HRB 27

Isaac, who had been drinking until late last night, overslept.

After forcing open his eyelids that felt impossibly heavy and managing to raise his upper body, Isaac buried his head against the inn window and dozed for about 20 minutes before barely regaining his senses.

“Ugh, precious time wasted…!”

The sun was already high in the sky. He hurriedly got up and washed his face.

Isaac was a tourist who had come to the Empire from a neighboring kingdom.

For the past 10 years, while the Demon King’s forces were rampaging, there had been an atmosphere of avoiding luxuries like tourism and festivals. But now, after the victory, the entire continent was in a festive mood as if all suppressed instincts had been liberated.

Naturally, the Empire of Reneva was the top tourist destination.

The Empire, which had been a famous tourist attraction even before the Demon King raised his forces, was now crowded with travelers from across the continent, drawn by news of magnificent parades and festivals—slightly exaggerated, perhaps, but it certainly felt that way.

Both Isaac and his friend Oliver had visited the Empire, calling it a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“For Hero Arthur!”

“Cheers!”

They enjoyed the historic parade, the festival, and naturally, drank the accompanying alcohol like mad, resulting in skull-splitting headaches every morning for the past few days.

Today was the worst of all.

Trusting only in his youth, he had drunk excessively for several days in a row, and now not only could he barely open his eyes in the morning, but his stomach churned and he felt like death.

However, for a tourist visiting a foreign country, a week was never a long time. Despite feeling terrible, he couldn’t waste an entire day. Isaac forced himself up today as well, blindly trusting in his youth.

When he opened the door and went outside, Oliver was almost simultaneously opening the door and coming out from the room next door.

“Urrrgh.”

…His condition seemed similar.

Normally when traveling, people would share a room with their companions, but the inn where they had been staying suddenly had flooding issues, and when they hurriedly looked for nearby accommodations, this inn didn’t have many rooms left either.

When told only single rooms remained, Isaac and Oliver were secretly dismayed. During the festival period, inns located in the Empire’s capital boasted outrageously inflated prices, whether they were in good locations or remote areas.

“The price? We haven’t changed ours.”

However, the price offered with a smile by the innkeeper, who was so handsome and dazzling that one might doubt he was human, was much cheaper than they had imagined.

So much so that they suspected it was either a scam or that the “single room” would turn out to be a storage-like terrible space.

As it turned out, the room conditions were so pleasant that they felt guilty for doubting. They felt even more remorseful for returning late after partying until dawn and falling asleep with their dirty bodies.

“Ugh, I’m dying.”

“Hey, let’s really drink moderately today.”

“Yeah, my head is pounding…”

Yet even as they said this, both knew they would be drinking crazily again tonight.

“Hey, walk straight.”

“Ugh, am I not walking straight…?”

“You crazy fool, you look like a squid!”

Oliver’s movements resembled those of a mollusk. Could sightseeing even be possible in this state? Isaac, who was somewhat better off than Oliver, clicked his tongue. Though to others, they probably looked equally bad.

Isaac threw a punch at Oliver as he wobbled down the inn stairs.

“If you walk around looking like that, that innkeeper you like so much will surely think well of you.”

“…!”

As if suddenly coming to his senses at those words, Oliver straightened his back. That worked.

“Ugh, I finally found my ideal type and I can’t show myself like this.”

Oliver had fallen for the innkeeper at first sight yesterday. He claimed there couldn’t be another person who so perfectly embodied his ideal type. Isaac, who could acknowledge the man was handsome but had no interest in men himself, simply found Oliver pathetic.

Moreover, despite his firm resolve, Oliver’s gait still resembled that of a mollusk. Should I point it out or not? After contemplating, Isaac just left him be.

It wasn’t like he’d be able to fix it even if called out. Besides, Isaac wasn’t in a normal state himself to be worrying about Oliver.

The two staggered down to the first floor. They needed to eat something that would settle their stomachs. A spicy soup would be perfect right now, but they didn’t know where to find one.

“…Hmm?”

“Huh…?”

As soon as they came downstairs, both sniffed the air. There was a rather spicy scent that tickled their noses, but they couldn’t identify what food it was. It was definitely spicy, but it was a food smell they had never encountered before.

“Oh, you two are awake?”

As they stood on the first floor sniffing, someone came out from the kitchen. Oliver suddenly straightened his back.

It was the innkeeper he had fallen for at first sight. With sparkling silver hair and beautiful purple eyes, even Isaac, who had no particular interest in him, wondered how someone with such incredible looks wasn’t working for a theater troupe instead of running an inn.

“Ah, yes! Hello!”

Oliver greeted him with remarkable vigor. Isaac noticed some guests on the first floor turning toward them at the loud voice. Oh god, how embarrassing. Isaac subtly moved back, pretending not to be with Oliver.

“You seemed to have drunk too much yesterday. Are you feeling better?”

“I’m fine…”

Just as he boldly claimed to be fine, Oliver dry-heaved. Ah, so embarrassing. Isaac put his hand to his forehead, mortified by his friend’s behavior.

But despite Oliver’s pitiful state, the innkeeper’s smile didn’t fade.

“If you’re up for it, would you like to try this?”

The innkeeper rummaged through a box near the inn counter and brought something back.

[Twilight 707]

Both Oliver and Isaac squinted at the unrecognizable foreign letters.

“It’s a hangover remedy.”

“Ah.”

