Level Eater

Chapter 28: Lodging and Meals

Once they passed through the gate, they found themselves in a town made of stone. There were so many white buildings that they could see them even after dark, and in front of us, there was a road that split in three directions in an inverted T shape.

"It's all white, the people of this town love white." (Tatsuro)

"Maybe they'd like it if we gave them some of our white crystals." (Ai)

As the two of us were discussing our impressions of the town, Zendo came over to us with his cart parked in the corner.

"Oh, what do you think? This town." (Zendo)

"Yes, it's very nice. Ah, could it be that the building is made of salt?" (Ai)

Ai asked Zendo with the eyes of a child playing a prank.

"Hahahaha, you are so perceptive. Yes, it's made of salt!" (Zendo)

"Hahaha, that's great." (Ai)

"Hahahaha, it's so cool." (Zendo)

"You two are so close." (Tatsuro)

Tatsuro smiled at the sight of the two of them laughing at each other's foolishness, like a grandfather and granddaughter.

"Well, kids. What are you going to do today? The sun has already set, so it's better to leave the adventurer's guild for tomorrow." (Zendo)

"Ah, what should we do?" (Ai)

Truthfully, they left the body in the [item box] and wanted to do something about it as soon as possible, but it might take some time to explain the situation and whatnot, so it might be better for them to give up today.

When Tatsuro inquired about this intention, Ai seemed to agree with him and decided to prioritize securing food and a place to stay.

"We will go to the adventurer's guild tomorrow." (Tatsuro)

"Zendo-san, where is this guild located?" (Ai)

"Yeah, it's just down the road on the right, there's a sign that says Adventurer's Guild." (Zendo)

"Indeed, it's right there at the entrance." (Tatsuro)

"They are not going to let adventurers wander around town with their bloody prey. Most of the guilds are built close to the entrance." (Zendo)

"I see. That's very helpful." (Tatsuro)

When Tatsuro said that, Zendo shyly said, "That's good" and this time he offered to show us where they would be staying and where they would be eating.

The two of them were grateful for the offer, so they nodded without hesitation.

As soon as that was decided, Zendo told them to get on the wagon again, and after making sure that Tatsuro and Ai were on board, he led the horses to the left road.

"There's a cheap inn I know a little ways from here, the rooms are good for the price and I recommend it. But it's basically a bare-bones place, so you should eat at the restaurant next to the inn. The price and taste are very good." (Zendo)

"How much does it cost?"

"Hmm. Well, 2,700 Shis per room per night and 1,000 meals per person should fill you up, but don't you have enough?" (Zendo)

Currently, the two of them have 59,662 Shis in their systems. That's enough to keep them occupied for a while without having to do anything.

"Then that's okay." (Zendo)

"Haha, that's good." (Ai)

"Yes, I can finally relax now. Thank you, Grandpa!" (Tatsuro)

"If you want to thank me, just tell me when your life is stable. It may be hard now, but if you have any problems, come to me. Most of the people in this town know where I live." (Zendo)

"Thank you for everything." (Tatsuro)

"You're just a kid. Don't be afraid to ask for favors." (Zendo)

Zendo laughed again, and they both looked at each other and smiled in appreciation.

Then, a little further on, as Zendo had said, they saw the inn they had come for.

It was a three-story building with a sign that said "innkeeper" somewhere between the first and second floors. It was also old as if it had been there for a long time, but the exterior was well-maintained and clean.

After stopping the carriage in the parking lot in the corner of the inn, the three of them got out of the carriage and Zendo opened the door.

"Gillik, may I have a word with you?" (Zendo)

"Oh, Zendo-san. What can I do for you?"

As they entered, Zendo called out their names, and an elderly man called Gillik poked his head out from the reception counter.

"Is there a room available today?" (Zendo)

"Yes, there is. What, did you fight with your wife?"

"You got it wrong! Some friends of mine were looking for a place to stay, so I brought them to your place." (Zendo)

"Oh, that's very nice of you, butyeah, you mean those two?"

He looked at us and Tatsuro and Ai bailed lightly. Gillick casually checked their appearance, put on a sales smile, and started to serve them.

"The inn charges 2,700 Shis per room for a bare night. Would you like to stay?"

"For now, please for one night." (Tatsuro)

"How many rooms will you be renting?"

"Uhm"

When Tatsuro looked at Ai, she replied, "One room is fine." Then Gillik, hearing this, gave a supplementary explanation.

