OVERLORD- CH-93. Food is the First Priority

There are unimaginable numbers of such people in the city. Some of them survive by begging and doing very menial jobs, while others choose to take risks.

A man wearing tattered clothes, the original color of which could no longer be discerned, and with a full beard, was running. Behind him, several shop owners were chasing him closely.

"Stop." The driver said, and immediately halted the car, just in front of the man's path.

"Get out of the way!" The man roared, brandishing a tattered knife. The people around him screamed and retreated as he bolted toward the slums with their labyrinthine streets.

Altria stepped out of the car. At this moment, the man was at least five meters away from her, but he suddenly fell to the ground with a thud.

The burly shop owner who had been chasing him didn't hesitate and immediately pinned him down, pressing on his back. The other two shopkeepers rushed up to restrain his hands, and the rusty knife, which looked as though it couldn't cut anything, was kicked aside.

"Hand over the stolen money, you thief!"

In that case, there was no need for Altria to intervene herself. However, she wasn't like the onlookers who simply assumed the man had tripped accidentally.

Altria had clearly seen—or rather sensed—that just before the man fell, a small stone had struck his left knee with pinpoint accuracy.

It wasn't as simple as a direct hit. Rather, just before the stone made contact with the man's skin, it exploded about one or two millimeters away, and the resulting impact knocked him to the ground.

Since she hadn't been paying close attention, she couldn't determine where the pebble had come from. But a strong intuition suddenly arose in her, compelling her to look in a specific direction.

That person was also looking at her. At first glance, she couldn't tell their gender. They appeared to be a teenager, but their beauty was so striking that it left her momentarily stunned.

"What magnificent armor." The young person said as they walked toward her. At the same time, Altria noticed the nameplate hanging from their neck.

The stainless steel nameplate was the same color as hers.

Staring into the other person's dazzling blue-purple eyes, which radiated no ill will, Altria felt a sudden sense of dread that made her hair stand on end. She almost instinctively reached for the Holy Lance on her back.

'Why was this happening?'

Her right hand, which she had forcibly restrained, trembled slightly. As she looked at the smiling figure before her, a profound sense of unease welled up from deep within her.

"Hello?" Aya asked, her voice tinged with doubt. The knight opposite her seemed dazed, which only added to the confusion.

The knight was clad in a magnificent set of full-body armor, their face obscured by the helmet's visor. A long tassel resembling a lion's mane added to their regal appearance, and the peculiar spear at their waist drew attention.

From the contours of the armor and the blue battle skirt beneath, it was clear the knight was female. By female standards, she was quite tall, standing over 1.7 meters—nearly ten centimeters taller than Aya.

The knight's splendid armor attracted considerable attention, and coupled with Aya's striking beauty, the two of them quickly became the center of attention.

The onlookers gazed at them with admiration, as though witnessing nobility. There was no sense of fear or wariness toward the armored knight, and this was largely due to the fine steel nameplates both of them wore around their necks.

These nameplates were symbols of the highest rank of adventurer—adamantium. To achieve this status not only required extraordinary strength but also a reputation and character endorsed by the Adventurer's Guild across the entire human sphere of influence.

"Hello?" Aya greeted again, and this time the knight responded.

"Hello." The knight replied. Her voice was pleasant but carried a cold, distant tone.

"Strange, what was that feeling just now?" Altria muttered under her breath, though the other person didn't hear her.

The moment she had laid eyes on the other person, a surge of emotions had risen from deep within her—instinctive hatred, chill, fear, admiration... It was an indescribable mix of feelings, but now it had vanished.

'Perhaps it was just an illusion.' She thought. She studied the other person and quickly pieced together their identity.

An adamantium-level adventurer, combined with their location in Kelmais City within the Maple Moon Territory, was enough to narrow down the possibilities.

Aya had likely deduced her identity as well, but since she had never met her in person, she couldn't be sure whether she belonged to "Crystal Tears" or "Golden Festival."

"We are both adamantium-class adventurers." Aya said, taking the initiative as the local, "As fellow adventurers, how about we have lunch together?"

"This..." Altria hesitated. She wanted to refuse, but there was no valid reason to do so. Besides, she wasn't entirely disinterested in the person before her.

"If this is your first time here, I can recommend a good inn." Aya offered, "If we keep talking here, we'll likely cause a commotion."

Though no one had been bold enough to approach them, the crowd around them was growing. The chance to see two adamantium-level adventurers at once was a rare spectacle for the common folk.

"Alright." Altria agreed.

"Wow." Altria exclaimed involuntarily, her stomach growling shortly after. Perhaps realizing how rude her reaction had been, the knight froze for a moment.

Aya, sitting across from her, simply smiled warmly, though it made Altria feel a strange sense of discomfort.

"Are you not satisfied with the food?" Aya asked, and the knight quickly shook her head.

"No, it's incredibly rich. I was just surprised by how lavish it is, and I may have been a bit rude."

The food in this world was far superior to what she had known in Britain. She had realized this on her very first day here.

The staple was still bread, and the meat was mostly roasted, but both the texture and flavor were far better than anything British chefs had ever prepared.

Even the mashed potatoes were different—here, they were sweetened with honey or sugar and served as a side dish rather than a main course. This made them far more enjoyable.

Though she spent most of her income on dining out, she never grew tired of the food. In fact, she found herself looking forward to each meal with a sense of joy.

This was likely a matter of personal taste. While Altria found the food here delightful, Aya had grown tired of it after just half a month.

However, the meal before her at the 'Konaka-tei' inn completely overturned her expectations.

If she were to compare the food to combat prowess, the British diet would be akin to a foot soldier, while the meals she had enjoyed in this world so far were like those of a heavy knight.

But the feast before her now? That was on the level of Lancelot.

"Um, is it okay for you to keep your helmet on?" Aya asked, "Or would you prefer if I stepped out for a moment?"

Perhaps for some reason, the knight didn't want others to see her face. Aya considered this possibility.

"No need." Altria replied after a brief pause. She removed her helmet.

Since they were in a private room, only Aya could see her face.

Her features were as finely crafted as a sculpture, radiating a mature beauty. Though her expression was neutral, there was an air of elegance about her, like the subtle aroma of fine sake.

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Thank you all for supporting me.