"Rei-kun, I’m just glad to see you’re safe."
Alternating between a run and a brisk walk, the group of two men and one beast arrived at the City of Gilm just before sunset. They had pushed themselves on a grueling forced march, only to be met at the gates by Ranga. The man wore a broad, beaming smile that crinkled the edges of his rugged beard.
Ranga, the captain of the Guard Force, pulled Rei into a sudden, impulsive embrace.
Rei didn't exactly have a habit of being hugged by men, but seeing the genuine relief in Ranga's smile, he couldn't bring himself to be cold. He accepted the gesture with a silent, internal sigh.
"Captain, Captain... that’s enough. You’re bothering Rei-san."
"Whoops, ah. Sorry about that."
Snapping back to his senses at his subordinate's voice, Ranga finally released him.
"No, it’s fine, but... what’s this about all of a sudden?"
"What do you mean, 'what's this'? We heard from the members of Wind Blade that you fought a Rare Species Gamelion. They mentioned you were safe, but I couldn't stop worrying until I saw you with my own eyes."
"...Ah."
Rei nodded in understanding, and Hasta followed suit beside him.
"Did those guys make it back all right?"
"Every single one of them. Though they were absolutely devastated that their rental cart was destroyed by a monster."
"...Ah."
Hasta let out a murmur of agreement, just as Rei had a few seconds prior, but his tone was laced with a sympathy that Rei’s lacked. For a D-Rank adventurer like Hasta, who was perpetually short on funds, the plight of the Wind Blade members—having to venture out in the dead of winter to make ends meet—was a reality far too close to home.
"Well, now that I've confirmed both of you are safe..."
"Guruuu."
Seto poked its head between Rei and Hasta, as if to say, Don't you dare forget about me.
Ranga chuckled at the display and produced a piece of dried meat.
"Of course I haven't forgotten you, Seto. I'm just glad you’re safe, too."
"Gurururuuu."
Seto let out a proud cry and snatched the jerky from Ranga's hand with its beak.
As Ranga reached out to stroke Seto's head, he turned back to the two adventurers.
"Now then, let's get your entry procedures started. ...Still, I really am relieved."
He murmured the words with deep sincerity. Knowing that Margrave Daskar, the city's Lord, held Rei's combat prowess in such high regard, Ranga’s concern was more than personal. If the person his superior was so keen on recruiting had died fighting a Rare Species Gamelion—ironically one of the city's favorite delicacies—the fallout would have been immense. Ranga’s sigh of relief was well-earned.
They proceeded with the usual formalities: showing their Guild Cards and receiving the Tamed Monster's Necklace. Once the paperwork was finished, they stepped back into the city.
"Oh, Ranga-san. We should be serving Gamelion dishes at my family's diner in a few days, so please come by if you’re free. I'll tell my pops to give you a little extra as an apology for worrying you."
Hasta was quick to get a plug in for his family's business.
"Ah... seeing this scenery makes it feel like I’m finally home."
Rei murmured instinctively as he watched the crowds.
The City of Gilm hummed with the unique vitality of the frontier. A massive number of people hurried through the streets, many likely rushing to the warmth of their hearths as the autumn chill deepened.
Being a frontier hub, Gilm was a magnet for rare materials and Magic Stones. While most were exported to other cities and towns, the constant influx of merchants coming to buy meant the streets were always crowded. With winter fast approaching, the city was even busier than usual, packed with traders looking to close their final deals of the year.
The group—two men and one beast—made their way down the Main Street toward the library. Merchants who were either new to the city or visiting for the first time froze in shock or recoiled at the sight of Seto. Rei, Hasta, and Seto were far too used to the attention to care.
"Ah, it's right here."
Hasta turned into a side street just before reaching the library. They walked down the narrow path, which was little more than a back alley, for about five minutes. Eventually, a sign for the "Full Belly Diner" came into view.
"Heh... It really is a nice place."
It was clean and surprisingly spacious—so much so that it wouldn't have looked out of place on the Main Street.
"Ahaha. Well, we did just rebuild it. ...Though that’s exactly why we’re buried in debt."
"And you wanted that Gamelion meat to help dig yourself out, right?"
"Well, yeah, but... even if we sell out of the meat, it won't be enough to clear the whole debt."
"So, what’s the plan? It looks packed. If we walk in right now and tell your pops we brought the meat, he’s going to be overwhelmed."
"...True. It can't be helped; let's wait until the dinner rush dies down."
Just as Hasta suggested killing time elsewhere, the diner door swung open. A girl under the age of ten poked her head out. Her eyes widened at the sight of Hasta, and a broad smile broke across her face as she shouted back into the building.
"It’s Big Brother! Mama, Papa! Big Brother’s home!"
"Oh, really? Then why isn't he coming inside?" a voice called back.
"I don't know! But he brought a friend... Oh! It’s Seto-chan! Seto-chan is here!"
The girl, who had been tilting her head curiously at Rei, let out a squeal of delight and lunged at the gryphon.
"Seto-chan is so fluffy and warm!"
"Guruuu."
She hugged the beast tightly, looking enchanted by the feel of its feathers. Seto let out a soft sound from the back of its throat, appearing somewhat bewildered by the child's intensity.
"Is she your sister?"
"Yeah. That’s Arka. Hey, Arka, let go. You’re bothering Seto."
"No! I didn't get to play with Seto-chan at all today!"
Arka shook her head stubbornly, her green braids swaying wildly with every movement as she clung to the gryphon.
