VIO Ch 41 – A Stroll Around the Royal Capital (V)

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Translator: mii

editors: sleepchaser, ASplashofMusic

After sending Jill and Legion off on their trip to the weapon store, Vio took a stroll around the street.
He had intended on waiting inside a random restaurant until they had selected a suitable sword for Legion.
However, he happened to catch sight of an interesting stall.

It was selling juice from a fruit that he had never seen before.
Manning it was a woman in her thirties, her face tanned and her olive-brown hair pulled back in a tight bun.
She also wore a scarf.

“What’s that?” Curious, Vio made his way toward the stall.

“Ah, Master! I can go buy it in your stead if you’d like…” called out Rille, seeming troubled before chasing after him.
Cheval and Lantz followed her.

“Excuse me, Madam.
What are you selling?”

“M-Madam?!” The stall owner widened her eyes in surprise.
Then she burst into loud laughter.
“Calling me madam is too much! Why’d you tease me like that? It’s embarrassing for someone doll-like to call me that, y’know.
Plus, you’re a noble!”

The woman continued to laugh.
Although she talked like she had disliked the way Vio had addressed her, her face revealed happiness mixed with slight embarrassment.

Lantz stepped forward, warning, “Shopkeeper, your way of speaking is too—”

“Now, now, Sir Lantz,” said Cheval, pulling him away.
“Lord Violant doesn’t seem to mind.
Let’s just spectate.”

As Vio wondered why the knights were making a ruckus behind him, he asked the stall owner, “Then how should I call you?”

“Just call me ‘Aunt.’” The stall owner took out a fruit from her basket and tilted her head.
“You were asking what this was, right?”

Vio nodded.
“Yes.”

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There, Vio saw the fruit for the first time.
It had a hard shell, its size just large enough that it could still be held with one hand.

“This fruit is picked from a stonepelt tree.
Its shell is incredibly hard, so it can be used like a rock, thrown at thieves and other dangerous creatures to drive them away.
However, the flesh itself is also a popular snack among children.”

The stall owner wrapped the fruit in a piece of cloth before striking it with a hammer, the sound of the shell cracking accompanying it.
Once she unwrapped the cloth, Vio could see the white tender flesh inside.

When she offered it to him, Vio decided not to be reserved and accepted it.
As he took a bite, the slightly sweet and sour juices of the fruit spread in his mouth.

“Delicious,” said Vio.
He had thought it to be akin to a walnut, but the taste was similar to a lychee’s.

“Right? Its slight sourness works well in fighting fatigue in this summer heat.
Would you like a cup?”

“Sure.
Please give me four.”

“Got it! That’s four copper coins.”

Vio took out his wallet but noticed that he had no copper coins.
The currency of the Kingdom of Istiah was called Edel.
One copper coin was equivalent to one Edel.
One silver coin equalled one hundred Edel.
And of course, one gold coin was a thousand Edel.
This also meant that one silver coin was equal to a hundred copper coins.

He wished he had at least ten copper coins in hand, but it was usually Jill who did the shopping.
Even though Vio possessed a wallet of his own, he had not had an opportunity to pull it out.
Naturally, he wouldn’t manage to obtain any smaller denominations of money.
However, if he were to pay her a coin of large value, the stall owner would have to take out a ton of change, and this would surely be troublesome for her.

As Vio hesitated on whether to hand his silver coin or not, Cheval suddenly extended his hand from beside Vio and placed four copper coins on the counter of the stall.

“Here are four copper coins.”

“Thank you.
Please wait a moment!” The stall owner counted the coins with great speed and stored it, right after which she started to make the juice by mashing the flesh of the fruits.

Vio turned to Cheval in surprise.
“Sir Cheval?”

“You probably only have silver or gold coins, right? Please don’t worry.
This is merely small change,” said Cheval before casting Rille a glance.

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She turned away with a huff.
“I see.
Then Master and I will accept your kind offer.
Thank you.”

“This much is nothing.
Would you like to go on a date with me next time? It’ll be fun walking around town like this.”

“I refuse.
This and that are two different matters,” said Rille without hesitation.
This saddened Cheval.

Vio was thankful for his help, but it seemed like Cheval’s intention had been to gain brownie points with Rille through him.
He completely failed, though.

A bitter smile crossed Vio’s face.
“Um, thank you very much, Sir Cheval.”

“You’re welcome,” replied Cheval, head hung in dejection.

Meanwhile, the stall owner had finished making four cups of juice.
Floating in them were pieces of ice, created using magic.
“Here it is! Drink this and cool yourselves down from the heat.
Please come again if you like it!”

“Yes, thank you,” replied Vio, accepting one of the unglazed cups.
Beside him, Rille handed Cheval and Lantz a cup each in a swift manner.

