by Hiro Ainana
In addition to the deer offal, the stew contained sinewy meat, green beans called Shiga soybeans that were about the size of fava beans, and some nuts that looked like gingko, shell and all. Is this dark, skinny thing edible burdock?
Pochi and Tama had sparkles in their eyes as they looked at the meaty stew. Liza’s face remained prim and proper, but her tail betrayed her true feelings, slapping the ground with excitement.
“Well, let’s eat before it gets cold.”
Before eating, Arisa put her hands together and said a quick thanks for the food, and Lulu followed her example.
Since I had worked for a corporation, I’d gotten into the habit of going out to eat, so I hadn’t taught the beastfolk girls the Japanese custom of giving thanks before and after a meal.
I had taught them to wash their hands before eating and to use utensils and stuff, though.
“It’s hot, sir!”
“Hooot, hooot!”
Digging into their food in a hurry, the beastfolk girls were alarmed to find that the stew was piping hot.
“You have to blow on it first, okay? Like this.”
“’kaaay!”
“Yes, sir!”
Watching me teach Pochi and Tama how to blow on their food to cool it down, Arisa covered her mouth with her hand and bowed her head. With my “Keen Hearing” skill, I heard her mutter, “Are you trying to kill me with cuteness or what?” but I did my best to ignore her.
“Yummy, yummyyy!”
“It’s delicious, sir!”
Pochi and Tama were making a bit of a mess, clutching their forks rather clumsily in their small fists. Both of them looked like they might dunk their hair into the stew at any moment, so I pulled out some string and tied it back. The others looked jealous, so I gave them string, too.
Of course, they were eating without a problem.
Liza stabbed her fork into each piece of meat and chewed on it with a serious expression. Even eating dinner, she gave off the impression that she was training somehow.
Arisa and Lulu were silent, but it wasn’t out of displeasure so much as desperation in their eating. Arisa conducted herself with relative grace, but she still managed to stuff so much stew into her mouth that her cheeks bulged a little. She looks like a cute little squirrel.
Lulu, too, was reserved but thoroughly focused on eating.
“This is truly delicious.”
“So soft and tendeeer!”
“This part’s crunchy, sir!”
As soon as Liza praised the stew, Pochi and Tama did their best to match her. Arisa and Lulu, too, nodded their agreement while covering their mouths with their hands.
Okay, I really should stop watching everyone else and start eating dinner myself.
It certainly smelled good, so I scooped some stew onto my spoon and brought it to my lips.
Mm. A little bit on the salty side but still pretty tasty. Apparently, there were a lot of laborers around this area, so it was probably seasoned to suit their tastes.
Entrails made some delicious dishes because you could enjoy a lot of different textures and flavors, but some people didn’t like the smell. In this case, though, our hosts must have used some kind of special preparation or particular herbs, because it didn’t smell bad at all.
“How’s the soup treatin’ you, young master?”
“It’s delicious—every bit as good as the food at the castle.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t go that far.” The shopkeeper scratched his upper lip and laughed heartily, hiding his embarrassment.
My compliment must have pleased him, because soon he returned with even more food. “Young master, how’d you like to have some of this, too?”
The plate he offered me was loaded with what looked to be thick fried intestines, cooked with an herb similar to garlic chives. In his other hand was another, smaller plate, this one with thin fried slices of heart and liver.
“This is quite extravagant.”
“Yeah, so eat it up while it’s nice ’n’ hot!”
“The hunters’ve been bringin’ in all kinds of game lately. We’ve been able t’ stock up fer cheaper than usual, so go ahead! Stuff yourselves!”
Phew, I was glad my Meteor Shower hadn’t killed off all the wildlife or anything. I just hoped this wasn’t a flag for some villainous monster to show up from deep in the mountains or something.
Putting aside these worries, I figured I might as well take the couple up on their offer and eat as much as I wanted.
Lulu seemed especially timid, so I dished out some of the meat to her on a small plate.
Then, somehow, this led to my doling out portions for everyone else.
> Skill Acquired: “Service”
I got a weird skill out of all this, but I had no desire to put any skill points into it.
All the food on the large dish was delicious, but I found the liver especially tasty. I bet it would have tasted great raw, although food poisoning would have been a concern.
Riding the excitement of trying a brand-new meat dish, Tama and Pochi wolfed down their food from the small plate in no time fast, then started in on the fried intestines.
“Spaishy…”
“T-too spicy, shir…”
Both of them had shoveled a big bite into their mouths, but apparently, they were not fans of spicy food. Their expressions were impossible to put into words; if this were a manga, I’d say they had Xs for eyes.
They weren’t wrong, but for someone like me who was used to superhot foods, it tasted perfectly normal. In fact, I could hardly sense spiciness at all unless it was physically painful, which was probably not a good sign.
“I believe these have been cooked with chili powder. Pochi, Tama, if it’s too much for you, you needn’t force yourselves to eat it. I’ll take up that responsibility in your place.”
Out of consideration for Pochi and Tama, Liza volunteered with gusto to eat their portion of the intestines.
Having wolfed down their stew, Pochi and Tama sat with their forks in their mouths, watching Liza enviously.
