Chapter 194
Clael and Reina walked arm in arm through the crowd, going around the food stalls.
Numerous booths and stalls lined the main street. Among them were a few that seemed to have come from foreign countries.
"Ah, Clael-sama! There's a rare sweet over here!"
"You're right. That might be... ma-maritozzo?"
They discovered a sweet that looked somewhat familiar, and yet not.
A female vendor at the stall smiled and spoke to them.
"Welcome. Are you two siblings?"
"Do we look like that?"
Reina gently rested her head on Clael's shoulder.
The woman gave a wry smile at the kind of affectionate gesture not often seen even between siblings.
"Ah, so you're a couple then. If you'd like, why not try some?"
"No, we're not a couple..."
"We'll take two, please—"
Before Clael could explain, Reina flashed a peace sign.
The female vendor smiled and handed them two maritozzi wrapped in paper.
"Here you go, be careful not to drop them."
"Thank you very much."
"Thanks..."
"She's such a cute girlfriend. Make sure you treat her right."
"............Yes."
Feeling somewhat unsatisfied, Clael took the maritozzo.
It was knowledge from his previous life... but maritozzo is a traditional dessert originating in Italy.
In Japan, it was common for them to be filled with fresh cream, and sometimes fruits like strawberries were added.
Around the time Clael was about to die, they had become very popular... but he had never actually bought or eaten one.
"Ah, it's sweet and delicious."
"I see... the fresh cream has cheese mixed into it."
Clael and Reina, while being mindful of the people around them, walked and ate the sweets they had just bought.
The cheese-flavored fresh cream was packed with sugar and, despite its strong taste, was delicious.
It was a flavor that would hold up even in Tokyo of his previous life.
"This is a foreign sweet, right?"
"From Italy... or rather, from some other country. You don't see it in this country."
"If a shop opened in this town, we could eat it again... It's a bit of a shame."
"Shall we come back for more? The martial arts tournament hasn't even started yet."
It seemed to be a foreign stall, but it probably wouldn't close until the tournament was over.
There should still be a chance to eat it again.
"Sweet things are nice, but I want something a bit more filling."
"Ah, they're selling meat. What's that thing spinning around over there?"
"...That's kebab, probably."
That too seemed to be a stall that came from abroad.
A dark-skinned male vendor shaved the rotating meat with a knife and sold it sandwiched in bread with vegetables.
It was a traditional Turkish dish... kebab.
"Hey, you two good-looking lovebirds! Wanna try our food?"
"We'll buy some."
Reina answered immediately.
She must have been interested in the rare foreign cuisine.
The dark-skinned shopkeeper grinned widely, put the meat and vegetables into bread, added sauce, and handed it over.
"Here ya go! Enjoy your date while you can!"
"Thank you."
"......Thanks."
Clael and Reina sat on an empty bench and started eating the kebab.
"It's spicy... but delicious!"
"Very spicy... Is this lamb meat?"
Was it heavily seasoned to mask the gaminess of the lamb?
It was quite unique, but it suited Clael's palate. Reina also ate with a delighted 'huff huff'.
"How should I put it... it's a strange sight. Really."
While eating the kebab, Clael turned his gaze toward the main street.
The city was bustling with people. Some had come from the royal capital or other towns, and others seemed to be from foreign countries.
There were people who looked like Black or Asian ethnicities, and some wore traditional ethnic clothing.
"Being here like this... does it remind you of the past?"
"The past? You mean your student days, Clael-sama?"
"......Something like that."
He had actually meant Japan... but that had been a slip of the tongue.
Since Reina didn't seem particularly suspicious, he just went along with it.
"Back in my student days, I used to go around food stalls and booths with my friends. It brings back memories."
"Ah, I see... I wish I could've met you during your student days, Clael-sama."
"Unless there's a time machine... or some way to travel through time, that would be impossible."
"Time travel..."
Reina tilted her head with a thoughtful 'hmm'.
"If it involves passing through heaven, it's not entirely impossible to travel to the past. But it consumes a lot of power, and even if I used all my magic, I could only go back a year or two... If it were possible, I'd love to dote on little Clael-sama..."
"Reina?"
"Ah, no. It's nothing."
It felt like she had said something dangerous... but Reina immediately gave a pure smile like a white lily.
A girl who could smile so transparently like that couldn't possibly be plotting anything evil.
It was probably just Clael's imagination.
"They're doing street performances over there... Shall we go watch?"
"Yes, of course!"
"Then let's go."
Taking Reina's smiling hand, Clael headed toward the plaza.