The Iron Maiden

Part 18

"Please Ignore what I said. After all, we're here to help you be a better ruler. Not to argue"

"You're the one that started it!"

Lia ignored his tantrum while walking ahead

"As you can see, the city's current state is different compared to the previous years. The thriving businesses that your mother has invested in and cultivated became the driving force of Delphi's success"

Raiden glanced around his surroundings. True to what Lia had said, the city did seem completely different. It was more lively and energetic...His father, the previous ruler, focused more on agriculture than businesses and trade. It was still prosperous back then but...

'It's nothing compared now...'

The image of a crimson-haired woman appeared in his mind. The woman who seemed to spoil him to death, the one that acts as if she doesn't have a shred of intelligence around him, was she really the one that did all of this?

He hadn't explored the city ever since a certain event happened. Not because he was paranoid or anything. He just didn't feel like it'd be necessary to. To him, sword practice would've seemed to be a better way to waste time than to visit a place that he'd been to plenty of times

"...."

"...Anyway, it may seem all sweet and dandy at first, but it's honestly a pain to manage"

"A pain?"

"Yes, take this for example"

Lia walked closer to a stall that had a shady-looking merchant managing it. He was selling some sort of meat on a stick that was being barbecued over a fire. The fire, of course, was  being released from his hands, a feat that is achievable through the use of magic

"Excuse me, can I have two orders of the Algorian meat on the stick please?"

"Ohhh, what a cute little girl! You wanted two right? Here you go"

The merchant handed over the food that was served on a plate. Its sweet aroma flowed through Raiden's nose, which honestly awaked his appetite.

'Thanks, how much is this?"

"Hmmm...it's about fifty-golden coins each, so it's a hundred gold coins all-in-all young lady"

Raiden was about to reach for one but immediately stopped upon hearing  the price

'A hundred gold for this?! I could stay in a tavern for a whole week that serves more delicious foods with that amount!

Raiden was about to speak up, but Lia signaled him to stand down

"I'm sorry sir, but it seems like that price is a bit too much for something like this"

"Hrm! Are you saying that my food is worth less? I may not look like it, but I was the head chef of a restaurant back in the capital. All of the food that I've served cost at least five hundred. You should be honored! And besides little lady, the prices of meat became worst after the revolution"

Raiden wanted to punch his stupid face that was wearing a grin. His ego was as huge as his stomach, and It was obvious that he's looking down on them since they were kids

Lia once again signaled Raiden to back down

"While it's true that the prices of some meat had increased, I'm fairly certain the staple cheap Algorain meat didn't wasn't included in those, at best, this would only cost about ten golden coins"

"W-Why you...even so! I cooked worked hard to cook that thing! the least that I could give you is seventy, no, fifty gold coins"

Lia's smile slowly turned into a cold smirk upon hearing this. She carefully looked around the stall for a bit before seeing something interesting