When we finally stepped inside the house behind the shop, a warm smell filled the air. It smelled like fresh bread and soup.
A woman came out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a cloth.
"Oh dear, who is this young man with you?" she asked.
"He's our customer," the shop owner replied. "Oh, by the way, young man, we haven't introduced ourselves yet."
I straightened my back.
"Greetings to both of you. My name is Renji Yamashiro," I said politely, bowing my head.
"Nice name, Renji," the man said with a grin. "I'm Rogo, and this is my wife." He pointed toward her.
"Hello, my name is Maria," she said with a gentle smile.
"It's nice to meet you," I replied.
"Alright, sit here for a moment while I prepare the food, okay?" Maria added before returning to the kitchen.
I nodded and walked toward the small dining table near the window.
The house wasn't big, but it felt comfortable. Clean wooden walls. Simple furniture. A soft curtain moving with the breeze.
I sat down quietly, placing my hands on my lap.
From the kitchen, I could hear the sound of vegetables being chopped and oil lightly sizzling in a pan.
Rogo sat across from me, resting his arms on the table.
"You brought five wolves, right?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," I answered.
He shook his head in disbelief. "You truly are incredible. You even managed to bring that many by yourself."
He smiled proudly. "I have a son around your age. He's a student at this town's academy."
"The academy…" I repeated softly.
I had seen it a few times while wandering the streets, back when I was still looking for someone to give me food. There were always young people wearing uniforms, some even younger than me.
The building wasn't very big, but it looked clean and organized. I heard they teach magic, swordsmanship, alchemy, and other combat skills there.
The students looked disciplined. Confident.
"I see. It must be good for him," I said simply.
"It is," Rogo replied with a nod. Then he looked at me more closely.
"Hm… you seem like you're from a wealthy family. You have a handsome face, and your skin is smooth too."
"Ah… is that so?" I said, laughing awkwardly.
"Yeah. Are you perhaps from a noble house?" he asked directly.
"Ah, no. I'm just a normal adventurer," I answered calmly.
He studied my expression for a moment but didn't press further.
Just then, Maria placed the food on the table—warm soup, fresh bread, and cooked meat.
We ate together.
The food was simple, but it tasted better than anything I had eaten in a long time.
After we finished, Rogo stood up.
"Wait here for a moment," he said before walking to the back room.
He returned carrying a neatly folded set of adventurer clothes. The fabric looked thick and durable.
"I'll give you one set of adventurer clothes," he said. "It's made from a bear monster. Some high-ranking adventurers delivered it to me. The material is strong and resistant."
I carefully touched the fabric. It felt sturdy but light.
"How much for it, Mr. Rogo?" I asked.
"I'll give it to you for twenty silver coins since you brought materials today."
"What? Really? That's too cheap," I said in surprise.
He waved his hand. "It's fine. You can just deliver more materials in the future. Consider it a discount."
I looked at the clothes again.
Strong material. Good stitching. Perfect for hunting.
"…Thank you," I said sincerely.
Rogo suddenly remembered something and looked at me.
"Oh, by the way, have you heard the news?" he asked.
"What news?" I replied.
"A group of adventurers found a hot spring deep in the forest," he said. "But they also said it's dangerous. There are high-ranking monsters wandering around that area."
A hot spring… deep in the forest.
That means fewer people would dare to go there.
"By the way, are you leaving now?" he asked.
"Ah, yes. I still have a lot of things to do," I answered.
"You seem like a busy person," he said with a chuckle.
Just then, Maria came out of the kitchen holding a small wooden box.
"Oh, by the way, take this with you," she said, handing it to me.
I looked inside. It was filled with neatly packed food.
"W-wait, I can't take this. You already invited me to eat," I said quickly.
"It's okay," Rogo replied. "We still have a lot. And there are only two of us living here. So don't worry and accept it."
"It's okay, Renji," Maria added with a warm smile. "This is our gift to you."
I hesitated for a second before carefully accepting the box.
"T-then… I'll take it. Thank you very much again. I promise I'll repay you next time," I said sincerely.
"Alright, alright. Just be careful out there, okay?" they both said.
"Thank you again, Mr. Rogo, Ms. Maria, for inviting me to eat with you. I'll get going now."
"Come back again next time!" they said together.
I stepped outside and turned back once more.
They were still standing at the door, smiling.
I raised my hand and waved at them with a small smile on my face.
Then I continued walking down the street, the small food box held carefully in my arms.
"Is this what having a family feels like…?" I asked myself quietly while walking down the street.
The small food box felt warm in my hands.
"This is so warm and calming… having people care about me."
They had only met me not long ago, yet they treated me kindly. Like I belonged there.
Those two are really kind.
I kept talking to myself as I walked toward the Adventurers' Guild.
When I stepped inside, the usual noise welcomed me—people talking, laughing, arguing over quests.
I walked to the counter.
"Here are twenty silver coins for the goblin cores," Cera said, placing the coins on the table.
"Thank you," I replied, picking them up carefully.
"By the way, Renji, have you heard the news?" she asked.
"A group of adventurers found a hot spring deep in the forest," she added.
"Ah, I heard about it from the owner of the clothing shop," I said.
"Are you planning to go there?" she asked.
"Hm… I'll think about it. I heard there are high-ranking monsters there, so I need to think carefully before going," I answered.
"I see. That's good," she nodded. "By the way, are you selling potions again today?"
"Potions? I already sold some earlier before I went hunting," I said.
She looked at me seriously.
"The truth is… the potions are already sold out. A lot of adventurers are looking for them. Some are even doubling the price just to get one."
Inside my mind, I was shocked.
That's crazy… I didn't expect it to be that popular.
"I'll try asking him tomorrow to make more," I said. "But he told me it's hard to make many potions in one day."
"That's totally fine," Cera replied. "We understand. Making potions is really difficult."
She paused for a moment.
"And by the way… there are some adventurers who want to thank you."
"Thank me?" I asked.
"Yes. They were critically wounded after fighting a high-ranking monster. Fortunately, one of their members bought your potion. It helped him recover from his injury."
I blinked.
"That's… good news," I said quietly.
For a moment, I felt something different.
My potions weren't just for money.
"Alright, good work again today," Cera said with a smile.
"Thank you," I replied.
After that, I turned around and left, heading back to my lodging.