After discussing and finalizing the working conditions with Rea and Fia, we decided on a schedule where Fia would work from noon to the evening with adequate rest days. Since Rea would be returning to her job in a few days, I reduced Fia's pay from one gold coin (which was too much) to five silver coins per day—still a generous amount for a child working half-days.

Later, I invited Rea to join us for dinner with my adventurer friends, but she declined, citing her not-yet-fully-recovered health. Instead, I left her with some fresh fruits I had bought as a get-well gift and departed with Fia.

"Your mom is really kind," I commented.

"Yes, she is!" Fia replied with a bright smile.

When Fia and I arrived at the agreed meeting spot, Roya and the others were already there.

"Hey, Tetsuya, over here!" Roya called out.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," I apologized.

"No worries. We just got here too," Roya reassured. He turned to Nicole.

"Go ahead, Nicole."

Nicole nervously approached Fia and bowed. "Fia, I'm so sorry about last time! I got a little too carried away, but I promise not to scare you again. Will you forgive me?"

"It's okay, Nicole. I wasn't scared at all!" Fia replied cheerfully.

"Fia, you're not only adorable but so forgiving too! Okay… deep breaths… I won't make the same mistake again!" Nicole said as she seemed to steel herself against some invisible struggle.

We decided to head to the restaurant. Interestingly, it turned out to be the inn where I was staying.

With limited options in the city and the adventurer's guild cafeteria often overcrowded and unsuitable for children, we opted for the inn's dining area. The food was decent, the place wasn’t too busy, and it felt cozy enough.

"Excuse me, can we have a table for five?" I asked.

The innkeeper, a friendly middle-aged woman, greeted me warmly. "Oh, Tetsuya, quite a group you have today! Sure, take that table over there."

"Thank you," I replied, and we all sat down.

"Cheers!" we all exclaimed as we clinked wooden mugs filled with fruit juice.

We indulged in a feast of hearty dishes, including wild boar stew, hare rabbit soup, grilled skewers, and roasted fish.

"This is really tasty!" Roya exclaimed.

"Yeah, way better than the food at our inn," another adventurer chimed in.

"Delicious!" Fia added.

The innkeeper, a burly man with a warm smile, seemed delighted at the compliments. "Glad you folks like it! Makes cooking worth it."

The conversation flowed as we enjoyed the meal. Fia shared that most customers at my shop were kind, and even when she made mistakes, they were forgiving. I recounted how some customers even came back to thank us for items like compasses, which had proven incredibly useful.

As the dinner went on, I learned more about my companions. Roya and his group were staying in budget lodgings in the lower city. Despite the cheaper rates, they found the food less enjoyable. However, they assured me the area was safe enough, provided they kept their valuables close.

"By the way, Tetsuya," Roya suddenly remembered. "I brought the thing you asked for."

"Ah, thanks! I almost forgot about that," I said.

"But what do you need this for?" Roya asked, holding up a container labeled 'Water from the River' with a puzzled expression.