“That’s a strange thing.”
“Is it strange?”
As we passed through the aquarium tunnel, Charlotte suddenly said that, and I tilted my head.
I wondered if it really was strange, but thinking about it, it could indeed seem odd to fill a massive glass tunnel with simulated seawater and pack it with all kinds of fish.
So, it was pretty, of course. But I guess you could say it’s a bit far from nature.
However, it seemed that Charlotte was not talking about how it looked.
“The money collected by kings wielding absolute power in the past was literally astronomical. But could such kings create a city like this just by pouring out money?”
“Ah, that’s true.”
Alice, walking beside me, nodded as if she understood.
“Famous dictators often build gigantic mansions and create personal zoos even as their countries crumble.”
Come to think of it, it wasn’t just dictators; even royalty in the Middle East were like that. They may not have owned the entire country, but some had personal zoos with lions where they took selfies or owned dozens or hundreds of cars that would be hard to afford even if they saved money their whole lives.
Moreover, they built cities in the middle of vast deserts with enormous capital.
“I heard the population of this city is ten million. Are you saying it’s possible to gather that many people?”
Charlotte said that with a genuinely surprised expression, making me ponder for a moment.
Well, I did recall that Dubai also went through a period of severe financial trouble. Just ‘building’ alone would be quite challenging in many ways.
Without going far, there are cases where mismanaged new city plans resulted in entire areas becoming uninhabitable.
“If you’re talking about specific levels of buildings and not an entire massive city, it seems quite impossible.”
In the end, it’s the people living there who come in and fill the city and get the economy running. If the city itself wasn’t livable from the start, that would be impossible.
And the numerous buildings in the city weren’t simply constructed by individuals; they were built by many people hoping for profit, resulting in high, taller buildings. Whether they rented part of a building for money or bought and sold property rights, it was ultimately a product that couldn’t exist outside ‘commerce.’
“In the end, I think it may be better for many people to compete rather than having a single individual directly governing.”
Charlotte murmured seriously, and I was taken aback.
“Just leaving everything alone could also lead to serious problems.”
Just look at the Empire; as soon as you step into the back alleys, public order is nearly neglected. It’s almost impossible for a woman, or even a man, to walk alone through the back alleys at night.
“The country’s policies can’t simply follow the progress of certain regions blindly. The history and culture of the country also play a significant role. In this country, the reason why bloodline aristocracy has mostly disappeared is that it was once overturned by war.”
When Alice, who had arrived before Charlotte and studied various books, said this, Charlotte nodded seriously.
“But it’s also right to learn from other countries if they have something to teach.”
“… Be careful; if you just follow this country’s policies on the Azernar continent too closely, you’ll be called a communist.”
I said seriously.
Of course, it’s not that South Korea is a communist country. There are hardly any countries where you could call them communists just based on a single health policy.
Honestly, how many people haven’t benefited from medical insurance while living here? How many haven’t used cheap public transportation?
Yet, even those health policy concepts could be viewed as extreme leftist claims in Azernar. They set up things that look like clotheslines and called it ‘a place to sleep.’ And it’s not even free; it’s charging people!
Well, this led to the emergence of extreme opposition stories like communism, which then collided and fought each other, leading to bloodshed before modern systems were established. Who knows what problems could arise if ‘royalty’ tried to get involved? At least, the era when citizens revolutionized to behead nobles has passed; it might be better to step back a bit and watch.
Is that too harsh to say?
“What’s communism?”
“……”
Ah, right.
That concept hasn’t even emerged in Azernar yet.
Wondering how to explain it, I said,
“… Mia, what do you think? Was it worth seeing?”
I turned to Mia, who was staring blankly through the aquarium glass.
“……It’s really beautiful. If I had just stayed at the hotel, I would have definitely regretted it.”
Mia’s eyes sparkled at my words.
Honestly, when I came here as a child, I wondered if it was worth spending that much money just to come to such a place, but now that I’m an adult, it felt different. There were times when I suddenly wanted to go to places like aquariums or zoos that I didn’t visit often as a child… but now that I’m an adult, I find it hard to go.
“I might be saying this too bluntly, but it’s good. This time, I’ll let you off.”
“……I have some related books at home, so I’ll lend them to you.”
“Thank you, Alice.”
Hearing the voices of those two chatting behind me, I sighed in relief.
*
“Sylvia, can I try that?”
Unexpectedly, Charlotte’s eyes sparkled because I mentioned we were going for dinner.
Maybe it was because she rarely had the chance to cook herself, but she was watching me grill pork belly with shining eyes.
“Are you sure?”
Though I may look like this, I’ve grilled meat often during company dinners and sometimes held tongs when I met friends. Since coming to Azernar, I haven’t had to grill meat myself, but I hadn’t forgotten the skill, and since I arrived here, I got the hang of grilling meat a few times in my sharehouse.
But has Charlotte… ever grilled before? The most she probably had were steaks expertly grilled by top chefs or stews simmered meticulously using wine instead of water—all those fancy dishes.
“Alright.”
But I didn’t dwell on it for long.
Since we’ve come this far, it would be nice to experience various things.
Despite many Korean barbecue places in Gangnam having staff who grill the meat for you, I purposefully searched for one where guests grill their own meat. The price wouldn’t differ much, but I wanted to share this… joy.
Having come to Korea, though here you can eat Japanese ramen, sushi, or Chinese mala soup, I still wanted to provide an experience that stayed true to my hometown’s way.
“Thank you. So… I just have to watch until it reaches the right color, right?”
“That’s right. There’s no need to feel too pressured. No one here will complain if you burn the meat.”
At my words, Claire, Alice, and Mia all nodded with smiles on their faces.
“I-I don’t plan on burning it.”
Charlotte muttered, her face turning red.
Well, we’ll have to see about that.
My slight smile triggered a bit of competitive spirit in Charlotte, making her puff her cheeks.
*
“… It’s wonderful.”
“Yeah. It’s really delicious.”
When I said that, Alice responded with a cheerful expression as she moved her chopsticks.
To be honest, I felt that what Charlotte grilled tasted better than what I did.
Both Alice and Charlotte excel in observation and physical abilities. If they start learning something, it’s natural that they grasp it much faster and better than I ever could.
Especially when Alice, who understood things in one go that I spent many times trying to understand when we were younger. Of course, I don’t know how much effort she put in afterward.
“I-I think what my sister grilled is tastier.”
Noticing my expression, Claire said that, making me smile bitterly.
“Thanks for the compliment.”
“I-I think they both taste good,” Mia also tried to comfort me, which was heartwarming.
“No matter who grilled it, it’s delicious enough to eat.”
“That’s right. Doesn’t it only matter if the meat tastes good?”
Agreeing with Alice, I picked up the grilled meat.
“… Oh, wait. Thinking about it again, I feel like I might be at a disadvantage here.”
Seeing me casually munching on the meat, Charlotte spoke.
Only now did she realize that.
“Meat should be grilled by the person who grills it best.”
“Is that so?”
Charlotte squinted her eyes at me, but I continued munching on five more pieces before I took back the tongs again.
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