Once the laundry and other chores are done, the afternoon is very leisurely.

The rooms are cleaned and the laundry is done.

The few customers who come into the cafeteria are only there to take a break and have a drink. If they order something, they are simply served the leftovers from their lunch.

Well, I cleaned the garden and the entrance yesterday, so I don't have to do it every day.

Yes, the innkeepers are most comfortable at this time of the day.

All I do now is to sit at the table as a receptionist.

It's a simple role, just to deal with the guests who come to stay at our inn. However, there are not many visitors in the middle of the day.

I take advantage of this and coast at the reception desk to my heart's content.

Ah! Tori is the receptionist and she's slacking off!

As I was lying on the table, I suddenly heard a high-pitched girl's voice.

I looked up toward the familiar voice, and there was the person I had expected to see.

A girl with red hair tied back in an updo.

Her fiery red eyes and fine eyebrows give her a dignified look and a cheerful impression to the other person.

She is about the same height as I am, about 150 centimeters. This is Ira, a childhood friend of mine who works at the same inn.

I'm not slacking off. I'm just making good use of my time. Ira, are you sure you don't want to work at the inn?

'I'm off today.'

I looked at Ira's clothes and saw that he was wearing a white cutter shirt and a green skirt instead of the apron he usually wears.

'd*mn, I'm jealous that you're on holiday while I've been busy working since this morning.

'Hehehe, you must be jealous.

Ira smiles at me with a toothy grin on his face.

It is her charm that she has such a cheerful smile instead of her mother's soft expression.

I don't blame her for being called the "signature girl.

'Oh, Ayla, welcome!

While I was agreeing with her, my mother came down from the second floor and approached Ira.

'Hello, Sierra. I'm sorry to bother you.

I don't mind. As you can see, the inn is now quite calm.

You're absolutely right. Thanks to you, we've been able to relax.

Oh, there's Ayla! Now you're coming over here?''

'Yes, now I've come to visit.

But you're looking very dressed up.

'Of course, you dress differently at home and outside.

Letty was playing in the morning.

On holiday mornings, even the girls are usually on their guard. It is natural that they dress differently when they are out than when they are at home.

As I was pretending not to have heard Lettie and Ira's words, a visitor came in through the entrance.

They are all employees of the inn, even if it is a holiday or they have a slow day at work.

Ira and the others immediately stopped talking near the reception desk and moved toward the edge of the room.

I say the standard words to the woman coming to the reception desk.

Welcome.

How much for the night?

She is a serious-looking woman with a sharp face.

Her tone of voice suggested that she wanted to finish the work in a clerical manner, so I responded in a smooth manner.

'If you stay in a single room, it costs 1,500 MEL including breakfast.

'Okay.'

The woman nodded at my words and offered me a silver coin and five copper coins from her pocket.

The coinage of this world is based on the exchange of platinum, gold, silver, copper, and lowly coins.

Prices are measured in units of 100,000, 10,000, 1,000, 1,000, 100, and 10 Japanese yen from the top. The price is called "Meryl" instead of "Yen" here.

One thousand five hundred merrill. This is the price for one night at our inn. The price goes up as you add laundry, cooking, hot water, candles, etc. to it.

Well, the price is on the low side among innkeepers.

Father's food is good and our inn is not shabby.

I would prefer to set the price a little higher, but my father used to be an adventurer in the past.

At that time, there were not many cheap inns with good food, so he set the price so that even a novice adventurer can stay here for a long time.

Thanks to this, our inn has a triple reputation for being cheap, good food, and comfortable, and we are quite popular.

As far as I'm concerned, it would be better if there were a little less customers. It's too busy.

After receiving a silver and a copper coin from a female customer, I offer her a piece of paper.

Please write your name here. Do you need me to write it for you?

'No, thanks. I can write it myself.

The literacy rate in this world is not that high. There are many people who cannot read or write. There are a lot of people who can read and write their own names, though.

This shows that the level of education in the previous world was very high and pervasive.

While I was deeply moved, a woman wrote her name Remilia on a piece of paper.

After confirming this, I take the key out of the drawer of the reception table.

'Well then, go up the back stairs to room 201 on the second floor.

'Okay.'

After receiving the key, a woman walks toward the back of the building and up the stairs.

It was as if she was talking to a knight.

I looked around the room and saw Ira, Letty, and my mother sitting down and talking happily.

Then Natalia, who had been sleeping upstairs, woke up and joined the women in conversation.

It was a complete girls' night out. It was impossible for me, a man, to join them.

I sit at the reception desk in a daze, enjoying the conversation among the gorgeous girls.

I love this peaceful time the most. I'm not alone, but I'm surrounded by happy voices all the time.

I truly think that I would have been happy in my previous life if I could have spent my time as slowly as I do now.

Yes, Tori is happy to share!

As I was thinking about it, Ira put a plate of strawberry pie on the side of the plate.

I could smell the aroma of baked pie and could see bright red strawberries filling the cracks of the pie crust.

'Oh, can I have some?

'I'd feel sorry for you if you left out Tori!

Ira laughs and walks toward the kitchen.

'What's that? Ira, you're in the kitchen, right?

'I know, I've been here many times. I'm going to get some juice!



'Why Isla? ...... Oh, because when Ira goes there, he treats you like a guest and uses the ingredients in the restaurant.'

'Exactly!

It must have been Mother or Letty who taught him. I look at the table and see the two of them smiling wickedly at me.

Ira is kind enough to bring a pie for his father who is in the kitchen, even though he's thinking of doing something calculating like that.

I pick up the strawberry pie in front of me and bring it to my mouth.

As you bite into it, you feel the fluffy yet crispy texture of the pie crust at the same time. The savory flavor of the pie spread in her mouth, and the sweet syrup and strawberry flavor spilled out from the inside of the pie.

Well, the sweetness and tartness of the strawberries were just right.

Even though I don't have much of a sweet tooth, I could eat a lot of this.

I gobbled up the strawberry pie with gusto. The pie was quickly cut into pieces and was gone from my plate in no time.

'Here you go, Tori. Fruit juice--I mean, it's already gone.

'It was so good, it was gone in a second. Thank you.

'Yeah. Well, that's good.

After I thanked her, Ira turned back to Letty and the others, looking somewhat embarrassed.