Chapter 56

"Uhaaa" — When I woke up and sat up, I couldn't help but let out a cry of surprise at the stark difference from before.

The sand bed was surprisingly comfortable, but that was only in comparison to sleeping on a rock. The difference in the strain on my body was significant. I didn't wake up in the middle of the night and greeted the morning feeling refreshed. Civilization is really important.

"Good morning, Yuta. You seem to be in a good mood."

"Good morning, Sylph. The bedding was so comfortable, my body feels really relaxed. It's great to have a proper bed, isn't it?"

"Hehe. Yes, it is. I don't really understand it, but if it's good for your body, that's great."

...After all, she's a spirit. Sylph once said she could dissolve into the wind, so it makes sense she wouldn't understand.

"Yeah, it was great. By the way, where are Bell and the others?"

They usually greet me enthusiastically.

"Oh, those kids are exploring outside. They couldn't wait for you to wake up. Sorry about that."

It's not Sylph's fault to apologize. Well, they seemed interested in the town... or rather, the meat yesterday.

"Hmm? Did I oversleep a bit?"

"Maybe. Breakfast time is almost over, so I was just about to wake you up."

Ah, that's right. I fell asleep right after dinner yesterday. I must have slept soundly for over ten hours. No wonder I feel so refreshed.

The sand bed must not have fully relieved my fatigue. My body feels so light.

"If Bell and the others are fine, I'll summon them if they don't come back after breakfast."

Sylph and I headed to the dining hall. Before bed last night, I rinsed my mouth several times, but I still felt a garlic smell on my breath... It must be pretty bad if I can notice it myself. I rinsed my mouth again. Good manners are important.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Good morning, Martha. I almost missed breakfast because I overslept."

"Ahaha, really? Did you sleep well? If you slept well, eat heartily and work hard."

She patted my back. It hurt a bit. I was led to the dining hall and waited for the food to be served. It seems breakfast is also set. I wonder what will be served for breakfast.

"Here you go."

The breakfast placed in front of me... was meat. A large piece of meat sat in the center of a wooden plate. The volume at breakfast is a bit scary.

"Martha, this is..."

"Oh, it's roasted Raphbird with herbs."

...That's not exactly what I wanted to ask. I wanted to know if this volume at breakfast is normal... but maybe I don't need to ask.

"Thank you, I'll eat it."

I gave up asking and started eating the meat. For an adventurer, this much meat at breakfast is probably normal, I guess.

The taste... is good. The herbs seem to be basil. The garlic is also well-seasoned. This inn might use garlic for all their meat. The chef, Torque, is really something. The taste is good, though.

"How is it?"

Martha asked with interest. I'm the only one in the dining hall, so she might be bored.

"It's delicious. The herbs, which might be called basil, and the garlic are well-seasoned. The meat is also easy to eat because it has been cut into bite-sized pieces."

"Basil? Garlic?"

The names are different, I guess.

"Ah, in the place I lived, they were called basil and garlic. Basil is the leafy part, and garlic is the bulb-like part."

"Interesting. Here, they're called Bapul and Gauric. So, you're from another continent?"

The names are similar. Maybe it's just a mishearing of garlic? And I'm from another world, not another continent.

"Yes, something like that."

"That's great. My husband is really interested in unusual dishes. Could you tell him about your cooking?"

I'd be happy to get along with someone who loves cooking, but I have a lot to do for now. I'll talk to him when I have time.

"I'm not a chef, so I can't give detailed stories, but if you're interested, I don't mind. But I don't have much time..."

"Ahaha, that's fine. Thanks. Hey, Dad, come out. There's a story about another continent."

I wanted to say, "When I have time," but Martha, please listen to the whole story.

"What's up, Martha?"

A burly man came out from the kitchen. He has a scar on his face.

"Hey, this guest is from another continent. He can tell us about the food there."

"Really! That's great. Guest, please tell us. Do you want an ale? I'll buy it for you."

"Hey, don't offer alcohol at breakfast."

"Is that so? Okay, okay. Hahaha. Alright, guest, I'll buy you an ale tonight. So, what's the food like on your continent?"

The burly man sat down across from me. This must be the strong-armed Torque. Both of them are cheerful. And they both seem to be the type who don't listen to others. It's a bit dangerous.

"I'm not sure how to answer that... Ah! One thing I found disappointing here is the skewers at the stalls. They cook the meat over wood, which is strange. It would taste much better if cooked over charcoal."

"Charcoal? You cook meat over charcoal? Does it really make a difference?"

Martha looks skeptical. Cooking over charcoal does make a difference, right? I think it's something about infrared radiation. Maybe cooking over wood has a similar effect? I'm starting to feel a bit uneasy.

