Leaving the church behind, I decided to retrace my steps for the time being. Even though the streets were the same, they took on an entirely different character under the glow of the lamplight.
"We've got negotiations with the liquor merchant next. Don't lose your way!"
"Y-Yes, sir!"
A merchant and his errand boy bustled past me. Ulm, the city that never sleeps. Once again, I found myself marveling at the bustling energy that lived up to its moniker.
"Is this magic too...?"
Focusing my attention on the streetlights, I sensed the faint trace of fire magic. It seemed the lamps, linked together by cords, were triggering magical reactions in a continuous chain.
Magic, which was shunned in the countryside, was treated as second nature here. The big city was always the one ahead of the times. In a way, it felt almost bizarre that a grand cathedral like the one I had just visited could still stand in a place like Ulm.
"Not much time left until the mage examination, huh—"
"I might fail again this year..."
"Hey, passing that test is a miracle to begin with."
A pair of young men in academic gowns brushed past me. Judging by their conversation, they were taking the court mage exam as well. I had been noticing quite a few youths in those gowns for a while now; I wondered if there was some tradition I wasn't privy to yet.
"Hey there, lad! We ran into each other earlier, didn't we?!"
"Hm?"
Turning to look, I saw an eatery owner beckoning to me. This was... the shop that had been advertising their delicious pies earlier, wasn't it? My stomach was empty anyway, so the timing couldn't have been better.
"Will you drizzle honey over the pie? If you do, I'm in."
"You bet! Is acacia fine by you?"
"Any kind is fine."
"Understood! Take a seat right over there, then!"
Guided toward the back, I set my luggage down by my side and took a seat. In the kitchen across the counter, the owner, sporting a cloth wrapped around his head, was preparing to slide a pie into a hearth.
"See, we reheat our pies right in the hearth, so they taste just like they're fresh out of the oven."
"Is that so..."
"You came from out of town, didn't you, lad? Ulm's pies are something else, I tell ya."
The owner grinned. Come to think of it, this would be my very first meal in the royal capital. I looked forward to seeing how it measured up to the food back home.
"Hey, newbie! Bring over a plate!"
"Y-Yes, right away!"
A greenhorn of a girl, looking every bit the novice, emerged from the back of the kitchen. By the looks of it, she was younger than me. Between her and that merchant's runner from earlier, there were clearly plenty of ambitious youths seeking to sharpen their business sense in the capital.
"Here it is!"
"All right, now go fetch some water."
"Ah... right away!"
After handing over the plate, the girl scurried back toward the rear. Plate in hand, the owner went over to the hearth, pulled out a pie baked to a mouthwatering golden brown, and set it down.
"And now for the honey!"
Reaching for a nearby pot, he scooped up a ladleful of honey and drizzled it generously over the pastry. The light spilling from the hearth caught the honey, making it gleam like liquid amber.
"Here you are, lad! A Groot special pie!"
"Thank you very much."
I took the plate from the counter and set it before me. It was a neat, rectangular pastry, baked to a rich, crispy brown. A thick layer of honey glistened across the top.
"Hot."
Carefully picking up the pie with my fingertips, I took a bite. The delightfully crisp crunch was followed by a rich, mellow flavor harmoniously layered with the sweetness of the honey....I had never tasted anything remotely like this back in the village.
"...It really is delicious. I've never had a pie this good."
"Gwahaha! Ulm's something special, ain't it?!"
"Yes, I'm truly impressed."
I wanted to devour it while it was still piping hot. Even the time spent answering the owner felt like a waste. That was just how good this pie was. When I went back to the countryside, would I end up starving to death simply because nothing else could satisfy me?
"Shopkeeper Groot, is there anything you need today—?"
"Oh, it's you! Hey, newbie—you can fetch the water later, go handle the order!"
"Yes, sir!"
At the owner's command, the young girl trotted out to the storefront. It seemed a supplier's clerk had come calling.
"Um, we have quite a few things to order today."
"Well, well, thank you as always."
"Please give me a moment, I'll write it down now..."
The word "write" caught my attention. Pausing mid-bite, I raised my eyes to see the girl gliding a pen across a small slip of paper.
"First, the pilot fire. And flour for the pie crust, too."
"Understood. Please write down the quantities you require."
Watching the two of them look over the same sheet of paper and converse so naturally gave me another jolt of culture shock. Was basic literacy simply taken for granted in Ulm? And by a young girl who looked practically like a child, no less. Back in my village, I was just about the only person who could even read a book...
