Chapter 40: Traveling to Selene - The Girl at the Inn
The village of Verene is a small village of about 30 houses.
The population was probably between one hundred to two hundred people.
I did not expect to find an inn because it was off the road, and I am surprised to see a building appear. It was a single-story building with a neat appearance. A wooden board with the name "Polly's Inn" carved on it hung at the entrance.
A villager had apparently sent word, and upon arrival, a stoutly built man came out from inside and bowed politely.
"Welcome, my friend. My name is Ronnie, the innkeeper."
"My name is Alter Les Reedwald. I will sleep here for the night."
We gree each other.
Then, since it would be a hassle to transship them, Pidosios offered to carry Gowthus to the dismantling shed, and only Salma offered to accompany him. After seeing them off, we enter the inn.
We opened the door and found ourselves in a tavern. It was a typical establishment in a small village or town. Since guests seldom come to the inn, it must be a place for the villagers to relax.
Roland took care of the lodging formalities, and we went into our rooms to unpack.
The women Valerie, Salma, and Mirana were sharing a room, the men were all in the same party, and Roland was sharing a room with the "Battle Axe of Destruction" whom he knew very well. Naturally, I'm shoved into a single room.
Ronnie is scared because I will stay overnight at his inn, but his inn has a clean room. I sat on the bed for a little while to recover from my trip.
When I left the room a short time later, Markant and the others had already taken over the table and enjoyed their drinks and snacks. Before I knew it, Pidosios had returned, sipping a delicious ale and munching on cheese. He is making excuses, but this is what he wanted to do. Why didn't he just say he wanted to stop by?
Next to the twisted man sat Salma, as if it were a matter of course.
She has strong romantic feelings for Pidosios. It is obvious since she doesn't even try to hide it, but the person to whom it's directed didn't seem to be interested. Perhaps it is not to the halfling's liking? Whatever the case, I won't get involved in other people's love lives. I would watch from a distance, trying not to get involved.
Roland was waiting for me to come, so I sat at the table with Markant and the others, and then let Roland sit down.
I asked Ronnie, who came to take my order, for fruit and water and casually looked at the snacks on the table.
One was the much-talked-about cheese and the other was fruit.
The fruit looks like prunes. Are they soaked in something? It smells very much like alcohol, though.
Children in this world have a taste for liquor on their way. Not only is it a raw water hazard, but there was no law against it in the first place. There was no point in abiding by the laws of my previous life, but I won't do it. Since I almost died in making a cure, I have a little resistance to it.
That is why I picked up the cheese that Pidosios had endorsed.
It is much harder than cow cheese.
When I released a small piece into my mouth, a rich taste, a slight sourness, and a strong saltiness spread in my mouth.
This might be for …… drinkers.
"Isn't it good for your palate?"
Valerie smiles at me.
"The taste itself is delicious, but …… it's a bit salty."
"Maybe so. It's a rural's specialty. But the cheese here is much less salty. We don't usually eat it as it, but we use it in cooking."
"Hmm. Perhaps because it doesn't need to be preserved?"
"That's right."
I froze when I saw the person who appeared from the back of the room saying that.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I apologize for the delay in greeting you. My name is Miranda, Ronnie's wife."
A woman with chestnut-colored wavy hair tied back came and bowed gracefully.
"Most of the cheese, wool and mutton produced in this village is shipped to Weld. They don't need to be preserved because of the city's close distance and their immediate consumption. Of course, we also produce regular cheese because people also buy it. The village stockpile is all there as well."
As she speaks, Miranda sets the plates on the table.
"Please have some pastries if you like. The only seasoning is the saltiness of the cheese, so I think it will be easy to eat."
She bowed her head again and returned to the kitchen.
A beat after Miranda disappeared, Markant buzzed.
"What the hell is that! That's not the innkeeper's wife!"
I agree. If she is a commoner. The mere sight of an aristocrat would make her eyes glaze over.
Ronnie scratched his head in embarrassment.
"I did my best to seduce her."
