Chapter 8

Chapter 8

#8. The Northern Region’s Reward (2)

Haven’s largest inn, Polly’s Inn, was generally frequented by wealthy merchants, high-ranking adventurers, and elite mercenaries.

On the other hand, bureaucrats or knights visiting from High City usually stayed at the mayor of Haven’s residence or in the homes of the city’s rich patrons.

“Lady Valkyrie, His Grace the Duke should have informed us earlier that he was coming…”

“How would it be a covert inspection if we gave prior notice?”

“But even so, isn’t it improper for His Grace to stay in an inn like this? Please let us properly receive you now.”

“Inn like this? Polly would feel offended if she heard that.”

A quiet exchange took place between Valkyrie, one of the higher-ranked knights after Ariana, and the mayor of Haven.

“Of course, Polly’s Inn has spacious rooms and good facilities, I’ll admit that. But this is where adventurers, mercenaries, and merchants stay. There are too many prying eyes. And most importantly…”

The mayor continued, lowering his voice especially for this part.

“There are also quite a few Imperial adventurers here.”

“Instead, we can keep His Grace’s visit to Haven secret.”

“…!”

“It’s fine. We’ll only be staying in Haven for about four days anyway. Maybe longer if it’s about Arad Salt, but definitely not more than five days.”

“But…!”

“Don’t worry too much, Mayor. We’ve done this before.”

“I, this has happened before?!”

“Of course. Covert inspections should be done regularly.”

“…!”

“Oh, but I am somewhat disappointed.”

“Wha… What do you mean?”

“You should have reported immediately upon learning about Arad Salt. You know how touchy the Empire is getting about spices these days, right?”

“That… That’s why…”

The mayor’s face paled further at Valkyrie’s words.

“Well, we were just about to report it anyway.”

“Oh, really?”

“Please believe me!”

“We will if you tell the truth.”

“The thing is… Once the chefs of Haven, including Polly, figure out the recipe for Arad Salt, we planned to report then. Otherwise, with word reaching His Grace’s ears, we wouldn’t be able to enjoy Arad Stew in Haven anymore.”

“If that was your intention, I understand. Let’s move on.”

“Thank you!”

Having narrowly escaped the crisis, the mayor wiped his cold sweat with a handkerchief and changed the subject.

“So, what brings you here secretly this time?”

“There’s business in the Magic Realm.”

Originally, it was because of Polly’s letter, but Valkyrie decided to lie kindly to avoid straining the relationship between the mayor and Polly.

“Is His Grace planning to hunt monsters? Or did they discover a new dungeon from the Golden Age in the Magic Realm?”

“Neither. And sorry, I can’t divulge the exact reason yet.”

Since there was no real reason to go to the Magic Realm and they weren’t even planning to go there, Valkyrie truly couldn’t say anything.

“If His Grace and Lady Valkyrie are moving personally, it must be something serious… Shouldn’t Haven prepare beforehand?”

“Don’t worry. Haven won’t be affected. Didn’t I already say? We’ve visited casually like this several times before.”

“Umm…”

“You really don’t need to worry. Both I and His Grace know well how well you manage Haven.”

“R-really?”

“We confirmed you’re not overcharging tolls or collecting more than 20% in property taxes. Other than that… I trust you all to handle things well.”

“Phew…”

“For this reason, the fact that His Grace and I, Valkyrie, are here must remain a secret.”

‘Now that it’s come to this, might as well have some fun in the Magic Realm before leaving.’

Valkyrie thought this while considering that spending some time playing around in the Magic Realm before leaving wouldn’t be bad for digestion.

‘I should suggest this to His Grace shortly.’

He thought this again while giving another warning to the people present.

“If rumors spread before we leave Haven, we’ll know whose loose lips it was.”

“Of course! We will keep it a strict secret!”

“And stop using the title ‘Your Grace’ from now on. Call me Dominic instead of Valkyrie.”

“Yes…”

Though nodding their heads, both the mayor and Haven’s bureaucrats couldn’t comprehend why someone as exalted as a duke would be sneaking around like this.

“By the way, do you know anything about this Professor Arad? Tell me what you know. I heard he suddenly appeared in Haven.”

“I was about to mention that. While having dinner at Jack’s Inn, I spoke with him a few times. He says his ancestors migrated from the Eastern Continent to escape the Orcs during the Barbaric Era.”

“I knew that much. What I’m asking about is before Arad showed up in Haven.”

“They say he wandered the continent as an adventurer before coming to Haven.”

“An adventurer? I’ve never heard of an adventurer named Professor Arad.”

“He was a mid-to-low D-Rank adventurer.”

“D-Rank? Definitely not an Imperial adventurer then. But wasn’t he a skilled healer? And his cooking skills are exceptional too?”

“They say his combat skills were poor, so he mostly did odd jobs in adventuring groups. Then he somehow ended up in the North.”

“Hmm…”

At the mayor’s words, Valkyrie furrowed his brow.

‘Poor combat skills?’

He had observed Arad cooking at Jack’s Inn earlier.

If that level of dexterity were applied to swordsmanship, he could confidently say it would be at least on par with a mid-level knight.

“Something feels off.”

“Off? But in Haven, Arad’s past isn’t particularly unusual.”

“Is that normal?”

“Yes. It only seems special because of the Arad Salt.”

“True… Haven also has many Imperial adventurers. Thinking about that, it makes sense.”

Just as their conversation went back and forth…

“His Grace is arriving.”

Polly, who volunteered as the sentry at the entrance, quietly announced this.

Simultaneously, the knights, mayor, and bureaucrats inside the room stood up abruptly.

