Epilogue: An Old Country Bumpkin Gets Another Drink
“Ah! Welcome!”
As I opened the door, I heard the familiar sounds of the waitress and the clanging doorbell. This was a comfortable little tavern tucked into one of the back streets of Baltrain’s central district. I’d frequented this place during my stay at a nearby inn, though it had been a while since I’d last been. The stew they made was delicious.
The tavern was run by a couple and their daughter. Much like my previous visits, there were several customers already inside. The place seems to be doing well. It’s good for restaurants to be lively. If taverns were bustling, it was proof that goods and people—in other words, economics as a whole—were flowing in abundance. After all, if one or the other was lacking, restaurants couldn’t function.
“Whew.”
I found myself at the mysteriously empty seat at the end of the counter. This place was usually busy, but for some reason, this seat tended to be available. I rather liked its positioning, so it was convenient for me.
“Excuse me, an ale please.”
“Coming right up!”
Right as I sat down, there was only one thing to order—ale. I’d had wine at the palace, so I had some alcohol in my system already. While such expensive drinks were delicious, they didn’t seem to lift my mood. Knocking back an ale in a place like this suited a tried-and-true commoner like me much better. For a meal to be enjoyable, the food had to be good, but it was also pretty important to get intoxicated on the location and atmosphere.
In that sense, the food at the palace had been amazing, but I hadn’t been able to savor it. I’d been far too nervous about policing every single one of my actions and trying to avoid being rude. I hadn’t had the leisure of enjoying the food. I’d been so tense that even the meat had been flavorless on my tongue. Public consensus would agree that it was an honor for the king, prince, and princess to know my name and face. Allusia had been particularly proud for some reason. Thinking about it made me want to gripe about why she was getting so excited.
Anyway, a luxurious dinner at the palace was more than this boring old man deserved. I knew that the people around me had seen my reluctance, but it wasn’t like I could just change my personality.
“Here’s your ale!”
A wooden tankard filled to the brim with ale was brought to me from behind the counter, and I even got some nuts to snack on. Yup, this is the stuff. It suits me way better. Having an elegant drink at a chic restaurant wasn’t so bad, but it wasn’t really my style.
“Bottoms up.”
I gulped the ale down. Oh yeah. This refreshing feeling seeping into my bones really hits the spot. I liked all alcohol, but ale was definitely my favorite. The exquisite bitterness and bubbly carbonation were all it took to calm my heart.
After quenching my thirst with ale, I went for the nuts. They were well salted and scrumptious. I tossed a couple into my mouth and crunched down on them.
“Whew... That’s great...”
This tavern was fantastic. They’d set up shop in Baltrain’s central district, so there was no way it could be bad, but still. The place was exactly to my tastes. The ambience was just right—it wasn’t luxurious in any way, but it wasn’t just a cheap tavern on the outskirts either. The barkeep and his daughter were both really generous too, so this was the most comfortable place for me to get drunk.
“Excuse me, another ale.”
“Coming right up!”
For now, I decided to start with some more ale while I pondered over what to put in my stomach. I’d already eaten at the palace, so I wasn’t exactly starving. I was just a little peckish. I wanted to eat something, but I didn’t feel like anything heavy.
“Hmmm...”
As I sipped my second ale, I gazed at the menu written on wooden placards on the wall. Now then, what to order? All the food here is good, so I doubt anything will be a dud, but nothing is really standing out to me. Settling for nothing more than ale and nuts was an option, but I would be hungry by the time I went to sleep. I could technically have food whenever I wanted at home, but I felt like that would set a bad example for Mui. I couldn’t make light of maintaining my weight at this age either.
“A stew would work, but...”
I pictured the sausage stew I’d often had here. It wasn’t as heavy as most meat dishes, but it was still filling, and it had a savory taste. However, I hadn’t been here in a while. My new house was in the central district, but closer to the north, so I couldn’t constantly come all the way here. That being the case, I wanted to try something new.
And as I continued pondering over what to have, the barkeep’s daughter called out to me. “Um, excuse me!”
