Chapter 45

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

Returning to the town of Lafan. Selling the boar at the Adventurer's Guild.

While at it, we asked for help in finding a suitable rental property.

Due to slaying the goblin, Halka and the other two were promoted to Rank 1.

"Delicious!"

This was Yuki's first words after eating dinner at 'The Drowsy Bear.'

Hearing her genuine, heartfelt voice, even the grumpy innkeeper seemed somewhat pleased.

"Really. Not only is the food delicious, but the accommodation is cheaper than that inn in Saarstadt, including meals... It's unbelievable."

With Yuki and Natuki joining us, the room allocation changed slightly, with Toya and I in one room, and the women in another.

We could have rented a larger room and stayed together, but at 1,400 ria per night for two rooms, including breakfast and dinner, we weren't so poor that we needed to save a few hundred ria.

Besides, compared to Saarstadt, it was much cheaper and the food was delicious, so it was worth the cost.

"But if things go well, we'll be leaving this inn in a few days."

"Only if Diora finds us a good property, though."

"Still, it seems like we could stay here for a long time."

At Yuki's words, the three of us, excluding Natuki, exchanged glances and smiled wryly.

"Huh? Are you three dissatisfied?"

"No, of course, it's delicious compared to other places..."

"But it's still restaurant food, you know."

"Really, it's hard to eat it every day."

Yuki tilted her head at our opinions, but Natuki nodded in agreement.

"Wouldn't you be unhappy if someone told you to eat at a family restaurant every meal for a month?"

"Ah, yeah, even if it's delicious, I might not like it."

Indeed, the food in this world is like 'foreign cuisine.' 'The Drowsy Bear' is quite good, so it might be okay to eat one meal a day there, but two or three meals would be a bit much.

I wouldn't go as far as to say I want 'rice and pickled plum,' but I do crave Japanese-style dishes. I can understand why people bring instant food on business trips abroad.

"That's why I'm counting on Halka."

"We don't have many seasonings, but I'll do my best."

"That's where the [Cooking] skill comes in, right?"

"It's scary that I can't say it's impossible."

Thinking about dried meat, it seems like it might be possible to some extent. I wonder what will happen as I level up from Level 1?

"By the way, Diora made quick decisions about the backpacks. Is that okay, considering her authority?"

"Didn't you know? Diora is young, but she's apparently a senior member of that guild."

"Really?"

She's not exactly young, but I thought she was in her prime.

"Yes. She said she was hired through connections, but she seems to have the skills."

"She couldn't be a senior member without them. But it's strange that she's at the counter, even as a senior member."

"There aren't many people, apparently. Compared to Saarstadt, Lafan is a small town."

It's not a particularly busy town for adventurers, so apart from the branch manager and specialists like appraisers, there aren't many general staff.

Hmm, now that I think about it, there weren't many staff members.

"By the way, what are our plans from tomorrow?"

"Since the immediate issue of protecting Natuki and Yuki is resolved, our main goal is to work towards a stable life in the long term, even at the level of our lives."

"Thank you again, all three of you. If we hadn't joined, I don't know what would have happened."

"Thank you. We would have either taken risks or remained in poverty indefinitely."

At Halka's words, we nodded in agreement, and Yuki and Natuki bowed politely with serious faces.

"As I said, there's no need to worry. We also benefit from this."

"Exactly. It's great to have reliable companions."

One of the reasons for deciding to rent a house is that with five of us, we can earn more.

"If we had left the two of you, I would have been worried for the rest of my life. For now, I plan to make and design backpacks for the two of you tomorrow. What do you think?"

"I'm fine with it."

"Natuki and I are also fine with that. Naoto and Toya?"

"I think it will be free time, but do you have any plans?"

"I don't have any specific plans besides training."

We took a break before going to Saarstadt, so there's nothing special I want to do. Maybe just walk around places we haven't been to?

"I have some plans, so I'll go out after my usual training. Is that okay?"

"Yes, no problem. So, everyone will act on their own tomorrow."

