When I looked up while wiping away beads of sweat, the customers were already leaving one by one. Glasses and earthen pots were emptied, and the previous commotion quieted down like it had been a lie. However, one man remained in his seat.
Theord. He was usually the first to stand up once he finished eating, but today he showed no intention of leaving.
It was only when the last customer had trickled out and the sound of Happy barking outside drifted in that he finally rose slowly from his seat.
“Ah, are you heading out now?”
When I spoke tentatively, Theord lowered his gaze for a moment before nodding. He scanned me once, then let his lips curl up into a tiny smile.
“It will be quiet for a while.”
Short words. But they meant that once the major subjugation began, the adventurers would all be gone, and the inn would finally enjoy a moment of peace.
“…….”
“You’ll finally be able to rest a bit.”
That single sentence, tinged with a faint laugh, strangely tugged at my heart. I couldn't tell if it was the regret of my biggest whale, my golden goose, leaving, or if it was just because the tension had finally broken.
As he turned to leave, I raised my voice impulsively.
“Wh, when are you leaving?”
Theord paused. In the dimly lit interior where the lamps flickered, he looked back. His blue eyes shone faintly, as if they had swallowed the moonlight from outside.
“I’ll stop by tomorrow before I go.”
“At what time tomorrow?”
My hurried questioning must have looked desperate, and the back of my neck flushed hot. But he just blinked nonchalantly and gave a short answer.
“I’ll come at lunch.”
That was it. He didn't leave another word.
I bowed my head for no reason as I saw him out. The door closed, and the shadows cast by the lamps stretched long across the floor. His retreating figure, fading into the night sky, lingered in my vision for a long time.
***
The next day, I woke up at dawn.
Following the road still shrouded in darkness, I headed down to the village and, with tears in my eyes, purchased an item.
A magic item.
...Calling it that sounds a bit grand, it was actually just a simple frost-preservation pouch. It’s a traveler's essential that slows down spoilage when you put ingredients in it, sort of like a mini-freezer. But it cost a whopping 5 silver.
Of course, it wasn't for me. It was a gift for Theord.
Do I regret it? Immensely.
But if I thought of it as an investment in the future, it was a cost I could bear.
I hugged it tightly to my chest on the way back, terrified I might lose it. Then, I went straight to the kitchen to simmer the broth, portioning it out and carefully packing each serving. The broth in the pouches froze solid instantly, turning into a sort of "meal kit." It became the inn's secret weapon, soup that’s finished just by boiling it.
By the time one pot was emptied and a new one began to bubble, customers started swarming in.
Ding,
“Welcome.”
Theord entered as usual, but his attire was quite simple today. I could see he was ready to depart. I waited for the moment he finished his meal and stood up, then hurriedly held out several pouches.
“……?”
“Take these. They're a gift!”
Theord took the pouches with a puzzled look. I had no choice but to hurriedly explain.
“It’s frozen broth. You can just boil it whenever you have a meal later. Since you said eating this gives you strength, I prepared some for you.”
My face flushed as soon as the words left my mouth. I scratched my cheek and looked away, only to find Theord’s statue-like face staring straight at me. My shoulders flinched at his gaze. Still, I stammered a follow-up.
“You come every day to eat, so I thought you might be disappointed if you couldn't have it.”
A short silence followed.
And then, a few seconds later, a low reply fell.
“…I will eat it well.”
I beamed and nodded.
“Have a safe trip!”
“…….”
Theord didn’t respond immediately. Instead, clutching the pouches tightly, he gave an extremely faint, soft-eyed smile.
A face more dazzling than moonlight, and now he was smiling… I just stood there dazed, blinking my eyes.
“Whoa.”
“Crazy…”
Sure enough, gasps of admiration leaked out from the people around us.
“…….”
Theord caught his breath for a short moment and replied lowly.
“Right.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll be back.”
With those words, Theord turned around.
I watched his back for a while before muttering to the empty air.
“…I feel a bit sad to see him go.”
I surprised myself by saying that.
Wait, sad? Why me?
Ah. Is it because my regular golden goose is leaving?
Well, I suppose so. It’s only natural to feel a bit empty when a face you see every day disappears.
***
03. Daily Life at the Inn on the Border
I don't know how everyone found out I gave Theord meal kits, but the inn, which I thought would be quiet for a while, was rowdy.
Adventurers heading out for the subjugation flocked in, and I didn't miss the opportunity. I sold meal kits to those who had magic pouches, and for those who didn't, I put the frozen soup into pouches I had bought myself and sold them as package deals.
