What is the greatest joy to be had at an inn?
Sleep?
A bath?
The suggestive noises coming from the next room?
“Here, we have our inn’s recommended dish: Crab Gratin!”
“Oooooh!!!”
Of course, the greatest joy was the food.
The other three could enjoy their activities anywhere, but every restaurant had its own unique dishes.
At the mention of food, Thomas and Emily’s eyes sparkled as they glanced at the spread.
The table was filled with various dishes, with the crab and cheese-filled gratin as the centerpiece.
Including Dantalion, who had slyly climbed onto the table, four people in total…
“Well then, should I try some too?”
No, with César included, five people raised their utensils.
Instead of following the natural flow, Emily took the opportunity to interject.
“Why is César sitting so naturally?
You’re not even part of our group…”
Of course, despite her shy personality, she couldn’t help but speak up.
César burst into laughter at Emily’s nervous hamster-like reaction.
“Hahaha!
While you were all away, Joanna gave me permission.”
“Ugh, still…”
“After all, it’s Joanna who brings us the water, right?”
Dantalion, who had secretly stolen a bit of gratin, nodded in agreement.
Although Emily had also played her part wonderfully, it was Joanna who deserved the lion’s share of the credit.
In this world, sometimes words can be more painful than truth.
It seemed César’s words had struck a chord with Emily, as her body stiffened.
“I’m…
I’m just a useless eater…”
Her face looked like it might transform into a little beetle if left alone.
With a soft chuckle, Joanna gently patted Emily’s head.
“Emily, your skills aren’t suited for combat, that’s all.
Right?”
“Joanna…!”
Tears of gratitude welled up in Emily’s eyes as she hugged Joanna.
Thomas, who had secretly taken some potato salad, raised his glass and spoke up.
“By the way, Emily, didn’t you say you were going to the academy?
You’ll definitely not be a knight or a mage.”
“Then maybe a civil official or an alchemist?
Or perhaps a priest?
Whatever it is, it sounds impressive.”
César casually tossed the comment, and it seemed to fill Emily’s sense of pride.
Her face flushed a bit as she thumped her chest.
“Hmm, hmm.
I’m a priest who serves Lord Ilias, the one who explores the world.
I can perform simple miracles, and I’ve read a lot of books, so I’m quite smart!”
“Hmm…”
“What’s with that reaction?!”
César and Thomas exchanged glances, clinking their glasses with slight distaste.
To be honest, wouldn’t “clumsy” be a better word than “smart”?
“Well, you are a priest, so you must be somewhat smart.”
“Honestly, it’s more like a bit of a pretentious smart-ass—”
“That’s too much!”
With such a response, wasn’t she practically asking for a slap?
Amid the teasing from the drunk older men, Emily pouted and picked up the gratin.
She hated the world for not believing in her.
At times like these, food couldn’t possibly taste good.
It was bound to taste like pebbles in her mouth…
“Wow, this is delicious!!”
After taking a bite of gratin, Emily grinned widely and let her greed for food show.
She stuffed her mouth full and smiled like a simple country girl.
Wasn’t this all Emily’s own fault, though?
Thinking that, Emily dipped some bread into the soup.
“Nom nom…
César, you must have seen academy students often, right?”
“Pfft~ Of course!
I’ve been running this inn ever since I retired, it’s been years.”
“Then, do you have any advice for me?”
“Advice, huh…”
Chewing on his salad, César wore a smirk, the kind of smile that seemed to hint at wanting to make fun of them.
He pointed his fork at Joanna and Emily.
“Do you know what bothers academy students the most?”
“Well, is there some sort of equipment they need to bring?”
“Of course not.
It’s the Royal Academy, why would they make students bring their own equipment?”
So, what was the most annoying thing, then?
César swirled the fork he was pointing with and tapped it on the table.
“It’s finding a place to stay.”
“But I heard academy students live in dorms…”
“That’s only during the term.
They get two breaks during the year, you know.”
In reality, the term “break” was just a cover.
They didn’t really get to relax; they were expected to internalize everything they learned in the field, which wasn’t much of a break.
“Knights are a bit better, but the others?
Their luggage is huge, and they can’t even stay in inns.”
So, it was perfectly natural for the students to be looking for places to stay during their break.
There were plenty of students who couldn’t return to their hometowns, and whether for quests or training, it was better to find something close to the capital.
“Anyway, once you start looking for a place to stay, you’ll probably curse a lot.”
“Is it really that bad?
But considering the size of the city, wouldn’t it be easy to find a room?”
Emily tilted her head in confusion.
It wasn’t a small town, and it was one of the top ten gateway cities in the empire.
Could it really be that hard to find a room?
In the end, César’s words turned out to be absolutely true.
Joanna and Emily woke up early and spent the day looking for empty rooms…
“Ah… Are you academy students?”
“Sorry, we don’t broker properties to academy students.”
“Ugh…
What a sight to see.
Go find someone else!”
The brokers acted like they’d seen the plague when they saw the two of them.
Most brokers would recoil at the mere mention of the academy and send them away.
So, would the ones who didn’t send them away be any better?
“This is a scam!
The picture you showed and the real thing are completely different!”
“Hmm, well, a painting always contains the personal feelings of the artist, doesn’t it?”
“But there’s a limit to that!
