As Kain chanted the spell, the instant he did, his sleeping mother was enveloped in a white light. When the light subsided, there lay his mother, looking much better than before. Gradually, her eyes began to open.
“Hmm? What? I feel so much better today. Oh, Dash, Enak, good morning?”
Mother started to get up from the futon. Her husband stopped her.
“You just received a recovery spell from this adventurer. Since you’re still recovering, it’s best not to overexert yourself and rest.”
“I haven’t introduced myself yet. My name is Kain. I’m a new adventurer who just arrived in this town today.”
“Master Kain, I am Dash, the owner of this cat-themed inn, Neko no Yamato. My wife is Himika, and my daughter is Enak. Thank you, Master Kain.”
“Thank you, big brother!!”
Enak beamed at Kain, and he couldn’t help but reach out and pat her head. Enak didn’t mind and closed her eyes in contentment.
This was the first time Kain had seen cat ears, and his heart was racing.
“This is no problem at all. Still, the church in this town charges so much for their spells...”
“Yes, I’ve received the ‘Heal’ spell twice, but it didn’t work at all. I couldn’t afford the gold coin for the ‘High Heal’... Ah, how much do I owe you for the ‘High Heal’ you just cast? I can’t pay a gold coin, but I’ll pay as much as I can.”
“You don’t need to worry about that. I had a delicious meal, and I got to see Enak’s smile.”
As he said this, Kain continued to pat Enak’s head.
“Purr...”
Enak purred and closed her eyes, then climbed onto Kain’s lap.
“Hey, Enak, you’re bothering Master Kain...”
Dash tried to stop her, but Kain intervened.
“It’s fine. I’m the youngest of my siblings, with only older brothers and sisters, so this makes me feel like a big brother.”
Kain smiled at Enak.
“Oh, right, have you decided where you’ll stay tonight? If not, please stay here. My wife received the recovery spell, so let us do this much for you.”
Dash bowed and asked Kain.
“I haven’t decided yet, so I’ll stay here tonight.”
“Yay! Big brother Kain is staying over tonight!?”
Enak, sitting on Kain’s lap, looked up at him with joy.
“Then I’ll put extra effort into tonight’s dinner!”
Dash was also happy, looking at Himika.
“I’ll go explore the town for a bit. I’ll be back before dinner.”
Kain said and left the inn.
“This town seems to have many problems...”
Kain muttered, looking up at the sky.
During the day, he walked around the shops. Then, he entered an alley and took flight. He flew at a certain height, surveying the town from above. In this world, people rarely look up at the sky, so no one noticed him. He circled the outer walls, confirming the situation. The town was originally surrounded by walls, making it impossible to increase the population further.
“With the current size of the town, it’s impossible to increase the population. Maybe I should rebuild the walls...”
Kain imagined a new town as he landed in an alley and returned to the inn.
“Welcome back! Big brother Kain, you’re back! Dad, big brother is back!”
When Kain opened the door, Enak greeted him with a smile.
“I’m back. It’s still early, so I’ll change in my room.”
“I’ve prepared a special room for you! It’s room 301. I’ll call you when dinner is ready!”
Enak handed him the key. The inn had a reception and dining area on the first floor, and the guest rooms on the second and third floors. Room 301 was at the end of the third floor. When Kain opened the door, the room was even larger than he imagined. There were two double beds, a sofa, and other furnishings, making it feel like a luxury suite.
He took off his leather armor and other equipment, cleaned them, and stored them in his item box. Then, he put on his regular clothes.
He lay on the sofa, thinking about what to do next, when there was a knock on the door.
“Big brother Kain! Dinner is ready!”
Enak came to tell him the meal was ready.
“Okay, I’m coming.”
Kain got up from the sofa and opened the door.
“...”
Enak was looking at Kain, her cheeks slightly red.
“Enak, what’s wrong?”
Kain tilted his head, and Enak’s face turned even redder.
“Big brother looks like a noble. You’re so handsome??”
She said this and left.
“Oh, it’s because of my clothes. I didn’t realize noble casual wear would stand out so much.”
Kain was wearing noble casual attire, which was very different from what commoners wore. It was made of high-quality fabric and tailored to look luxurious. He went downstairs to the dining area, and Dash was surprised by his appearance. Himika, who had been resting, was also there.
“Master Kain, thank you for the recovery spell. I feel much better. I caused trouble for Dash and Enak while I was bedridden, so I’ll work hard from now on. Dash has put a lot of effort into tonight’s meal, so please enjoy it.”
Himika bowed and then went back to help in the kitchen. The kitchen still smelled delicious.
“Hmm, it smells delicious.”
Looking around, there were a group of adventurers and some workers who had just finished their shifts. The adventurers were drinking, drawn by the smell from the kitchen.
“Still, the state of things today was crazy. The training ground at the guild was destroyed, right?”
“That was bad. I heard they were trying to bully newbies and it ended up like that...”
“The sub-master was carried out on a stretcher. I wonder what happened...”
“The adventurers who were carried out were C-rank, so the guild will be in chaos again.”
Kain listened to the conversation he didn’t want to hear while sipping the fruit juice that had been served.
“Big brother Kain, sorry to keep you waiting!”
Enak brought a plate with the meal.
“Today’s special is Orc Stew! It’s been simmered for a long time, so it’s very delicious.”
“Thank you, Enak.”
Kain took the plate and looked at the contents. It was a white Orc stew, simmered to perfection. Two pieces of bread and a salad were also included.
“It looks delicious. Let’s eat.”
Kain clasped his hands in prayer, then scooped up some stew with his spoon and brought it to his mouth. The tender, flavorful meat spread in his mouth.
“Mmm! It’s really delicious.”
Kain smiled at Enak, who was waiting beside him.
“Dad will be happy too! Eat a lot.”
She said and went to take orders from other customers. After finishing the meal, Kain returned to his room to relax.
◇◇◇
In a certain place in Drintor.
The room contained only a table and four chairs. The only light came from a lamp in the center of the table, illuminating the dim room. Four people, two men and two women, were sitting around the round table.
“I didn’t expect the lord to be sent here again...”
“He’ll run away like before. This time, he’s just a kid.”
“I have other things to worry about. Today was hectic.”
The three people sitting down were talking. The man who had been listening silently stopped them.
“Everyone, wait. This new lord is also an adventurer. If there’s a problem, we can just have him become monster fodder in the forest while he’s on a quest...”
The man sitting at the head of the table spoke, and the other three nodded.
“Still, Rick, I’m counting on you to keep the slums ready to move at any time. Betty, if anything happens...”
“I understand. Leave it to me. I’ll keep the underground guild ready to move at any time.”
Rick, wearing a black hood, nodded in response to the man’s question.
“It’s chaotic now, but I think it will calm down soon.”
Betty nodded, recalling the events of the day.
“It’s best to continue governing this town as we have been, with the four of us.”
The man at the head of the table said this quietly.