Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「How’d it go on your side？」
「Everywhere we went was full. You？」
「No space anywhere, they said」
The next day, after the dungeon run, the group ran into a problem in Forre’s capital, Stiren.
「It seems like all the slightly pricey inns are out of the question」
「At this rate, even inns without adequate levels of security or privacy are looking grim」
「Tatsu, Mako. I think maybe the only ones open are super expensive inns」
「Yeah, probably」
Every inn in Stiren was packed. There was a simple reason why.
「Their fighting tournaments are super crazy after all……」
「Well, they’re essentially like Wulls’ new years celebrations……」
「We really shoulda listened to what that old gatekeeper dude said」
After they wandered out of Crest Cave, the group ran straight into Forre’s greatest event, the fighting tournament. And this year held the greatest prominence of competitions held every three years, the preliminaries taking a week or more. With so many competitions being held naturally comes a large amount of spectators. And with so many people coming from everywhere to watch, despite Stiren’s reputation as one of the few large cities in the world, the inns still would not have enough room for everyone.
Wulls’ new years celebration was the same in that every year many spectators flooded in for the event and packed the inns. Then again, as it was a two day event where everyone partied through the night, many people argued there was no need to take an inn. But unlike Wulls, there weren’t any notable events at night, in which case lack of lodging was quite problematic.
「And they told me there weren’t any convenient inns for adventurers in any surrounding villages, msot likely.」
「So I guess we just settle for an expensive one at this point？」
「Gotta sacrifice something in this situation, so if that’s the case we can’t complain. But is our budget fine？」
「We have plenty of cash, so no problem」
Haruna shot down Makoto’s concerns over money. In the first place, this team didn’t tend to use money on anything other than expendables or food. You could make a case that the biggest expenses were Tatsuya and Makoto’s liquor. When Hiroshi was stuck in making things, he would generally just go and complete requests from food vendors or the adventurer’s association to save up money. During that time he would also hunt and harvest food, so they hardly had any expenses to pay on equipment, far lower than your average adventurer.
So there would be no dents in their money even if they stayed at high-end inns for a week or so. The group was raised with a commoner’s sense of wealth from postwar Japan where you saved money at every opportunity you got, so none of them had a single shred of interest in the celebrity life, and therefore hadn’t even considered high-end hotels until this point.
This was a small group, and therefore fine in this case, but they truly were not good for the economy with how much they saved and how little they invested.
「So the budget is no problem. Then the next issue is……」
「Whether or not they’d take in regular, mere Class 5 or 6 adventurers who aren’t affiliated with nobility, right？」
Makoto began discussing the other problem when Haruna cut around her and continued. Azuma Workshop’s fame spread all the way to Crest Cave, but who knew if that same logic would work in Stiren. They were also acquainted with Farlane and Darl’s royal families, and although those connections might indeed get them somewhere in Forre, it was doubtful that all the owners/staff would grasp this.
There were certainly inns that were pricey and peaceful, but generally the higher you got, the more fussy they were about status. This wasn’t really because they felt they were the “chosen” people or because of stubborn pride. These inns would have nobles from other countries, and possibly even royalty staying in, so they couldn’t just let in dubious figures on account of how much they paid. That was just a social rule.
Of course, not all places were like that, and some inns were still hung up on historical issues or prideful of their nation to where they behaved arrogantly. But for high-class hotels or shops, they knew they were simply being given superb service and didn’t turn anyone away in an arrogant manner just because they didn’t meet the requirements.
The group might really end up dealing with the “chosen” mentality even if they got let into a hotel, but it wasn’t like this was going to change their plans.
「Guess we just gotta give it a go？」
「Yep」
Haruna agreed with Mio. At worst, they could simply make camp somewhere while looking for rental homes, but hotels were the best option.
「So where do we start from…」
「In situations like these, I say it’s best to go consult the adventurer’s association and ask them to show us a place that’ll take money from our ranks」
「Yeah. Quicker than wandering around aimlessly.」
「Actually, maybe we should have done that in the first place」
Everyone smiled drily at Haruna’s last comment. They had truly taken a thought detour for something that was only one or two days, even if the competition was partly to blame. Then again……
「Seems like we underestimate a lot of things……」
「Yeah, once every three years? That’s bound to be crazy……」
Any high-class inns that would let them stay with enough money were already filled in.
「Guess we just brace ourselves ‘n camp outside the gates？」
One of the landmarks that symbolized Stiren, the arena. Seeing someone earlier try and set up a tent in a blind spot corner near the plaza only to get caught and chased off by guards, Hiroshi proposed this new plan.
「We might as well try just one more building.」
Haruna responded with her own desperate idea. No one got a good feeling from looking at her ominous expression.
「Sure, but where ya thinkin of？」
「You know, there was that one super high status hotel towering over the city center and a shop in the corner dealing with high class goods」
「……For real mate？」
「There’s gotta be room in that area, right？」
「Well, I’m sure there is, but……」
Haruna was talking about the highest status hotel in all of Stiren, or rather, all of Forre, “Grand Forre”. The fee for one night was at least 30,000 doma per person, which was an abnormal pricing of 300,000 yen in Japan, but it didn’t end there- for adventurers, you had to be at minimum Class 3 (the rank that allows you to have a free audience with the regional lord) or else you were out of luck.
Even Haruna herself didn’t have any funny idea of trying to stay there. Still, they had come all this way, so why not check it out? Or so it seemed, but…
「How many nights will you be staying for？」
「Eh？ We can actually stay？」
「Of course you may.」
For some reason, they got immediate permission.
「Since we’re looking for a base, how about 3 days？」
「Yup, sounds bout right」
「So go ahead and make it three days, including today」
「Certainly.」
「We don’t have that many doma on us, but would chrone still be ok？」
「Yes, no problem at all. In this hotel you can exchange any currency.」
Yep, first rate hotels always have great service. There were after all bigwigs coming from out of the country, so there was a necessity for exchange services. Prepaid 450,000 domas equated to around 4,500 chrone, so Haruna paid with the appropriate amount.
「I will begin preparations for you right away. Please wait a moment. Thank you.」
Not batting an eyelid, the front receptionist counted the money and gracefully bowed before going further in the hotel.
「What now? We actually managed to get a room, I can’t believe it……」
「Although it’s a lil disturbing that they let us stay without even askin’ where we’re from.」
「Wait, are we going to be fine on money？」
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「We have about 500,000 chrones left over in pocket, so we’re fine. Although staying a month in the most pricey room would be questionable……」
Realizing just how much money they still had on hand, Tatsuya and Makoto’s eyes flew wide open in surprise, which was to be expected. Near half of these dividends stemmed from their near monopoly on curry powder/miso/soy sauce as well as for the royal family’s love of instant ramen, which they also received payment for. Probably best that no one in the group knew this.
「When did we get so much……」
「Not by illegal means, but I don’t think you want to know.」
「Heck does that mean……」
As they continued this careless conversation in not the best location, the front desk receptionist brought along a somewhat splendid looking man out to meet them.
「Thank you for your patience. You will have the manager of this hotel guide you all to your room.」
「Pleased to meet you, and thank you for coming to Grand Forre. It is a great honor to welcome all of you from Azuma Workshop, famous and rumored about far and wide..」
The manager of the most highly esteemed hotel actually came all the way out, giving the group the best possible reception and causing them to freeze in astonishment.
「Eh, ehm. It’s we who should be thanking you for your gracious reception!」
This was very out of the blue, but they couldn’t just stay awestruck. Haruna did her best (though not perfect) to put on a professional greeting.
「Sorry for asking such a dumb question, but……」
「What might you like to know？」
「We’re very honored and all, but why does one as high up as yourself come down to greet and guide normal young adults like ourselves？」
「How peculiar of you to say something like that. There is no one in this establishment who would be so ignorant as to belittle Azuma Workshop, recognized by the royal families of Farlane and Darl for making superior products higher than even first class as being nothing more than young people.」
「Whoa……」
Haruna just groaned at the manager’s statement. It was true that both the royal families of Farlane and Darl were directly stocking themselves with goods from Azuma Workshop. However, currently, this was because no one had yet figured out all the particulars with buying from Azuma Workshop, plus for Wulls they only used ingredients that anyone in Wulls could get their hands on. Besides, although Hiroshi and Mio were exceptional by this world’s standards in the business, anyone else from the workshop had yet to leave the realm of normal craftsmen.
Honestly, they were being overhyped.
「But I feel like we got permission even before introducin’ ourselves. Are our faces all that recognizable, sir？」
「No. However, employees at our Grand Forre do not look down on anyone, regardless of position.」
「Oh? And why is that？」
「The equipment that all of you have. Although I am but an amateur in that field, I do know that your equipment is not the kind that any novice adventurer can carry around. Regardless of how you went about obtaining these items, we would never reject anyone who owns and looks the part, ad I certainly do not know of any employee who would behave in this manner.」
The manager declared with a very earnest look on his face. Indeed, it would appear that this hotel’s legacy and status was no mere decoration.
