I took my time working through the meal.
About twenty minutes later, I had completely cleared my plate.
"Whoa... How did you fit all of that into such a tiny frame?"
"Well, Erik chewed properly, didn't he? He broke it all down into small bites, so of course it fit in his stomach. Even so, your jaw usually wears out halfway through..."
"A long time ago, someone told me to eat with gratitude toward the ingredients. Up until then, I only ate to fill my belly, but once I started taking my time and truly savoring the flavors, before I knew it, I was able to eat huge portions."
A traveler who visited our village when I had just turned six taught me that.
Those words had somehow stuck with me, and ever since, I made a point of taking my meals seriously.
Even now, I still have no idea why that led to me becoming a big eater.
I could pack away a lot of food, but that didn't mean my stomach was abnormally large.
The amount of time it took for me to get hungry again wasn't really any different from anyone else.
I had simply honed the technique of eating a lot.
"Huh... I've never heard that before, but that's a great saying... All right, I'm gonna start doing that from now on!"
"As if you could! You always scarf your food down and end up choking!"
"Which is why I'm gonna start doing it from now on!"
"You foolish apprentices, what are you bickering about?! This is a dining area, so keep it down!"
Scolded by Frank-san, the two glared at each other, let out a "Hmph," and turned away.
I considered staying behind to help clean up, but Frank-san told me the quest was finished and that I had done plenty.
With that, he handed me another silver coin as an additional reward.
"I heard lunch was an absolute madhouse, so I stopped by to check on things. It looks like everything wrapped up smoothly, doesn't it?"
After having my quest report form signed, I headed over to the Adventurer's Guild for the evening.
Unlike the morning or afternoon, the hall was packed with adventurers who had just returned from outside the city walls.
One adventurer was covered in stains, completely indistinguishable whether it was a monster's blood or their own.
A female adventurer stood out in flashy, vibrant gear.
Elsewhere, parties were celebrating the end of their quests over lavish spreads of food. The hall was filled with all sorts of people.
Amidst the bustle, I joined the line for Reina-san's counter, which only had a few people waiting.
A few minutes later, my turn came. When I handed her the report form, she spoke.
"An additional reward this time as well, I see."
"I worked hard on the job and earned it. I didn't do anything shady, you know."
"I know that without you having to tell me. I did mention I went to check on things, didn't I? That diner happens to be one of my favorites. Getting to enjoy a meal that tasted even better than usual was all thanks to you, wasn't it?"
"Well, yes. Frank-san and the others were saying the same thing."
When I answered, Reina-san offered a faint smile, just like she had that morning.
"Erik-kun, are you finished for the day?"
"That's the plan. I earned more than I expected, so I figured I'd call it a day and get some proper rest instead of pushing myself."
"Good. That's wise. If you overwork yourself and ruin your health, you won't be able to earn anything at all."
Reina-san nodded in agreement with my words.
Up until noon, she hadn't addressed me by name, but now she was calling me Erik-kun.
I wasn't sure what criteria she used to decide how to address people, but it seemed I had gained her acknowledgment in some way.
Pondering that, I stepped away from the counter and exited the guildhall.
"The sun has gone down completely."
I had worked hard all day.
The food Frank-san made for me was still sitting heavy in my stomach.
Even so, I found myself craving the inn's home cooking, so I picked up my pace as I walked back.
"Oh, welcome home, Erik. How was your first day as an adventurer?"
"...It was fun. Everyone I met was so kind, it made me like the royal capital a little more."
"Oh, that's wonderful to hear. By the way, did Reina treat you properly?"
"She did. And at the end, she even called me by name."
Called me by name.
When I mentioned that, Amanda-san's eyes widened in surprise. "Huh?"
"For Reina-chan to remember someone's name on their very first day... it looks like she truly acknowledges you as an adventurer, Erik-kun."
Amanda-san broke into a warm smile upon hearing that.
Since it was already dinnertime, I headed straight for the dining area.
Tonight's meal was a meat sandwich and bean soup.
Anna-san brought the plate over to my table, and after thanking her, I dug in.
"Hey, Erik-kun, you came here right after your coming-of-age ceremony, right?"
As I began eating, Anna-san struck up a conversation.
"That's right. As soon as the ceremony was over, I left the village and came straight to the royal capital. If I'm going to work as an adventurer, a large city is much better, after all."
"Right after the ceremony means you're only ten years old, right? That's incredible. To be able to make the choice to leave your parents behind at that age... I mean, even now at fifteen, the thought of leaving home barely crosses my mind."
"I'd planned on it from the start, you see. Children think differently in a rural village compared to a thriving city. Aside from the eldest sons and daughters, most kids in the village expect to leave to earn a living."
In truth, others in the village had thought about leaving as well.
It was just that no one else had packed up and left on the very first day.
"Hmm... Well, if you ever run into any trouble, you can always ask your Big Sis Anna! I might not look it, but I'm actually great with numbers and math, you know!"
"Great with math, are you? You have some nerve saying that when I had to take you off the bookkeeping."
"Ugh, Mom! You didn't have to bring that up right now!"
Anna-san pouted, sounding thoroughly annoyed by Amanda-san's teasing.
Watching the two of them, I thought about what a wonderfully close pair of mother and daughter they were as I continued my meal.