"Also, we're running low on salt."
"Ah, the market price for salt has been rather volatile lately. I would recommend placing a larger order just in case."
"I haven't heard anything about that. It's completely obvious you're just trying to push extra stock on us."
"Perish the thought! Groot is one of our most valued clients. I would never dream of doing such a thing."
"Hmm... Well, I think the boss might consider it if you gave us a bit of a discount."
Seeing the girl stand her ground and negotiate so boldly left me even more astonished. When I was her age, all I ever thought about was sneaking into the fields at night to play around with magic. How much sharper did an apprenticeship in Ulm make these young minds?...The royal capital truly was an entirely different world.
"—Very well, I have recorded your order. Thank you as always for your patronship."
"We're counting on you."
Before I knew it, the deal was struck. The clerk bowed obsequiously and took his leave, while the girl vanished back into the depths of the kitchen. Having polished off my pie, I passed the empty plate back across the counter.
"That was delicious. Thank you."
"Sure thing, glad you enjoyed it!"
"...Hm?"
"Something the matter, lad?"
My eyes were drawn to the hearth in the kitchen. A fire had been roaring steadily the entire time, but as far as I could recall, no one had added a single piece of firewood.
"Is that hearth powered by magic?"
"Oh, sharp eye! That's right. A flame born from a magical seed is what keeps our hearth burning."
"Fascinating..."
Come to think of it, the girl had mentioned ordering a "pilot fire" a moment ago. While theoretically possible, I had no idea that magical products were actually sold as commercial commodities.
"So, does this mean you're one of them after all, lad? You came to take the mage examination, didn't you?"
"Oh, how could you tell?"
"Ah, we get plenty of young folk coming into Ulm around this time of year for that very reason. Beats me why anyone would put themselves through that nightmare of a test, though."
The owner gave a hearty laugh. I see, so there were indeed a fair number of examinees from outside Ulm....Knowing that a portion of them were disqualified before they could even submit an application left a bitter taste in my mouth.
"Um, I brought the water—!"
"About time!"
The girl emerged from the back of the kitchen, clutching a large ceramic water jug with both hands. It was clearly too heavy for a child her size, and she wobbled precariously with every step.
"Hey, are you going to be okay?"
"I'm fine, it's just a little heavy... Eek!"
"H-Hey, watch out!!"
True to form, the girl tripped while still clutching the jug. Of all places, she tumbled straight toward the hearth, sending a deluge of water cascading over the flames.
"Whoa, the fire!!"
The flames that had been roaring brightly just moments before sputtered out in an instant. The entire shop plunged into gloom, swallowed by a sudden, stunned silence.
"I'm so sorry! It's all my fault...!"
"Hey, what on earth are you doing?! We're completely out of pilot fire!"
"I-I'm so terribly sorry...!"
"We've still got customers to serve today, you know?!"
Faced with the owner's incandescent fury, the soaking-wet girl bowed repeatedly, on the verge of tears as she offered frantic apologies. Watching someone get berated like that made me squirm in second-hand discomfort.
Even so, that magically kindled fire had gone out awfully fast. For it to extinguish entirely just from a splash of water felt unnatural. Besides, would a girl with enough wits to handle merchants make such a clumsy, textbook blunder?
"Pilot fires don't come cheap, damn it!"
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry...!"
"It's easy for you since you just collect a wage, but what about the shop...?!"
Still, now wasn't the time to ponder the details. The owner was still seething, and sitting by idly would only make things more awkward.
"Excuse me, shopkeeper. As long as the fire is relit, there's no problem, right?"
"Huh? What's that, lad?"
Standing up smoothly, I fixed my gaze on the hearth. Since he had treated me to such a wonderful pie, it was only right that I returned the favor.
"If you don't mind, I can light the hearth for you using magic."
"Whoa, really?!"
"A-Are you sure?!"
Both the owner and the girl snapped their heads toward me in unison. Extending my right index finger, I pointed it directly at the hearth.
"Could the two of you step back a little, please?"
"Y-Yeah, got it!"
"Thank you so much, mister...!"
Once I made sure the two had retreated to a safe distance, I focused my concentration into the tip of my finger. Once my body had experienced a spell, it never forgot. Recalling the exact sensation, here goes—
"Now then, water magic."
...Huh?
The very instant their bewildered voices sounded, a massive orb of water materialized right in front of the hearth.