「Also, those in charge immediately saw the connection between your appearances and Azuma Workshop.」
「But ain’t there a possibility that we’re only pretendin’ to be them？」
「As I mentioned previously, you dress very well, in addition to behaving properly and asking for permission to stay the night like reasonable citizens. At that point, I can say with full conviction that I would love for such people to stay in our hotel, that they belong here. Regardless of who you actually are, it does not matter so much.」
The manager said all of this with a beaming smile, and the crew was at a loss for words, exchanging glances. They hadn’t done anything more significant than maybe vending food (on the surface), and yet their names had somehow spread far and wide.
「Your room is right this way, everyone.」
「……Are all the rooms this big？」
「You are a party of five, so I made sure that you have adequate room to yourselves.」
The room they were led into was quite spacious, although not quite a suite. They really couldn’t try smithing here, but at least it had more room than the rental homenear Crest Cave.
「Now then, please feel free to relax and make yourselves at home.」
The manager walked off, still with a beaming smile after handing the key to Haruna, the representative.
「There’s gotta be a limit on unexpected things, right？」
「Well, it’ll be Makoto-san’s birthday in a lil bit and we’ll be clattering things around after this, in which case it’ll be difficult to celebrate, so how bout we throw an early party ‘n go all out？」
「Mm, yeah. We already paid after all」
「Although I don’t quite feel right about throwing around the money that we made so easily in Farlane…」
「Well the amount ain’t that much, and we saved up quite a bit in Forre」
While a bit put-off at how famous they were, the group figured they should enter the room since they already paid. And this was how a desperate situation led Haruna and the others to experience the most exquisite hotel in the country (Haruna’s first experience since coming to this world, everyone else’s first experience in their life)
「This is supposed to be a high class hotel, so I expected some flashy items lined up, but I guess not?」
The room they were led into was fabulously spacious, but the equipment and whatnot was a bit plain while taking on its own personality. As a result of this, the room was chic and relaxing.
「Pricey hotels do sometimes have those, but for places that are trying to sell their status, you don’t really see all that many flashy items.」
「That’s what it’s like？」
「Yep. But in exchange for the plain look, the “plain” items you see, such as the leg of an innocent looking chair, might in fact be worth somewhere in the hundreds of thousands.」
Makoto felt her face stiffen at Haruna’s explanation. Now that she had heard that, literally anything lying on the floor suddenly looked like valuable items.
「’N if ya look at that sofa over there, it’s prolly more than the overnight stay fee that we paid. Although I think the one in our Darl room was better quality.」
「But that one’s made of wyvern membrane, so that’s not a good comparison」
Tatsuya motioned to sit down until Hiroshi began an unnecessary supplemental explanation, at which he stopped moving. Mio interjected, although it wasn’t much of an interjection.
「Well, high class items are the way they are cuz they don’t break easily. Besides, even with some scratches here ‘n there ya can just mend it in a covert way. Go ahead ‘n relax mate. At worst we can just give ‘em a behemoth leather sofa to pay for it.」
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「We have about 500,000 chrones left over in pocket, so we’re fine. Although staying a month in the most pricey room would be questionable……」
Realizing just how much money they still had on hand, Tatsuya and Makoto’s eyes flew wide open in surprise, which was to be expected. Near half of these dividends stemmed from their near monopoly on curry powder/miso/soy sauce as well as for the royal family’s love of instant ramen, which they also received payment for. Probably best that no one in the group knew this.
「When did we get so much……」
「Not by illegal means, but I don’t think you want to know.」
「Heck does that mean……」
As they continued this careless conversation in not the best location, the front desk receptionist brought along a somewhat splendid looking man out to meet them.
「Thank you for your patience. You will have the manager of this hotel guide you all to your room.」
「Pleased to meet you, and thank you for coming to Grand Forre. It is a great honor to welcome all of you from Azuma Workshop, famous and rumored about far and wide..」
The manager of the most highly esteemed hotel actually came all the way out, giving the group the best possible reception and causing them to freeze in astonishment.
「Eh, ehm. It’s we who should be thanking you for your gracious reception!」
This was very out of the blue, but they couldn’t just stay awestruck. Haruna did her best (though not perfect) to put on a professional greeting.
「Sorry for asking such a dumb question, but……」
「What might you like to know？」
「We’re very honored and all, but why does one as high up as yourself come down to greet and guide normal young adults like ourselves？」
「How peculiar of you to say something like that. There is no one in this establishment who would be so ignorant as to belittle Azuma Workshop, recognized by the royal families of Farlane and Darl for making superior products higher than even first class as being nothing more than young people.」
「Whoa……」
Haruna just groaned at the manager’s statement. It was true that both the royal families of Farlane and Darl were directly stocking themselves with goods from Azuma Workshop. However, currently, this was because no one had yet figured out all the particulars with buying from Azuma Workshop, plus for Wulls they only used ingredients that anyone in Wulls could get their hands on. Besides, although Hiroshi and Mio were exceptional by this world’s standards in the business, anyone else from the workshop had yet to leave the realm of normal craftsmen.
Honestly, they were being overhyped.
「But I feel like we got permission even before introducin’ ourselves. Are our faces all that recognizable, sir？」
「No. However, employees at our Grand Forre do not look down on anyone, regardless of position.」
「Oh? And why is that？」
「The equipment that all of you have. Although I am but an amateur in that field, I do know that your equipment is not the kind that any novice adventurer can carry around. Regardless of how you went about obtaining these items, we would never reject anyone who owns and looks the part, ad I certainly do not know of any employee who would behave in this manner.」
The manager declared with a very earnest look on his face. Indeed, it would appear that this hotel’s legacy and status was no mere decoration.
「Also, those in charge immediately saw the connection between your appearances and Azuma Workshop.」
「But ain’t there a possibility that we’re only pretendin’ to be them？」
「As I mentioned previously, you dress very well, in addition to behaving properly and asking for permission to stay the night like reasonable citizens. At that point, I can say with full conviction that I would love for such people to stay in our hotel, that they belong here. Regardless of who you actually are, it does not matter so much.」
The manager said all of this with a beaming smile, and the crew was at a loss for words, exchanging glances. They hadn’t done anything more significant than maybe vending food (on the surface), and yet their names had somehow spread far and wide.
「Your room is right this way, everyone.」
「……Are all the rooms this big？」
「You are a party of five, so I made sure that you have adequate room to yourselves.」
The room they were led into was quite spacious, although not quite a suite. They really couldn’t try smithing here, but at least it had more room than the rental homenear Crest Cave.
「Now then, please feel free to relax and make yourselves at home.」
The manager walked off, still with a beaming smile after handing the key to Haruna, the representative.
「There’s gotta be a limit on unexpected things, right？」
「Well, it’ll be Makoto-san’s birthday in a lil bit and we’ll be clattering things around after this, in which case it’ll be difficult to celebrate, so how bout we throw an early party ‘n go all out？」
「Mm, yeah. We already paid after all」
「Although I don’t quite feel right about throwing around the money that we made so easily in Farlane…」
「Well the amount ain’t that much, and we saved up quite a bit in Forre」
While a bit put-off at how famous they were, the group figured they should enter the room since they already paid. And this was how a desperate situation led Haruna and the others to experience the most exquisite hotel in the country (Haruna’s first experience since coming to this world, everyone else’s first experience in their life)
「This is supposed to be a high class hotel, so I expected some flashy items lined up, but I guess not?」
The room they were led into was fabulously spacious, but the equipment and whatnot was a bit plain while taking on its own personality. As a result of this, the room was chic and relaxing.
「Pricey hotels do sometimes have those, but for places that are trying to sell their status, you don’t really see all that many flashy items.」
「That’s what it’s like？」
「Yep. But in exchange for the plain look, the “plain” items you see, such as the leg of an innocent looking chair, might in fact be worth somewhere in the hundreds of thousands.」
Makoto felt her face stiffen at Haruna’s explanation. Now that she had heard that, literally anything lying on the floor suddenly looked like valuable items.
「’N if ya look at that sofa over there, it’s prolly more than the overnight stay fee that we paid. Although I think the one in our Darl room was better quality.」
「But that one’s made of wyvern membrane, so that’s not a good comparison」
Tatsuya motioned to sit down until Hiroshi began an unnecessary supplemental explanation, at which he stopped moving. Mio interjected, although it wasn’t much of an interjection.
「Well, high class items are the way they are cuz they don’t break easily. Besides, even with some scratches here ‘n there ya can just mend it in a covert way. Go ahead ‘n relax mate. At worst we can just give ‘em a behemoth leather sofa to pay for it.」
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「Yeah, that sofa’s gonna be worth way more after all……」
Once the idea of wyvern/behemoth products was brought up, Tatsuya and Makoto could feel their apprehension toward fancy hotels begin to disappear. Of course they still needed to take care so as to not scratch the furniture with their equipment, but any notion of holding back was immediately dropped.
「……Mm～……」
「……So weird. It’s not bad, but why do I feel so let down……」
The sofa felt fine. In fact, normally you might even say it was the finest quality. Or even before that, it was their first time seeing a sofa in a hotel’s guestroom, so surely it would leave an impression. But both of them had dissatisfied looks on their faces.
