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When the passengers of the St. Maria disembarked at the port city of Valencia in Catalonia, Sophia and her companions were among them.

Now, the group planned to find a ship in Valencia that would take them through the Strait of Setanta and Cadiz to the port of Lisbon in the Kingdom of Portugal.

Of course, before that, they had to help Captain Benjamin of the St. Maria with the administrative procedures for the pirate base eradication on the island of Menorca. The suppression of the pirate base they had taken down was too significant to be credited to just a single regular ship, and the unfolding of events was somewhat too fantastical for anyone to believe at first hearing.

Naturally, it wasn’t easy to dismiss the St. Maria’s claims as mere fantasy, given the sheer scale of the spoils they presented—liberated civilians, captured ships, pirates taken prisoner, and a ship filled to the brim with treasure.

With such evidence submitted, and the revelation that Sophia and Hildegard were special-duty knights of the Paladins, the Valencia administration could no longer brush off Benjamin’s report and request.

The rest was up to Captain Benjamin and the Valencia administration. After wrapping up the formalities and leaving the administrative office, Sophia and her group returned to the streets of Valencia, where rumors about the events on Menorca Island were already spreading like wildfire.

“Rumors sure travel fast.”

Despite the St. Maria having just arrived in Valencia, Conra marveled at how everyone on the streets was already chatting about Menorca Island.

“Everyone must’ve grabbed a fortune from the island. They probably rushed to exchange it for gold coins as soon as they arrived, so it’s no wonder the rumors spread so quickly.”

“So, money brought the rumors?”

“Sharp as ever.”

When Sophia praised him, Conra grinned and looked around the streets with renewed interest. Recently, Sophia had been teaching Conra about various worldly phenomena and events related to money, using their study sessions to impart lessons.

She was trying to show him that there were intangible values in the world, unrelated to direct martial power or mystery, and that the flow of money was part of those values. She also explained how financial values influenced people’s lives.

In the process, concepts like supply and demand, monopoly and non-monopoly, the tragedy of the commons, free-rider problems, trade balance and imbalance, exchange rates, arbitrage, NIMBY and PIMBY phenomena, inflation and stagflation, profit and principle, rationality and romance—knowledge that hadn’t yet taken proper form in this world—were subtly woven into their discussions.

Some, like Captain Benjamin and a few sharp-minded merchants and aspiring administrators, overheard Sophia’s teachings and began eavesdropping on her and Conra’s study sessions. Sophia didn’t mind; in fact, she hoped they’d listen as much as possible.

Humanity needed to prosper and grow stronger. The human category had been expanding by absorbing other races, but now, internal growth was also necessary. Clear observation of phenomena and systematic responses—philosophy and institutions—were essential.

‘If my knowledge, spread through them, can help elevate human society’s capabilities even a little, that’s a good thing.’

With that thought, Sophia let those eavesdropping on her teachings continue.

In any case, the passengers of the St. Maria had become instant stars, thanks to the glittering gold and thrilling tales. Everyone envied their sudden fortune and cheered for them, while the passengers themselves basked in the public’s attention.

Of course, Sophia’s group, who weren’t fond of such attention, stayed quietly in the background. Rather than engaging in noisy chatter with strangers, they found it far more beneficial to plan their schedule and spend their leisure time in training and study.

Valencia was a port city, but it was also highly developed in agriculture. Perhaps due to its long, hot summers, Valencia extensively cultivated fruit trees like grapes, oranges, figs, and olives, as well as grains like rice, teff, fonio, chickpeas, and lentils.

The port of Valencia also served as a hub for distributing these agricultural products to other regions.

Abundant agricultural produce naturally led to a rich food culture. When people are full, they seek tastier food, and most of the ingredients to enhance that flavor were readily available in Valencia.

Being close to the sea also made seafood easily accessible, and as a port city, it was a melting pot of cultures, making Valencia a must-visit destination for food enthusiasts.

At a restaurant, the group ordered squid-ink paella with various seafood, cod cheek stewed in olive oil, and traditional Hiberian drinks like horchata and agua de Valencia. They couldn’t help but acknowledge that this city was indeed a culinary haven.

“Especially this cod cheek dish—the texture is fascinating.”

Esiocles’ words perfectly captured the group’s sentiments.

