Chapter 30

We arrived at the capital city of the Allcosse Viscountcy, Yaunason. It was far more developed than Kotontesse, with about half of the buildings seemingly using concrete in their walls.

"Ugh... my butt... it's split open..."

"Hey, Mika, over here."

Despite the harsh journey, Mika lamented, but his thoughts didn't seem to reach Ninetiana.

Crushed by the merciless lack of response, Mika reluctantly followed Ninetiana.

The shared carriage arrived in Yaunason long after the sun had set, around 7 PM. Despite the late hour, the streets of Yaunason were bustling with people. Bonfires dotted the streets, providing enough light to distinguish people, though it was a bit dim. Many shops were still open, with no signs of closing. In Rich Village, this would be the time when only the patrol members of the vigilante group would be outside, but here, people were moving about as usual.

"Are we heading to an inn now?"

"Hmm? An inn?"

"Huh?"

Did I say something strange? It shouldn't be odd to stay at an inn if we arrived in a city during our journey, right? Maybe she meant to go to a restaurant first for dinner?

"Are we eating?"

"Right, is there a good place around here? ...Hey, do you know any good places around here? Preferably one that serves breakfast too."

Ninetiana called out to a couple of adventurers passing by, who looked like a swordsman and an archer. Ninetiana and the couple chatted amicably, occasionally laughing together.

"Thanks. See you later."

"Sure, be careful on your journey."

"Bye, have a good trip."

They waved and left with smiles.

"Do you know them?"

"Huh? No, I don't. Why?"

You don't know them?!

(What? You just talked to strangers like that? Are you crazy!?)

Mika, wide-eyed with surprise, was patted on the head by Ninetiana.

"Among adventurers, when you come to an unfamiliar city, that's just how it is. Would you rather eat at a bad restaurant without asking, or get a recommendation and eat at a good one? Which would you prefer?"

"Well, I'd prefer the good one, but... isn't there a proper way to ask?"

"Is Ninetiana unfamiliar with Yaunason?"

"I don't know much about the current Yaunason. It's been years since I was last here."

Over time, the information you have becomes unreliable. This seems to be true in any era and any world.

Ninetiana led Mika into a place that looked like a common dining hall. The sign outside resembled a tavern's sign without the bottles, featuring a large piece of meat on a bone. The ten tables were all full, but there was a bit of space at the counter. Without waiting to be seated, Ninetiana marched straight in. Mika followed the noisy crowd and sat down. The moment he sat, he winced from the pain in his buttocks. He placed his satchel on his lap and looked for a menu on the counter, but there was none. Instead, the menu was written on a wooden board on the wall, and you were supposed to order from it.

"Are you curious about the menu? You can look, but the order is already decided."

"What are we ordering?"

When Mika asked, Ninetiana pointed to the far end of the menu on the wall.

"Daily Special: 250 Lats *No preferences"

This was the price she mentioned earlier when talking about cheap meals. 250 Lats is two large copper coins and five small copper coins, about 300 yen in Japanese currency.

"Is this the cheap meal you mentioned?"

"Yes, it's the daily special for new adventurers. Most adventurers who order this are either eating less than a full portion or have failed a quest and are short on money."

"I understand the less than a full portion, but what about failing a quest? I can guess they don't get paid, but..."

"By eating this, you're reminded of when you were eating less than a full portion. It's nostalgic. I've cried while eating this many times. ...Ah, thinking about it, I might be getting angry again."

"Please, spare me..."

Mika moved a bit away, fearing a backlash.

"What does 'No preferences' mean?"

"That means you can't choose a meat-heavy menu or anything like that. They don't offer that here."

Ninetiana raised her hand to call a server, ordered two daily specials, and confirmed a couple of other things with the server, probably about the next morning. Mika, who didn't understand the jargon, tried to ask but was preempted by Ninetiana.

"Did you notice the group at the back of the carriage, Mika?"

"Did they look suspicious? The group of three. I remember them, but did something happen?"

"They were checking to see if they could steal anything."

"Wh-What!?"

Mika hadn't noticed at all. His mind was on his luggage and his sore buttocks, leaving no room to pay attention to his surroundings.

"They didn't seem to have any intention of forcefully taking anything. They were just checking to see if they could make a little money on the side. The young guy sitting next to them was trying hard to deter them."

Ninetiana laughed, finding it amusing. Apparently, the young adventurer had been trying hard to stop the suspicious group from causing trouble. Mika had no idea such a confrontation was happening beneath the surface. The young adventurer had his eyes closed and seemed calm, while the suspicious group was quiet and well-behaved.

"Both sides seemed to want to avoid direct conflict. The suspicious group was muttering when we arrived in Yaunason, and the young guy looked visibly relieved."

