Chapter 55: Lodging at the Inn
Chapter 55: Lodging at the Inn
After quite some time had passed, they arrived in the northern region of the Chionel territory.
“This is fascinating. It feels much warmer here than in the capital.”
Tucked inside Fay’s coat pocket, Momo was fast asleep, snoring softly with a piyuu, a well-earned rest after all her hard work. Despite being small, she’d carried four full-grown men in one flight, all while doing her best to fly gently for Fay’s comfort. It must’ve taken a toll on her.
They planned to feed her a hearty smoked meat meal once she woke up, a reward for a hard day’s work.
“We slowed down near the end, but it’s still surprising that there aren’t any guards patrolling the area.”
At Raphael’s remark, Kassel replied in a low voice.
“That kind of constant patrol only happens near the borders or in the capital. It’s impossible to cover an area this vast thoroughly.”
“Where should we begin?” asked Prince Astein.
Fay fell silent in thought.
Though this was the northern part of Chionel territory, even after riding for quite some time on a borrowed horse, standing in for Momo, they were still technically in the northern region. It was too expansive to explore randomly, especially when they were on a time limit.
“We need to be strategic…”
“Strategic, how?” Astein prompted.
Fay raised her finger with a decisive look.
“The inn, of course. I read it in adventure novels. That’s where you stay, befriend other guests, talk to the owner, and gather local intel.”
“It’s a valid tactic, though the source of your education is a bit dubious,” Lucius muttered.
“Lucius!”
She turned with a frown, but Lucius merely smiled softly.
Maybe he didn’t mean it seriously. When they’d first set out, he’d been prickly with the other men, but it seemed a few days together had softened him a bit.
“Well, it’s almost nightfall anyway. Finding an inn makes sense. Unlike the rest of us who can sleep on the ground, you need a proper bed.”
Lucius had pushed Momo hard to get them there in a single day at top speed. Even considering Drakan’s natural flying pace, the journey should’ve taken two to three days minimum. By horse, it would’ve taken at least a week, possibly ten days or more.
As he said, the sky had already deepened from twilight into full darkness.
“You talk like you’re not all important people yourselves.”
“Just worry about yourself.”
“Ah! I see a sign that says INN,” Astein pointed out.
Despite the distance, he’d spotted a building clearly marked.
“Please remember the precautions we discussed earlier. No mentioning your ranks, no ‘commander’ or ‘prince.’ And try to avoid using the word ‘magic’ unless absolutely necessary. Naturally, use magic only when there’s no other choice.”
Before they entered the inn, Kassel made sure everyone agreed once more.
‘How strange.’
Unlike the capital, where inns competed with flashy names and signs, this one simply bore the word INN, just as Astein had described.
Having spent most of her time between the monastery and the Mage Tower within the well-policed capital, this kind of place was new to her.
They secured rooms and gathered around a table for dinner. As they settled in, Raphael caught sight of something bubbling vigorously by the wall.
“Don’t tell me… that’s our dinner?”
“Of course it is, dear guest. It’s our traditional stew, boiled for a hundred years in the same pot without ever changing it.”
The innkeeper, who had just brought out spoons and forks, casually dropped the statement.
“A… a hundred years?! You must be joking!”
Raphael’s horror didn’t faze the innkeeper, who continued gleefully.
“The longer it simmers, the more it purifies travelers of their wicked energies. It’s a regional specialty. You must each have a bowl.”
“Ugh… I think I’ll pass.”
“In that case, I’ll serve you twice as much of our bread made from dough aged for fifty years. When it bakes just right, the yeast dances on top. You can even see it squirm!”
“What…?”
“If you’re lucky, it might even look like a little person dancing! Hahaha!”
Just then, the innkeeper’s wife plopped a massive basket of bread in the center of the table.
“Fifty-year-old dough?! That’s taking the joke too far! I don’t believe it!”
Raphael looked disgusted, though his twitching pupils betrayed a hint of doubt.
“Pfft—!”
Unable to hold it in any longer, Fay collapsed onto the table, arms hiding her face as laughter bubbled out of her.
No matter what anyone said, Raphael Orleans was unmistakably a noble scion of the House of Orleans – delicate and refined. Even though he loved teasing others, he was always the one who ended up getting teased in the end.
Even if this journey didn’t take him far from the capital, even if he lived the rest of his life as a knight, he would never change. But that, too, was part of Raphael’s charm.
She was having such a lovely time.
Contrary to the innkeeper’s theatrical warnings, the food turned out to be quite normal. However, since Chionel’s climate wasn’t suitable for growing wheat, bread made from it was expensive and had to be ordered separately.
Still, the cooking was good, and they managed to clean their plates. Even Momo, who’d been sound asleep, woke up partway and filled her belly with meat. Lucius did scold him with a flick on the head, though.
“You’ve all come a long way. Sleep well tonight.”
“It’s thanks to your expert piloting, Miss Fay.”
“Heh, it was nothing.”
“We’ll meet again in the morning. If you hear any noise during the night, don’t rush out. Wait until we knock.”
