Ihoujin, Dungeon ni Moguru

Chapter 150: A Respite From Adventuring XII

My work is done.

Rutsuko-san and the priestess will take care of the rest. There should be no need for aftercare.

If there's anything they need, I'm sure the priestess will be able to arrange for it. I've also asked the Zavua merchant company to help them out. Although Rutsuko-san is very shy, with Tyutyu as an intermediary, things should go smoothly.

And so,

I was relieved of my duties.

That's why I’m standing in line at the soup kitchen as just one normal person.

「Oh, Onii-chan! There are seats here! Over here!」

When I got to enter the spacious dining hall of the flame religion, my sister raised her hand from amid the crowd of people. I gave her a quick wave back then walked over to her.

The elven sisters and Lanseal were seated at the end of a long table.

I took the seat at the end. Rana was next to me, followed by Ea, and then Lanseal.

「Good work, dear. Are you tired?」

「I’m fine. But I’m going to sleep till noon once I get home」

I’ve made her worry. My sleepiness must be showing on my face.

「Souya, I've brought chopsticks, but would you like to use them?」

「Oh. Yeah, I’ll use them」

Lanseal handed me a pair of chopsticks. The three of them had their own chopsticks as well. And with all of them wearing their hair in ponytails, they were perfectly poised to eat ramen.

「Onii-chan, I've been really looking forward to enjoying authentic ramen. If it betrays my expectations, I'll play a really naughty prank on you」

「Ea, do you want me to yell at you?」

My younger sister's idea had angered her elder sister, but I'm curious about the prank.

………It's probably because I've been up all night.

「Ea, has Souya's food ever betrayed our expectations?」

「When he made me eat detergent, it definitely did though」

Are you still harping on that?

「Hey, Melm! There are seats here!」

Out of the crowd of people came Otou-san.

He took the seat opposite mine. Then, Rana's father sat down across from her, followed by the king of this country, who sat down opposite Ea.

『………………』

The women and I all fell silent at once.

The two fathers and the father of adventurers didn't pay that any mind and started to talk among themselves.

「But it's been a while, hasn't it? Since all three of us came here together」

Otou-san's breath reeked of alcohol.

「That was before the country was founded, so it's been more than 30 years, I suppose」

The king who was reminiscing about the past also reeked of alcohol.

「Was it that long ago?」

Even the king of elves reeked of alcohol.

「Have you three perhaps been drinking?」

『Yeah』

When I asked, they all answered in unison.

The women frowned at the overpowering smell of alcohol. As I had been up all night, it was tough for me to bear too.

「Well, you're not gonna believe this, Souya」

Otou-san put his hand around Melm's shoulders in a good mood.

「This king of elves here cooked up a meal for us lowly folk」

「Don't count me in as one of the lowly」

Ignoring King Lemuria, Otou-san continued.

「Wow~ It was quite the tasty dish. I wish you could have had some」

「Hmmm, what kind of dish was it?」

Did he come up with a dish that uses miso?

I'm intrigued.

「It was a dish with tomatoes, cheese, and the secret seasoning of the elves. It was laden with vegetables too. It was the kind of hearty dish where you put the whole pot on the table」

He copied my dish!

What's more, after copying it down to the last detail, he took credit for it!

「Lemuria here was scooping it up and eating it with bread. It was very lowly indeed」

「Medimu, haven't you said enough?」

Otou-san was in a strangely good mood. His usual sternness had disappeared without a trace.

「But to think that Alma had left that seasoning behind………I was deeply moved by its taste」

When Otou-san said that, I found it hard to rain on his parade.

「Onii-chan………」

「Ea, I get it, but for now, let's not say anything about it」

Ea and I looked at Melm with the eyes of a shoebill.[1]

Oh, he averted his eyes.

「Boooo」

My sister voiced her dissatisfaction. Rana and Lanseal went,『?』

「Then he mentioned that you're using Alma's seasoning in this ramen too. That being the case, we had to try it for sure. And so, we drank till dawn and then came here」

I don't get what that has anything to do with drinking all night, but Otou-san seems to be really happy right now, so I'll keep my mouth shut. Memories are important after all, I thought as I continued to stare at Melm with narrowed eyes.

I heard a buzz spread through the room like a ripple.

Looking around, I saw that ramen was being served to a table at the other end of the hall.

As we had discussed, the mikos worked carefully, safely, and without haste. Rutsuko-san, TyuTyu, and the priestess were also there lending them a hand.

