53 – Episode 53. Familiar Faces (6)
To accurately understand Neo-Solitron, careful and precise investigation is necessary.
Until the investigation is complete, I needed money to live.
So, these days, I’m accepting and solving requests from the Adventurers’ Guild.
“Oh! You’ve done it in no time! Let me see. You have five headaches?”
“I think they’ve made a home in the cave. There were no other creatures.”
“Five of them… I guess I’ll have to raise the price a bit.”
The employee who was talking to Orpheus scratched his head and flicked his abacus. The round ball just seemed to be moving around for fun.
“Judging by the size… two big ones… three small ones… since the condition of the evidence isn’t great… I’ll give you this much.”
“Thank you. Is there a good meat restaurant nearby? It would be nice if they handle various types of meat.”
“A meat restaurant, huh? I’m not sure. If you go outside, there should be an inn called ‘Warm and Cozy Stone’.”
Go there and ask the owner for a few coins. He knows almost everything. He’s been in business since the Solitron days.”
“Understood. I’ll stop by later.”
“Always welcome. Goodbye!”
Orphe, who had collected the money, waved at us as we sat waiting in the chairs.
Diana was the first to jump up and greet Orphe.
“Let’s go straight to the meat restaurant!”
“Calm down. It’s not even noon yet.”
“I didn’t eat enough for lunch. I’m hungry.”
“Let’s stop by the house for a moment. We need to put on underwear.”
“Okay…”
Should Adari have brought cookies? Diana’s binge-eating disguised as a small appetite compared to others. This is a problem that needs to be addressed someday.
What if we relate it to training rations?
If we succeed in the mission, we’ll get an extra half, and if we fail, we’ll lose half. This is a good idea.
Thinking that, I headed towards the corner of the wall where the trash can was, to throw away the useless request form.
After selecting, I immediately stuffed it into my pocket, and it felt damp with sweat.
“Robin, sir?”
A familiar voice grabbed my ankle. I stopped and looked back.
“You’re quite perceptive. It’s been a while. I heard about the job well! I’m really glad!”
A man with brown hair and blue eyes approached, smiling brightly. His beard had grown a bit, but he wasn’t unrecognizable.
“Seton, sir? Why are you here? What happened to the scrap rat?”
Why is that brat who should be writing a novel in the corner here?
“There’s nothing right about it. A bird that drinks steel. I have reasons. I want to accumulate more experience, you see. Without mixing in some anecdotes, it won’t have any taste. You can think of it as applying for more incidents and accidents.”
Looking at the nonsense, it seems like Saten is right.
“Are you still doing adventurer work at Neo-Solitron?”
“That’s right. I’ve handled over 10 requests. Sometimes alone, sometimes collaborating with other adventurers. It was an interesting experience.”
“I was really curious about that.”
What can I do?
“…There were also colleagues who lost their lives during requests. Rebecca. I swore while burying her body. That I would become stronger. That I would gain the courage to not be afraid of any crisis-“
“It’s a story I really want to hear, but I’m a bit busy. I’ll go join the group.”
“Just a moment, please give me a moment. It’s been a long time, so I’m happy.”
Saten was in a very different state. The iron club on his back was shining as if it had been oiled, and the equipment on his body looked decent, if not high-end.
Maybe he bulked up or something, because his body had changed quite a bit, and wearing ocule leather on top of his armor was cool.
Neo-Solitron’s Neo-Saten? The saying that a person makes a place was true.
“A group, huh. The fact that Robin is here means that Orphe and Diana are also… amazing!”
Saten approached our group, stroking his beard. Seeing him looking at Treebo and asking for a handshake, it seems like his sociability is still intact.
Saten, who turned the bad parts into good and kept the good parts. Can he finally pull his weight? Even trash can grow.
“It’s quite something to meet Mr. Saten here. You’ve changed a lot, now you look like a seasoned adventurer.”
“You flatter me. Orphe has become even more beautiful. She had a look that could kill with her eyes, but there was a gloomy atmosphere-“
“Let’s stop there with the rude remarks. Were we ever that close?”
“Big guy. I’m sorry.”
Poor Seton. It seems he still has a long way to go if he’s still losing to Orphe.
I lightly tapped Seton’s drooping shoulders like a fluffy frog.
“Mr. Seton, it’s nice to see you after such a long time, but we’re busy.”
“What’s the matter? If there’s something I can help with, I’ll do it.”
“I’m really grateful, but there’s no need for you to help because it’s about finding a barbecue restaurant.”
“Robin, you’re really lucky! I know all the barbecue restaurants in this area! I’ll guide you right away for the sake of our friendship!”
Seton, beaming with delight, put his arm around me and pulled me along. This brat is really audacious.
“No, we’re not going straight there. We’re going to stop by my house first.”
“It doesn’t matter. Can’t you wait for just that? Come on, let’s go. I want to see my friend’s house.”
Is Seton’s happiness circuit invincible? There’s definitely a cell in him that accepts everything positively.
“Are you coming too, Tribor?”
[Yes.]
“There’s weight in your voice. You must have experienced various incidents. I want to hear your story.”
To think there’s weight in the mechanical sound of the scrap that used to sleep in the burrow. Is he still not in his right mind?
I stopped Orphe, who was whispering quietly, asking, “What should I say?”
