Chapter 308

“Haa……”

Having finished all the fish cutlets on her plate, Regina let out a sigh filled with a bit of satisfaction and even more regret.

Generally, fried dishes are considered too heavy for early mornings, but for Regina, the downsides of fried food didn’t even register.

From her perspective, that meal was the complete opposite.

It wasn’t an early morning but closer to a very late evening.

Unlike mornings when her stomach hadn’t fully woken up and couldn’t handle the greasy taste of fried food, this late-night meal allowed her to savor the flavor of the fish cutlets more vividly than usual.

In fact, in her state of hunger, even a single piece of fish cutlet felt tantalizingly insufficient.

“Ah……”

‘If I had known, I would’ve saved some to eat later……’

Only after finishing did Regina realize she had eaten too hastily, and she stared regretfully at the empty plate.

Why is it that delicious food disappears the moment you eat it?

The fact, which she had always taken for granted, felt unusually unfair today, and she seriously considered whether she should pick up and eat the leftover crumbs on the plate.

If she hadn’t been dining with others, she would’ve done so without hesitation……

‘Wait…… dining with others…?’

“Ah…!”

Snapping out of her deep reverie, Regina quickly looked around.

What she saw were four adventurers looking at her with understanding eyes as she stared regretfully at her empty plate.

Only then did Regina realize she hadn’t even introduced herself, let alone thanked them for the meal, and her face turned red.

No, it wasn’t just that she hadn’t introduced herself.

She had completely forgotten there were strangers in front of her and had been devouring the fish cutlets like a madwoman.

“How rude of me to eat without a word of thanks…!”

“It’s good to see you enjoyed the meal.”

“Well, it’s only natural to enjoy Kurt’s cooking.”

“Um, so…… the meal was really delicious.”

“No need to be so formal! We don’t mind that kind of thing!”

“Ah…… Haha.”

Despite her rudeness, the group smiled and forgave her mistake, and Regina gradually began to relax.

—

“Hmm. So, Regina, you’re the captain of the soldiers in Leila?”

“Ah! Come to think of it, weren’t you the one who arrested the opponent during the cooking duel at this inn a while back?”

“Yes. I was in charge of the scene at the time…… How did you…?”

“We were there too! Now that I think about it, I remember the soldier captain who showed up was a woman!”

“Ah, I see. So you all were watching the cooking duel too?”

And so, Regina and Kurt’s party began exchanging introductions and continuing their conversation.

Before she knew it, Regina had completely relaxed, chatting with the three as if she were unwinding at a tavern after work.

“That’s right. But who would’ve thought the opposing chef was a pirate?”

“He was really good at cooking though. You never know with people.”

“This is a serious matter. The Lowdrake Pirate Crew isn’t just some small-time group operating in Leila—they’re notorious across multiple nations…… I can’t imagine why such a fearsome crew would infiltrate Leila……”

“……I think he might’ve just wanted to settle down in Leila and become a chef.”

“True. The crab meat soup that pirate captain made was incredible…… If he hadn’t been caught, his business would’ve been booming by now.”

“That can’t be! That pirate crew definitely had some grand scheme beyond what ordinary people could imagine!”

But as the conversation continued and shifted to the Lowdrake Pirate Crew, Regina, who had been relaxing, began to tense up again, her face growing anxious.

“Ugh…… I shouldn’t be sitting around like this…… While I’m here, Leila could be facing unprecedented danger……”

“Eh. Isn’t that a bit too much worry?”

“No. Even if all of Leila’s citizens are optimistic, as a soldier responsible for Leila’s defense, I can’t afford to be. Ugh. I can’t stay here! I just remembered something urgent, so I’ll take my leave……”

As thoughts of the pirate crew resurfaced, Regina grew restless and stood up, preparing to head back to the barracks.

After all, even before being invited to the meal, she had been planning to return to the barracks.

If anything, being invited to eat and getting a bit of rest was already a good enough break.

Just as Regina was about to slip back into workaholic mode—

“What? You’re leaving already? The meal isn’t even over yet.”

*Clatter*

“Ah, sorry. I’ve got some urgent matters……”

But her words were cut short.

Kurt had already piled her empty plate high with fish cutlets.

*Gulp*

The sight of the fried mountain triggered a feedback loop of the dish’s flavor, and she unconsciously swallowed.

