Chapter 19

Xiaoming stood at the classroom door, took a deep breath, and firmly gripped the secret letter from his mother.

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The wheat harvest has ended, and it's about to get cold, isn't it? This is Herman. The planned departure time has been significantly delayed because there were no stagecoaches heading to Seronia. There's nothing I can do about it. So, I finally got on a stagecoach heading to Seronia. Since there was no direct route, it's an 11-day journey via Larette Town, but I don't know where it's coming from. Larette Town is adjacent to Jema's Salt Springs. There are villages around the sacred site, but the demon realm has a town adjacent to it. It's not that it can't be dealt with on a town scale, but it has grown to a town scale, so it is a town. Most of the demon realm can provide meat, though it depends on the demon realm what kind of meat it is. By the way, goblins, which almost always appear in the demon realm, can't be eaten. They immediately become slime food. Slimes love organic waste, and goblins are considered organic waste, so they eat a lot and provide fuel. Depending on the amount, there are many slimes or big slimes waiting in the demon realm.

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So, inside the stagecoach, there are seven other adventurers. When I got on, the distribution agreement was already over, so I had to follow it. The share is first-come, first-served. This means that adventurers who get on later are pushed to the back. ...Which means they can hardly hunt. Well, it's cheaper to get on halfway, so it's inevitable that their share is reduced. For me, it's convenient. I'm not trying to make a little money. If they actively hunt goblins, I'll leave it to them. I won't complain even if I don't work.

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So, after several attacks, I arrived at Larette Town. It's my first demon realm, and I haven't read any books about it, so I don't know what's there or what can be obtained. I know it has fire and wind attributes, but that's all. I don't plan to go to Jema's Salt Springs, so it doesn't matter. Some adventurers get off and some get on here. This affects the comfort of the stagecoach. Even with eight people, it's quite cramped.

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I want to relax at the back. I'm not happy when the number of tense adventurers increases. And the seven who have been on the stagecoach so far aren't that strong. The three female adventurers I rode with from Lunch Village were much stronger. So, there were a few times when I could have joined the battle even if I got off slowly. Of course, I left it to them. If there were more than seven, I would have thought about it. But only seven or fewer have appeared, and they are so weak that I could have taken them over. The stagecoach driver said I was strong, and I can see that they are struggling against the goblins. They probably don't have the talent to fight in the demon realm, but monster hunting is more profitable, so they ride the stagecoach to hunt monsters safely.

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There are all kinds of adventurers. If you get attacked once, it's a plus or break-even. If you get attacked twice, it's definitely a plus. Rather than such a violent journey, it would be more profitable to gather herbs at the sacred site. It's sad for adventurers who can't read, write, or calculate, as their information is limited. But they are filtering it themselves, so it's not a problem. The Adventurer's Guild does announce it properly.

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So, the number of passengers on the stagecoach, including me, became 12. Two more two-person parties joined. The stagecoach is really cramped. And I'm at the back, so there's a little more space around me. Everyone is trying to get closer to the entrance. But it only changes by 2-3 seconds, so it's meaningless. Still, first-come, first-served is the norm. It's not possible to divide it nicely and make everyone profitable. Well, even without doing that, it will be divided among everyone. There aren't any adventurers with that level of skill. Is this what adventurers are like?

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After five days of being shaken in the stagecoach, I returned to Seronia, having survived numerous attacks. It's the season when it could start snowing soon, so I want to look for a comfortable inn. Ideally, a room with breakfast and dinner included. At the very least, I want a private room. I don't want to stay in the adventurer's square because it's cold and ridiculous. I think the Alchemist's Guild might be better for information about inns. The adventurer's guild might have adventurers warming themselves, but the alchemist's guild is less crowded, which is good. Also, people who use the alchemist's guild can at least read, write, and calculate, so I won't be envied by fellow alchemists if I ask about inns.

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So, I came to the Alchemist's Guild. I want to secure a room early. So, I'll ask the receptionist right away.

"Excuse me, can you recommend an inn with a private room and breakfast and dinner included?"

"An inn? I don't have a list of all of them. There are a few on the main street of the west avenue and a few on the second street to the north. However, if you want a private room, the inns on the main street are better. I'm not sure about the meals, but the inns should have a sign with a bed. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I'll go to the main street of the west avenue."

