Chapter 22: Trade City Heizen ➀ – Berg Diner (Part 1)
Just as planned, we arrived in Heisen.
From the lookout platform, Mineha-san, Bid-san, and I all had the same reaction.
“It’s long.”
“It’s super long.”
“It is long.”
“Na!”
Heizen—the only city on Lake Liv—really was long.
Along the unnaturally round edge of Lake Reeve, square buildings and round towers stood in dense rows.
Their colors were vivid—red, blue, white, black, yellow—and they stretched far, far into the distance.
It probably ran all the way around the entire rim of the lake.
So this was Heizen.
Our ship, the Skiar Coffin Ele, was stored in Heizen’s shipyard.
It would stay in an unused dock until we departed again.
The monster used as the power source, the Skiar Horse Ele, had been bottled by the witch.
It fits in a bottle…?
Anyway, we headed straight to my uncle’s hideout.
I handed Hoss-san the map that had come with the letter.
“This is a bit far.”
“Hey, I’m hungry.”
“Us too.”
“Hmm, hmm. Come to think of it, it is lunchtime.”
“I want food.”
“…”
“Wait—where’s Gymnema-san?”
I finally noticed Gymnema-san wasn’t with us.
“Gymnema said he’d join us later and wandered off somewhere.”
“But he doesn’t know where to meet us.”
“True. He’ll figure something out.”
Mineha-san answered bluntly.
Well, he is a First-Class Explorer—no need to worry.
“Alright, let’s eat first. I know a diner. This way.”
Led by Hoss-san, we decided to fill our stomachs first.
Walking through the streets of Heizen, I couldn’t help but think:
“This place is even more maze-like than Hydrangea.”
“Easy to get lost.”
Shaldina was right.
Mineha-san looked around and muttered:
“Lots of slopes and small paths.”
“No main streets?”
“’Course there are. But most of Heizen looks like this. Hasn’t changed a bit.”
“Yep yep. Just like Kon remembers it—nothing’s changed.”
The witch gazed around nostalgically.
“This is the shortest route. We’ll be there soon.”
Hoss-san turned a corner. A shop came into view.
“Berg Diner”
The round sign said exactly that, and its pale blue wave-patterned roof stood out.
Hoss-san opened the door—chirin-chirin, a bell rang.
“Welcome.”
A bright voice greeted us.
A black-haired woman wearing silver-rimmed glasses turned toward us—pointed ears. An elf.
And she looked… strangely familiar.
“We’re a big group. Is that alright?”
“A group, understood. Please take that table over there.”
There were a few other customers—locals, most likely.
We sat and looked at the menu. It was full of seafood.
“These dishes are pretty unique.”
“Hors. What do you recommend?”
“I’ll have cucumber ale-pickles and a tuna sandwich.”
“Plain.”
“That’s the meal Hoss-san made as a snack before.”
“This is the original version.”
“Good good. Wynn will have that too—and the recommended sashimi platter.”
“Right then. This one’s on me.”
“…Seriously? Yes!”
“Is that really okay?”
“Celebrating our arrival in Heizen. Order without holding back.”
Mineha-san did not hold back at all.
“Then—four seafood grill platters. They have rice? Four large ones. Any meat? Ah, here—five steaks. And five hamburgs. Four vegetable platters. And six seafood soups.”
Hoss-san’s smile twitched.
Understandable.
Anna-Kreutzen-san was staring silently at the menu.
“Wof, what’ll you have?”
“I’ll try the famous seafood rice.”
“That one’s tasty.”
“Then I’ll add five extra large plates of that.”
“…F-five plates!?”
“Uhaa… then I’ll take that too.”
“Shaldina will have the special seafood sandwich set. Anna-Kreutzen, what about you?”
“…”
She pointed at the seafood pasta.
The elf woman returned.
“Are you ready to order?”
She handed out water, then listened to the massive list of dishes and repeated them all without a single mistake.
Mineha-san casually added ten crab croquettes.
Hoss-san’s soul left his eyes.
“You’re amazing.”
Mineha-san said.
“Not at all. I’m used to this. Please wait a moment.”
The woman smiled and headed to the kitchen.
She really did look like someone…
“So after we eat, we’re visiting your uncle’s hideout?”
“Yes. But depending on its size, everyone might not be able to stay. If it’s like Hydrangea…”
“Then we can stay aboard the Skiar Coffin Ele, right?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Exactly. It’s kept in an unused dock—you can always launch it by filling the dock with water.”
“So it can come out anytime?”
“Yep yep.”
That was extremely convenient. Honestly better than most inns.
“So we check the hideout, then explore Heisen?”
“Oh! ‘Torque Tam’ is in Heisen!”
“Ah, that’s right.”
“Completely forgot.”
“Me too.”
Torquetum’s three members were staying in Heisen.
I had forgotten too.
“Bid-san, do you know where they are?”
“They wrote something in one of their letters. Let me check…”
My own letters didn’t say anything about their location.
“Then after the hideout, we’ll go meet them.”
“Good plan.”
“Here it is. The location should be… here.”
