"T-This is an incredibly grand inn..."

"I wonder how many times bigger it is than Fia's house..."

I completely understand why Angel and Fia are stunned. Without a doubt, this is the most luxurious and magnificent building I've seen since arriving in this world. The entrance is adorned with glittering decorations, practically radiating an aura that screams, "The poor are not welcome here."

The inn we were guided to by the Adventurers' Guild is apparently the best in this city. Normally, only nobles or wealthy merchants would be able to afford staying in a place like this.

"...But are you sure the Adventurers' Guild is covering all the costs? They won’t bill us later, right?"

The expenses for this journey are supposed to be fully covered by the Royal Capital’s Adventurers' Guild, but I never expected them to book such a high-class inn. I even offered to pay for my employees, but they insisted on covering that as well.

"Oh, there's no need to worry!"

"That’s how much the Adventurers' Guild appreciates Tetsuya. The compass that even works inside dungeons is worth this much."

Berna and Ferry reassured me, but as someone who has always lived frugally, this inn feels overwhelmingly extravagant. I'm used to camping or staying in cheap lodgings, after all.

We took the carriage to the inn’s designated parking area, and Ferry dismissed her summoned creature, Sleip. Thanks to Sleip, we were able to travel here at an incredible pace. Since he’ll be pulling the carriage again tomorrow, he deserves a good rest for now.

"...It's not just the exterior; the inside of the room is incredible too."

"Even I have only stayed in an inn of this level a handful of times."

"Of course, this is my first time. I don’t think there's even an inn this grand in Al-Flare."

The room we were shown after checking in was incredibly luxurious. The beds were far larger and softer than the ones I usually use, and the room itself was more than spacious enough for three people. Ornate decorations glittered everywhere.

The three men would be staying in this room, while the five women had a separate room next door. That room was probably just as extravagant, if not more so.

"If this is the standard here, we can expect tonight’s dinner to be amazing!"

"Yeah, I'm really looking forward to seeing just how good the food at an inn of this level is!"

We planned to have dinner tonight and breakfast tomorrow at this inn before departing from the city. Given how high-class this place is, I'm really curious to see what kind of meals they'll serve. I’ve been to an upscale restaurant in Al-Flare before, but this place might offer food that’s even better.

Ideally, I’d love to take my time exploring this city and trying out its delicious food, but our goal is to reach the Royal Capital, so we’ll be leaving tomorrow. Next time, I’d like to visit at a more leisurely pace.

"As expected of a luxury inn, the food was absolutely delicious."

"Yeah! It was so good that I'm completely stuffed!"

The food at this luxury inn was all top-notch. The meat, in particular, was leagues above wild boar—tender and bursting with juices with every bite. It might have even been as delicious as wyvern meat.

Now, after dinner, I was visiting the women's room for a bit.

"But honestly, I think Tetsuya’s cooking is better."

"I agree completely!"

"Ah, I feel the same way!"

"Thanks, but the credit for the seasoning doesn’t go to me. Still, it was great getting to try dishes I’d never had in Al-Flare before."

It made me happy that Ferry, Lilia, and the others said that, but the truth is, I rely on outdoor spice mixes, instant soup bases, and ramen broth for seasoning. The only thing I really made from scratch was the yakiniku sauce.

That said, the ingredients used in different cities seem to vary greatly. I saw meats and fish here that I’d never encountered in Al-Flare. The seafood, in particular, was a real treat since Al-Flare mostly only has river fish. It had been a long time since I last had seafood from the ocean.

"There were fish and shellfish dishes, too. Does that mean there’s a sea nearby?"

"Yeah. It’s in a different direction from the Royal Capital and Al-Flare, but there's a city called Ibral near the ocean."

As expected, Lange, who has traveled extensively, was familiar with the geography around here.

"Ibral, huh? Angel and I went there on a trip once."

"Yes, several years ago. We visited on a trip and, since it’s a port town, the fresh seafood was amazing. The food today was just as delicious."

"Oh, so there's a coastal city nearby. I bet they have lots of great ingredients. We can’t visit this time, but maybe we could take a trip there another time."

"Yeah, traveling together to different places is a lot of fun."

There are probably plenty of delicious seafood ingredients there. It might be worth visiting at least once. And as Lilia said, traveling with a big group and enjoying good food together is really fun.

This time, we’re focusing on getting to the Royal Capital and back, but maybe after a while, I can take a break from running the shop and go on a trip with everyone to different places.