「Tatsu, Mako. Usually you would expect this sofa to be top tier comfortable, or close to it.」
「We probably should forget about the ones in Farlane and Darl, huh. Cause wyvern and behemoth sofas are out of this world……」
「Oh yeah, Lay asked for one of them so we put it in storage」
In other words, the team was currently using the royal furniture of the Farlane house. Even though it was the highest grade furniture, there was no need to fear when it came to mere hotels.
「Y’know, I just feel really sad now……」
「Same……」
Now their apprehensions toward their first expensive hotel were completely erased, which was not a bad thing, but it was for that specific reason, which just felt kinda screwed up. You might say it was a psychological effect of traveling with Hiroshi.
「Well, we’re here now, so we might as well check out the room」
「Yeah. Seems like there are a bunch of magic tools and such」
After doing just that and checking around, it turned out that the room did in fact have a lot of different things in it.
「I found a bottle of expensive looking wine in this anti rotting cabinet」
「With a side dish」
「Can I like, just drink this？」
「Wait, let me examine it first…mm, there’s a memo. Says it’s a welcome drink. Seems like all the drinks and food in this room are included in the price for staying. I think there are non-alcoholic ones too？」
「Hm？ Ah, you mean this. There’s some grape, apple, and orange juice」
「Then we’ll take those. I’ll let Hiroshi-kun and Mio-chan know later.」
There were various drinks and small food portions in the kitchen-like area.
「Oh, there’s a bath. Forre ain’t got a bathin’ culture, so I didn’t think pricey hotels would have somethin’ like this.」
「But Sensei. It’s not a very big bath. We never did use it, but the one at the Adone Hotel was bigger.」
「Don’t go comparin’ Farlane and Forre, mate. Saunas are more normal in Forre, and they don’t got a custom of heatin’ up the bath every day.」
On the other side of the door in the room was a bathing area whose existence was barely even there.
「Yeah. Toilets seem to be super clean too. Another benefit of being at a hotel like this one.」
「Well yeah, can’t exactly call it the country’s best if they ain’t even doin’ that.」
The magic-operated flush toilet was indeed clean as could be,
「What a big bed」
「Although they don’t seem to have domes over them. Well, I don’t even want those attachments anywyay」
「Really? I totally thought you’d be into the princess style.」
「Nah, nah…」
The bedding fit perfectly with the spacious room, just as splendid as anything else you saw. It also was clean and neatly arranged by a professional for optimal sleeping comfort. Small nods like this were what reminded you this was a high class establishment with truly disciplined employees all around the board.
「Yeah, this is the first place I’ve seen that had towels furnished with the room, so other than the size, it’s identical to Japan’s regular tourist hotels.」
「Well, from what I know, practically all fancy hotels in the world are like that. I guess it’s the same way no matter what world you’re in.」
「Even if there’s a small difference in furnishment, both types are essentially the same. So if you think along those lines, that’s pretty incredible, right? That’s what I think.」
Everyone nodded at Tatsuya. In this world, you didn’t have useful tools like washing machines or even facilities that had that sort of equipment in them, so actually being able to furnish rooms with extra towels for no extra charge was pretty major. Also, when it came to high-ranking places like these, employees were expected to have a decent amount of humanity, so it wasn’t easy to hire lots of people just to run washing machines.
Of course Hiroshi’s group had been in this world long enough to understand the grand scheme of things, which was precisely why they were so impressed at this hotel’s services.
「The only problem I can pinpoint is that the furniture we’ve been using is superior in quality to everything in this room……」
「Yeah, but don’t you think that’s always going to be a given? At least I think so. Right Hiroshi-kun?」
「Why ya askin’ me？」
Though they felt a fresh sort of vibe since coming into the room, the team was bound to end up preferring their own style.
「So I’m guessing the food’s going to be along similar lines？」
「Hm, who knows? There were quite a bit of tasty snackeroos at some of them hotels.」
「Yeah, just think of the food at Wulls or Darl Castle. We’re bound to have some good food.」
「Yeah? If you say so.」
Tatsuya responded somewhat doubtfully to Hiroshi and Haruna’s words of reassurance. It was true that they hadn’t tasted much bad food up to this point. The court food they had tasted in Wulls and Darl was most certainly what you would call delicious. However, Tatsuya didn’t think he should expect anything worthy of true “deliciousness” in this hotel, even if it was good.
After all, thanks to Hiroshi and Haruna, the group was also accustomed to good food. The highest quality of food had to be at least greater than wyvern cuisine. Considering how they had not even once eaten cooking of that caliber in hotels or palaces, he didn’t think he could expect that high of a caliber of cuisine, even from a hotel restaurant in Forre.
「Y’know, I kinda…」
「What, Mako？」
「I’m super grateful, and I know I have no right to complain, but I kinda feel like Hiroshi and Haruna have made our adventure half the fun it should be.」
「You’re asking too much, Mako.」
「Yeah, yeah, I know.」
Mio pointed out the flaw in what Makoto was saying, to which she admitted it. Of course Makoto was grateful for Hiroshi and Haruna, but thanks to their meddling, none of the hard work the hotels put into anything was as fun as it should be. Also, the students of the group didn’t seem to like the thought of not having to cook. Other than trying local foods, traveling would no longer bring as much excitement as before.
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「Well, we just have to wait and see what’s happening with food. It’s already a separate purchase, and there’s also the dress code, so it might end up being room service.」
「Ah, right. I doubt our belongings will be professional enough.」
Makoto nodded thoughtfully in her simple spirit thread clothing after taking off equipment. Most adventurers couldn’t deal with dress codes.
Since the food was separately priced, it could be eaten outside, but it just felt wrong to eat outside after being guided all the way to their rooms by the manager, plus they were curious what high class Forre food was like.
「Such a drag to hafta deal with all this fancy standard garbage……」
「This will only just increase, so may as well adjust to it」
Haruna scolded Hiroshi for grumbling about the situation. The group didn’t want to move for a while, so in the meantime they just relaxed with the drinks.
The group actually made it into the main dining area without a hitch.
「’N somehow we got in……」
Hiroshi grumbled softly as he felt the atmosphere swallow him up. The adventurers’ clothing, while on the safe side, blended into the stylistic room without sticking out.
「I think it’s because of the spirit thread clothing」
「Prolly yeah. Even if all we’re wearin’ are blouses ‘n cutter shirts, the materials’re worth more than silk by a good amount. I ain’t look too good in it though」
At that last statement, everyone grimaced. It wasn’t that Hiroshi literally did not look good in the clothing. Maybe because of all the battles they had been through, or maybe because they were wearing this clothing on a regular basis, Hiroshi had managed to pull off this simple but refined design without making a fool of himself.
Although Hiroshi had his misgivings, at least he wasn’t rejected for being lame. Now, maybe have him wear something trending in a fashion magazine and then he would, as usual, look really lame.
「But I wonder what kind of food high class Forre cooking will have？」
「Can’t wait」
Changing the topic, Haruna and Mio began discussing the food. Haruna because of her cooking skills, Mio because of her gluttony, but both of them were looking forward to a full course of fancy Forre cuisine.
「I only just realized this right now, but……」
「What is it, Tatsuya-san？」
「This is our first time paying for high class food in this world, right？」
「Ah, you’re right, come to think of it」
The group had the opportunity several times before this, but all those occasions were invites. They had technically brought along gifts, so the meals weren’t totally free persay, but this was their first time eating with their own coin.
「Well, the food we ate at the Adone hotel was like a reward for our work, so you might call that paying with our own dime too.」
「Maybe it’s better not to dwell so much on how much free stuff we have, eh?」
「Yup yup」
And as they were having a leisurely conversation (tensions lowered?) the aperitifs were brought before them. The type of drink and tendency, taste, etc, greatly differed, but it appeared that the full course meals in the three great western kingdoms had the same sort of basic form. The regions differed in what came after the aperitifs, such as soup or salad first, but in Forre, just like the other places, next came fish and meat-based cuisine.
And for the minors in the group, the sparkling beverages of that particular day were brought with the meal. The taste was subdued but with a luxurious sort of taste, so calling it “juice” felt weird.
「Mm, then let’s have a toast for making it out of Crest Cave safely and for Makoto’s early birthday celebration.」
「Cheers」
This was a great opportunity to raise glasses and have a toast. But unlike in Japan, you did not clash the glasses together; just a light, refined raise.
「Ah, this drink’s really good. What is it though？」
「Good question, cuz it’s just called “Today’s Beverage”. Let’s ask later」
「Yeah, I never drank something like this before so I’m itching to replicate it after someone tells me the ingredients and recipe.」
After taking a mouthful, Haruna and Hiroshi let out excited voices at the mysterious flavor and immediately gained an interest in the ingredients/recipe. One of them from a cooking standpoint, the other from a crafting standpoint, but completely the same.
「The wine in the room was good, and now we have some more good quality here. I never thought I’d taste such amazing quality liquor in Forre.」
「Yeah, cause dwarf liquor is usually drunk in large quantities and well, to be blunt, isn’t very dignified or elegant……」
The elder members spoke in low but bewildered voices at how sophisticated and refreshing the taste of the aperitifs were. They had assumed that something more rustic would be brought out, so for better or for worse, this was very surprising.
