Translator: Manga0205
「Nn……Yeah.」
「That was surprisingly fast.」
When Shion and Nino said that, Sharon showed her face from behind the out of breath Kain.
「A, actually, right from the beginning……we had made the minimum preparations……」
「Sharon! That"s supposed to be a secret……」
For the time being, Shion pretended like he didn"t hear that.
At most, it was decided by Luuty"s advanced preparations.
She probably had them prepare with the a.s.sumption that Shion would accept.
「Have you already eaten dinner?」
「Ah, no……」
「In that case, let"s have a meal while we do the strategy meeting.」
When Shion hit the table with his finger, Kain and Sharon looked at each other.
It seemed that they were a bit worried about what they should do, but they carried their luggage and came to the table that Shion and Nino were sitting at.
「Erーm……」
「Well then, is portions for two people good enough?」
Carol asked that with a smile to Kain and Sharon who were restlessly looking around looking for something.
「Eh? Ah, yes, erーm……」
「Otou-sa~n! An additional two people"s portions!」
Sharon made a puzzled face at Carol who called out to the kitchen.
「Eh? That just now was? Eh?」
「If it"s about a menu, there isn"t one.」
Shion said that, and then brought some Leris to his mouth.
What the two of them were looking for was a menu for the cuisine.
That was something that was commonplace in high cla.s.s stores like the ones on the main street, but there weren"t any menus in stores aimed for commoners that were in the back streets like this.
The cuisine made from the shopkeeper"s whim and the ingredients of that day were that day"s menu.
Having it said like that might make it sound irresponsible, but there was a part of it were it couldn"t be helped.
When it comes to small stores, offering the same menu every day would be difficult in securing ingredients, as well as the point of preserving them.
Using up ingredients while they are in season is part of the basics, and there was no leeway to do pointless disposal.
Going further, the price of ingredients also change every day. Even the Morol bird that was put out today, the price might suddenly jump up even more tomorrow, and if the price of oil were to go up, the meal wouldn"t be deep-fried food, but might be grilled or boiled food.
Because of that, in stores like this would use things like 「one person"s portion」 like just now, or 「something light」 or 「a lot」, and use a method of ordering that relied on feeling.
In a certain meaning, it is something that a store where maintaining a fixed quality is linked to their service can"t do, and is also one of their opposing points.
Even how it was possible to ask for 「another helping of Ringos」 like Nino had done earlier, that was a way of asking that was possible because there was no menu.
「I see……」
While Kain was a.s.senting to Shion"s explanation, Carol was steadily lining up plates with Kain and Sharon"s portions.
In the Steel Fish Store whose motto was "Always offer freshly made food", although it would take some time, it wouldn"t prepare food in advance.
Seeing the deep-fried Morol bird that released the fragrant aroma of fried food, Sharon leaked out an impressed voice while holding down her mouth with her hand.
「Now then, it"s fine while you"re eating so let"s have a talk.」
Placing his wooden spoon down on the table, Shion looked at Kain and Sharon who were sitting in front of him.
「First, about this job, I am thinking that the enemy is most likely several Ogres.」
Kain and Sharon kept silent and nodded at the words that Shion threw out.
Seeing their reactions, Shion thought that it was just as he expected.
「It appears that, you have heard the story from Luuty to a certain extent with that prediction included.」
「Eh, erm……」
Unlike Kain who was showing on a small bit of unrest, Sharon was fl.u.s.tered in an easy to understand way.
While thinking that Sharon had a cuteness to her as a student, Shion continued talking.
「If the circ.u.mstances are just as they are written on the request application, the situation probably isn"t that urgent.」
Was attacked by an Ogre……if that was the situation, then they wouldn"t have had the spare time to put out a request.
This was different from going against Goblins and secluding themselves away.
If they were attacked by an Ogre which could easily destroy something at the level of a simple wall, there is always only two paths to go down.
Either fight, or run.
Barricading oneself up against an Ogre, that was an impossible story unless it was in a castle.
Therefore, the situation where it was only 「discovered」 at present, it could be said that it was a step before that.
「That being said, this doesn"t mean that we can travel there at leisure.」
What was needed was, a means of travel.
Also, it had to be as fast as possible.
The situation could easily change at any moment.
It was perfectly possible that a single pebble thrown on a whim could turn the situation into the worst possible outcome.
「……In that case, there is no problem.」
Kain answered like that to the words that Shion threw out.
After placing the fork that poked into a piece of fried food onto the plate, he turned a smile overflowing in confidence at him.
「If it"s about transportation, then I"ve prepared something that will conform to the conditions that you seek at the highest level.」
The conditions that he sought.
That was to be fast.
To carry four people and their luggage.
And going even further, to not have a problem with going to the place where the Ogres were loitering.
After Shion confirmed those, Kain nodded that it was no problem just like he did before.
「What in the world did you prepare? You didn"t rent out an armored carriage, did you?」
Thinking of the horses and carriage covered with steel, and calling to mind something that could be called a tank, Shion asked that.
He said that with the meaning that anything was possible if it was Kain who was the son of a Baron House doing it but……Kain"s answer went even further above that.
「Negotiating with the headmaster, I borrowed an Earthworm.」