Laxmi's Explosives

Day 77, year 3000.

"This place is..."

Out in the bustling streets of Eleyphis, Gawain was just a speck among the various residents that made up the heart of the city. He had one word for this situation.

"Suffocating."

The well-paved streets that hosted horse carriages all day long, magnificently decorated shops where you could find almost every single item imaginable, hotels and inns that were busy entertaining tourists and visitors from all over the kingdom, and popular cafes and restaurants that were enjoying fruitful business thanks to their popularity and efforts in attracting people from every class.

This was the market district. A veritable mixture of citizens of all walks of life, trying to either find a suitable out for their worries, or a profitable in for some money.

To get to this place, he had to cross a silent street that was devoid of many residents.

When he checked the map by the entrance to the market, he understood why it was so empty.

"The red-light district."

It was 3 in the afternoon. Of course, it wasn't popular at this time.

'I guess I was wrong.'

He had chosen this time of the hour, expecting that it would be less popular.

"It is the capital, after all."

Standing on the sidewalk, he considered his options.

"I have money. Should I grab something to eat?"

50 Silver. The face of a bearded man was inscribed on the coins. He looked at the coins in his pouch, and then looked up to scan the nearby cafes.

A golden banner that read,

"Divinity." in white text and cursive alphabets.

Another golden banner.

"Pinnacle." in black text and bold words.

He ignored those two instantly.

A pink banner was next,

"Adoration" with a small red heart symbol at its side and a funky font.

This was most probably a couples' café. From the window, he observed various couples spending their time together. Feeling like he was invading their privacy, he moved to the next café.

A red banner.

"Spice and Fire." With a red chili that was erupting in flames from the top.

He was fond of spicy food. But a café with spicy things? This was a first for him.

"Let's see."

Gawain crossed the sidewalk and walked into the café with intrigue in his eyes. Upon entrance, he was surprised to find that it was only slightly less popular than the couples' café. Its red walls and floors were adorned with black furniture that complimented the overall theme. People were constantly taking sips of water from their glasses after every one-two bite of the food. Overall, the atmosphere was good.

"Sir?"

His blue uniform alerted some of the customers, but they quickly went back to their food items. A black-haired man with a well-shaped beard and a slightly dusky complexion was the first person to greet him. When he confirmed that he had Gawain's attention, he continued,

"Welcome to Spice and Fire. Would you like a seat?"

His voice was deep, but his tone was elegant. Adding that to his attire of a suit with a waistcoat and a bow, he was too well-dressed to be an attendant.

"Yes."

The man was slightly taller than Gawain, but his frame was thinner. He pointed his hand towards one of the tables and said,

"Please. Have a seat."

He guided him to a nearby table. When he was finally seated, the man picked up the menu and handed it to him.

"Peruse at your convenience. I will wait for your order."

Gawain opened up the menu.

'Surely, it must be pri-'

He read the first item.

"Spice Tea.-2 Silvers."

Dirt cheap.

"Spiced Up Corn Noodles-5 Silvers."

"Remedial Chili Soup-7 Silvers."

"Wheat pops with flavored goat cheese filling-11 silvers."

"Buttered bread sandwich with sour sauce-7 silvers."

"Crunchy potato wafers with extra spicy dip-2 silvers."

"Laxmi's explosives special offer-11 silvers."

The list went on.

He looked back at his attendant.

"Your order?"

He maintained his poker face.

'Let's give this a shot.'

"Laxmi's explosives." One plate, and a cup of spiced tea.

Visibly taken aback, the attendant asked,

"Are you new in the capital?"

"Yes."

"I am asking you beforehand. Are you sure you want to eat it?"

It felt like he was looking down on the knight-to-be. Gawain puffed his chest up and said,

"I have no doubts. Please, bring the dish."

"Fine."

He walked away towards the door to the kitchen. Before entering, he turned around to give his new customer a final look. Gawain could feel the pity in his eyes, but he gave no attention to it. Five minutes later, he walked out of the door with a tray that had his order on it.

"Your order, sir."

He took the plate from the white tray and placed it in front of him.

Small white balls made of wheat flour, along with a serving of sweet sauce.

Next, he took out the small cup and placed it beside the dish.

'Stingy with the volume of the tea.'

It looked normal to him.

'But who am I to complain? 2 silvers is too cheap for a proper serving regardless. '

He was about to pick up a ball, but the attendant spoke up.

"I advise you to have the tea first, and pour yourself a glass of water."

"And why is that?"

"It would be better for your health."

He wasn't lying. Gawain could see that, and he took his advice.

"Fine."

He filled the empty glass with a jug that was already on his table from the beginning. After doing that, he picked up the small cup and took a sip of the warm, light brown liquid. As soon as his taste buds came into contact, his eyes widened.

'Amazing.'

The taste was completely alien to him, but it was extremely refreshing. The tea leaves had been properly used, but the spices added the extra punch that left him wanting more. What surprised him the most, however, was how he wasn't able to tell the additional components that made this tea so good. 2 silvers were an insult to this masterpiece in his eyes. For the first time in his life, he had to admit that the taste of this beverage was far superior to what his mother used to make for him and his brother.

The attendant sensed his pleasure.

'One more follower.'

He thought to himself. The specialty of this tea was the extreme reviews that it got from its customers. People would either love them enough to make several trips in a day just for the taste or hate them enough to never visit them again.

Gawain was facing a difficult decision.

'Should I order more?'

He could get addicted to this taste, which wouldn't be ideal.

'Self-control.'

He finished the cup after relishing the taste slowly for about 3 minutes and looked back towards the attendant.

"Did you like it?"

He could already tell, but this question was out of courtesy.

"I did."

He placed the empty cup on the table. Unbeknownst to him, he was smiling after a proper taste.

'Next, the explosives.'

He was slightly afraid but highly curious. Whenever his mother made a dish out of animal meat, she would add homegrown red chilies in bulk to make it extra spicy. It was occasion food, and he had developed a heavy tolerance to spicy things.

The flour had been steamed, giving it a soft texture. Due to the craftsmanship of the chef, the spheres were in good shape, and the contents had been sealed off properly. Without wasting any more of his time, he took a bite.

Explosive. An appropriate name.

As soon as the filling touched his tongue, he was able to realize why the dish was called that. The taste was amazing, but the heat was overwhelmingly insane.

He finished the ball up as quickly as he could. The spice was unbearable, but the taste was... exquisite in a way. He didn't even look at the glass of water and picked up another explosive.

His lips were burning. His tongue was crying out for help, but his mind was yearning for more. It was delicious but life-threatening.

"Sir?"

His eyes watered up, and his nose was ready to let out the stuff.

Gawain wasn't listening. He ate up the second ball just as quickly as the first. Three more to go.

'The best way to eat spicy foods while enjoying them is to eat them fast and let the taste linger after you finish the food.'

He was missing his brother. He would have loved this.

'Does he like it?'

The attendant was stunned. He wasn't touching the sweet sauce.

Gawain's face was red. He ate up the rest of the remaining balls without taking a break. People in the establishment were staring at him in awe.

'Now.'

After the last bit of filling was ingested, he picked up the glass and drank it down in one gulp.

'It was probably too hot.'

He enjoyed the sensation, but his tongue had gone numb.

"Huff... puff..."

His breathing was easily audible to everyone.

"Are you alright?"

Why did the boy push himself to such an extent?

"Huff... Can I..."

He was struggling to talk.

"What..."

With tears on his red cheeks and a smile on his crimson lips, he said,

"Can I... meet the chef?"

The attendant was taken aback.

"What?"