A Taste of the Past

Even calling it a date, the time had already surpassed seven in the evening. The sun was already beginning to set. However, the streets were still bustling with people. Young boys moved busily about, lighting the street lamps one by one.

“Wow, I’m glad we have money. We almost ended up penniless in a place like this. I was horrified when John said he pickpocketed someone.”

“Indeed. It was a helpful deed.”

“It seems Azrael’s knights each have a useful manual skill.”

When I spoke mischievously, Azrael let out a light sigh. He kept his smile, but he looked a bit bitter.

“They are useful skills for infiltrating enemy territory or smuggling items.”

“Oh…….”

“In an era like this, one cannot always settle scores simply by clashing power head-on.”

Does that mean the knights of ‘Knights of Dark Ages’ have skills similar to the rogue class? I wondered if John had a backstory involving a childhood of poverty, and I felt somewhat bashful.

“Then, does Azrael know how to pickpocket too?”

“It sounds strange when you call it pickpocketing. But… ah, Andrealphus, this way.”

“Uh, yes, thanks.”

The hem of a passerby’s clothing brushed past me. If Azrael hadn’t pulled me aside, I would have practically collided with the man. Startled, I couldn’t take my eyes off the passerby and looked back, but he didn’t even notice the near-collision and simply walked on.

“…I can do at least this much.”

“Eh? Oh, what?”

I only snapped out of it when I saw our coin pouch resting on top of Azrael’s hand.

“Huh?”

“I am a bit clumsy compared to Sir John, so I often fail if I don’t distract the target. Still, not bad, right?”

A prince of a nation having the skills to pickpocket is beyond imagination. Especially my Prince, who is the icon of a righteous heart and a righteous life.

“What, Prince? How did you do that?”

“I do not think you need to learn how.”

“No, well, that’s true…….”

He was right. Unlike many other lifestyle skills, this one likely wouldn’t be recognized as a formal skill. Between NPCs, it might just be a setting that ‘there was money in the pocket,’ but if a user pickpocketed another user, it would be considered bad manners. However, I was just purely curious about how he did it.

“It’s like a magic trick, so I want to know.”

“Hmm, the knack is simple. You snatch it while the other person is paying attention elsewhere.”

Azrael said this while opening his hand. I focused my eyes on that hand.

“It is the same when stealing, and the same when putting it back.”

The next moment, I absurdly found the coin pouch resting on my own hand.

“Whoa…….”

“How was that?”

“It’s like magic!”

If it were a real magic trick, it would have been a flower or a pigeon instead of a coin pouch. I clapped my hands in genuine admiration. At my enthusiastic reaction, Azrael rubbed the back of his neck.

“This is the first time I have received such a reaction. It is a bit embarrassing.”

“Aren’t people surprised when the Prince says he can do this? You’re even the Commander of the Knights.”

“Hmm, Andrealphus. I think there is a misunderstanding……. The knights of this world are not very ‘gentlemanly.’ It is different from your world.”

“Hmm?”

Azrael spoke hesitantly and cautiously. He wore an expression of quite serious concern. I blinked.

“I-is that so?”

“Unlike the image you might have, the knights here tend to use any means necessary.”

“I… see.”

Certainly, the knights of ‘The Hunters’ were many who possessed chivalry, like something out of a fairy tale. Having played ‘The Hunters’ continuously lately, my image of a knight was close to that, but it’s not like I’ve never played a dark fantasy game before.

“The knights of this place—there are many who do dishonorable things for their own greed, many who succumb to pressure and abandon their beliefs, and many who act like scoundrels for no reason at all.”

In fact, knights who don’t follow chivalry was a common topic in world history class back in school, but hearing it like this……. I somehow felt like a child being protected by Azrael and grew bashful.

“Well, I don’t know why you’re so worried, Prince, but our world has those kinds of knights too!”

At that answer, Azrael looked down at me with very concerned eyes. It was the gaze of someone worried about a fledgling taking its first steps into the world. Having only seen the peaceful, harmonious, and kind side of ‘The Hunters,’ it was understandable that he would be worried.