A stir erupted at the sight of a dish everyone had never seen before.

「Lemuria」

「Umu」

Otou-san shot the king a look.

「By royal order, serve the ramen to――――――」

「Father, please stop」

The childish royal order was quashed by the king’s daughter.

「It can't be helped. They're just young beastkin girls, I'll can easily seduce one or two with a single―――――」

「You do that, and I'll send you flying」

The king of elves' daughter got angry at him.

His other daughter looked fidgety and unsettled. I squeezed her hand under the table and she gave me a strong squeeze back.

「Hey! Come on, serve this table first!」

「Otou-san! Wait your turn!」

I got angry at the father of the adventurer on behalf of all adventurers.

Even though there are fledgling adventurers here, he's acting like a complete drunk. I'll tell on him to the proprietress later.

After receiving a prayer from the priestess, those at the table at the other end of the hall started to eat the ramen. At the sound of the small cheers they made, I did a guts-pose in my heart.

The three ossans(old men) stood up and craned their necks to get a better look at the ramen.

Are you three prairie dogs or something?

「Come to think of it, Souya」

「………………Yes?」

When King Lemuria called my name, I deliberately put on a tense expression.

「I want to eat that bread called "Shoku-pan" every morning. Make it happen」

「I refuse. I can't make it anyway」

If I asked for some yeast, I can make it, but you can just eat the fluffy bread made with baking soda. That fluffy bread that's mere child's play, that is.

The fluffiness of Shoku-pan is strictly R18(18禁{kin}). After all, it may only be bread, but it comes in loaves{kin}![2]

「………………」

Crap, I definitely need to get some sleep.

「Umm, Father, Souya is an adventurer. Please don't tie him up too much with matters that have nothing to do with adventuring. If you go too far, you'll tarnish the good name of the king of adventurers」

In a soft voice, Lanseal backed me up with tremendous intensity.

「I've been wondering about this for a while now」

While stroking his stubble, Otou-san dropped a few words.

「Souya, how far has your relationship with Lanseal progressed?」

「Pfft」

I sputtered at the abrupt change of subject. It was a good thing I wasn't eating ramen yet.

「Not yet, Medimu-sama」

「Koff, koff」

Lanseal answered nonchalantly. Rana rubbed my back. However, both she and Ea had disapproving looks.

Umm, you know, this is………………I'm sorry.

「Perhaps it's not my place to say this, but being an adventurer is a profession in which you never know what tomorrow will bring. Don't make a woman feel regret」

Otou-san, you sound like you're saying something profound……

……but my wife and sister are right beside me, you know?!

「Souya, I'm ready whenever you―――――Fugyaa!」

「You shut up」

Rana had grabbed Lanseal's tail. When she twisted and dug her fingers into the base of her tail, Lanseal writhed wordlessly.

I've discovered her weak spot. A pretty potent one, at that.

The king ignored all that and changed the subject back.

「It can't be helped then. For the bread, I'll just have to ask for it in person………As I recall, it's Lutz, right?」

「Hmmm, so that's the name of the person who made that bread」

A predatory look appeared on the faces of both the king of Hemus and the king of elves.

「And what are you thinking of doing with that knowledge, Melm?」

「That bread sure was delicious. And I figure it might be interesting to have some fun with someone from the city once in a while」

Run, Rutsuko-san, run for your life.

Or rather, I'll nip this in the bud.

（Lanseal, Lanseal）

I pushed my chair back and whispered covertly to Lanseal, whose tail was still in Rana’s grip.

（Y, yes?）

（Do you see the people serving ramen over there? The one with the thick, wavy hair is the adventurer the kings are interested in. I was hoping you could extend some protection over this person whom I consider my friend and seems to be uncomfortable around kings）

（I understand. So I just have to protect that young man wearing a skirt from my father, right?）

What a complicated misunderstanding.

She may be more boyish than Bel, but she's still a girl.

「Here you go, thanks for waiting-nya」

While all that was going on, Tyutyu and the mikos had brought the ramen to our table.

「W, woah~」

Ea’s eyes lit up.

「This aroma………Could it be?」

For some reason, Melm had the biggest reaction.

「Dear me, it's been a while since I've seen the three of you together. Are you planning some mischief?」

The priestess put down bowls of ramen in front of the three fathers.

The priestess of the flame religion sure works hard. I hope she lectures these idiots who drank all night.

