Chapter 520: The Lakeside Maiden

「I can see it. A big puddle」

『It’s a lake』

「Just like the sea」

『No, it’s a lake』

Ahead of us was the town of Kiarazen.

It was also known as the Lakeside Maiden. It’s because there’s a statue of a water spirit in the square where you can get a nice view of the lake that attracts a lot of tourists. But Fran doesn’t seem to be interested in it though.

The town was also nicknamed “Lakeside Maiden” because of the beautiful white color of its town’s buildings.

It was a beautiful landscape, just as the name “Maiden” implies. The shimmering blue surface of the lake reflecting the sunlight and the white buildings standing on its shore. The contrast of blue and white looks so beautiful.

The sight of the tiny fishing boats coming and going on the large lake reminded me of the preciousness of people’s lives.

「…So big」

「Woof…」

Even these duos seemed to be impressed by the view. They stared at the lake in awe. Well, it didn’t last for a minute though.

「Fish!」

『Yes yes, let’s go to the town then』

「Nn」

Our entry went smoothly. We had to wait in line for a while, but it probably took less than five minutes. I wondered if there were too few people due to the war, but it seems that most travelers use boats to enter the town from the lakeside.

Only a few peddlers or adventurers used the land route.

『Fran』

「…Nn?」

『You shouldn’t eat too much, we need to get to the adventurers guild too after this』

「Nnhm」

『It’s not polite to answer when eating you know―』

I mean, how can she go to a food stall within 30 seconds of entering a town… Oh crap, buying snacks has definitely been added to the purpose of Fran’s trip now.

We have the money, but I wonder was it good for her education to allow her to buy as much food as she wants? I know she won’t waste any of it, but…

『Hmm』

「What’s wrong, Master?」

『No, it’s nothing, but I just think that Fran eat a lot, huh?』

「Fufun」

Why did you make such a smug face? She never reacts at all when people say she’s cute. But it seems she thinks that eating a lot was a compliment for her.

『So, what did you buy?』

「This」

『Hohou, deep-fried fish huh?』

It would look more like a carp or a goldfish. Just like a freshwater fish. The cooking method used for it was simple: take out its guts and fry it in oil. They did not even remove the scales.

『How does it taste?』

「Salty?」

『…Anything else?』

「A taste like a mud」

It was a typical under-prepared river fish. However, despite saying that, Fran still managed to eat the fish.

「It’s crunchiness is good」

『Oh, you like its texture huh?』

「Nn」

She seemed to like the fried scales. After Fran finished it, she rushed to the food stall and bought more fried fish, and bit into it.

「!!」

『Wh-what’s wrong?』

「This is delicious」

『Hou?』

「Woof woof!」

『Urushi too, huh?』

What Fran was staring at with wide eyes was the fried fish that almost every stall on this street offered. The fish they used seemed to be the same and I couldn’t tell the difference from other stalls by looking at it.

But if Fran and Urushi say it was delicious, then it must be true.

『It must have been a famous stall. Maybe it was prepped and seasoned well』

「Let’s get more!」

「Woof!」

『Ah, wait!』

Fran and Urushi dashed back into one of the stalls. I mean, how could they think of buying something here?

The stall was deserted and looked very rundown. The paint was peeling, and its curtain was dirty and worn.

Was it because of this appearance that no customers came to the stall, or was it because no customers came to the stall that it remains rundown? At least for me, I wouldn’t have chosen this stall to get something to eat.

「Huh? You’ve come again?」

The seller was a beautiful girl with blond hair. Her white skin made me wonder if she had the blood of nobility in her veins. Since she was selling fish that had been fried on the spot, it wouldn’t be strange if her skin was rough from the oil splashes, but there was not a single blemish on the girl’s skin.

But I don’t think customers will be rushing in for this girl. She was wearing a black headband-like eye patch that covered both eyes. It would be fine if she showed one of her eyes. But it covered both her eyes. The strangeness of her eyepatch, which looked like a blindfold, stood out on top of her beauty.

But Fran didn’t care about that at all and ordered some fish.

「Nn! It’s the most delicious in here, the smell didn’t lie」

「Woof!」

「Thank you」

The girl smiled softly and bowed her head lightly.

Apparently, Fran and Urushi chose this stall with their noses. The frying oil used looks different from the others, it may be replaced frequently without being reused. That’s why the price was also a little higher than the other stalls.

「Give me all you have」

「Eh?」

「I want them all」

「Umm, you mean all the ones in here?」

「Nn. I’ll buy it if you’re gonna fry that too」

『Hey hey, you can’t buy everything, she won’t be able to do business』

It was not enough for a store to have good sales. For the sake of the customers and the regulars, they have to keep a certain amount in stock for their reputation.

However, the girl looked pleased.

「Thank you. I’ll fry it right away then」

「Nn」

Come to think of it, her stall was not as popular as the others. Maybe it was already lucky for the girl to be able to sell them.

『But still, she’s amazing』

The girl was making the fried fish so fluidly that it made me wonder if she could see. The way she handled the fish and the timing of lifting it out of the oil was perfect.

And that’s not all. When Fran handed her the money, the girl could tell by the slightest touch whether it was silver or copper and returned the change to us.

I was curious and couldn’t help but appraise her.

Name: Rhyn

Age: 24 Years old

Job: Cook

Status: Missing both eyes

Status Level: 25

HP:54

MP: 101

STR: 30

PHY: 36

AGI: 41

INT: 49

DEX: 47

Magic: 70

[Skill]

Sensitive Hearing: Lv2, WInd Magic: Lv4, Air Flow Vision: Lv2, Presence Detection: Lv2, Wand Technique: Lv2, Echolocation: Lv4, Magic Vision: Lv5, Water Magic: lv2, Cooking: Lv4, Magic Manipulation.

[Equipment]

Oak Wand, Water Spirit Clothing, Magical Eyepatch, Magical Necklace.

She possessed several skills to supplement her vision. Judging from her skill set, she was probably a magician by nature.

「…」

『!』

Wha? Did Rhyn’s eyes look at me for a second there? No, she shouldn’t be able to see… But was it her Magic Vision that allowed her to know that I was a magic sword? It felt strange, it was as if she saw through my soul that resided in the sword… But that shouldn’t be possible.

However, it seems that the loss of her eyesight made her extremely perceptive in other areas. Let’s be careful not to let our guard down in front of her.

「Thank you, I’ll come again」

「Likewise. That’s the best sale I’ve had since I started this stall. Come again next time」

Then we left Rhyn’s stall, but for some reason, I felt like she was watching me the whole time.

『No no… Was it just my imagination?』

「Master?」

『Hey, do you feel like someone is watching us?』

「Hmm…?」

「Woof…?」

My words made Fran and Urushi brace themselves for a moment. But they quickly tilted their heads in confusion. I guess they don’t feel anything. Was it just my imagination after all? When I thought about it, the inexplicable feeling cleared up before I knew it.

『Sorry, maybe it’s just my imagination』

「Nn」