Chapter 20: Ah~ is this the restaurant close to the river? It’s not!

A *clang*clang

I, Raidou-san, am holding a knife and a fork and eating a particular meal.

Nom! Glomp!! Nom!….

Beside me, there was an elegant Japanese style beauty that was only using a fork and was barbarically wolfing down the food in front of her.

I should teach Mio some table manners.

I need to have her 'act' the part in moments of need, at the very least. I seriously need to!!

Well~ we attract attention.

Aside from us, there doesn't seem to be any adventurer-like people around.

The ones that are here are mostly guests that have come to have a meal and I feel like they are a different quality of customers compared to adventurers.

I will be repeating myself but, that damn boy. He sold us the most expensive plan.

He led us in a scared way to a high class restaurant that from the looks of it, it could even have a dress code.

In a refugee camp you know?!

Just how much of a luxury is this? Is what Makoto, Makoto tried to think. (In a certain younger sister way*)

Misaka Misaka Ref

I was wondering what kind of food would come out and when I arrived to the table I saw a knife and a fork.

Heyhey, is it 'that kind' of food that will come out?

And that's exactly how it went.

So, with a meal that didn't betray my expectations, I began checking my surroundings.

It's filled with people that look like royalty or merchants. I don't know if they are really royalty but I am impressed at how they are able to wear such clothes that look so hard to move in. This place is supposed to be the peak place for people that are looking to train themselves. It makes me question their sanity.

Even if the adventurers had the money for it, I don't think they would come to such a stuffy place like this.

Gorgeous looking food was spread out in every part of the place that could even serve as a refreshment for the eyes, and the black haired person beside me with her lively way of eating, that I try to mind too much.

Thanks to 'that person' I couldn't feel the taste of the first decent food that I have received since arriving to this world, at all. Not a single bit.

Even though I want to survey without being noticed, I am in a situation where everyone is watching us intently…

Of course, I am using [Sakai] to complete my objective thoroughly. Counting the observation of Tomoe and the tailers.

In a size that enables me to pick up their conversations as well.

Well, how do I say it?

If Tomoe were here, she would most likely be jumping in joy.

The shady conversations in here, are truly plenty.

About the stockpile of weapons or the profit margin of comestibles, experiments, materials, etc.

Without doubt, more than half of the people here are evil.

Saying it in a magistrate of period dramas way, it would be 'Just how many sections are there?'* (TN: Really not sure what he said. 体何話分なのかねえ)

I don't want to think that rich people = evil but, when the situation is like this it just can't be helped.

Could it be that from now on I will be coming to this kind of restaurants in order to gather information? I don't mind though~

"Waka-sama, this food, the taste is good but, isn't the amount too small?" (Mio)

Even when you stop the fork the only thing that is in your mind is the food. Just what should I do with you Mio-san?

[N? This is not the kind of food that can be taken out so easily so there is nothing that can be done] (Makoto)

There are people watching so I write words in front of my chest for Mio to see.

"It will be finished with just a bite" (Mio)

Mio really looks like she is sad. The fish that was probably smeared in a butter-like substance to increase the scent of it, that high class meal, was eaten in one bite.

It was swallowed just like that.

I see, it looks like the meuniere that is used on white meats. It has a scent that can be compared to butter but it's probably just a 'difference in worlds'.

[That's why you should use the fork and knife like this and slowly enjoy it] (Makoto)

With words showing that I was already tired of it and pressure mixed in it, the color of Mio's face changes and she just nods.

I don't know if she is being considerate or not. I mainly can't understand her.

This is so complicated, more like, Mio is clearly having a complex expression while taking that knife in her left hand.

You don't have to practice it today though, it can be at a later time. Are you having a desire to improve yourself?

[It's okay if you slowly get used to it] (Makoto)

I glance at the absent minded Mio.

With how this is going, I feel like Tomoe will take out her own personalized chopsticks. I will have to warn her.

The dishes are coming one after the other, it's nice to see that this place is as lively as a pub.

We are underage so there is no sake though. In the past there was a time where I went with my friends to a pub and had a non-alcoholic party.

That is what I would call a happy and enjoyable time.

But.

How unpleasant.

The recent conversations that I have been hearing from my surroundings…

There are some that think we are upper class people, and that feels unseemly.

It even gave me nausea. Ah~ the meal is so good. Probably. (TN: stress is making him unable to taste the food. He is going Naofumi on us)

They are really thinking we are upper class people that have lots of gold, but I could only feel sarcasm from those words.

At least that's how it was with the 'Incredibly rich people' that were in my surroundings.

I don't care if we are out here to learn about the world but, when the concept of level itself is different, I feel that that itself will become a barrier in our learning.

The person in question seems to be having fun and it felt like an attraction. The virtue of her was not in the saving of money but in wasting a lot of it.

When I took her to eat a hamburger, she said 'What is this clay that has flavor? Is this food?'