This place looks like it’s about to collapse from all the holes in the walls because of bugs eating through them!
Is this a house?!”
“If you don’t like it, then don’t sign the contract.”
That wasn’t the problem.
It seemed like they had shown her intentionally unpleasant properties before, just to irritate her.
In the end, after a fruitless day, Joanna and Emily returned to the inn.
As they opened the door, César, as if he had expected this, served them a dish with a generous amount of meat.
Emily, as though forgetting her embarrassment, shoved the food into her mouth.
“Really, ugh, the people around here…
Their personalities are awful!”
“Hahahaha!
I told you that looking for a place to live isn’t an easy task!”
Laughing as if he had predicted it, César offered Emily some cold water.
The locals didn’t particularly like academy students.
It wasn’t because of petty jealousy or anything like that.
Technically, it was the academy students themselves who had caused the problem.
“Was it before I settled here?
Academy students made quite a nuisance of themselves in the city.
That’s why the locals don’t like them.”
“What kind of nuisance?”
“Various things.
They would act out because of their status, or ruin the houses they stayed in after we went to great lengths to find them.”
Graduates of the Royal Academy were guaranteed at least the status of a knight.
The academy had started strictly monitoring things after realizing the severity of the issue, but unfortunately, the damage caused couldn’t be undone.
“Ugh, why do we have to suffer because of seniors we’ve never even met?”
“Well, the good deeds of the previous generation are inherited by the next, right?
Even though your seniors might be jerks, thanks to the academy’s reputation, you get to walk around with your chest out, don’t you?”
It wasn’t incorrect, but it was still annoying to hear.
After finishing their meal, Joanna and Emily decided to rest in their respective rooms.
It seemed unlikely that they’d find a decent place to stay unless they figured out a solution.
“Ah, this is an apple pie.
My wife made it, and it’s got cinnamon in it, so it’s really good.”
“I’ll enjoy it.”
Of course, they couldn’t pass up dessert.
Joanna grabbed the apple pie and headed straight to her room.
Carefully, she placed Dantalion on the bed.
“Dantalion, may I offer you some apple pie?”
“Mm, I’ll allow it.”
Apple pie being offered like some kind of grand meal was a bit much, but… well, it was her choice.
After receiving permission, Joanna smiled brightly as she cut a slice of the pie.
She handed a piece to Dantalion.
“Ah~ please enjoy.”
Even so, asking a demon to do this seemed a little odd.
Dantalion, stretching out like slime, absorbed the apple pie.
The crispy crust, the tart apple, and the distinct smell of cinnamon all combined quite well.
‘A gourmet, huh.’
Not every dish from either Hell or Heaven was the best, after all.
The joy of food comes from how it changes depending on the world, dimension, and region.
Overly excited, Joanna had already eaten more than half of the pie she had given to Dantalion.
When she offered another piece, Dantalion cleared his throat.
“Ahem, I’ve had enough.
If you have something you want to ask, go ahead.”
“As expected, Dantalion, you noticed my worries.”
“You never put things off when you can handle them yourself.”
Joanna, who had cleared the plate, kneeled down on one knee.
To be honest, it felt a bit strange to be so formal when feeding something like an animal, but… well, it was her own standard.
“If I need a place to stay for practical purposes, I can’t choose carelessly, right?”
“That’s a wise decision.
Three years may feel short, but it’s enough time to experience and learn many things.”
“Then, what’s the best way to find a place?”
“Ah, a question.”
“Huh?”
Joanna looked at him in confusion.
But it was indeed a strange question.
Joanna already had the solution in mind.
If this weren’t the case, what would the time she spent in her hometown mean?
“If you use your skills, you can easily solve this problem.”
“My skills…”
Dantalion nodded.
Wasn’t this why he had given her wisdom in the form of the teachings of the Bodhisattva of Wisdom?
‘If it’s a matter of the heart, then simply calming it will be enough.’
She didn’t need to represent all academy students. If she could change the local people’s perception of her, everything would work out.
Given her eloquence, this problem was something she could easily solve.
Joanna seemed to have figured it out, nodding.
“I see.”
“Do you understand?”
“Yes.”
Her gaze was filled with certainty as if she had grasped the answer.
Of course, this was all part of the wisdom he had given her as a gift.
“Does this mean I should storm a criminal’s hideout and turn it into a residence?
It’s a two-for-one deal—no money spent and I can punish a sinner!”
Why did she interpret it like that?
Dantalion looked at her with a confused expression.
Given her clean reputation, it didn’t seem like she was bloodthirsty…
“Dantalion?”
“No, what I meant was that you should make friends with the locals and ask for their help.”
“But punishing a sinner would save money, be good for the world, and make you happy, Dantalion.
It’s a win-win-win…”
Joanna trailed off with a tone of genuine disappointment.
Her face looked sulky, as if she desperately wanted to get his permission.
But this was for her own good. Surely, she didn’t want to spend her whole life punishing criminals.
“…Alright, I’ll allow you to find a place first.
After that, you can look for criminals if you want.”
“Dantalion…”
Still, he didn’t have any ill intent, so this seemed fine.
Seeing Joanna’s delighted expression, Dantalion smiled warmly.
Wasn’t this the perfect balance of carrot and stick?
He couldn’t help but admire his own cool-headed judgment.