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117. [Altora] In the West – 2

「The one thing I hate more than anything. That would be—」

Sensing Altora’s intent, Eria moved quickly to cover the girl’s eyes with her hand.

「—‘Debt collectors’! Get that through your thick skull, you incompetent piece of crap!!」

「Gah!?」

Altora’s right fist slammed squarely into the man’s face. The blunt weapon enhanced with [Striking Boost] didn’t even get a chance to swing—it simply clattered to the ground. A ridiculous end. Altora cackled with glee and pointed at the remaining man.

「Oi, Gordon. I’ll let you have that one. Quit spacing out and go knock him out.」

「M-Me too? That’s not what you said earlier…」

「Observation: Altora’s hand is visibly trembling. Suspected cause: punching with raw strength, unaided by skills.」

「Hah? It’s not shaking! I’m just being generous, letting Gordon have one, is all.」

「Riiight…」

「Quit yappin’, damn it! Big guy like you, acting all tough!」

Seeing the man charge with a knife in hand, Gordon frowned. To be honest, he’d rather avoid the hassle.

But if the guy was charging at him, then so be it. Gordon casually swung his right hand in a slap that caught the man full on the cheek.

「Please don’t. I’m not a fan of pain.」

「Gyoeh!?」

The man spun once in the air before crashing to the ground. Altora burst out laughing, rolling around.

「Geez, show some restraint, will ya?」

The girl they’d saved blinked in awe, looking back and forth between Altora and Gordon—both of whom had taken down their opponents with a single blow.

「Y-You’re so strong…! Even against the debt collectors from the Vehl family… Thank you for saving me!」

As the girl hastily bowed her thanks, Altora held out his right hand.

「…」

「Eh? Th-This hand is…?」

「Your gratitude. Pay up.」

「Ah, r-right! Of course I should thank you! It’s just, I don’t really have much on me, and this is all I—」

She pulled out a few copper coins—barely over 200 inn. Altora made a face, realizing the same currency was in circulation here too, but it didn’t matter much. With a loud sigh, he squatted down.

「Che… Not long ago, I wouldn’t lift a finger for less than ten million inn.」

「Advisory: Clinging to past glory is meaningless.」

「Yeah, I know! Shut up already!」

「…All that moving around’s made me hungry again…」

Gordon’s stomach gave a rumble like distant thunder. They still had enough money, sure. But with no clue whether they’d land a job tomorrow, what should he even eat? His nerves were a mess—his gut complaining of hunger and stress all at once.

Noticing that, the girl clapped her hands.

「In that case, why not come to my place?」

「Huh? What, you want us to eat your mom’s cooking or something?」

「No, no—my family runs a tavern! It’s a rundown dump that barely gets any customers, but I can at least offer you a proper meal!」

「Getting paid in food now? That’s a new low. Look, we’ve got money, alright? We’re not so far gone we need to beg for—」

Grrrrnnnnnnn.

Altora’s stomach roared in protest.

He looked over at Gordon and Eria. Both of them had 「I wanna go」 practically written across their faces.

With a sigh that had to be his fifth of the day, Altora stood and started walking down the now-dark alley. The girl hurried after him.

「W-Wait! Where are you going?」

「Your place, duh. I’ll take you up on that meal. But if it sucks, I’m wrecking the whole damn tavern.」

「Yes, I’ll cook my very best! Also… it’s the other way!」

「…Tch.」

「Recommendation: About face.」

「I know that, Eria!」

Grumbling all the way, Altora followed the girl to her home—a tavern so run-down that even calling it a dump felt generous. Only a faint glow from inside confirmed it was even open. It had the air of a place perpetually on the verge of going out of business. Altora stared up at the sign with a deadpan expression.

「‘Mom’s Tavern,’ huh?」

「Yeah… Mom left ages ago. There’s no ‘mom’ here anymore.」

「Then that sign’s a straight-up lie.」

Still, they were welcomed in. Surprisingly, the inside was clean, with neatly arranged tables. At the counter, a weary-looking man idly wiped dishes, boredom painted across his face. His eyes went wide when he saw them, then after a beat, reality caught up and he jumped in shock.

「…Customers?」

「No, Dad—they saved me from that damn debt collector.」

「Still, it’s been days since anyone walked through that door…」

「H-Hey, Altora. What do you think?」

「I think I’ve had a bad feeling about this from the start.」

Even expecting it to be a failing tavern, the reality was worse. Both men started to feel uneasy. No matter how hungry they were, eating something sketchy would be a problem. They even considered leaving.

But Eria didn’t care. She was already seated at a table, fork and spoon in hand, staring at them like a hawk.

「Urgent: Talking does not fill stomachs. Hurry. Hurry. Hurry.」

「…Guess we’re doing this.」

「Yeah.」

And so, giving in to their hunger, the three sat down for their first meal in days.

Despite their initial misgivings, the food that arrived soon had them eating faster and faster.

The verdict: it was delicious.

「Delicious. Delicious. Delicious.」

「Hey, Eria! Hands off my meat!」

「Note: First come, first served.」

「Don’t care! You wanna get sliced!?」

「Table knives are dull. And even if you slice me, I won’t stop.」

「Can you two just eat quietly…?」

The meat was cooked to perfection—still a bit red inside. It wasn’t high-grade, but the fatty juices soaked through them like magic. Next to it, a steaming milk-based pumpkin soup warmed them to their cores. Dipping in the grilled bread unleashed a blissful flavor across their tongues.

To top it off, the sweet local liquor—born from the region’s distinct geology—held a richness absent from the sugary brews of the Abik Territory. It swept away their fatigue like a warm tide.

The girl was bustling around with surprising energy, despite having only one table to serve.

「How’s everything tasting?」

「Terrible. Also, bring more meat.」

「Thank you very much!」

They may not have said it, but the empty plates spoke louder than any praise. Altora and the others hadn’t felt this full in months. Eria, having eaten the most, sipped her post-meal tea and asked the obvious question:

「Question: Why isn’t this place popular?」