Chapter 58: Barubare's Specialty, Barubare!

Together with Shaji, they thoroughly tidied up the room.

Cash, jewelry, and other valuables were carefully stored away; daily necessities were laid out one by one; clothes for changing were washed meticulously and hung outside the window.

Looking at the Hunter's Hut, now clean and tidy yet brimming with a touch of domestic life, Aolang and Shaji put their hands on their hips and sighed contentedly.

There were still some things to buy, such as a soft mat for Shaji to sleep on.

After all, the Hunter's Hut was designed for a single person; the bed was a bit narrow. It was suitable for one person, but adding an Elu made it somewhat cramped.

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

Besides that, there were water cups, soap for washing the body and clothes, snacks and books for entertainment, and so on. Aolang recorded each item in his memo, preparing to buy them all in one go on the street later.

"Gurgle-gurgle—" The sound of an empty stomach growling echoed in the room.

Aolang looked at Shaji, and Shaji looked at him at the same time.

"It was you, right?"

"It was clearly you, meow!"

After arguing pointlessly for a few moments, they unanimously agreed that it was time to find something to fill their stomachs.

Aolang changed into casual clothes, and Shaji wore only a small vest. The human and the cat, traveling light, left the Gathering Hall together.

The Assembly Hall Tavern naturally had food to eat, ranging from basic Roasted Meat Naan to high-end dishes cooked with rare ingredients; nothing was missing. However, neither of them intended to enjoy their first meal in this city here.

On the way to the Gathering Hall, they had seen many tempting small stalls and shops. For them, newly arrived in this city, these street snacks were even more attractive.

As for which specific place to eat at, it wasn't hard to choose; following the queue wherever there were many people was certainly the right move.

Then, they lined up in front of a shed specializing in roasted meat.

Shaji's ears folded backward, looking rather unwilling. "It looks no different from the roasted meat in Luokelake, meow. It's all wrapped in naan to eat, meow. Even the smell is the same, meow."

Aolang hesitated too. He wanted to try whether Barubarei Roasted Meat was truly the same as Luokelake's, yet he worried that if it was exactly the same, it would be a waste to have something he was already tired of eating at his doorstep as his first meal in Barubare.

Just as they were hesitating, a person standing behind them spoke up.

"Are you from Luokelake? Is this your first time in Barubare?"

Aolang and Shaji turned around. The speaker was a Hunter, wearing Armor, with an Insect Staff slanted across his back, and a Hunting Insect perched on his arm.

There was no doubt he was an Insect Glaive User, but this was the first time they had ever seen an Insect Glaive User this fat.

It wasn't the kind of fat where flesh hung down and made walking difficult; rather, although his body fat percentage was high, thick layers of fat were supported by a large amount of muscle underneath, much like a Kappa or a frog.

Hunters with similar builds were rare. Given the physical exertion of a Hunter, even with daily overindulgence in food and drink, it was difficult to gain much fat.

However, a few Hunters would deliberately consume excessive high-calorie foods to achieve this bulky, stout physique, gaining stronger core strength and a more stable center of gravity.

They were usually Heavy Defenders specializing in defense, or Great Hammer users.

For a Weapon like the Insect Staff, which pursued extreme flexibility and coordination, it was truly unheard of for a fat person to use it. Could someone like you even fly?

Aolang certainly wouldn't be so rude as to ask the question on his mind directly, but his expression inevitably became strange.

This caused the other party to misunderstand. "Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to eavesdrop on your conversation. It's just that regarding the topic of roasted meat you were discussing, I can tell you the answer."

The fat Insect Glaive User patted his large belly. "Whether it's Barubarei Roasted Meat or Luokelake's roasted meat, we can tell the difference without even tasting it!"

Now Aolang and the others were intrigued. Since they were just waiting in line anyway, "How so? What's the difference between the two?"

The Insect Glaive User rubbed his oily, shiny chin. "Actually, the difference is very small. From the marinating and grilling of the meat to the type of naan, everything is basically consistent, after all, both originate from the diet of the Sand Nomads.

The real difference lies in the seasoning!

Luokelake's roasted meat is generally served with fresh onions, while Barubarei Roasted Meat is sprinkled with plenty of Barubare before eating!"

"What do you mean by sprinkling plenty of Barubare, meow?"

"Eh? You don't know?" The fat Insect Glaive User wore an expression of astonishment, as if saying, "You came here without even knowing this?" Then he became excited.

"The so-called 'Barubare' is a composite spice. It is the specialty of this city and the origin of this city's name!

