## Chapter 24 – Isvant
After that, there weren’t really any more ambushes. We only encountered some pathetic monsters, and didn’t even see a shadow of bandits.
If they had the tenacity to attack again, they wouldn’t be bandits in the first place. That was a shame. Bandit attacks, while dangerous, could be considered a kind of opportunity.
The chance to legally slice up evil people and make money isn’t so common.
In other words, there weren’t any particular difficulties with the trading caravan anymore. I was just extremely tired from the repeated night watches. Feeling like that, we finally arrived in Isvant.
It was a long journey. The guards at the city gate came out and inspected the inside of the wagon. They made a big fuss, shouting all sorts of things, but they quickly quieted down when the head merchant handed over a leather pouch. Bribery was the most essential element in skipping complicated administrative procedures.
“Here. 60 coppers.”
Entering the city like that, it was now time to part ways. The head merchant took out twelve 5-copper coins and handed them over.
“Thank you.”
Of the ten adventurers who had started, only six remained by the time we received our pay. Some had died in the battle with the bandits, while others had run away. All that was left were me, Jairo, James, the martial artist, the two-handed axe adventurer, and the psychopath adventurer who had teamed up with me to attack the bandits.
I had no reason to see these guys again, so as soon as I received my pay, I immediately headed into the city center. Jairo tried to call out to me, but I had no obligation to hang out with him any longer.
As for James, well, I resolved to kill him if we ever crossed paths again. But now that we had arrived in the city, it didn’t really matter.
Anyway, from now on, it was the start of my life in Isvant. Before resting from the journey, I decided to explore this city that I knew nothing about. The priority was to figure out where the restaurants, inns, blacksmiths, and guilds were located.
But the most important thing was a restaurant.
I’m fucking hungry.
So damn hungry.
I had only eaten dried rations during the journey, so I desperately needed some proper food. It was the middle of lunchtime. Since I had money now, I wanted to spend some of it on a quality meal if there was a decent restaurant. Something with fat and protein oozing out.
I walked around looking for a restaurant.
The atmosphere of the city felt quite different from Krasheim. But there didn’t seem to be much difference in the fact that rough-looking people wearing all sorts of weapons were wandering around.
As with any place where people live, you can’t survive without weapons. This was that kind of world.
Well, nothing else really caught my eye, so pass. Other than the occasional drake for riding, there was nothing special. After walking for about 30 minutes, I entered what seemed to be a bustling area.
“Ah, what the hell should I eat?”
This street was packed with all sorts of signs and pedestrians.
Looking at the signs, it didn’t seem difficult to find a restaurant. Among them, I went into a place that was moderately crowded. The name of the restaurant was… Chef Patrick’s Soup Shop, a place with a very straightforward naming sense.
I don’t know who Chef Patrick is, but since he’s running a business with his name on it, I figured it would be decent enough. And I liked that it was pinned as a “soup shop.” It must be the dish he’s most confident in. Definitely.
In other words, it seemed to be a place that specializes in soup with his name on the line.
In that case, I had to go in.
“Welcome!”
When I entered the store, I was greeted by the fragrant smell of soup and a red-haired girl. What is this? Are they using such a young child as an employee? I would have felt a strong sense of discomfort at the blatant child labor exploitation, but this was the average in this world. If you can work, you have to work, even if you’re a boy or girl.
I was led to a seat by the girl.
“Hmm… the menu…”
Looking around, the menu was hanging in large letters on the wall of the store.
“What would you like to order!”
“What’s the most delicious thing?”
I asked the girl who asked energetically.
Since I didn’t know anyway, it would be better to ask the clerk.
It’s better to play it safe than to blindly choose something on my own and step on a landmine.
“The most delicious thing is the bacon potato bean soup!”
“Really? How much is that?”
Bacon potato… Just the name made my mouth water. It sounded like it was overflowing with carbohydrates and protein.
Good. I’ll try that. Potatoes, bacon, and beans are all my favorite foods.
“3 coppers!”
“Holy shit.”
Hearing the price, my eyes popped out in surprise.
What the hell, 3 coppers for a bowl of soup?
In my years of living in this world, my meal had never cost more than 1 copper. I was deeply troubled by the extravagance, but well. I made a lot of money, so it wouldn’t hurt to splurge once in a while. It’s not like I want to live my whole life eating only human feed.
I ordered and spoke to the girl.
“Then I’ll have that. And, um, miss?”
“Yes?”
The girl looked at me. At the same time, I took out a 1-copper coin.
“Miss, is there a decent blacksmith or street vendor area around here?”
I flicked a 1-copper coin at the girl and asked. This was a tip. She looked like a kid, so if I complimented her by calling her “miss” and gave her 1 copper, she would easily spill everything she knew.
It would be twice as good to just get information from a local than to wander around and find it myself.
“Oh, oh! Well!”
The surprised girl hurriedly took the tip and soon started chattering busily. To be able to get information and the girl’s best smile for 1 copper, isn’t that a pretty good deal? I could never have dreamed of it normally. But I have a lot of money now.
I am always grateful to the bandits.
“There are many blacksmiths near the east gate, and most of the street vendors are near the gate!”
“What about inns?”
“Hmm… there are many good inns in the center of the city. They’re everywhere, but the facilities are said to be better towards the center.”
