Isekai Nonbiri Sozai Saishu Seikatsu - Chapter 85

“So this is Lindblum?”

After a week-long journey by carriage from Grantel, Klaus and I arrived at the port town of Lindblum.

We got off the carriage at the high point of the town.

From there, a vast expanse of blue sky and sea stretched out, allowing us to overlook the streets of Lindblum.

It was my first time seeing the sea in this world.

I was drawn to the beautiful scenery and approached the railing as close as possible.

The endlessly stretching sea was incredibly beautiful, reminiscent of the tropical seas from my past life.

To the right of my field of vision, there was a sandy beach where people were strolling peacefully and children were playing chase.

Shifting my gaze to the left, I saw the harbor with several ships moored.

Surely, fishing must be prosperous here with the sea right in front of us.

And directly below us, numerous residential houses sprawled out.

“Unlike the buildings in Grantel, the houses here are whitewashed…”

“That’s because they use crushed shells as paint to prevent erosion from the sea breeze.”

As I pondered this, Klaus came over and explained to me.

Indeed, with the sea breeze blowing directly by, it reaches even us here on the high ground.

They must be building houses to suit the land and climate.

“Oh, there’s a nice smell…”

Perhaps carried by the sea breeze, the savory aroma of food being cooked at a nearby stall reached us.

It definitely smelled like seafood because of the scent of the sea.

“Klaus, would you like to go down to the town and have a meal?”

“If you’re talking about food, didn’t we eat a little on the carriage before arriving here?”

“Well, that’s true, but don’t you want to try Lindblum’s seafood cuisine?”

Indeed, we had breakfast before arriving in Lindblum, but if there’s seafood cuisine available, I definitely want to try it. After all, it’s been a while for us.

“Give me a break. I don’t want to walk through the crowd carrying this luggage.”

“I’ll take care of that for you.”

If carrying the luggage is bothersome due to its weight, I can just store it in my Magic Bag. That way, we’ll be hands-free.

Seemingly giving in to my pressure, Klaus sighed resignedly.

“…Just for a little while. I want to take a rest at home.”

“Thank you! Then, please lead the way.”

Klaus handed me the trunk as if to push it onto me and descended the stairs from the high ground with a familiar air.

I secretly stowed the trunk and backpack into my Magic Bag and hurriedly followed behind.

♦ ♦ ♦

“Wow, the streets are quite narrow and crowded here.”

“Yeah, this town attracts sailors and adventurers with hot blood. A simple bump could escalate into a fight. Be more cautious here than in Granter.”

As Klaus mentioned, there were many sturdy men with sun-kissed, tanned skin on the streets. While Grantel also had its share of robust adventurers, Lindblum seemed to have a higher proportion.

Tanned skin makes people look so strong just by looking at them. I felt like I could understand a bit why people who are into bodybuilding would want to tan their skin.

Being just an average guy in terms of height and build, I need to be careful not to get bumped and pushed around.

“But we’ve taken quite a few turns. I’m not confident I can find my way back to the original high ground.”

“We’re taking a detour to use less crowded streets this time. Normally, the route would be much simpler.”

Ah, I see, Klaus knows the route because he’s a local. It would take me a while to find places like this on my own, so this is quite helpful.

“Oh, but I advise you not to use the back alleys to the west. There are some unsavory characters there.”

“Got it. I’ll be careful.”

Initially, Klaus was lamenting about wanting to go home quickly, but when it comes to guiding, he’s surprisingly helpful. Despite his brusque words, it’s heartwarming to see a kind Klaus.

“We’re here. This is Lindblum’s street of stalls.”

As we descended from the middle layer of Lindblum to the lower area, we came across a street lined with numerous stalls.

Wow, there’s a lot of seafood-related ingredients here, hence the scent of the sea is strong.

I unconsciously scanned the stalls, where I found an array of shellfish neatly arranged on the grill, beautifully cooked large prawns, unfamiliar fish steaks, and more—a lineup suitable for a port town.

There were so many things I wanted to eat, I couldn’t decide. I felt like eating everything right away.

“Klaus-san, do you have any recommendations?”

“I recommend the garlic-grilled scallops, salt-grilled big lobster, and the simple yet delicious grilled fish cakes. Let me guide you.”

“Please do!”

Klaus seemed confident in his recommendations. He immediately started moving.

When in doubt, it’s best to follow the recommendations of the locals. Klaus must remember where the best stalls are located. I followed Klaus and bought the garlic-grilled scallops, salt-grilled big lobster, and grilled fish cakes.

Then, we decided to sit on a bench away from the crowd to eat.

“Let’s start with the garlic-grilled scallops!”

The scallops on the skewer were topped with plenty of chopped green onions and garlic sauce.

Just smelling the fragrant garlic, I had a feeling it would be delicious.

I took a big bite of the scallop. The taste of the scallop spread in my mouth. The more I chewed, the more rich essence of scallop came out.

They paired well with the crunchy white onions and the garlic, creating a nice accent.

“Delicious!”

They were very easy to eat, and I felt like I could eat as many as I wanted.

Ah, it’s been a while since I had shellfish. There are shellfish and fish in Grantel, but mainly river fish. Occasionally, there are fish and shellfish frozen with ice magic, but they tend to be expensive and lose some of their flavor.

Freshly caught ingredients that haven’t lost their freshness are truly different.

After quickly finishing the scallops, I started on the salt-grilled big lobster.

Then, Klaus, who was eating the fish cakes next to me, spoke up.

“The shell of the grilled big lobster softens when cooked and can be eaten as is. Well, it depends on your preference, so you can peel it if you want.”

“In that case, I’ll eat it as is.”

Peeling the shell seemed a bit troublesome, so if I could eat it as is, I might as well.

Following Klaus’s advice, I ate it without peeling the shell.

The crispy texture of the shell and the flavor of the shrimp spread out.

The shell was really soft, like eating shrimp-flavored chips.

Contrasting textures with the firm flesh were enjoyable and delicious.

The lightly sprinkled salt was superb.

And finally, Klaus’s recommended fish cakes.

The color is quite plain because it’s made from fish, but I already know the deliciousness of fish cakes from my previous life.

When I took a bite, the taste of the sea breeze came through.

It’s as if the essence of the fish is condensed.

“These fish cakes are really delicious too.”

“Yeah, they may look plain, but the taste is top-notch.”

Klaus seemed pleased that I liked his recommended fish cakes, nodding satisfactorily. Then, Klaus shared a tidbit of knowledge, saying that ordering fish cakes at the town’s eateries would give insight into the skill of the chefs.

Considering how he enjoyed browsing through the flea markets in Grantel, he might also enjoy searching for hidden gems among eateries.

“Are you satisfied and full now? Let’s head back home soon.”

After finishing the fish cakes and lazily gazing at the sea, Klaus slowly stood up.

It had been a week-long journey. As Klaus had mentioned earlier, he probably wanted to get back home quickly.

“No need to apologize. It was part of the deal to guide you.”

As I expressed my gratitude, Klaus turned around and began walking.

Whether it was to hide embarrassment or because he really wanted to head home quickly, I couldn’t tell. Either way, it was a typical Klaus move.