「………You've also grown old, I see. Even though you were so beautiful when you were young………」

「And you've remained a child, I see」

Melm's incredibly rude words were brushed aside lightly.

We were also served our ramen. A quick check showed that everything looked fine. Steam was still rising from the broth and the noodles were in excellent condition. Every bowl had the same amount of ingredients.

「Well then, everyone」

The priestess held up a lit lantern and intoned a prayer.

「May the blessing of the flames be upon all people on this earth. Let today's sustenance fuel the hopes for a better tomorrow, and the hopes for a better tomorrow fuel the passions to live till the eventual death that awaits. Until the day we die, we must live for the sake of living. If in doubt, move your body. If you’re unable to move, talk to your innermost heart. Each and every one of you have flames in your heart. Now………………please enjoy the meal」

The three idiots―――――correction, the two kings and the father of the adventurers sprang into action.

The priestess went to the next table while the fathers brought the broth to their mouths using the sporks.

「As I suspected, this broth tastes just like Toto's soup」

Melm was surprisingly excited about the broth.

「Ohhh, it does indeed. This brings back memories. I would always drink this soup at her store on mornings after a night of drinking」

King Lemuria's face brightened with nostalgia.

「Mmm, it's certainly delicious. And nostalgic. So delicious」

Otou-san was also drinking the broth with a smile on his face.

But in the next breath, he said something unbelievable.

「By the way, I've been wondering this for a long time as well, but which one of you is Tyutyu's father?」

『Huhhhh?!』

Ea and I both raised our voices at the same time.

Hey, please stop bringing up topics that have nothing to do with ramen.

「I wonder…… The shape of her nose is similar to mine though」

「I wonder…… Her eyes resemble mine, I feel」

The two kings peered at Tyutyu, who was a distance away, before tilting their heads and answering in unison.

『Honestly, no idea』

These bastards, should I run a DNA test and make them take responsibility, I wonder?

「But Medimu, there's also a possibility that you're her father, right?」

King Lemuria's words caused Otou-san to frown.

Wait a minute, Otou-san?! I always thought that you were the type of person who loved one woman wholeheartedly……

「I………there's no way, isn't it?」

「Do you really think I don't know anything? After the incident where blood was shed after I took Verxina from you, you stayed at Toto's place for a while. You can't expect me to believe nothing happened between the two of you」

「Well, yes, something did happen, but………………it was only the one time though?!」

So, something did happen, huh?

The women are looking at the three of them like they're trash. I don't want to be associated with them, so I should make sure to not follow in their footsteps.

Or rather, I've had enough of listening to ossans reminiscing about the past.

『Itadakimasu』

Rana, Ea, Lanseal, and I put our hands together in unison, then got ready to dig in with our chopsticks.

I slurped a mouthful of the broth.

Mmm, it tastes the same as the prototype we made.

The broth is rich and flavorful, with a perfect balance of saltiness and deliciousness. It's truly a perfect harmony of tastes. When I dissolve a little bit of the spicy miso in the broth, its spiciness accents the broth and gives it a different flavor.

The thick, curly noodles are firm and chewy, and feel good going down the throat.

As we had discussed, they had been left a little under-cooked, letting the heat from the broth cook them the rest of the way so that they have the perfect texture when eaten.

I have no complaints. This is a dish that won't disappoint anyone no matter where it's served.

Unable to bear it any longer, Melm told Ea off.

「Hey, Ea, I have questions about why you're eating using those thin sticks, but more than that, as an elf, no, as a woman, that unrefined way of eating will make it difficult for you to find a suitor, you know?」

「Haa~ You don't get it, do you? But it can't be helped, I suppose~」

Ea gave her father a heartfelt look of mockery.

「You see, the noodles of ramen, they're very much alive. Every instant that passes, they're absorbing the broth and changing their shape. You mustn't miss a single moment of their ever-changing lives. If you don't eat them like this, you'll never know their true taste. Hmpt, it seems that even the king of elves doesn't understand this, huh? It really can't be helped, I suppose~」

Ea looked down at her father with a look that greatly resembled his as she ate her ramen.

I wonder why this fun meal feels like it's never going to end.

Seeing this, Otou-san also tried slurping up some noodles.

「Hmm? It's more delicious this way……」

Seeing that, the other adventurers also started slurping up their noodles in imitation of him.