“Everyone, sit down. And Polly, officially, I’m still in High City. So don’t use the title ‘Your Grace.’ You all should do the same. From now on, refer to me as Sir Ilia of High City.”

The Duke said this and sat in the prepared seat of honor. She had just finished bathing, her silver hair still damp.

Even though the mayor and bureaucrats had seen her face before, they were momentarily awestruck by her beauty, holding their breath for a few seconds without realizing it.

“It seems we’ve found unexpected talent during this covert inspection.”

Naturally, the topic brought up by Ariana seated was about the chef Arad.

“That’s right. Food seasoned with Arad Salt tastes better than dishes overloaded with spices.”

“With the current trade deficit with the Empire due to spices, Arad Salt alone could easily compensate for it.”

Everyone, including the knights, nodded in agreement with Ariana’s statement.

‘Absolutely! Bring him to High City immediately!’

Even Polly, standing behind the door, fervently wished within herself.

“We need to bring the chef Arad to High City.”

“We must uncover the secrets of Arad Salt as well.”

“Everything in the North belongs to His Grace. Just give the order and it shall be taken.”

Subsequently, the mayor, bureaucrats, and knights each voiced their opinions.

These knights weren’t just experts in swordsmanship; they were also educated in various fields.

Being mere executioners proficient only in swordplay wouldn’t suffice.

Therefore, they clearly understood the economic and diplomatic significance of Arad Salt.

‘Exactly! Exactly!’

And the suggestions they made were precisely what Polly had been hoping for.

“No, we shouldn’t do that. The North is mine, but it also belongs to my people.”

However, Ariana shook her head against the advice of her subordinates.

‘Ah…!’

Upon hearing this, Polly felt as if the sky was falling down.

“Unless… Your Grace, let me try harder to replicate the recipe.”

Eventually, he couldn’t hold back and interjected into the esteemed conversation.

“I’ve already figured out all the ingredients for Arad Salt. With a bit more research on the ratios, sequence, and processing methods, we can create something very similar.”

Although Polly was merely an innkeeper, he used to be a soldier responsible for meals and supplies for high-ranking knights like Ariana on the battlefield.

Thus, he held more sway than an average low-ranking knight or bureaucrat.

“Once we successfully replicate the method, we can bring Arad to High City and treat him with respect. I will work with Haven’s merchants to widely promote Arad Salt for the benefit of the common people.”

Despite Polly interrupting, no one present showed any signs of annoyance.

“This too is dishonorable.”

But Ariana rejected this suggestion as well.

“The North will gain great profit from Arad Salt. In other words, it will be receiving a favor. And according to the North’s principle, favors must be repaid.”

“Th-that…!”

Faced with such a response from Ariana, Polly fidgeted anxiously like a puppy desperate to relieve itself.

“Hmm…”

After rejecting all the opinions of her subordinates, Ariana…

“Let’s do this.”

After pondering for a moment, she finally reached a conclusion.

* * *

How could I join this High City knight party?

What kind of help could I provide to the Duchess and knights once I joined?

And how could I prevent the tragedy of the original history?

Lost in these thoughts, I spent sleepless nights and greeted the morning.

“Finally got to take off the bandages.”

“All thanks to you, Arad. If it were some other clumsy healer, it would’ve been surprising if they didn’t have to amputate the arm with such a severe injury.”

That morning held significant meaning in various ways.

“By the way, I heard Leonard’s wounds have healed completely too.”

“Yeah, he came by the other day to thank me. Boosted our sales nicely too.”

“Did he?”

Jack’s face brightened as he flexed his newly freed arm and hand.

“I’ll help out in the restaurant from today onward.”

No sooner had the bandage been removed than he eagerly volunteered to help with the restaurant duties.

“Do that.”

I immediately nodded at his words.

Though he hadn’t stated it outright, I caught the implication behind what Jack said.

He was certain that I wouldn’t be staying long at this inn.

And Jack’s intuition was spot-on.

“If you run into anything you don’t know, ask right away.”

I casually mentioned this to Jack…

“Arad… Thank you!”

Jack expressed his gratitude with an even brighter smile than when his wound had healed.

Apart from Arad Salt, my cooking skill level was maxed out. Thus, I was also a kitchen master he wanted to learn from.

Given that I had agreed to teach him, how could he not be happy?

“Then let’s start with preparing the ingredients.”

“Of course. Tom! Start with cleaning up.”

And so, as usual, we began our day at Jack’s Inn…

“Are you open for business?”

Our first customers arrived early in the morning, even earlier than those staying at our inn.

Moreover, these were not ordinary customers but the most prestigious figures in this city.

“It’s the mayor and the knights from yesterday. We were just about to start.”

“But it will take some time for the stew to be ready.”

As we bowed respectfully to greet the esteemed guests who had arrived at the crack of dawn…

“Hem hem!”

The mayor of Haven cleared his throat solemnly, adopting a more dignified demeanor than usual, and announced…

“The healer and head chef of Jack’s Inn, Professor Arad, is to receive a letter from Her Grace the Duchess!”

Confused by the mayor’s sudden and important declaration, I failed to grasp its meaning for a few seconds.

“A letter from Her Grace?”

Ultimately, I echoed the question with a baffled expression as I prepared breakfast.

Orders are orders, but what’s this about a letter?

My gaze instinctively turned toward one of the five knights.

The knight suspected to be the Duchess of the North stood quietly in the corner, her face concealed.

“We uphold the will of High City.”

Referencing my etiquette skill, I knelt and received the letter from the mayor’s hands as respectfully as possible.

“Read it here and respond immediately.”

The moment I took the letter, the mayor instructed.

While aware of the disguised knight’s belief that her identity remained undiscovered, I unfolded the letter.