Adventurer's Guild Café: I Was Wrongfully Exiled by the Saint, So I Will Enjoy My Second Life with My Fluffy Friends-Chapter 4.1 - A Traveler From the Kingdom of Aluda

It was early afternoon on a day with few customers.

Under the warm and pleasant sunlight, Lulu and the other spirits were taking a nap, all cuddled up to each other. With nothing to do, I spent my time brushing the fluffy creatures and moved them into their basket.

“Ugh, I’m hungry.”

In the meantime, a customer arrived at the café. They seemed completely exhausted, as if they had been traveling for a long time. I greeted the traveler and showed them to an empty seat.

“Ah, I want to eat until I’m full and then drink some alcohol.”

Oh dear, what should I do?

“Um, if you want to eat a big meal and drink, maybe it would be better to go to the diner next to the guild.”

The friendly traveler chuckled and waved their hand.

“Ah, sorry, sorry. That’s not it. Right now, I’m on a drinking ban. If I go to Yan’s shop, I’ll definitely start drinking from the middle of the day.”

Ah, I see now.

“Here, there is no alcohol, right?”

I smiled and nodded.

The affable traveler stared at me with wide eyes.

“Oh, I wonder if this Miss is the beastkin girl that’s being talked about right now.”

“Huh?”

“The rumor has already spread to the neighboring town. They say there’s a cute girl working at the café in the Shield of the Silver Wolf King’s guild.”

My cheeks flushed bright red. Even just walking around town I’m considered a novelty, but I had no idea that there was so much talk about it. I hadn’t realized beastkin were so rare.

“Well then, I guess I’ll have today’s lunch.”

“Yes, please wait a moment.”

After taking the order, I went to pass it on to Dan. Today’s lunch menu is corn cream soup, bread kneaded with dryad nuts, bacon fries made with labyrinth porkul bacon and potatoes seasoned with pepper. There is also fresh juice made from freshly picked labyrinth berries.

Visit fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm for the best novel reading experi𝒆nce.

“The Porkul at this time of year is really delicious,” Dan spoke as he plated the food.

“Do the monsters in the labyrinth taste different depending on the season?”

“Yeah. There are certain species that breed in large numbers during specific times of the year, and when you eat them then, the fat content is just right and they taste amazing.”

“Wow,” I said, listening to the conversation as I carried the plated dishes over to the traveler.

It seemed that Ruri was familiar with the traveler, and they were chatting away happily. I made sure not to disturb them as I placed the dishes down.

◆

“Ah, that was delicious. I feel revived now.”

After the meal, the traveler had cleaned the plate completely, and the three of us—Ruri, the traveler, and I—chatted in the café.

Well, I didn’t have anything else to do, after all.

“And you know, I feel like my body’s gotten lighter. I was so exhausted earlier, but now I feel fine.”

“Hehe. The drink that Kuu-chan made for you has a mysterious power, doesn’t it?”

“I see. Thanks, miss.”

“N-no, I didn’t do anything.”

I shook my head vigorously.

“By the way, you seemed really tired. Did you travel far?”

Ruri tilted her head.

“Yeah, it was a bit of a long journey. I just came back from Aluda Kingdom.”

“!”

“Oh, you went all the way that far?”

The mention of Aluda Kingdom took me by surprise, and I involuntarily shuddered.

While I broke into a cold sweat, Ruri and the traveler continued their conversation.

It seemed that the traveler was from Grantania and had just gone to Aluda for some business. I felt a little relieved by this.

“Well, it seems like there are more monsters appearing in the country lately.”

“Huh?”

I froze in shock.

“I thought Aluda Kingdom was a relatively safe country since it doesn’t have any dungeons…”

At Ruri’s words, the traveler shook his head.

“No, it used to be that way, but… it seems that the monsters appearing in the country are causing a lot of trouble. I almost had my cargo taken, and I panicked. Aluda Kingdom doesn’t even have a guild.”

It felt like it had been a while since I heard about the inner workings of Aluda Kingdom.

The traveler frowned as he spoke.

“And it’s not just any monsters. Apparently, they’re turning into magical beasts.”

“Huh! That’s awful!” Ruri exclaimed in shock.

“If that’s true, the continent…!”

“Hey, hey, don’t get too worried. You’re turning pale, miss.”

The traveler was concerned about me and stopped Ruri from continuing.

I forced a smile, my face drained of color.

“What’s wrong, Kuu-chan? You look so pale!”

Ruri noticed my condition and quickly pulled me down into a chair.

“S-sorry, I was just so surprised…”

“That’s right. Anyone would be surprised if I suddenly say something like that. Goodness me, I’m sorry.”

“No, it seems like it’s the truth…”

Ruri brought me some water.

It seemed like I had caused myself to almost faint from shock or something similar.

My heart was racing, and I couldn’t calm down.

After drinking the water, I felt a little more at ease.

“Well, don’t think too deeply about it. Aluda Kingdom has a period every few years where the number of monsters increases. It might just be that time again. Plus, there’s nothing really critical in terms of trade with Aluda, so they won’t be hit hard by any economic downturns.”

“That’s true… well, Grantania has a guild, and they’re used to dealing with these kinds of issues, so it should be fine.”

“It seems there’s also a rumor that the Saint has been found. If that’s true, the Saint will probably clear the miasma in no time.”

The two of them said this while looking at me with concern.

I awkwardly smiled and nodded.

But in my head, a whirlwind of questions was swirling.

What exactly is going on?

There should be a real Saint in Aluda Kingdom.

Isn’t the Saint the one who’s supposed to be clearing the miasma?

How could it be getting worse… Could that really be happening?

The faces of the Saint who had expelled me from the academy, as well as my former fiancé and my sisters, resurfaced in my mind.

I wonder what they’re all doing now…?

As I spaced out, the traveler stood up.

“I guess it’s time for me to go. Ruri, you should let the girl rest a bit.”

“Right, Kuu-chan, let’s head back to your room.”

“Ah, no, I’m fine.”

I quickly shook my head and waved my hands.

When I stood up, I began preparing the bill.

“Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yes. I was just a little spaced out…”

Seeing me start to move quickly again, both of them seemed relieved.

“Really, the food was delicious. I feel so much better. I’m staying at an inn in the city, but I’d want to eat here every day if I could.”

I felt happy hearing Dan and Ruri complimented for their cooking. My previously heavy feelings slowly began to lift.

“Thank you very much.”

“Don’t overeat. And take it easy with the alcohol and cigarettes too.”

“Ah.”

After thanking me, the traveler looked at me and spoke.

“Maybe it’s just because I came back from Aluda, but you should be careful too, young lady. Things have been dangerous lately. Especially beastkin girls, they tend to be easy targets. Don’t let your guard down, even in this town.”

At those words, I shivered slightly.

The traveler smiled warmly and said,

“It was delicious! I’ll be back next time.”

After settling the bill, I bowed my head politely.

“…Thank you. I hope you have a journey full of blessings.”

There are so many things on my mind.

But this is Grantania.

…I have nothing to do with those other people anymore.

So, it’s fine.

I reassured myself and went back to the shop.