After that, we took a break and set off, stopping three more times on the way, arriving in Pining roughly on schedule, still in the morning rather than the afternoon.

As expected of a capital city. It's a big city.

　It's not overwhelmingly big, but it's bigger than Kerg, let alone Rafan.

　That is Pining, the territorial capital of Viscount Nenus.

　Naturally, there are a lot of people coming in and out of the city, and there is a short line of people at the gate waiting to be examined.

　At the end of the line, Toya and Natsuki put Mary and the others on their backs.

"Hey, Toya!
"You look tired, or rather, stiff.

　"I'm not tired, but my body feels stiff," Yuki said, to which Toya responded by rubbing his arms and back.

　Even if the weight is not a problem, it's a little hard to move freely, isn't it?

　Since it's a person on my back, I can't run wildly.

　Especially Toya, who, unlike me and Natsuki, was in charge all the time.

　Every time we took a break, I tried to unwind him, but he must have been exhausted.

　On the way back, it would be better to let Mary and the others run a bit, or extend the rest time a bit.

Thank you very much, Toya.
"Oh, don't worry about it. He's just a kid.

　Toya stroked Mary's head as she bowed her head.

　Mary smiles, looking a little annoyed at her shaggy hair.

"Hey, you should treat a girl more carefully.

　Yuki swats Toya's hand away and uses a brush from her bag to fix Mary's hair.

　But my eyes didn't miss the happy expression on Yuki's face as she touched Mary's ear.

"Thank you, Natsuki!
"Yes. Thank you, Mitya.

　Natsuki pats Mitya on the head, calmly.

　The queue was moving fast, and while we were doing that, our turn came.

　We all presented our guild cards to the gatekeeper in charge, and he said, "Oh. He just glanced at Mary and the others and let us through.

　Apparently, rank 5 is rare enough for the gatekeeper to take a little notice.

　Mary, who was with us, seemed a little surprised, and after walking through the gate for a while, she asked us.

"So, Haruka-san, are you a rank 5 adventurer?
Yes.
That's amazing!
That's awesome!

　Mary and Mitya looked up at us with sparkling eyes, and we looked at each other.

　I know it's not low, but enough to be respected?　I thought, but Mary told me that in Kergu, there are adventurers who are respected even at rank 4.

　It seems that rank 5 is at least a rank that two ordinary people would consider 'amazing'.

"I think it's a rank you can attain if you're serious and steady.
Haruka-san, solid people don't often become adventurers.
...... I agree.

　Mary points out a fundamental point with a snap of her fingers, and we can't help but agree.

　Even if a solid person becomes an adventurer for the sake of expediency, many of them will probably be day laborers who take dirt jobs.

　Accepting a request for a higher rank involves a lot of gambling and risking one's life.

　And yet, in the case of the adventurer's guild of this world, in order to rise in rank, not only combat prowess but also a certain amount of decency is required, so there may be a certain amount of respect.

But in our case, we don't take on too many requests from the guild.

"Is that so?　But if that's the case and you've reached rank 5, then ...... is as good as it gets!

　He looked at me with even more respect, making me feel slightly uncomfortable.
　I'm not sure if it's because of my connections or because of Diora's .......

　In the event that you're not sure what to do, you can always ask for help.

"Well, we'd better get a place to stay first. Shall we rely on the guild this time?

"Yes, we should. It won't be too crowded at this time.

　I took Haruka's words to change the subject, and looked around.

　For convenience, adventurers' guilds are often located near gates. ...... Isn't this the gate?

　When I couldn't find the guild after a short search, I asked someone who was nearby, and he told me that the adventurer's guild in this town is located near the center of the town.

　This is because the town has four gates, east, west, south, north, and south, and none of them are used frequently, so it is easy to use no matter where you enter.

　I headed towards the center of the town as I was told, and found the Adventurer's Guild building right away.

It's pretty big!

　Toya said, looking up at the building, which was twice as big as the one in Kerug, with four floors. As Toya said, the building was twice as big as the Kergu, with four floors.

　In Rafan, almost no one goes in and out of the adventurer's guild at this time of day, but here, while we were watching, people were coming and going, albeit sporadically.

Shall we go in then?
"Yes.

　Mary replied a little nervously.
　Mitya is squeezing Yuki's hand next to her.

　Well, I understand how you feel.
　We've just had a couple of big guys with weapons walk in.
　We were also a little nervous when we first joined the guild.

　Yuki also smiled kindly at Mitya, who looked up at her with a bit of anxiety, and took her by the hand.

I'm sure there's nothing crazy in there that you need to worry about.　I can't comment on the appearance of .......

　I can't deny that many of them are a bit powerful due to their work.

　I chuckled as I opened the door to the guild and stepped inside.

　For a moment, he looked at me, and I thought he was going to leave, but then he looked at me twice, and all of a sudden his eyes focused on me.

　Hmm?　Is it because I have a child with me?



　--I thought, but most of the eyes were on me and Haruka, and to a lesser extent Yuki and Natsuki.

　Elves are rare, aren't they?

　A few female adventurers, and even some male adventurers, looked at me, making me feel slightly uncomfortable.

　In Rafan and Kerug, there were fewer people, so it didn't bother me as much.

　I guess Yuki and Natsuki are just looks. They're cute.

　I wonder if they don't come to pick up girls because of the guild staff's eyes or because Toya is keeping a close eye on them.

　Toya's the only one who looks strong enough to be in our party.

　Well, it's hard to tell if you're just looking.

　We try not to mind the stares and head for the counter.

I'd like you to recommend a place to stay. I'd like to find a place to stay for less than a gold coin a night.

　The receptionist, who glanced at it, nodded and took out a map of the town.