The dining hall was filled with the sound of people slurping noodles. There were some who frowned at the sound, but they soon forgot all about it as they concentrated on eating the ramen.

The first person to finish off the ramen was, as expected, Ea.

She lifted the porcelain bowl up with both hands and downed every last drop of the broth.

It may seem vulgar from the perspective of the people from this world, but her way of eating made it clear that she had enjoyed it very much. I think I can pull in some customers with this. I'll be sure to save the video.

「O, oh no」

Ea banged her fist on the table, making her emptied porcelain bowl jump into the air a little.

「What’s wrong」

Is there something wrong with its taste that I hadn't noticed?

「That, um, lump of spice」

「The spicy miso?」

「That's the one! What a blunder……… How could I have been blinded by its spiciness and mixed it all into the broth? I shouldn't have done that without tasting the broth's original flavor first. What a shame!」

My sister then stared intently at my ramen.

「Errr, you want mine?」

「Dear, are you sure?」

Rana got worried about me, but……

「I've already eaten a lot of it while taste-testing it. Ea, you can have it」

……all I want to do today is sleep.

「If you say so, Onii-chan, then I'll gladly eat it」

「Yes, thank you」

As I was handing my sister my bowl of ramen, that moment was taken advantage of.

「Then I'll have these richly seasoned vegetables. Even on their own, they seem like they'll go well with drinks」

Otou-san used his spork to stab the vegetables that were a substitute for bamboo shoots.

「But this sure is a useful spoon. To think that you'd attach a fork to it...... When you think about it, it's such a simple idea, but I would have never imagined doing such a thing」

He munched on some carrots as he expressed how impressed he was.

「Then I'll have the meat. To think that pork could be seasoned like this, I'm impressed」

King Lemuria took the chashu.

「As for me, let's see――――」

「AAH?」

Ea was harsh only to her own father.

She protected the ramen with all her might as she ate, not giving him have a chance to take anything. It was her second bowl, but she still ate it with the same gusto.

Rana and Lanseal were serenely slurping up their ramen at their own pace.

「Medimu, present me with more of this meat」

「Then, my king, give me all your vegetables in exchange」

「You two lowly Hemus over there, present me with your spicy miso. It was originally an elven product after all」

The three ossans were amicably divvying up their ramen.

Looking around, I saw adventurers, craftsmen, merchants, beastkin who lived hand-to-mouth, drifter mercenaries, boys and girls, men and women young and old.

All of them were eating ramen.

The children were given ramen with a little less spicy miso, but everyone else was eating the same food equally.

Yesterday, it was bean soup and hard bread. But today, it was ramen.

I felt an indescribable feeling welling up slightly inside me.

「Dear, it was very delicious」

「Yeah, thank you」

Nothing makes me happier than to hear you say that. Though I guess saying such a line in public is beyond me.

「As your wife, I'm proud of you. Making food that so many people are so absorbed in eating is something no ordinary person can do」

「………………Thank you」

Right then, just for an instant, I saw myself spending the rest of my life with my family here, running a ramen store.

Even though I'm an adventurer………somehow, I found myself thinking that a life like that might not be so bad.

Btw, I had suspected it when it appeared a few chapters ago, but the author wrote it in a way that was really unclear, so I put it as a set of fork and spoon to be safe, but it turns out it’s a spork. Why didn't the author just use the word for spork, I wonder…… Anyway, I apologize for the error and I’ve gone back and corrected it.

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[1] I really love how this author uses animals to describe the looks people are giving. It’s so hilarious and unique. Anyway, the shoebill stork has a very distinctive look, as you can see below. (pic courtesy of biologydictionary.net)

[2] Yes, it’s an incredibly bad pun. To be clear, the 禁 in 18禁, which means R18, and 斤, which means loaf, are both pronounced the same.

Prairie dogs are a species of ground squirrel that’s kinda famous for how they stand up to get a better view. (Pic courtesy of bbc.com)

Remember me mentioning father figures previously? Yes, due to the way the women were looking at them with contempt, Souya has decided to not follow in their footsteps this chapter, but how will he do, I wonder? And who do you think Tyutyu’s father is? Keke. There is a definite answer to this one. It will be revealed………eventually.

But that ending……Souya has come so far in terms of relationships with other people, hasn’t he? He has so many people he cares about now… And that small piece of equality he brought to that world with his food… And despite how nice this chapter rounded things out, this still isn’t the end of the arc lol. So stay tuned for the final chapter of this long, long arc!