Hangover remedy? It was an unfamiliar name, but its purpose was clear enough.

However, as they fumbled with its overly solid exterior, unsure of how to consume it, the innkeeper kindly opened the cap for them. Meanwhile, Oliver’s face lit up with excitement as his hand brushed against the innkeeper’s.

The two of them gulped down the hangover remedy.

“…?”

“…!”

Both made subtle expressions simultaneously. First because of the taste, and second because they could feel the effects immediately after drinking it.

“What is this…?”

Was it made with some kind of magic? How could the effects appear so instantaneously?

While the two looked puzzled, the innkeeper offered,

“Now that you’re feeling better, would you like to have a meal?”

“Ah… yes, yes.”

Isaac nodded, unable to refuse the offer from someone with such a gentle face who had generously provided such an effective hangover remedy. Of course, Oliver was nodding frantically in agreement.

The two sat down at a table, unaware they had fallen for the innkeeper’s wicked scheme.

“The menu is over there.”

At those words, their gaze turned to the large menu posted on the wall.

[Breakfast]

Soy Sauce Egg Rice Set (Raw/Cooked)

Udon Set

The menu was extremely simple. Moreover, it featured only two unfamiliar dishes. There were adorable illustrations next to each item, drawn by someone unknown, which made it possible to identify that one was a rice dish and the other a noodle dish, but both remained unfamiliar.

Oliver sniffled and thought: It’s written in noble language. This must be the trend in the Empire these days.

They each ordered one menu item. When asked to choose the egg, they hesitantly picked the raw option, and the smiling innkeeper relayed the order to a staff member inside.

“One raw egg rice and one udon. Oh, Gerold, could you include that soup I gave you before?”

“Yes.”

Oliver secretly had expectations. When the innkeeper brought out the food, he hoped to strike up a conversation and keep it going with some idle chatter.

However, the person who brought out the prepared food moments later wasn’t the innkeeper but another man.

He had black hair and strikingly blue eyes, with a cold impression.

Based on the innkeeper’s address, his name seemed to be Gerold.

Do they hire people based on looks here? Isaac unconsciously muttered to himself.

“Your order is ready.”

Cold face, precise manner. His attitude was completely different from the warm and gentle innkeeper.

Yet his service was flawless and professional. The man held two seemingly heavy trays, one in each hand, without any trembling, set down the dishes, and immediately turned and disappeared.

“…”

“…”

Isaac and Oliver were silent for a moment, both exploring the dishes placed before them.

In front of Isaac was the noodle dish. Thick, glossy, and chewy noodles were arranged in a clear brownish broth that smelled slightly salty. There were also some chunks of what might be meat floating in it, well-soaked in the broth, looking quite appetizing.

Oliver stared entranced at the rice topped with a beautiful egg yolk. On top of fluffy rice were several dark sauces and a plump egg yolk, emitting an unknown savory smell that made their mouths water.

And the soup given to both of them.

Hangover soup, was it called? They couldn’t identify the yellow beans and a plant with stems, but both drank the soup first as if enchanted.

“…!”

They both looked at each other with surprised faces. They felt a spicy and refreshing sensation that immediately cleared their stomachs. After gulping down the soup, they started their meals.

To be honest, the taste wasn’t particularly unique.

But that’s why it was good. The way it went down smoothly without burden was artful. They had thought nothing would go down due to their upset stomachs from the hangover, but everything went down easily, tasting like honey.

When they came to their senses, they had emptied everything on their trays without leaving a drop of soup.

“Wow.”

“Even though we ate so much, my stomach feels fine.”

It was probably a triple collaboration of the amazing hangover remedy earlier, the hangover soup, and the comfortable meal, though they couldn’t know the exact reason.

On their way to pay after finishing the meal, Oliver gazed at the innkeeper with deep eyes.

His face still shone as he concentrated on organizing something in the ledger.

Not only was his appearance to Oliver’s taste, but after receiving the kind hangover remedy, the refreshing soup probably added with them in mind, and the amazing meal, the innkeeper now looked like an angel to him.

He might not be able to ask for a date, but… at least a short conversation. That much wouldn’t be greedy, right?

Just as Oliver was about to shyly approach the innkeeper, his view of the innkeeper suddenly disappeared. More precisely, a dark man had stepped between him and the innkeeper.

It was that employee from earlier. Gerold, as the innkeeper had called him.

“One silver each, two silvers total.”

His face, which demanded payment in a businesslike manner, was cold.

Isaac and Oliver easily noticed the implicit message the man was trying to convey with that cold face.

How dare you. Or perhaps, get lost.

That face was so menacing that they couldn’t add another word, hastily paid, and left the inn to continue their sightseeing.

Isaac patted Oliver’s drooping shoulders.

“Can’t you tell from that face? He’s not someone you should mess with.”

At those words, which could be either comfort or mockery, Oliver’s shoulders drooped even more.

He looked so dejected that Isaac clicked his tongue.

“If you’re that determined, we’ll be going back in the evening anyway, so maybe try talking to him while having a drink there.”

“R-really?”

“They sell alcohol there too, you know.”

Oliver’s face lit up with hope. Thinking that by evening, that scary employee would be too busy to guard the innkeeper all day, Oliver’s mood quickly improved.

“Great, then let’s drink there tonight!”

As Oliver spoke with a bright face, Isaac shook his head. What a simple guy.

But neither of them knew. That an even greater obstacle awaited them in the evening than in the morning.