In Barubare, Barubare is the most indispensable seasoning. The people of Barubare can do without salt, but they absolutely cannot do without Barubare!

The Insect Glaive User became more and more excited as he spoke. He waved his fat hand and pointed, "Look! Young man! Look at this city! What color do you think it is?"

"Uh, colorful?"

"What do you mean by colorful?!" The fat man pouted. "That's just the surface! You have to look at the whole, at the atmosphere! What color does this city give you as a whole?"

Aolang couldn't help but recall the warm yellow hills he had seen from afar when gazing at Barubare on the way, and the warm sunlight shining into his hut.

"Like the warm yellow of afternoon sunlight?" Aolang said tentatively.

"Exactly!" The fat man's fat hand slapped heavily on his shoulder. "A warm yellow bordering on orange-red! So this city of Barubare is also this color!

Because what flows in our veins is also Barubare!"

"This... I see." Aolang was stunned by the other's passion.

Shaji even clapped his hands with a "clap-clap" sound. "By the way, we are almost at the front of the line, meow. Let's try what Barubarei Roasted Meat with Barubare tastes like, meow!"

"That won't do."

The fat Insect Glaive User suddenly grabbed Aolang's arm with one hand and lifted Shaji by the scruff of his neck with the other, pulling them out of the queue.

"The taste of this roasted meat shop is very good, and I come to eat here almost every day. But if we're talking about 'the best,' it is still lacking a little bit.

Since this is your first time, you must taste the best! Follow me!" The fat Insect Glaive User nodded his head. Because his neck and head were about the same thickness, his movement didn't look very obvious.

They hadn't had time to eat lunch, spent the afternoon cleaning the room, and had just queued for a long time. Aolang and Shaji were already very hungry, yet just as it was about to be their turn to buy, they were pulled out of the line by the fat Insect Glaive User.

The people behind them had already made their purchases. It seemed inappropriate for them to cut in line now.

After a helpless glance between the human and the cat, they could only follow behind the fat Insect Glaive User, praying at the same time that the deliciousness finally in their mouths would be worth all the twists and turns.

Under the guidance of the fat Insect Glaive User, they wove through the streets and alleys of Barubare.

This guy was fat, yes, but his steps were truly agile. If Aolang and the others didn't quicken their pace, they might lose him at any moment.

After jogging for about ten minutes, they finally arrived in front of an inconspicuous small tent.

An elderly Dragon Race woman, looking impossibly old, was slowly pushing a medicine grinder, grinding something.

"This is... a potion shop?" Aolang stared wide-eyed at a small sign at the tent entrance, which actually read "Secret Medicine and Hanfang Medicine for Sale."

"That's right." After the Fatty replied simply, he squatted beside the old woman, his entire body becoming almost a perfect sphere.

"Medicine Granny, they are visiting this city for the first time and have never tried Barubare. Could you help me grind some fresh?"

Medicine Granny slowly raised her head, gave the Fatty, the Insect Glaive User, a helpless look, but ultimately walked back into the tent to fetch the ingredients.

"Many spices are medicinal herbs themselves, so Medicine Granny also blends Barubare. Moreover, the Barubare she blends is so authentic that it would not be an exaggeration to call it the most authentic Barubare of all!"

The Fatty, the Insect Glaive User, explained while patting his belly, "Usually she refuses to help me blend it. Only when such an opportunity arises will she reluctantly agree to lend a hand."

Aolang: "......"

No wonder you were so enthusiastic; it turns out you just wanted to eat it yourself.

Medicine Granny was very old and moved slowly, so Aolang and the others felt too embarrassed to urge her on. It was not until more than half an hour later that a small bag of spices was handed to them.

The Fatty, the Insect Glaive User, bent low and received it with both hands, as if it were not some seasoning but a rare treasure.

"So, where is the grilled meat, Meow?" Sahaj, whose ears had drooped from hunger, asked weakly, "Does the old lady also work part-time as a grill master, Meow?"

"Of course not, what are you thinking?" The Fatty, the Insect Glaive User, looked at it with a reproachful expression. "Medicine Granny is a Potion Master!"

Sahaj nearly couldn't hold back his curse. You actually know she is a Potion Master, Meow?!

The face of the Fatty, the Insect Glaive User, was glowing. "The finest spices naturally require the finest meat to match!"

"Let's go! I will take you to find Meow Chef!"

PS: The more I write, the more it feels like Masala (?). Actually, Barubare exists in reality; it is a mixed spice originating from Ethiopia (Berbere). The name of this city in the game is also derived from this.