"The inn is designed for single occupancy, so a single room for two people might be a bit cramped. Would you still be okay with that?"

"Are you okay with that?" (Tatsuro)

"Yes, even if it's a bit cramped, I want to save as much money as possible for now." {It's more comfortable than sleeping in the woods}" (Ai)

"{Sure.} "Then, we'll take one room." (Tatsuro)

"Yes, sir. Then, since you have to pay in advance, can you give me 2,700 Shis?"

"I understand." (Tatsuro)

Tatsuro acted like it was nothing and converted the lodging fee into coins and handed them to Gillik. However, inwardly he was worried that this was the first time he had used money in this world and wondered if it was really the right amount.

Ai felt the same way, and her expression seemed to harden.

However, her fears were unfounded.

Gillik accepted the coin as normal, made a show of checking the amount displayed in his system, and then said sure and placed it in his hand.

As they relaxed, Gillik said a few words to us, then went back behind the counter and came to us again.

"This is the key to your room, sir. Your room is on the second floor, so please check the numbers on the key before you enter. Also, please come to the reception desk with the key before the clock strikes twelve tomorrow."

"I understand." (Tatsuro)

When Tatsuro looked at the clock as he was urged, he was momentarily at a loss for words and almost stopped speaking. Because the clock had numbers up to 13.

He knew after three days that there was no such thing as thirteen hours in a day, so that meant twenty-six hours in a day.

"Is there something wrong?"

"No, I'm having a hiccup." (Tatsuro)

"Ah, I see."

"Yeah" (Tatsuro)

Although he had a lot on his mind, Tatsuro took the key. Then Zendo, who had been watching over them, spoke to them.

"Well, I guess it's time to eat." (Tatsuro)

"Finally, food." (Ai)

"Well, I guess I'll be going out to eat." (Zendo)

"Yes, take care of yourself. You too, Zendo-san." (Ai)

"Yes." (Zendo)

After greeting him, they left the inn and went to the restaurant next door.

"Hey, hey, Grandpa. What kind of food do they have in the cafeteria?" (Ai)

"Hmm? Oh, they often have non-human customers there. They have a lot of different kinds of food to suit them. Well, but I recommend the stew. It's simple, but it's delicious." (Zendo)

"He heeeeI'm looking forward to it. Hey, Tatsuro. {How many races are there other than the human race!?}" (Ai)

"Yeah, I think I'll order some of that today. {I don't know! But no matter how mysterious they look, we should be careful not to stare at them.}" (Tatsuro)

"Yeah, I guess so." (Ai)

After the telepathy discussion, they ducked through the door of the cafeteria, with Zendo following.

"Hello, Zendo-san. Are you going to eat here today?"

"Yes, I'm here to eat with my two friends." (Zendo)

"Well, you have a lovely guest. Why don't you take a seat at that table over there?"

"Oh? What's the matter, kids? This way."

""Y-Yes""

Hiding the shock of seeing a woman in her forties with animal ears, they replied as best they could and walked to the table, glancing at the other people around them.

Zendo also noticed that for some reason their behavior had stiffened and they were glancing around, but he took the liberty of assuming that if they had been in a nobleman's box, they must have found different races unusual.

Then, in such a state of shock, they ordered from Zendo's recommended menu, and three identical dishes were lined up on the table.

When they got there, the delicious smell of the food in front of them made them forget about the different races.

"Delicious" (Tatsuro)

"Tasty" (Ai)

"Right" (Zendo)

The stew and the bread that came with it were very tasty, though it was also the effect of hunger. The stew was cut into large pieces, and the bread was served with it.

The stew was first of all very hearty, filled with large cuts of vegetables and some kind of meat. And when they were tossed with a lot of white sauce, it created the best flavor.

The bread was hard on the outside and fluffy on the inside, almost like French bread. Of course, it was delicious when dipped in the stew, but it was also good enough to eat by itself.

And so the three of us ate it up without opening our mouths except for the first word.

""Thanks for the food.""

"I thought Ai would leave some behind because she was so thin, but she managed to eat it all." (Zendo)

"Yes, I did. Yeah, I was starving and it was delicious." (Ai)

"Yes, Zendo-san. Thank you very much for introducing us to this place." (Tatsuro)

"You know, there are many other good places to eat, so I'll take you there when I get a chance." (Zendo)

""Yes.""

Then they paid the first beast-eared woman 750 Shis each and left the store.

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