Next morning
As Souta and Dina told Antgar yesterday, they came to the gate with Ed to leave the dwarven country.
「Thanks for all your help, Antgar. Thanks to you, everything went smoothly.」
「That’s my words, thanks to you, I got good motivations. Also the gold and materials too. The next time both of you come, I will be able to make befitting equipment for you guys, so definitely come again.」
Antgar made a fist with his right hand and stuck it out in front of Souta, in his left hand was the dagger Souta handed to him. In response, Souta also made a fist and lightly bumped it with Antgar’s fist.
「Antgar-san, please treat me to your delicious tea again. I will also stock up if I happen to see some.」
「Oh, I will keep my eyes on more stuff too. Please come again.」
Antgar shook hand with Dina and answered her, who had a gentle smile on her face, with a smile on his own. Thanks to the conversation with his childhood friend, the words he received from Souta, and the subsequent challenge he gave him, he was rid of his doubt.
「Well, should we depart? Ed, it’s all on you now.」
「Hihin~」
Souta started to talk with Ed while stroking his head.
「Dina, get on. We’re going.」
「Understood.」
Souta got on the coachman’s seat and Dina got on the back of the carriage.
「Antgar, see you!」
Souta said his last farewell to Antgar, grasped the rein, then departed. Dina was waving to Antgar from the carriage. The carriage went on gently, and Antgar waved at it until it was out of sight.
「First of all, let’s go to the beastkin country. Let’s stop by Sylvan’s store before we go back to Tuula.」
「Yes! Let’s do that!! Ufufu, I’m looking forward to it.」
The two left the dwarven country. Hearing Souta’s suggestion, Dina’s face lit up with happiness.
Following that was the laidback journey back to the country of beastkin. They dealt with the monsters with Souta’s intimidation and Dina’s long-range attack and were able to return to the beastkin country without incident.
When they went to the same inn they stayed at before, the innkeeper still remembered the two and prepared the same room as the one they stayed in before so they could find it easily. Ed also liked the food and the bed prepared in this inn, he was resting in the stables, looking satisfied, probably because he was able to travel for the first time in a long time.
Souta and Dina went through the alley to get to Sylvan’s store, but as they got closer, they noticed something strange.
「Dina…… This is,」
「Right? It’s weird…」
It was still a labyrinth of alleys, with only a handful of buildings of any interest, and it had been deserted when they came before. But now, they had come across many passers-by so far. While wondering, they kept heading to the restaurant and were greeted with a surprising sight once they arrived.
「This, what’s this line for?」
「Err, excuse me, are you all lining up for Sylvan-san’s store?」
Souta stood there dumbfounded from the sight that was completely different from before, while Dina asked the customers in the line for confirmation.
「Hmm? That’s right. Isn’t it natural? This place has been very popular these days. It’s the too hidden well-known store.
「The too hidden…… It’s a strange and very on-point expression, isn’t it? Thank you.」
With a wry smile, Dina thanked the customer that answered her and returned to Souta’s side.
「Souta-san,」
「Ahh, I heard that. In the first place, the taste of their food was superb, so this is a natural result if the store sees the light of the day…… But still, it’s really crowded. What triggered this?」
「Let me explain that to you.」
The one talking to Souta and Dina was Rudredd, the minister of the beastkin country.
「Rudredd?」
「Yes, long time no see. We will be conspicuous here, come this way.」
The mere presence of the minister of the beastkin country was attracting a lot of attention, they decided to change location following Rudredd’s suggestion.
「Shall we enter here?」
It was a cafe near the restaurant. When they entered the store, they were guided to the seat by the window.
「I didn’t know there was a store here…… It’s rather new, is it built recently?」
Souta asked Rudredd while looking around the store.
「You’re correct. Since Sylvan-san’s restaurant got a lot of attention, there is more human traffic around here, consequently, the number of stores around also increased.」
「That’s amazing. It was deserted when we came here before, to think it would become this prosperous.」
Dina’s words of admiration made Rudredd look bitter.
「That’s, umm, that’s because we…」
「What are you trying to say?」
Rudredd told them the story of how they got to this point.
Before, when Souta and the others were organizing books, in addition to Rudredd, everyone who helped also took their lunch break at Sylvan’s store. After that, even after Souta and Dina left, they still continued to go to Sylvan’s store. Some of them brought their families on holiday. That family then told their acquaintances and friends, like that, the rumor spread by word of mouth.」
「Isn’t that fine? With that kind of taste, I can see how there is a line leading to the store. Besides, new stores like this one will open around here, which will lead to the revitalization of the area. So then, why do you look like that?」
Although Souta mentioned the good points, Rudredd didn’t look enthusiastic.
「It’s good that many customers come, but it seems that the capacity of that store has been exceeded and the burden on Sylvan-san and Zofi-san has become too much. And yet it opens every day, but I’m afraid the limit is approaching soon.」
「Ahh, there’s that too, huh? But you also can’t tell them to not open the store because getting customers is a good thing…」
Having that pointed out by Souta, Rudredd looked greatly perplexed.
「That’s right. And so, I have a request…… Can you have a talk with Sylvan-san and Zofi-san about this?」
「Me?」
Rudredd gave a big nod.
「Please, we’re responsible for creating the current situation. Sylvan-san always said that it was enough to get occasional customers. But, now, that’s…」
「Alright, well, I don’t know if they consider this situation bad or not until I talk with them…… I can try talking with them but it’s up to them how it would play out…… The store still closed at night, right?」
「Yes, that’s still the case. I’m sorry, I’m counting on you!」
Rudredd, who must have been feeling responsible for a lot of things, stood up and bowed to Souta and Dina.