Perhaps feeling sorry for them, Arisa slid her portion of the liver onto their plates. It’s possible that she just didn’t like it, but Pochi and Tama were so thrilled that they looked like they were about to jump out of their seats.
Arisa and Lulu aside, the beastfolk girls definitely seemed to still be hungry, so I stood up to order more food.
“Master, if you need anything, allow me to take care of it in your stead. What is your command?”
“Oh, it’s all right. I was just going to ask for more food, and maybe stop at the next stall over to buy coats and shoes for Arisa and Lulu while I’m up.”
“I-if you need to buy something, I can…!”
Liza and Lulu both leaped to their feet. Pochi and Tama froze in the middle of chewing on the liver, looking up at me without moving their heads.
“All of you, stay here and keep eating. That’s an order, all right?”
I could probably have just left the shopping for later, but I kept catching glimpses of Lulu’s chest across the table, and it was bothering me. Next to her, Arisa’s flat chest was pretty much out in the open, too, but that was less of a problem.
“Do you need somethin’, young master?”
“Yes, I’d like more stew, please.”
“Comin’ right up!”
I felt bad ordering more food when they were treating us, so while the husband was preparing the food, I gave the wife a few large copper coins for the extra helpings. While I was at it, I asked her if it was all right to bring in goods from other stalls, and she readily allowed it.
The proprietress was called away to help a customer with a takeout order, so I asked her husband while he was cooking if he could recommend a stall with good grilled chicken skewers.
“Grilled chicken? The stall with the red flag out front is a good one. All the others do terrible prep work.” According to the shopkeeper, some of them even just cut the meat into chunks at random and co
oked them without any further preparation.
I thanked the man and headed for the stall with the red flag. They offered only salted chicken, not sweet-and-sour, but I caved to the smell of roasting fat and bought one to eat on the spot.
It was just what I’d hoped for, freshly cooked over a charcoal fire. Just one bite sent a river of juice dribbling down my chin. It had the perfect amount of salt—not table salt, but something with a more complex flavor, like rock salt.
Aah, now I want a nice cold beer.
After praising the shopkeeper’s delicious cooking, I ordered thirty more of them for everyone else.
On my way back, I saw a flash of light in a nearby alleyway, so I took a closer look. Countless pairs of lights, suspended in the darkness, stared back at me.
…Dogs?
Before my eyes could finish adjusting to the light, an AR pop-up revealed their true identity.
Apparently, they were dog-people slave children. There were some cat-people kids, too.
When I took a single step closer, the floating pairs of eyes seemed to tremble.
One more step, and I was finally able to see them in the darkness.
They looked like nothing if not a group of little dogs sitting up straight. They were cute as could be, like stuffed animals or something from a kids’ TV show. How could anybody hate them…?
Their gazes were focused on the half-eaten chicken skewer in my hand. A few of them closed their eyes and sniffed the air, raptly enjoying the scent.
“Would you like some?”
“…Rrr, rrreal-ly, sirrr?”
One of the kids responded in a voice that was difficult to understand. Most likely the structure of their mouths made it difficult to speak the Shigan language.
Nodding at him gently, I gave them all the chicken I’d just bought, still wrapped in enormous leaves.
“Share them with everyone, okay?”
“Y-yes, sirrr!”
“Thank ’oo!”
I waved to the children as they thanked me in unison, then headed back to the red-flagged stall. This time I really have to bring them straight back.
While I was waiting for the new set of skewers to be cooked, I secured the coats and boots for Arisa and Lulu that I’d almost forgotten to buy.
The grilled chicken skewers proved to be very popular, earning a smile not only from Arisa but even from Lulu. And Liza seemed to be uncharacteristically choked up with tearful gratitude.
“I’m fuuuull!”
“So happy, sir!”
Having devoured their stew down to the last drop, both Pochi and Tama let out sighs of contentment. The other three, of course, had eaten their fill as well. Liza, in particular, was wordlessly basking in the meal’s afterglow.
I thanked both shopkeepers for the delicious food, gathered everyone together, and headed back to the inn.
“Welcome to our… Mr. Satou?!”
When we finally arrived at the Gatefront Inn, Martha’s lively voice was there to greet us. Without even picking up the tray she had dropped, she rushed over and gave me a light embrace.
The landlady came out next, shoving her way through the crowd that was watching us curiously from the entrance. “We heard all about it from that young lady Ms. Marienteil. Must’ve been awful! We kept your room just the way you left it, so you can rest right away, but… My, it seems there’s quite a few more of you now.”
“Yes, I wouldn’t have made it out of the labyrinth alive without the help of these kids.”
Well, Arisa and Lulu had joined up after the fact, but I didn’t feel like explaining the whole thing, so I left it at that.
“Labyrinth?” a small voice murmured behind me. I’ll have to explain that later.
“So, I’d like to get a room for all of them as well… Do you have any openings?”
“Unfortunately, we’re full…” The landlady’s response was short and biting. I glanced into the hotel and saw the landlady’s husband scowling in our direction, his arms crossed.
Around him, the curious guests who had gathered in the foyer glared at the beastfolk girls as well, grumbling to nobody in particular.