◇ ◇ ◇

The next morning, after finishing our individual training, Toya left early, and Halka and the others stayed in the room to make backpacks.

As for me, I was reading and practicing the magic book of space-time magic I had obtained in my room, but after a few hours, my magic power was running low, so I was resting on the bed.

I want to make a magic bag as soon as possible, but at this rate, it might take a while. I do have [Potential for Space-Time Magic], but it's not that easy.

"Hmm... Thinking about it, this is the first time I'm alone, isn't it?"

In a three-person room, I always felt like Halka or Toya was around, except for brief moments.

"In a way, this is also a rare moment of free time."

It's not just free time; it's also a rest to recover my magic power. To be honest, since we came to this world, we've worked quite diligently.

We took a break before going to Saarstadt, but it was mainly for shopping, and it didn't feel like a real break.

With our lives on the line, there was no room for slacking off or such thoughts.

If the world's NEETs were thrown into this environment, they would definitely not be NEETs after a week. Whether they would be alive is another matter.

"Should I go get lunch?"

The food at the inn's restaurant is definitely good, but it might be fun to walk around the town and have lunch. Since I have some free time.

In terms of atmosphere, the restaurant, which lacks a signboard girl, is a bit lacking. Some might say it's luxurious to have Halka and the others, but that's a different matter.

Without any ulterior motives, I simply want to make more acquaintances in this town.

Apart from Diora and the innkeeper, the only people I can call acquaintances are the weapon shop owner, Ganz.

To live here, I need to build some neighborhood relationships. This is different from modern society.

"Having decided that..."

Staying in the room won't increase my acquaintances.

I changed from my comfortable room clothes to outdoor clothes, took only a short dagger for disassembly, and left the inn. Walking alone without any weapons is a bit unsettling, but carrying a main weapon like a spear to make acquaintances seems a bit off. Adventurers might be okay, but it's impossible to become friends with ordinary people in such a state.

According to Diora, "It's safe as long as you don't go near certain dangerous areas," but since I don't know where those areas are, I took the dagger as a precaution.

"Where should I go?"

Our inn, 'The Drowsy Bear,' is located a short distance from a small alley off the main street, which extends north from the town center. The main street is naturally the busiest, with shops lining it.

In the center of the town is a square where market stalls and stands selling crops from the countryside are set up.

This area is enjoyable to look around, but after some thought, I started walking down an alley instead of the main street.

I've walked the main street with Halka and the others a few times, but I've never explored the alleys, and I probably won't have many opportunities to do so in the future.

These alleys are lined with ordinary houses, but there might be hidden gems like 'The Drowsy Bear.'

After choosing this inn on a recommendation, I later found out that the food and price were incomparably better than nearby inns.

The inn isn't well-known because it's not on the main street, but the restaurant is always bustling with local residents due to the delicious food.

On the other hand, even local residents tend to forget that it's an inn.

Incidentally, the reason the guard at the gate recommended it is that, according to the innkeeper, his family lives near the inn.

Yeah, it's good that it's his family. If it were his home, we would have to see him every day, which could be troublesome.

"Still... yeah, it's a foreign atmosphere."

The buildings along the alley are mostly single-story houses, with a few two-story buildings and almost no three-story buildings.

The structure is made of wood, plaster, and brick, and while it's not as neat as a foreign tourist site, it's not particularly dirty and is quite enjoyable.

However, there are almost no houses with flower pots on the windowsills or around the front door, probably because there's no time to tend to flowers.

As I continued my stroll for a few hours, I found that there were surprisingly few shops in the alleys.

When I did find one, it had an atmosphere that seemed to cater only to regulars, so I just glanced in and kept walking.

Even in my original world, such places were hard to enter, and in this world, especially alone, it was even more difficult.

Honestly, I'm getting hungry, but there are no food stalls around here, and I can't find a place to eat.

"Hmm, should I go back to the main street? ...Oh?"

At that moment, a new shop caught my eye.