Fay’s room, the only single room, was located at the far end. She hadn’t often been on the receiving end of such small gestures of care. It made her realize that the pain she once carried was slowly healing.
The next morning.
They postponed their check-out and went out to gather information, but it wasn’t easy.
“The innkeeper was right. People here are really reluctant to talk.”
Unfortunately, the five of them had been the only guests the night before. Travelers and the occasional merchant did pass through from time to time, but apparently, a large group had come about two weeks ago. Since then, there hadn’t been any significant visitors.
Being at the empire’s edge, the area was extremely conservative, even more so than Fay had expected. Even in the capital, people could be standoffish, but this was something else entirely. Locals wouldn’t even return a greeting and when approached, they would turn and briskly walk away. It was awkward.
“It’s alright, Miss Fay. Don’t be discouraged. You’ve done well so far.”
“You’re always so kind, Sir Kassel.”
“…Hmph.”
Unlike when it came to Raphael, Lucius didn’t interrupt their warm exchange which seemed to bother (?) Raphael. He turned to Kassel with a sulky complaint.
“This is all your fault, those ominous eyes of yours.”
“What did I do?”
“Your rare red eyes are blazing from morning onward! Of course people are scared!”
Kassel responded in a voice only the group could hear.
“These eyes are a trait I inherited from Lord Kaidoff, my ancestor. I’m proud of them. There’s no reason to hide.”
‘So that’s why…’
Though he didn’t resemble Duke and Duchess Klein, Kassel was undoubtedly a legitimate heir of the Klein family.
[“Back then, just thinking about House Klein would paralyze me. Not just because I feared death, facing them was emotionally unbearable.”]
The thoughts she’d had before falling asleep were proving true.
‘But now… I don’t really hate them anymore. Maybe, if enough time passes, I’ll forget the tears and emotions that used to well up whenever I thought of them.’
It wasn’t forgiveness. It was the same feeling she’d had when she’d come to terms with her feelings for Maurice Klein.
A quiet, reluctant forgetting.
As time moved forward, so too did Fay, gradually letting go of the threads that bound her to her past life.
Shaking off those dark thoughts, she brightened her tone deliberately.
“I think… we need to earn the trust of the locals around here.”
“Mhm.”
Back at the inn, they discussed their next steps.
“Chionel isn’t a particularly rich region, but it’s not impoverished either. It’s just that aside from the lord, there aren’t many affluent nobles. People who’ve been pushed out of central society often settle here. I read it in a book.”
Kassel smiled.
“That’s correct, Miss Fay. And as you saw in the food last night, the climate here makes it hard to grow wheat. That’s why ingredients not native to the area tend to be quite expensive.”
“Wow, I see.”
“…”
Astein was simply fascinated by their conversation, and Lucius didn’t interrupt. After all, this was one of the rare moments when Fay got to speak freely with someone she trusted, someone she could call family.
Of course, he already knew everything about the Chionel region, from ancient history to geography. If she asked, he could rattle it all off like an academic paper.
“Not sure if this’ll help, but… heave…!”
Fay dragged up a heavy bag she’d brought from the Mage Tower. Kassel quickly took it from her and placed it on the table.
“Rrrrr…”
Momo let out a low growl. He’d already carried five people, and that thing had added to the load. Fay patted him gently.
“Sorry, sorry. This is it. A new strain of corn and some taro root. Momo! Don’t eat it. You won’t like the taste anyway.”
Kassel picked up one of the taro roots and examined it.
“So this is taro? It looks a bit like sweet potato.”
“What’s a sweet potato?”
Raphael asked, puzzled. Fay and Kassel exchanged blank looks.
Kassel shrugged.
“Sweet potatoes aren’t commonly eaten in the capital. It’s understandable Raphael wouldn’t know.”
“I found it strange, too,. People in the capital eat potatoes, but not sweet potatoes.”
Having endured harsh conditions near the Rozia border, Kassel explained.
“Potatoes are used in soups and salads, but rarely served whole. Sweet potatoes are even less popular due to their sweetness.”
“So they’re sweet?”
Raphael asked. No one answered.
“People tend to prefer sweet things at the end of a meal. If sweet potatoes are served in the middle, the taste balance feels off. That’s why they’re rarely used.”
“I see…”
“Raphael probably wouldn’t recognize a potato if he saw one.”
“Sir Kassel, have you ever seen potatoes being harvested?” Fay asked.
Kassel smiled.
“Of course. The region I used to serve in grew them regularly. I’ve seen them dug up more times than I can count. I’ve even roasted them under campfires.”
“Hehehe.”
She felt a quiet sense of camaraderie.
At the monastery, potatoes and sweet potatoes were staples. But once inside the capital, she was shocked to find no one steamed or ate them that way.
‘Come to think of it, Dott once saw a steaming potato and asked what it was. Nobles really have no idea what kind of life I lived…’
“So, what are you planning to do with these?”
Raphael asked, still sulking a little.
“I thought of handing them out as seed stock. Of course, there’s no guarantee they’ll grow them, or that the locals will open up to us right away…”
……
T/N: I pray for Raphael after being ignored for a whole chapter hahahahahaha
