NOVEL WEB Ch21 - Let's Learn Common Sense
Chapter 21: Let’s Learn Common Sense
The female owner of the fresh food store introduced herself as Aisha.
Lena and Hamar decided to use false names, calling themselves Chris and Hal.
The villagers seemed to be busy with farm work during the day, so no one particularly interacted with them.
Without any issues, they safely reached Aisha’s house.
“Since the children are out playing, feel free to use this chair.
Let me get you something to drink.
I can make some seasonal berry juice right now… how does that sound?
I wonder if it’ll suit your taste.
I add some honey and boil down the berries into a jam, then mix it with sparkling water to make a sweet and tangy juice!
Would you like to try it?”
“Wow… that sounds so delicious!
A fancy juice like that… really!? I’d love some!”
“Hehe. You seem like quite the foodie, don’t you, young lady?
Is that okay with you too, Hal?”
“Thank you very much.”
“Alright, give me just a moment.
The curtains are drawn, so you can take off your robes if you’d like.”
“You’re too kind. Thank you.”
Aisha’s hospitality was remarkable.
As soon as they arrived, she closed all the curtains and lit a soft light from a magical lamp.
She smoothly placed cushions on the chairs and naturally guided Lena and Hamar, who had hesitated in the entrance, to the table.
Her impeccable hospitality anticipated their needs without making them feel uncomfortable.
If it weren’t for Lily’s [Mind’s Eye] ability providing reassurance, they might have been overly suspicious of her kindness.
Lena gratefully thanked Aisha and took off her dusty robe.
She helped Hamar with his robe too, carefully ensuring the sand didn’t dirty the floor.
“My, oh my…! You’re both so beautiful,” Aisha exclaimed, clearly surprised. She smiled gently, probably to help them feel at ease.
Her eyes seemed teary, perhaps because their appearance made her believe even more in her assumption that they were high-born children who had escaped kidnappers.
She served them the delicious berry juice, generously made with luxurious jam.
Lena, aware that this wasn’t the time for modesty, didn’t bother with any unnecessary humility.
She simply smiled and accepted the drink, thinking, Hal really is beautiful, isn’t he?
The juice was so good that she felt like flowers were blooming above her head.
Hamar, too, was deeply absorbed in tasting the sweet treat for the first time.
Despite the [Illusion] concealing his sheep ears, they twitched excitedly.
“It’s delicious!”
“Yeah!”
“I’m so glad you like it! Makes it worth making.”
Later, Lena asked Aisha for the recipe so she could make the juice for her slime and fairy companions.
Aisha explained that the sparkling water was made by soaking “bubbly bones” in water for a while.
Lena made a mental note to keep the bones the next time they caught a bubbly sparrow, thinking it would be nice to learn more practical life skills like this in the future.
After finishing the juice and taking a short break, Aisha spread a scarf on the table and laid out various coins on it.
They were all made of copper and silver.
She explained that coins made of gold were used for higher denominations, but such coins were rare and mostly used by merchants or nobility.
The currency unit in the world of Lanashe is called “ril.”
The coins were small, oval-shaped, and intricately designed, with holes or decorations to distinguish their value.
“You probably haven’t seen the smaller denominations, so let me explain them in order.
First, the copper coins:
A simple leaf pattern is 1 ril, a coin with a hole is 5 ril, a shield emblem is 10 ril, and a sword emblem is 50 ril.
Next, the silver coins:
In the same pattern order, they start at 100 ril, then 500 ril, 1000 ril, and 5000 ril.
There’s also a 10,000 ril coin with a crown emblem.
Gold coins are used for even higher values, but an ordinary citizen would rarely use them.
Only big merchants or nobles would need them.
I’ve heard the royal family uses platinum coins, though.
To give you an idea of the cost, that 5000 ril silver coin Chris tried to use would cover a night’s stay in a luxury inn in the capital.
For a regular inn, a night would cost around 500 ril.
If you stay long-term, they’ll usually give you a discount.
For food, a jar of salt costs 100 ril, sugar is 150 ril, and honey is 250 ril.
Spices are a bit more expensive, but fruits, vegetables, and grains range from 10 to 80 ril.
Meat varies widely. Chicken is as cheap as vegetables, but rare monster meat can go for silver coins.
You’d use the 1 ril coin for small purchases, like needles for sewing.”
“Do you understand now how odd it was that Chris tried to use a 5000 ril silver coin in that situation?
Even just offering a 1000 ril coin would be shocking, but he pulled out one with a sword emblem!
Even I only use that for buying winter supplies in bulk!”
