kscans

Chapter 111 - Unexpected Events

The night of the festival.

The venue was buzzling with great excitement. All sorts of food stalls were lined up.

The most common were grilled meat stalls.

Many sold skewered monster meat of various kinds. There were also drink stalls selling a variety of alcoholic beverages. There were no sideshows or game stalls.

Perhaps eating was what brought happiness here.

Amidst all this, we also set up our stall.

The locations for the stalls were designated, and you could get permission by speaking to a soldier beforehand. This time, just saying that the children from the orphanage were setting up a stall was enough to get permission. It seemed they knew that Princess Yorune was running the orphanage.

The stall was shaped like the ones you often see at festivals in Japan, with no store name written on it. The others were similar. From my perspective, it looked a bit plain, but I didn't mind the details.

The preparations inside were also complete. The pot of oden we had made and the skewered beef were ready. All we had to do was heat them up and wait for customers to be lured in by the smell. Others were advertising to attract customers, but we weren't doing that.

Why? Because I wasn't very confident.

Exaggerating needlessly would only make us lose the trust of our customers. The children were in front of the stall, letting the aroma drift from a small oden pot. I was concerned about sales, but this was also a part of business.

After a while, a customer came. It seemed to be a family of four.

I said.

"Welcome. This is called oden, a dish that will warm you up. Would you like a bowl?"

The family smelled it and placed an order.

Their review was:

"I've never tasted anything like this before. I never knew daikon radish could be so delicious."

"It's true. This is taro, right? The stuff that was hard and useless is so soft and full of flavor."

"It's delicious. It warms my whole body."

"Mom, I want some of this beef too."

It was a hit. We also sold some beef on the side.

The children also had big smiles on their faces. I hoped that a few more customers would come just like this.

Why? Because my body was still not in good condition.

I could move without any problems, but strenuous exercise was out of the question. A booming business meant being busy. I felt bad for the children, but I wanted to do business at a leisurely pace.

But that hope was about to be shattered.

Customers started coming one after another. When I asked, it seemed that the family had been spreading the word.

Even in the Kingdom, the rumor of the Kraken's defeat had spread unusually fast.

Was everyone in this world a gossip?

The faces of the customers who had finished eating were satisfied. I had a bad feeling about this.

It was spot on.

A line had formed. Some of them were even repeat customers. The children were overjoyed and working hard. I was just as busy, and my whole body was screaming in protest.

Seeing me like this, Tina said.

"Leave this to me. Please take care of the ingredients."

She was being considerate.

I took her up on her offer and moved to a position where the customers couldn't see me. Of course, there were no ingredients there. They were all at the stall. After resting for a while, I heard a commotion.

When I peeked, I saw Princess Yorune at our stall.

Thinking this could be bad, I immediately went over. I asked a nearby child what was happening. It seemed that after giving a speech in the square, the princess had heard a rumor that a certain stall was serving a dish she had never tasted before, and had come to see for herself. It was both a taste test and a friendly gesture.

And when she arrived, she was surprised to see the children from the orphanage working and was asking Tina for the details.

It seemed the explanation was over.

Princess Yorune said.

"Tina-san, and Shinsuke-san, thank you for putting up with the children's whims. From here on, my attendants will take over. You two should enjoy the festival."

She said, and the two female attendants who had been standing behind her stepped forward.

I said.

"No, it was more like Tina and I took on a request, so—"

As I stammered, Princess Yorune said.

"What are you talking about? You two are members of the group of adventurers who cooperated in this subjugation. It would be rude to make such people work."

She declared firmly.

The people around us were whispering.

"Huh? The people who helped with the border and the subjugation of that giant monster?"

"Whoa, seriously?"

"Such a beautiful woman…"

There was no doubt that the rumor would spread.

I didn't want to stand out, but as I was about to leave with Tina, Princess Yorune said.

"Ah, you two. There's a party at the castle later. Would you like to come with me?"

To this invitation, I said.

"No, a mere adventurer at a castle party is a bit… right, Tina?"

Tina had a similar expression.

Seeing this, Princess Yorune chuckled.

"Fufu, it's alright. The party guests include not only nobles, but also the adventurers and soldiers who performed well. It's not a formal affair."

She explained reassuringly.

In that case, we wouldn't have to worry about our clothes or manners and could just eat and drink normally.

Tina and I accepted and headed to the castle with the princess.


Inside the castle. The hall.

The place we were led to was incredibly spacious.

A huge, luxurious chandelier hung from the ceiling. There was nothing in the center, but on both sides were long tables lined with a variety of dishes. The selection of alcohol was also extensive. And then there were the numerous furnishings on display.

It was truly a top-class space.

In such a space were soldiers and knights in armor, as well as adventurers. It was a bit of a mismatch, but for me right now, it was the perfect place. After all, I wouldn't stand out. I could eat my fill without holding back.

A nearby waiter handed me a wine glass, and I took it.

I took a sip. It was sour. It was probably expensive alcohol, but it didn't suit my palate.

Tina was drinking it normally. Her expression was rich and satisfied. I took a plate and enjoyed the food. The others were also putting food on their plates and eating. It seemed they knew their manners.

If they didn't, this place would be a mess with things scattered all over the floor by now.

But it wasn't an elegant atmosphere. People were talking while holding their dishes, drinking with their comrades in the corner, and soldiers and adventurers were talking loudly and cheerfully. It was like a banquet. I didn't mind and enjoyed the meal with Tina.

During that time, male knights and adventurers approached Tina and tried to flirt with her, but they were lightly brushed off and rejected. I watched the predictable outcome while I ate.

Then, the door in the back opened, and someone entered. Everyone's attention was drawn to the newcomer—it was General Goltor.

"Gentlemen, thank you for attending tonight's party to celebrate the subjugation. I know you're not fond of formalities, so I'll keep it short. I'd like to introduce the adventurers who were instrumental in this subjugation."

With that, the lights in the hall went out.

And then, a spotlight shone on me and Tina.

The General continued.

"These two are the adventurers who subjugated the Minotaur and the Centaur in the battle at the border."

As he said that, applause echoed from somewhere.

The others also applauded. I was at a loss for what to do, but the General beckoned me over.

Reluctantly, I went over.

When I reached the General, he said.

"The man here defeated the high-level monster, the Minotaur. Unfortunately, it escaped, but he secured the Minotaur's severed arm as proof of his victory."

"And this beautiful woman subjugated the Centaur that killed the former emperor, His Majesty Dion. We have recovered the corpse and the weapon it was carrying."

"They have defeated two high-level monsters that we, and even other adventurers, would have had trouble with. Furthermore, they also contributed greatly to the subjugation of that giant monster. As a reward, I bestow upon these two the rank of A and one hundred gold coins."

With that, a knight entered through the door and handed me a small treasure chest.

It was quite heavy. The moment I took it, applause rang out again.

A little embarrassed, I moved away from the General.

From there, it was a barrage of questions, but they were directed at Tina, not me. Men would naturally talk to the woman. Tina had a troubled look on her face as she answered their questions.

I had a nearby waiter select some food that I could take with me.