Chapter 94

When we arrived at the inn of the Strong-Armed Torque, the exterior of the shop hadn't changed, but the atmosphere was different from before.

"That was delicious. It was worth the wait."

"Yes, it was delicious. I was surprised to see a line even though we came at a different time from lunch, but the taste was worth it."

"That's true. But it would have been better if the shop were in a more central location instead of the Maze Street. This area is full of adventurers, which is a bit scary."

"Yeah, that's true."

Saying this, the women left the inn with a light-hearted laugh. The inn of the Strong-Armed Torque is supposed to target those slightly scary adventurers. Could it be because of the recipes I gave them?

No, it was the spaghetti Napoletana, meat sauce, and pizza toast. Would tomato dishes attract so many women? They're not sweet. While they were indeed well-received by Sylph and the others, something feels off. I should ask Martha. Also, the question is whether we can get a room.

If I enter the inn now, the people in line might get angry, so I'll tell the woman at the front that we're going in to secure a room. It's scary to make women enemies at a time like this, so caution is necessary.

"It's still full. Please wait a little longer."

When I entered, I heard Martha's cheerful voice. Indeed, the dining room in the back was full. Martha was working energetically, but Calk looked like a zombie from exhaustion. He used to be a lively boy, and if it's my fault, it hurts my heart.

"Hello, Martha. I'd like to book a room, but are they all full?"

"Oh, it's you. There are rooms available, just wait a moment."

Wow, there are so many people, but there are rooms available. Martha came back after delivering the food.

"Look, it's Yuta. The inn is booming thanks to the recipes you gave me. I'm very grateful."

"Hehe, no, I just wanted to eat them, so don't worry about it. But if it's doing so well, why are there rooms available?"

It seems the recipes I gave are the cause. It's quite a surprising result.

"That's the tough part. Many customers come at night. The adventurers who wanted to drink in peace have moved to other inns. Well, merchants and others are staying here, but there are rooms available."

If many customers come at night, it's awkward to drink in peace. If they get tired of the food, this inn might be in trouble. Other shops might develop similar dishes, so I'm a bit worried.

"I see. Then I'll book two rooms for ten days."

I'm used to it now, so a four-person room might be fine, but since I can see spirits clearly, separate rooms are more comfortable.

"Sure. For you, I'll give a big discount. Two rooms for ten days will be 100,000 elts."

Huh? Last time, I got a room for 12,000 elts, and you reduced it to 10,000 elts. Two rooms for 10,000 elts is too much of a discount.

"No, no. That's too cheap. It'll be hard to stay if it's that cheap. Can you make it the same as last time?"

"What are you saying? Thanks to your recipes, I'm making a fortune. I'd like to let you stay for free, but that would be a problem for you. From now on, you'll stay for 5,000 elts per room. Don't argue and just stay."

I was easily convinced. I paid 100,000 elts and was shown to my room. There's quite a bit of time after breakfast, so I decided to ask why the inn is so popular then.

"Alright, I'll summon Bell and the others. Sara and the others should summon Fukuchan and the others too."

"Understood," "Okay," "Summon."

While Sara and the others were summoning Fukuchan and the others, I summoned Bell and the others. As usual, they cling to me as soon as I call them. It makes me very happy.

I played with Bell and the others to my heart's content and relaxed. My heart, which was troubled by the conversation with Sonia, is healing.

"Then I'll go to the general store. Sara and the others, please stay here. Bell and the others, stay with Sara and the others and protect them if anything happens."

I don't expect any problems in the inn, but the conversation with Marie will be about money and the Adventurer's Guild. I don't want the children to see that. I left the inn with the enthusiastic responses of Sara and Bell and the others.

***

When I entered the general store, Sonia appeared smoothly. It's clear that I'm being watched.

"Master Yuta, welcome. Please follow me."

"Ah, yes, thank you."

I bowed and followed Sonia to the reception room, where she went to call Marie.

(Sylph, if there's any strange scheming in Marie and Sonia's conversation, please let me know.)

"Yes, I don't think there's a problem other than the uniform being one size smaller."

...They're approaching in a very specific way. It's a bit tight and the body lines are noticeable. However, I never thought I'd be seduced like this. Life is unpredictable. As I thought of my distant hometown and escaped into a light reverie, Marie entered with Sonia.

Yeah, it's definitely more sexy. If Sylph hadn't told me, I might have been a bit flustered.

