Chapter 33

Summary of the previous chapter ------------------------------------------------------

After doing a bit of shopping, we went to the Adventurer's Guild to look for work.

We were introduced to a live-in job at an inn.

Thanks to forgetting the guild registration fee, our funds were in a pinch.

"Hmm, the two of you, huh? ...Not bad at all."

The woman who greeted us when we visited with the job listing was a plump lady, probably over 50.

...Or maybe not? It's hard to guess the age of foreigners, especially from another world. At least, she looked that age to me.

"Have you heard the conditions?"

"Yes."

"Are you going to start today? There's no pay, but I'll provide dinner and a room."

"Please, we'd like that."

Otherwise, we'd have to sleep outdoors.

"Then... Let me see, you can take days off if you tell me in advance, but you'll have to pay for your room and meals. After you finish work, you're free to take customers, but if you take them in our inn, don't forget the commission."

"I won't do that!"

Why do the women in this world immediately try to push us into prostitution!?

...Well, I can kind of understand.

The waitresses in this world's inns often double as prostitutes, and in Japan, they were common in post towns until the Edo period. Besides, with a daily wage of 100 rea, it's impossible to save any money, so I can see why they need a side job.

I can see it, but whether we'll do it is another matter.

If I had to become a prostitute, I'd rather take on monster hunting outside the city, no matter how reckless. As for Nazuki, she might even bite her tongue and die.

—No, that's not right. She'd become an even more ruthless demon, slaughtering monsters without mercy. She has the skills for it.

We didn't choose that because we still have the luxury to consider the risk to our lives. If we really had no other choice, I don't think we'd hesitate.

But if possible, we'd prefer to take it step by step safely.

That's how our first day in this world ended.

◇ ◇ ◇

I said, "Our first day in this world ended," right?

That was a lie!

The hardest part was after that, until we went to bed. It was incredibly tough.

I had imagined the job would be like being a waitress in a restaurant, but the customers in this world have terrible manners.

They try to touch our butts without any hesitation, and there are so many men who try to "buy" us.

Of course, I immediately turned them down.

"3,000 rea, how about it?" What a joke!

I mean, it's not like I'd sell myself for any amount, but being offered such a low price is infuriating.

I'm really glad I learned martial arts from Nazuki.

I couldn't dodge everything like she does, but I managed to avoid most of it.

What scared me was how Nazuki's business smile gradually turned into a blank expression as time went on.

I was worried about when her elbow would hit a man's face.

She has a record, you see. She looks gentle and calm, and she was weak in her original world, but once she crosses a line, she's extremely dangerous.

She can launch some pretty nasty attacks without changing her expression... I'll skip the details.

So, the waitressing job was tough, but the real trial came afterward.

The room we were given was a double room, which was no problem for Nazuki and me.

The problem was the meal.

I was already nervous about what kind of food we'd get, given the poor treatment, but what we got was the leftovers from the restaurant.

I was a bit disappointed, but thinking about it, since all the dishes are made in large pots, there's no need to make something different. I'm a bit worried about what happens when everything sells out, though.

The meal costs 70 rea, and breakfast and lunch, which are probably similar, cost 40 rea each, so that's 150 rea a day for food.

At this inn, a double room costs 400 rea per person per night.

Including the wage, that's a total of 650 rea... Considering it's a day's work, it's a bit low, isn't it?

If you think of it as 6,500 yen, it's about 10 hours of work, so 650 yen per hour. It's not outrageously low.

Of course, it's low, but considering they're hiring people with unknown backgrounds, it's not bad.

I guess we got a decent job.

I thought so until I took a bite of the food.

What is this?

Can this even be called food?

Is this some kind of sacrilege against cooking?

It's not like it's a prank on us—this is what they serve in the restaurant, and the customers eat it normally.

Looking at Nazuki next to me, she was frozen with a spoon in her mouth.

Her face was slightly pale, and she was sweating. From the way her throat moved, I could tell she was trying hard not to vomit.

Honestly, if this were served in a Japanese restaurant, I'd not only demand a refund but also sue for damages and win, I think.

But this is another world.

