When I went down to the lower floor, the innkeeper greeted me with clasped hands.
"Are you ready, Hati-sama?"
"Yes."
"This way, please."
He led me to the washing area.
I had already changed into the clothes prepared for me.
The innkeeper said I could keep them.
The washing area was behind the inn.
It was semi-outdoor.
The sun had almost set.
A lamp hung from a pillar for light.
There was also an overhang to protect from rain.
I looked around the washing area.
It had the feel of a manual self-service coin laundry.
Of course, there were no convenient washing machines.
Several ropes were strung from wall to wall.
Laundry hung on them.
It seemed careless.
Perhaps only people unconcerned about theft used this place.
After explaining various precautions, the innkeeper returned inside.
I was alone at the washing area.
"All right."
I lined up my laundry on the provided wooden stand.
Robe and uniform.
Underwear.
The uniform was in terrible shape.
It had been torn and ripped...
"Let's get started."
Back when I lived with my birth parents, I was made to do laundry.
I had helped out a little at my aunt and uncle's house too.
So I had some basic knowledge.
Without a washing machine, it wouldn't feel exactly the same.
I picked up one of the small bottles lined up on the wall shelf.
A bluish liquid.
The innkeeper had said it was for laundry.
"Something like detergent in this world."
He had given permission to use it freely.
Next, I removed the lid from the water tank in the corner of the room.
There were small insects floating in it, but it couldn't be helped.
I filled a bucket with water.
Using the washing liquid, I hand-washed everything.
There wasn't much.
Laundry finished quickly.
A hemp sack I had received from the innkeeper, same as my current clothes.
I tossed the washed items inside.
Once done, I returned to the main building.
I asked the innkeeper,
"I'd like to hang the washed clothes in my room."
He thought for a moment.
I handed him one iron coin.
He readily gave permission.
He even lent me a drying rack.
I thanked him, went up the stairs, and entered my room.
I set down the laundry, then left the room again.
I carried the drying rack from the storage area in the back.
I quickly hung the clothes on it.
I also hung the wet hemp sack that had held the laundry.
"Phew."
Finally, I could take a breather...
*Creak*
I sat on the bed.
"Pi."
Pigi-maru squished out from under the bed.
It had probably waited for me to finish.
"Pi, pi, pi, pi."
Pigi-maru began trembling slightly left and right on the floor.
When it trembled this weakly,
"Please don't mind me〜♪"
That was its way of saying,
"Treating me like an ornament is fine."
It had probably sensed I was about to start thinking.
If so...
What kind of slime reads the room this well?
"...…"
I placed a hand over my mouth and began to think.
I could rest and prepare for the journey ahead here in Mills.
Next, I needed to decide on my future course.
Travel funds for the immediate future didn't seem like an issue.
The amount those four had carried was considerable.
I still didn't feel the need to cash in the gems.
My wallet was comfortably warm.
Next, setting goals.
First priority: find someone who can read the forbidden curse spellbook.
The person said to hold information about such a reader.
The Forbidden Witch, supposedly living hidden in the Golden Habitat Monster Zone.
So the initial objective was still to meet the Forbidden Witch.
"I should gather information on the monster zone later. As for the rest——"
I wanted to gradually grasp more about this world.
Having one trustworthy source who would speak openly about this world's affairs would make things much easier.
"And then..."
I looked at the trembling Pigi-maru.
Monster enhancement potion.
Improving Pigi-maru's abilities.
Someday, would I be able to entrust the front line to it?
▽
For exploratory scouting, I stepped outside the inn.
The sky was completely dark.
But the main street was brightly lit and lively.
A stark contrast to the abandoned ruins.
Stalls lined the street.
Security didn't seem particularly bad.
I decided to take a light walk.
For now, no suspicious glances were cast at the outsider.
Many traveler-like people openly carried weapons.
It seemed carrying weapons in town was permitted.
I stopped in front of a certain shop.
The sign's mark had caught my eye.
A sword and shield emblem.
