CH 245

Episode 245 – Full Course 

A week had passed since the review meeting about the overnight Dungeon attempt. We had reduced the amount of baggage as much as we could and were on our way down to the 20th layer for the second time. It was still early in the day, but it was looking like we were on track to making it past the 20th layer.

During this time, I had been able to replenish my dwindling stocks of Powder Bombs and Sticky Traps and stock up on other potions. Since we had had a thorough meeting about the Boss on the 23rd layer the day before yesterday, we had planned to start clearing beyond the 20th layer right after a day of rest.

We had already finished doing all the Dungeon-related shopping that needed to be done yesterday, so today I was planning to focus on recovering my stamina. But I didn’t just plan on resting; I needed to talk to Tobias as well as improve my abilities via Magical Grass.

Since my discussion with Tobias would take place in the afternoon, I leisurely went about my morning routine and headed towards the dining hall to have my first nice meal in a while.

Recently, I had always had a bento prepared for me, so it’d really been a long time since I had gone to the dining hall to sit down and have a meal like this. Yesterday, when I told the inn owner, Ruth’s mother, that I was going to be eating in the dining hall for once, she eagerly insisted on bringing out her best, so I was really looking forward to breakfast.

“Ah, Lewin-san! Good morning. Please sit here!” (Ruth)

“Good morning, Ruth. You sure it’s alright to sit here…?” (Lewin)

Upon entering the dining hall, Ruth, who was setting the tables, noticed me and greeted me right away. She pulled me by the hand and started guiding me towards not my usual seat, but to a larger table that gave off a more extravagant vibe.

“Yes! It’s been a long time since you’ve eaten in the dining hall, so we’ve prepared a rather fancy meal for you today to make it worth your patronage!” (Ruth)

“No, no, no! I’m really grateful for you guys always exclusively preparing bento for me and even going out of your way to make Dumbbell Weed Curry for me, too. Just a regular meal would be fine!” (Lewin)

Ruth eventually returned from the kitchen, carrying a tray with food on it.

“Thanks for waiting! We weren’t sure how it would be having it first thing in the morning, but it’s a full course menu! Please eat up and feel better!” (Ruth)

“Uwaah… it looks so delicious!” (Lewin)

The food brought over consisted of a beautiful red beef stew with fluffy white bread, a dish with vegetables rolled and wrapped in a clear skin, along with a thick, juicy steak. It was served with a glass of orange juice and also a roll cake as the dessert. As Ruth had said, they had truly brought me a grand full course meal.

“Mom said that she really went all out making this, so the food will definitely be delicious! Go ahead, eat up!” (Ruth)

“Thank you so much, I will help myself!” (Lewin)

After saying my graces before the meal, I slowly began to eat, savoring the delicious full course cuisine.

After I had finished eating, I made sure to thoroughly thank Ruth and her mother. I had a meeting in the afternoon, so I left Ponpokotei and headed for the Laudungeon Company. At the moment, it was still a bit before noon. Since I had arrived a little while before the arranged time, I was planning to brew some potions on the 1st floor.

I had already finished making the potions that we would be using in the Dungeon, so this time I was thinking of making Recovery Potions to drink each time I went home. In the end, I wanted to avoid having to directly eat Magical Grass, and I had a lot of Medical Herbs stored up. They were easy to preserve since they could be dried, but because they would suffer from a slight drop in quality, I had wanted to turn them into potions as soon as possible.

“Ara, Lewin-kun.”

Just as I was about to begin brewing potions, I heard the voice of someone calling out to me as they came down from the 2nd floor. When I looked up to see who approached me, I saw Juno standing there.

“Ah, Juno-san. I’ll be using the 1st floor for a bit.” (Lewin)

“Huhu, I can see that. Anyway… did you have an arrangement with Tobias-san today?” (Juno)

“Yes, that’s right… how did you know?” (Lewin)

“I had to look into some things for him. Before he meets you, Tobias is always like that.” (Juno)

As I thought, Tobias usually talked to me about the knowledge that he had gathered through research, not knowledge that he already knew. Just like Ruth and her mother, I only felt appreciation towards Tobias.

“So, are you brewing potions to kill time while you wait for Tobias?” (Juno)

“Yes. I was thinking of making potions until the afternoon.” (Lewin)

“Ah! Then that’s perfect. Would you mind keeping me company until you have to meet with Tobias?” (Juno)

Welp… Just as I was about to brew some potions, I happened to receive an unexpected invitation.

I wanted to refuse, thinking about the Medical Herbs that I had saved up, but I had already told her that I was killing time; it was extremely difficult to turn her down. My mind operated at full speed as I stewed over what to do. After a while of thinking, I concluded that it would be better to be on good terms with the people at the Laudungeon Company, so I decided to accept her invitation.

“……Uhh, yes. I’d be happy to…” (Lewin)

“Based on your reply, it doesn’t look that way. But if you’ll keep me company, then it’s fine, I guess. Let’s go to a shop nearby.” (Juno)

“Got it.” (Lewin)

As I slowly followed after Juno, we arrived at an old, rundown cafe in the middle of a dead shopping district. However, the interior of the shop was filled with the wonderful fragrance of coffee, and, unlike its outer appearance, the atmosphere was quite good.

“Welcome. What can I get you?”

“Is hot coffee alright?” (Juno)

“Ah, yes. That’s fine.” (Lewin)

“Then, two hot coffees please.” (Juno)

“Certainly.”

After the smartly dressed waiter had received our order, they returned to the counter, placing beans into the coffee maker as they started to brew coffee.

While I listened to the sound of the coffee bubbling as it brewed, I started thinking that it really resembled making potions, when Juno suddenly started talking.

“We’ve been crazy busy lately. Ever since that article about you was published, our newspapers have begun to fly off the shelves. We had to put all of our writers on deck.” (Juno)

“I-Is that so? It’s good that you’re able to get help.” (Lewin)

“When Tobias first brought you along, I thought that you were just a kid… I guess I was blind,” Juno muttered with a vague expression of dissatisfaction, just like at the time when we had first met. She had always been very assertive in coming to talk to me, so I thought she had the same evaluation of me as Tobias did. I had no idea she had thought of me that way.

“Ha, hahaha… So what did you want to talk to me about?” (Lewin)

“Hmm. Let’s wait until the coffee gets here.” (Juno)

Until the coffee arrived, a period of silence ensued, making me feel extremely uncomfortable. Juno was looking at me as if she was examining me, and I couldn’t veer the topic in a different direction, partly to do with the fact that I was naturally bad at it.

As I waited, I offered a prayer to the heavens that the coffee would arrive even one moment sooner. And at long last, the waiter came with the coffee.

“This shop is old, but the coffee here is superb.” (Juno)

I saw Juno smile for the first time as she drank the delicious coffee. I followed suit and took a sip, savoring the flavor of the coffee.

“It really is good! Coffee is not really my thing, but I can kind of tell that the flavor has depth, or something like that.” (Lewin)

“Huhu, I’m glad that you like it. Anyway― let’s cut to the chase. What I wanted to talk to you about, Lewin-kun, is the Demon King’s ‘attacks’ that have been occurring in various places.” (Juno)