I felt like her eyes were glittering when she said that. They really were. (Far away eyes)

No no, their levels are different. And they don't even seem to pay attention to the economic situation of their friend.

They are fellows that have no influence in the economic powers' balance. Maybe it's because they have an amount of money that makes them think it's not important at all.

In reverse, the people here.

They use their friends to change them for money. That's the only thing they think.

And the one that is even higher than these ones, is using large interests in order to get money to use.

No matter how I think about it, I don't think I will be related to that super rich guy.

I don't think but…

The world's rich people all begin practically as thieves, burglars, raiders, that kind of types. In a hundred of years or so, they might obtain some dignity.

Umu.

The thing called life is so deep.

The summary of the conversations the people around here had, was like this.

The ones that have no money should just buy weapons and go hunt.

If he can't get his hands on resources and raw materials, when he returns you just have to loan him dirt cheap money with low return time and you will get a nice guinea pig. It's as easy as baiting a kid.

If he is able to get his hands on something you just have to invite him to a nice meal and retrieve the money. Commodity is alchemy my friend.

I can understand the first part. If you are in the area of physical strength then the best way to gain money is using your body. On top of that, people that come here are mostly concentrating on training their bodies rather than gaining money so that might be a reason as well.

But a guinea pig… That's a word that I can't just let slip by.

They are selling weapons at a really cheap price and manipulating the person. If they bring things back it could be sold at a high price but the food and commodities are all rip-offs. And they have to stay in expensive inns.

If they are unable to get anything they will have to rely on loans and their end will be to become 'guinea pigs'.

In the end, the money will return to them. Moreover, it will increase.

Furthermore, the things that work as salvation; food, opposite gender, luxury, they sadly have to live with the reality that all of this things are being provided by the weak.

A vicious circle, no, it's a well-made system created by the ones who obtain the profit.

"Because of the surroundings I can't even enjoy my food-desu wa ne" (Mio)

And.

It still shows in my face.

It seems that Mio is at least paying attention to her surroundings. Well that's the only thing she is doing, but I must admit that she is progressing. Umu umu.

[I am sorry, it looks like it showed in my face] (Makoto)

"No no, I am the one that is pouring cold water in this meal we are having together-desu" (Mio)

??

Now that I look carefully, I can see that Mio has a face that seems to be enduring something.

This girl is not good at holding it in after all.

Fumu, Is this what's called 'silliness'?

No nono.

Let's make conclusions leisurely.

[Well, in the end it looks like we will be sacrifices to the hobbies of Tomoe. When I think about it I feel a bit pitiful] (Makoto)

Because this is the path where you go 'divine punishment!'

Should I go 'I struck with the back of the sword'?

First I will be going all out.

I will straightforwardly dance in the rain of blood.

When I think about it rationally, I will probably be killing someone in the near future.

However, I have been living for many years considering this as the highest taboo so there is nothing I can do about it.

I can't think of doing it for real.

If I fall into panic and can't do it, I still have Tomoe and Mio so there should be a way around that.

I can't get a moment of leisure huh.

Kill, kill, kill.

Stab, slash, hit and kill.

In the time of the Liz I had no intentions of doing it, it was an accident so I didn't feel much about it.

At that time with the demon race I didn't know of their existence.

In the cases of Tomoe and Mio, it was me instead who was fearing for life.

When I imagine that the target will change to the human beings*. (TN: we meet again人)

I laugh, no, I am surprised maybe.

That I can 'easily' think of a scene of me killing human beings.

Though I don't really think I will not feel anything when I actually do it.

That shouldn't be possible, it shouldn't be but…

I continued my meal while thinking about that anxiety inside of me.

"Tomoe-san is wishing for conflict somewhere inside of her after all" (Mio)

[It's because it's the first hour*] (Makoto) (TN: I don't get this idiom. 一時間の〆だからね)

"??" (Mio) (TN: and Mio seems to have the same thoughts as me)

Mio didn't grasp my words and had a confused face. This is quite picturesque. Umu, it means that beauties look good no matter what they do.

That's right. Maybe I should go for a little walk. In any case, tomorrow we will be going to the commerce area. I should get a preview of the place and learn my way there while I'm at it.

I will just have Tomoe take care of the cargo.

It also seems that Mio is drinking sake and is already done with the meal.

By the way, I haven't drunk any. It's because I don't think this is a safe place to do that.

And I also suggested that to Mio. Though I want to know if the effects of alcohol work the same way for them. (TN: you want to learn that with MIO?! I think Tomoe is a safer bet)

Oh well, let's get going. She seems to be slightly drunk though. I also look up and fake as if I am drunk in sake, the 'two drunkards' play.

If the tailers have something other than following in their sleeves, I feel that this will be time they will act.

Now.

Will an Oni appear or will it be a snake?

[Lets go out, Mio. Let's walk for a bit] (Makoto)

I don't know if Mio understood the true meaning of my words but she jumped out of her sit and nodded vigorously.