The plaza was the heart of the city, an enormous space surrounded by imposing buildings, with a monuntal fountain at its center. Water poured from a statue of a knight riding a winged horse, the creature’s eyes shining with a soft blue light as the sunlight reflected off them.
The sll of grilled at was irresistible. It ca from a row of stalls along the side of the plaza, where iron grills smoked with chunks of at skewered on wooden sticks.
Clavor bought four large skewers for the family.
The skewers were generous, juicy chunks of at seasoned with herbs Lukas did not recognize, alternating with roasted vegetables. Caralized onions, sweet peppers, and sothing similar to zucchini, but orange in color. A mildly spicy reddish sauce was served separately in small clay pots.
Lukas took a careful bite of the first piece.
The flavor exploded in his mouth.
The at was tender, juicy, and so soft that it almost lted on his tongue. The seasoning was smoky and savory, with a sweet note that ca from the herbs, perhaps rosemary, perhaps thy, but there was sothing more, sothing earthy and deep that Lukas had never tasted before.
The spicy sauce ca next, not strong enough to burn but enough to warm his throat and make his eyes water slightly.
"This is good." He murmured, his mouth full, his eyes half-closed in pleasure.
He ate the entire skewer, down to the last piece of vegetable, and licked the sauce from his fingers.
Judite devoured hers as if there were no tomorrow, her eyes wide, sauce dripping down her chin and onto her new dress. Her face was a ss, dirty cheeks, a shiny nose, a red stain at the corner of her mouth.
"Judite." Aurora sighed, laughing as she wiped her daughter’s face with a cloth napkin.
"You look like a little pig."
"A strong little pig!" Judite replied with her mouth full.
"And dirty."
"Strong and dirty."
Clavor ate his calmly, in silence, but his eyes constantly swept across the plaza, evaluating the people, the exits, and any possible dangers. Even during a mont of leisure, he never switched off his guard.
Aurora ate slowly, savoring every bite, her eyes fixed on her children. Lukas saw her smile, that calm, satisfied smile of soone who was exactly where she wanted to be.
They continued walking after the snack, without any hurry, simply exploring.
They passed by an accessory shop where Aurora bought colorful ribbons for Judite, blue, green, yellow, pink, and a small leather-bound notebook for Lukas. The notebook was the size of his open hand, with yellowed pages and a leather cord to tie it shut.
"For you to draw or write whatever you want." Aurora said, handing him the notebook with a smile.
"I know you like writing things down."
Lukas held the notebook carefully, as if it were a treasure. It was perfect.
’Perfect for recording observations about beasts.’ He thought.
’And for learning to write better in this language.’
"Thank you, Mom." He said, placing the notebook in the inner pocket of his new green tunic.
Tilbo, who was nestled on his shoulder, moved her antennae toward the notebook, as if she were curious too.
They passed by a map and scroll shop that Lukas almost entered. There was an enormous map in the display window, showing the entire continent, with the nas of kingdoms, forests, mountains, and oceans.
But Clavor was in a hurry, and Lukas promised himself he would return there before leaving.
They passed by a confectionery that sold colorful sweets, small crunchy sugar-coated balls, star-shaped cookies, and sothing similar to cotton candy, except blue in color. Judite received a small bag of crunchy balls and ate them one by one, making "nom nom" sounds with her mouth.
They passed by a smaller square where a musician was playing a strange flute, a curved instrunt made of dark wood, with a deep and lancholic sound. Lukas stopped for a mont to listen.
’Different from any instrunt on Earth.’ He thought.
’The notes are... closer together. As if the scale had more intervals.’
He filed the information away.
After a few hours of exploring, Clavor stopped in the middle of the street and looked at Aurora.
The sun was beginning to tilt toward the west, stretching the shadows of the buildings. The city was still busy, but the pace had slowed, so rchants were already beginning to close their stalls, and the streets were less crowded.
"Let take Lukas to sell the tiger." Said Clavor, his voice calm.
"You stay with Judite a little longer. You can buy the rest of the things, or just relax in a café. We’ll et again at the inn afterward."
Aurora agreed, kissing Lukas on the forehead affectionately.
"Don’t take too long. And be careful."
"Careful of what?" Clavor asked with a slight smile.
"I’m going to sell a dead tiger, not fight a live one."
"You know what I’m talking about."
Clavor chuckled softly and took Lukas’s hand.
The two said goodbye to Aurora and Judite and headed back toward the inn, where the carriage was parked in a covered courtyard behind the building. The coachman had already taken the horses to the stable, but the carriage remained where it was, with the corpse of the One-Horned Tiger still tied to the roof.
The sll of dried blood lingered in the air, mixed with the scent of hay and horses.
Along the way, Lukas took the opportunity to ask questions.
"Father, where are we going to sell the beast’s body?"
Clavor looked down, smiling faintly. His brown eyes shone with practical knowledge, the knowledge of soone who had done this many tis before.
"There are several places in the city that buy beast parts." He raised his fingers, counting them off.
"Private rchants, who buy them to resell. Alchemy workshops, which use bones and organs in potions. Specialized blacksmiths, who work with hides and claws to make armor."
He paused, thinking.
"But the easiest and most reliable option is the Adventurers’ Guild. They buy the whole body, evaluate it on the spot, and then sell the parts separately to craftsn."
"It’s safer, they have a reputation to uphold, and they pay a fair price. Nobody wants to cheat a baron, but with the guild, you don’t even have to worry about that."
Lukas nodded, processing the information.
"I understand. So the guild works as an interdiary."
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