「I don’t mean to badmouth Forre, but maybe because of all the dwarves, I never thought there’d be any liquor that fits the image of “upper class” or “refined”.」
「All the visitors who come here say the same thing, do not worry.」
The attendant inserted themselves into the conversation, all the while with a beaming smile. Despite lowering her voice so as to not let anyone outside the table hear, the attendant had apparently overheard that statement just as they were approaching the table to serve the hors d’oeuvres. No one had even heard them approach the table because of their movement.
「Ah, s-sorry.」
「No, no. It’s very true that Forre is, as a whole, is unaffected and sincere, with fortitude and vigor, to say the best. To say the worst, the country doesn’t tend to care about its image, so it’s normal for visitors from all over to feel that way. In fact, the establishments and their food that resemble ours are a very small minority in Forre, with the main priority placed on the downtown food being of enough quantity to feed the royal family, followed by taste and then charm last.」
The attendant didn’t seem to be affected by the badmouthing. As they laid out the splendid proportions of hors d’oeuvres consisting of Forre’s traditional vegetables (cabbage, potato, and leafy greens resembling legeck, a daikon leaf), they did not boast nor look down on their country as they spoke cheerfully about it.
「I personally like the mentality of not overcomplicating the little things and piling food on your plate. That has a charm of its own. The food’s always good, and everyone can live it up while eating, which is a good aspect of setting out food in a rough manner. Although of course if you enjoy eating food in a relaxing environment, this is the best hands down.」
「I agree. In smaller groups like this, I enjoy being in this sort of eating environment, but with lots of people getting excited over something while eating, I say regular Forre food is the best. The situations that call for them are different. It’s not like either food is superior to the other. Ah, and of course I think the food right here is also tasty and lovely to look at!」
「Thank you very much.」
Smiling happily at Makoto’s follow-up with all of her excuses, the attendant gave her a bow of the head before going back to get the next dish. After seeing the attendant go off in that direction, Haruna realized she had forgotten to ask something.
「Oh no…」
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「What’s up？」
「I forgot to inquire about the drink」
Tatsuya just had an exasperated look on his face. Yep, that was Haruna, always thinking about cooking. Seeing this as an opportunity, Mio, who had been silently eating her hors d’oeuvre, opened her mouth.
「Hey, Haru」
「Yes？」
「I want more to drink. Is that cool？」
Mio seemed to be concerned about the price of extra drinks, with this being a fancy restaurant and all. Tatsuya and Makoto were beyond exasperated; they had grimaces on their faces. Up till now they had dealt with supply and refills on their own, so Mio appeared to not realize how rich they were in the eyes of society and that using a little money would not be an issue.
So she was basically a very frugal person.
「Well I also wanted a refill, so yeah, let’s ask. Hiroshi-kun, what about you？」
「Yup yup. I’ll git another in my glass」
At this point, everyone had decided on adding more drinks, so they figured they may as well ask for wine/soft drink bottles. There weren’t a whole lot of people in Hiroshi’s core group, plus as long as Makoto was around there would never be any excess liquor. Of course, seeing as they were also using her birthday as a pretext for the celebrating, there was no way there would simply be “one” bottle of liquor Makoto took back.
Also, the soft drinks used in place of the aperitifs happened to be traditional high class beverages known as “dorutzen”, truly delicious and costing more than double a drink of cheap sake.
「I see. So you get the fruit “dorufett”, squeeze it, mix it in with “garen” herb juice so as to not let it ferment into alcohol, and then mature it until it foams up. Is it easy to get our hands on some？」
「Yes. However, you need the highest quality of dorufett, or else it will taste odd and the acidity of the garen will emerge and the resulting dorutzen won’t be very tasty.」
「Guess we need to ask around about how to know which dorufett is the best option」
「In that case, I am sure that the chefs at this establishment would be more than happy to help.」
「Okay, thank you」
Asking what she needed to when ordering, Haruna happily brought some new salad to her mouth. Although there was a tendency in Forre to eat mainly cabbage and regex for leafy green vegetables, this particular salad contained also lettuce as well as an unfamiliar leafy green, probably taken from a monster. Haruna wrote in the memopad of her mind to remember to check that information later before levelling out the polished soup and fish cuisine (worthy to be called one of Forre’s traditional meals) in front of her.
「……What a great fancy hotel. The thought didn’t cross my mind that we’d see new monster meat emerge in the food.」
「Yeah? I totally thought we ate all this at least once on the other side of the world, but maybe I’m trippin’……」
Haruna and Hiroshi spoke to one another in an impressed manner after finishing the meat courses and waiting for the dessert. The ingredients used in question were likely the minimum exquisite kind that regular cooks could use, such as troll birds or rock worms, but who knew what kinds were in this meal. Perhaps they were eating animals that didn’t previously exist in the game, such as poms.
「Yep, we need to ask the chef about this too.」
「Yup yup」
Hiroshi and Haruna, who never compromised on food, were once again ready to go at it. While a bit exasperated at their mannerisms, Tatsuya and the other two also found themselves hoping just a bit for new foods being added to their repertoire.
「The dessert is lovely too」
While mentioning her thoughts on the newly arrived dessert, Mio showed no mercy when eating. She had already eaten plenty of bread since that was a free refill, but her appetite had yet to fade away. Makoto was the same way with liquor, but with Mio you never knew where in that stomach of hers she was storing all that food. Thankfully, it was only her chest that had some thickness, and not her stomach. So where, if not her stature, chest, or stomach? The world may never know where those calories have gone.
「This was definitely the best food I had from any of the hotels.」
「Yeah, it was as good as the time I had it in the palaces of Farlane or Darl」
As they savored the regional tea, Tatsuya and Makoto remarked on how they would give the food here full marks as the best they had eaten (other than Hiroshi/Haruna’s cooking). The reason why their reviews were slightly dicey was because of all the special meat like wyvern, garbarensia, behemoth meat, etc.
「The place’s got that super fancy vibe, so I worried we’d stick out like a sore thumb, but thanks to Haruna-san we got through a-ok.」
「You think？」
Haruna asked, puzzled, in response to Hiroshi while everyone else nodded at the same time. Despite having no prior experience to this, everyone had imitated the way Haruna and the royals like Layotte ate their food, and had ended up looking the part when eating here. So even if they weren’t as high class in their table manners as the other guests here, Hiroshi’s group was certainly distinguished enough not to be labelled as “savage” or “crude”.
「Anyhow, you still want to ask the head chef a lot of things, right? How about we get on with the check and head over there？」
「Right on」
Following Makoto’s advice, Haruna, followed by Hiroshi and Mio, headed straight over to the kitchen. Hitting it off with the head chef and learning as much about the region’s food as they could, they then taught the head chef in return some recipes for condiments and cooking methods before ending the exchange, both parties beaming happily.
And then, three days later.
「You sure like to set up things in spacious areas.」
「There just so happened to be a cheap place open with a foundry attached to it, so I figured there wouldn’t be an issue if we put the teleportation circle in here for Stiren.」
「Ah～、there’s always the possibility after all……」
The group was now at the new workshop/residence base Haruna had found.
「And we left the temporary base at Crest Cave as it was, if I recall」
「Yeah, we got that as a reward, so we can use it as a warp point whenever.」
「Got it, got it」
The technical fee for Hiroshi teaching people how to make the new smelting forge variant and the cost of three prototypes. One portion of that, the group negotiated be transferred in for the provisional bade near Crest Cave. The reason was simple: because it was convenient. Other than that, the group was also able to arrange that they show the ID of their workshop to get free excavation in the dungeon, and then the remaining part of the reward was simply pocket money. They had after all received many things, and as the remaining portion was only 500,000 doma, they had instead paid with chrone currency for their lodging at the hotel to save their domas.
「Yup, this kinda environment calms me down the most.」
Mio, who had gotten right to setting up the behemoth leather sofa in the living room, muttered as she stretched languidly on the sofa. Her face only appeared expressionless, but it was clearly softer.
「But it’s all fine ‘n dandy to take on first rate hotels once in a while, y’know.」
「I thought it was super well taken care of, given the standards in this world. Did you find it uncomfortable？」
「Mm～、how should I put it、the rooms’re fine but all that excess space had this exquisite vibe like the palace back at Farlane, etc, just felt kinda off to me」
「Oh, I get you」
Haruna knew exactly what Hiroshi meant. As she had many the opportunity due to family matters to go to first rate hotels, restaurants, etc, she was accustomed to that sort of environment. But being accustomed to something is not the same as being comfortable with something, and Haruna still felt that the environment she liked the most was, just like it was for Hiroshi and the others, in the common sort of living arrangement.
Then again, if she were to come out and say that, even Haruna’s parents (supposed celebs) would agree that they loved the typical neighborhood lifestyle.
「Let’s go ahead and divide up the rooms and bring out the beds.」
「Yup yup. Imma be smithin’ ‘n whatnot, as y’all know, so I’m good with the first floor.」
「Yeah, then same for me.」
And with all that, having determined the partitioning in a split second, Hiroshi and friends set out the various furniture that engulfed even the finest of hotel furniture in comparison, creating an at-home but somewhat regal environment in the blink of an eye.
