mine are too old—barely any warmth left."
Sir Evan dug a worn-out pouch from his pack and handed it to Nihil.
Nihil took it and gave it a good shake. As it warmed slightly, he muttered in wonder.
"So that's why they included heat stones in relief supplies—for hand warmers. Neat way to use 'em. Anyone can handle them safely like this. But pup, most of yours have lost their potency."
"This... was a gift from the current Royal Knights' Captain before I became a knight. It heated up great at first, but even babying it, eight years was the limit."
"Got it. If you wanna keep using it, swap the contents or store it with fresh heat stones. They influence each other and even out."
Seeing the eight-year-old stones still giving off some heat, Nihil figured Evan had cherished it dearly—probably because the captain was his benefactor. He handed it back carefully.
"Ner, bigger heat stones burn hotter and longer. See those tiny white specks? Those are the heat points. Clash two stones white-speck to white-speck, and they start heating up. They cool after a while."
"Whoa! I thought they just heated from shaking."
Lianus took the stones back from Nihil and rolled them around in fascination. They looked like utterly ordinary black rocks dotted with white spots, no matter how you looked.
Nihil took them back to demonstrate, clacking them sharply together. He dropped one into the teapot and the other—plop-plop—into the container of cooled soup.
Bella and Lianus leaned in close to watch, only to jerk back startled when their distorted reflections met in the clear teapot glass.
Sir Evan stared right through the soup container, more interested in that than the tea.
It didn't take seconds for the smaller teapot to react first. Steam curled up slow, then it bubbled vigorously.
"Nil! It's boiling!"
"Ner, it's hot for real—don't touch. This is a mild tea, needs a long steep. I'll move it aside."
Nihil gently pulled Lianus's pointing finger away, shifted the teapot, and gathered everyone's plates in front of him. The soup was steaming now too. He stirred it lightly as he went on.
"Heat stones are great for quick heat where starting a fire's tricky—or impractical. High humidity? No problem. Oh, kitty can't handle hot stuff, so here's some for you ahead."
"Thank you, pretty young master!"
Bella took the bowl Nihil offered with both hands politely, and soon the soup pot bubbled away. The carriage filled with the savory, salty aroma, drawing fixed stares from Lianus and Sir Evan.
"Pup, you're drooling."
"Wh-what?!"
Sir Evan wiped his mouth denying it, and Lianus—surreptitiously backing away while pretending otherwise—did the same. No drool luckily, but everyone but Lianus had seen, so they all clamped lips to stifle laughs.
When Lianus's stomach growled, though, no one held back.
"So embarrassing..."
Lianus dunked a second bread chunk in his soup, face red.
"Ner, eat up."
"Y-young master—no, I mean, that's normal! Here, have plenty!"
Sir Evan silently pushed food toward Lianus. Shaking off his embarrassment quick, Lianus started chattering.
"Nil, about those heat stones—think I could use 'em too?"
"Yeah. Just needs practice. And Ner, don't skimp—eat the carrots."
"Uh, uh, okay..."
Sir Evan smirked watching Lianus squeeze his eyes shut to chew a carrot.
"Nil, I ate all the carrots!"
"Good job."
"Yeah!"
Nihil smiled back at Lianus's beaming grin, ruffled his hair once, then poured tea. His flawless motions drew an inner whistle from Sir Evan, but the other two ignored it entirely—eyes only on the red brew trickling out, accepting their cups politely when offered.
"Hot hot hot!"
Bella, bad with heat, sipped too fast, fussed wildly, threw open the window, and thrust her cup out to cool the tea.
Lianus giggled at the sight, took a sip himself—then pursed his lips at the unexpected bitterness.
Nihil rolled his eyes, saw Lianus glancing nervously, and drooped his brows to ask,
"That bad?"
"N-no? It's just hot!"
Lianus couldn't dump tea his best friend brewed himself, so like Bella, he stuck to the window to cool his.
'Gulp it down once it's cooled... should be fine, right...?'
Nihil smirked to himself at Lianus's transparent thoughts.
Breakfast done, the group stepped out and walked a secluded forest path a bit before the two knights vanished from sight, leaving Nihil and Lianus alone toward Sharton Street.
"Ner, eye patch'll throw off your depth perception. Don't let go of my hand—stick close."
"Y-yeah..."
Lianus mumbled reluctantly. No wonder—Nihil himself had tugged his bangs low to hide his eye color and jammed his hood down, barely exposing his lower face.
Lianus knew his friend had no trouble seeing blindfolded, but the eerie feeling lingered.
Nihil eyed Lianus's dazed stare and spoke again.
"Not cold?"
"Nuh-uh. Not at all. You're barefoot though—okay?"
"I'm used to this. Don't worry. Tell me if anything's off."
Lianus hated his friend going barefoot most, but bit his tongue and nodded. Chilly weather, but thanks to Nihil's prep, not too bad.
Forest path led to market—people appeared. Dawn merchants haggling with early buyers for fresh goods echoed everywhere.
Still a ways to Sharton Street, but Nihil slowed seeing first-time-out Lianus's curiosity darting everywhere.
Lianus forgot the goal, tugging Nihil's hand to peek here and there.
Nihil followed without complaint, but merchants scowled at the wandering orphan-looking kids.
Finally, a rough-faced man swung his bread knife to scare them off.
"What're you loitering for—stealing again? Scram!"
The baker, prime orphan target, was touchy from soaring flour prices and kids swiping loaves—deep in the red.
Nihil pulled a frozen Lianus behind him at the knife-waving shout.
Lianus clutched Nihil's hem, whispering,
"Why's he like that?"
"Bakeries are easy marks. He thinks we're here to steal."
"Oh."
"Kids'll swarm any second. Let's bail—dangerous."
"Huh? Kids?"
Lianus blinked confused, and Nihil tugged him close. Right then—a shout rang out.
"Thief!!"
A frantic cry from somewhere, then a grubby kid bolted across the market clutching something.
"Wh-what?!"
"Whoops, Ner—here."
As chaos erupted, Nihil yanked a hesitant Lianus tight to the wall.
"Th-thieves?"
"Nah, that's bait. Focus on the surroundings."
"Grab the thief!"
All eyes locked on the "thief" kid—then grubby children burst from everywhere, snatching stall goods and bolting.
The market turned pandemonium in seconds.