Cat's Paw Inn Special Bento

"So you had a rough time too, huh, Owner. All that happened in the Royal Capital. Things didn't get that chaotic over here though."

The sounds of a pan being tossed and ingredients being stir-fried in oil could be heard.

Kazusa was cooking while chatting with me from across the counter.

When I gave her a summary of what had happened, she offered words of comfort.

Right now, it was the time after morning service had ended, during preparations for lunch.

So there were no other customers.

Or rather, the place was always packed during business hours, so sitting down to eat like this would normally be impossible.

"Yeah, tell me about it. Running around from place to place was exhausting. If something had happened to Kassad too, I'd have collapsed from the stress."

"But business is going well, right? Then that's good."

"Well, that's true."

"All I can do right now is make food like this. So eat up."

Kazusa finished cooking and plated the completed dish in a deep bowl, sprinkling dried basil on top.

"Here you go. Fried rice topped with stewed lamb."

"Oh, that looks delicious."

I immediately took a bite. The lamb, marinated in seasonings, was tender and well-seasoned.

The fried rice was fragrant and appetizing.

Coming to Cat's Paw Inn was the right choice since I didn't feel like cooking at home.

"I'm thinking of adding this to the menu as a new item. What do you think?"

"It's delicious. This'll definitely get repeat customers."

"You think so? Ehehe."

Kazusa blushed at the praise.

The light meal service that started as a side venture at the inn had become Kazusa's passion project, and it had grown considerably.

Kazusa's cooking skills had also improved, and you could say the food was on par with a proper restaurant.

Even I, someone who enjoys cooking as a hobby, had to give it high praise.

Working at it daily really does speed up your growth.

After returning from the royal castle with permission to leave, I used a portal to travel to Alsarm to retrieve the carriage.

From there, we went through the Royal Capital and finally made it back to Kassad, but between the accumulated fatigue and using portals consecutively, even a full day's rest wasn't enough to recover.

Orleans and I were relatively better off, but the adventurer group, Azu and the others, were still sound asleep.

"The meat just melts in my mouth… Is it really okay for someone like me to eat something this delicious?"

"Ahaha, Oru-chan, you say funny things. Since you complimented me, I'll give you a treat!"

"Thank you very much."

Pleased by Orleans' words, Kazusa served another dish.

Corn tempura.

It was crisply fried, and when dipped in the accompanying salt, the sweetness really stood out. Delicious.

"I used to make this a lot because my little brother loves it, but when I tried selling it at the shop, it was a hit too. Corn's had a good harvest this year so it's cheap, and that means corn oil is cheap too. Double delicious."

"Using cheap, seasonal ingredients is a classic strategy, but I really made the right call putting you in charge."

Kazusa was really doing excellent work.

The inn was already in the black, and while it didn't match my shop, it was earning well.

Keeping the renovation costs low so we didn't need to take on debt helped a lot too.

When I bought the inn from that old lady, I worried about how I'd recoup the investment…

It was a pleasant surprise that buying an inn outright came with the food service license attached.

Kazusa just had to take a simple training course and could earn from light meals like this.

I focused on eating with Orleans for a while.

I spotted the Fire Elemental secretly getting someone to share a piece of corn tempura with it.

Can you even eat, you…?

"Here's the bento for Azu and the others."

"Thanks, you're a lifesaver. Cooking when you're tired is such a drag."

"It counts as sales for us too, so no problem at all. Thanks for your business!"

I had Kazusa make bentos for Azu and the others too.

The contents were the same as what we just ate.

After finishing, I paid and Orleans and I split the bentos to carry home.

Even though the money I paid Kazusa eventually came back to me, it increased the sales figures, so I shouldn't worry about it.

Besides, part of it becomes Kazusa's share, so there's no problem.

By the way, the bento was also Kazusa's idea.

At first, the main items were light meals you could take home without getting your hands dirty, like sandwiches, but when she heard that workers wanted heartier meals, she worked with the craftsman guild to develop disposable containers.

Apparently, the substantial bentos are now the best sellers.

There were even customers who stayed at the inn just for the food, and it was becoming a well-known hidden gem.

I returned home and set the bentos on the table.

Then Finn appeared, her hair still wet from what must have been a shower.

Her clothes were light, but not enough to warrant a warning.

"I was wondering where you went, and it turns out you were getting food. Not bad."

"What about the other three?"

"Still sleeping. I'm gonna eat first."

"Then I'll go wake them. Orleans, you can rest."

"Um, then I'll just prepare some tea and take a break."

Orleans didn't have her own room yet.

Next time we expand, I'll need to add rooms to the house too.

Cat's Paw Inn seemed to have enough staff, and Orleans probably felt unsettled there anyway.

I went to Azu and the others' room, knocked twice, and opened the door.

All three were asleep inside.

Since they'd been sleeping for so long, the blankets had fallen off, leaving them in their underwear.

Their sleeping postures were bad, except for Azu.

"It's time to eat. Wake up."

I clapped my hands to get their attention.

Part of me wanted to let them keep sleeping, but they should get some food in them.

They stirred awake.

Rubbing their eyes and yawning, they looked my way.

"Come down before the bento gets cold. It was really good."

"Okaaay."

A drowsy reply came back.

I closed the door and heard shuffling sounds, so they should be down soon.

When I went downstairs, Finn had already finished eating and was stretching.

I received tea from Orleans and took a sip.

The hot liquid went down my throat.

I took out my bag and retrieved something from it.

A golden fruit. The World Tree Fruit.

Maybe if I'd used this, the king wouldn't have died.

But by the time I saw him, he was already on death's door. The result was uncertain.

Neither Princess Tianis nor Lady Anatia knew about this, but if they had, they probably would have asked me to use it.

I only remembered I had it after the king had died…

I had no intention of hoarding it, but it would be a problem if I couldn't use it when needed.

At the very least, I should resolve now to use it without hesitation if anyone in our group needs it.