“That’s… quite something,” Lena muttered, covering her mouth and paling slightly.
Indeed, from the perspective of commoners, their actions must have seemed highly suspicious.
She was really grateful to have learned about the local prices here.
Aisha then brought out paper and a pen. Paper, it seemed, wasn’t a rare commodity.
The pen was a feather quill, something unfamiliar to Lena, who had memories of Japan.
When she asked, Aisha explained that feather quills were the cheapest and most commonly used, while those who wrote a lot tended to use pricier fountain pens.
As Aisha drew a map on the paper with her quill, she explained the geography of the area.
“I won’t ask where you’re from, so I’ll just give you a rough explanation.
This village, Nei, is at the edge of the Milégeu continent, on the Tserlu Plains.
These are the surrounding countries…
The one you need to be cautious of is the Kingdom of Garalajure.
You should definitely avoid going there.
The closest kingdom is Aneas.
If you want to go to a big city, I’d recommend the capital here. I hear it has good security.
If a smaller town will do, the closest is Toyria, a small city within Aneas territory.
I go there to buy ingredients sometimes, and it seems like a comfortable place to live.
Earlier, I mentioned that we’re at the edge of Milé.
If you cross the sea by ship, on the other side is the continent of Geniares, where the Demon Race mainly lives.
The land is very fertile, but it’s prone to natural disasters, and the climate varies greatly by region.
Because it’s a tough place to live, it’s mostly inhabited by the sturdier Demon Race.
Thanks to the Demon Lord keeping things under control, it’s perfectly fine for Humans to visit as tourists.
I’ve heard they have lots of unique and delicious food.”
“Delicious food!”
“Fwaa…”
Seeing the two kids’ eyes sparkle at the thought of great food, Aisha chuckled.
She murmured softly about what to make for dinner, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
Hamar seemed completely engrossed in Human cuisine now.
Without asking where they planned to go next, Aisha dried the ink on the map with a wind spell and handed it to Lena.
It seemed Aisha had an affinity for green magic.
She then gathered their robes, folded them into a basket, and quickly left to wash them, giving them no time to refuse.
In the meantime, Lena and Hamar were told to wipe themselves down in the children’s room, as there wasn’t a bath in Aisha’s house.
They would take a proper bath at the next inn since most inns had one.
After locking the door, the slime and fairy finally revealed themselves.
“Whew!”
“Aisha was such a kind person, wasn’t she, Master?”
“Everyone, thank you for hiding so well!
Yes, she was too kind, really. We’re very lucky.
Later, I’ll make some berry juice for you all too.”
“Yayyy!”
“It was so good.”
“You know… after seeing that juice, I got thirsty… Master!”
“W-wow!”
At this moment, Lena decided to provide blood to Lily.
“『Kuu and Iz are hungry too. Give us some raw meat!』”
“Okay, I’m opening the magic bag now.”
The big-eating slimes eagerly began devouring raw meat. Meanwhile, Lena was having her blood sucked.
A considerable amount of time had passed, as Lena had been absorbing various pieces of information. They had entered the village in the morning, but now it was already evening. No wonder they were hungry.
Hamal, still disliking getting her humanoid skin wet, let Lena wipe herself down. Since only the monster children were around, Lena casually took off all her clothes except her underwear.
…However, even if they weren’t feeling any lust, starting to do something like that right in front of mischievous familiars—especially slimes—was bound to get them excited. Slowly and slyly, they inched closer.
“You—You can’t! If I make weird noises and someone peeks in, it’ll be a disaster! You get that, right?! Bad slimes!”
『Hehehe…』 『Our master sure is ticklish, isn’t she…?』 “『Heh heh heh!』”
Of course, this was a classic “Don’t do it, no matter what!” flag being raised. Well, Lena…
Even the slimes understood the atmosphere and merely teased her without taking any further action. They rhythmically surrounded her, performing a mocking dance. Flustered, Lena wiped her body faster and, in her rush, ended up kicking over a bucket of water. The slimes swiftly absorbed all the spilled water, but their master wished they had just let her wipe herself in peace. She resolved to give them some “punishment” later.
Lily burst into laughter, while Hamal tilted her head, oblivious to the mischief.
“…Why did you go and wet the feet you just dried, big sister?”
▽ Lena’s spirit was wounded…
Though Lena’s natural clumsiness was due to her lack of athletic ability, it was something the generally athletic monsters couldn’t quite understand. Poor Lena.
While the conversation continued on noisily, they heard the sound of three people ascending the stairs. The slimes and Lily quickly hid, and a light knock came at the door.
“Yes?”
