Chapter 251: 251 ... Mister. Four more beers.
Ian finished a quick organization of his remaining luggage and headed down to the first floor.
As dinner ti approached, the inn’s first-floor dining hall was packed with people.
Scanning the nearby tables, Ian spotted Mika waving her hand and walked over to join her.
Having spent ti on various errands, it was a bit later than their usual dinner hour.
Except for the Ian rcenary Group’s spot, everyone else was already in the middle of their als with food spread out before them.
As Ian took his seat, Rin waved toward the kitchen, signalining for the food to be brought out.
After ordering four dinner specials, Rin belatedly asked Mika.
"What’s on the nu today?"
"It’s bean soup."
"Ah... I’m not a fan of that."
Rin sighed as she caught glimpses of the dishes on nearby tables.
While the inn’s cooking wasn’t bad, it was always disappointing when they served a nu clearly designed to use up leftover ingredients.
On days like this, they would usually just grab sothing from a street stall outside, but since they had already gathered for a group dinner, they couldn’t exactly leave now.
Rin waited gloomily for the al to arrive.
A few brief words were exchanged once Ian sat down, but the conversation quickly ran dry, leaving an awkward silence.
Eyes t and darted away repeatedly as everyone remained tight-lipped in the heavy atmosphere.
"...."
Perhaps it was because of the accident during today’s mission.
The mood of the rcenary group was somberly subdued.
Tanya, in particular, kept her mouth shut while constantly glancing at Ian, convinced that everything was her fault.
Her behavior was so obvious that even Rin and Mika couldn’t bring themselves to chat comfortably.
Sensing the dark mood, Ian looked around at his mbers.
For an accident to have occurred during a mission, Ian actually felt quite good about the fact that there were practically no damages... but still.
For the rcenaries, including Rin, this was their first failed expedition.
They likely viewed it as a major blunder.
Addressing the hesitant rcenaries, Ian tapped on the table to gather their attention.
"It’s on , so order whatever you want to eat."
"...Really?"
"Yeah."
Rin, who had been staring down at the bean soup with somber eyes, looked up.
When Ian nodded, Rin carefully opened the nu.
She might have declined to be polite, but... today’s nu was bean soup after all.
Rin’s eyes quickly scanned down the list.
"Then... first, the atballs...."
"Rin. The others need to order too, so let’s take turns picking one each."
"Ah, right."
After deliberating over Ian’s instruction and picking a dish, Rin passed the nu along.
"I’ll have the grilled mixed mushrooms."
Mika took the nu and chose her usual favorite without much thought.
She imdiately handed it over to Tanya.
"Your turn, Tanya."
"Ah.... Anything is fine for ...."
"Just pick sothing quickly so we can order."
As Mika pressed the nu toward her, the shrinking Tanya finally took it and opened it up.
"W-well, then.... the extra-large fla-grilled steak set...."
"Mister! We’re ready to order!"
Once Tanya finished her timid order, the atmosphere at the table improved slightly, perhaps due to the anticipation of the food.
However, Tanya still had a cowed expression. Unable to join the conversation, she kept stealing glances at Ian and jumped in surprise when their eyes happened to et.
Ian, who had been watching Tanya intently, spoke first.
"How about you, Tanya? Are you hurt?"
"No.... I’m fine. Are you alright, Captain? Because of ...."
"Yeah. No need to worry."
Tanya, who hadn’t been able to bring it up earlier out of guilt, bowed her head cautiously toward Ian.
"Um.... thank you for helping ."
"It’s nothing. As long as you aren’t hurt, that’s enough."
...This dinner is suffocating.
Watching from the side, Rin finally couldn’t take it anymore and cut in.
"It’s over and done with, so let’s stop talking about it."
Yet, there was no sign of Tanya’s guilt fading.
If simply being told to stop was enough, things wouldn’t have been like this in the first place.
Rin eventually pulled out an extre solution.
"The mood is a bit down, so why don’t we have so drinks?"
"Drinks?"
"I don’t think we’ve ever all had a drink together like this."
Rin had only used this tactic once before, but so far, it had a 100% success rate.
It was her trump card for blowing away any interpersonal troubles.
"...Alright."
With Ian’s permission granted, four mugs were soon placed on the table.
***
The glasses were drained.
Dishes arrived, followed by several more orders of food.
As the empty mugs piled up, the stiff atmosphere at the table gradually loosened.