I understand. If you are looking for a place that is safe and has a good reputation for food, you can find it here at the 2nd street, 1st pavilion. If you're looking for convenience and distance from the guild and the gate, the Fountain of the Ages is the place for you.

It's named after ......, isn't it?

Yes. Yes, because it is located at the southernmost part of 2nd Street. It's an inn with a good reputation among women.

Got it. Thank you very much.

　After thanking him, I left the guild quickly.
　It's a little uncomfortable to be the center of attention, even if you don't seem to get involved in the usual way.

　Escaping the stares, we exhaled together and headed for the recommended inn.

　With little room for discussion, we chose the one at No. 1 Pavilion on No. 2 Street.
　The deciding factors were safety and the reputation of the food.

　Since there were many women, safety was important, and the taste of the food went without saying.

　The name of the inn was convenient in a sense that you could find the place just by hearing the name, and in a sense it was a trivial name, but when I actually used it, I understood why it was recommended, and it was not a bad inn.

　The rate was seven large silver coins per person per night for a four-person room with breakfast and dinner.

　Considering that the Bear Pavilion in Rafang is less than three large silver coins, it is quite expensive, but there is a difference between the countryside and the city, so it is not a simple comparison.

So let's go make an appointment at the lord's mansion for now.
"Yes. What should we do?

　Of course none of us have any experience with that.

Of course I asked. I've already asked him. He told me to give the letter of introduction I got from the guild to the gatekeeper and tell him where the inn is.

　As expected of Haruka, she has no clue.

Who's going?
I don't care who you are, but let's go to ...... and have lunch while we're there.
Well, all of us.

　If you ask, lunch will be served, but this is the capital.
　I'm a little curious about the restaurants around here.

　We all changed from our traveling clothes to normal clothes and went to the lord's mansion.

　It is relatively close to the lord's house, and you give a letter of introduction to the gatekeeper standing in front of the gate and ask him to give you a message.

　Perhaps it was a good thing that we told him that we were from the Adventurer's Guild, but he didn't seem particularly suspicious of us in civilian clothes, and accepted our letters of introduction.

　After that, we headed downtown to check out the restaurants. .......

Do you want to rely on Toya's nose again?

I don't mind, but I can't be responsible for it.

If you choose a place that's a bit expensive, you should be fine. ...... What do you think?　You may want to eat something a little different. We're in a different city now.

The kergue was a success, so maybe it's okay to fail at least once.

　In Kergu, I followed Toya's nose and went to a restaurant that was probably under Yasue's supervision, and it was good enough considering the price.

　...... Well, the fact that I could avoid the black bread was a big reason for that.

You can't expect much in the way of specialties, but ...... Mary, do you know anything about it?

I'm sorry. I don't know. I've never been out of Kerg before. ......

　I've never been out of Kerg before.

I've heard that ale is delicious!

"What?

"Mee, Mee, how do you know about that?

"A lady in the neighborhood told me.

　When Mary asked in surprise, Mitya replied matter-of-factly.

　The aunt's network.

　Children don't seem to be listening to what adults are saying, but in fact, they are listening very attentively and remember things very well.

Mitya, how did you know that?
"Heh, it's no big deal.

　It's not a big deal," he said, smiling shyly at Haruka's praise and squirming.

　I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but it's a good idea.

We don't drink ale, though. But we don't drink ale, so you can buy some for Tommy.

Then we'll go with your instincts and sense of smell.

Okay. Okay. ......

　It's not impossible to eat there if you choose a reasonably clean restaurant with a slightly higher price range.

　In the beginning, I had the same feeling as when I was in Japan, and chose the cheapest restaurant, but here, if you choose the cheapest restaurant, the food will just be bad. But here, if you choose a cheap restaurant, the food is just plain bad.

　It's not often that you hit the jackpot like a bear in a nap.

　So that was the restaurant that Toya chose.




Mary, Mitya, how was the food?

It was delicious!

It was really good. But, I mean, are you sure?　It was pretty expensive. ......

Well, it was a little expensive, but it was acceptable.

　The food we ordered was in the range of one to two large silver coins.

　It's a bit expensive for a commoner's lunch, but it's enough for three to five meals, so it's not too expensive.

The problem is, if you don't pay this much, it's going to be a little tough.

That's right. I mean, it's not bad at all.

You've got a bit of a taste for it. I make my own .......

　I'm sure you'll be pleased to know that I'm not the only one who's a fan of your work. It wasn't that good.

"It was so good!

　Mitya twisted his head in wonder, but Haruka and his team's cooking skills were not to be underestimated.

　They also have the knowledge of cooking and seasoning to suit our palates.

　In addition, the knowledge of cooking and the seasoning that suits our taste buds, as well as good ingredients such as Inspire sauce, which ordinary restaurants would not use due to cost.

　The food produced by these ingredients is, quite frankly, better than what my mother used to make when I was in Japan.

　The only thing that frustrates me a little is the lack of variety due to the limited availability of ingredients, but when I eat out like this sometimes, I realize that it is a luxury concern.

　Still, dissatisfaction is dissatisfaction. .......

I'm not sure how long I'll have to wait, but if the food at the inn isn't very good, maybe I'll cook for myself?

I've brought some things with me, so I can manage for a month or so. ......

　I've brought a certain amount of food with me, so I can manage for a month or so.

　You'll have to make your own food, but fortunately, that's not a problem with the Magic Bag.

"Well, since we've come all the way to the capital, I think we can splurge a bit and eat for lunch.

I guess. It won't cost you as much as a vacation.

　If you keep walking around, changing restaurants at random, you may eventually come across a good restaurant.

　It all depends on how long you are going to stay.