After leaving the fish market, Isolde and I stopped by a shop in the general market near the residential area to ask about buying some cooking oil.
"What? How much did you say a large jug of oil is?" I asked again, completely unable to believe my ears.
"So surprised, you must be a kid just arriving from Millis, right? If you haven't exchanged your money yet, I'll give it to you for four Millis silver coins."
"Only four Millis silver coins!? That's so cheap!"
"Cheap, right? If you buy ten jugs, I'll discount it to three and a half coins each!"
So I bought twenty jugs outright. Specifically, a large barrel, the kind people usually use to store wine. The total cost was a little over one Millishion Royal Note, equivalent to half an Asura gold coin. It might not sound like a huge amount, but it equates to the living expenses of a middle-class family for a whole month.
Ah no! That really is cheap. Compared to the price of oil in Asura, it's only a quarter. A quarter! A massive 75% discount! After asking around and doing a bit of research, I learned that the Dragon King Kingdom has highly developed agriculture, perfectly suited for oil-producing crops that look quite similar to oil palms on Earth. They seem to be everywhere; if I went out the city gates now, I'd probably see them right away. So with such high production volume right at the source, that's why the price is so cheap.
"You're new to our Dragon King Kingdom, so it's normal to be surprised. Actually, the price of oil used to be even lower, but it only went up in the last few years," the cooking oil shop owner further explained. "It used to be half of what it is now."
"Half as much again!?" I asked. "What the hell happened?"
"Thanks to the appearance of that Nanahoshiyaki dish, haha!" The owner gave a thumbs up, looking very proud of this fact.
Makes sense; if there's an event that makes business boom, they'd obviously like it. Introducing it to tourists who eat it, like it, and spread the dish further increases demand... ah well, I'm starting to think about economics again. There's another, more important issue to pay attention to in this story.
"Wait, Nanahoshiyaki?" I frowned. "What is this dish?"
"So you haven't even tried it yet? It's a recently popular fried dish made of meat and batter. Since you're from out of town, you definitely have to try it once! Do you need me to recommend some good restaurants?"
So I got a clearer explanation. Oil has always been a highly consumed commodity in the Dragon King Kingdom. But mostly, they just pan-fried things normally, like frying fish on one side then flipping it; no one had ever deep-fried anything. A few years ago, the Nanahoshiyaki dish appeared; it's a meat dish mixed with rice flour and wheat flour, and from that, the deep-frying method emerged. Basically, it's the Japanese-style fried chicken I know. I used to make this dish for Eris and Ghislaine when we were still in Roa.
Based on the timeline when that dish started appearing, it roughly matches the time after the mana calamity event. Maybe someone from Roa, upon being teleported here, made that dish and accidentally made it incredibly famous. A servant from Philip's mansion, perhaps? That's an easily acceptable theory.
But I didn't think so. The problem lies in its super Japanese name. Usually, some things in the human language sound like Japanese, but they have meaning. But Nanahoshiyaki means nothing, whereas in Japanese, it translates to Seven Stars Grilled Meat, sounding like some random restaurant.
The only Japanese person I know can only be Rudeus, and I don't think he'd name it like this; at most, he'd call it karaage. Besides... the name Nanahoshi sounds familiar; I can't remember where I've heard it from.
Could it be Rudeus's past life surname? No, he never told me—his most trusted comrade—his name, so there's no way he'd just blab it to the world like that.
Then a sudden thought popped into my head.
Another reincarnated person?
Possible. If I'm here, and even Rudeus is, I can't rule out the possibility that more than two people are in this situation.
But who that person is and what their goal is remains a huge question mark. Should I try to find a way to make contact? Is their successful naming of the dish with a Japanese name some kind of signal?
Hmm...
Wait a minute! Isn't that the surname of... one of my students from my past life? Nanahoshi-san!
Holy shit!
"Hey." Isolde suddenly placed a hand on my shoulder. "What are you thinking about that has you so tense?"
"Ah, no. It's nothing." I shook my head. "Just remembering some random things."
But whatever. I'll investigate the source of this suspicion about a third reincarnated person later. For now, let's just leave this place and head back.