“Hm? Yes, what is it?”
If I remembered right, her name was Aida. She was a lively girl—her ponytail swayed behind her as she moved, and her large eyes reminded me of Kewlny. While I knew her name and face, we weren’t really acquainted to the point where she would strike up a conversation with me. Did she need something from this old man?
“If you’d like, we have a new item on the menu! Um, you seem to be having trouble deciding what to order, so...”
“Hmm, something new, huh?”
Aida’s shy words were irresistibly charming. A new menu item—a truly thrilling prospect. Baltrain had tons of restaurants and taverns, so it was natural for them to try and demonstrate some individuality in the scramble for customers. Having a unique selling point or two could bring in many more patrons.
“I’ll give it a try,” I said.
“Certainly!”
And here they were explicitly recommending it to me. What kind of a food lover could refuse? Aida accepted my order and pattered off to the kitchen happily. Oh man, I’m suddenly looking forward to this. It would be somewhat problematic if some giant meat dish came out, but the individual portions here weren’t that big. If anything, they seemed to prioritize quality over quantity, which was very gentle on the stomach for a man in his forties.
I sipped my ale for a while longer and finished my nuts. Just as I was wondering when my food was coming, Aida came up to me cheerfully with a dish in her hands.
“Thank you for waiting!”
“Oooh...”
A golden glow glimmered beneath a cloud of steam as a rich scent wafted my way.
“Risotto, huh? It looks great.”
Judging by the smell and appearance, it was a cheese risotto. The soft and tender grains of rice truly stimulated the appetite. I could see mushrooms and chicken in there too. Herbs garnished the dish, giving it some color and making it seem even brighter.
“All right, let’s dig in.”
I scooped up some rice. The melted cheese coiled around the spoon and dripped back down slowly. Oh man, I haven’t even had any and it already looks delicious. The barkeep was a great cook and this dish suited my current appetite perfectly.
“Nom... Oh, that’s hot.”
I took a bite. The piping hot rice came apart gently on my tongue, and the umami from the rice, mushroom, chicken, and cheese flooded my palate, instantly turning the inside of my mouth into a land of paradise. The flavors had melded exquisitely. It was smooth, but the rice still had the proper bite to it—the perfect al dente.
Mmm, this is terrific. The rich aroma of cheese stimulated the appetite but didn’t leave an aftertaste. It was so refreshing. What was more, the scent of olive oil was hidden deep within the flavor profile. The quality of ingredients in Baltrain’s restaurants was really high—in this dish, the cheese and olive oil didn’t have a strange scent, showing just how fresh the ingredients were.
Yup, this is great. The flavor was rich but not heavy. The chicken had been cut into small pieces and was fall-apart tender, so it was easy to scoop some up and chow down.
“Mmm, fantastic.”
I blew on the risotto to cool it down and shoveled it into my mouth. This time, I tasted some of the garnishing herbs, which added a crisp saltiness and bitterness. The dish had been designed so that you wouldn’t get tired of it.
“Mmgh... Pwah.”
Also, cheese went great with ale. Even washing away the taste of risotto lingering in my mouth brought me a wave of pleasure. I couldn’t get enough of it.
“Whew, now that was a meal.”
There hadn’t been much in the bowl, but the flavor was rich, so it was satisfying. On that point, this dish had been perfect for my current appetite. I doubted that anything else could’ve been so satisfying.
“Ah, how was it?” Aida asked as I finished.
“It was wonderful. This’ll definitely sell. Thanks for recommending it.”
I hadn’t been sure what to pick, but her choice had been right on the money. I’ll have to come out here again when I have the chance and sample more of the barkeep’s skills.
Content with my response, a brilliant smile highlighted Aida’s idyllic features. “Heh heh heh, that’s good!”
Yup, what a perfect smile. My senses were out of whack after constantly spending time around beauties like Allusia and Selna, but a homely girl like Aida was nice too. Not that I was planning to hit on her or anything...but if I was going to start a family, I felt like I would have good compatibility with a family-oriented woman like her.
