Chapter 223 - Darkmtl
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Chapter 223

Sometimes, people feel frustrated when their reality doesn’t match their lofty ideals.

For example, you might hear about a restaurant with an amazing reputation, only to find that the food tastes no different from your local diner, leaving you disappointed.

Or you might excitedly try a dish hailed as one of the world’s three greatest delicacies, only to find it bland and unremarkable, with just a slightly unique texture.

Or perhaps you discover that a celebrity chef, known for their incredible cooking skills, is actually quite mediocre, and their fame is just a product of media hype.

In life, people often face moments where reality falls short of their expectations, leading to despair and collapse.

And today, I too was tasting the bitter disappointment of such a reality.

“…Astram isn’t as impressive as I thought it would be.”

Astram is known as the city of adventure and trade.

In reality, the Kingdom of Eustia is geographically located at the heart of the eastern continent’s logistics, and Astram, in particular, is a city that can be called the heart of trade.

However, Astram has its drawbacks. The rate of monsterification among wild animals is unusually high compared to other cities, and monsters from other regions frequently migrate here, requiring regular monster hunts. If it weren’t for these issues, Astram could easily have been the capital of the Kingdom of Eustia.

Of course, from the Kingdom of Eustia’s perspective, the high number of monsters is a double-edged sword. While it deters neighboring countries from coveting the region, it also means that adventurers like me can make a living by taking on monster-hunting quests.

I came to Astram to become an adventurer, partly because it’s a city where many adventurers gather, but more so because I was drawn to its reputation as a city of trade.

However, after living in Astram for several months, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed by the reality that fell short of my expectations.

At first, everything seemed great.

Compared to the Lizardman Village, where even basic cooking ingredients were hard to come by due to their racial taste disorder, Astram’s market seemed like paradise.

Indeed, Astram occasionally had rare items that couldn’t be found in other cities.

But that only lasted for the first couple of months.

After nearly half a year in Astram, I realized something.

The variety of goods available in Astram was surprisingly limited.

Sure, Astram is a logistics hub, but the world’s level of civilization is still stuck somewhere between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

There are no trucks speeding down highways, no airplanes, no cargo ships, no online shopping—just horse-drawn carriages.

As a result, the logistics process is labor-intensive and time-consuming, leading to inflated prices.

But the real issue isn’t just the high prices.

The problem is that merchants, to avoid the risk of unsold inventory, only deal in goods with steady demand.

This means they stick to conservative, stable items.

Moreover, the lengthy logistics process inevitably affects the freshness of goods.

Perishable items, like fresh seafood, rarely make it to Astram.

In this world, where refrigeration is a distant dream, even frozen meat is a luxury, let alone fresh seafood.

What disappointed me the most was the seafood situation.

In Astram, the seafood available was mostly salted and preserved, far from the fresh catch I had hoped for.

Exotic spices from distant lands were scarce due to unstable demand, and fresh seafood was logistically impossible to obtain.

In the end, even in Astram, the ingredients available were only slightly better than in other cities, but still far from satisfying my culinary desires.

Of course, as a city of trade, Astram does see a variety of goods flow through.

And with so many different races living together, there’s always a chance that even niche items might appeal to someone.

Moreover, while this world’s level of civilization is behind that of my previous life, it does have its own unique technologies—like magic.

Magic could, in theory, lighten heavy loads, allowing for more efficient transportation, or keep seafood fresh during long journeys from coastal cities to Astram.

But mages are not common laborers in this world.

They are considered high-level professionals, and their services come at a premium.

As a result, goods transported with magic are prohibitively expensive and rarely found in general markets.

Only the wealthy and high-ranking individuals have access to such luxuries, leaving ordinary adventurers like me to scavenge for leftovers.

“Sigh… I don’t even feel like going to the market anymore.”

Even if I went, I’d just end up buying the same old meat and vegetables.

Lately, I’ve stopped visiting the market altogether.

Is this what they call a rut?

I need new ingredients.

So, I sat at a table in the Adventurer Guild and sighed.

Ah, seafood.

Exotic spices.

Other unique, foreign ingredients.

Why did I come to Astram, the city of adventure and trade, only to be left sucking my thumb?

Are rare spices airlifted from the other side of the continent or fresh fish from coastal cities truly luxuries for a Silver Rank adventurer?

How cruel is this reality?

I’ve heard there’s a VIP Auction, accessible only to certain individuals, where you can get all sorts of rare monster meats, spices, and seafood.

But even Silver Rank adventurers like Karina and Serena can’t get in—it’s reserved for the true upper class.

Should I focus on climbing the ranks to Gold?

Or should I reveal my true power as a Transcendent?

If I did, the high nobles of Astram would come running to welcome me, but…

Imagining that scenario, I realized it didn’t appeal to me as much as I thought.

Sure, I’d gain immense wealth and fame, but my current relaxed lifestyle with Mari, Karina, and Serena would be ruined.

I guess I like my current life more than I thought.

I’m only interested in the VIP Auction for the rare goods, not the wealth or fame.

If becoming famous meant losing my leisurely, food-loving life, I’d rather stay as I am.

But I still can’t help but be curious about the items sold at the VIP Auction…

Sigh…

If only a VIP pass would fall from the sky.

As I sat there pondering, someone approached me.

“Oh, isn’t that Kurt?”

“Huh? You’re…”

It was Yuri, dressed in comfortable leather armor that didn’t match her noble-like demeanor.

“Why are you here? I thought Arisa and Liche went on a quest today.”

“…That’s exactly what I’m upset about!”

Mentioning the two who were originally part of her party, Yuri immediately looked angry.

“What’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? Everything’s wrong! Those two were just attacked by the Sisters of the Holy Kingdom not long ago, and now they’ve accepted them into the party! And those Sisters—how shameless can they be? Attacking us one day and then asking to join the party the next!”

“Ah.”

Indeed, Yuri was clearly unhappy about the Sisters joining the party.

Normally, it would be natural for someone like Yuri to hold a grudge against the Sisters.

Thanks to my intervention, the four of them managed to reconcile and maintain a good relationship, but Yuri, who had left early that day due to her age and academic commitments, didn’t share that bond.

So, she couldn’t adapt to the new dynamic and skipped today’s quest.

She claimed she was too busy, but I knew she was avoiding the situation.

Still, she couldn’t avoid it forever. Eventually, she’d have to reconcile with them.

“But if you have nothing to do, why are you at the Adventurer Guild?”

“It’s not like I have nothing to do.”

“But you’re not a full-fledged adventurer yet, so you can’t take on quests without a party, right?”

“I’m not here to take a quest today. I’m here to post one.”

Yuri explained that today, she was at the Adventurer Guild not as an adventurer, but as a client.


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The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

The Reincarnated Lizardman Wants a Hamburger

Status: Completed
A chaotic and whirlwind culinary adventure of a lizardman reincarnated in another world, driven by an insatiable craving for hamburgers!

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