"Hasta, Arka, what’s all the noise? ...Oh, a guest?"
A middle-aged woman in her forties with a kind, motherly smile appeared in the doorway.
"Ah, Mama. Yeah. Look, I told you I was going to hunt Gamelion yesterday, right? This is Rei-san. He helped me out."
"My... I hope our Hasta didn't cause you too much trouble?"
Rei hesitated for a second at her relaxed, slow-paced tone, then gave a small nod.
"No trouble at all. He’s more than lived up to his year of experience as a D-Rank adventurer."
"Oh, please. I couldn't even scratch a Gamelion on my own, unlike you, Rei-san..."
Hasta interjected, but Rei cut him off with a shake of his head.
"A Gamelion is a C-Rank monster. It’s arrogant for a D-Rank Solo adventurer like you to think you could handle it alone."
"I mean, you’re right when you put it that way... but after seeing you fight, I just can't help it..."
The memory of Rei dismantling the Rare Species flickered in Hasta's mind, prompting another sigh.
"Anyway, you haven't had dinner yet, have you? Come on in, both of you."
"Eh? But the place is full..."
"It’s fine. I’m not about to tell the person who watched over my son that a paying customer is more important. Come, Rei-san, was it? You too."
"...Are you sure?"
Rei glanced into the crowded interior. As Hasta had said, the diner was packed. While no one was waiting for a table yet, the staff was clearly run off their feet. However...
"We can't just let someone who took care of our boy go home hungry. Besides..."
Enedra trailed off, her gaze shifting to Arka, who was still refusing to let go of Seto.
"It looks like Arka isn't going to let that child leave anyway, so it would actually be a help if you stayed. ...Oh, I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. I’m Hasta's mother, Enedra. It’s a pleasure."
She gave a warm, welcoming smile and bowed.
Slightly overwhelmed by her gentle nature, Rei allowed himself to be led into the diner by Hasta and Enedra.
"Seto, I’m leaving that girl to you."
"Guruuu."
Rei barely managed to get the instruction out. Seto, seemingly resigned to its fate, trilled softly in response.
"...It’s even busier than it looks from the outside," Rei murmured once they were seated.
About eighty percent of the tables were occupied. Trays of ale and wine moved past them alongside steaming bowls of stew, stir-fries, salads, and braised meats. The noise was a constant roar of conversation and laughter.
"Now, Rei-san, Hasta. Sit down. I’ll bring your food right away."
"All right. Thanks."
"Mama, I’ll have the Fang Boar stew."
"Yes, yes. I saved your favorite, so don't you worry. Now, Rei-san... a drink?"
"Ah... just one light glass for me."
Enedra nodded with a smile and expertly wove through the tables toward the kitchen.
"Your mother is quite the character," Rei noted.
"Yeah, well. She’s a bit of a natural. It can be a handful sometimes."
Despite the words, the smile on Hasta's face made it clear he was fond of her personality. It was a good family.
"So," Rei said, turning back to the task at hand. "What’s the plan? I just need to teach your pops that recipe, right?"
"Yeah, that would be a huge help. By the way, how much meat does this dish of yours use?"
"Not that much. It’s not the main focus—it’s more like a topping or an ingredient in the mix."
"Heh. I’m looking forward to it. We serve alcohol here, but we’re primarily a dining hall, so we’ll be closing in about two hours. Can we do it then?"
"That works for me."
As Rei agreed, he began to think through the details of the recipe.
(Teaching them udon is one thing, but with no soy sauce or miso, what am I going to do about the broth...? If this city were near the sea, I might find some fish sauce, but we’re landlocked. Do they just eat udon in stew or soup? Well, curry udon is a thing, so I guess it’s possible. ...No, I’ll just provide the udon itself and leave the rest to the professionals. There's no way things like soy sauce or miso exist in this world, and I wouldn't even know how to make them from soybeans anyway.)
Pushing his internal worries aside, Rei decided to let the experts handle the flavor profiles.
"Here you go! Sorry for the wait. Fang Boar stew and freshly baked bread. Vegetable soup and a cheese and ham salad. And an ale for each of you."
Just as he was resolving to dump the responsibility onto the chef, Enedra arrived, lining up dishes on the table.
"Whoa, looks great. Thanks, Mama."
"It certainly looks delicious. I’ll tuck in."
"Please do. It’s my husband's pride and joy."
Enedra gave them another smile before disappearing to answer a call from another table. They had a few other employees, but with a crowd this size, Enedra was clearly needed on the floor. Rei and Hasta began their meal.
"...This is excellent."
It wasn't just "good"—it was delicious. Rei took a bite of the Fang Boar stew and found that the slow-cooked fat melted instantly on his tongue. The meat was tender and rich. He bit into the bread and followed it with a forkful of salad to cut through the richness of the stew.
(I can see why this place is so popular. The only shame is...)
Rei glanced at the chunk of meat on his fork and sighed softly, making sure Hasta didn't notice.
(It’s a Western-style braise. Without soy sauce, I can’t make proper Pork Kakuni—or Fang Boar Kakuni, in this case. I think the ingredients were soy sauce, sugar, mirin, and ginger?)
He tried to recall a cooking show he’d seen once.
(I’ve seen sugar and ginger in the market. But mirin and soy sauce are probably non-existent. And it’s not like I know how to brew them. Soybeans were the base for soy sauce, right?)
Despite his minor cravings for the tastes of home, he settled into the meal, slowly savoring the expertly prepared food.