Volume 9 Chapter 1 Return
After successfully delivering Alunite in the border town of Lester, Al arrived at his usual inn, the (Red-Faced Sheep) Tavern, on the evening of the day he parted ways with Malachi.
"I'm back!"
"Welcome back!"
Iris, who was cleaning in front of the inn, greeted Al with a bright smile.
"Is there a room available?"
Even though he always stayed there, he hadn't made a reservation for his return. If there wasn't a room, he would have to look for another inn. However, Iris smiled and nodded.
"Of course. Did you get hurt or anything? If you have laundry, just bring it out, okay?"
Iris walked around Al, checking to see if he was hurt, then suddenly leaned in closer, comparing their heights.
"Mr. Al, have you grown taller? You were about the same height as me before, right?"
"Ahaha, maybe I've grown a little. I'll bring out the laundry later, so please take care of it."
Al scratched his head, looking a bit shy.
"By the way, I found some interesting items from traveling merchants. How about this tapestry for the shop's decoration? Also, there was a really colorful scarf, what do you think?"
Al took out a tapestry and a scarf from his backpack. The tapestry had a white background with a red sheep, which he thought was perfect for the Red-Faced Sheep inn. The scarf was bright, with a red base and white stripes. He bought four scarves for Mr. Russ and others who helped him. Both items were made using special techniques from the nearby Tempest Kingdom, making them rare in this area.
"Wow, they're wonderful. Mr. Al, thank you! I have to show them to Papa and Mama!"
Iris politely bowed and happily received the items from Al. Then, holding a broom in one hand, she started to run inside but suddenly stopped and turned back to Al.
"The usual room on the second floor is available. Mr. Al, please use that one. I'll have my brother take your things later."
When Al nodded, Iris ran inside. He waved at her for a while, watching her figure disappear, then adjusted his load and went inside.
* * *
When he entered the inn's dining hall, more than half of the seats were already filled. Al spotted Orson eating alone and sat down at his table.
"I'm back, Orson."
"Oh, welcome back! It looks like you finished your job safely. But it took quite a while. Did something happen?"
While bringing a piece of meat to his mouth with a fork, Orson asked this.
"Yeah, well, a lot of things happened. In my case, I didn't get hurt, so that's good. But finding a reason to go to the hot springs was tough."
Al explained to Orson that he had taken a job hunting deer in the village below to camouflage his trip to the hot springs for mining Alunite. However, he decided to keep quiet about Tempest's body. Even though Malachi was guarding the body, it was in a place anyone could access, and in this dining hall, he couldn't tell who might be listening.
"I see. It's not unusual for someone your age to like hot springs, but it might raise some eyebrows. I'd prefer to keep the fact that Alunite can be found there a secret if possible."
"──Mr. Al, what would you like today? Today's recommendation is garlic sautéed pointy pig."
Iris approached with a round tray. The hood she usually wore had been replaced with the red scarf he had given her as a souvenir earlier.
"Yeah, I'll go with the recommendation. Oh, you put it on right away. It looks good on you."
"Thank you very much."
Iris smiled happily and relayed the order to her father, Russ, who was in the kitchen. Orson watched her with a grin, but suddenly remembered something and his expression turned serious.
"By the way, Al, about that treasure sword. I got a message from Quinta the other day. Apparently, the Margrave Rain family has made an inquiry. They said a Viscount named Eugene is planning to come here around the mushroom festival, and they want to show him the sword. They want to know all the details about where and how you found it. Will you come with me?"
Orson said the treasure sword was a fancy sword he found in a thicket where the bones of those who died after defeating the Six-Legged Tiger were scattered. It seemed quite valuable and looked like it had a history, so he had given it, along with a ring that reacted to 'Magic Sense,' to a woman at the adventurer guild called Quinta as a discovery. So, it seems the owner has shown up.
"When did this happen?"
"They say it was a few days before the Mushroom Festival. They haven't arrived in this city yet, but they'll contact us when they do."
There are about 2 weeks left until the Mushroom Festival. If it really belongs to the RainMargrave family, they might expect a good reward. After all, this is through the adventurer guild. It's not some lie to get the treasure sword.
"That's fine. I wasn't planning on going far anyway."
"Thanks, man. Madoc and Najira are away for work, so I was a bit worried being alone. You've finished middle school and know some noble etiquette, right? I'm counting on you."
While Al and Orson were talking, Iris brought over the food. It was thick, juicy meat with a nice garlic smell.
"Wow, that looks delicious. Let's eat!"
Al took the fork and knife, cut the meat, and started eating with a big smile.
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