Chapter 32 - Chapter 31: A Safe Inn
The city of Sarbengeal was neater and cleaner than any city I had passed through so far.
The buildings lining the road were all charming, generally stylish structures.
The ground was paved with stones and hardened with concrete.
Streetlights were installed on both sides of the road, and right now they were in the process of being lit.
Someone was using a long pole to open a glass box and lighting an alcohol lamp-like object inside.
The first time I saw the streetscape of Sarbengeal, it reminded me of a medieval Western city.
That was just my own impression, though.
(...Well, I haven't been there before.)
It was an image based solely on what I had seen on TV or in photos, but combined with the time of dusk, it was a beautiful sight that made me stare at it involuntarily.
"Come on, if we stay here we'll be in the way of passersby. Let's go to the inn."
Ninetiana took my hand and proceeded down the main street.
"You said 'inn', but the stop is outside the city. What are we going to do?"
"What do you mean? I said we're going to the inn."
I blinked at Ninetiana.
After only two days of experience, the equation "inn = shabby hut at the stop" was etched into my head.
It seemed the "inn" she was talking about was a real inn.
Ninetiana gave a bitter smile.
"Even adventurers need to rest properly when they rest. That's why we save on things we don't need. It's too late today, so we'll go to the dormitory tomorrow. Tonight, let's rest comfortably at the inn and prepare for tomorrow."
Saying that, Ninetiana walked forward without hesitation.
She left the main street and entered a sparsely populated alley.
After turning a few alleys, we arrived at a place with somewhat worn-down buildings, but there were streetlights and the security didn't seem bad.
As I looked around nervously, Ninetiana stopped in front of an inn.
"It's still here... I hope it hasn't changed from before."
The three-story inn showed cracks in its walls and felt old.
However, peeking inside, the atmosphere wasn't bad. I could see a bright, clean lobby.
Following Ninetiana inside, a burly man suddenly appeared from a room behind the counter.
A tanned, muscular, tall man with a shaved head looked like nothing more than a bodyguard from the underworld.
His stern face had a large scar crossing from his forehead over his left eye down to his left cheek.
(............Ninetiana-san. Don't tell me we've come to the wrong shop?)
There was no way this was an inn. It looked like a back-alley casino or something.
It must have changed since before. It definitely has.
"Yes, Tako-chan. Long time no see. Are you well?"
Ninetiana called out to the bodyguard.
The bodyguard stared at Ninetiana with wide eyes, glaring sharply, and his swollen veins on his forehead twitched.
(Ah, I'm dead...)
I felt like I could see a future where this bodyguard would squeeze me to death.
The bodyguard remained motionless, silently glaring at Ninetiana.
Ninetiana ignored that and walked up to the counter to speak to the bodyguard.
"Hey, Tako-chan, have you forgotten that face? So heartless."
"...You're Ninetiana, aren't you?"
"Who else would I look like?"
It seemed Ninetiana knew this bodyguard.
Suddenly, the bodyguard's expression softened.
It seemed he wasn't glaring at Ninetiana, but was just surprised with his eyes wide open.
"It's been a while. What happened to Diego? Did you dump him? Ah, did you get caught cheating and leave! I told you not to move back to the countryside, didn't I?"
"That's impossible. We're doing pretty well. Well, I won't deny that country life is boring."
It seemed the bodyguard knew Diego as well.
Watching the two of them speak familiarly, the bodyguard noticed me.
"..................Is this your child...?"
"Don't talk nonsense. How old do you think this kid is? He's going to the academy, so I'm accompanying him."
"Academy? Not a knight...? The magic academy? Ho ho..."
The bodyguard looked at me.
He appraised me with a rude gaze.
"Hey, stop that. Mika-kun will get dirty."
Ninetiana hid me behind her back.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing to people!? Seriously... So, what's it going to be? Are you staying?"
"Yes, one room. Just for one night for now. Ah, just one bed, a single is fine."
I startled at Ninetiana, then looked at the bodyguard.
Seeing me shake my head slightly and nervously, the bodyguard sighed.
"Ah... unfortunately, we only have twins available today. Make do with that. I'll charge you the single rate."
I clasped my hands and thanked the bodyguard.