Mika never imagined such a situation was unfolding in the shared carriage.

"From the looks of it, they were probably both D-rank. It was amusing to see half-portion adventurers trying to outmaneuver each other."

"Huh?"

Mika was at a loss, unsure what to make of the situation. The young one seemed like an adventurer, but he never imagined the suspicious group was also adventurers. And they were all half-portion adventurers? Finding it amusing to watch them deter each other? Noticing such subtle confrontations, who are you, Ninetiana? Mika found it hard to keep up with this world.

Feeling overwhelmed, Mika was served his meal. The tray contained only soup and bread. There were two large pieces of bread, which Mika found challenging to finish. But the real challenge was the soup.

"What is this?"

"It's soup, of course."

Well, that's true, but that's not the answer I was looking for.

"What kind of soup is this?"

The soup was rich with meat and vegetables, a luxurious stew in terms of ingredients. ...Just the ingredients. The soup was filled with meat on skewers and bird legs, as if they were thrown into the pot without much thought. It looked like a leftover soup from the previous day. Indeed, it probably was.

(No wonder it's so cheap. This makes sense...)

Ninetiana started eating without hesitation, while Mika hesitantly picked up a spoon and took a small sip. The taste was indescribable but not entirely unpleasant.

(...The flavors are too mixed, but it's not as bad as I thought.)

Mika took another spoonful with some of the ingredients. The flavors were still too mixed, but considering the Noisheim family's meager meals, this was a luxurious dish.

(I won't say it's delicious, but it seems nutritious. Indeed, this would be a blessing for new adventurers.)

It was plentiful, nutritious, and cheap. A meal that made you wonder, "What more could you want!?"

Mika remembered something.

"You asked the adventurers about a good place to eat earlier. Why?"

"Why? Because it's delicious, of course."

"..."

How could this mishmash be delicious! But Mika understood when Ninetiana asked:

"Would you prefer the daily special at a bad restaurant or a good one?"

Mika decided to continue eating in silence. He didn't want to eat a poorly made dish that was further mixed. Combining bad flavors wouldn't magically make it delicious; it would only make it worse.

Mika took a bite of the skewered meat. At first, the subtle taste of the soup was noticeable, but the rich flavor of the meat filled his mouth. Indeed, this was why it made sense to ask for a recommendation before ordering the daily special. This skewered meat might be the best he's had since coming to this world. The meals he had before were too simple, and this was the first time he had chewed on such a large piece of meat.

(...Eating this skewered meat from a mishmash soup makes me feel nostalgic for my life. My cheeks are getting warm.)

Mika continued eating in silence and managed to finish the soup. However, he could only eat half of one of the large pieces of bread, leaving one whole and three-quarters of another. The portion was simply too large for him, a meal meant for an adult adventurer. Mika couldn't finish it. Ninetiana ate the bread Mika left behind, saying she was full.

Ninetiana paid the bill and they headed to an inn. The inn's sign featured a bed with a table and chair overlapping at the edges. Inside, a grumpy old man with white hair was at the counter, seemingly indifferent to their arrival. He was busy with some ledger, not even looking up or greeting them. He seemed to have no business sense.

"Is the bath available? For two."

"......800 Lats."

The old man answered without looking up.

(Bath? Do they mean a hot spring? Aren't we staying here?)

Moreover, 800 Lats for two people was more expensive than the meal. It was 400 Lats per person. Mika was still processing the shock of the cheap meal, using it as a reference. But the meal was the anomaly.

Ninetiana placed eight large copper coins on the counter, and the old man finally looked up. He reached for the money but stopped, looking at Mika and then at Ninetiana.

"......You mean the girl counts as one person?"

"Yes."

Hey, who are you calling a girl? Don't agree with that, Ninetiana! Mika tried to correct her, but Ninetiana quickly grabbed his head to silence him.

The old man took six large copper coins and pushed two back.

"......Then this is fine. Hurry up and finish."

"Thank you."

Ninetiana put the returned coins in her pocket and led Mika to the back. They passed the counter and turned left at the end of the hall, where a door led to the bath. Ninetiana flipped a sign by the door and locked it from the inside. The changing room was about one tatami mat in size, with a shelf on the left and another door at the back.

"We got a good deal. Isn't that great?"

"Wait, is this a bath? Where's the men's bath?"

"Men's bath? There's no such thing here."

"What? Then what do we do—Hya!?"

Ninetiana pinched Mika's cheeks and pulled them.

"Stop being so noisy. Do you want a comfortable sightseeing trip or an adventurer's journey? ...Which is it?"

Ninetiana's eyes were stern, and her voice was serious.

"......I want an adventurer's journey."

