“Welcome. The dormitory is small, but please make yourself comfortable.”
When we arrived in Vadzul, I immediately went to greet Camilla. Despite being part of a group that included a sage from the Federation Army and a Celestial, we were given accommodation in the state’s dormitory. Originally, we didn’t plan to stay long, but Vito seemed to have caught a slight cold, probably due to the rain, so we decided to rest a bit.
“Sorry… we pushed ourselves out in the rain.”
“Don’t worry about it. We’re at fault for forcing ourselves out in the rain.”
Even though Vito had caught a cold, in this world, there was magic. Nishina especially excelled in restorative magic. In the magical world, restorative magic was primarily used to heal injuries sustained in battles, but it seemed more versatile.
According to Spellsess, it wasn’t necessarily Nishina’s restorative magic that healed cold-like symptoms, but Kimishima’s wood magic that enhanced the body’s healing abilities. After receiving the magic and feeling much better, Vito’s original stamina had likely been greatly depleted due to the unfamiliar journey. We decided to stay in Vadzul for two nights to regain some strength before heading to the capital of Spelt State, Kapto.
Kapto was quite far from Dudur Valley, more so than going to Dudur Valley from Vadzul, highlighting how much land Durham State had lost.
The dormitory here wasn’t much different from the accommodations in Dudur Valley. The dorms built within the city walls resembled small, partitioned private spaces like capsule hotels.
It was even more basic than Dudur Valley, with bunk beds and curtains. Finally free from roughing it out in the wild, everyone stretched out as they pleased.
“They say this is the biggest city in Durham State.”
“Yeah, but it feels more like a military city, doesn’t it?”
“They’ve been at the forefront of battles with monsters for decades since the Monster Parade.”
“The state military headquarters are still here today.”
Indeed, Camilla, the head of the state military, was often present. Normally, someone as crucial as Camilla would be on the front lines, but ultimately, the focus was on thinning out the monsters around the city rather than reclaiming new territories, due to the depopulation issues occurring in Dudur Valley spreading to other recovered towns.
The ultimate goal was Gallal Blue, the capital of Durham State, but considering the strength of the monsters, it was clear they were not yet in a position to act. Perhaps in the future, Nishina and the others would be assigned to locations outside Dudur Valley.
While having a meal in the state military headquarters cafeteria, Camilla entered. She was technically the top general for us. I started to rise out of respect, but Camilla quickly gestured for me to stay seated.
“Oh, Sensei. Camilla doesn’t mind those formalities, so it’s okay.”
“But she’s still a general, right?”
“She tells us not to call her that; everyone just calls her ‘big sis’.”
Since Nishina and Sakuragi had spent some time climbing the ladder here in Vadzul, they had a vague understanding of Camilla’s personality.
“Hmm? I smell Takato saying something rude.”
“Haha, you’re imagining things.”
Though their interactions had been brief, both Nishina and Sakuragi interacted with Camilla naturally. Perhaps that was part of her charisma as a leader.
“So, Shigeto, are you staying one more night?”
“Yes. We’ve been traveling in the rain for three days, so I think we should rest a bit.”
“I see. There’s not much to do in this town, but make yourself comfortable.”
“Are there any good restaurants around here?”
“A good restaurant? Well… there’s Niko’s.”
“Oh, that sounds nice.”
“I don’t know if it’s good, but they serve Morrison’s dishes.”
“Morrison?”
“Ah, it’s from my original world. Most transmigrants from Morrison end up in the Huger Duchy. It’s quite rare elsewhere… You see, the Huger dukes have strong Morrison blood.”
“I see…”
Certainly, if there were a country ruled by Japanese people, I would probably choose that as my first option. After all, arriving in a new world could be unsettling. It was natural to gravitate towards a country ruled by people of the same origin.
In any case, experiencing new culinary cultures was always exciting. We decided to go there for lunch the next day.
“Well, whether it’s good or not, you’ll have to try it to find out my tastes, Shigeto.”
“Haha, I’ll be fine.”
After bathing for the first time in a while and sleeping in proper beds, we welcomed the morning slowly. Living in Dudur Valley meant rising at dawn like regular soldiers and heading out for hunts, so it had been a while since we had such a leisurely morning.
“I wonder what Morrison cuisine tastes like.”
“Oh, it seems spicy?”
“Ehh… spicy… I can’t handle that.”
As we had breakfast at the state military cafeteria and discussed lunch, Sakuragi was as lively as ever, while Nishina continued to tease me. Was it really that spicy?
Kimishima sat beside me, enjoying their playful banter while munching on salad. Beside them, Vito seemed fully recovered, eating breakfast heartily.
“How are you feeling, Vito?”
“I’m good.”
“Okay. If you get tired, don’t push yourself.”
“Okay.”
Morrison cuisine seemed to consist mainly of spicy Southeast Asian-style dishes, as I imagined. According to Nishina’s information, they served a lot of spicy food, but when I mentioned that I wasn’t good with spicy food, the manager reassured me with a smile that it would be fine.
Since Vadzul had few Morrison people, who traditionally ate spicy food, they had adjusted the recipes accordingly for the predominantly Noin people. They even prepared a special spicy version when General Camilla visited.
Nevertheless, the exotic dishes spiced with unfamiliar seasonings were all delicious, each with a unique flavor. It was a delightful experience to taste such creatively seasoned dishes again.
Especially Sakuragi was greatly impressed by the dessert that came last. Vito also seemed unfamiliar with sweet foods, eyes wide open as they eagerly moved their spoon.
After a relaxing day, we set off again, this time towards Kapto, the capital of Spelt State.
“We’re cutting it close to get there in time. Let’s meet again at our destination.”
“Oh? I heard the representative of the interim government was going, but is the general going too?”
“Ah, yes. With so many people trying to incorporate our state into Spellto State, we can’t afford not to attend the ceremony. It’s a vulnerable position.”
“I see… There’s a lot going on, huh?”
“Actually, it would be easier if Yazzak could go instead. But he’s not good with that kind of thing.”
“Haha, I can kind of understand.”
Camilla saw us off, and we headed towards Kapto. It took just one night by magical carriage, but it would likely take a bit longer with a Sebek beast carriage. Still, the rain had stopped, and traveling under the sun made the journey feel easygoing.
