Chapter 18
Chapter 18
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Bestia Mountain (1)
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[No, the client is that Lady Olivia...! If you refuse like this, there might be disadvantages later...]
[Ah, yeah... It's fine.]
Having rejected Olivia's designated request, Sion's group headed straight to one of Prifre's famous restaurants, the 'Shelter of the Blue Sea'.
True to its name, the Shelter of the Blue Sea was a restaurant that used only the freshest seafood caught that very day from the seas crossing between the continents.
Thanks to that, the group—who survived day-to-day on what they called Sion's stew, though it was really just nutrient jelly globs—were finally enjoying some proper gourmet food.
"Rion, doesn't it suit your taste?"
Of course, one person wasn't.
"Hm...? No, I'm eating... I was just lost in thought for a bit..."
"...Should we go to another restaurant?"
"Leave her be. Rion reacts like that no matter what she eats."
At the moment, Lily wasn't in her cat or bracelet form but disguised as a human.
There weren't any restaurants that allowed cats, so she'd had no choice but to change into human shape.
"Oh, this is pretty decent."
"Want more of mine...?"
That would rack up a bigger bill, but it wasn't something Sion cared about.
'Tasteless...'
They claimed to use only seafood caught that day, but a fishy stench wafted from the plates.
Others overlooked it as the scent of the sea or the aroma unique to seafood, but for Sion—who knew what truly fresh seafood tasted like—it was impossible to shake off the revulsion.
'I thought an expensive place like this would be different...'
This kind of unpalatable food was one reason Sion wanted to return to reality.
In an era where salt itself was precious, the food in this Rilteia world was generally too bland.
No MSG on a modern Korean's table, basically.
'Cedric's cooking was at least edible. Should've just holed up in the Magic Tower longer.'
In the end, she barely managed a few bites before finishing, but since everyone else seemed to enjoy it, that was fine.
"Um, Rion."
"Yes?"
"...By any chance, what are your food preferences, Rion?"
"Hm...?"
Food preferences? Quite the random question.
Lately, Cloe had been asking Sion a lot of personal questions.
Most were about tastes, nothing too tough, so Sion had answered them earnestly.
"Hm... I like strongly seasoned food. Not just super salty, but stuff with that umami that fills your mouth..."
If she could pick three things to bring from reality, Sion was confident she'd choose her smartphone, gochujang, and a fluffy blanket without hesitation.
"Spot on. Rion mutters 'Ah, too bland...' no matter what she eats."
"L-Lily..."
The old Sion, who hated interacting with others, clearly wouldn't have joined such idle chit-chat.
She could only converse like this because of her master-disciple bond with Lily. Otherwise, even five minutes of talk would've been impossible.
"I see... So you don't like seafood dishes much?"
"Not that I hate them, but I'm sensitive to fishy smells..."
"Rion has a keener sense of smell than most. You saw it too, Cloe—how she puked over and over by the canal."
"L-Lilyyy!"
"I see..."
But lately, Sion was finding joy in her talks with Cloe.
For the first time, a friend-like presence, and deriving emotional pleasure from interacting with her.
"Got it... I'll remember that."
As a result, a bizarre sight unfolded: a back-alley assassin girl, raised in the slums and distrustful of people, chatting intimately with a grand archmage who'd never had a friend in her life.
"Ooh... Got it, I'll remember too."
"No need to remember... Food's just fuel to stay alive... Uh—"
'Hm? Something's off.'
"Uh?"
What the—?
"...Lady Olivia?"
"Ta-da! Missed me?"
Why are you here...?
...
"Whoa, I never imagined we'd meet again like this, right, Rion?"
"...Y-Yeah..."
"I just came down from the capital. Missions have me swamped nonstop. What brings you to Prifre, Rion? Oh, let me guess! You registered at the Adventurer's Guild and you're taking requests to build your skills! Nailed it?"
Ah.
"And your party's grown in the short time since. If it's three of you, I recommend the Deep Ocean Breeze Set A—plenty of food, and boiled shrimp on the house."
Draining my energy...
[Not interested.]
Why do you hate heroes so much?
From what I see, you two are identical.
Is this that 'in-group self-loathing' thing?
Sion felt a horrific sense of slipping back into her Demon King Subjugation Party days, but thankfully, the nightmare didn't last.
"Um, Lady Olivia, was it?"
"Ah, yes. Was my introduction late? I'm Olivia von Leonhardt, Vice Captain of the Imperial Knights—"
"No, it's just... Sorry, but this is our party dinner."
This table had someone with the polar opposite personality to Sion, who couldn't easily push people away and phrased things indirectly.
"We'd like to eat with just our party members. Could you please give us some space?"
She even used polite speech for maximum courtesy, but it was really 'don't ruin the vibe, scram.'
'C-Cloe...!'
To Sion, she looked like a hero.
"Ah, sorry. I must've misread the mood..."
Olivia was quite flustered by Cloe's firm tone and demeanor.
It was the first time she'd been treated like an intruder.
Though from a branch family, Olivia was a noble lady raised delicately in a prestigious house—she'd never even considered someone might find her unwelcome.
"Th-Then I'll get to the point."
She wanted to chat more with Rion, but she wasn't shameless enough for small talk in front of people uncomfortable with her.
"We desperately need your help with the magic beasts on Bestia Mountain. Will you assist us?"
Still, business was business, personal was personal.
Knowing the difference was Olivia's top virtue.
...
After finishing their dinner at the Shelter of the Blue Sea, Sion's group returned straight to their inn.
Normally they'd take evening requests too, but tonight they focused on rest.
"What will you do, Rion?"
"Dunno..."
Of course, dealing with this new dilemma was one reason for heading back.
"I'm fine either way, but I'm worried about you, Cloe."
"...Me?"
Sion hadn't answered Olivia yet because she didn't think it was her call alone.
"Getting involved with Olivia... might mean running into other Prifre nobles..."
Even if Cloe was listed as missing, she was still a criminal in Prifre.
Her fake identity as Mayer and mask hid her for now, but forever? No guarantees.
Plus, Bestia Mountain currently hosted most of Prifre's regular troops and some rural nobles.
Going there as a criminal was like shoving her head into a snake pit.
"I'm fine, and..."
But Cloe thought otherwise.
"They said you might face disadvantages, Rion."
The thought of Sion suffering because of her made Cloe uneasy.
She'd started out distrusting and wary of Sion, but after repeated help, now she wanted to repay her even a little.
"Hm...? I don't think I'd face any..."
"And it's something I need to do for my hometown."
Beyond that, resolving the Bestia incident was vital for Cloe too.
Her village's ruin had two causes: soil contamination and collapsed security.
Solving Bestia would normalize Prifre's security, and reviving her home would just be a matter of time.
"True... That's fair."
Sion hadn't forgotten her promise to Cloe.
In exchange for holding her life in her hands, she'd revive her hometown.
The moment Cloe mentioned home, Sion had no grounds to refuse.
"Alright... Let's accept Olivia's request."
There's an achievement to clear anyway, so whatever...
...
"See? I knew I had a good eye for people. As a disciple of the Seven Stars, there's no way Rion would ignore a disaster like this! I knew it from the first moment I saw you—you have a noble soul that helps the oppressed!"
Ah.
"Oh, and it'll take about ten minutes to reach the front lines? But don't worry too much—I'll keep you entertained! You might not believe it, but some of the knights call me the 'Silver-Tongued Knight'!"
Shouldn't have come.
...Should've stayed home.