The Belly of Valuana

Chapter 29 The Belly of Valuana

The citizens of the empire have always held a psychological advantage over its largest neighbor, with only minor or major victories. There is only one area where they are lavish in their praise of the Holy Kingdom: its cuisine.

However, Rorschach's first meal in the Holy Kingdom was really not good. Was it because the Imperials had too much of a bias?

Seeing that neither Mr. Aller nor Miss Hill seemed to be enjoying the food, Rorschach became more certain that his tastes were not different from those of the humans in this world. Well, it seems that the dwarves who shovel lentil paste into their mouths are the exception.

Singh also strongly recommended adding the salty, sour, and astringent flavor of salted gluten to boiled beans, saying it's a shame not everyone has a dwarf's tongue.

Back in his room, Rorschach decided to use the Water Creation spell to get some pure water to rinse his mouth.

Dust? The cup on the bedside table was moved, leaving a faint mark on the bedside table.

Someone else had been in the room. Presumably, it was another agency specialist. Rorschach brushed away the dust and checked the room; there was nothing else unusual.

Rorschach thought for a moment, then took off his leather armor and placed it on the windowsill, turning off the room lights.

Unable to sleep, Rorschach lay on the bed, grabbed an empty tin cup, infused it with magic, and the light shone brightly once more.

Unlike the blue light emitted by the stone before, this time it was a whitish-blue light.

"Different materials, different colors." Rorschach changed the way he inputted magic, attempting to alter the so-called "frequency of magic."

The color changed again and again until a stable milky white light appeared.

Rorschach sat up abruptly. Not only the cup, but his entire control panel was also lit up.

[Radiance (White)] "Ignite Radiance (White)"

This was the first time Rorschach had independently learned a spell since arriving here. It was a very simple little trick, but he didn't use scrolls or a panel.

Although he only had white proficiency, it did not mean failure, but rather instability—Rorschach kept trying, adjusting the color and brightness of the light.

The milky white light reappeared, and Rorschach obtained a cup that could emit light stably for at least fifteen minutes, and his proficiency level reached "blue".

It's getting late, time for bed! Rorschach fluffed up his burlap pillow and lay down.

The "cup lamp" gradually went out.

Comparing the Empire and the Holy Kingdom, especially their capitals, there is a distinct difference in their character, which can be seen from the architecture.

The empire's territory has expanded further, and while the architecture of the imperial capital is magnificent and solemn, it also reveals a tendency towards pragmatism. Although the royal capital is influenced by the grand religious atmosphere of the Church of Order, splendor remains its main theme.

For example, the city wall in front of Rorschach was made of off-white quartzite, which would be fine for general buildings, but its strength as a city wall is questionable.

But when the dawn sunlight shines on the walls, from a distance it looks like a sacred curtain rising over the plains, gently wrapping Valuana, making it exceptionally beautiful.

As for what to do if the Imperials attack, the Valuwana people will 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 Valuwana through the southwest gate. This gate was specifically for goods, particularly flour, meat, and vegetables for all of Valuwana's inhabitants. Rorschach exchanged a glance with the imposing stone beasts atop the gate before riding into the heart of the kingdom.

The convoy was stuck in traffic shortly after entering the city.

"Excuse me, ladies and gentlemen, you've come at the wrong time." A large truck was parked in front, and a farmer's head, still covered in vegetable leaves, poked out of the truck bed: "This is when we unload our goods. We'll leave as soon as we're done."

Numerous horse-drawn carriages and donkey carts were parked in front of a tall building, while vendors carried baskets of vegetables in and out, and there were also pigs cut in half and live chickens and ducks crowing.

"Gaga!" Gast Yaz on Rorschach's shoulder joined in the chorus.

A tall, thin man was checking the vehicles. When it was Mr. Allen's turn, he walked over and asked, "Are you from out of town?"

"We are not from Valuvana, sir. We are just passing through."

The man, with curly black hair—a trait characteristic of people from the southern tip of the continent—said, "Sorry, sorry to keep you waiting. But what can I do? This is Valuwana's stomach, and it just so happens to be 'eating' time."

Rorschach couldn't discern any connection between the building's shape and digestive organs: "A stomach?"

"Young sir, you can call it the belly or stomach of the capital."

Whether it's the meals of monks and lawyers or the lunchboxes of factory workers, all their food ingredients come from here—this is the largest vegetable market on the entire mainland!

After the tall, thin man finished speaking, he went to help, leaving behind a series of amazed comments: "If you only see the magnificent, huge buildings and not the red and green food, it looks like a train station or even a monastery."

Luo Xia watched as the tall, thin man stumbled, the wooden frame he was carrying filled with tubers, making it several points heavier than the other frames.

The man swayed, barely managing to regain his balance. "Thank God!" He himself thought he was going to fall hard, but to his surprise, the toppled goods miraculously righted themselves.

Rorschach withdrew his invisible [Mage's Hand]. Having experienced a traffic jam rarely seen in this other world, the procession slowly started moving again.

In the royal capital, the Adventurers' Guild stood right next to the Cathedral of the Church of Order, while the Imperial Guild was next to the Magic Guild. "The gods bear witness, we have finally completed this arduous journey." In the reception room, Mr. Aller personally opened a bottle of golden sparkling wine, releasing a lively and pleasant sweet aroma after "The Sigh of a Young Woman."

He personally poured wine for every adventurer and coachman, and led the way in raising his glass: "No matter what difficulties we may face in the future, we can celebrate our success at this moment! To be honest, there were several times on the road when I thought we were going to come up empty-handed."

Singhlev happily downed his drink, and Hill, who usually doesn't drink alcohol, also drank some.

"Guys, please step out for a moment. I need to settle the final payment for the adventurer's guards."

As Rorschach watched the coachmen leave the room, Mr. Aller approached him first.

"Master Rorschach, it's wonderful that you could join the escort! Without you, I might have lost my life in the wilderness, let alone delivered the goods!" He squeezed Rorschach's hand tightly, then took out a bag of gold coins: "Twenty-five Charles XVI coins, please count them."

The Valois gold coins bearing His Majesty the King's seal were slightly less valuable than the Imperial Golden Eagle coins, but still a considerable sum. Weighing the heavy bag in his hand, Rorschach once again marveled at the generosity of the Lowe Merchant Guild.

Mr. Aller then took out two more bags and handed them to Singlev and Hill respectively: "Unfortunately, I cannot return to the Empire immediately. Please remember the Holy Knight's request and do not linger here. Thank you both."

"Don't worry, Mr. Ale, I'll head back north after I buy the wine!"

Hill nodded in response, "I will."

"Gentlemen, I am at the Tower of Stars. May the stars guide us to meet again!" To their surprise, Rorschach also shook hands with Singh and Hill.

"Young Master Rorschach, you will definitely become the greatest archmage!" Singrev said, gripping Rorschach's hand tightly.

A major crisis of unfinished manuscripts...

(End of this chapter)