Chapter 192: New Accessory

"Uuuu... I hate that my body is still growing and gets hungry even at times like this."

As if responding to the smell of the porridge, Xiao Tao’s stomach let out an embarrassingly loud growl.

No, no, that’s actually a good sign. At least you’re healthy.

Warren had bled and prepared the Horn Rabbit meat, then skewered it and roasted it until it was nicely browned, seasoning it with nothing more than some spices.

Qiu Nuoya personally thought eating meat first thing in the morning was a little heavy, but Warren silently held out a skewer to Xiao Tao with a simple, "Here."

Xiao Tao accepted it hesitantly and took a bite. Warren then bit into his own piece as well.

Since the two of them were boys around the same age, perhaps there was something about each other that they could understand.

Qiu Nuoya was also around the same age in terms of appearance, but unfortunately, the inside of his mind was much closer to Igor and Viktor, so there was not much he could do about that.

"Eat some porridge too."

Qiu Nuoya held out a bowl of porridge as though he were feeding a small animal. Xiao Tao accepted it as well and polished off the entire bowl.

Good, good. What a good boy.

Once his stomach was full, his mood would surely improve too.

"All right, once you’re finished eating, we’re heading out."

At Igor’s call, everyone hurriedly cleaned up after breakfast.

Somehow, their group had gained another companion, and now they were finally about to arrive at Cider Orchard.

"Wow, there are so many people!"

"Well, it is a tourist destination."

The Oraria City where they had lived until now was also a popular destination for adventurers and therefore had a large population. However, Cider Orchard, the city on the shores of Cider Lake where they had finally arrived, was just as lively.

Oraria attracted many adventurers who came to challenge Dungeon Castle, so most of the people walking through the streets were rugged looking travelers who appeared to be adventurers. Here in Cider Orchard, however, the tourists seemed to be a very different sort. ℯℯ𝘭.

"It feels more glamorous than Oraria."

"Cider Orchard is known as the City of Fine Cuisine and Jewelry, after all."

"Fine cuisine and jewelry..."

Qiu Nuoya had already heard that the food here was excellent, but apparently the city also had a thriving jewelry industry. Half of the street stalls were filled with glittering accessories and jewelry shops.

Gemstones were not the only thing being mined here. Cider Orchard was also famous for the excavation of magic stones. Viktor told Qiu Nuoya that the magic stone attached to the hair clip he always wore was probably mined in Cider Orchard as well.

The hair clip had been bought for Qiu Nuoya by Warren. The magic stone itself was genuine, but the hair clip had not been enchanted with any magic.

Since this was a city where the jewelry industry flourished, Qiu Nuoya casually looked around, wondering if there might be a shop that could enchant it for him.

At that moment, Long’s attention was caught by a piece of cloth fluttering in the wind in front of one of the street stalls. He looked almost like a cat captivated by a swaying curtain.

Qiu Nuoya walked over to his side and asked, "Is there anything you want?"

[ Huh? Why would you think I want some scrap of cloth like this? ]

"I want you to have something that identifies you. You don’t like the idea of wearing a collar, right? So I thought it would be better if you had something you actually liked, like Mochi’s crown. Is there anything here you might want? A hair ornament would work too. How about something like this?"

Qiu Nuoya pointed toward a glittering hair ornament decorated with beautiful gemstones displayed at the stall.

Long immediately made an obvious look of disgust.

[ I have no need for such gaudy, sparkling stones. ]

He dismissed the idea without hesitation.

[ Besides, there are plenty of stones like these lying around in my sleeping place. Why would I want them now? ]

"Eh? Really? Well, that’s a problem."

Choosing accessories for Mochi had already been somewhat difficult because of Mochi’s body shape, but finding an accessory for Long was even harder.

After all, once Long returned from his demi human form to his dragon form, an ordinary accessory would probably break.

There were collars specifically designed for tamed monsters that had been enchanted with an ability to expand and contract, but Qiu Nuoya already understood that Long would absolutely refuse to wear one.

When he considered that, the choices for an accessory Long could actually wear became extremely limited, and Qiu Nuoya had no idea what he should choose.

[ Hmm, I see. If you insist that I wear something, then I suppose I have no choice. That piece of cloth over there will do. ]

It was the long narrow piece of cloth Long had been watching flutter in the wind earlier. It was probably a ribbon. There were many different colors, and some even had embroidery made with gold or silver thread, making them surprisingly ornate.

"Eh? Really?"

[ If you insist that I wear something, then I suppose I have no choice. ]

Wait... Could it be that Long had been interested in this ribbon from the very beginning? Maybe his pride simply would not allow him to admit that he wanted it himself?

Accessories were generally considered more of a woman’s thing, but in this world, men also commonly wore accessories enchanted with magic. Long did not seem particularly fond of dressing himself up, and his usual appearance was fairly simple. Perhaps that made it difficult for him to bring it up himself.

Still, a ribbon? For someone as wild looking as Long, it was a surprisingly cute choice.

"There are all kinds of colors here. Which one do you want? I think this one with the gold embroidery would look good against your skin."