Chapter 58: Balubarei's Specialty, Balubarei!

Together with Saji, I thoroughly organized the room.

Cash, jewelry, and other valuables were carefully stored away, personal daily items were neatly arranged, and clothes meant for washing were carefully cleaned and hung outside the window.

Looking at the clean, tidy hunter's cabin, which now possessed a much stronger sense of domestic warmth, Auron and Saji placed their hands on their hips and let out a sigh of profound comfort.

There were still several things that needed to be purchased, such as a soft cushion for Saji to sleep on.

After all, it was a single-person hunter's cabin, and the bed was somewhat narrow—just right for one person, but a bit too crowded with an additional Felyne.

Therefore, Auron planned to buy a soft mat for Saji, along with some small pillows and blankets, so that Saji could sleep comfortably.

In addition, there were water cups, soap for washing bodies and clothes, snacks and books to pass the time, and so on. Auron recorded all of them in his notebook, intending to buy everything in one go out on the street shortly.

"Rumble—" The protesting growl of an empty stomach echoed through the room.

Auron looked at Saji, and Saji looked right back at him.

"That was you, right?"

"It was clearly you, meow!"

After a few meaningless rounds of bickering, they unanimously agreed that it was time to find something to fill their stomachs.

Auron changed into casual clothes, while Saji simply wore a small vest. Traveling light, the human and the cat left the assembly area together.

Of course, the assembly area tavern also served food, ranging from basic roasted meat flatbreads to high-end dishes cooked with rare ingredients; nothing was missing. However, neither of them intended to enjoy their first meal in this city right here.

On their way to the assembly area, they had spotted quite a few tempting little stalls and shops. For newcomers to this city, these street foods held a much greater appeal.

As for which specific stall to choose, it wasn't hard to decide—following the longest queue was definitely the right choice.

And so, they joined the line in front of a shed specializing in roasted meat.

Saji folded its ears back, looking somewhat reluctant. "This doesn't look any different from the roasted meat in Loc Lac, meow. They're both wrapped in flatbreads, meow, and even the smell is exactly the same, meow."

Auron was also somewhat hesitant. He wanted to see if the roasted meat in Val Habar was truly identical to that of Loc Lac, yet he worried that if they turned out to be completely the same, wasting their very first meal in Val Habar on something they were already tired of eating back home would be deeply regrettable.

Just as they were agonizing over this, someone standing behind them in line spoke up.

"You folks from Loc Lac? First time in Val Habar?"

Auron and Saji turned around. The speaker was a hunter clad in armor, with an insect glaive slung diagonally across his back and a kinsect crawling on his arm.

Without a doubt, this was an insect glaive user, but it was the first time they had ever seen one this fat.

It wasn't the kind of fat where flesh sagged to the point of making walking difficult; rather, it was a bulkiness where, despite a high body fat percentage, a massive amount of muscle supported the thick layer of fat underneath, making him look rather like a Tetranadon.

Hunters of this build were rare. After all, given a hunter's sheer volume of physical activity, even heavy eating and drinking every day made it difficult to accumulate that much fat.

However, a small number of hunters deliberately overconsumed high-calorie foods to cultivate this robust, heavyweight physique, thereby gaining greater core strength and a more stable center of gravity.

They were usually defense-focused heavy defenders or hammer users.

They had genuinely never seen a fat person wield a weapon like the insect glaive, which demanded extreme agility and coordination. Could someone built like that even fly?

Of course, Auron wouldn't be rude enough to blurt out the question in his mind, but his expression couldn't help turning a bit strange.

This led to a misunderstanding on the other's part. "Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation. It's just that regarding the topic of roasted meat you were discussing earlier, I can give you the answer."

The hefty insect glaive user patted his large belly. "Whether it's Val Habar's roasted meat or Loc Lac's roasted meat, I can tell the difference without even tasting it!"

That piqued Auron and Saji's interest. Since they were just standing in line with nothing better to do, Auron asked, "Oh? How so? What's the difference between the two?"

The insect glaive user stroked his sleek, shining chin. "Actually, the difference is very minor. From the marination and roasting of the meat to the type of flatbread, they are basically identical. After all, they both originated from the culinary traditions of desert nomads.

The real difference lies in the seasoning!

Loc Lac's roasted meat is usually served with fresh onions, whereas Val Habar's roasted meat is sprinkled with plenty of berbere before eating!"

"What does 'sprinkled with plenty of berbere' mean, meow?"

"Eh? You guys don't know?" The hefty insect glaive user wore an astonished expression that seemed to say, *You came all the way here without even knowing this?* Then, he grew excited.