"Sigh... lately I really don't know what you're thinking. So annoying." Isolde sighed.
"I was thinking that you look really cute today," I replied deadpan.
"Liar. It'd be weird if you thought that with that serious face."
"Because you're seriously cute."
"..." Isolde glared at me. "If you act like that again, I'll stop talking to you in public again."
"Sorry."
And so Isolde found my kryptonite; how terrifying.
"Good." Isolde nodded in satisfaction and grinned. "Tell me, what's are you thinking?"
Maybe telling Isolde wouldn't be a problem.
"Well, um..." I hesitated a bit then decided to speak. "That Nanahoshiyaki dish's name sounds like someone I knew a very long time ago."
"So maybe that person invented the dish?" Isolde speculated. "If it's someone you know, they must be someone who loves cooking too."
Actually, I don't know if 'that person' likes cooking or not. And surely it's impossible for that person to be Rudeus. I hope not. Because if it really is, I think I'll need to see a psychiatrist from the shock.
"So do you want to meet that person again?" Isolde asked further.
"Um... I'm not sure." I confessed. "But if I knew they were alive and well, I'd be somewhat happy."
Ah no, if Nanahoshi-san is here, she must have been hit and killed by a truck like me. If so, that means my death in my past life was meaningless, great. Good thing this happened over a decade ago, otherwise I'd be punching the air.
And what about Shinohara and Kuroki? Both were at the incident as well. Could it be those two guys who named the dish Nanahoshi to search for her?
Hmm... Hard to say. Maybe I'll actually try looking for them.
"Hmm..."
Suddenly, I noticed Isolde staring at me.
"What's wrong?" I asked Isolde.
"Nothing." She shrugged and grinned. "Just thought you looked pretty cool deep in thought like this."
"Falling for me huh?"
"Of course; did you think I'd date someone I don't like? You think too poorly of me." Isolde sighed.
"Come on... You know full well I didn't mean it like that."
"Then make it up to me."
"Yeah, yeah, of course. I'll cook your favorite dish." I surrendered.
"No." Isolde shook her head. "Something else."
"What do you want?"
"Hehe, you'll find out tonight."
"Alright."
Suddenly I felt a bit uneasy, but if it's Isolde, it probably won't be anything too unreasonable, right?
...
After buying the necessities, I brought them back to Paul's 'base'.
Calling it a base, but it's just a small wooden house on the outskirts of the city. It's only big enough to hold no more than ten people and has zero amenities, just a place to sleep and store a few things. Basically, a cheap pit stop. Roughly speaking, Paul's people operate scattered across the Central Continent and Millis Continent, so they often have places acting as operational bases like this.
To be clear, I won't be staying here; this place is too small to fit everyone. The reason we came here is to celebrate. Since it's surrounded by an empty lot, it's suitable for cooking and partying.
But celebrate what? Actually, it should be called a farewell party. The thing is, the group heading to Begaritt will stay here at East Port to catch a ship tomorrow. While I and a few others, as mentioned, will continue on to Asura.
So you could say this is the last time I'll see some familiar faces before not seeing them again for many years.
Yet right when I arrived to prepare for cooking, this happened.
"Atur, come with me to buy some booze," Paul said.
"By Millis, I just came from the city," I sighed. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"
"I did buy some, but Talhand drank it all." Paul pointed his thumb backward, where Talhand was lying motionless on the ground with a bulging belly.
"Alright, got it."
Actually, it's hard to blame him; Talhand had been seasick for days, so needing alcohol to relieve his stress wasn't wrong. Not to mention that he will have to be on another ship tomorrow. If I were him, I'd do the exact same thing.
Yeah, drunkards always understand each other. I hope Isolde won't become a nagging wife who constantly complains about her husband drinking in the future. Ah, I'll also try not to become one of those husbands who just drink all night and make their wives take care of everything in the house. I'll live a modern lifestyle and steer clear of the bad habits typical of the Showa era, naturally.
So I had to leave the oil and fish behind. I asked Geese to make the sashimi and 'nanahoshiyaki' before leaving, as there was a high chance I'd return after sunset. Living up to his S-rank adventurer title, the 'thief' of the Fang of the Black Wolf group immediately understood what I needed and quickly got to work, so I set off back into the city with Paul.
