Volume 2 Chapter 2 Welcome To The Red-Faced Sheep Inn
The Red-Faced Sheep Inn, run by Russ, was a 3-story building located northwest of the square in front of the east gate of the border city Lester. The first floor, facing the street, was a dining hall that served drinks and food. The second and third floors, along with the attic, had rooms for guests, their families, and employees. There was also a garden in the back and a separate building for the stables.
When Al arrived at the Red-Faced Sheep Inn, it had already been about 2 hours since he parted ways with the two men he was escaping from at the east gate. It took him some time to check for any signs of being followed. The dining hall on the first floor seemed to be filled with people. Al made sure to walk around the area a couple of times to check for any suspicious figures before he opened the door to the dining hall.
"Al, where have you been?"
Noticing him, Tally stood up and rushed over, grabbing Al's hand. He seemed to be in a good mood, having had a bit to drink. He pulled Al along, saying how glad he was that he finally arrived, and led him to the big fireplace in the inn.
At a nearby table sat Russ, along with his mother, who had shared a warm hug with him at the city gate, his wife, Louren, and his sister, Iris. They were happily watching the scene. Around their table were several men and women who looked like adventurers, as well as a few older men and women who seemed to be employees.
"Everyone, this is Al, the person we were just talking about. Thanks to him, we were able to come back alive. He said he came to this city as an adventurer, so I thought we could have him stay at the inn for a while. If possible, I hope you can help him out. Al, please say hello to everyone."
Al felt a bit confused as he sensed the gazes of the people in the cafeteria. When he turned to them, he scratched his head. He opened his mouth to greet them, but just then, Louren ran up to him. She tightly grabbed his hands with both of hers.
"Mr. Al, thank you. I'm sorry for saying thank you so late. Really, thank you for helping my people."
She had tears in her eyes.
"I heard the story. Thank you so much for helping Papa and brother."
Next to Louren, Iris also bowed deeply. She looked to be about the same age as Al and had a bright, cheerful voice.
"No, really, it was Ms. Barbara who defeated the bandits, and I just helped her."
"You even made warm soup for Russ and Tally and sent them to this city, right? I heard it was you who took down the bandit leader too. That's amazing, you're a great magician..."
"Um... that was──."
As he was encouraged to take a seat, Al sat down at the table. However, in the two hours before he arrived, it seemed that Russ and Tally had told their family and others that Al had done a lot, and he found himself confused by the gap between their story and the truth. He tried to explain that he was just helping Naresh and Barbara, not using his own power, but everyone seemed unwilling to accept that.
"Anyway, it just means Russ and the others are really grateful. Well, isn't that good?"
Al, feeling confused, was gently patted on the shoulder by a man named Orson, who had been staying at the inn for a long time. He looked to be in his mid-30s, standing about 170 cm tall (≈ 5 ft 7 in), so he wasn't very tall. He had black hair slicked back and appeared calm.
"Yeah. I'm glad your dad and Tally came back safe."
"Uh-huh. That's great."
Nodding in agreement were Madoc and Najira, who sat next to him. They were a pair of childhood friends, 19 man and 18 years old woman, respectively. Madoc was over 190 cm tall (≈ 6 feet 3 inches), with a big, muscular build. It was rare to see a man with such a physique even in the capital. Najira, while not as big as him, also had a fit body. It seemed both of them were long-term guests here as well. All 3 of them were registered as warriors at the Adventurers' Guild and had taken on many jobs to defeat monsters to earn money.
"Anyway, this is a celebration for coming back safe. I couldn't prepare anything special, but there's plenty of food. Mr. Al, please eat and drink a lot."
On the dining table, there was a large amount of meat, though it looked a bit tough. An older female employee handed over forks, plates, and mugs. The mugs seemed to contain ale mixed with water. As Al looked a bit unsure, Louren explained that the local water wasn't safe to drink, and since there were many magic beasts, cheap meat was widely available. However, vegetables, grains, and meats from cows, sheep, and pigs were still scarce, which often led to meals like this.
"So, I went to Milton to get some ingredients, but man, it was tough."
Russ chuckled wryly as he said this. There's a proper port in Milton city to the north, and trade with the eastern towns is active, bringing in grains, vegetables, fruits, and meats. It's a 2-day round trip, but they go about once a month to stock up, and the diner serves those supplies.
"Next time, let's go together. I prefer the soup with lots of potatoes."
Madoc said with a serious look on his face. "You're always thinking about food," Najira muttered, while Russ hesitated, but Louren bowed her head and said, "Please, I'd love to."
"I have something I'm curious about. Did you see a pair of people like this?"
After the conversation settled down, Al brought up the two people he had found. When he mentioned that he was attacked in a deserted area while following them, Iris's eyes widened, but the others didn't seem too surprised.
"You went into the southern part of 4th town, right? You should be careful around there. You might not know, but from here, the area south of East Main Street, up to South Main Street, isn't safe at all. Fights happen all the time. Plus, you don't look very strong."
"Umm..."
At Orson's words, Al scratched his head again. It seemed to be his habit. He had heard rumors that the area wasn't very safe, but he hadn't thought it was this bad. So, it might not have been a band of bandits, just a regular mugging. Maybe he was worrying too much. And it seemed no one had noticed anything about the two people before.
"Oh, I just thought of a good idea. Mr. Al can use magic, right? Then how about dressing like a magician? If people see you as a magician, they might not underestimate you as much, and things like this won't happen as often."
Al shook his head slightly, looking thoughtful at Orson's proud face.
"That might be true, but dressing like a magician means wearing a robe and carrying a staff, right? I've always done things on my own, so I'm not good at wearing those kinds of awkward outfits. Plus, I'm not that great of a magician yet. I don't really like putting on a show."
Orson looked puzzled at Al's explanation. As far as he knew, all magicians were proud. But this boy, Al, didn't seem to be like that. Thinking about it, he shrugged lightly.
"Well, if that's how you feel, it's up to you to decide. Do what you want."
"Thanks. For now, about the two-person group, it might just be my imagination, but there could still be survivors from the blood-soaked bandit group. Please be careful, just in case."
Everyone at the inn nodded in agreement to Al's words.
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