Mika, holding an empty glass, rambled on with a sowhat dissatisfied expression.
"So, I gave them all the allowance I’d saved up and bought the grimoire, but...."
Was this the fourth ti she’d told this story?
Knowing exactly how to handle soone like this, Ian cleanly ignored her.
Instead of Ian, Rin was nodding along and listening to Mika’s story.
Turning his head, Ian spoke to Tanya, who was sitting quietly in the corner, unable to join the conversation.
"Tanya. Don’t you want to eat more?"
"Ah, yes.... I’m okay. I’m full."
Looking up at Ian for a brief mont, Tanya slowly lowered her head again.
"I’m sorry...."
This was nearly her tenth apology.
With her eyes cast down, Tanya sighed softly and muttered.
"I can’t even fight, I shouldn’t have tried to be a rcenary...."
Listening to her, Ian suddenly beca curious.
He knew that Tanya had lived in a rural village.
But why had soone like her co all the way to Labyrinth to beco a rcenary?
Usually, rcenaries who co to Labyrinth are those who have a dream they want to achieve despite the risks, want to earn a fortune even if it ans putting their lives on the line,
Or possess grand goals that seem out of reach.
He couldn’t see any such reason in Tanya.
"Tanya, why did you decide to beco a rcenary?"
Tanya looked up at Ian’s question.
After a mont of thought, she picked up her half-full glass, drained it, and set it down.
"I... I had friends."
Tanya recalled the faces of her friends, still vivid in her mory.
The hand clutching the empty glass trembled slightly.
"They asked
to beco a rcenary with them, but I said no because I was scared."
You can make a lot of money working as a rcenary in Labyrinth.
If it’s there, wouldn’t we be able to save enough to open your shop in no ti?
Her friends from her hotown had made the suggestion, but Tanya had flatly refused.
Being a rcenary was sothing she had never even imagined for herself.
But one day.
Vowing to co back with money to set up Tanya’s restaurant, her friends left her behind and headed for Labyrinth.
Unlike Tanya, they were active and loved adventure. Eventually, it was bound to happen.
"After a few months, the letters stopped. I sent letters several tis first, but there was no contact, so I ca to Labyrinth myself...."
Labyrinth, a major city, was a place too harsh and unfriendly for Tanya, who ca from the countryside.
Tanya wandered through various parts of the city, searching for news of her friends.
"...Their nas weren’t anywhere."
No matter how large Labyrinth was, active rcenaries should have been easy to find if you knew their nas.
But if their nas couldn’t be found anywhere by now, there was usually only one reason.
Though the processes might differ, the end for most rcenaries was largely the sa.
With no one to rember them, and no one to pray for their souls.
Just a single red horizontal line crossing out a na on the guild’s roster.
That is how easily and futilely a rcenary vanishes from the world.
"...Talking about it makes
feel a bit better."
In stark contrast to Tanya’s face, which looked sowhat relieved.
The rcenaries at the next table, who had been eavesdropping out of interest,
And even the innkeeper, who made a hobby of listening to the stories of drunken guests,
All picked up their mugs in silence with expressions that said they wished they hadn’t heard that.
Tanya bowed her head.
Her face was reflected in the faint surface of the alcohol sloshing at the bottom of her empty mug.
"Would things have been different if I had followed them back then?"
Maybe her friends wouldn’t have taken on dangerous missions out of consideration for her.
Maybe she could have stopped them when a mission seed too reckless.
Maybe.
"I wish those guys could have t soone like you, Captain...."
Tanya collapsed onto the table and fell asleep right then and there.
"Captain. So I, from that swindler...."
"...Mister. Four more beers."
Ian had thought about stopping the drinking, but he simply picked up his glass again.
***
Ian lifted his heavy eyelids while lying in bed.
Vivid sunlight leaked through the gaps in the closed windows.
Beyond the poorly soundproofed walls, he could hear the noise from the streets and the bustling first floor.
Checking the ti, he saw it was well past his usual waking hour—it was almost lunch ti.
He had a faint mory of stumbling back to his room and collapsing onto the bed after sending his mbers back to their rooms at dawn.
Ian tried to get up, but his body felt as heavy as if it were waterlogged, and he couldn’t find strength anywhere.
A throbbing, hazy headache, distinct from a hangover, began to bloom.
"Haa...."
It was a cold.
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