Watching the women twist and dance to the music, I reached for the plate of food on the sheet in front of me: steamed, minced fish, wrapped in a cylindrical bread-like shell and fried. Despite the unique sauce paired with it, you could easily eat it with your hands, and the flavor was pretty good too. After downing a mouthful, I followed it up by lifting a small pot of fruit juice to my mouth. The strong, sweet fluid slipped comfortably down to my stomach.
I glanced to the side to see Suin, who had brought me here, chatting happily with another merchant. He was treating me to a meal at this rather expensive-looking establishment as a show of gratitude and hospitality...but that was only half the story. The other half lay with the fact that bringing a unique guest like an elf around with him would bolster his reputation in the area, improving his position in Mintar. To be honest, if getting a free meal would help Suin in his endeavors, I was more than happy to oblige. I suspected he was also using the attention we were garnering to try and find a ship to take me farther west. This would likely be my last chance to offer Suin something of value.
The next dish to arrive was a kind of fish cooked in oil, which you ate wrapped in a leafy vegetable. Mintari culture had produced a lot of food that could easily be eaten with your bare hands. The fact that expensive oils could be used in such huge amounts to cook food like this spoke of the luxury the people of Mintar lived in, even if this particular restaurant was on the higher end. The refreshing texture of deep-fried food in my mouth was matched with its distinctive flavor.
This food really was a luxury. I wanted to lose myself in the cooking, but if I didn’t act with a certain level of decorum, it was Suin’s reputation that would take the hit. Of course, if I remained too detached, the cooks, who were proud of their people’s culture, would feel insulted. It felt like a chore, but I guess I’d have to put on a show of enjoying the food thoroughly while still maintaining a level of reservation.
The next day, though, I’d be sure to find a place where I could let loose. While I certainly could manage an environment like this, it wasn’t exactly my ideal locale.
Resisting the urge to lick the oil from my fingers, I looked around to see other patrons wiping their hands on the cloth sheet in front of them, so I did the same. I had no idea whether this was the correct course of action, but it seemed to at least be better than licking my fingers.
I took another drink from my small pot. Apparently Mintari culture didn’t have a habit of pairing alcohol with meals. It wasn’t that alcohol itself was forbidden or anything, just that it was something that was enjoyed by people in the privacy of their own homes rather than out in public. It was likely a custom to avoid the sorts of trouble alcohol could bring, but the practice left me a little disappointed. The chaos, mistakes, and even sometimes fighting brought on by drinking was part of what I liked about it. Though perhaps that attitude was coming more from my inner dwarf than my life as a high elf.
Even so, the experience of coming into contact with such an entirely different culture was interesting. Experiences like these often led to feeling uneasy about local values and customs, but after taking the local climate and history into consideration, you could reveal the hidden reasons behind all of them. What had led to alcohol being a private pleasure in Mintar? Maybe at one time, a past king had made a mistake after being openly drunk. Just trying to imagine what kind of situation had given rise to the custom was kind of fun.
My eyes happened to meet with one of the dancers. She was honestly gorgeous, unquestionably attractive. Each and every one of her movements drew the eyes of everyone around her. If I could find one thing to fault her on, it would be that it seemed she was dancing in a way that made herself stand out more, rather than being part of a united performance with the other dancers, though of course she was still in rhythm with them and the music.
That said, all of the dancers onstage were acting in the same way, struggling to make their individual charm shine above the others. I had heard from Suin that this was because customers could hire the dancers here to spend the night with them. Of course, simply throwing money at them wasn’t enough. They also needed to offer presents and show the right attitude in order to win the girls’ favor. With the level of importance Mintar treated its culture of dancing, professionals like these had quite a high standing in society. Taking a famous dancer as a wife was seen as a sign of extreme wealth.
Basically, it meant that a foreigner both in race and nationality like me was entirely outside of their system, and so could enjoy the dancing without any ulterior motives. As I applauded in admiration for her work, the dancer flashed a proud smile and continued her dance with even more passion.
If someone as famous as Suin were to act in the same way, it would threaten bringing certain expectations and envy from the dancers. It was clear Suin was intentionally avoiding looking at any one dancer more than the others, and was keeping his overall manner in check. But these were all problems I didn’t have to deal with, so I could enjoy the food and dancing to my heart’s content.
The last dish was fruit carved into incredible sculptures...the only dish that seemed like a waste to eat.