Chapter 27

Three carriages passed through the great gate of the ancient city.

The carriages, adorned with white flowers on the driver's seat, were a sign that they were prepared for the new bride.

The carriage carrying the newlyweds had the privilege of being the first to pass through the great gate of the ancient city on that day. This privilege was so strong that even nobles and priests could not pass through before them.

Many couples wished to enjoy this privilege, and inns for newlyweds lined up in front of the great gate.

The carriages, loaded with household goods, moved proudly in the morning sun. The horses were of fine build, and the cost was high.

While ordinary couples would have managed with one carriage, the fact that three were used suggested that the groom was deeply in love with his bride, as passersby whispered to each other.

At this, Bertolt, who was on the carriage, felt a sense of pride.

Bertolt, the captain of the ancient city's guard, was welcomed by the people who had gathered to celebrate his return.

Together with his new wife, Hermine, whom he had brought from the port town, he had triumphantly returned to the ancient city.

Their new home was already decided, and they were supposed to start their new life together smoothly.

"…So, why are you at a bar so early in your honeymoon?"

The day after returning to the ancient city, Bertolt brought his new wife, Hermine, to the bar Nobu.

While serving tea to the newlyweds, Nobu's eyes did not smile.

The three of them, Taisho, Nobu, and Efa, had congratulated the couple on their wedding earlier that morning.

All three had celebrated as if it were their own wedding. The atmosphere became strange because the newlyweds did not return for a long time, which Bertolt himself well understood.

Efa, who had to be busy from morning, was also a bit anxious. Bertolt had heard that the bar Nobu had been extremely busy recently.

However, Bertolt also had a reason for not being able to return home.

"Yeah, actually, Nobu, it's a bit difficult to say, but…"

"What is it, Bertolt? I won't be surprised by anything minor."

"Actually, I want to leave my wife here at the bar for a while."

"Huh?"

Hermine, who was blushing and fidgeting next to Bertolt, nodded.

Hermine, who was a bit older than Efa, was a shy girl with flaxen hair and did not assert herself much.

"Actually, my wife's family is one of the best squid fishermen in the northern port town."

"Yes, I heard that before."

"My father-in-law, who is a bit overprotective, prepared fine household goods for our new home."

"What a nice father-in-law."

"Yeah, I think he's a very nice father-in-law. Preparing enough household goods to fill three carriages is not an easy task. However, a big problem arose."

"Problem?"

"Our new home is already decided, but the previous tenant hasn't moved out yet, so we can't move in."

Moving delays are common.

It seems the previous tenant had planned to move to a distant location but a monk from the eastern kingdom had urgently rented a carriage at an exorbitant price and left recently. He seemed to be in a great hurry, so there must have been some urgent matter.

"That's tough."

"Furthermore, the barracks where I originally lived, though for a captain, is not very spacious. It's only big enough for one man to live in."

"…I'm starting to see where this is going."

"The carriages that brought the household goods need to return to the northern port town. They are borrowed from the horse rental guild. We can't leave the furniture out in the rain, so we had to force the household goods into my barracks…"

"Hermine has no place to stay during the day, right?"

"That's right."

Bertolt himself was amazed at the situation he was explaining.

He couldn't even prepare a proper home for his beloved wife. He thought he could squeeze in one person, but there was no space at all.

"We decided to rent a room for the night. The previous tenant will cover the cost until the move is complete. The only problem left is where Hermine can stay during the day."

"That's why you came here."

"I would like to stay with her, but I can't. As expected, Hans and Niklaus, my subordinates, are all slacking off while I'm gone. I need to give them a good scolding."

Bertolt's squad was already running outside the ancient city's walls that morning.

More out of a desire to retrain them in a short period than as a punishment for their laziness.

Rumors of the northern territories planning independence had reached the port town. Bertolt had an obligation to prepare in case the ancient city was involved in any conflict.

"Taisho, what do you think?"

"I'm fine with it, but is your wife okay with it?"

When Taisho asked, Hermine nodded hurriedly. She seemed to be very interested in a decorative ship.

It was a model ship inside a large bottle. The bar Nobu had many peculiar decorations.

"Yes, please! I can only do simple tasks, but I'll do my best."

As Hermine bowed, Taisho lifted his head from the cutting board.

"Help? Bertolt, is it okay for your wife to help?"

"Of course, I don't expect her to stay for free. I've discussed it with Hermine. The only concern is whether Nobu needs the help…"

"There's no need to worry. We need all the help we can get."

Taisho said definitively, and Nobu and Efa nodded in agreement. They were clearly short-staffed.

"Seeing Efa working from early morning, it seems you're very busy. What happened to Nobu?"

When Bertolt asked, Taisho sighed deeply.

"…Eels."

Taisho lifted the eel he was about to prepare from the cutting board. The tail was still moving, so it was still alive.

As a fisherman's daughter, Hermine was not at all disturbed by the sight.

"What are you going to do with eels? Are you adding a jelly dish to the menu?"

"Well, it's easier to show you than to explain."

Taisho brought out something that looked like grilled fish.

The aroma of a dark amber-brown sauce was appetizing.

This was supposed to be eel, but it was a bit surprising to Bertolt, who had imagined a jelly dish.

There was also something similar to the bar's regular dish, tamagoyaki, on the plate. It seemed to have eel wrapped inside.

The same dish was placed in front of Hermine.

"May I try it?"

After asking, Hermine used a wooden spoon.

The moment she put it in her mouth, her usually delicate eyes widened.

"Bertolt!"

"What's wrong, Hermine?"

"It's amazing! This eel is incredibly delicious!"

Hermine, holding the spoon in one hand, waved her other hand to express how delicious it was. She looked a bit like a dog.

"This tamagoyaki looks good too."

"It's called umaki. It's tamagoyaki with eel wrapped inside."

"Ah, I see."

He cut it in half with the wooden spoon and brought it to his mouth.

A soft, smooth happiness spread in Bertolt's mouth.

It was indeed delicious. More than delicious, it was too delicious.

"…I see, no wonder Nobu is so busy."

"Do you think so too, Bertolt?"

"Of course. This is something I would want to eat again and again."

And it would probably be difficult to replicate this taste.

Eels swim abundantly in the canals and can be bought at the market for a very low price. However, the taste of the sauce and the grilling technique must be unique to Nobu.

"Now, the customers are all eel lovers even when we open at night."

Nobu sighed sadly, and Taisho nodded.

"Thanks to that, it's becoming unclear whether we're a bar or an eel restaurant."

"Still, it's a good thing to be so busy, isn't it?"

"True, but there are still customers who come to drink. The preparation for the side dishes doubles the workload. The preparations that can't be served to customers are wasted."

Even with success, there are various problems. To Bertolt, a warrior, it seemed that the more customers came, the more the bar would profit, but it wasn't that simple.

"Most importantly, customers who want to come in can't even enter the bar."

"Nobu isn't very spacious, after all."

Nobu and Efa sighed.

Indeed, with only six seats at the counter and two tables, the number of customers they could accommodate was limited.

This definitely requires more staff.

Thinking this, Bertolt looked at Hermine, who seemed to be savoring the umaki, with a contented smile on her face.

"Hermine, that's why I want you to help here."

"Ah, yes."

Whether she heard or not, Hermine nodded with the wooden spoon still in her mouth.

"I have an idea…"