Regardless of his appearance, I was convinced he was a good person just by that.
Ninetiana muttered something like "Tch...", but she must have noticed the exchange between me and the bodyguard.
There was no way the master of sensing presence wouldn't notice.
Ninetiana paid the lodging fee with her Guild Card.
"When you stay at an inn, you pay the fee first like this. If there are extra charges for meals or other things, you pay them at that time."
Ninetiana explained the system for staying at an inn.
"Staying at an inn... You were in the Limpēre domain, weren't you? How did you manage until now?"
"How? It's always been the same, right?"
"Always the same...?"
The bodyguard looked at me.
His eyes were filled with overflowing sympathy.
(...Ah, Horatio gave me that same look when we parted last time.)
It was only a few days ago, yet I already felt nostalgic.
Horatio must have guessed what the journey was like.
(Indeed, this trip wasn't something a child would do... ...But it was a little fun.)
I thought about the three-day journey.
"Alright, let's go to the room."
Receiving the key, Ninetiana headed for the stairs in the back.
Climbing the stairs and reaching the third floor, five rooms were lined up.
Our room was the second one from the front.
The room wasn't very large, but there were two beds lined up properly, and in the back, there was a small table and chair.
There was a window in the back, but the wall of the neighboring building was right there, so the view was zero.
"If you're inside this room, you can leave your luggage. It's not good to be too careless, but this inn is safe."
For the first time in these three days, I was told I could leave my luggage.
I had even kept it on my lap during meals.
"Inns have ranks too. You shouldn't be careless even inside the room at cheap inns like the ones where we rented baths before. Well, it's okay while you're in the room, but absolutely never leave things behind and go away."
"Is it okay to leave things here and go away?"
"It's fine here."
Ninetiana declared.
"It's much safer than some fancy high-class inns. No one tries to touch things here, and no one causes problems here."
...So that person really is a bodyguard from the underworld?
Could it be that this inn is run by the mafia?
The so-called front company.
As I wiped a cold sweat with a twisted expression, Ninetiana burst out laughing.
"Really, what are you imagining? It's just that Tako-chan is famous, so everyone behaves quietly here."
"Famous...?"
"Yes, the person from earlier is Yaroibarov of the Crimson Dye. He was an A-rank adventurer."
"A-rank!?"
A story I hadn't even imagined came out.
Ninetiana happily explained to me, who was frozen in surprise.
Yaroibarov of the Crimson Dye. Nickname: Tako-chan.
(No, I'm sure only Ninetiana calls him that!?)
Anyway, the bodyguard, now rechristened Yaroibarov-san, was a super-famous person.
As his epithet suggests, he is a typical Warrior who fights by dyeing his whole body bright red with splattered blood.
However, this epithet has another meaning.
This Yaroibarov-san turns red when he gets angry.
When his anger reaches its peak, his whole body apparently turns truly red.
Someone who saw that said, "He looks like a squid," and thus he got the nickname Tako-chan.
I asked Ninetiana if anyone else actually called him that, but her answer was "I don't know."
(...No one can call him that because they're scared, right?)
I think only Ninetiana has the nerve to call that bulky, stern Yaroibarov "Tako-chan."
While I was stunned with surprise and disbelief, she threw a cloth bag at me.
"Put the things you want to wash in that bag. And bring your change of clothes. We'll change everything today."
It was my first full change of clothes in three days.
I had only changed my underwear up until now, but my shirt and pants were getting dirty anyway.
"I'm going to the bathhouse now and putting all the clothes I was wearing in this bag to wash them."
"Wash them? Aren't you washing them yourself?"
"It costs extra, but there are people here who will wash them for you."
Apparently, you could ask someone to wash your clothes if you paid.
They said they would fold them neatly by tomorrow morning.
"At cheap inns, you wash them yourself, hang them yourself, and if you don't watch them, they might get stolen."
It seems I have to be wary of theft even in this place.
That's why parties usually decide on a rotation for taking turns watching the room and the laundry.
For solo adventurers... I guess I should take responsibility myself, yeah.
After all, it's solo precisely because you do everything yourself.
However, solo adventurers don't need to split rewards, and the inn fee is for one person, so they can afford to stay at safer inns relatively easily.