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「How’d it go on your side？」
「Everywhere we went was full. You？」
「No space anywhere, they said」
The next day, after the dungeon run, the group ran into a problem in Forre’s capital, Stiren.
「It seems like all the slightly pricey inns are out of the question」
「At this rate, even inns without adequate levels of security or privacy are looking grim」
「Tatsu, Mako. I think maybe the only ones open are super expensive inns」
「Yeah, probably」
Every inn in Stiren was packed. There was a simple reason why.
「Their fighting tournaments are super crazy after all……」
「Well, they’re essentially like Wulls’ new years celebrations……」
「We really shoulda listened to what that old gatekeeper dude said」
After they wandered out of Crest Cave, the group ran straight into Forre’s greatest event, the fighting tournament. And this year held the greatest prominence of competitions held every three years, the preliminaries taking a week or more. With so many competitions being held naturally comes a large amount of spectators. And with so many people coming from everywhere to watch, despite Stiren’s reputation as one of the few large cities in the world, the inns still would not have enough room for everyone.
Wulls’ new years celebration was the same in that every year many spectators flooded in for the event and packed the inns. Then again, as it was a two day event where everyone partied through the night, many people argued there was no need to take an inn. But unlike Wulls, there weren’t any notable events at night, in which case lack of lodging was quite problematic.
「And they told me there weren’t any convenient inns for adventurers in any surrounding villages, msot likely.」
「So I guess we just settle for an expensive one at this point？」
「Gotta sacrifice something in this situation, so if that’s the case we can’t complain. But is our budget fine？」
「We have plenty of cash, so no problem」
Haruna shot down Makoto’s concerns over money. In the first place, this team didn’t tend to use money on anything other than expendables or food. You could make a case that the biggest expenses were Tatsuya and Makoto’s liquor. When Hiroshi was stuck in making things, he would generally just go and complete requests from food vendors or the adventurer’s association to save up money. During that time he would also hunt and harvest food, so they hardly had any expenses to pay on equipment, far lower than your average adventurer.
So there would be no dents in their money even if they stayed at high-end inns for a week or so. The group was raised with a commoner’s sense of wealth from postwar Japan where you saved money at every opportunity you got, so none of them had a single shred of interest in the celebrity life, and therefore hadn’t even considered high-end hotels until this point.
This was a small group, and therefore fine in this case, but they truly were not good for the economy with how much they saved and how little they invested.
「So the budget is no problem. Then the next issue is……」
「Whether or not they’d take in regular, mere Class 5 or 6 adventurers who aren’t affiliated with nobility, right？」
Makoto began discussing the other problem when Haruna cut around her and continued. Azuma Workshop’s fame spread all the way to Crest Cave, but who knew if that same logic would work in Stiren. They were also acquainted with Farlane and Darl’s royal families, and although those connections might indeed get them somewhere in Forre, it was doubtful that all the owners/staff would grasp this.
There were certainly inns that were pricey and peaceful, but generally the higher you got, the more fussy they were about status. This wasn’t really because they felt they were the “chosen” people or because of stubborn pride. These inns would have nobles from other countries, and possibly even royalty staying in, so they couldn’t just let in dubious figures on account of how much they paid. That was just a social rule.
Of course, not all places were like that, and some inns were still hung up on historical issues or prideful of their nation to where they behaved arrogantly. But for high-class hotels or shops, they knew they were simply being given superb service and didn’t turn anyone away in an arrogant manner just because they didn’t meet the requirements.
The group might really end up dealing with the “chosen” mentality even if they got let into a hotel, but it wasn’t like this was going to change their plans.
「Guess we just gotta give it a go？」
「Yep」
Haruna agreed with Mio. At worst, they could simply make camp somewhere while looking for rental homes, but hotels were the best option.
「So where do we start from…」
「In situations like these, I say it’s best to go consult the adventurer’s association and ask them to show us a place that’ll take money from our ranks」
「Yeah. Quicker than wandering around aimlessly.」
「Actually, maybe we should have done that in the first place」
Everyone smiled drily at Haruna’s last comment. They had truly taken a thought detour for something that was only one or two days, even if the competition was partly to blame. Then again……
「Seems like we underestimate a lot of things……」
「Yeah, once every three years? That’s bound to be crazy……」
Any high-class inns that would let them stay with enough money were already filled in.
「Guess we just brace ourselves ‘n camp outside the gates？」
One of the landmarks that symbolized Stiren, the arena. Seeing someone earlier try and set up a tent in a blind spot corner near the plaza only to get caught and chased off by guards, Hiroshi proposed this new plan.
「We might as well try just one more building.」
Haruna responded with her own desperate idea. No one got a good feeling from looking at her ominous expression.
「Sure, but where ya thinkin of？」
「You know, there was that one super high status hotel towering over the city center and a shop in the corner dealing with high class goods」
「……For real mate？」
「There’s gotta be room in that area, right？」
「Well, I’m sure there is, but……」
Haruna was talking about the highest status hotel in all of Stiren, or rather, all of Forre, “Grand Forre”. The fee for one night was at least 30,000 doma per person, which was an abnormal pricing of 300,000 yen in Japan, but it didn’t end there- for adventurers, you had to be at minimum Class 3 (the rank that allows you to have a free audience with the regional lord) or else you were out of luck.
Even Haruna herself didn’t have any funny idea of trying to stay there. Still, they had come all this way, so why not check it out? Or so it seemed, but…
「How many nights will you be staying for？」
「Eh？ We can actually stay？」
「Of course you may.」
For some reason, they got immediate permission.
「Since we’re looking for a base, how about 3 days？」
「Yup, sounds bout right」
「So go ahead and make it three days, including today」
「Certainly.」
「We don’t have that many doma on us, but would chrone still be ok？」
「Yes, no problem at all. In this hotel you can exchange any currency.」
Yep, first rate hotels always have great service. There were after all bigwigs coming from out of the country, so there was a necessity for exchange services. Prepaid 450,000 domas equated to around 4,500 chrone, so Haruna paid with the appropriate amount.
「I will begin preparations for you right away. Please wait a moment. Thank you.」
Not batting an eyelid, the front receptionist counted the money and gracefully bowed before going further in the hotel.
「What now? We actually managed to get a room, I can’t believe it……」
「Although it’s a lil disturbing that they let us stay without even askin’ where we’re from.」
「Wait, are we going to be fine on money？」
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「We have about 500,000 chrones left over in pocket, so we’re fine. Although staying a month in the most pricey room would be questionable……」
Realizing just how much money they still had on hand, Tatsuya and Makoto’s eyes flew wide open in surprise, which was to be expected. Near half of these dividends stemmed from their near monopoly on curry powder/miso/soy sauce as well as for the royal family’s love of instant ramen, which they also received payment for. Probably best that no one in the group knew this.
「When did we get so much……」
「Not by illegal means, but I don’t think you want to know.」
「Heck does that mean……」
As they continued this careless conversation in not the best location, the front desk receptionist brought along a somewhat splendid looking man out to meet them.
「Thank you for your patience. You will have the manager of this hotel guide you all to your room.」
「Pleased to meet you, and thank you for coming to Grand Forre. It is a great honor to welcome all of you from Azuma Workshop, famous and rumored about far and wide..」
The manager of the most highly esteemed hotel actually came all the way out, giving the group the best possible reception and causing them to freeze in astonishment.
「Eh, ehm. It’s we who should be thanking you for your gracious reception!」
This was very out of the blue, but they couldn’t just stay awestruck. Haruna did her best (though not perfect) to put on a professional greeting.
「Sorry for asking such a dumb question, but……」
「What might you like to know？」
「We’re very honored and all, but why does one as high up as yourself come down to greet and guide normal young adults like ourselves？」
「How peculiar of you to say something like that. There is no one in this establishment who would be so ignorant as to belittle Azuma Workshop, recognized by the royal families of Farlane and Darl for making superior products higher than even first class as being nothing more than young people.」
「Whoa……」
Haruna just groaned at the manager’s statement. It was true that both the royal families of Farlane and Darl were directly stocking themselves with goods from Azuma Workshop. However, currently, this was because no one had yet figured out all the particulars with buying from Azuma Workshop, plus for Wulls they only used ingredients that anyone in Wulls could get their hands on. Besides, although Hiroshi and Mio were exceptional by this world’s standards in the business, anyone else from the workshop had yet to leave the realm of normal craftsmen.
Honestly, they were being overhyped.
「But I feel like we got permission even before introducin’ ourselves. Are our faces all that recognizable, sir？」
「No. However, employees at our Grand Forre do not look down on anyone, regardless of position.」
「Oh? And why is that？」
「The equipment that all of you have. Although I am but an amateur in that field, I do know that your equipment is not the kind that any novice adventurer can carry around. Regardless of how you went about obtaining these items, we would never reject anyone who owns and looks the part, ad I certainly do not know of any employee who would behave in this manner.」
The manager declared with a very earnest look on his face. Indeed, it would appear that this hotel’s legacy and status was no mere decoration.