As expected, the girl enthusiastically explained everything she knew to the best of her ability. To live comfortably in the world, you have to spend money.
“Is the Adventurer’s Guild over there too?”
“Yes! Is this your first time in this city?”
“Yeah. Oh, I’d like to find a bathhouse too.”
“There are many bathhouses, so it will be easy to find one! The closest one is to go straight out of the store and when you come to a small square, it’s near there!”
Is there anything else you want to ask? The girl asked kindly. Of course, there was a lot more I wanted to know, so I asked her about everything. I had to get my 1 copper’s worth. That’s a lot of money.
As I listened to the girl’s passionate explanation, the story soon came to an end.
The girl bowed and walked into the kitchen.
More than that, the thought of being able to eat food that people eat for the first time in years made my heart race and I couldn’t stand it. I was so excited. The smell inside the store alone was extraordinary. I felt like my eyes were going to pop out.
“Enjoy your meal!”
The girl came out with a large bowl of soup. I took the bowl with a trembling heart. The aroma was amazing. As the name suggested, the soup was full of potatoes, bacon, and beans, and it looked very greasy. I was so happy that I felt like I was going to foam at the mouth.
“Salty…! Sweet and salty!”
Taking a spoonful, I felt the taste of my beloved homeland.
The idea that the higher the sodium content, the better it tastes, was a common ideology among Koreans. Feeling ecstatic at this unbelievable saltiness, I devoured the soup like a starving ghost.
“Wow, damn. This is so good!”
The thick bacon and potatoes that were chewed made my mouth happy. This taste is worth 3 coppers. If life is hard and exhausting and you feel like you want to die, it would be good to visit this soup shop again. Above all, there was a lot of it, so I could probably skip dinner with this.
Satisfied, I left the restaurant happily.
“Come again!”
I responded to the girl who was waving her hand with a smile. Seeing her looking so happy with 1 copper, it was like seeing myself in my younger days.
I need to take a shower now. I haven’t been able to wash for almost 5 days while marching. It’s obvious, but that’s why long-distance missions are so hard. I can’t wash and the food sucks. From my perspective as a modern person, not being able to wash for 5 days was quite burdensome, even if I didn’t care about the food.
I can take care of the equipment disposal and settlement tomorrow.
Since I have money, I have plenty of time.
As I went straight in the direction the girl told me, I saw a large bathhouse. A bathhouse is almost an indicator of the size of a city. Of course, the bigger it is, the more the city cares about hygiene. Anyway, I went inside.
[Usage fee 1 copper]
“Wow, coming to the city only creates things to spend money on.”
Leaving behind the absurd shock, I washed my body. My naked body, which I hadn’t seen in 5 days, smelled terrible. It smelled like a man who had been doing intense exercise and hadn’t washed at all.
I washed myself very carefully. I scooped up the heated water with a bucket and poured it over my head, then washed myself carefully from top to bottom. Dirt rolled off. I took my time and slowly washed my whole body and came out with a refreshed feeling.
But it doesn’t really matter if I wash, because the clothes I’m wearing now are my work clothes that I’ve been with all my life. It was similar whether I washed or not because the clothes were dirty, but anyway, I felt good after washing.
I went to find an inn. It was said to be better towards the center of the city, so I should find one that’s moderately outside.
Still, I got a little lost because it was my first time. And I found an inn that I couldn’t say was good even with a lie, a crude and old 3-story building. The name is the Abundance Inn. The name and the way it looks are very familiar, and I liked this kind of cheap inn.
Because the accommodation fee will be cheap.
I opened the door and went inside, and a bald man was sitting at the counter reading a newspaper. I said to him.
“How much is it for one night here?”
“2 coppers.”
2 coppers? It was a reasonable price. My weekly living expenses are a little over 30 coppers, so this was a price I could be satisfied with. Of course, I have to see the room.
“Do you sell meals separately?”
“We only sell them in the evening. The taste is good, so it’s well-received by the guests. I highly recommend you try it. Above all, I cook it myself, so you can trust it. It’s really worth eating.”
He said confidently, but I didn’t really want to eat it. Inn food is just a bizarre thing made by throwing in “old” ingredients that were rolling around in the market. It’s fucking tasteless.
“What about the water facilities and the toilet?”
“We have them, but they’re a bit small. See over there? The toilet is next to the back door. The well is on the opposite side.”
“Yes. Then I’ll just stay for one night. Here. Take it.”
“Take this key and go to room 10 on the 3rd floor. Be sure to return the key when you check out.”
I took the key and went up the stairs. Seeing that there were so many rooms, the inside seemed a bit small, but I can be satisfied with just a bed.
An inn is just a place to sleep. If there’s a bed, a roof, and walls, that’s all I need.
Room 10 on the 3rd floor. When I entered the room, it was indeed small. It was a bleak atmosphere like a studio apartment with only a bed, a small window, and a box. It wasn’t an Abundance Inn at all, but I didn’t care.
The box seemed to be there to put luggage in, so I immediately took off my clothes. I unbuckled the sword belt, took off the breastplate, and then the quilted armor. And I took off all my clothes, leaving only my underwear.
I leaned the sword against the wall, folded the clothes and quilted armor neatly, and put them in the box. I put the breastplate on top of it and took off my boots next to the box.
And jump onto the bed.
I’m so fucking tired right now that I just lay down and went to sleep.