“Oh wow, there really are guests here! Nice to meet you!” “Welcome, big sisters!”
“Hey now, calm down. Sorry for the noise. My kids just got home. Say hello!”
Appearing were Aisha and her two children, Kai, age seven, and Lolo, age five.
“Is that so? Nice to meet you! I’m Chris. We’ll be in your care for the night.” “Nice to meet you! I’m Haru.”
After briefly exchanging introductions, they all returned to the living room, where dinner preparations were underway. Kai and Lolo happily chatted with Lena and the others, skillfully avoiding any questions about the journey—likely thanks to their mother’s guidance.
Tonight’s meal at Aisha’s house consisted of thinly sliced bread topped with cheese, tomato soup, a vegetable salad, and freshly picked berries. While simple, the meal looked delicious, and Lena and Hamal’s eyes sparkled with excitement. However, the children were less impressed, exclaiming, “This again?!” as kids often prefer meat over vegetables. Lena offered Aisha some of the raw meat she had.
“I have some meat on hand if you’d like.” “That’s kind of you, but what kind of meat is it? And are you sure it hasn’t spoiled?” “It was just hunted this morning!”
In another room, Lena took out some bird meat, rabbit meat, and lamb from her magic bag, which left Aisha looking astonished. Magic bags were quite rare, after all. The one Lena had was of mid-tier quality, but the highest-quality ones were said to stop time within them.
The meat was graciously offered, and following Lena’s suggestion, rabbit meat and milk were added to the tomato soup, turning it into a hearty stew. They topped it with bread and cheese before baking it in the oven.
▽ And so, five servings of golden brown pseudo-bread gratin were completed!
The children were thrilled with the filling dish.
“Delicious!” they exclaimed in unison.
It was a big hit!
“Wow, you sure know your way around the kitchen! Thank you, Chris! Are you sure it’s okay to share this recipe with us?”
“Of course. It’s the least I can do to repay your kindness.”
“Don’t be so modest! You’ve bought so many things from me, it’s been a big help! Could I buy any leftover meat from you as well?”
“Yes, that would help me out!”
Though monster meat is slightly tougher than livestock meat, it has a richer flavor, and when preserved in salt, it makes for exquisite bacon. Aisha was overjoyed to have such a large supply of monster meat, as it was difficult to hunt.
Since Aisha insisted on repaying them further, Lena cheekily asked for another helping of the bread gratin as a late-night snack, though it was really for the slimes and Lily. Aisha laughed and called Lena a big eater.
“Goodnight!”
“Goodnight! Let’s talk more tomorrow, big sister and Haru!”
“Hey, Lolo, don’t make them feel awkward. Take it easy, both of you!”
“But I don’t want to say goodbye…”
“Me neither. But you should say, ‘Come visit again,’ right?”
“Yeah… See you next time!”
Kai’s gentle words showed he was already starting to take after his mother. Lena noticed the close bond between them and smiled, feeling nostalgic as she remembered growing up in a similar way, imitating her own parents.
“Haha, we’ll see you tomorrow morning. Let’s say ‘goodbye’ then, okay? We’re still here for now. Thank you for all the fun conversations. Also, I’m Chris big sister, okay?”
“Big sister!”
“…Ugh.”
Thanks to the stories Hamal embellished about “Chris’s heroic deeds,” the children had fully adopted the term “big sister” for Lena. The way they stared at her with sparkling, innocent eyes was almost painful.
＊＊＊
“Goodbye! Come visit us again, big sister!” “Haru too!”
“You kids were so good, it’s hard to say goodbye. Thanks for shopping with us and for the meat. Be careful on your journey.”
“Thank you! And thank you so much for all you’ve taught us. We’ll come back, Kai and Lolo!”
“See you, comrades!”
“H-Hey!”
“Ahahaha! Big sister!”
After parting ways with the kind Aisha family, Lena and the others headed toward the small town of Toiria.
After walking for a while outside the village, the slimes and Lily reappeared, and Hamal returned to her monster form. They indulged in the luxurious fluff of her golden fur before deciding to look for berries.
Rushing is important, but so is a delicious meal! They were already longing for that berry juice.
Eagerly clutching the bag of sugar and honey, the group set out to gather berries, guided efficiently by the insects enchanted by Lily’s charm spell. The familiars were truly reliable. As Lena popped a ripe, red berry into her mouth, she smiled brightly, recalling the kind encounters they’d had.
Titles [Fugitive] and [Big Sister] have been added! Please check your guild card.
“…Aaaah!”
▽ Lena has learned common sense!
▽ Lena has obtained new titles!
▽ Next, let’s head to the small town of Toiria!