Cooperate with companions, or solve it with money.
Both solo and parties have merits and demerits.
Accompanied by Ninetiana, I returned to the counter on the first floor.
Yaroibarov was inside the counter, giving instructions to a boy.
In this inn, I often saw children.
They were all about my age or a little older, looking busy cleaning or carrying things.
"Tako-chan, is the bathhouse free?"
"Yeah, everyone seems late today. No one has used it yet."
"I also want to ask about the laundry. Is it okay to ask any of the kids?"
"Doesn't matter to me. When you're done with the bath, bring it here and I'll take care of it."
After confirming that, Ninetiana headed for the bathhouse.
I gave up and followed silently.
It seems there are no men's baths or women's baths in this world.
But then I suddenly realized something.
When I stopped, Ninetiana noticed immediately and turned around.
"What's wrong, Mika-kun?"
There was no time. In a few seconds, I desperately constructed a logic.
"...The bathhouses before gave us a discount, didn't they?"
"Hmm? Well, yes."
"That was because we entered all together, and since we were kids, they gave a discount, right?"
"Well, yes."
"Here, we're just staying at the inn normally, so we don't need to enter all together, right?"
"By that logic, well, no."
"Since this inn is safe, there's no need to watch over us at the changing room, right?"
"Yes, there isn't."
"So, is it okay for me to go in alone?"
"That's not allowed."
Rejected.
"Why————!?"
"Because I want to go in with you, Mika-kun. Come on, let's go quickly."
There was no logic or reason.
Logic had nothing to do with this tyrant.
She wanted to do it, so she did it. That was all.
Thus, despite receiving sexual harassment where my butt was patted, I somehow finished the Heal magic and left the bathhouse.
This might have been the most tiring bath of these three days...
When I went to the lobby, a girl was alone at the counter, and I handed her the laundry.
She seemed well-educated, carefully wrote it in a ledger, and asked Ninetiana to sign.
After Ninetiana signed the ledger, she didn't return to the room but headed straight for the dining hall.
"Oh, you're up. It's just about ready. Are you eating?"
As soon as Mika and Ninetiana entered the dining hall, a voice called out.
In the kitchen of the dining hall was Yaroibarov-san wearing an apron.
To be honest, it doesn't suit him at all.
"Tako-chan, leave it to you?"
"Yeah, leave it to me. It's especially good today."
"That's a relief."
Ninetiana quickly sat at the table.
Mika also sat opposite Ninetiana.
Looking around the dining hall, there were eight tables, but it seemed no customers were there yet.
(Is it okay...?)
It was already past evening, it could be called night.
A dining hall this empty at this hour was only worrying.
Looking at Ninetiana, she didn't seem to care at all.
If anything, she seemed excited.
(She ate the daily special without a second thought. Maybe I shouldn't rely on it too much...)
The dining hall itself was well-cleaned and had a bright atmosphere.
In the kitchen, children seemed to be cooking assistants, moving busily under Yaroibarov's instructions, taking out plates.
"...There are a lot of children. Why is that?"
Mika asked what was on his mind.
"They are legitimate employees hired by Tako-chan."
"I haven't seen adult employees, though."
"They're not nonexistent, but maybe they're not here now?"
Ninetiana didn't seem particularly concerned.
Probably, this has been the management style since Ninetiana knew him.
A boy who seemed like a waiter brought a wine bottle to Ninetiana.
It contained a vivid red wine, like fruit wine.
Mika thought about pouring a drink for her, but his hand couldn't reach.
It seemed the habit of pouring drinks for his boss at banquets during his salaryman days had come out.
Ninetiana poured it herself and drank it in one gulp.
"Phew... Ah, delicious. It's been a while since I had alcohol. You're thoughtful, Tako-chan."
Ninetiana was in a good mood.
Seeing Ninetiana like that, I wanted to drink alcohol for the first time in a while, but surely my body wouldn't allow it.
(...Speaking of which, wasn't drinking during pregnancy or breastfeeding bad?)
I thought about telling Ninetiana, but hesitated to spoil her good mood.
Anyway, it would take three days to return to Rish Village from here.
It wasn't something I should be noisy about.
