When I looked around, I saw that the tavern was so packed that even the receptionist who welcomed us when we first came to the guild was helping out while the two waitresses hurriedly served everyone’s orders.

(Looks like everyone has a lot of money to spend today…) 

But even so, the noisy atmosphere was more subdued as many adventurers had lost their lives in battle, and most of the groups present probably lost a comrade or two.

Even Riberto was almost killed while trying to fend off the giant ants when one of the younger Adventurers with him was bitten to death by a vanguard ant as it collapsed. 

As I remembered the scene for a moment, Ares raised his hand and called the lively, pony-tailed waitress.

“Eil, we’d like to make an additional order!”

“Give me a second, I’ll be there in a while Mr. Ares!”

After glancing in our direction, she grabs the plate of food from her tray and quickly lays it down on the table where Ms. Grace and Edgar were seated.

Well, it’s probably because I was looking in their direction, but… my hearing, which was still more sensitive than the average human’s even though it had been dulled by my humanization, picked up some of the things they said, like, “A strange Kobold took the best kill,” or, “Uuugh, my priiize!”

As I pretended not to hear what they said, the girl called Eil approached us while her indigo hair which was tied back swayed with her movement.

“Kuon, kuukuu wau~♪” (Big brother, get the juicy meat～♪)

“Uwaa~h, what a cute little fox!!”

“Thank you. Do you still have that sliced venison we had the other day?”

The only food you can order at an establishment like this are dishes with ingredients on hand, which alternates between different types of meat dishes and soup, along with rye or wheat bread.

Although there was a high chance that the dishes we could eat made use of dried meat or other preserved food like dried cod and dried beans, the freshest thing we were able to eat last time was the venison meat, so it was necessary to confirm with them before I ordered.

“Oh yes, we do. We still have some venison left over from the stock we prepared for everyone’s return♪”

“Then, I’ll have that along with two pieces of rye bread and… what about the soup?”

“Today we have soup made of dried salmon and winter vegetables.”

“I’ll have that too. Also, could you bring a small plate I can use to split food with her?”

As I pointed to my foxified sister while completing my order, Eil told me the price, and I exchanged my money for the tavern’s iron coin currency to pay for the meat dish, soup, and bread.

At first, I didn’t pay attention since Ares and the others treated me to a meal, but… for the waitress to discern the contents of the orders made at one table, I had to place my iron coins in a place that was easy to see.

After watching the gesture, the waitress bowed briefly and went to the kitchen, and a few moments later, the receptionist Seti was sent out carrying the food everyone had ordered earlier.

“Thank you for waiting. Here are the dishes you ordered.”

After flashing her bright, business smile, she laid out the soup made with salmon and winter vegetables, bread, and herb-roasted wild boar meat and collected the iron coins before briefly turning in my direction.

“Mr. Archer, I’ll notify the guild in Zelgra where you’re registered about your accomplishments in the subjugation, okay? If only you had already fulfilled the other requirements, I would’ve gone ahead and promoted your rank, though…”

In addition to the receptionist’s usual unpretentious manner as she interacts with Adventurers daily, her age is not so different from me who is pretending to be a human in his 20s, so we could just talk straightforwardly without caring about formalities.

“No, your operations are well thought out, so I have no qualms.”

“Well, a lot of people don’t think the same way when performance evaluations are completed first.”

When ranking up, it is necessary to be evaluated on your achievements, the number of requests taken for every rank, and the length of time you have been a member of the guild. Out of the three conditions, I still haven’t fulfilled the latter two conditions to become a “black iron” Adventurer.

The same could also be said for Muriel who had hatched the ‘Valley Ant’ subjugation plan for the Duke.

“Uu~, if it were only about achievements, then I would’ve been ‘silver’ rank by now too.”

“It’s fine, isn’t it? Just stay on the same rank for now.”

“Yeah, we won’t let you get a headstart on us, we’ll catch up with you soon.”

As Mirea merrily responded to Muriel’s murmuring with light banter, Riberto also joined in on the fun, but Seti, who was leaving our table, stopped and turned around.

“Oh right, the guild has received a letter addressed to Muriel again, so claim it on your way home, okay?”

“Au… Alright.”

For Adventurers who frequently set out on missions, it is customary to leave their mail with the guild regardless of whether they are in the east or west, so it wasn’t uncommon for the receptionist whose task is also to receive these letters, to notify her before disappearing into the loud crowd in the tavern.

However, Muriel, the recipient, didn’t look too thrilled about it… If she wanted us to know, she would casually talk about it herself and act like an Adventurer who doesn’t get too involved with another person’s affairs, but…

Just as I was thinking about it, Mirea wasted no time in getting into her friend’s business again.

“Is it one of those letters from your household telling you to “get married” again?”

“Must be tough being an aristocrat’s daughter.”

“… I’m just a daughter of a landless noble who serves as the town administrator though.”

The marrying age of a female noble in the countryside is earlier than those who dwell in the cities, and it is customary for them to be married in their late teens.

Of course, nobles who are gifted artists, scholars, and musicians are exempted from this rule and can do as they please, but… as I recall, most of these people are also in trouble with their families. 

“But there’s also a chance it might not be from your family, so you have to claim it first to find out.”

“I agree, Archer’s right… But enough of that, let’s have dinner first.”

Muriel reaches for her fork as if to say, “this conversation is over” and Mirea apologizes to me whose order still hasn’t arrived.

“We’ll go ahead first, okay?”

“No problem… my food’s also here anyway.”

Perhaps these dishes, or their components, were already pre-made so it didn’t take long for my orders to arrive, but after Eil had carried them to our table, dinner was spent in a lively manner with everyone chatting and laughing while my sister urged me to feed her more.

After my sister and I were satisfied with the meal of garlic butter-roasted venison, soup, and bread, the subject of the letter was already out of our minds by the time we left the guild tavern and returned to the “Four Leaf Clover Pavillion”, but… 

The next day, we were awoken by the sound of Muriel knocking on the door of our room.

This translation is brought to you by Nocturne Translations.