Chapter 9 - Syr's gaze
It was a stone building like the others in the neighborhood, with a second floor extending toward the back. If there was any difference, it was that this pub was several times larger than the others.
Its location, close to Babel, could undoubtedly attract the greatest number of adventurers looking to devour meat and wine after a long day of fighting.
It was a golden zone.
Without the support of a powerful force, it would be difficult to hold such a prime spot with money alone.
Perhaps this was why the pub dared to remain open after all the others had closed.
Anyway, as long as I can get a meal, it's fine.
But when Noah walked into the establishment, he saw waitresses already clearing tables and sweeping the floor.
There wasn't a single customer in the pub.
Don't tell me I'm that unlucky.
"Just one, adventurer?"
As Noah was lamenting his luck, a soft voice came from behind him, causing him to turn around slowly.
It was a human girl wearing a light green vest dress that reached below her knees, with a white apron tied around her waist.
Her long, light-gray hair was tied into a bun at the back of her head, with a tail hanging down.
Paired with a lace hairband, she looked every bit the part of a restaurant waitress. Her face was fair and delicate, and her gray eyes, the same color as her hair, looked innocent and cute.
"Um, adventurer, have you just returned from the Dungeon? You seem seriously injured. Did something happen?"
Noah looked at the girl again and instinctively felt that something about her was a little strange, but he didn't have the energy to think about it now.
"Are you still open?"
"Ah! Of course! But there might not be much food left. Adventurer, what would you like to eat?"
Under the girl's guidance, Noah sat down at an uncleared table by the window.
He opened the cloth pouch full of money and, without counting, grabbed a handful and put it on the table.
"Please bring me whatever you can, but keep it light. The meat should be stewed, not grilled. No alcohol in the dishes. Also..." Noah fell silent for a moment and looked away from the girl's curious gaze.
"Do you have any desserts?"
The girl turned and gave an apologetic smile to the other waitresses, who were frantically shaking their heads and clasping their hands in protest behind her.
"Well, there seem to be a few servings of caramel pudding, honey cake, and strawberry yogurt..."
Noah interrupted before she could finish.
"Bring all of it."
The girl's eyes widened instantly, and she looked at the boy in front of her with surprise and suspicion. "Eh? All of them? There are more than ten servings."
"Yes, all of them. If the money isn't enough, I can pay the difference."
Seeing Noah's resolute expression, the girl nodded, though she was still a little hesitant.
"Well, would you like something to drink, sir? Our red wine and mead are both very popular. We also have one that starts out cold but has an incredible kick after you drink it..."
"Do you have any other drinks?"
"Well, there's lemonade, mixed juice, and bottled spring water."
"Just juice."
The girl glanced at the boy in front of her again. Although his pale face had a hint of childishness, he had to be at least sixteen or seventeen, right?
He was covered in blood and had a cold temperament, yet he loved sweets and didn't drink alcohol... How should she put it? Unexpectedly cute?
"Then, please wait a moment, sir."
The girl pursed her lips to suppress a smile, maintained a sweet expression, and slowly retreated.
Soon, a large pot of steaming stew, noodles covered in a bright red gravy, seven or eight other dishes, a vegetable salad, and the desserts were served.
This was obviously not an amount an average person could eat, and Noah, being tall and thin, didn't look like someone with a large appetite.
But for adventurers, a big appetite was normal, so the girls were no longer surprised.
Noah picked up the light green juice, took a sip, then put it down and took the potion from his pocket.
Through the gorgeous transparent bottle, he could see that two-thirds of the colorful liquid remained.
He had used the other third in the Dungeon to recover from his external injuries and regain some magic power; otherwise, he never would have escaped that damn place.
As for why he didn't drink it all to heal his internal injuries, there was another reason.
He opened the bottle cap with a serious expression, and a strong medicinal smell hit him, almost making him gag.
Even though this potion had a powerful recovery effect and a beautiful color, its taste was utterly disgusting.
It was not only bitter but also sour, salty, and even sickeningly sweet and astringent. It felt like your soul was about to leave your body after just one sip.
I heard they make potions taste this bad on purpose to stop people from drinking them for fun... but I think it's just laziness!
Taking a deep breath, Noah tilted his head back and drank the remaining potion in one gulp.
Then, before his tongue could react, he grabbed the juice and swallowed it in large gulps to wash the taste away.
After breathing for a long moment, Noah finally sighed in relief and began to eat voraciously.
In the back kitchen of the tavern, the waitresses hid behind the door, peering at the only guest in the main hall. They laughed and discussed him in low voices.
"Hey, did you see that? He drank that potion like a little kid taking medicine."
"And he's already eaten three servings of cake and two puddings. He seems to like sweets more than most girls."
"Oh my, he looks so cold on the outside, but he's actually so childish. I wonder if he just came to Orario from his hometown. He must get lonely at night... what a delicious-looking little thing, hehe."
"Hey, Syr, what do you think?"
The girl, who had been observing the lonely figure, was caught off guard when her companions turned their attention to her, and her eyes widened.
"Eh? What?"
"Honestly, Syr, stop playing dumb. You've been staring at him this whole time. Could it be...?"
"What? Don't be ridiculous! Hurry up and get back to work, or Mama Mia will be mad when she gets back!"
"Syr is always changing the subject!"
After Noah had eaten and drunk his fill, the plates on the table were stacked as high as his seat.
As expected, he had spent a lot of money, and his pouch was now half empty.
However, he was quite satisfied with the food, so the slightly higher price was acceptable. He even had some more food packed to go.
"The customer has a good appetite! I should be able to get an extra bonus from this!" the girl said.
Her deliberate cleverness, coupled with her delicate face, wasn't off-putting at all. Instead, it was rather charming.
But Noah only gave her a passing glance before looking away.
"Are there any facilities like libraries or book archives in the city?"
Hearing this question, Syr looked at Noah intently, then put her slender, white fingers to her lips as if thinking.
"Well, from what I understand, the largest one is probably the great libraries in the eastern district. They're confident that they have a copy of every book in the world!"
Having gotten his answer, Noah nodded and stood up. "Thank you very much."
Looking at the lonely back of the silver-haired boy as he slowly disappeared into the rainy night, Syr couldn't help but tilt her head.