Chapter 8

"Ahh... That felt so good."

After warming herself to the core in the bath, Reda put on her new clothes and waited for Mina to come out. She felt like having a drink after the bath, but she shook her head, thinking, "No, no."

Since she was traveling with a child, she didn't want to show any sloppiness. It was a small pride for a man in his thirties.

"Oh, sorry to keep you waiting."

As she was thinking about this, Mina appeared from the women's bath, saw Reda, and came over with a relaxed expression.

"Oh... Yeah, I see... I see."

"Reda?"

Reda couldn't help but widen her eyes and stare rudely at the cleansed Mina. But it was understandable. Mina's dirty blonde hair, now fluffy and honey-colored, shone brightly. Combined with her cute appearance, she looked like an angel.

(Considering the season, I couldn't let her take a water bath, but just washing her face and drying her body with a towel, yeah, she's changed a lot. I thought she was cute, but I didn't expect this much.)

Even without a twisted preference for younger girls, Reda couldn't help but be captivated by Mina's loveliness. She even wondered if Mina might have escaped from kidnappers.

"Nothing. Did you warm up?"

"Yeah! The bath was huge!"

"That's good. Let's eat then."

"Okay!"

Naturally, the two held hands. There was no sense of discomfort or resistance. It was as if it was normal, and they reached out to each other without hesitation.

"Did you enjoy the bath, you two? It's not a hot spring, but the water was good, right?"

"My cold body warmed up. Right, Mina?"

"Yeah. The bath was big and warm."

"Good, good. The meal is ready. I want travelers to eat well, so we have the popular magic boar steak."

The well-cooked magic boar steak was placed in front of Reda and Mina. It sizzled on the hot plate, and the aroma of the savory oil, herbs, and sauce stimulated their empty stomachs. Mina, too, swallowed hard.

"Let's eat while it's hot."

The innkeeper, smiling, arranged the rice and salad.

"Let's eat."

"Yeah. Itadakimasu."

"Yes. Itadakimasu."

Reda and Mina picked up their forks and knives and cut the meat, bringing it to their mouths.

"Mmm, this is delicious!"

"..."

The moment it entered her mouth, the meat juices burst forth. The more she chewed, the more the sweetness of the meat and the saltiness of the sauce stimulated her tongue. Unconsciously, Reda picked up the plate of rice and started eating. Mina, though taking small bites, ate at a steady pace, seemingly enjoying it. The innkeeper, watching them with satisfaction, returned to her duties, thinking it would be rude to interrupt.

By the time Reda finished her second helping of steak, Mina had just finished her first and looked satisfied. The innkeeper then appeared with a plate of fruit.

"This is a treat for the young lady. Sweet things are best for travel fatigue."

"Thank you."

Mina politely thanked her, and the innkeeper, smiling, sat down next to her.

"I'm sorry for the late service. I was late in hearing from my mother. I apologize."

"No, I've been treated very well, so don't worry."

Indeed, the food was delicious and plentiful, and the bath was excellent. It would be ungrateful to complain.

"I haven't introduced myself. I'm Marrella, the innkeeper of 'The Sparrow's Rest.'"

"I'm Reda Dixon. I'm an adventurer."

"...I'm Mina."

"Reda and Mina, nice to meet you. By the way, you've already met my mother, right? My father is the mayor of this town and is usually found loitering at the town entrance."

"I've already met the mayor. He introduced me to the tool shop."

"Oh, I see. By the way, you said you're an adventurer. Can you take on sudden requests?"

"Is there something wrong?"

Since she came to talk to Reda, there must be some trouble. However, Reda, who had only done odd jobs for the party and had no solo experience, was unsure if she could be of any help. Now that Mina was with her, she also wanted to prioritize her.

"Actually, the magic boar we used for the steak. Do you know what kind of boar it is?"

"Well, I haven't seen one, but I think it's a mutated boar."

"Exactly. It's said to be a boar that has absorbed too much magic. It's twice the size of a regular boar, and the quality of the meat is incomparably better. It's fatty and as delicious as you can tell."

Surprisingly, there weren't many opportunities to eat it in the capital. As Marrella said, because of its larger size, it requires more space to raise, and the capital doesn't welcome livestock as much. Most of the purchases come from nearby towns and villages. Therefore, the supply and price vary, and it's generally more expensive.

(Livestock farming is smelly, so the nobles don't like it. Horses are an exception, though.)

There are nobles who enjoy horseback riding and knights who use horses, so there are no complaints about horse breeding. However, when it comes to pigs and cows, there are many complaints about the smell and how it doesn't fit the capital's appearance.

"We raise them in this town, and there are wild magic boars in the mountains. The men earn a living from them, but recently, we've had a problem."

"A problem?"

"It seems that a pack of magic wolves, which shouldn't be found around here, has appeared and started attacking the magic boars."

"So, what you're saying is..."

Reda understood what Marrella meant. Given the situation with the magic wolves causing damage, there was only one thing she could ask of an adventurer.

"I want you to help the town's youth group in exterminating the magic wolves."