The price? Naturally, I doubled the profit margin.
From the customers' perspective, they were grateful because it was "convenient," and I simply maintained my "kind-hearted innkeeper" face.
Thanks to that, the days flew by in a blur. But the boom was short-lived, after a few days, the inn became quiet as if the chaos had never happened.
Taking advantage of the rare moment of leisure, I packed the remaining broth into magic pouches and headed outside.
Passing through the desertified land, the village was unchanged.
Laundry fluttered in the wind between narrow stone paths, and the occasional scent of baking bread wafted through the air. As the sunset brushed against the rooftops and flowed down slowly, the laughter of children occasionally circled the alleyways.
It was so peaceful that I wondered if a war could really break out. It was that silent.
It felt as if the world's chaos and the scent of war only lingered somewhere far beyond those hills.
“Shion! You’ve lost half your face!”
When I opened the door to the vegetable shop, the owner greeted me with his chubby hands on his hips. Between the piles of leafy greens and stacked vegetables, the fishy scent of earth tickled my nose.
“Don’t even talk about it. I almost died from being so busy.”
As I complained with a long face and held out the magic pouches, the man’s eyes went wide. He tried to take just the contents, but I shook my head and pressed them into his hands. He clicked his tongue.
“No, you’re giving me something this precious?”
“It’s fine. I got it as a tip.”
When I bluffed nonchalantly, the man looked a bit apologetic, but he soon beamed and pressed several bundles of vegetables into my hands.
After that, I stopped by the fruit shop, the restaurant, and the butcher’s in turn. Everyone looked at my haggard state and, with a mix of worry and teasing, gave me a bag of fruit or a slab of meat.
In the end, both my hands were full with an abundance of gifts that felt quite heavy.
Lastly, I stopped by Gilbert’s inn, but Gilbert himself was nowhere to be seen. I hovered around the empty counter for a bit before stepping back out.
Then, a roadside stall across the street caught my eye, and I moved toward it without thinking.
“Welcome! Magic circles just arrived. Why don't you take a look?”
“Magic… circles?”
My eyes widened. I mean, even if this is a fantasy world, they sell magic circles on the street?
With half-doubt and half-curiosity, I looked down and saw geometric shapes neatly spread out on a cloth. My gaze was captured by the mysterious, subtle light shimmering from them, and the stall owner spoke up.
“Aren’t you the owner of that famous inn on the Border?”
“You know me?”
“Of course I do. I hear all the adventurers stop by there. These days, everyone knows about the ‘Inn on the Border.’”
I knew it was flattery, but praise didn't hurt. As I gave a pleasant smile, the stall owner continued his sales pitch as if he had been waiting.
“They say your cooking is art. Seeing you in person, hm, you certainly look like someone who’d do good business.”
The way he rolled his tongue to flatter me was the gold standard of a salesman.
Perhaps that’s why. My guard slowly began to drop.
The stall owner smiled softly, as if prying into the gaps in my expression.
“But tell me, when business is that good, don't you lose sleep at night? That location isn't exactly normal ground. It’s right on the Border. With all that noise, monsters might come swarming in.”
My expression stiffened as I recalled the bloodstains in front of the inn. The stall owner didn't miss it and sneakily pointed to one of the shapes.
“Just in case, you should pick up a security magic circle like this.”
“A security magic circle?”
“If someone crosses your threshold with a wicked heart, flames will erupt. It’ll burn the intruder to a crisp.”
“…What if the inn burns down with them?”
“Aiyoo, really! Magic circles are very smart. It won't burn the building, it’ll pick out exactly the intruder and roast them. It’s a customized crematorium.”
It was a gruesome thing to say, but at his ridiculous confidence, I found myself nodding.
“…Are you, are you for real?”
“Naturally! I’ve even completed the experiments myself!”
I didn’t know what kind of experiments he meant.
However, as he waved his hand in the air, a small spark flickered from the magic circle and disappeared. Even the smoke looked convincing enough that I found myself pulling out my wallet as if possessed.
The price was a staggering 1 gold.
It was an amount that would feel like a waste even if I sold a thousand bowls of soup. My fingertips trembled, making the coins clink.
But since I was already halfway enchanted, thoughts like ‘I should still be prepared,’ ‘It’s better than nothing,’ and ‘What if monsters actually invade?’ kept popping up in my head.
“Prevention is survival, I guess…”
Persuading myself like that, I handed over 1 gold with a trembling hand.
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