I’d been on pins and needles ever since the escort mission had started, and my anxiety had only grown during the banquet at the palace. But now, all that was coming undone. Having a meal in a comfortable place really did soothe the soul, and eating something stupidly expensive wasn’t always the best choice.
I savored the last of my ale, taking sips little by little. After a while, the barkeep spoke up from behind the counter.
“Hi there! Sure has been a while.”
“Ah, hello,” I replied. “Yeah, I moved recently.”
It was nice that they remembered me, even though I was no longer a regular. Maybe that was one of the secret charms of this tavern.
“Aida was worried,” he said. “She’s been saying that she hasn’t seen you around lately.”
“Ha ha ha, thanks for the consideration.”
I’d come here quite often during my stay at the inn. But after moving in with Mui, I’d stopped coming out here all that much. I felt a little guilty for causing them concern.
“Please continue to favor us with your patronage,” he added.
“Of course. Today’s risotto was exquisite.” Maybe I could bring Mui here next time. I was sure the flavors would suit her too. “I’m off, then. Thanks for the meal.”
With that, I left my seat. I didn’t often have rice, but it was pretty delicious. And it’s a food you can stew... Maybe it would be fun to try making some with Mui.
“Ah, thank you very much!” Aida called out as I reached the door.
“Mm. The risotto was great.”
In general, the barkeep made all the food here—his wife helped out, and their daughter dealt with customers. I wondered whether Aida did any cooking. I was nothing more than a customer, so I didn’t really want to ask, but if things went smoothly, she was probably going to inherit the place. A part of me wanted to try a meal made by Aida.
“An heir, huh...?”
That turned my thoughts in another direction. My dad and Randrid were currently taking care of the dojo, but I was technically the dojo master. If my dad hadn’t driven me out, I would probably still be running the place.
“Hmmm...”
An heir... An heir... It didn’t feel quite right to just hand it off to Randrid. I really want it to go to the next generation of my family. That meant my child would be inheriting, though it wasn’t right to make Mui do it. Besides, she was sure to refuse and I didn’t want to tie her down to a village in the middle of nowhere.
I’d met so many people since leaving the village. Nevertheless, I couldn’t bring myself to touch the topic of marriage or heirs. I knew only that my child would inherit my sword. I was aware that I doted on Mui like crazy, so it was easy to predict how I would act around a child of my own making.
“This is rough...”
My former pupils like Allusia and Selna idolized me. However, I couldn’t really see any of them as my future partner.
“Can’t an encounter with a wonderful woman just fall into my lap?”
I knew this was wishful thinking, but after having lived for so many years, I had no idea how to go about this. God only knows, so they say. Besides, even if an encounter did just fall into my lap, it would be meaningless if I didn’t notice it. I didn’t feel particularly impatient about this, but now that I was living with Mui, the thought crossed my mind every now and then. Maybe I was at fault for only thinking and not doing anything about it.
“Well, it’ll work out one way or another...”
I felt like I’d muttered those words before, but that was the simple truth. I didn’t feel it necessary to seek out a partner, so I had no choice but to leave myself to the whims of fate. For better or worse, I was far closer to the center of the world in Baltrain than I’d been during my time in Beaden. But do I even want that life? I’m not sure...
“Right, time to head home.”
I’d told Mui about having dinner at the palace, so she probably wasn’t waiting for me with an empty stomach. Still, because of my stop at the tavern, it was getting pretty late. I didn’t want to worry her too much, so I decided to hurry back.
Heading to my own home instead of to an inn lifted my spirits. I felt a warmth that I hadn’t experienced during my early days in Baltrain. Still, it was only going to last until Mui graduated from the magic institute and set off on her own. I hadn’t decided what to do after that. If I didn’t find a spouse by then, would my solo lifestyle pick right back up?
So, I continued walking down the streets. Someone was waiting at home for me, and I felt both blossoming happiness and a bit of loneliness at the prospect.
My footsteps were a little lighter than they’d been during my early days in Baltrain.
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