Chapter 31: The Public Bathhouse and Gourmet Cuisine
“Oh, the spices are really kicking in; it’s delicious!”
“Yeah. The broth has more depth than I expected.”
Thank goodness we weren’t part of that food culture I read about in some light novel, where they throw away the cooking liquid. The cuisine of this Otherworld is surprisingly tasty. My master’s cooking was more of the typical survival fare, so this is my first real taste of Otherworld cuisine. I’ll overlook the fact that it’s better than what I usually make.
“Ah, that was delicious. Thank you for the meal!”
“Thank you for the meal!”
The inn’s dining area was located to the right of the counter on the first floor, while a staircase leading to the second floor was on the left. As we were about to head back to our room, the inn’s charming waitress, Anya, called out to us.
“What are your plans for the bath today?”
“Oh, right, the bath…”
I had been discussing going to the public bathhouse with Rio. But it was already pitch dark outside, and the public bathhouse was a bit far from here.
“I’m starting to feel a bit lazy about going out now, so maybe we can skip it.”
“Sure, that works for me. I’m feeling a bit tired today too.”
“Then it’s settled.”
“Understood. I’ll prepare everything for you.”
“Thanks!”
“It’s a perfect day for shopping!”
The next morning, Rio was in high spirits. We had gone shopping yesterday, but I guess having money makes a difference. I was feeling pretty upbeat too, so I could relate!
After breakfast, we headed out right away. The weather was lovely once again.
“Where should we go first?”
I was a bit overwhelmed by Rio’s sparkling enthusiasm but tried to recall the shopping list in my head.
“Well, let’s start with the essentials… I need some throwing daggers, and I’d like to check out some spices… and maybe some Magic Tools too.”
My master didn’t keep any Magic Tools at his place. I had heard about them, but we could substitute with our own magic for things like Magic Lamps or Magic Stoves, so we didn’t really need them.
“Right. There might be some interesting Magic Tools out there. Let’s start with the weapon shop.”
“Sure!”
“Fifty throwing daggers, huh… Can you carry them all?”
The shopkeeper asked, and I suddenly remembered I had forgotten about that. I should have realized I needed a bag when I bought underwear the other day. I had the basket in my Dimensional Box, but I couldn’t just pull it out here.
“Would you like to buy a bag as well?”
“I’ll take one.”
I answered immediately. That shopkeeper was quite the businessman. I had been so caught up in the excitement that I forgot about it. Rio gave me an exasperated look, but it was a mutual oversight.
I slung a leather backpack over my shoulders, filled it with the daggers, and stepped out of the shop. It was pretty heavy. Once we turned into a back alley, I slipped my hand into the bag and stored the daggers in the Dimensional Box.
“Ah, much lighter now.”
From there, our shopping spree went smoothly. We stocked up on spices, dried meats, and a decent amount of second-hand clothes. New clothes would take time and cost a lot since they had to be custom-made, so I decided against it. But the rumors about how long women take to shop were definitely true.
“The sun is starting to set, so how about we check out the public bathhouse today?”
“Sounds good!”
Since the inn rented out towels and soap, I had bought some just in case. After paying at the entrance counter, I found out that the towels and soap were indeed charged separately. After parting ways with Rio, I headed to the men’s bath, which had a changing area with lockers.
The setup here was quite similar to the hot springs in Japan and the baths at inns in this Otherworld. I undressed and entered the bathing area. The steam obscured the view, but as expected for a public bath, it was larger and more crowded than the inn’s bath.
“Looking at this, it doesn’t seem too different from a Japanese hot spring.”
There were a few pointy-eared elves and quite a few people with vibrant hair colors. I settled down at one of the washing stations along the wall and turned on the faucet. It seemed to be a Magic Tool, and while hot water was supposed to come out, it was surprisingly lukewarm. After washing myself, I headed towards the bath.
“…There’s some debris floating around; it looks dirty.”
I guess that’s just how public baths are. They can’t compete with the luxurious baths at high-end inns. Ultimately, before leaving the bath, I used my own magic to shower off and rinse myself thoroughly.
After getting out of the bath, I sat for a while, lost in thought, when Rio emerged from the women’s bath. She had a somewhat sullen expression, perhaps sharing my sentiments.
“I really prefer the inn’s bath.”
“Yeah.”
I felt refreshed, but the public bath was just… underwhelming. It seemed the price reflected the quality.
“Should we grab dinner somewhere before heading back?”
“Let’s do that.”
We found a seemingly upscale restaurant and decided to go in, where we were shown to a private room. Come to think of it, in this world, one becomes an adult at fifteen. But even back in Japan, I never had a strong desire to drink alcohol, so I was fine with that.
After asking the staff for the day’s recommendations, a meat dish was served. It was definitely a high-end place. We ate and drank to our hearts’ content, and the total came to 550 Fron.
“Another meat-heavy meal today. Well, it was delicious, so I can’t complain.”
“True. But I think I’m starting to crave some fish.”
“Yeah, let’s see if we can find some.”
And so, a vague goal for our future meals was set.