Next morning
As Souta and Dina told Antgar yesterday, they came to the gate with Ed to leave the dwarven country.
「Thanks for all your help, Antgar. Thanks to you, everything went smoothly.」
「That’s my words, thanks to you, I got good motivations. Also the gold and materials too. The next time both of you come, I will be able to make befitting equipment for you guys, so definitely come again.」
Antgar made a fist with his right hand and stuck it out in front of Souta, in his left hand was the dagger Souta handed to him. In response, Souta also made a fist and lightly bumped it with Antgar’s fist.
「Antgar-san, please treat me to your delicious tea again. I will also stock up if I happen to see some.」
「Oh, I will keep my eyes on more stuff too. Please come again.」
Antgar shook hand with Dina and answered her, who had a gentle smile on her face, with a smile on his own. Thanks to the conversation with his childhood friend, the words he received from Souta, and the subsequent challenge he gave him, he was rid of his doubt.
「Well, should we depart? Ed, it’s all on you now.」
「Hihin~」
Souta started to talk with Ed while stroking his head.
「Dina, get on. We’re going.」
「Understood.」
Souta got on the coachman’s seat and Dina got on the back of the carriage.
「Antgar, see you!」
Souta said his last farewell to Antgar, grasped the rein, then departed. Dina was waving to Antgar from the carriage. The carriage went on gently, and Antgar waved at it until it was out of sight.
「First of all, let’s go to the beastkin country. Let’s stop by Sylvan’s store before we go back to Tuula.」
「Yes! Let’s do that!! Ufufu, I’m looking forward to it.」
The two left the dwarven country. Hearing Souta’s suggestion, Dina’s face lit up with happiness.
Following that was the laidback journey back to the country of beastkin. They dealt with the monsters with Souta’s intimidation and Dina’s long-range attack and were able to return to the beastkin country without incident.
When they went to the same inn they stayed at before, the innkeeper still remembered the two and prepared the same room as the one they stayed in before so they could find it easily. Ed also liked the food and the bed prepared in this inn, he was resting in the stables, looking satisfied, probably because he was able to travel for the first time in a long time.
Souta and Dina went through the alley to get to Sylvan’s store, but as they got closer, they noticed something strange.
「Dina…… This is,」
「Right? It’s weird…」
It was still a labyrinth of alleys, with only a handful of buildings of any interest, and it had been deserted when they came before. But now, they had come across many passers-by so far. While wondering, they kept heading to the restaurant and were greeted with a surprising sight once they arrived.
「This, what’s this line for?」
「Err, excuse me, are you all lining up for Sylvan-san’s store?」
Souta stood there dumbfounded from the sight that was completely different from before, while Dina asked the customers in the line for confirmation.
「Hmm? That’s right. Isn’t it natural? This place has been very popular these days. It’s the too hidden well-known store.
「The too hidden…… It’s a strange and very on-point expression, isn’t it? Thank you.」
With a wry smile, Dina thanked the customer that answered her and returned to Souta’s side.
「Souta-san,」
「Ahh, I heard that. In the first place, the taste of their food was superb, so this is a natural result if the store sees the light of the day…… But still, it’s really crowded. What triggered this?」
「Let me explain that to you.」
The one talking to Souta and Dina was Rudredd, the minister of the beastkin country.
「Rudredd?」
「Yes, long time no see. We will be conspicuous here, come this way.」
The mere presence of the minister of the beastkin country was attracting a lot of attention, they decided to change location following Rudredd’s suggestion.
「Shall we enter here?」
It was a cafe near the restaurant. When they entered the store, they were guided to the seat by the window.
「I didn’t know there was a store here…… It’s rather new, is it built recently?」
Souta asked Rudredd while looking around the store.
「You’re correct. Since Sylvan-san’s restaurant got a lot of attention, there is more human traffic around here, consequently, the number of stores around also increased.」
「That’s amazing. It was deserted when we came here before, to think it would become this prosperous.」
Dina’s words of admiration made Rudredd look bitter.
「That’s, umm, that’s because we…」
「What are you trying to say?」
Rudredd told them the story of how they got to this point.
Before, when Souta and the others were organizing books, in addition to Rudredd, everyone who helped also took their lunch break at Sylvan’s store. After that, even after Souta and Dina left, they still continued to go to Sylvan’s store. Some of them brought their families on holiday. That family then told their acquaintances and friends, like that, the rumor spread by word of mouth.」
「Isn’t that fine? With that kind of taste, I can see how there is a line leading to the store. Besides, new stores like this one will open around here, which will lead to the revitalization of the area. So then, why do you look like that?」
Although Souta mentioned the good points, Rudredd didn’t look enthusiastic.
「It’s good that many customers come, but it seems that the capacity of that store has been exceeded and the burden on Sylvan-san and Zofi-san has become too much. And yet it opens every day, but I’m afraid the limit is approaching soon.」
「Ahh, there’s that too, huh? But you also can’t tell them to not open the store because getting customers is a good thing…」
Having that pointed out by Souta, Rudredd looked greatly perplexed.
「That’s right. And so, I have a request…… Can you have a talk with Sylvan-san and Zofi-san about this?」
「Me?」
Rudredd gave a big nod.
「Please, we’re responsible for creating the current situation. Sylvan-san always said that it was enough to get occasional customers. But, now, that’s…」
「Alright, well, I don’t know if they consider this situation bad or not until I talk with them…… I can try talking with them but it’s up to them how it would play out…… The store still closed at night, right?」
「Yes, that’s still the case. I’m sorry, I’m counting on you!」
Rudredd, who must have been feeling responsible for a lot of things, stood up and bowed to Souta and Dina.