Then they moved under the shade of the tree that was along the street where the weapon store was located.
There was also a bench placed near the trunk of the tree.
Vio sat on the bench with Rille, while Lantz and Cheval stood side-by-side, taking sips from their cups.

Vio took a sip of the stonepelt juice himself.
Its sweet and sour taste made him smile.
“The fruit itself was delicious, but it tastes even better as a drink.”

Rille said, “You’re right, Master.
It’s delicious.
It’s been a long time since I last drank this.”

“When I was a kid, I always looked forward to having this during the summer.”

Since Rille and Cheval had grown up in the royal capital, the juice brought them nostalgia.
Only Lantz remained silent as he drank his.

Vio shifted his gaze toward him.
“Sir Lantz, does it not suit your tastes?”

“No, it’s delicious.
It’s just… I was surprised that Lord Violant would buy and drink something like this.”

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“Oh, this is the first time I’ve bought a drink from a stall.
Usually, Jill does everything for me, including the shopping.”

“Mister Jill is a talented person.
He can do everything!” added Rille, pride in her voice.

Vio nodded in agreement, taking another sip.
Unconsciously, he muttered, “This will definitely taste delicious as a sorbet.”

Rille looked at Vio in puzzlement.
“Sorbay?”

Vio tried not to panic at the fact that he had revealed knowledge from his previous life.
With caution, he replied, “I’ve forgotten where I heard it before, but you would freeze the juice and shave it.
Then you would eat the shavings.
Turning them into a bite-sized piece of ice might be good too.” A pause.
“That mental image left me craving for some.
Maybe I should try making sorbet.
If I could first borrow a kitchen somewhere…”

“Master sure knows everything.
I haven’t eaten anything of the sort.
But if we only need to freeze the juice before shaving it, Mister Jill’s magic would do the trick.
I’ll try making it once we get home.”

“Really? Then please do, Rille.”

“Yes, please leave it to me.”

In the middle of Vio’s pleasant chat with Rille, he saw a young man with black hair coming toward them from a distance.

“Sir Night?”

“As I thought, it’s Lord Violant,” said Night before bowing.
He was dressed in a plain black robe.
“I’m sorry for bothering you in the midst of your sightseeing.
I had thought it was only someone with great semblance to Lord Violant.
But against my expectations, it really was you.”

“It’s okay.
I dressed like this to blend with the commoners.” Vio grinned, happy that it did the trick.

But Night laughed and said, “No way, Lord Violant.
Regardless of how I look at you, it’s obvious that you’re a noble travelling incognito.
I just never thought I would see you drinking juice by the side of the road… So even a member of a duke’s family would buy and drink something like this.”

His words were similar to Lantz’s.
Vio also felt secretly sad that his disguise didn’t work at all.
“It looked delicious, so I bought a few cups.
Sir Night, are you here to look for a new sword as well?”

“No, the princess has already given me a new sword.
But I heard of a shop around the area that has a good lineup of products, and there are several weapons that I wish to purchase.
That’s why I came here.”

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This reminded Vio that in the manga “Princess Dances with the Night,” the protagonist Night always prepared several steps ahead.
He always carried hidden weapons and gadgets on his person.
It seemed that he did his preparations in this manner.

“How unexpected.
Right now, Legion is selecting a sword from that store.”

“Sir Legion?” Night glanced at the weapon store and began to look fidgety.

“Please feel free to talk to him.
He’ll definitely be happy.”

“Ah, no.
Please pardon my rudeness.
I was wondering what type of sword the best knight in this kingdom would choose.”

“It’s fine, I don’t really mind,” said Vio.
Though Night tried to keep a calm facade, Vio could see right through him.
“Ah, Sir Night.
We’re going to a restaurant on 10th Avenue that’s known for its delicious dishes.
Why don’t you join us? I’ll treat you.”

“Uh, is that okay? I’m incredibly grateful for your offer.
I have no acquaintances in this town, so I have no idea what is delicious here… I even wondered whether I should just buy some bread and return after completing my purchases.” Night’s gray eyes sparkled, and he had a genuine charming smile on his face, not a hint of flattery present.
He bowed once again.
“Then I will finish my business first.
Please wait a moment.”

“Legi is also inside, so you don’t need to hurry.”

“Yes!” replied Night, his tone lighthearted.
However, he still walked toward the weapon store at a fast pace.

“…Maybe I should buy another cup,” said Vio, glancing down into his empty cup.

Quick as lightning, Rille stood up.
“I will buy it for Master this time! I won’t lose to Sir Cheval!”

Then, not giving Vio time to recover from his surprise, Rille ran to the stall they had visited earlier.

Unable to help himself, Vio asked, “Sir Cheval, have you made any progress with Rille?”

“If I have, she wouldn’t act so competitive with me like this…” Cheval breathed a heavy sigh.

Lantz patted the other knight’s shoulder, though his face was as expressionless as ever.