But it should be fine. Japanese people have a near-religious belief in charcoal grilling. That's how good it is. So it should be fine.

"Charcoal, Martha. I'll go to the blacksmith's."

The burly man left the inn. What about the conversation? Well, it's fine, but I can't keep up with the flow.

"Um, Martha?"

"The guest wants to try it right away. Charcoal is mainly used by blacksmiths."

"Ah, I see."

It's good to know. I should get some charcoal too. But why does charcoal work but basil doesn't? Maybe I assumed the vegetable names were different, so I didn't try to use them?

I thought charcoal would work, so I used it... Maybe I should ask if they understand the word for charcoal.

"Martha, can I buy charcoal?"

"Charcoal? What's that? Something from your hometown?"

"No, it's fine. I made a mistake."

Martha looked at me like I was strange. But I learned something. It seems that if I think a word will work, it does. If I think it won't, it doesn't. It's a pretty significant discovery. I just need to think everything will work.

I finished breakfast in a good mood while chatting with Martha and returned to my room. From now on, I'll try to eat during busy times. Martha's conversation is like a machine gun, and there's no chance to interject.

"Bell and the others haven't come back yet."

"Yes, they seem to be having fun. Should we call them back?"

"Sure. I'm going to the Adventurer's Guild, so I'll summon them."

When I summoned Bell and the others, they were all very excited. They must have had a lot of fun.

"Yuta, there were so many things I wanted to eat."

"Did you see a lot of things you wanted to eat?"

"Yeah, they all looked so delicious."

Bell, Rain, Tulu, and Tamamo all nodded and tried to express their excitement. They must have been visiting food stalls. They seem to have recently discovered the joy of eating and are very interested in it.

"After we go to the Adventurer's Guild, I plan to go shopping, so we can go buy some food then."

"Yay!""Kyu!""I'm happy!""Ku!"

Bell and the others were all excited. It's heartwarming.

"Alright, let's go."

I left the key with Martha and headed to the Adventurer's Guild. Bell, who was clinging to my head, excitedly reported on the shops she saw. There were too many onomatopoeias, so I couldn't understand much, but I could tell she had a good time.

Rain and Tamamo also tried to tell me, but with "Kyu" and "Ku," I couldn't understand. Tulu's brief words were the easiest to understand.

***

When we entered the Adventurer's Guild, the murmurs stopped, and everyone stared at us. Then, whispers started. It was very uncomfortable.

"Hehe, Yuta, it seems you've been given a nickname."

A nickname? Like a special name for adventurers? Did I get a nickname in just one day? My adventurer life is starting off with a bang.

(What kind of nickname?)

I asked Sylph in a low voice, feeling a bit excited. Given what happened yesterday, it might involve a hammer.

"Everyone is calling you a fraud. They think you pretended to be a spirit mage and extorted all the money from the person you argued with."

(...Sylph, I know you understand, but that's not a nickname, it's an insult.)

"Pfft. Yes, it might be an insult."

Sylph, you're really enjoying this.

"Huh? Is Yuta being insulted? Should we attack?"

"Kyu!""Tulu will attack!""Ku!"

"Hehe. Yes, if you attack, you can prove it's not true."

This is bad. I need to stop them. I quickly called out to the excited Bell and the others.

(Everyone, don't attack. Sylph, don't encourage them.)

I managed to stop them with a low voice. I also wish Sylph wouldn't laugh. Sylph seems to like conflicts. She hates war, but she's okay with this? I tried to calm Bell and the others, and Eltina noticed and came over.

"Yuta, is something wrong?"

"Good morning, Eltina. Nothing's wrong. I'm just getting a lot of attention, which is making me uncomfortable."

"The events from yesterday were quite dramatic, so the rumors are spreading quickly. I think you'll be in the spotlight for a while."

Eltina smiled wryly. Well, it can't be helped. The bad reputation will probably reduce the annoying attention. I'm not wrong.

I thought being a spirit mage would be cool, but the reputation is surprisingly bad. If I had run away yesterday, my adventurer life here would have been in trouble. So, it can't be helped.

"Well, it can't be helped. I'll just show my strength. I was supposed to meet the guild master, right?"

"Yes, that's right. I'll go tell him. Please wait here for a moment."

I was led to a bench and watched Eltina go to report to the guild master. Ahaha, the gazes around me are piercing. I can't find any friendly ones. I'm completely the villain.

Am I going to be a villain from now on? I'd rather have a baby face and be adored, but is that too much to hope for?

As I was daydreaming, Eltina came back. It seems I'm about to meet the guild master. He also dislikes spirit mages, so I have no idea what the conversation will be like. I'm very anxious.

Thank you for reading.