We have to eat this or die.

We have no money.

The water... well, it's not delicious, but it's drinkable.

I took a deep breath, pinched my nose, and started shoving the food into my mouth, chewing desperately and washing it down with water.

I didn't want to taste anything.

After repeating this a few times, I performed one of the fastest meals of my life. I rinsed my mouth with water, took a deep breath, and let go of my nose.

"Ugh!"

This is bad!

This is really bad!

I quickly pinched my nose again.

Maybe because I had been pinching it for a while, the smell was intense.

Yeah, I'll breathe through my mouth for a while.

"Excellent, Yuki."

No, that face like I've just defeated a mortal enemy...

Objectively, I must look pretty ridiculous.

"Should I do the same...?"

"If you can bear it, you can eat it as is, but pinching your nose might help with the nausea."

The aroma of food is surprisingly important.

For example, spiciness is not a taste but a pain sensation, and you can understand this if you eat ginger while pinching your nose.

It's just painful and has no value.

When you let go of your nose, the smell wafts up, and the mere pain transforms into a completely different "taste."

Incidentally, what I experienced just now was the opposite.

An extremely bad meal turned into something that shouldn't even be called food when I let go of my nose.

Is this the depth of cooking?

"That's right. We have to eat it. We have no money. I never thought I'd have such an experience in my life."

That's right. Nazuki's family was relatively wealthy, and she probably never had to worry about food. If she had continued living as she was.

Even in today's Japan, you can get a meal with a little money if you don't indulge in luxury.

There was a politician who was criticized for saying, "The poor should eat wheat," but now you can buy rice cheaper than wheat if you don't care about the brand.

Apparently, his statement meant, "Wheat is good for your health, so eating it will make you less likely to get sick and save on medical bills." He himself was weak and ate wheat.

The media conveniently took it out of context... or rather, they conveniently "translated" and reported it.

Now, it would be brown rice, I guess.

It's easier to get and relatively cheap.

Unlike "high-quality rice that retains its nutritional value after polishing," it retains its nutritional value and is cheap.

If you can accept the taste, it's the best, I think.

Now, I could happily eat a bowl of plain brown rice. Yes.

Five-grain rice, which used to be a substitute for white rice, is now more expensive than white rice...

—Oops, I got lost in thought because the food was so bad.

I cautiously let go of my nose... Ah, it's somewhat better now.

It's still a bit noticeable, but breathing through my mouth all the time is tough.

Nazuki is still struggling.

"Nazuki, it's better to keep pinching your nose even after you finish eating. You might vomit the moment you let go."

Nazuki nodded, swallowing with tears in her eyes. She looks really tough.

For someone like Nazuki, who prefers delicate flavors, this meal must be even harder than for me.

She's trying hard to chew, but she's swallowing quickly, which is probably bad for her stomach. I hope she doesn't get sick.

Surely, her [Toughness Lv.4], [Disease Resistance], and [Poison Resistance] will do the job?

I'm a bit worried because my [Toughness] is only level 1.

...No, thinking about it, this is just normal food.

The customers eat it normally, so it should be fine in terms of safety.

It's not something that would require [Toughness] or [Poison Resistance].

Right...?

"Good job."

"Yes... I didn't expect to be so exhausted by the meal."

"It was unexpected. The customers seemed to be eating normally."

"Could this taste be the standard in this world?"

"Wow, what a scary thought..."

But if this place is bad, I can't imagine why so many customers come.

Even if there's something else to draw them in, the food should at least be a bit better than average for the customers to keep coming.

Yet, they order and eat this food...

"Ugh, I'm starting to lose confidence in surviving in this world."

"Isn't that a coincidence? I feel the same. That... food... food? Food-like something? Maybe food..."

"Nazuki, the food is causing a Gestalt collapse. We only know this small town so far. There's still hope. And there might be delicious food in this city, too."

"Yes, you're right. It's too early to give up. We don't have money now, but let's aim to eat something delicious."

"Sure. Let's work hard for that!"

With that, we held hands and renewed our resolve.

But—ultimately, we would only encounter delicious food after meeting Haruka and the others.