"Then follow my instructions."

"Okay."

Ninetiana released Mika's cheeks. Mika held his stinging cheeks as Ninetiana quickly undressed. Mika was taken aback by her casual and confident undressing, and various parts of Ninetiana's tanned body were suddenly in his view.

"Ah!?"

Mika quickly turned away. Ninetiana sighed.

"Don't make a fuss over this. Do you want to undress yourself, or should I do it for you?"

Naked, Ninetiana stood in front of Mika, asking. If he hesitated, she would undress him without question. Mika hurriedly started undressing. Ninetiana put her satchel and clothes in a basket and did the same with Mika's.

It was still early spring, and the changing room felt quite cold after taking off all his clothes.

"Here, the bath is this way."

Ninetiana pointed to another door. As Mika reached for the handle, Ninetiana suddenly laughed.

"Hahaha, you look so cute. Like a little monkey."

"Ah!?"

Ninetiana patted Mika's buttocks, which were red from the long carriage ride. The pain, the ticklish sensation, and the coldness of her hand made Mika jump in surprise. To avoid being touched again, Mika stopped turning his back to Ninetiana. He couldn't afford to be embarrassed; he had to protect his own buttocks.

"Come on, hurry up."

Mika glared at her, but Ninetiana ignored it. She carried the basket with their belongings and entered the bath. The bath was about two tatami mats in size, with a pot of hot water and a water jar. The pot was on a stove-like structure, but the firebox was not visible, suggesting it was heated from outside. In the corner, there was a small covered shelf and several buckets of different sizes. The floor was covered with bamboo mats, and the space below was filled with gravel.

"Don't leave your belongings in the changing room. The lock is meaningless. Most baths have a place to put your things. If not, you have to figure out how to keep them dry."

Ninetiana placed the basket on the shelf, took a rag, and closed the lid.

"If you have companions, you can take turns watching over your belongings. But if you're alone, never leave your things where you can't see them. Imagine telling someone that your belongings were stolen in a bath after becoming an adventurer. You'd be laughed at for life."

She handed Mika a rag. The lock being useless was a bit of a shock. It was indeed a flimsy lock. In a naked state, even if you noticed a theft, you'd hesitate to chase after the thief. Better to prevent theft in the first place.

Ninetiana filled a small bucket with hot water and poured it into a larger bucket. She then added water from the jar to the hot water bucket.

"Okay, let's rinse your head first."

Ninetiana poured hot water over Mika's head and scrubbed his scalp. After finishing, she did the same for herself.

Ninetiana adjusted the water temperature again, soaked a rag, and started wiping her body. Mika did the same, focusing on washing away the sweat. Despite the temptation to look at Ninetiana's supple body, Mika tried to concentrate on his own cleaning.

"You're overthinking it, Mika."

Ninetiana laughed, teasing him. The more he tried not to notice, the more he did. In front of an expert at sensing presence, Mika's efforts were futile.

(Well, it's not my fault! Ninetiana is just too beautiful!)

Her healthy, tanned skin, her long, slender limbs, her well-defined waist, her modest but distinctly feminine chest and buttocks.

"It's fine, but if you ever form a party, avoid such situations with your companions."

Her tone became more serious.

"I might not form a party, but if I do, I'd prefer a group of men. It's more relaxed."

This was a lesson from his 47 years of life. He wasn't afraid of women, but being around them was tiring. However, he didn't feel this way with Amalia and Loreta, probably due to his memories as Mika.

"True, there are parties that avoid mixed genders for such reasons."

But it also felt a bit lonely. Forming a party with cute girls or beautiful women and having fun together was a dream for many men.

"But why is it bad to be attracted to someone in a party? If they're strong, it could be fun to have a cute girl in the group."

"I can't trust my life to someone like that."

Ninetiana's response was immediate and strong.

"Life and death situations where a split-second decision can mean the difference between life and death are common. I'm not crazy enough to entrust my life to someone who gets distracted."

Ninetiana's expression was blank, but Mika could tell it was forced. She must have had a bad experience. She was holding back her bitterness.

"Enjoy the company of cute girls in the city. If you want to have fun, high-class brothels are apparently amazing, though they're very expensive."

Hey, why are you casually suggesting a brothel to a kid! Mika glared at the grinning Ninetiana.

While talking with Ninetiana, Mika finished washing his body, except for one part: his buttocks. He tried once but the pain from the towel was too much, so he postponed it.

(If I force it and make it worse, the next few days will be hell. It's better to just rinse it with my hands.)

Suddenly, an idea came to him. Could he use healing magic? He hadn't used it since burning his hand. He hadn't had a chance to practice, and he didn't want to intentionally hurt himself. It had been over half a year, and he had forgotten