Chapter 6

I have a favorite bar.

While I often use the bar inside the guild because I’m familiar with many faces there, the prices are too high and the selection is poor. That place is mainly for meet-ups and socializing among guild members, and the pricing is set to prevent people from lingering and causing congestion.

So, the place I usually go to is a different establishment. It’s close to the guild, doesn’t have lodging, and focuses solely on food. The name of the place is "Forest's Bounty Inn."

It’s usually a popular spot for being cheap and delicious, but today, the place is even more bustling than usual.

"Here you go, sir, your boar skewers."

"Ham, huff huff."

I immediately dig into the ten skewers of grilled meat that came all at once.

These are boar skewers, rich with fat and seasoned with salt. Today, they’re being offered at half the usual price. This is insane.

It was still barely dark outside, but I slipped in as soon as I saw the sign outside the shop.

Apparently, a guild party that went out on a hunt managed to take down a lot of boars, so there’s an abundance of meat, and they’re serving it generously.

The owner is doing a bowl-count, so the price remains the same, but you get two skewers of grilled meat instead of one. So, it’s effectively half price. This is too good. Can I live here?

"Isn’t that Mongrel-senpai? Wow, you’re really eating a lot."

"Mog?"

"Take your time, senpai. You’re still as fond of skewers as ever, huh?"

"…Phew. Rina, you’re back. Look at these skewers; they’re half price today. This is the real deal."

"Yeah, I know."

Sitting next to me at the counter is Rina, a junior female guild member and an archer.

She’s part of the party "Artemis," which consists of archers and mages. She’s known as a young expert in ranged attacks and has become quite famous recently.

With her short hair and flat figure, she has no charm, but she still treats me with respect as a senior. She’s a pretty cute kid.

"Those boars were supplied by our 'Artemis.' There were so many boars at the foot of the mountain that it was more about butchering them than shooting them. My body is aching."

"Wait, you and your team hunted these boars?"

"Yeah. We have so much that we’re supplying to other places too. So, we’re planning to drink a lot today and tomorrow."

"Rina, you’ve really improved… I’m proud of you."

"…Mongrel-senpai, you’re praising me more than when we defeated the ogre. It’s not really making me happy."

"What? I’m praising you from the bottom of my heart. Don’t look so disappointed."

"Can’t do it. Ah, excuse me! One ale, please!"

"Me too, another round!"

"Coming right up!"

Drinking a light ale while gorging on a large amount of salted skewers—this is the life.

"…By the way, senpai, I heard you got into a fight at the guild recently."

"Ah, yeah, that’s right. It was a group of four thugs. They attacked me like amateurs, so I dodged their attacks with my elegant martial arts and beat them up one-sidedly."

"That’s completely different from what I heard. I heard it was a really messy fight."

"What, you know about it? Tch."

"But winning against four people is still pretty impressive."

"Right? But they were just a bunch of amateurs. I had the advantage."

Yesterday’s brawl outside the guild isn’t that unusual.

Guys who have served in the military or have come from other regions often resort to violent behavior to quickly show off their strength in a new place.

They probably thought I was an easy target, but they were wrong. I’m a reincarnated cheat adventurer, after all.

The victory was low-key, but that’s fine. For a skilled Bronze who has refused a Silver promotion, that’s about right.

I could have overwhelmed them with even greater power, but showing such strength openly rarely leads to good things.

…No, really. I have more power that I haven’t shown yet. Seriously.

"Mongrel-senpai, you should stop soloing and join a party. Burger-senpai often invites you, doesn’t he?"

"No, I’m not cut out for that… I can’t handle snoring, teeth grinding, or bad sleeping habits."

"You’re not a noble…."

Besides, I don’t like the idea of not being able to go all out when needed.

If an unexpected strong enemy appears, my allies might become a hindrance. So, I have no intention of stopping soloing.

"How about you, Rina? Are you doing well in Artemis? Are you being bullied or anything?"

"No, no, everyone is nice. They teach me a lot about archery and share the money fairly."

"Oh, that’s great. I’m glad you found a good place."

"Yep."

When Rina first left her village, she was part of a party with other people her age from the same village.

However, the atmosphere in that party turned sour after a few months, and they disbanded. After that, Rina joined a couple of other parties but didn’t fit in and eventually left.

I’m really glad she found a place in Artemis. The work environment is everything when it comes to human relationships…

"Here you go, sir."

"Wow, this looks delicious!"

"Huh? What’s that?"

"Don’t you know, senpai? It’s a dish with seared meat topped with a gel made from citrus peel. It’s popular in the noble district, according to Shina."

"Oh, I see. I get it now."

"…What’s with that look?"

"You don’t get it, Rina. The connoisseur’s choice is salt. It brings out the natural flavor of the ingredients. In the end, it all comes down to salt, Rina."

"I called you a noble earlier, but you really have a poor palate, senpai."

"Are you kidding? I have the most refined taste in Halperia."

"Sure, sure."

While rejoicing in my junior’s gradual loss of cuteness, I enjoyed a full belly of skewers and ale today.