“Ah, Lange-kun, right? Of course, I know of you.”

“It is an honor that you know of me.”

“Well, I make it a point to know about those around my major business partners. Besides, as a solo B-rank adventurer, your name is well known. I may be the Adventurers' Guild Master of the royal capital, but I can’t possibly remember every adventurer. However, I do make sure to keep track of high-ranking adventurers active in this area.”

…Wait, isn’t that already impressive enough?

I don’t know exactly how many high-ranking adventurers are in this region, but there must be more than just a few dozen. The fact that Ruhail, despite being a woman, holds the position of the Adventurers' Guild Master of the royal capital must be due in part to her outstanding abilities.

“As expected of Ruhail. We didn’t have the opportunity this time, but I would love to speak with you personally the next time I visit the royal capital.”

Lange was speaking in an extremely polite manner…

Since Lange is a handsome elf, his gentlemanly demeanor really suits him.

“Hmm… I see. Yes, I would be pleased if we could talk the next time you visit the royal capital.”

“Thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

Lange bowed and turned on his heel, acknowledging Ruhail’s words, whether they were sincere or just a formality. Even as a fellow man, I have to admit—handsome guys are just unfair.

At least it looks like he didn’t do anything rude to Ruhail. …No, of course, I trusted Lange all along!

“Man, I never expected the Adventurers' Guild Master, Ruhail, to be that beautiful in person!”

With Ruhail seeing us off, we were now on our way back to Al-Flare, with Ferry’s summoned Sleip pulling the carriage, just like on the way here. Lange seemed to have returned to his usual way of speaking.

Now that I think about it, I never really told Lange or Dolph about Ruhail’s appearance—or, more specifically, her ample chest.

“Indeed, the Guild Master is a very beautiful woman. And yet, she remains unmarried, which many in the royal capital find quite surprising.”

“She’s competent at her job, incredibly beautiful, and has a great figure… I’m jealous.”

Apparently, Ruhail is still single. Even from the perspective of fellow women like Berna and Ferry, she is exceptionally beautiful.

…Wait, does that mean Ferry is self-conscious about her own chest size?

“No, no, Berna and Ferry are even more popular, you know! Both of you are A-rank adventurers and beautiful, so it makes sense. When we walked through the city together, I could feel the glares of a ridiculous number of men.”

Lange immediately followed up with a compliment. I have to admit, being able to say things like that so casually is something I envy.

“It was intense in Al-Flare as well, but the royal capital was on another level. You two were really popular.”

“Fufu, thank you for your kind words. High-ranking female adventurers are quite rare in the royal capital.”

“They were probably just curious.”

No, those stares were definitely not just out of curiosity…

There was actual malice in their eyes. Hardcore fans in this world are seriously terrifying…

Now that I think about it, we really were being protected by two incredible individuals.

“Ah, I can’t wait for our next trip to the royal capital. It’s such a shame that it’s so far away and not somewhere we can visit often.”

It seems Lange really liked Ruhail. As for me, since Lange helps out at the shop for about half the month, having the royal capital far away is actually a relief.

“Wow, this is delicious! The slight saltiness goes really well with the rice!”

“This rice has a subtle sweetness and a savory aroma. It’s really tasty!”

“This is called grilled rice balls, made using rice from my homeland. It’s simple but delicious.”

After traveling for some time since leaving the royal capital, we had stopped to let Sleip rest while we enjoyed our lunch. Today’s meal consisted of instant rice with soy sauce and miso-based grilled rice balls. They are simple, but grilled rice balls are the perfect way to enjoy the flavors of soy sauce and miso.

At the royal capital, I was able to acquire various spices and seasonings that weren’t available in Al-Flare. Among them, I found a soy sauce-like product and a miso-like product made from this world’s beans.

It’s too much trouble to keep saying "soy sauce-like" and "miso-like," so from now on, I’ll just call them soy sauce and miso. I had been looking forward to using these two seasonings, and it was nice to see Fia-chan and Angel enjoying the grilled rice balls.

“This soy sauce definitely tastes different from fish sauce. It has a much lighter flavor—I prefer this.”

“That’s right. As Dolph mentioned, soy sauce is made from beans, so it has a lighter taste. Fish sauce, on the other hand, has a distinct smell that some people dislike.”

Fish sauce is made by fermenting small fish with salt, so it has a unique aroma and a strong saltiness. That being said, some people enjoy that scent, and I personally prefer it when making stews.

“This miso stuff is really good too. Is it related to that instant miso soup we had before?”

“Oh, good catch, Lilia. That instant miso soup was made using this miso.”

The miso-based grilled rice balls were made by mixing miso with a bit of sugar and soy sauce, then spreading it generously over the rice balls before grilling them. Since they burn easily, you have to be careful when cooking them.

The nostalgic, sweet-salty flavor of these miso and soy sauce grilled rice balls is something that really resonates with Japanese people. Honestly, rice, soy sauce, and miso are the foundation of Japanese cuisine. On this point, I refuse to accept any objections!