"This is pretty good—nicely spiced," I said, savoring the food.

"Yeah, the soup has a surprisingly rich broth," Rio agreed.

Thankfully, the cooking style in this world doesn’t involve throwing out the broth, as I’d once read in some light novel. This was my first proper taste of local cuisine—surprisingly good, though I had to admit it didn’t quite match up to my own cooking. But hey, I wasn’t going to complain.

"Ah, that was delicious. Thank you for the meal!"

"Thanks for the meal!"

The inn’s dining area was located on the first floor, to the right of the counter. To the left was a staircase leading to the upper rooms. As we passed by the counter on our way back to our room, the inn’s waitress, Anya, called out to us.

"Will you be using the bath tonight?"

"Oh, the bath, right…"

Rio and I had talked about trying out the public bathhouse today, but it was already dark, and it was a bit of a walk from here.

"Heading out now seems like a hassle. Let’s just use the one here."

"Sounds good. I’m pretty tired anyway," Rio agreed.

"Then it’s settled."

"Got it! I’ll prepare it for you."

"Thanks!"

"Today’s perfect for shopping!"

The next morning, Rio was in high spirits. Shopping with money and shopping while broke were clearly two very different experiences. Not that I could judge—I was equally hyped!

After breakfast, we stepped out into the sunny streets.

"Where should we go first?"

Overwhelmed by Rio’s excitement, I mentally reviewed our shopping list.

"Let’s start with the essentials. I want some throwing knives, spices, and maybe check out magic tools."

There hadn’t been any magic tools at the master’s house—she’d mentioned things like magic lamps and stoves, but we’d managed without them by using our own magic.

"Sounds good. There might be some interesting magic tools out there. Let’s hit the weapons shop first."

"Sure."

"Fifty throwing knives, huh? You sure you can carry that?" the shopkeeper asked, raising an eyebrow.

Oh, right. I’d forgotten about that. I’d realized we needed a bag back when we bought clothes, but somehow it slipped my mind.

"Would you like to buy a bag as well?"

"Yes, please," I replied without hesitation. This shopkeeper knew his trade.

Rio gave me a look of mild exasperation, but hey, it happens to the best of us. I left the shop carrying a leather backpack filled with knives. It was heavy, but manageable. Once we ducked into a side alley, I discreetly stored the knives in my dimensional box.

"Whew, much better."

We continued shopping, ticking items off our list. We stocked up on spices, dried meat, and other preserved foods. We also picked up some secondhand clothes—custom-made new clothes were too pricey and took time to make.

However, the rumor that women take forever to shop? Absolutely true.

"Let’s call it a day and check out the public bathhouse," I suggested as the sun began to set.

"Good idea."

Having anticipated the need, we’d already bought our own towels and soap. At the entrance to the bathhouse, we paid the fee—realizing that towels and soap cost extra here as well.

After parting ways with Rio, I entered the men’s section. The locker room had secure, key-locked storage, much like back in Japan. The bathing area itself was spacious and bustling with people, its atmosphere reminiscent of a Japanese onsen(TL/N: Hot Springs).

"This feels pretty familiar," I muttered, noting the setup. The main differences were the occasional elf with pointed ears and the vibrant hair colors of the bathers.

At the washing area, I turned the tap, which was a magic-powered device. Unfortunately, the water was lukewarm at best. After washing myself, I headed to the large bath but frowned.

"Ugh… debris floating around? That’s gross."

The public bathhouse definitely couldn’t compete with the higher standards of the inn’s bath. Before leaving, I used water magic to rinse myself off again, just to feel properly clean.

As I lounged in the dressing area afterward, Rio emerged from the women’s section. Her expression suggested she shared my disappointment.

"The inn’s bath is much better," she declared.

"Agreed."

The bath had been refreshing enough, but the experience overall left much to be desired. Sometimes, you really do get what you pay for.

"Let’s grab dinner somewhere nice before heading back," Rio suggested.

"Sounds good."

We found a fancy-looking restaurant and were seated in a private room. Here, fifteen-year-olds were considered adults, but I’d never had much interest in trying alcohol, so I didn’t bother ordering any.

We asked the server for the day’s special, which turned out to be a fantastic meat dish. The food lived up to the restaurant’s reputation, leaving us both full and satisfied. The bill came to 550 flons—a fair price for the quality.

"Another day of meat," I said with a chuckle. "Not that I’m complaining, it was great."

"True, but I think I’d like to try some fish next time."

"Good idea. Let’s look for a place that serves fish."

With that, we left the restaurant, our next small goal set.