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I didn't expect to not have information about inns. There must be no demand. Well, it can't be helped. Let's look for one. The main street of the west avenue, which is prime real estate... I don't know about the land prices, but it seems expensive to be on the main street. I found the first inn. Let's see what kind of inn it is.

"Excuse me."

"Yes, welcome. Our inn has a common room, is that okay?"

"Sorry, I prefer a private room, so I'll look elsewhere. Do you know any inns with private rooms?"

"Well, if you go west from here, the second inn on this side should have private rooms. The first one is the same as this one, with a common room."

"Thank you, I'll go there."

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This side means the south. Let's go there. This is the first inn from the one I mentioned, so it has a common room. The second one... it's not far. That's good. I plan to visit the alchemist's guild every day, so it's convenient to be close. Let's see what kind of inn it is.

"Excuse me."

"Yes, this is a private room inn. It's 5 small silver coins per night."

"Sorry, does it include meals? If it does, I'd like to stay for the winter."

"We serve breakfast and dinner. You can eat in our dining room. The meals are not included in the room rate, but if you want to stay for the winter, it's different. I can rent you the room from the spring planting season, with meals included, for 5 large silver coins. What do you think? If you prefer a daily rate, we can do that too."

"5 large silver coins, please."

"Thank you. Here's the key to your room, 303. It's the third room on the third floor. If you need hot water, let me know. It's 1 medium copper coin per bucket. You can use the communal well. The toilet is also communal."

"Thank you. Can I confirm the location of the room, toilet, and well?"

"Yes, I'll show you the toilet and well. You can check the room later."

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She showed me the toilet and well. She's a plump, motherly lady. After checking the toilet and well, I checked the room. It's a 3-tatami room. A bed with a straw mattress and a cloth cover, a chair and table made of soil and stone, and a window at the back. Yes, it's a room with the minimum necessities for living. ...I'll have to do the laundry and airing myself. The window opens, so I can air the bedding on sunny days. It's on the south side, so I can dry it halfway.

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I think I've done what I needed to do today. I'll start studying the Lala's Swamp and Rail Forest tomorrow. I also need to find the materials for the alchemy items, the perfectly fitting boots and the all-night glasses. Especially the glasses. They seem to be custom-made. I might need to be introduced to a blacksmith or find one myself. I'll ask the alchemist's guild first. If I don't go to the alchemist's guild, I can't start. ...It's a bit past noon. It's winter, so it will be evening soon. There's nothing else I can do today. I'll spend the time in the dining room reading the Alchemy Encyclopedia until dinner.

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So, I came to the dining room and read the Alchemy Encyclopedia while waiting... How much time has passed? I'm not sure, but a good smell came. It seems to be tonight's dinner. I wonder what it is.

"Oh, you're already here. You can eat now. It's bread and soup. Take it."

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Today's dinner is bread and soup. Well, it's not bad. It's better than wheat porridge. The soup smells good. It looks delicious. I'll say a prayer before eating. People here don't say it, but in my previous life, it was normal to say it before eating. I wonder why. First, the bread, but it's wonderfully hard. It's the kind you tear and soak in the soup, or it might be hard to bite. Let's try it. ...I can't express it well, but it's delicious. It's a meat soup with a strong salt flavor, but it's just right when soaked in the bread. The bread has no particular flavor, but it becomes a bit chewy and filling when soaked in the soup. I wiped the soup clean with the bread and said, "Thank you for the meal." This is a word people here don't use. I don't know the meaning, but it's a greeting after a meal. In my previous life, there were various customs. Sometimes they would come up and give me extra knowledge. Most of it wasn't useful.

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After returning the dishes, I went back to my room. The room is completely dark. There's no expensive lamp, and the dining room only had the light from burning slime fuel. The slime fuel is quite bright. I don't know why, but it's bright even from a distance. Slimes are really mysterious creatures. Well, I'll go to bed today. There's nothing to do at night without light. Good night.

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In the morning, I woke up on the bed. It was the first time I slept in a bed other than a sleeping bag, so I slept well. Let's go to the communal well and wash my face. The habit of washing my face is from my previous life, but it feels refreshing. So, I do it in this life too. Other people often look at me strangely. The communal well is right behind the inn, so it's convenient. Well, I'm probably the only one who likes to wash my face.

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After washing my face and entering the dining room, a good smell was already there. I recognize this smell. It's the smell of wheat porridge.