And then the bragging begins, which I don't want to hear.
She is just a commoner, but she has a lot of trouble getting men to go around her because of her looks. Valerie and Salma sympathize with her. Well, our women are also at a high level. Even Milana, who is not so much of a showy girl, has a good face, though she is hidden by the other two. Polly is Ronnie's grandmother and the first owner of the inn. Polly is already deceased. No wonder Polly had never appeared.
Suddenly, I smelled a nostalgic smell and looked down at the plate.
The dough sticks were twisted and formed into bite-sized rounds. It was deep-fried.
The smell is completely like a snack.
As if lured by the smell, I reach out my hand to taste the cheese flavor, and a hint of saltiness spreads over the crispy texture. It is delicious. I never thought I could eat snacks in this world.
I let another one go in my mouth. I had heard they only use cheese for seasoning, but I guess they use basil or something else as a secret ingredient. Don't underestimate the palate of a former modern man.
After seeing me, the others reached for theirs one after another.
And while I was analyzing the secret flavor – or whatever it is – the plate was empty in the blink of an eye.
"Shall I offer you some more?"
Ronnie said happily at the sight of everyone, but I declined.
It was almost dinner time. I was sure they had already started preparing the food, and I was sorry to fill their bellies with pastries. I was sorry to leave them behind, but I would leave them as souvenirs for tomorrow.
Ronnie nodded when I told him about the dinner.
"Yes, that's right. It's before the banquet."
"Banquet?"
"Didn't you hear? The village chief was very excited about the banquet of Gowthus today."
When did that happen?
Well, if he was happy, it was worth carrying. Gowthus can't be killed with ordinary skill. Our guys who finish them off are exceptional. Perhaps they rarely have a chance to eat them.
But still, Gowthus? It was not a rare occurrence at our table. I wonder how the villagers cook them. I'm looking forward to it.
Gowthus?
"Ah, the dismantled Gowthus!"
Oh, no, I forget to dismantle the Gowthus.
They are my second biggest fish after Eras Rhino. I would have learned a lot just by observing. What a waste of time.
"Something about dismantling?"
Ronnie is surprised at my lamenting.
Gulping and stirring his ale, Marchant responded.
"Maybe I wanted to dismantle mine."
"Yes–you are the son of a nobleman, aren't you? Are you interested in dismantling place?"
Yes, I am.
"He's an odd one, you know. He already killed goblins, too. When he was eight years old."
"That's, well, I don't know. ……"
Ronnie is at a loss to respond to the content and rudeness of Markant's statement.
It's okay. That's not the point. It's more than that – oh, it's a waste.
"Maybe you'll make it in time."
Turning at the unexpected words, Miranda comes from the kitchen.
She puts a platter of sausages on the table, saying, "It's simple.
"I don't think we've ever dismantled a Gowthus before in this village. The meat hasn't arrived yet, and I'm sure it's taking a long time."
"So it might arrive in time! Lead the way, Pidosios!"
"Yeah, ……, it's too much trouble. It's over. Let's just give up!"
And he plops down on the table and bites out a sausage.
He is a…
I didn't hire him, so I'm not obligated to follow him. But he should at least show me the way. I'm sure Salma knows the way – but I will not ask her. She's going to hate me if I pull her off.
I'll go alone now. It's a small village, so there's no chance of getting lost.
As I was about to stand up, the door to the entrance opened with a bang.
"I'm home!"
It was a girl who came in cheerfully.
She was the girl who was with a mop. She must have been the inn's daughter.
"Ah, I knew you were a guest."
"Welcome back, Tess. Just in time. Show Alter-sama to the dismantling place."
"Oh, what brings you to that place?"
"He's going to see the dismantling of Gowthus."
"I know that! I heard that people bought a big monster. It was a Gowthus."
"Yes, it was. Hurry up! The dismantling will be done, and Alter-sama is the son of a nobleman, don't be rude."
"Okay!"
Tess agreed and ran out, saying, "This way, this way."
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