「Also, those in charge immediately saw the connection between your appearances and Azuma Workshop.」
「But ain’t there a possibility that we’re only pretendin’ to be them？」
「As I mentioned previously, you dress very well, in addition to behaving properly and asking for permission to stay the night like reasonable citizens. At that point, I can say with full conviction that I would love for such people to stay in our hotel, that they belong here. Regardless of who you actually are, it does not matter so much.」
The manager said all of this with a beaming smile, and the crew was at a loss for words, exchanging glances. They hadn’t done anything more significant than maybe vending food (on the surface), and yet their names had somehow spread far and wide.
「Your room is right this way, everyone.」
「……Are all the rooms this big？」
「You are a party of five, so I made sure that you have adequate room to yourselves.」
The room they were led into was quite spacious, although not quite a suite. They really couldn’t try smithing here, but at least it had more room than the rental homenear Crest Cave.
「Now then, please feel free to relax and make yourselves at home.」
The manager walked off, still with a beaming smile after handing the key to Haruna, the representative.
「There’s gotta be a limit on unexpected things, right？」
「Well, it’ll be Makoto-san’s birthday in a lil bit and we’ll be clattering things around after this, in which case it’ll be difficult to celebrate, so how bout we throw an early party ‘n go all out？」
「Mm, yeah. We already paid after all」
「Although I don’t quite feel right about throwing around the money that we made so easily in Farlane…」
「Well the amount ain’t that much, and we saved up quite a bit in Forre」
While a bit put-off at how famous they were, the group figured they should enter the room since they already paid. And this was how a desperate situation led Haruna and the others to experience the most exquisite hotel in the country (Haruna’s first experience since coming to this world, everyone else’s first experience in their life)
「This is supposed to be a high class hotel, so I expected some flashy items lined up, but I guess not?」
The room they were led into was fabulously spacious, but the equipment and whatnot was a bit plain while taking on its own personality. As a result of this, the room was chic and relaxing.
「Pricey hotels do sometimes have those, but for places that are trying to sell their status, you don’t really see all that many flashy items.」
「That’s what it’s like？」
「Yep. But in exchange for the plain look, the “plain” items you see, such as the leg of an innocent looking chair, might in fact be worth somewhere in the hundreds of thousands.」
Makoto felt her face stiffen at Haruna’s explanation. Now that she had heard that, literally anything lying on the floor suddenly looked like valuable items.
「’N if ya look at that sofa over there, it’s prolly more than the overnight stay fee that we paid. Although I think the one in our Darl room was better quality.」
「But that one’s made of wyvern membrane, so that’s not a good comparison」
Tatsuya motioned to sit down until Hiroshi began an unnecessary supplemental explanation, at which he stopped moving. Mio interjected, although it wasn’t much of an interjection.
「Well, high class items are the way they are cuz they don’t break easily. Besides, even with some scratches here ‘n there ya can just mend it in a covert way. Go ahead ‘n relax mate. At worst we can just give ‘em a behemoth leather sofa to pay for it.」
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「We have about 500,000 chrones left over in pocket, so we’re fine. Although staying a month in the most pricey room would be questionable……」
Realizing just how much money they still had on hand, Tatsuya and Makoto’s eyes flew wide open in surprise, which was to be expected. Near half of these dividends stemmed from their near monopoly on curry powder/miso/soy sauce as well as for the royal family’s love of instant ramen, which they also received payment for. Probably best that no one in the group knew this.
「When did we get so much……」
「Not by illegal means, but I don’t think you want to know.」
「Heck does that mean……」
As they continued this careless conversation in not the best location, the front desk receptionist brought along a somewhat splendid looking man out to meet them.
「Thank you for your patience. You will have the manager of this hotel guide you all to your room.」
「Pleased to meet you, and thank you for coming to Grand Forre. It is a great honor to welcome all of you from Azuma Workshop, famous and rumored about far and wide..」
The manager of the most highly esteemed hotel actually came all the way out, giving the group the best possible reception and causing them to freeze in astonishment.
「Eh, ehm. It’s we who should be thanking you for your gracious reception!」
This was very out of the blue, but they couldn’t just stay awestruck. Haruna did her best (though not perfect) to put on a professional greeting.
「Sorry for asking such a dumb question, but……」
「What might you like to know？」
「We’re very honored and all, but why does one as high up as yourself come down to greet and guide normal young adults like ourselves？」
「How peculiar of you to say something like that. There is no one in this establishment who would be so ignorant as to belittle Azuma Workshop, recognized by the royal families of Farlane and Darl for making superior products higher than even first class as being nothing more than young people.」
「Whoa……」
Haruna just groaned at the manager’s statement. It was true that both the royal families of Farlane and Darl were directly stocking themselves with goods from Azuma Workshop. However, currently, this was because no one had yet figured out all the particulars with buying from Azuma Workshop, plus for Wulls they only used ingredients that anyone in Wulls could get their hands on. Besides, although Hiroshi and Mio were exceptional by this world’s standards in the business, anyone else from the workshop had yet to leave the realm of normal craftsmen.
Honestly, they were being overhyped.
「But I feel like we got permission even before introducin’ ourselves. Are our faces all that recognizable, sir？」
「No. However, employees at our Grand Forre do not look down on anyone, regardless of position.」
「Oh? And why is that？」
「The equipment that all of you have. Although I am but an amateur in that field, I do know that your equipment is not the kind that any novice adventurer can carry around. Regardless of how you went about obtaining these items, we would never reject anyone who owns and looks the part, ad I certainly do not know of any employee who would behave in this manner.」
The manager declared with a very earnest look on his face. Indeed, it would appear that this hotel’s legacy and status was no mere decoration.
「Also, those in charge immediately saw the connection between your appearances and Azuma Workshop.」
「But ain’t there a possibility that we’re only pretendin’ to be them？」
「As I mentioned previously, you dress very well, in addition to behaving properly and asking for permission to stay the night like reasonable citizens. At that point, I can say with full conviction that I would love for such people to stay in our hotel, that they belong here. Regardless of who you actually are, it does not matter so much.」
The manager said all of this with a beaming smile, and the crew was at a loss for words, exchanging glances. They hadn’t done anything more significant than maybe vending food (on the surface), and yet their names had somehow spread far and wide.
「Your room is right this way, everyone.」
「……Are all the rooms this big？」
「You are a party of five, so I made sure that you have adequate room to yourselves.」
The room they were led into was quite spacious, although not quite a suite. They really couldn’t try smithing here, but at least it had more room than the rental homenear Crest Cave.
「Now then, please feel free to relax and make yourselves at home.」
The manager walked off, still with a beaming smile after handing the key to Haruna, the representative.
「There’s gotta be a limit on unexpected things, right？」
「Well, it’ll be Makoto-san’s birthday in a lil bit and we’ll be clattering things around after this, in which case it’ll be difficult to celebrate, so how bout we throw an early party ‘n go all out？」
「Mm, yeah. We already paid after all」
「Although I don’t quite feel right about throwing around the money that we made so easily in Farlane…」
「Well the amount ain’t that much, and we saved up quite a bit in Forre」
While a bit put-off at how famous they were, the group figured they should enter the room since they already paid. And this was how a desperate situation led Haruna and the others to experience the most exquisite hotel in the country (Haruna’s first experience since coming to this world, everyone else’s first experience in their life)
「This is supposed to be a high class hotel, so I expected some flashy items lined up, but I guess not?」
The room they were led into was fabulously spacious, but the equipment and whatnot was a bit plain while taking on its own personality. As a result of this, the room was chic and relaxing.
「Pricey hotels do sometimes have those, but for places that are trying to sell their status, you don’t really see all that many flashy items.」
「That’s what it’s like？」
「Yep. But in exchange for the plain look, the “plain” items you see, such as the leg of an innocent looking chair, might in fact be worth somewhere in the hundreds of thousands.」
Makoto felt her face stiffen at Haruna’s explanation. Now that she had heard that, literally anything lying on the floor suddenly looked like valuable items.
「’N if ya look at that sofa over there, it’s prolly more than the overnight stay fee that we paid. Although I think the one in our Darl room was better quality.」
「But that one’s made of wyvern membrane, so that’s not a good comparison」
Tatsuya motioned to sit down until Hiroshi began an unnecessary supplemental explanation, at which he stopped moving. Mio interjected, although it wasn’t much of an interjection.
「Well, high class items are the way they are cuz they don’t break easily. Besides, even with some scratches here ‘n there ya can just mend it in a covert way. Go ahead ‘n relax mate. At worst we can just give ‘em a behemoth leather sofa to pay for it.」
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「Yeah, that sofa’s gonna be worth way more after all……」
Once the idea of wyvern/behemoth products was brought up, Tatsuya and Makoto could feel their apprehension toward fancy hotels begin to disappear. Of course they still needed to take care so as to not scratch the furniture with their equipment, but any notion of holding back was immediately dropped.
「……Mm～……」
「……So weird. It’s not bad, but why do I feel so let down……」
The sofa felt fine. In fact, normally you might even say it was the finest quality. Or even before that, it was their first time seeing a sofa in a hotel’s guestroom, so surely it would leave an impression. But both of them had dissatisfied looks on their faces.