“But Andrealphus, you were surprised just by us doing a simple ‘hand trick.’ Such things are practically essential skills for the knights here.”

“U-umm. I was surprised, but you don’t have to worry this much…….”

At my reply, Azrael turned his gaze elsewhere. Was he looking toward where the Demon King was summoned, or somewhere else? Or was he simply avoiding my gaze? I couldn’t tell.

He answered after a moment.

“I do not know why I am saying these things either……. but I feel as though I must tell you.”

Those words felt like a foreshadowing of some sort, giving me a strange feeling. What was Azrael worried about? Was he afraid I would follow anyone around like a kindergartner? I wanted to reassure him by telling him to consider my power and that his worries were unnecessary, but instead of saying that, I decided to quietly listen to his concerns.

It’s rare to find someone who sincerely worries about a capable adult, and I didn’t mind the sentiment.

After that unsettling conversation that felt like a plot hook, we wandered aimlessly until we entered a restaurant with a decent exterior.

The restaurant didn’t have any particular characteristics. The number of customers was average compared to other places, and it didn’t seem to have a signature house special. However, when I saw the food that was brought out, I cheered in spite of myself.

“Your food is served!”

“Wow—!”

Oh, man. This looks incredible. I looked over the dishes covering the table. There were meat and seafood dishes prepared with all sorts of spices. Every dish utilized fresh vegetables and fruits. For appearance alone, it was a hundred out of a hundred. This food from an ordinary village restaurant looked the most delicious of anything I’d seen in this world, ‘Knights of Dark Ages.’ It might be rude to say, but it looked better than the food I saw while staying in the capital.

“Prince, I think we really picked the right restaurant!”

“Indeed. To think such delicious-looking food would be served.”

“Let’s eat before it gets cold. Wow, it looks so good.”

I plunged my spoon into the fish stew in front of me. The fish meat crumbled as softly as tofu. I wished I had chopsticks to debone it properly. Anyway, taking a full spoonful of broth and fish, the taste of strong spices filled my mouth. Cumin and lemon were strong, but there was also a deep scent of black pepper. Overall, it felt like Indian cuisine yet also like European cooking. The broth was on the thinner side. Azrael dipped the accompanying bread into the broth.

Delicious.

I was so moved I felt like I could cry. I ate the food ravenously. I’m not usually one to prefer heavily spiced food, but I found myself reaching for these dishes again and again. Perhaps it was because the ingredients were so fresh.

The chicken served with it provided the same satisfaction as a Christmas turkey, and the beef ribs, well-marinated and slow-cooked, tasted like braised short ribs but with a slight Western twist. The salad dressing was a mix of sweet and sour fruit juice and yogurt, and even that was tear-inducingly delicious.

“Wow, how is it this good?”

As I continued to shower the food with praise while eating, Azrael, sitting across from me, couldn’t focus on his meal because he found me so amusing. But listen, Koreans run on meal power, and I’d been eating tasteless food for days. Me, who had reached the max level in cooking! Me, who lives with an inventory packed to the brim with my favorite foods!

The plates were cleared in an instant. I gauged the money in the pouch and ordered one of every single item on the menu. The servers looked at us with horrified faces as just two people ate like monsters. It was to the point where even Azrael looked at me with concern.

“Andrealphus, can you really eat all of this……? No, it is fine if you do not finish, so it is better not to push yourself.”

“I’m not pushing myself. I promise, Prince.”

Thanks to my body, which doesn’t feel an unpleasant level of fullness, a tower of numerous plates soon rose on our table.

Having cleared every main dish, I finally felt a bit more relaxed.

“I knew you liked food, but I did not know it was to this extent. It seemed like cooking for yourself was a part of your daily life, just like your other tasks.”

Azrael looked back and forth between me and the plates with wide, surprised eyes. In fact, by this point, it wasn’t just Azrael; everyone in the restaurant was looking at me with those same eyes.

I gracefully picked up a glass containing chocolate pudding and the small spoon to eat it with, then answered.