“Let me see that.”
“Here you go.”
Hoss-san checked it.
“Ah, I know this place. I’ll take you there.”
“Thank you.”
“After guiding you, I’ll split off. There’s an old acquaintance I want to visit—. And I’ll ask about Dukas and some info on Heizen’s recent situation.”
“Understood.”
“Please do.”
“Then then, Kon will go separate ways too after we see the hideout.”
“Right, you know people here.”
“Yep. I’ll ask around since people recognize my face and name.”
“Okay. Thank you, Witch.”
“Shardina and Anna-Kreutzen will stay and clean the hideout.”
“…”
Right—those two came specifically as maids.
“We’re counting on you.”
“Leave it to us.”
“Please.”
“Yes.”
“…!”
Shaldina braced herself; Anna-Kreutzen blushed shyly.
Mineha-san asked Hoss-san:
“Hey, Hoss. Anything we need to be careful about in this city?”
The question made all the female members (except the witch) lean in.
Hoss-san drank some water, then said:
“First—Mineha’s appearance stands out. Better keep your hood up. Otherwise you might get grabbed, thrown on a smuggling ship, and sold overseas. Some countries still have slave markets.”
“…That’s unsettling. I’ll be careful.”
“Not just Mineha—Bid, Shaldina, and Anna-Kreutzen too.”
“Got it.”
“Shaldina will defeat them.”
“…”
Shardina was fired up.
Anna-Kreutzen looked anxious—so Shaldina whispered “I’ll protect you.”
That made her smile a little.
“And me, Hoss? Nothing to worry about?”
The witch asked.
“Witch is fine. Anyone who messes with you would get their entire organization wiped out.”
Everyone nodded.
The witch puffed her cheeks in mild annoyance—it was oddly cute.
I thought for a moment and asked:
“Is the city that dangerous?”
“Nah. It’s more stable than Hydrangea. It’s a crucial trade hub—stirring trouble can cause international issues. Guards are strict. But because of that, there are plenty of crime groups. Three major ones even have influence in the city council. So don’t let your guard down.”
Crime groups—three of them—and they were involved in politics.
The witch smirked.
“Then then, Kon will explain. Heizen has three major ‘Hunter Clans’: Jinryuu Familia, Zenzera Liv Order, and the Gouro Hunting Corps. Each is backed by one of the Three Great Houses: the Jinryuu House, Zenzera House, and Gouro House. These three houses are also the three chairmen of the Heisen Merchant Council. They completely control both the official and underground sides of the trade city.”
“So… nobles?”
“Only the Zenzera House is noble. But all three are absolute powerholders.”
“Absolute how?”
Both the witch and Hoss-san had used the word complete.
“Every shop and guild in Heizen must belong to one of the three houses. If not, they can’t do business here at all.”
“What is that…”
“Is that even allowed?”
“Yep yep. It’s the law here.”
“The law…?”
I was speechless.
Forget monopoly laws—this was total domination.
Three houses… three daughters of the Sword Goddess…
No, I didn’t want to think about it.
Politics was such a pain.
“Thanks for waiting! Here are your dishes.”
Plate after plate landed on the table—an overwhelming amount.
Most of it was Mineha-san’s.
My seafood rice looked exactly like paella.
One bite—yep, paella.
Eating it with the seafood made it even better.
Paella… stirred a certain traumatic memory from my past life.
Making paella at midnight and then throwing it away uneaten—that was shocking.
But anyway. This paella was good.
“Amazing to watch her eat…”
Bid muttered as Mineha-san devoured her food.
“Really?”
Mineha-san asked, calmly eating at the speed of a machine.
“She looks like a new model Minos Doll.”
“Rude. I’m a Faerial, as you can see.”
“I always wondered—is a Faerial always this much of a big eater?”
“Nope.”
“No.”
“Not really.”
“But transforming size consumes energy. So we do eat more than average.”
“But Ruriha-san seemed normal?”
“My mother’s used to it, so she consumes less energy.”
“So Mineha eats a lot because she’s not used to it?”
“Wrong. I’ve always been like this.”
So she was always like this.
We finished eating while chatting.
Hoss-san saw the bill and made the expression of a galaxy-brained cat.
Understandable.
Mineha-san said behind me,
“I’m about eighty percent full.”
This was after she finished a fifteen-layer pancake tower for dessert.
After paying, Hoss-san chatted with the waitress for a bit.
Oh right, this was a shop run by someone he knew.
He returned.
“Someone you know?”
“She stepped out for now. I left word that I’m here.”
“Is it a woman?”
Bid grinned.
Hoss-san was bad with the opposite sex… so that seemed unlikely.
“Yep.”
“…Eh?”
“A-alright, let’s go. The hideout’s a ways from here.”
Hoss-san, clearly trying to hide embarrassment, hurried ahead.
“Ohh? Unexpected.”
“Hoho. Interesting.”
“A romance maybe?”
“Curious.”
“…”
The women were mercilessly teasing.
Honestly, I was surprised too.
Hoss-san had… a past acquaintance who was a woman.