「Tatsu, Mako. Usually you would expect this sofa to be top tier comfortable, or close to it.」
「We probably should forget about the ones in Farlane and Darl, huh. Cause wyvern and behemoth sofas are out of this world……」
「Oh yeah, Lay asked for one of them so we put it in storage」
In other words, the team was currently using the royal furniture of the Farlane house. Even though it was the highest grade furniture, there was no need to fear when it came to mere hotels.
「Y’know, I just feel really sad now……」
「Same……」
Now their apprehensions toward their first expensive hotel were completely erased, which was not a bad thing, but it was for that specific reason, which just felt kinda screwed up. You might say it was a psychological effect of traveling with Hiroshi.
「Well, we’re here now, so we might as well check out the room」
「Yeah. Seems like there are a bunch of magic tools and such」
After doing just that and checking around, it turned out that the room did in fact have a lot of different things in it.
「I found a bottle of expensive looking wine in this anti rotting cabinet」
「With a side dish」
「Can I like, just drink this？」
「Wait, let me examine it first…mm, there’s a memo. Says it’s a welcome drink. Seems like all the drinks and food in this room are included in the price for staying. I think there are non-alcoholic ones too？」
「Hm？ Ah, you mean this. There’s some grape, apple, and orange juice」
「Then we’ll take those. I’ll let Hiroshi-kun and Mio-chan know later.」
There were various drinks and small food portions in the kitchen-like area.
「Oh, there’s a bath. Forre ain’t got a bathin’ culture, so I didn’t think pricey hotels would have somethin’ like this.」
「But Sensei. It’s not a very big bath. We never did use it, but the one at the Adone Hotel was bigger.」
「Don’t go comparin’ Farlane and Forre, mate. Saunas are more normal in Forre, and they don’t got a custom of heatin’ up the bath every day.」
On the other side of the door in the room was a bathing area whose existence was barely even there.
「Yeah. Toilets seem to be super clean too. Another benefit of being at a hotel like this one.」
「Well yeah, can’t exactly call it the country’s best if they ain’t even doin’ that.」
The magic-operated flush toilet was indeed clean as could be,
「What a big bed」
「Although they don’t seem to have domes over them. Well, I don’t even want those attachments anywyay」
「Really? I totally thought you’d be into the princess style.」
「Nah, nah…」
The bedding fit perfectly with the spacious room, just as splendid as anything else you saw. It also was clean and neatly arranged by a professional for optimal sleeping comfort. Small nods like this were what reminded you this was a high class establishment with truly disciplined employees all around the board.
「Yeah, this is the first place I’ve seen that had towels furnished with the room, so other than the size, it’s identical to Japan’s regular tourist hotels.」
「Well, from what I know, practically all fancy hotels in the world are like that. I guess it’s the same way no matter what world you’re in.」
「Even if there’s a small difference in furnishment, both types are essentially the same. So if you think along those lines, that’s pretty incredible, right? That’s what I think.」
Everyone nodded at Tatsuya. In this world, you didn’t have useful tools like washing machines or even facilities that had that sort of equipment in them, so actually being able to furnish rooms with extra towels for no extra charge was pretty major. Also, when it came to high-ranking places like these, employees were expected to have a decent amount of humanity, so it wasn’t easy to hire lots of people just to run washing machines.
Of course Hiroshi’s group had been in this world long enough to understand the grand scheme of things, which was precisely why they were so impressed at this hotel’s services.
「The only problem I can pinpoint is that the furniture we’ve been using is superior in quality to everything in this room……」
「Yeah, but don’t you think that’s always going to be a given? At least I think so. Right Hiroshi-kun?」
「Why ya askin’ me？」
Though they felt a fresh sort of vibe since coming into the room, the team was bound to end up preferring their own style.
「So I’m guessing the food’s going to be along similar lines？」
「Hm, who knows? There were quite a bit of tasty snackeroos at some of them hotels.」
「Yeah, just think of the food at Wulls or Darl Castle. We’re bound to have some good food.」
「Yeah? If you say so.」
Tatsuya responded somewhat doubtfully to Hiroshi and Haruna’s words of reassurance. It was true that they hadn’t tasted much bad food up to this point. The court food they had tasted in Wulls and Darl was most certainly what you would call delicious. However, Tatsuya didn’t think he should expect anything worthy of true “deliciousness” in this hotel, even if it was good.
After all, thanks to Hiroshi and Haruna, the group was also accustomed to good food. The highest quality of food had to be at least greater than wyvern cuisine. Considering how they had not even once eaten cooking of that caliber in hotels or palaces, he didn’t think he could expect that high of a caliber of cuisine, even from a hotel restaurant in Forre.
「Y’know, I kinda…」
「What, Mako？」
「I’m super grateful, and I know I have no right to complain, but I kinda feel like Hiroshi and Haruna have made our adventure half the fun it should be.」
「You’re asking too much, Mako.」
「Yeah, yeah, I know.」
Mio pointed out the flaw in what Makoto was saying, to which she admitted it. Of course Makoto was grateful for Hiroshi and Haruna, but thanks to their meddling, none of the hard work the hotels put into anything was as fun as it should be. Also, the students of the group didn’t seem to like the thought of not having to cook. Other than trying local foods, traveling would no longer bring as much excitement as before.
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「Well, we just have to wait and see what’s happening with food. It’s already a separate purchase, and there’s also the dress code, so it might end up being room service.」
「Ah, right. I doubt our belongings will be professional enough.」
Makoto nodded thoughtfully in her simple spirit thread clothing after taking off equipment. Most adventurers couldn’t deal with dress codes.
Since the food was separately priced, it could be eaten outside, but it just felt wrong to eat outside after being guided all the way to their rooms by the manager, plus they were curious what high class Forre food was like.
「Such a drag to hafta deal with all this fancy standard garbage……」
「This will only just increase, so may as well adjust to it」
Haruna scolded Hiroshi for grumbling about the situation. The group didn’t want to move for a while, so in the meantime they just relaxed with the drinks.
The group actually made it into the main dining area without a hitch.
「’N somehow we got in……」
Hiroshi grumbled softly as he felt the atmosphere swallow him up. The adventurers’ clothing, while on the safe side, blended into the stylistic room without sticking out.
「I think it’s because of the spirit thread clothing」
「Prolly yeah. Even if all we’re wearin’ are blouses ‘n cutter shirts, the materials’re worth more than silk by a good amount. I ain’t look too good in it though」
At that last statement, everyone grimaced. It wasn’t that Hiroshi literally did not look good in the clothing. Maybe because of all the battles they had been through, or maybe because they were wearing this clothing on a regular basis, Hiroshi had managed to pull off this simple but refined design without making a fool of himself.
Although Hiroshi had his misgivings, at least he wasn’t rejected for being lame. Now, maybe have him wear something trending in a fashion magazine and then he would, as usual, look really lame.
「But I wonder what kind of food high class Forre cooking will have？」
「Can’t wait」
Changing the topic, Haruna and Mio began discussing the food. Haruna because of her cooking skills, Mio because of her gluttony, but both of them were looking forward to a full course of fancy Forre cuisine.
「I only just realized this right now, but……」
「What is it, Tatsuya-san？」
「This is our first time paying for high class food in this world, right？」
「Ah, you’re right, come to think of it」
The group had the opportunity several times before this, but all those occasions were invites. They had technically brought along gifts, so the meals weren’t totally free persay, but this was their first time eating with their own coin.
「Well, the food we ate at the Adone hotel was like a reward for our work, so you might call that paying with our own dime too.」
「Maybe it’s better not to dwell so much on how much free stuff we have, eh?」
「Yup yup」
And as they were having a leisurely conversation (tensions lowered?) the aperitifs were brought before them. The type of drink and tendency, taste, etc, greatly differed, but it appeared that the full course meals in the three great western kingdoms had the same sort of basic form. The regions differed in what came after the aperitifs, such as soup or salad first, but in Forre, just like the other places, next came fish and meat-based cuisine.
And for the minors in the group, the sparkling beverages of that particular day were brought with the meal. The taste was subdued but with a luxurious sort of taste, so calling it “juice” felt weird.
「Mm, then let’s have a toast for making it out of Crest Cave safely and for Makoto’s early birthday celebration.」
「Cheers」
This was a great opportunity to raise glasses and have a toast. But unlike in Japan, you did not clash the glasses together; just a light, refined raise.
「Ah, this drink’s really good. What is it though？」
「Good question, cuz it’s just called “Today’s Beverage”. Let’s ask later」
「Yeah, I never drank something like this before so I’m itching to replicate it after someone tells me the ingredients and recipe.」
After taking a mouthful, Haruna and Hiroshi let out excited voices at the mysterious flavor and immediately gained an interest in the ingredients/recipe. One of them from a cooking standpoint, the other from a crafting standpoint, but completely the same.
「The wine in the room was good, and now we have some more good quality here. I never thought I’d taste such amazing quality liquor in Forre.」
「Yeah, cause dwarf liquor is usually drunk in large quantities and well, to be blunt, isn’t very dignified or elegant……」
The elder members spoke in low but bewildered voices at how sophisticated and refreshing the taste of the aperitifs were. They had assumed that something more rustic would be brought out, so for better or for worse, this was very surprising.
