Ketchup ( 4 )

They say the best comes out when the worst goes in.

So what the fuck happened to Jotun that made her this much of a prodigy in driving?

You know what? Probably something I shouldn't delve into, I didn't delve into Dice's Yandere tendencies when she had those nor did I care about that one undead I summoned at all...

Point is, I could honestly care less.

Jotun is just... really good at driving. I don't know if it's just a talent or if its some sort of skill but... jeez. Despite driving across literally open plains we haven't hit a single bump or swerved too hard... it's just been smooth sailing for the most part.

That... kinda makes it boring for the most part BUT it's probably better that way, I'd rather not get sidetracked... we've got a mission, and sure as hell we are going to succeed.

I might as well take a nap... not much to really do until we get to Morin... the others will take care of whatever inevitably happens when I dose off. Or, now that I think of it, I could maybe practise vision related things... eh... nah... too much work.

Jotun's driving obviously, Dice is sitting shotgun... Anise and I are sitting on the backseat... Syn is ' infused ' into the trunk right now... Scarab is just chilling in a cupholder.

I wish I had something to snack on, I got Ebony to drink but man... I wish there was like a fast food place I could drop by right now...

You know, even days before the world ended there were still people working at those places... a shame too... though it did make it easier to get food in a basically apocalyptic scenario, jeez... Old Earth was so weird.

I don't even like... remember most of it.

Speaking of remembering... I can feel a familiar cold air... very crisp and dry... these smells too, food stalls... we are in Morin.

- " Are we there yet? "

J - " Eh? No, its still like... a few miles away? Why? "

- " Oh... I just smell food stalls. "

Jotun with her sharped teeth attitude as always... such a tomboy. Though I guess it makes sense... she was born a warrior and traveled the world as one for quite a while, that probably roughed her edges a bit.

J - " Really? Dice, what about you? "

D - " Well, certainly I do smell food... but, its very feint. Ooo... I'm Hungry..."

Dice with her cheery yet near mindless thoughts... a shame, she used to be really intelligent and we'll spoken. I guess it transferred to Anise... that smarty pants glasses wearing broad. Heh, gotta admit though she did look cute in those.

Even though they have taken some odd directions as they devolved into people, im just glad they don't call me weird things anymore... ugh, that night when Melody called me Senpai will forever haunt me...

Well, we are almost at Morin. Been another 2 hours of driving from our original 2 day trip from Arch's place... total of 50... or, about 50 at least.

That smell keeps getting stronger, roughly shaped fried dough... lovely grilled poultry skewers... oh and that one stall with the beer fried fish... damn... I kinda forgot Morin had some good stuff.

The vehicle came to a stop.

...

" Halt! You approach the Kingdom Morin's gates, state your Identity and Purpose! "

J - " Eh? Guards at the gates? That's new. Ey Coby, any help? "

C-Coby? Pf-

- " Yeah. One second. "

I hopped out of the car and made my way around it... Then I use my Magic Echolocation ability to determine the situation... two guards, metal armor... enchanted... ones holding a spear and the other has a glaive like weapon... both are about 15 feet away along with... giant walls.

Sigh... roleplaying time.

- " Make way, I am Cobalt. Crusader of Ice and the ' Savior of Morin '. I have business with the Queen. "

" Long Dead the Crusader lay! Ay, but Cobalt you are! Thy eyes are blind and yet full of vision like the tales, your cloak ever shrouded in blood, thy beasts that follow you, it all matches up! Let him through Gate Keeper! "

" Aiy! I second that! Open the gates! "

Easy enough. Huh, I thought that would be harder. Well.

I got back into the car and listened to the sound of the... metal? Metal gates that opened with an oiled screech, it was louder than most and it's magnitude wasn't lost on me... it seemed these gates were sturdier and larger tham even most nuclear bunkers.

Well. We are in Morin now... let's uh, get some grub.

- " First stop, Food. Anything will do, but something fried preferably. I know you all must be hungry. "

Dice - " Very! I could almost eat a horse-! "

J - " Your portions are usually that size anyway ya beast. Fried food sounds good, if I remember there used to be this pub by the Adventurer's guild. "

A - " You joined the adventerer's guild? You never told us that. "

J - " It had it's perks. More money for killing monsters is always welcome. Heh, I even got to rank A. "

D - " Adventurers... those guys are the annoying groups that tried to hunt me a lot right? "

J - " Yeah, big monsters mean big bucks... and I'd be damned if you weren't the biggest monster out there at that time Dice. "

A - " Rude. "

J - " You aren't a monster Anise, they never saw your other form... or at least told the tale about it. "

I'm completely ostracized in this conversation... whatever. I'm just hungry.

...

J - " Hel and Ale, still the same as I left it... ah, Cobalt... how should I park? "

- " I'll just pocket it. Let's go, how much money do we have on us? "

A - " 4 Gold. "

Ah shit. Damnit, money problems... frick, well... it can't be that expensive to get a good meal around here right? Let's go in... make sure everyone's out of the car...

System, Convert back into mount card from and store it.

| Confirmed. |

Alright. Let's eat... jeez, this smell is more tempting that anything I've felt before... if I wasn't used to Charm Magic I'd think this place would be practitioners of it.

It was a lively place, the clanking of metal goblets of mead and other various drinks only was drowned out by the cheering and conversations of the many... warriors. All of these people seem to be wearing some form of metal armor, though lots of cloth is easily sensed by my ability. Many spikes of Magic power also find their respect in my vision.

Jotun lead us to an empty booth in the right side of the pub, despite intruding on such a cheery atmosphere with our sober and reclused mood it didn't catch any attention as they continued to drink and party.

Then they handed us menus... god this makes me pissed, I can't read! System, any help?

| Denied |

Darn...

Oh wait, where is Syn?

System?

| He is currently De-Summoned. Scarab, along with a secondary turret, are present inside pockets within your coat. |

Alright... let me try this...

{{ Command. Display vision. }}

][][ Command receive, broadcasting built in camera... power duration at around 6 minutes... ][][

Heh, I can still command the little turrets too... it's a little harder without Syn or the Skill to help out so...Ugh... I've been forgetting to spend Skill points...

I'll do it later...

Let's see... lots of various fish dishes...beer battered cod... ooh that sounds good... braided drake roast? Huh? It looks like... challah bread... that's meat? How do they make it?

Analysis this please, System.

| It seems they cut long fillets in some sort of draconic beast, and braid it like hair or challah bread. |

That sounds really fucking good. I'm getting that. Now... what did they order...

Anise got grilled... thing? It looks like... some form of poultry... large form though.

Dice got the " Mega Fauna Deluxe " which seems to be a large platter of various cooked monsters.

Jotun is eating Sashimi... I see she hasn't lost her traits as a Samurai, but... raw fish? It probably isn't that bad, the ocean being close and all, but I have a bad reputation with raw meat.

And... here we go! My order has arrived!It's pretty big... it's size is comparable to a loaf of bread, it smells smoky... and the meat seems to be saturated in... garlic... paprika... butter... oregano... and a few herbs I don't know, but there is also traces of fucking Mana.

...

This is good. Like, holy fuck.