"Is it been a while since you drank?"
"Yes! Women aren't supposed to drink! ...Even though it's in-laws, I couldn't ignore what my parents said."
It seems there is a belief in this world that women shouldn't drink alcohol.
Well, if this is a world where male superiority is the norm, it's not surprising to have such thoughts.
After all, there isn't even a concept like "all humans are equal."
In this feudal country, nobles and commoners cannot be equal.
"I used to drink secretly even then. I heard it's better not to drink while the child is small, so I put it off until Dur grows a bit more. Ugh..."
Ninetiana pretended to cry while skillfully gulping down the alcohol.
If she usually abstains from alcohol, wouldn't it be okay just for now, now that she is free from childcare?
If she drinks too much, I'll stop her, but for now, let her enjoy the alcohol after such a long time.
"You're abstaining? Is a dragon going to attack tomorrow then?"
Yaroibarov-san came to the table with the food.
The waiter boy was careful not to drop anything, holding dishes in both hands.
"By that logic, you should have come two years ago!"
"Haha, that's true. Is the child named Dur? One or two years old?"
"She's still one."
With the waiter boy, dishes were brought one after another, and six plates of food were lined up on the table in no time.
"We got some good meat. This skewered meat is seriously delicious. It's a shame to serve it to customers."
Saying that, Yaroibarov smiled.
No, I understand the feeling, but that's too blunt.
A platter of skewered meat with three large pieces of meat, cheese-baked meat and vegetables, chicken stewed in tomato sauce, meat-wrapped vegetables, a platter of sausage and bacon, beef stew. Six items in total.
Meat, meat, meat. A feast of meat.
Bread came with it.
(My stomach feels heavy!)
By the way, this is all my impression based on appearance, so the tomato stew might not use tomatoes, and the beef stew might not use beef.
"Alright, let's eat."
Ninetiana pumped herself up, but honestly, I was a little hesitant.
(It's all meat, and the portion is huge. Is this guy sane?)
It looked very delicious, and the smell was good.
But serving only meat dishes so perfectly, wasn't it a level of sanity to question?
"Yeah, eat up. You, the monk, eat well too! The more meat you eat, the stronger you become!"
It seems this all-meat menu is to the liking of adventurers.
Indeed, no matter how much you train your body, without enough protein, you won't build muscle.
It could be said to be the result adventurers sought with their bodies as capital.
Watching Ninetiana devour everything, I also took my portion onto a plate.
I put skewered meat and cheese bake on my plate and bit into the skewered meat first.
(Delicious!)
It was tender, and meat juice overflowed when I chewed.
The skewered meat, seasoned with salt and pepper plus a little of some spice, was more delicious than any dish I had eaten before.
It wasn't just my life as a boy named Mika.
Including my original world, I had never eaten meat this delicious.
As I devoured the meat in a trance, Ninetiana watched me with a smirk.
"Delicious, right? Everything was made by this Tako-chan."
When I looked at Yaroibarov in surprise, he grinned.
"Cooking is like my hobby. If we're going to eat, it's better if it's delicious, right? Huh?"
Just like the bald department manager in my original world, this person seems to have cooking as a hobby.
"Tako-chan said he hated the rations during expeditions, so he started experimenting a little by little, and it got more and more elaborate."
"Just adding a little touch makes the taste completely different! So wouldn't you want to eat something delicious even a little bit?"
"But starting a restaurant because of that isn't normal, is it?"
It seems this Yaroibarov-san started a restaurant because his hobby got out of hand.
Yaroibarov-san, who was already active as an A-rank adventurer, quit being an adventurer because of that.
"At that time, guilds and adventurers all over the country were in an uproar."
Well, if a top player earning hundreds of millions of yen per year suddenly announced retirement and said, "I want to open a restaurant," that would cause an uproar.
I could visualize the commotion at that time.
"So, how many shops do you have now?"
"Three restaurants. Two inns. I want to open a shop in the capital someday."
"The restaurants are increasing. Are you making that much profit?"
"There's no way. We're barely making it. A kid who was in charge of the inn's kitchen grew up, so I opened one shop to let him run it."
Apparently, Yaroibarov-san takes in and cares for orphans and street children who seem promising.