Their animosity was so oppressive that I felt sick to my stomach.
I hid Pochi and Tama behind my back, trying to shield them from the angry stares.
Should we go find another inn…?
It was already so late… Arisa and Lulu could take my room inside, and the beastfolk girls and I would just find somewhere to sleep outside in the park nearby. It’d still be more comfortable than sleeping on the stone floor in the labyrinth.
“Martha, please show these two girls to my room. How much is the charge for an extra person, ma’am? I’ll go with these three and sleep outside or something.” It took no small amount of effort to stop myself from spitting the words at her.
My hand was trembling with anger when I felt a smaller hand wrap around it. It was Arisa.
“Master, please calm down. All of us are frightened, being glared at that way.”
Arisa stepped out in front of me and addressed the landlady, as well as the drunken rabble behind her. Although she’d said she was afraid, her voice was as calm as if she were an adult addressing her peers.
“If you please, might there be a corner of some shed or stable that you could spare for us? These girls saved many a human life in the labyrinth. I know rewards for such deeds are normally reserved for soldiers, but could you not perhaps show them some small compassion?”
“A-all right. The shed won’t do, but since we don’t have too many guests with horses or carts right now, there’ll be some room in the stable. Martha, show them the way. We’ll bring another bed up to Mr. Satou’s room, so you two can wait at the end of the bar for now.”
Arisa’s eloquent plea seemed to have awed the landlady into quickly granting permission for the beastfolk to stay in the stable. The antipathy drained from the drunkards’ faces as well, and they shuffled sullenly back to their tables.
“Was I of some small use to you?”
“Yeah, you were a big help.”
Arisa looked up at me proudly, and I patted her head, thanking her.
Martha brought us to the stable and gave us a fresh stack of hay to cover the floor with. She was a bit hesitant at first, but once I gave her a silver coin, she was quick to tell us to use as much hay as we needed, and I was glad to take her up on the offer.
I spread a waterproof blanket over the hay and covered that with a comfortable bedsheet. Hopefully this would be enough to prevent the makeshift mattress from scratching at us while we slept.
For some reason, making this straw bed somehow earned me the “Sewing” skill. This didn’t make any sense to me, but it seemed like a useful skill to have, so I decided to consider it a stroke of luck.
In place of blankets, I put out some furs from my spoils of war and a few soft-looking bundles of cloth.
I could buy some warmer blankets and quilts tomorrow— No, I guess I should look for a different inn or a house for rent first.
“Fluffyyy!”
“It’s just like the bed at the castle, sir!”
Pochi and Tama happily leaped into the straw bed. As Liza looked down at them fondly, I handed her a bag filled with supplies like food and weapons.
It was against the law for slaves to be armed inside the city, but the slave trader Nidoren had explained to me that it was possible to get away with it if the slaves were “just carrying their master’s belongings.”
“If any creeps try to come in here, be sure to stave them off without killing them. And if you call for me, I’ll come right away.”
“Yes, master. I’ll protect your belongings at all costs.”
Liza’s fists were clenched and her eyes burned with a sense of duty, so I gave her a quick warning. “You three are much more important than my belongings, so I want you to prioritize your own safety more, all right? If push comes to shove, you have my permission to get rid of that stuff.”
Objects could
always be replaced, but the girls’ lives and safety were another matter.
I gave them permission to eat the food inside the bag in case they got hungry. I wouldn’t want them to go hungry if I overslept, after all.
I brought Arisa and Lulu up to the room, where the addition of an extra bed had made things quite cramped.
Making the beastfolk girls’ bed took longer than I’d expected, so the pair looked a bit sleepy. In fact, Lulu looked exhausted, her face paler than usual.
I wanted to ask Arisa about how she knew Japanese and all that before we went to bed, but I guess it could wait until tomorrow. It wasn’t like there was any particular need to hurry.
“Should we just go to bed now?”
A lit candle in a candlestick provided the only source of light, so the room was quite dark.
When I started to take off my coat, Lulu hurriedly rushed over to receive it, hanging it up on a wooden hook on the wall. She tried to help me take off my robe, too, but I gently stopped her. “It’s all right; I don’t need help. You two take care of yourselves.”
“…Y-yes, sir.”
Lulu went silent right away. Confused, I glanced over to check on her, but as soon as we made eye contact she hastily stepped back, tripped on the wooden frame of the bed behind her, and fell flat over backward.
“Are you all right?”
“Y-yes, I’m fine! I’m perfectly fine!”
I reached down to help her up, but she refused in a panic.
I think Lulu might be a little uncomfortable with men.
…Actually, I guess this was a pretty normal reaction, since I was still a stranger.
“Oh? Please get ready, then.” I was trying to instruct them to get themselves ready for bed, but apparently they misunderstood.
Trying to give them some privacy to change, I turned my back to them while I took off my robe and folded it. After a few moments, the sound of rustling clothing stopped, and Arisa announced, “We’re ready,” so I turned around.
Uh, why are they both naked?
It was only thanks to my “Poker Face” skill that I managed to conceal my astonishment.
What the hell is this? Are they nudists?!