"The so-called 'berbere' is a complex spice blend. It is the specialty of this city, and the very origin of its name!

In Val Habar, berbere is the most indispensable seasoning. The people of Val Habar can live without salt, but they can never live without berbere!"

The insect glaive user became more and more impassioned, waving his chubby hand as he pointed outward. "Look! Young man! Look at this city! What color do you think it is?"

"Uh, colorful?"

"What do you mean, colorful?!" The chubby man curled his lip. "That's just appearance! You have to look at the whole picture, the overall ambiance! What color is the overarching feel of this city?"

Auron couldn't help recalling the warm yellow hillsides he had seen from afar when approaching Val Habar, and the warm sunlight streaming into his cabin.

"Like the warm yellow of afternoon sunlight?" Auron ventured cautiously.

"That's it!" The chubby man's heavy hand slapped down hard on Auron's shoulder. "A warm yellow verging on orange-red! Therefore, the city of Val Habar is also that very color!

Because what flows through our veins is none other than berbere itself!"

"Th-I see." Auron was overwhelmed by the man's fervor.

Saji, meanwhile, began clapping its paws together with a series of *pat-pat* sounds. "Well, it's almost our turn in line, meow. Let's find out what Val Habar roasted meat seasoned with berbere actually tastes like, meow!"

"Not a chance."

The hefty insect glaive user suddenly grabbed Auron's arm with one hand and hoisted Saji up by the scruff of the neck with the other, dragging them both right out of the queue.

"This roast meat stall is quite good, and I come here almost every day myself, but if you're talking about the 'absolute best,' it still falls a bit short.

Since it's your first time here, you simply must taste the finest! Follow me!" The chubby insect glaive user jerked his head, though because his neck and head were practically the same width, the motion wasn't very noticeable.

Having missed lunch, spent the afternoon cleaning the room, and then waiting in line for a long time, both Auron and Saji were extremely hungry. Yet just as it was about to be their turn to buy, they had been hauled right out of the line by the stout insect glaive user.

The people behind them in line had already started purchasing their food, and cutting back in now felt somewhat improper.

The human and the cat exchanged a helpless look before resigning themselves to following behind the hefty insect glaive user, silently praying that the ultimate destination's culinary delights would make up for these repeated twists and turns.

Led by the stout insect glaive user, they wove through the bustling alleys and streets of Val Habar.

Fat as he was, the guy moved with genuine agility. If Auron and Saji hadn't quickened their pace, they would have lost him in an instant.

After trotting along like this for a solid ten minutes, they finally arrived in front of an unassuming little tent.

An elderly Wyverian grandmother, looking impossibly ancient, was slowly pushing a mortar and pestle, grinding something down.

"Is this... an apothecary?" Auron stared wide-eyed at a small sign by the tent's entrance, which actually read: *Max Potions and Herbal Medicine for Sale*.

"That's right," the chubby man replied simply, squatting down beside the grandmother until his entire form became nearly spherical.

"Granny apothecary, they've come to this city for the very first time and have never tasted berbere before. Could you grind some fresh for me?"

The grandmother slowly raised her head, giving the stout insect glaive user a helpless look, but ultimately she turned back into the tent to retrieve the ingredients.

"Many spices are medicinal herbs in their own right, so granny apothecary also blends berbere. Furthermore, the berbere she blends can honestly be called the most authentic in all of Val Habar!"

The chubby insect glaive user explained while patting his belly. "Normally she refuses to mix it for me; she only reluctantly agrees when an opportunity like this arises."

Auron: "......"

No wonder you were so enthusiastic—you just wanted to eat some yourself.

The grandmother was very old, and her movements were sluggish. Auron and Saji didn't have the heart to rush her. More than half an hour later, a small pouch of spice was finally handed into their possession.

The stout insect glaive user bent down and received it with both hands, as if it weren't a mere seasoning, but some kind of precious treasure.

"So where is the roasted meat, meow?" Saji asked limply, its ears drooping from hunger. "Does granny apothecary moonlight as a roasted meat vendor, meow?"

"Of course not, what are you thinking?" The chubby insect glaive user looked at it reproachfully. "Granny apothecary is a master alchemist!"

Saji barely managed to hold back a stream of profanities. *You knew she was a master alchemist the whole time, meow?!*

A radiant light shone across the stout insect glaive user's face.

"The finest spices naturally demand the finest meat!

Let's go! I'll take you to meet the Felyne Chef!"

......

*Author's note: The more I write this, the more it feels like masala(?). In reality, berbere is a real-world spice blend originating from Ethiopia, and the name of the city in the game also derives from this.*