In this country, it seems normal to take in children for labor rather than becoming foster parents.
In many cases, those children are forced to work in terrible environments, but...
"Did you open a shop for the children?"
"Yeah. He was skilled, and above all, he was serious. He said he wanted to do it, so I said, 'Then try it.' I thought, 'If it's this guy, I can trust him.'"
What kind of good person is this!
He looks like a bodyguard from the underworld, but he's a businessman and a philanthropist. A real celebrity.
"So, you're not doing any adventurer work at all anymore?"
"Well, basically. I'm too busy for that."
Yaroibarov-san retired for the restaurant, but it seems he didn't completely retire.
"But there are many people I've been very helpful to. If they request me specifically, I can't refuse."
Adventurer Guild requests come in two types: ordinary requests where anyone can do it, "Make this happen," and specific requests, "Ask this person."
Unless you are a very famous person, specific requests don't come often, but he is an A-rank after all.
At that time, the lobby became a little noisy.
It seems a party staying at the inn had returned.
"Ah, I'm hungry. Yaroibarov-san, can I eat soon?"
"Yeah, okay. Wait a moment."
Saying that, Yaroibarov-san returned to the kitchen.
The members of the party of about four people ordered drinks one after another from the waiter boy.
By the time the drinks arrived, Yaroibarov-san was also lining up the food on the table.
The menu was the same six items as our table.
However, the portion size was incredible.
"Great! Looks delicious!"
"Phew... I'm coming back to life."
"Yeah, delicious! This one is delicious too!"
"Hey, Yaroibarov-san, listen to me."
"Yeah, what's up?"
The dining hall, which had only us until just now, suddenly became noisy.
A man who seemed like the leader was complaining about something to Yaroibarov-san.
Ninetiana watched that scene with a nostalgic look.
"...That's how it is. Isn't that unbelievable?"
"Well, sometimes things happen like that. But the request itself went well, right? You should be satisfied with that."
"That's true, but... I just can't accept it."
"Hahaha, in times like that, drink and forget it. Hey, bring a cup of green wine. Don't count it."
"Ugh, Yaroibarov-san. You're reliable as always."
"What are you saying for one cup of wine? Here, drink."
Ninetiana gave a bitter smile.
Maybe she was seeing her past self in them.
After that, adventurers gradually returned, and the dining hall became very busy.
Mika and Ninetiana finished all the food and returned to the room.
By the way, I ate about 30% and Ninetiana ate about 70%.
I was a little stunned at Ninetiana, who could finish that much all-meat feast.
"Alright, let's sleep well to prepare for tomorrow."
"...Um, Ninetiana-san."
As Ninetiana was about to turn off the light, I asked her about what was on my mind.
"You paid for the inn with your Guild Card, right? And the dining hall just now too."
"...Yes, that's right."
"It's not my money... but we have travel expenses, right? Why don't you use that?"
Until now, payments for the shared horse carriages, dining halls, and bathhouses had come from the travel expenses donated by everyone in the village.
But since coming to Yaroibarov's inn, Ninetiana has been paying for everything with her own Guild Card.
Ninetiana silently watched me for a while, then sighed.
"Really... shouldn't a child worry about such things? I wanted to stay here, so I stayed. Whether you were here or not, I stayed here. So I paid. That's all."
"But..."
Seeing Mika looking apologetic, Ninetiana walked up to him and poked his forehead with her finger.
"Don't think impudently when you can't earn your own living. Do that kind of thing when you grow up and earn your own living."
Ninetiana said sharply.
Ninetiana was right.
(...Right now, I can't even earn a single copper coin myself. No matter what, I can't even buy a single loaf of bread without someone's help.)
Mika, who had been looking down for a while, looked straight at Ninetiana and nodded.
Ninetiana gently stroked Mika's head.
"Really... just be more obedient and rely on others a bit more. There's no need to grow up so hurriedly. ...Understood? Go to sleep now."
Mika said "Good night" to Ninetiana and lay down on the bed.
It had been three days since I slept in a bed.
(...I've always been relying on others, haven't I?)
Will there ever come a day when I can repay this favor?
Thinking such things, Mika fell asleep.