Dual Soul Reincarnation

Chapter 7 - A Calm Breeze

[The Princess]

The market was always a beautiful and bustling place. The city's many streets converged into a large, circular plaza. In the middle was an enormous fountain with beautiful rendition of the Leviasu bestowing the jewel to the original queen as its centerpiece. Many people sat and stood around the fountain in idle conversation, creating a wonderfully jubilant background noise amongst the many footsteps. Taking a quick headcount, I noted that there were more commoners in the crowd than previous visits. A sign of growth I was happy to see.

I clasped my hands together and closed my eyes, taking in the excitement.

"Oh isn't it just wonderful, Mezana." I exclaimed to my 'brother' behind me. I had a lot of fun developing the backgrounds for Lazuli's and my alter egos. An overprotective sibling or parent was a good fit for her build as well as towards continuing her guard duties even in disguise.

"Yes." Mezana was just as minimal as Lazuli in speech if not more. I would believe it to be a discomfort with the male voice were the gender of her disguise not the one thing she decided to have input on. "We should hurry, Narami. For the best chance at finding what you need."

"Yeah, yeah." I replied teasingly, knowing Lazuli was just trying to nag me into rushing back to the castle. I wasn't much in the mood for rushing, however. The magic literature was only half the reason I came out here today after all.

So, Martin. I said happily. Are you enjoying your first trip through my home city.

It's prettier than a modern one, I'll give you that. Getting around's a little slower though.

I laughed a bit.

Well this market I usually go to is within walking distance. Otherwise, we would have taken a carriage. Though, that's not all too often. This market has most of what I usually need. Being the main noble marketplace means a lot of people to sell to and as such a lot of products to sell.

It's a good thing you live in the castle then, haha.

Well, let me show you around! I spoke excitedly, making my way through the crowd. We had come in on the northeastern side of the market. In that quarter were a lot of service-based businesses: restaurants, salons, cafes, and the like. I pointed out the many different cultural cuisines we were lucky to have hosted in on place.

In the southeastern quarter was the food market. Various stalls, stands, and stores made it the most full and most busy area as it was the main grocer for a large portion of the nobility. As we passed through it and I showed him around, I purchased one of my personal favorite foods that one could eat on the go: naralu. Naralu were very similar to grapes, and this market sold them in small batches so that people could carry a small handful as they walked the market. Unlike grapes, naralu were known as the "mystery fruit." Each naralu in a batch had it's own unique flavor that had mixed from the naralu nearby it. One could be sweet, the next could be sour, and there could be one adjacent to both of them that was either sweet and sour or was one then led into the other or some other variation. It was as unpopular as it was popular. People liked it for the surprise aspect, but an equal number of people despised it for the same reason. I was one of the former.

The southwestern quarter was where a lot of handiwork tools were sold. Many gardening and farming shops as well as stores for woodwork and masonry, among others. The majority of commoners could be found in this area. Most nobility avoided farming, though some farmed in small batches as a hobby. The same went for woodwork and other physical labors. Commoners however, when they could afford it, would come up here to find higher quality tools for what they needed back home.