On the way, we talked a bit more. Mostly about what each side would do on their respective paths. Paul mentioned he had never been to Begaritt, and from what I knew, it was an incredibly dangerous continent, just like the Demon Continent. A small mistake could cost you your life. But with a party full of experienced people like this, I figured they wouldn't face much difficulty.
It might even be easier than back in Millishion since at least there were no major powers trying to give them a hard time.
"Ah, speaking of which, I just remembered, you said you'd tell me how you became good friends with the knights of Millishion, right?" Paul suddenly brought it up. "Why don't you tell me now?"
I did say that. Besides, going to buy booze seemed like it would take quite a bit of time, so I didn't mind bringing it up.
"Well, it goes like this."
So I began to tell the story.
...
Everything goes back to my days in Millishion over a month ago, specifically on the second day. It was a peaceful morning, and I was taking a walk around the city when this happened.
"Halt, citizen." One, or rather, a whole squad of white-armored knights appeared and blocked my path. "Your name is Atur Greyrat, correct?"
"Uh, yes... is there a problem?"
Two of those knights immediately appeared right behind me and grabbed both my shoulders, holding me tight. The one leading, seemingly the captain, continued speaking.
"We have information that you have committed acts of terrorism targeting the intellectuals of Millishion. To cooperate with the investigation, please come with us."
In short, I was arrested.
They didn't even interrogate me and just threw me straight into jail, classic. If I had a coin for every time I was jailed for harassing women, weirdly enough, I'd have two coins.
It's not a lot... ah no, once is already too much, goddammit!
But resisting was useless; I was now in a communal holding cell.
The place was only about 12 tatami mats wide, roughly 20 square meters. If it were a single room for one person, it'd be quite comfortable, but there were already eight other people inside. Coupled with the high humidity and ridiculous heat, I already felt like this place was hell.
"Hey."
Suddenly, one of those eight people, a tall, scrawny guy, walked over to me. His face was smudged, his hair messy, and his attitude was exactly like those thugs you see in manga.
He casually walked right up next to me and slung his arm over my neck. I almost puked right there because of that awful stench...
"What's your name, brat?" Despite the seemingly friendly action, his words sounded quite hostile.
"Uh..." I furrowed my brow at this way of getting acquainted but replied anyway. "Uh, well, Atur."
"Why are you here?"
"Probably... assaulting someone."
I wasn't sure if it was classified under that crime since no one had actually convicted me of anything.
"What do you mean 'probably'?" The guy seemed impatient, his arm tightening around my neck. Even though it didn't hurt, it was uncomfortable.
"Yes, yes, it's assault. I did assault okay?" I gave in.
"Is that so?"
Then he let me go, casually walking around me as if inspecting everything. Before I could even understand what was going on, the guy suddenly threw a punch.
"Woah there."
"Huh? You blocked it?"
Of course I had to block it; I'd be crazy to just let myself get hit.
"So you know how to fight too? Then I'll have to get serious." He bared his teeth in a grin and cracked his knuckles.
I had absolutely no idea how to react to this. So I glanced around. A few of the others seemed interested and sat watching; someone even smirked. As for the guards... well, they were casually sitting and watching, even seemingly placing bets on how many more hits I could take.
So this is the hazing ritual for newbies, huh? Prison culture is truly fascinating.
But I didn't plan on getting beaten without fighting back.
"Aha, still planning to resist? Then let's see you block-"
Thud!*
"-Gah!"
Actually, I was a bit worried about how strong my opponent was, so I fought with all my might. Because of that, with just one punch, the guy was knocked out cold.
If I said I wasn't disappointed, I'd be lying.
Now, back to the situation in the cell. Seeing the result, the guards returned to their spots, ignoring everything. Meanwhile, the others locked up with me had various expressions.
Some panicked, some looked confused. They all shared one thing in common: looking toward a man sitting imposingly at the back of the room.
He was a man with a massive beard on his chin and a scar on his face. One look and you could tell he was the thieving, bandit type who got thrown in jail. But there was something different about this guy. Was it his aura? Or is it his sitting style? So is this the boss of this cell? Do I need to beat him up too... I didn't want to fight much, so I hoped he wasn't bothered by what I just did.
