第９１０堀：町の様子 (Part2)
As they offered their greetings, Queen Miyabi and Lord Gaul approached, accompanied by Steve, who was serving as their escort and monitor.
"Oh, Miyabi-san, Gaul-san, and Steve-san, welcome. You’ve come again today, I see."
"Indeed. Mean-dono’s cooking brings back fond memories, you see."
"Yes. It reminds me of my own days of travel. This is a fine establishment."
"And so, I’m asking for the usual today," Steve said, handing some coins to Mean-san and letting her prepare a selection for him.
"So, Yuki-dono and the others are here too. Is it lunch time?"
"That, and we’re also doing a bit of patrolling and taking a breather. We finally finished the paperwork."
"That is good to hear. Or perhaps, the real work is only just beginning?"
"Well, it’s a relief to have that hurdle behind us. But Miyabi-dono, Gaul-san, it seems you’ve taken a liking to Mean-san’s shop. How long has that been?"
"That is thanks to this young lady, Sherry, who recommended it to us."
"Ah, ahaha... S-Steve was leading the way, so I just invited them along. But I had no idea they were a Queen and a Dragonman..."
Sherry-chan looked incredibly apologetic as she spoke.
"There’s no need to apologize. Unless, of course, you did something rude?"
"I-I didn't!"
"Now, now, do not intimidate Sherry. There is no issue here. We have found a wonderful place to dine, and thanks to Sherry’s recommendations, we have been enjoying our tour of the town immensely."
"Indeed. Thanks to her, we have discovered many hidden gems. Above all, the meal at the Laboratory Shop was superb. Ah, of course, Mean-san’s cooking is also a nostalgic delight. So, there was absolutely no rudeness involved."
Well, I knew there wouldn't be any real trouble. If something had happened, Steve would have handled it or contacted me immediately. I glanced at Steve, who gave a silent nod, confirming that everything was in order.
"In that case, it’s fine. Sherry-chan, thank you for everything. This is Gaul-san and the others' first time in this city, so I appreciate your help."
"It was just an invitation to a shop, though. Besides, Miyabi-san has been dropping by quite often lately."
"Indeed. Mean-dono and Geden-dono’s shop has become a regular haunt of mine. It was in that capacity that I was invited by Sherry while walking through town."
"I see. So you were already acquainted with Queen Miyabi?"
"Yeah. I’ve been on good terms with Miyabi-san for a while now. That’s why I called out to her, even though Gaul-san and the others were there."
I see. So Sherry-chan wasn't exactly fearless; she was just interacting with someone she already knew. Queen Miyabi must have met her while visiting Weed and enjoying the sights. Usually, I’d be worried about a Queen wandering around alone, but since her in-laws keep showing up regardless of the consequences, I’ve long since given up on trying to stop her.
As we were talking, Mean-san finished plating the food onto wooden dishes.
"Alright, alright. Why don't you continue the conversation while you eat? Sherry, go ahead and serve them."
"Coming!"
Sherry-chan skillfully carried the trays and distributed them to us.
"Here you go. Today, we’re serving some country-style cooking from our hometown."
On the trays were a luxurious soup filled with chunks of meat and vegetables, along with a piece of roasted meat on the bone.
"There were so many talented adventurers in our town, so whenever we had a celebration, we’d always use a massive amount of monster meat."
Ah, right. When Mean-san talks about her town, she means the one Mauve and the others came from. That makes sense. Still, it smelled delicious.
"Well then, let’s dig in. Are there any seats open?"
"Um, there are some open over there."
Following Ria’s gaze, I saw a spot where our large group could fit. Surprisingly, there was plenty of space in the dining area. Well, we had designed it to be spacious enough to handle crowds and provide a place for people to rest, so I suppose it worked out.
"Alright then, Mean-san, keep up the good work at the shop."
"Yes, thank you. Let me know if you need more; there’s plenty left."
"Indeed. I shall take you up on that if the need arises."
"Yes, please do."
And so, we began our lively lunch together. The town of Weed seemed to be buzzing with the excitement of a festival. You could call it the Olympic season—or perhaps think of it as a week-long summer festival, or the grand opening of a massive theme park.