The gelatinous texture of the cod cheeks, stewed in olive oil, created a unique flavor. The dish wasn’t just for filling stomachs but for pure enjoyment, and the group unanimously agreed.

The next day, as the group dispersed to attend to their own matters, Conra set out to explore the streets of Valencia, as he usually did in new places. Thanks to Captain Benjamin, who had generously shared the profits from the pirate eradication, Conra had plenty of pocket money.

Conra loved observing people. Having grown up in Ogma’s Forest near Bhyumat, he had seen no one other than his father, Setanta, and mother, Kaliastra until he was eleven. The day he was taken in by Sophia as her disciple and squire was the first time he had seen anyone other than his parents.

Perhaps that’s why, whenever he arrived in a new land with Sophia, Conra always made it a point to wander the streets and observe the people and unfamiliar sights.

The incident occurred as he was spending the morning exploring the streets and approaching midday.

“Huh, is it noon already?”

Looking at his wristwatch, which had a small compass and sundial, Conra realized much time had passed. Thinking it was time to eat, he looked around for a suitable restaurant.

According to what Sophia had taught him, local favorites frequented by locals were usually a safe bet. Fortunately, having watched the street vendors and their movements since morning, Conra had a rough idea of where people went for lunch.

The lunch crowd seemed divided into two groups.

One group opted for simple meals like bocadillos—bread stuffed with salty ham or chorizo and fresh vegetables—or thick egg omelets called tortillas filled with onions, yam roots, and other ingredients. The other group enjoyed the Hiberian-style set menu known as “menu del dia.”

“What should I do?”

After a moment of thought, Conra made his decision.

“Eating a fancy lunch feels a bit much.”

Though the Hiberian region might have a culture of elaborate lunches, Conra, born to an Erin father and a Rotaringian mother, found the idea of a formal lunch somewhat unfamiliar.

Soon, he ordered a bocadillo and tortilla from a restaurant he had scouted earlier and left with a straw basket of food. He planned to sit on the ground in a scenic spot, enjoy the view, and have his meal while watching people.

As Conra looked around for a good spot to eat, he suddenly sensed a small child unnaturally bumping into him.

Reflexively stepping aside to avoid the child, Conra immediately regretted it. The child had been aiming to collide with him, and by dodging, Conra had disrupted the expected outcome.

And sure enough.

“Ahh!”

The child, having thrown himself into empty air, tumbled to the ground.

“Ow, ow, ow.”

Naturally, the child scraped his knees and elbows. Conra expected the child to start crying, but his prediction was only half right.

The child’s eyes welled up with tears, but he stubbornly held them back, glancing furtively at Conra.

The child, who looked no older than seven or eight, was acting strangely, and Conra began to feel suspicious.

Still, leaving an injured child on the ground wasn’t in Conra’s nature. Suppressing his doubts, he quickly pulled out a salve he always carried. Being an alchemist, he always had remedies for wounds and injuries on hand.

“Hey, kid. Mind if I take a look at your wounds?”

“Uh, it’s okay.”

“But you’re bleeding! It won’t look good if it scars, so let me put some medicine on it, alright?”

As Conra tried to persuade the child, the boy hesitated.

“I don’t have money for medicine.”

“This is on me, so don’t worry about it.”

After some persistent convincing, the child finally relented.

“Then, please.”

“Alright, let’s see those wounds.”

As Conra cleaned the scrapes with water from his canteen and applied the homemade salve, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride.

“There, all done!”

The child, who had been staring blankly at Conra, slowly got up.

“Then, I’ll be going.”

“Sure, take care.”

Conra, pretending to be the adult, felt a smug satisfaction. Haha, who’s the adult here, really?

At eleven, and the child at seven or eight, the age difference wasn’t that significant. Conra, who prided himself on being self-aware, found the situation both amusing and strange. In any case, he’d treated the suspiciously injured child. Now, it was time to find a good spot and have lunch.

*Growl.*

The loud rumble of a stomach clock. Conra initially thought it was his own. After all, he was about to have lunch, so it wouldn’t be strange.

But soon, he realized the sound was coming from the child, whose face had turned red as he stared at the ground. *Growl, growl, growl*—the sound continued to emanate from the child’s stomach.

After a moment of hesitation, Conra cautiously asked,

“Hey, if it’s alright with you, want to have lunch together?”

 

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