"Not bad, kid." That very guy spoke up. "It's been a while since I saw someone your age who knows how to fight."
"Uh, well, thanks." I gave a wry smile.
He seemed pleased, thank goodness.
"Hmph." His eyes observed me for a while, then he jerked his chin. "Come here."
Immediately, the whole crowd around shrank back to make way for me. Now I felt like I was in a yakuza den.
I hesitated a bit, but walked over to him anyway. When he saw me standing right in front of him, he jerked his chin down beside him.
"Sit."
"Okay."
And so I sat down.
Now I suddenly noticed, my current spot seemed quite spacious and airy. That's because the others had all moved away, even squeezing together to make room for me and this boss. Half of the empty room was now space for us to comfortably sit or sprawl out however we wanted.
So having authority really is beneficial, no matter where you are.
"Earlier you said why you got thrown in here, right?" He asked, his tone seemingly friendly.
"I accidentally punched someone," I confessed.
Actually, it was a kick, but whatever. Just a minor detail.
"Who?" He asked further.
"Uh, well... I think it was the vice principal of some school in the residential district." I tried to think for a moment and remembered the name. "Her name was Xandri something."
"Xandri?" He raised an eyebrow. "Surname or first name?"
"Probably a surname."
"I see." The man nodded. "Then you deserved it."
What do you mean deserved it? I know hitting someone is wrong. I figured at most I'd be fined or deported or something. Being thrown into a place like this is a bit too much.
"By the way... did you accidentally punch someone too, bro?" I asked back.
Wait a minute, I think I'm being a bit too friendly. Should I be more cautious? But this guy didn't seem annoyed, so it's probably fine.
"No." He shook his head and pointed his thumb at his own chest. "As for me, I was arrested for smuggling Beastfolk slaves. Considering the severity, we're pretty much on the same level."
"Hold on, hold on." I raised my hand. "Since when is accidentally hitting someone on the same level as slave smuggling?"
What kind of bizarre law is this? At most, I should just be temporarily detained and given an administrative fine! The injury I caused, if any, was probably equivalent to a light fall; basic healing magic could fix it, so how could it carry such a heavy charge!? So fricking absurd!
"You didn't know Xandri is the surname of an Earl?" He raised an eyebrow.
"Earl?" I frowned. "Those powerful, wealthy families?"
"Bingo."
Earl is the title for major figures, heads of elite families here in Millishion. They have vast fortunes, resources, and even significant influence over the Holy Kingdom's politics. You could compare them to high-ranking nobles in Asura. Or the Zaibatsu of old, or even further back, the daimyo, probably. That being the case, it's quite surprising they didn't just drag me out and behead me right away. But I guess they'd need some sort of trial to convict me. It is a civilized land, after all. However, I think if it goes to trial, I'll definitely be found guilty anyway.
Oh well, while I'm in here, the others have surely heard the news and will quickly find a way to rescue me. All I need to do now is wait and hope that this misunderstanding will quickly blow over.
Spoiler alert: no one knew I was here.
But at that time, I didn't know, so I was still very optimistic.
"Looking at your clueless expression, you must be an adventurer from out of town, huh?" The guy smirked. "Where are you from? What's your adventurer rank?"
"Uh, from Asura. I'm B-rank."
"B-rank at this age is quite impressive. No wonder you beat that guy to that state."
"Hehe."
Come to think of it, it seemed no one cared about that buddy, huh? Ah well, I don't think I caused any major damage, so it's probably fine.
"You seem obedient enough." The boss nodded in satisfaction. "Wanna become one of my, Gallus Cleaner's, men? I guarantee no one in this prison will give you a hard time."
Actually, I'd rather get out.
But saying 'no' right now wouldn't work either. If I'm locked up for several more days until I'm released, I might have some pretty troublesome days ahead.
Might as well just accept.
"Then please guide me, Boss Gallus Cleaner," I bowed my head.
"Good." Gallus seemed pleased. "So what did you say your name was again?"
"Boss, it's Atur."
"Got a surname?"
