Chapter 5

After Father dramatically set up and then discarded an unnecessary flag, Mother came in, as if to replace him, and placed a plate of sliced apples and tea on the table where the novice party was seated.

"I'm sorry, he's not very friendly. Please make yourselves comfortable."

Shaking his head from side to side, the young mage bowed.

"No, we appreciate it. This guy, despite being the leader, is quick to fight."

"What do you mean? I said Elias should do it, not you."

The swordsman pouted, and Mother continued with a light smile.

"Are you going shopping? If so, try the stall with the green striped tent, the third one from the fountain in the square. They shouldn't be too unscrupulous in their business."

"Ah, thank you."

"It's fine; we were helped by you yesterday."

"Is that so..."

Finally, all the guests left, and we were able to have breakfast. The menu was, well, the usual mediocre soup and bread. I wonder what happened to the sweet bread I had in stock... I have no memory of anything after I got home from work.

"By the way, since we're here..."

Mother brought out a thin slice of Mrs. Weber's cake. Let's see...

"Wow, it's delicious."

I couldn't help but say it out loud. The cake was soft and filled with rehydrated figs, giving it a chewy texture, and the sweetness was gentle, probably from honey. However... after eating this, I can't help but think that Mother's cooking is probably in the category of being not very good in this world.

The inn sells cheap meals, but they're not very tasty... Hmm, that's not the case.

In general, the location is also a bit awkward. Originally a regular house, it's about a 10-minute walk to the Adventurer's Guild and another 10 minutes in the opposite direction to the commercial district's square.

In other words, it's right in the middle between the Adventurer's Guild and the commercial district. If you look at it positively, it's a moderate distance from both.

After that, Sophie and I helped with the mountain of dishes to wash, and I headed to the second-floor guest room. I opened the door to the room that was vacated this morning.

"Wow, just as I expected."

Just like the first floor, the guest room was also damaged in various places. It needs repairs. Sophie and I changed the sheets in the empty room.

After entrusting the dirty sheets to Mother, I cleaned the dining room while I had the chance. Luka is 6 years old, and Sophie is only 4, yet they are quite hardworking. What was I doing when I was 6? I was probably picking my nose and catching bugs. And playing games.

After cleaning the dining room, it was time to do the laundry. I went to the small backyard to help hang the sheets and linens Mother had washed, as well as the laundry requested by guests and our own clothes.

"Okay, Sophie, hold this."

"Okay!"

I snapped the shirt open with a satisfying sound. The laundry flapped in the wind. It was late spring, early summer, and the sky was clear and sunny. It should dry well.

"Let's have lunch, then."

"I'm hungry, Sophie."

"Agreed!!"

As we entered the kitchen with Mother, Father, who had gone out to buy groceries, was just returning.

"Father, it's almost lunchtime."

"Right, I bought this at the market."

Father handed me a bundle of paper. What is it?

"You said you wanted to practice writing."

So, this is a notebook. The paper is rough and yellowed, and there are some notes on the back, but it should be fine for writing practice and taking notes.

"Thank you, Father."

"Sophie wants to do it too."

Sophie is also eager. I'll use this for writing practice, but I'll also use it as my strategy notebook. If I write down my questions and ideas for improvement, I'm sure I'll find a way to improve the inn.

"Lunch is ready."

The lunch menu wasn't soup. There was hard bread, but it also included braised rabbit and pickled cabbage. According to Luka, this house serves the most substantial meal at lunch.

...Huh? What? The flavor of the lean meat and the aroma of the herbs matched perfectly... Is it delicious? Why?

"...It's delicious."

"That's good. Father hunted the one-horned rabbit the day before yesterday."

Wait, is that a monster?

"Monster meat is indeed more delicious."

"Yes... The flavor seems more intense because of the magic."

"It's delicious!"

Is that how it works? If we serve this kind of dish every day, we might get more customers.

"I want to eat more."

I casually made the request.

"Luka is at the age where he eats a lot."

No, that's not what I meant. If we serve better food, we'll get repeat customers. Instead of just being happy about Luka's growth, pay attention to the family business.

"Since the children are growing up, I'll increase the frequency of hunting."

"Okay, if you can do that, it would help. If we get more, we can serve it to the guests."

Great, Father! You read the room, even if you didn't realize it, but that's a nice assist!

"Let's start preparing dinner before the guests return."

After finishing lunch and taking a short break, Mother rolled up her sleeves and said.

"I'll help."

"Oh, Luka, you were bedridden until yesterday, so why don't you rest a bit?"

"I'm fine, really."

Well, that's just a formality. I'm actually here to observe Mother's cooking. I thought the reason our food wasn't very good was because of Mother's skills and the quality of the ingredients.

But the braised rabbit was delicious... There must be some reason why the soup served every day is not good.

I decided to help Mother in the kitchen, washing vegetables and preparing ingredients. Sophie started fussing, so Father took her to our room for a nap.

And then... I saw something terrifying.

Mother was peeling the vegetables she had washed. I was cutting the vegetables and salted meat into bite-sized pieces. Then Mother was about to add the soup ingredients to the large pot of soup...

"Wait! Hold on, Mother."

"What? What is it?"

"Is that... the leftover soup in the pot?"

"Yes, but what's wrong with that?"

What? That's your reaction? Food safety is important!

"No, Mother, do you add ingredients to the leftover soup every day?"

"...? Yes, I do."

No, no, no! That's not right! While it's true that the ingredients aren't wasted, it's not like the eel sauce that gets better with each addition! It's unhygienic! I thought the taste was off, but it was the smell of the ingredients going bad. How long has this been going on? Has it always been like this? I'm surprised no one has gotten sick!

"Eel...?"

—Crap! I said everything I was thinking out loud because I was so shocked.

"Um... Leftovers can go bad, you know. It's better to throw them away. Hehehe..."

"Ah, yes, you're right. I'll do that from now on."

A strange atmosphere hung between Mother and me.

...And the taste of the soup at the "Golden Star Inn" improved.