Since Seton was already here at Neosolitron, he might have some different information.
More information is needed for the activities of the renegade ninja.
“Tribor’s life struggles are truly remarkable. You won’t easily hear about it anywhere you go.”
“Oh… I’m looking forward to it.”
“So let’s go with Sae-tun’s choice today.”
“Sounds good! That’s about it!”
Diana, get ready. It’s time for our appetite.
***
“Our house is really spacious. Cleaning it seems like such a chore!”
Sae-tun, who had taken a look around our house, chuckled and put down his luggage.
To think that his impression of a big and nice house was “difficult to clean.” How lazy must he be to have such thoughts? It’s clear that he hasn’t grown that sporadic beard out of negligence.
“Just wait a moment. I’ll change my clothes and come out right away.”
I said to Sae-tun, confirming Diana tremblingly entering the room. Suddenly, that guy nodded his head.
“Captain Robin. Aren’t we comrades who have gone through thick and thin together? No need to be so formal. Speak comfortably.”
I tried to firmly deny that we were in such a relationship, but it wasn’t a lie.
Throughout the quest for promotion, Sae-tun crossed the line through foolish acts and trolling, and in Maple Leaf Village, I almost died.
“Is that so? Sit down on the floor and wait. Don’t touch the cookies on the table.”
Adali brought the cookies. I saw them briefly when I entered the house earlier.
I pretended to know her when she was taking care of the flowers in the garden, and she shivered and ran away with an awkward smile. She’s a very shy lady.
“You changed your attitude right away. Your adaptability is quite good.”
“I’m like a chameleon.”
We finished our small talk and went into the room. I took off my ninja disguise and searched the closet, but there were fewer everyday clothes than I thought. There were only three, including tattered rags.
“…”
Have I ever had a normal everyday life? Until now, I’ve only lived as an adventurer and a runaway ninja.
To naturally blend into Neosolitron, I need the title of a “model citizen” like Robin. I guess I’ll have to go shopping for clothes with Orphe later.
They won’t sell checkered shirts, right?
After changing clothes with the ninja technique, we entered the restaurant that Saiten recommended. It’s only a 10-minute walk. It’s quite a sensible choice for Saiten.
– Nutritious and Meaty Restaurant –
Seeing the sign, it seemed like we found the right place. I patted Diana’s head, full of anticipation, and entered the restaurant.
After a moment of silence for Saiten’s wallet that would be sacrificed today, I read the menu board attached to the wall…
– Insect Pork Cutlet
– Fried Cricket Nuggets
– Flower Beetle Tiramisu
– Hera Honeyless Chilled Stag Beetle
– Wild Frog Pasta
“Hey, what the…!”
I was a fool for trusting that idiot Saiten. I held back my urge to run away from the insect-infested menu and politely asked Saiten.
“Doesn’t seem to match any of my preferences, does it?”
“Hmm? Didn’t you say you wanted to try various kinds of meat? There’s no better place than here.”
Saiten confidently spoke as if there was no shame in the world.
I felt like I couldn’t communicate with this idiot, so I approached Diana and Orphe.
As for Treebo, I planned to just observe again, so there was no need to ask for their opinion.
“Guys, isn’t this unacceptable? How can people eat bugs?”
“We’ve had our fill in the cave. They weren’t cooked properly, so the taste wasn’t great, but…”
Note: The term “병신” used in the original text is a derogatory slang term in Korean. To maintain the tone of the text, it has been translated as “fool” here.
To speak like this even to Orpheus. It’s an astonishing situation.
Wasn’t he the last survivor of a noble family that was wiped out by Yakuzas’ conspiracy? Even if he’s a noble, he should have a disgust for bugs.
“That was an unavoidable situation. We had nothing else to eat.”
“Orpheus, do you want to eat those who roll in the mud and eat food scraps?”
From Noble mtl dot com
“It’s awful to say that… They’re edible bugs developed in Matap. There’s no problem with hygiene. Even though the name is like that, the taste is the same as beef or pork.”
Even Orpheus, in a brainwashed state with the mindset of a primitive being from this world. He grabbed Diana’s shoulder, facing her.
“Diana, today is your day. You know that, right?”
“Yes? Yes.”
“You’re the one who decides.”
“Th-that’s right?”
Although Diana grew up in a closed society, she must have learned the basics under Laminar’s education.
“Do you like bugs? If you don’t like them, shake your head strongly twice. I’ll save you.”
“Do you dislike bugs? Why? They’re delicious…”
“Ha.”
Indeed, there’s no helping yokai. Should I shed tears and eat them?
It’s too late to say, “I don’t like bugs, so I want to go home.”
Orpheus or Diana could have said they didn’t like it and suggested going somewhere else.
While I was seriously contemplating, Saturn tapped my shoulder.
“If you don’t like bugs, there are alternatives. The menu isn’t just limited to that.”
A worn-out menu was hanging in the direction Saturn’s finger pointed. It listed normal and common dishes like beef steak or pork barbecue.
“This place used to be an ordinary meat restaurant. We handle edible insects because of the Kingdom’s orders. With edible insects even appearing in the Academy’s meals, there’s no choice but to adapt.”
“This is driving me crazy, seriously.”
A world filled with violence, madness, and conspiracy.
The Irugal Kingdom, which recommends edible insects to its citizens, must disappear.