"Mr. Yuta, I'm sorry to keep you waiting."

After apologizing, Marie combed her hair and puffed out her chest. Her eyes were obviously flirtatious, and her chest was about to spill out of her one-size-too-small clothes.

...What is it? Marie's approach to seduction and her gestures are a bit outdated. It's disappointing, and very obvious. Couldn't it have been a bit more subtle?

"No, I wasn't waiting at all, so it's fine. I'm the one who should apologize for not being able to join you for dinner as you invited."

Did I manage to convey that she invited me to dinner? It might be a bit forced, but how effective was it?

...Marie glanced at Sonia, slightly surprised. Sonia tilted her head and ignored it. She has a thick nerve.

"No, no. I would be honored if you could join me for dinner another time."

Marie seemed to regain her composure and smiled. She recovers quickly. But please stop making those body movements.

"I would be honored if there's an opportunity. By the way, I apologize for rushing, but could you tell me about the Adventurer's Guild?"

"Oh, you're not asking about the cost of materials, but about the Adventurer's Guild?"

Marie asked with a puzzled look. That's right. Usually, it's about the cost. I was so focused on the Adventurer's Guild that I forgot.

"Of course, I'm concerned about the money, but since I just arrived in the Labyrinth City, I want to get information before any trouble starts."

"I see, I understand. The Adventurer's Guild has been in an uproar due to the Fire Dragon and the materials from the 56th floor and beyond, but they haven't traced back to you yet."

"Huh? They haven't found out yet?"

That's not according to plan. Is the Adventurer's Guild so uninformed?

"Yes. They were told to make it difficult to trace back to you, so very few people know about you. Also, you supplied materials to this shop. The materials were secretly channeled to the Merchant Guild through my father's Porlius Company, so it will take time for the Adventurer's Guild, nobles, and companies investigating the Merchant Guild to trace back to you. Most importantly, you are a spirit mage, so even if they trace back to this shop, they might not trace back to you..."

Marie said this with a slightly pitying look. ...So, supplying materials to this shop was a camouflage. Indeed, supplying labyrinth materials to a general store might be a blind spot.

It seems that to reach me, they need to trace from the Merchant Guild to the Porlius Company to the general store. But even if they reach this shop, they might not reach me because I'm a spirit mage. ...How unpopular are spirit mages?

However, I had a rough idea, but it seems that nobles and other companies are also interested. I was originally planning to be protected by the Adventurer's Guild, but now I'm in conflict with them. Well, maybe I don't need to worry too much.

The problem is that my plan has been disrupted. I thought the Adventurer's Guild would have traced me and welcomed me with open arms when I joined. At the very least, I could have enjoyed a situation where the guild master was frustrated because they didn't know how to handle me...

Hmm. Should I reveal myself? ...No, that's not a good idea. If they trace back to the person who supplied the materials and find out it's a spirit mage they hate, the guild master will be shocked, which would be very satisfying.

But what if they never trace back to me? ...It would be unpleasant to be ignored until they notice me. ...Maybe I should set a deadline. Waiting indefinitely for them to notice me would be depressing.

"Understood. Please keep it this way for a while."

I'll take my time raising my adventurer rank. I can ignore the annoying looks. But I'll try not to bring Sara and Bell and the others to the Adventurer's Guild. There's no need for the children to experience unpleasant feelings.

"That's fine. It won't be much trouble. By the way, are you planning to go into the labyrinth again? The Alchemist Guild wants the various herbs you supplied last time, so if you can gather them, it would be a great help if you could supply them."

Hmm. Last time, I supplied about one-fifth of the herbs, so I can supply the same amount four more times. I also have a stock of Assault Dragons and Wyverns... It's fine. But I can't supply them immediately. The time-stop function of the magic bag would be exposed.

"I plan to go into the labyrinth, so I don't have a problem supplying materials. I'll bring them if I can gather them."

"Thank you."

Is she imagining the profit? Marie's smile is shining. This expression is more attractive than the old-fashioned seduction. Ah, her shining smile turned into a desire-filled expression. She must have said the herbs are valuable. If she can secure the quantity, she can negotiate more favorably.

"Thank you. I appreciate the information. Can I ask for the payment this time?"

It's finally happening. She said around 1.8 billion, but it's hard to imagine, but I'm looking forward to it!

Thank you for reading.