The type of shop could probably be guessed from the sign alone to some extent.
I tried looking for other marked shops.
I encountered several.
A weapons shop.
A tools shop.
A clothing shop.
A food shop.
A tavern.
I also spotted a few others that were easy to imagine.
"It seems most shops you'd expect in a typical 'town' are here... but that one is——"
A staff emblem.
Probably a shop selling magical tools?
The building had a slightly eccentric feel.
It evoked the image of a suspicious Western-style mansion.
"And then——"
A document-like mark on a sign.
A fairly impressive building.
Perhaps a place issuing passes or certificates?
Something official?
Travelers and warrior-types were going in and out.
Maybe this world's version of an "adventurer's guild."
There was also a small temple-like building.
...
I mentally prayed to whatever god there was that I didn't have to worship that shitty goddess.
"And over there..."
That area probably had what people commonly called brothels or pleasure districts.
The atmosphere gave it away.
I had no business there.
I returned to the main street.
"That's about enough for grasping the town layout."
My stomach was starting to growl.
I decided to head back to the inn for tonight.
▽
The downside of the leather pouch's transfer function is that garbage remains.
Modern packaging waste requires some thought to dispose of.
I still hadn't decided how to handle it.
Once in the forest, I had an idea.
Maybe Pigi-maru could dissolve the trash?
I tested it hopefully, but——no luck.
It did dissolve things like attached sauce (ate it?).
But plastic and paper wouldn't dissolve.
It seemed there were things it could and couldn't break down.
If it could dissolve everything, it would be infinite trash disposal.
Apparently not that convenient.
In any case, slimes turned out to be surprisingly complex.
My earlier view of them as just weak early-game monsters needed revising.
Thinking about Pigi-maru, I picked up a wooden spoon.
Right now, I was about to eat on the first floor of the inn.
Half of the first floor was a tavern.
It doubled as a dining hall.
I sat alone at a table near the center of the room.
There was a reason I deliberately chose to eat here.
First, I wanted to experience this world's cuisine a little.
Tonight's meal.
A meat-heavy stew soup.
Stir-fried long-grain rice with herbs.
And rye bread (probably).
The bread was pre-sliced.
Flat, like rusks.
I scooped up the stew with the spoon.
I sipped slowly.
"Hm?"
Delicious.
Slightly spicy.
The flavor of vegetables melted into the soup and the spiciness matched perfectly.
The sharp heat and the meat's fat harmonized surprisingly well.
There was also a pepper-like aroma.
The leafy vegetables, well-soaked in soup, were also tasty.
"Also..."
I glanced over.
I dipped the flat bread into the soup.
I bit into the moistened bread dough.
"――――"
As expected.
Delicious.
Any anxiety I had was blown away.
Now I understood why the innkeeper recommended ordering this bread.
I see... so that's how it works.
Next, I brought a spoonful of the herb-fried rice to my mouth.
Yeah, good...
It reminded me somewhat of paella?
The salty herbal accent was especially nice.
The finely sliced grilled meat added satisfying texture.
Otherworld cuisine.
Not to be underestimated.
Lodging was just a bonus; the real draw was the food.
The meal price had been a little high.
But now the innkeeper's strategy made sense.
My throat felt a light thirst.
I picked up the ceramic cup.
It contained translucent water.
Apparently called Arama water.
I took a sip.
A faint minty taste.
It refreshed my mouth.
Compared to food from the previous world, the flavors felt somewhat rough.
Coarse, perhaps.
But that allowed me to fully enjoy the hearty taste.
In terms of refinement and balance, modern food would win.
For now, at least.
However, the pork soup I ate in the abandoned ruins had been thin but delicious...
Half the food remained.
I'd take my time with the rest.
Eating in this tavern had partly been to experience otherworld cuisine.
But the main purpose was information gathering.
There were many customers, likely because it was mealtime.
This kind of place surely held information I could only get here.
If necessary, I could buy drinks and join a table.
Pretending to enjoy my meal leisurely, I kept my ears open.