“B-but there’s something I need to take care of……”

“Ah! By the way, Regina! If you sprinkle a bit of Predatory Water juice on these fish cutlets, the refreshing taste balances out the greasiness, making it even more delicious!”

“P-Predatory Water juice……?”

*Gulp*

At those words, the sweet and tangy flavor of Predatory Water juice came to mind, and her salivary glands kicked in, making her swallow again.

“B-but I need to ensure Leila’s peace……”

“Regina, you were eating the fish cutlets plain earlier, but why not try dipping them in this sauce?”

“That sauce is……?”

“This is Tartar Sauce. The savory taste of mayonnaise and the tangy flavor of pickles blend together to make what you could call a magical sauce that elevates the simple taste of fried food to something much more diverse.”

“Magical sauce……”

*Gulp*

At Karina’s explanation of the “magical sauce,” Regina’s eyes were drawn to the thick, white sauce dotted with green pickle pieces.

“B-but……”

“And there’s cold beer too! When your mouth feels too greasy from all the fried food, washing it down with cold beer and feeling the fizz go down your throat is the best!”

*Pouring sound*

*Fizz*

Finally, Serena filled a wooden mug with cold beer.

Though cold beer isn’t exactly welcome in winter, in the warm inn, with her body heated up and after eating greasy fried food, the thought of a cold beer sent a shiver of pleasure from her head to her toes.

As the beer poured into the mug, the sound of carbonation fizzing made Regina unconsciously lean in to listen more closely.

*Gulp*

“W-well, if you say so……”

Regina, who had half-risen from her seat, subtly adjusted her posture and sat back down.

Unaware that the four people watching her were smiling like shady foremen handing out mini beer cans to workers in an underground labor camp.

—

*Snore…… Snore……*

As time passed, Regina, now fully caught up in Kurt’s group, alternated between eating fish cutlets and drinking beer until she felt comfortably full. The warmth of the inn seeped into her body, and she began to nod off, eventually falling asleep right at the table.

“Falling asleep right after eating… She must’ve been really exhausted.”

“If she had gone back to work in this state, something bad could’ve happened.”

Seeing Regina completely knocked out, Kurt’s group looked at her with pity.

As they watched, someone slowly approached her.

“Master. Thank you for granting my request.”

“Don’t call me master. And it’s not like I did anything special. Whatever.”

It was the innkeeper.

He was the one who had asked Kurt to share the fish cutlets with Regina and keep her from going back to work.

“Tsk…… Stupid girl. What’s with this softness? Always working in the cold without rest…… That’s why I told you to just take over the inn.”

“If you’re so worried, why don’t you talk to her yourself?”

“Hahaha…… It’s not that easy. If I tried talking to her, she’d probably just get angry and not listen. We’ve been too distant for too long…… I don’t even know how to start a conversation anymore.”

“Don’t overthink it. Family bonds are stronger than you think.”

“I hope so…… Heave-ho!”

With a bitter smile at Kurt’s words, the innkeeper hoisted the completely asleep Regina onto his back.

But with her in her soldier’s uniform, it looked precarious, and Kurt, concerned, asked:

“Can you manage? Should I help?”

“No, it’s fine. No matter how old I get, I can still carry my own daughter.”

Struggling but determined, the innkeeper carried the exhausted Regina upstairs.

“Ah, by the way, the inn feels a bit too warm today. Should we reduce the firewood?”

“No, we can’t. Regina’s always been sensitive to the cold since she was little. You’ll have to bear with it, Master.”

“Sigh…! After all I’ve done for you……”

Kurt chuckled in disbelief at the innkeeper’s firm stance, watching his retreating figure.

—

The next day, after sleeping a full day on the second floor of the Red Shell Inn, Regina grumbled about oversleeping but felt oddly refreshed as she headed back to the barracks.

And the innkeeper, grumbling about Regina leaving without a word, noticed the cleanly emptied bowl of clam chowder he had left for her and stopped grumbling, smiling instead.

“Alright! Let’s start over and take it one step at a time!”

Having rested and returned to the barracks, Regina steeled herself to thoroughly investigate the Lowdrake Pirate Crew’s schemes.

Though, in the end, it would probably just be a waste of energy.