“As expected of a high-end restaurant in the royal capital. Every dish was truly rare and delicious.”

The restaurant that Berna and Ferry guided us to was incredibly large and luxurious. Unlike the simple dishes sold at food stalls, these meals were crafted with various creative techniques and generously seasoned with a variety of spices.

Additionally, dishes using ingredients I had never seen in Al-Flare were brought out one after another. I'm not sure if it had anything to do with the magic or strength of the monsters, but many of the ingredients here tasted far superior to those available near Al-Flare.

And, of course, the price was just as impressive, with the bill exceeding five gold coins per person. While I knew the cost of living in the royal capital was high, this was still far more expensive than I had anticipated…

I can see now that even though people here may earn more, living in the royal capital is still quite the challenge.

“Yeah. I've never had such a high-class meal before. The royal capital's gourmet cuisine is something else.”

“Yes, it was absolutely delicious. Tetsuya, thank you so much for the meal.”

“Tetsuya-nii, it was super tasty!”

I paid for the entire meal this time. Berna and Ferry offered to cover their share, but considering they had taken the time to show us around the royal capital, I insisted. Though, given that they are A-rank adventurers, this amount of money probably isn't much to them. Still, it was a matter of pride for me as a man.

“We were able to visit the royal capital thanks to everyone's hard work in Al-Flare. It's only fair to have a little reward now and then.”

Besides, thanks to teaching people how to make compasses, I had recently earned another large sum of money, so covering a meal like this wasn't a problem. That said, Berna and Ferry mentioned that there are even more extravagant restaurants in the royal capital.

I had joked about it before, but it wouldn't be surprising if there really were places where a single meal costs over 100 gold coins per person…

“I'm glad you enjoyed it. Even compared to this restaurant, though, Tetsuya, the curry and ramen you made were incredibly delicious. They're flavors you can't find anywhere else in the royal capital!”

“And there's no chocolate bars or yokan-like sweets here either. Tetsuya’s abilities are truly amazing.”

It seems both of them really liked the items we bought from the outdoor shop. The food at this restaurant was indeed fantastic, but instant curry and stick ramen are, quite literally, from another world.

“I'm glad you liked them so much. Well then, let's split into two groups and continue exploring the royal capital this afternoon.”

In the afternoon, we divided into two groups: one focusing on sightseeing around the royal capital and the other revisiting the market we had been to earlier. Both were interesting options, but I was particularly eager to take my time exploring the royal capital’s market, so I joined that group.

The ones exploring the market with me were Lilia and Ferry, making it a three-person group. Since sightseeing was more popular, the other five decided to visit some of the royal capital's famous landmarks. Since Berna and Ferry were familiar with the city, they each led one of the groups.

We would all be staying at the same luxurious inn as last night, so the plan was to meet back there by evening.

“This area is where they sell food ingredients.”

“Wow, there are so many things I've never seen before!”

“Yeah. Compared to Al-Flare’s market, both the scale and the variety of goods here are completely different.”

The three of us returned to the largest market in the royal capital, which we had visited in the morning, with Ferry guiding us around.

“Do you and Berna usually shop here?”

“Berna and I don’t cook, so we rarely come to this part of the market.”

“Neither of you can cook at all, huh.”

…Right. I had almost forgotten that despite being adventurers, neither of them actually prepared their own meals. Well, with Ferry’s massive storage magic, they probably manage just fine without cooking.

“Alright then, let’s take a good look around.”

“Hey there, young man! Take a look at our goods!”

“You there, beautiful lady! Spare a moment to check out our wares?”

The market in the royal capital was bustling with activity. There were tons of customers, and the shopkeepers were enthusiastically calling out to potential buyers. With so many customers, there were naturally many stores as well, leading to fierce competition for business.

If a merchant could succeed in the royal capital, they could likely become quite wealthy, but the challenges were just as great. Personally, I think I’d prefer running a more relaxed business in the adventurer town of Al-Flare.

“Oh! Young man over there! You sure are lucky to have two beautiful ladies with you— Wait, isn’t that Lady Ferry of the Azure Tempest!?”

“………………”

In front of one of the stores, a middle-aged shopkeeper, likely in his forties, called out to us. Ferry is really famous, huh? She didn’t respond, though. Now that I think about it, she’s a bit shy around strangers.

“Well, this is a surprise! Welcome to my humble shop. Please, take a look at anything you like!”

It seemed to be a store specializing in spices and seasonings. Just what I wanted to check out. Let’s see what they have.