15 Backstory 1 - Merchant

Author's Pre-notes:

Although it was supposed to be daily life, there turned out to be a lot of narration.

However, if you don't mind that, read on!

Also, there is a questionnaire after the story, if you so wish please do check it out and tell me what you think!

—–

The daily life of the inn started frighteningly early.

When I first arrived in this world, I hadn't considered such a thing properly. I was only concerned with peacefully setting up that thing known as an 'inn'.

Maybe I had considered things too simply, but I realised this afterwards.

Establishing an inn itself is not something that's really complicated.

After I was able to become a B-rank adventurer, I was also able to get the permission to set up my inn from the king surprisingly easily. (Explanation: the king didn't have any interest in Carla and thus he wanted to end their meeting at that time as fast as possible).

Although it was a place that was slightly distanced from the commercial district as well as the main road, I was able to receive the inn as it was from an old couple who had run it before. We~ll , that couple recently hurt their backs and were planning to close down the inn.

However, on that occasion, they met me, and instead of shutting down that place that was full of memories for them, they decided to give it to me.

[Opportunism]? .... That's right, eh? It's come after a long time.

…. Well because of this and that, I, who was able to acquire a place to establish the inn easily, tried to start the inn as it was; however, it's not like the customers would come as easy as that.

Since the old couple had run this inn, the『Delight Garden Pavilion』inn had already been famous. As such, not many customers would come easily.

.... It's not like I hated『Delight Garden Pavilion』, or even blamed that inn.

The customers that could not get a room in 『Delight Garden Pavilion』flowed to other inns, and for those customers who were yet again unable to acquire a room, came to my newly-opened inn.

At that time, because I did not have many customers, I wasn't really busy, and at the most would have friends from my adventuring days over and causing a ruckus.

However, after they (the customers and my friends) stayed at my inn, even once, they would understand the quality of service in my inn.

By chance, my first customer was a merchant.

It seemed that he really enjoyed the taste of my cooking, and also praised the calm atmosphere of the inn, saying that he would come and stay here the next time he came to the kingdom.

Those words were not a lie; every time the merchant came here, he would stay at my inn without a doubt.

From a certain point of view, that merchant was the one who saved this inn.

For example, there was that time where he brought his merchant friend and his family over to stay.

Whenever that merchant (the first one) came to peddle his goods in the kingdom, he would just pass by the 『Delight Garden Pavilion』and disappear elsewhere, appearing with a great mood the next morning. Thus, his friend would ask him about it each time they met.

When his friend pressed him for an answer, the merchant answered that he had been staying at an inn called the 『Dragon Emperor's Mistletoe』, which his friend had never heard about before.

Is that a famous place? When his friend pressed even more for further detail, the merchant only answered with an ambiguous reply, making him irritated. As such, the friend asked the merchant to take him along to go the inn, apparently.

Of course, I didn't reject them; rather, there was no reason to reject another customer.

I welcomed my customer, showing my utmost courtesy (expressionless).

The merchant, his friend and his friend's family became the turning point of the inn.

There are a lot of cases where a merchant's work will involve handling information. From information with high credibility, to information like baseless rumors, they hold a wide range of information. People often come and seek this information.

One day, in a certain area, there was a time when the hot topic amongst merchants was the 『Dragon Emperor's Mistletoe』.

The merchant (ED: Still the first one) constantly said things like, the 『Inn where a goddess resides』, 『Inn where you can eat the meal of the heavens』and so on. However, no matter how one looked at it, it could not be taken seriously.

Although it was the customers who heard the rumor from the merchant, knowing that the information came from a merchant made them assume that only half the story was true.

In response to their criticism, what the merchant took out was a piece of 『bread』. The merchant described it as [Heaven's bread]. A housewife who still doubted him ate the bread that the merchant took out with full confidence. In the end, she almost fainted due to the bread's deliciousness. Of course, the people around her also could not help but become curious about the flavour of the bread, but she quickly devoured the remaining piece of bread.

With this, everyone believed that the 『Heaven's Food』part of the merchant's statement was true. If that was so, then the other rumour, 『The inn where the Goddess resides』, would also have credibility.

The merchant's customers' expectations swelled.

However, the merchant only leaked that much information on the inn. Where the inn was located, how to get there, and even information on the『Goddess』was kept hidden.

"The merchant said 『The Goddess's Inn』exists." This rumour spread among the masses in the blink of an eye.

—-

(To think that it would become this busy ….. )

In my room, before the sun rises, I, 『Carla – Grace』, stretched my body with a "guuuh" sound, then went to prepare breakfast.

I slid off the bed as quietly as I could since the customers were still sleeping, then changed out of my clothes. Since I had become used to this body of mine, I was able to finish changing without any problems, and headed to the kitchen.

Until I reached the kitchen, I would not let my guard down. (TL : in making voice)

In this old and small inn, there would not be any magic for soundproofing or things like that. Of course, I could solve the problem using my own magical power, but since the effect disappears as soon as I fall asleep (ED: or get knocked out), there is no point in doing so.

It could also be solved by using a magical item, but since I didn't have any such items on me at the present nor the time to make them, this idea was also pointless.

Because of that, I had no choice but to leave the inn as it was.

However, I had already conveyed this to the customers and received their approval, so there is no worry. There was also the plan to prepare several magical items for this matter. As long as the sun had already risen, there was no problem with any amounts of noise.

While I was thinking about what I would be cooking for breakfast today, I continued to head to the kitchen silently.

—-

Author's Afterword:

The aforementioned merchant is the merchant who sold the bread to the noble in the previous idle talk. Although that merchant often went to Carla's inn to stay, he hadn't come visiting recently.

I made him the only character who sold Carla's bread outside the inn. I thought to make him a character that had personality sooner or later, but for now, he is going to be treated as Merchant A.

I thought about the story after this chapter and so I made something like a questionnaire.

For now though, I will tell you beforehand that I plan to do something crazy with Carla's magic power. (it's already fixed content per se)

As for the questionnaire: (ED: PLEASE NOTE, WE AT LNW will NOT tell the author your choices, nor will it change the course of the story, because all this was done a long while ago.)

Carla will continue manage the inn alone.

Increase the number of employees.

I want to decide from either of those choices.

Another thing,

Another reincarnated person, the appearance of another tripper.

Don't create anything.

Since I wanted to decide between those things,

I tried to make this questionnaire.

Since it the first time I am doing this kind of thing, I don't know what to do, but I will make the deadline at tomorrow 2/12.

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