Ignoring Kanna-chan's complaints, Kal'tsit deftly skewered the fish one by one and placed them by the campfire.
Just as the two were waiting for dinner to grill, Kanna-chan's ears suddenly twitched. She looked up at Kal'tsit, only to find Kal'tsit looking back at her.
"Everything but the fish is ready to eat. Do you want to eat first or exercise first?" Kal'tsit asked.
"Can't we let Mon3tr go? I'm just a child; I can't go hungry. Besides, ordinary people just need a scare; my attacks are too powerful." Kanna-chan didn't feel any threat from the approaching individuals. Although an uncomfortable feeling indicated ill intent, the lack of threat meant they weren't strong.
So, it was most likely scavengers wandering in the wilderness, attracted by the firelight, coming to check out the situation. Then they noticed only a woman with a child and developed malicious intentions, which is how the two of them detected them.
Kanna-chan was genuinely too lazy to deal with such people; after all, there was no profit, and no deep-seated grudge.
If she were in the wilderness and saw a lonely mother and daughter, she might not be immune to malicious thoughts herself.
Seeing that Kanna-chan showed no intention of moving from the food in front of her, Kal'tsit had no choice but to wave her hand. Mon3tr emerged from the shadows, brandishing its exaggerated giant scythe towards the approaching figures.
Those few scavengers, who had been somewhat driven by lust, were instantly scared out of their wits by the sudden appearance of the terrifying monster.
Accompanied by pitiful screams, the scavengers ran off into the distance with all their might.
After scaring away the scavengers, Mon3tr, who had been somewhat gloomy earlier, finally perked up.
No further incidents occurred in the following days, and the two successfully arrived within the borders of Siracusa.
After entering the city, Kanna-chan, unusually, became excited and decided to do some sightseeing.
The primary race within Siracusa was Rupo, though other races were also present... In Kanna-chan's memory, the least Siracusan-like member of the Siracusan squad was undoubtedly Gummy. Considering Gummy is a Volpe (fox) and not a Rupo, it's understandable. However, Broca is a Feline and still a pure Siracusan, so perhaps Gummy simply isn't suited for "Siracusa."
Just as Kanna-chan was thinking about that conversation from the monthly squad, Kal'tsit led her into a Siracusan restaurant for a meal.
The waiter enthusiastically handed the menu to Kal'tsit. Before Kal'tsit could speak, Kanna-chan excitedly shouted,
"I want Siesta-style fruit pizza!" The moment her words left her mouth, the bustling restaurant instantly fell silent enough to hear a pin drop.
"And orange marmalade macaroni and chocolate sauce straight noodles!"
With each dish she named, the pressure in the entire restaurant dropped a notch. The waiter, who had been smiling moments ago, twitched uncontrollably, looking like he was about to lose it.
"What's wrong? I read in the book 'Innovative Terra Cuisine' that these are Siracusan specialties, aren't they?" Even though the atmosphere in the restaurant was on the verge of explosion, Kanna-chan remained completely oblivious.
"Siracusan profanity, I knew it was that damned liar, Siracusan profanity, I'll definitely pull his intestines from his anus, Siracusan profanity, and put them in his mouth..." A Siracusan man, who could no longer hold back, slammed his utensils onto the table and walked out, grumbling curses.
The man's actions seemed to trigger a volcanic eruption. Following him, others also walked out of the restaurant with angry expressions, leaving only the restaurant owner, who stood awkwardly at the door with a wry smile.
From Kanna-chan's very first words, Kal'tsit knew something was wrong. Before she could figure out how to make Kanna-chan stop, Kanna-chan kept adding fuel to the fire, further enraging the others. Seeing this situation, even the composed Kal'tsit could only cover her face.
Although children's words are innocent, and she believed these Siracusans wouldn't hold a grudge against a child, Kanna-chan's antics made her feel like her toes were digging a new Rhodes Island into the ground.
"What can I get for you, madam?" Even though Kanna was making everyone around uncomfortable, the restaurant owner still came over to Kal'tsit with a strained smile.
"I'm so sorry, we'll have two of your specialties!" Kal'tsit said through gritted teeth, glaring at Kanna.
"Alright, please wait a moment, two servings of our signature macaroni will be right out." The owner walked into the restaurant with heavy steps.
"Kannnnnnna!!!!" From Kal'tsit's drawn-out tone, it was clear the old woman had, for once, lost her composure.
"Oh, come on! I didn't know, did I? It's just a few dishes, and they're reacting so strongly. The book clearly said 'highly recommended'! But I really want to try that mysterious Siesta-style fruit pizza. The book said the fruits there are big and sweet, and I've never tasted them!"
Although everything since they entered was intentional, just to see if Kal'tsit could truly remain calm no matter what, it seemed Kal'tsit's tolerance was only slightly higher than the average person.
Of course, she definitely wouldn't let the other party know she was doing it on purpose, so she pretended to be completely clueless, after all, ignorance is bliss.
Soon, two plates of macaroni were brought to them. Seeing Kanna open her mouth, but before she could speak, Kal'tsit swiftly, with the speed of lightning, speared some macaroni with her fork and stuffed it into Kanna's mouth.
Under the threat of Kal'tsit's 'you're dead if you say another word' gaze, Kanna finally resisted the urge to continue seeking trouble, happily hugging her bowl and digging into her meal.
Before leaving, Kal'tsit apologized to the owner again, then, with a dark expression, led Kanna out of the small town.
"You should be glad you're a child. If you were an adult, I guarantee you wouldn't have walked out of that restaurant alive," Kal'tsit said briskly as they walked.
"I didn't know!"
Sensing a hint of a trap in Kal'tsit's words, Kanna still responded by playing dumb.
Kal'tsit subtly glanced at Kanna from the corner of her eye, thinking to herself, 'Did I really misjudge Kanna? But to hit all the Siracusa people's trigger points in three sentences, it doesn't look unintentional at all.'
After this incident, for the sake of her blood pressure, mental health, and to prevent this little one from causing more trouble, Kal'tsit made a three-point agreement with Kanna: without Kal'tsit's permission, she could not speak casually in any situation.
If Kal'tsit gave her a signal indicating a wrong answer, she had to immediately shut up and let Kal'tsit handle it.
If Kanna broke this agreement, she would have to recite the full text of a local history lesson that day, and Kal'tsit would conduct a spot check on her learning.
-------------------------------
I've already uploaded 30 - 40 chapters of this story on Patreon!
If you enjoy it, come check out the latest chapters in advance.
Here's the link:
[patreon.com/Greyhounds]
Thank you so much for your support!!