"It's Greyrat?"
"Huh? You said Greyrat?"
His attitude instantly changed. The calm indifference from earlier suddenly turned hostile for some reason.
"Uh... If Paul accidentally caused some trouble, I swear I have nothing to do with him," I immediately clarified. "We just happen to share the same surname."
"I don't know who the hell this Paul is. But do you know the Kennel Master?"
"Who?"
"Rudeus Greyrat." He replied with a sour tone.
Ah... so it was Rudeus? Wait a minute, if that's the case, then I understand!
"So you must be the one Rudeus got thrown in jail for kidnapping Beastfolk childrens, right?" I snapped my fingers.
"Bingo. That's me." Then he stood up straight, clearly preparing for a fight. "Seems fate wants me to have my revenge. Let me tell you, I'm a North Saint, after all."
Wow... a North Saint, huh.
Ah, sorry. That's still a respectable title. After all, I'm a North Saint too. But maybe because I've met too many people at this level and even King tier and above, I wasn't that impressed.
But I shouldn't underestimate my opponent; it seemed the others in the room would join the fight too. It was a one-versus-seven. Fighting in a tight space like this with so many people isn't my forte.
Besides, I didn't have a weapon either.
Should I use magic? No, I need to save mana for healing.
Whatever happens, happens...
Well... The result was I won.
Despite a slight surprise mid-fight when that Gallus guy pulled out a knife from nowhere. However, it only took one punch from me, and that North Saint was also knocked out cold.
Same goes for the rest of the cell.
I know I'm strong, but this was a bit overkill. Should I punch myself a few times to make it look like I was beaten black and blue too? That way the guards would be less-
"What the hell happened here!?"
"Gallus got beaten by the new kid!"
Speak of the devil, the guards showed up.
I hope I won't get slapped with another charge after accidentally using violence.
...
Back to the present for a moment.
"A fight in prison?" Paul rubbed his chin. "If that happened, it really could add to your sentence."
"But I was released right after," I replied.
"Huh? Why!? If it were me, I would've been locked up for another whole week!" Paul protested. "Why are you always so different?"
I didn't know either, but in short, this is how it happened.
...
As mentioned, I was released a few hours after being arrested. Not because I defeated Gallus, of course. My release was because, after that incident, several people with authority started looking into me and recognized the title Demon Dragon King.
Not only that, if you remember, the gray-armored knight buddy I saved in Wind Port a few months ago is the son of a man named Galgard Nash Venick. He is the Grand Master of the Order of Instruction, one of the three most powerful knight Orders in Millishion.
Sir Galgard, upon learning the situation, ordered my release.
Suddenly, I felt like the protagonist in those web novels who accidentally does something and ends up with a good result. So this is the feeling of being the chosen one or something huh?
Of course, things weren't that simple. Even though I was no longer in the cell, I was held at the knight order's headquarters for questioning.
They were initially quite skeptical of my authenticity, even with the Grand Master's son vouching for me. In the end, I had to go through a trial by fire. Even members of other Knight Orders were brought in to fight.
I shouldn't have tried so hard in these fights, but I worried that if I didn't go all out, they'd think I was an impostor and throw me back in the cell.
So I defeated anyone they threw at me. Water Saints, Sword Saints, Knight Captains, Keepers of Anastasia, or whatever, regardless of their fighting style, I beat them all. I had a bit of trouble in a few matches, but in the end, it all went smoothly. It seems my time at Necross Fortress really prepared me quite well for everything and my stamina is very suitable for long fights.
And so, my next two consecutive days were just spent fighting the strongest people in Millishion.
After that came sitting and talking with people in power. Simply put, they seemed to want to maintain a good relationship with me, so I spent another whole day just meeting people.
Yep, I even met the Pope, but that story had nothing to do with this, so there's no need to mention it.
...
Just in time, as I finished the story, we arrived back.
"So after that, you became highly respected by the knight orders?" Paul concluded. "What a story you got there."
"Yep."
Actually, it was also because I was very polite and respectable. I even taught them a few things I knew. But you could conclude that I was respected because I was strong; let's just put it that way to make it easy to understand.
Now, let's get the party started. I am quite hungry now.