「I don’t mean to badmouth Forre, but maybe because of all the dwarves, I never thought there’d be any liquor that fits the image of “upper class” or “refined”.」
「All the visitors who come here say the same thing, do not worry.」
The attendant inserted themselves into the conversation, all the while with a beaming smile. Despite lowering her voice so as to not let anyone outside the table hear, the attendant had apparently overheard that statement just as they were approaching the table to serve the hors d’oeuvres. No one had even heard them approach the table because of their movement.
「Ah, s-sorry.」
「No, no. It’s very true that Forre is, as a whole, is unaffected and sincere, with fortitude and vigor, to say the best. To say the worst, the country doesn’t tend to care about its image, so it’s normal for visitors from all over to feel that way. In fact, the establishments and their food that resemble ours are a very small minority in Forre, with the main priority placed on the downtown food being of enough quantity to feed the royal family, followed by taste and then charm last.」
The attendant didn’t seem to be affected by the badmouthing. As they laid out the splendid proportions of hors d’oeuvres consisting of Forre’s traditional vegetables (cabbage, potato, and leafy greens resembling legeck, a daikon leaf), they did not boast nor look down on their country as they spoke cheerfully about it.
「I personally like the mentality of not overcomplicating the little things and piling food on your plate. That has a charm of its own. The food’s always good, and everyone can live it up while eating, which is a good aspect of setting out food in a rough manner. Although of course if you enjoy eating food in a relaxing environment, this is the best hands down.」
「I agree. In smaller groups like this, I enjoy being in this sort of eating environment, but with lots of people getting excited over something while eating, I say regular Forre food is the best. The situations that call for them are different. It’s not like either food is superior to the other. Ah, and of course I think the food right here is also tasty and lovely to look at!」
「Thank you very much.」
Smiling happily at Makoto’s follow-up with all of her excuses, the attendant gave her a bow of the head before going back to get the next dish. After seeing the attendant go off in that direction, Haruna realized she had forgotten to ask something.
「Oh no…」
Translator: Reflet
Editor: Weasalopes
「What’s up？」
「I forgot to inquire about the drink」
Tatsuya just had an exasperated look on his face. Yep, that was Haruna, always thinking about cooking. Seeing this as an opportunity, Mio, who had been silently eating her hors d’oeuvre, opened her mouth.
「Hey, Haru」
「Yes？」
「I want more to drink. Is that cool？」
Mio seemed to be concerned about the price of extra drinks, with this being a fancy restaurant and all. Tatsuya and Makoto were beyond exasperated; they had grimaces on their faces. Up till now they had dealt with supply and refills on their own, so Mio appeared to not realize how rich they were in the eyes of society and that using a little money would not be an issue.
So she was basically a very frugal person.
「Well I also wanted a refill, so yeah, let’s ask. Hiroshi-kun, what about you？」
「Yup yup. I’ll git another in my glass」
At this point, everyone had decided on adding more drinks, so they figured they may as well ask for wine/soft drink bottles. There weren’t a whole lot of people in Hiroshi’s core group, plus as long as Makoto was around there would never be any excess liquor. Of course, seeing as they were also using her birthday as a pretext for the celebrating, there was no way there would simply be “one” bottle of liquor Makoto took back.
Also, the soft drinks used in place of the aperitifs happened to be traditional high class beverages known as “dorutzen”, truly delicious and costing more than double a drink of cheap sake.
「I see. So you get the fruit “dorufett”, squeeze it, mix it in with “garen” herb juice so as to not let it ferment into alcohol, and then mature it until it foams up. Is it easy to get our hands on some？」
「Yes. However, you need the highest quality of dorufett, or else it will taste odd and the acidity of the garen will emerge and the resulting dorutzen won’t be very tasty.」
「Guess we need to ask around about how to know which dorufett is the best option」
「In that case, I am sure that the chefs at this establishment would be more than happy to help.」
「Okay, thank you」
Asking what she needed to when ordering, Haruna happily brought some new salad to her mouth. Although there was a tendency in Forre to eat mainly cabbage and regex for leafy green vegetables, this particular salad contained also lettuce as well as an unfamiliar leafy green, probably taken from a monster. Haruna wrote in the memopad of her mind to remember to check that information later before levelling out the polished soup and fish cuisine (worthy to be called one of Forre’s traditional meals) in front of her.
「……What a great fancy hotel. The thought didn’t cross my mind that we’d see new monster meat emerge in the food.」
「Yeah? I totally thought we ate all this at least once on the other side of the world, but maybe I’m trippin’……」
Haruna and Hiroshi spoke to one another in an impressed manner after finishing the meat courses and waiting for the dessert. The ingredients used in question were likely the minimum exquisite kind that regular cooks could use, such as troll birds or rock worms, but who knew what kinds were in this meal. Perhaps they were eating animals that didn’t previously exist in the game, such as poms.
「Yep, we need to ask the chef about this too.」
「Yup yup」
Hiroshi and Haruna, who never compromised on food, were once again ready to go at it. While a bit exasperated at their mannerisms, Tatsuya and the other two also found themselves hoping just a bit for new foods being added to their repertoire.
「The dessert is lovely too」
While mentioning her thoughts on the newly arrived dessert, Mio showed no mercy when eating. She had already eaten plenty of bread since that was a free refill, but her appetite had yet to fade away. Makoto was the same way with liquor, but with Mio you never knew where in that stomach of hers she was storing all that food. Thankfully, it was only her chest that had some thickness, and not her stomach. So where, if not her stature, chest, or stomach? The world may never know where those calories have gone.
「This was definitely the best food I had from any of the hotels.」
「Yeah, it was as good as the time I had it in the palaces of Farlane or Darl」
As they savored the regional tea, Tatsuya and Makoto remarked on how they would give the food here full marks as the best they had eaten (other than Hiroshi/Haruna’s cooking). The reason why their reviews were slightly dicey was because of all the special meat like wyvern, garbarensia, behemoth meat, etc.
「The place’s got that super fancy vibe, so I worried we’d stick out like a sore thumb, but thanks to Haruna-san we got through a-ok.」
「You think？」
Haruna asked, puzzled, in response to Hiroshi while everyone else nodded at the same time. Despite having no prior experience to this, everyone had imitated the way Haruna and the royals like Layotte ate their food, and had ended up looking the part when eating here. So even if they weren’t as high class in their table manners as the other guests here, Hiroshi’s group was certainly distinguished enough not to be labelled as “savage” or “crude”.
「Anyhow, you still want to ask the head chef a lot of things, right? How about we get on with the check and head over there？」
「Right on」
Following Makoto’s advice, Haruna, followed by Hiroshi and Mio, headed straight over to the kitchen. Hitting it off with the head chef and learning as much about the region’s food as they could, they then taught the head chef in return some recipes for condiments and cooking methods before ending the exchange, both parties beaming happily.
And then, three days later.
「You sure like to set up things in spacious areas.」
「There just so happened to be a cheap place open with a foundry attached to it, so I figured there wouldn’t be an issue if we put the teleportation circle in here for Stiren.」
「Ah～、there’s always the possibility after all……」
The group was now at the new workshop/residence base Haruna had found.
「And we left the temporary base at Crest Cave as it was, if I recall」
「Yeah, we got that as a reward, so we can use it as a warp point whenever.」
「Got it, got it」
The technical fee for Hiroshi teaching people how to make the new smelting forge variant and the cost of three prototypes. One portion of that, the group negotiated be transferred in for the provisional bade near Crest Cave. The reason was simple: because it was convenient. Other than that, the group was also able to arrange that they show the ID of their workshop to get free excavation in the dungeon, and then the remaining part of the reward was simply pocket money. They had after all received many things, and as the remaining portion was only 500,000 doma, they had instead paid with chrone currency for their lodging at the hotel to save their domas.
「Yup, this kinda environment calms me down the most.」
Mio, who had gotten right to setting up the behemoth leather sofa in the living room, muttered as she stretched languidly on the sofa. Her face only appeared expressionless, but it was clearly softer.
「But it’s all fine ‘n dandy to take on first rate hotels once in a while, y’know.」
「I thought it was super well taken care of, given the standards in this world. Did you find it uncomfortable？」
「Mm～、how should I put it、the rooms’re fine but all that excess space had this exquisite vibe like the palace back at Farlane, etc, just felt kinda off to me」
「Oh, I get you」
Haruna knew exactly what Hiroshi meant. As she had many the opportunity due to family matters to go to first rate hotels, restaurants, etc, she was accustomed to that sort of environment. But being accustomed to something is not the same as being comfortable with something, and Haruna still felt that the environment she liked the most was, just like it was for Hiroshi and the others, in the common sort of living arrangement.
Then again, if she were to come out and say that, even Haruna’s parents (supposed celebs) would agree that they loved the typical neighborhood lifestyle.
「Let’s go ahead and divide up the rooms and bring out the beds.」
「Yup yup. Imma be smithin’ ‘n whatnot, as y’all know, so I’m good with the first floor.」
「Yeah, then same for me.」
And with all that, having determined the partitioning in a split second, Hiroshi and friends set out the various furniture that engulfed even the finest of hotel furniture in comparison, creating an at-home but somewhat regal environment in the blink of an eye.
