《Side Story: The Tavern Owner in Eltor Territory》
There was a year when the empire was struck by a severe drought.
Accompanied by a great famine, the Eltor territory also suffered from the effects of the famine. Food and drink prices soared, and people could no longer enjoy satisfying meals.
Even though we ran a tavern, the days when it was bustling and full every day felt like a distant memory. It was during this time that he visited.
“Pardon me.”
“What’s this? Kid, this isn’t a place for children.”
“Huh? You don’t know who I am?”
“Who are you?”
Upon closer inspection, it was clear that he was of noble birth. Nobles sometimes came to mock the lives of commoners, so I assumed this was another such occasion and felt irritated.
As if it wasn’t bad enough that commoners were starving, nobles continued to eat well and live comfortably.
Isn’t that just unfair?!
“Yeah, I’m Fry Eltor.”
“Fry Eltor? W-what?! You mean the second son of the Eltor family?!”
Why is the lord’s son visiting a tavern like this?! Everyone around us is shocked and might even leave! Even without that, if rumors spread that nobles are frequenting this place, our business would be ruined.
“W-well, if you understand, then bring me some ale.”
“Y-yes! But, a single glass costs one gold coin.”
“Huh~ That’s cheap. Here you go.”
“Wha?!”
I lied. I lied to a noble. Even during a famine, charging one gold coin for a single glass of ale was excessive.
At most, a barrel of ale might be worth one gold coin, but even that would be pushing it. Sweating nervously, I brought out the barrel.
“Huh? I did ask for ale, but bringing the whole barrel is a bit much. Well, no helping it. Lend me a mug.”
“Y-yes!”
Maybe he’s just a kid who doesn’t know the market price?
“Hmm. It’s bland and tastes bad. Maybe if I adjust the temperature? Hmm, well, it’s an experiment.”
He muttered something to himself and then started using magic. Moreover, the amount of magical power he displayed was unlike anything I’d ever seen. It felt like he was showing off a natural talent he was born with.
And the result… Can you believe it? That bland, tasteless ale that no one could stomach was now ice-cold and incredibly delicious?!
With water being rationed, it had been a long time since anyone had a cold drink, and now that awful ale had turned into this?! I was so moved that tears streamed down my face.
“Hey, I don’t need this anymore. You can share it with everyone.”
“Huh?!”
Is this even possible? I always thought nobles only cared about their own interests and never gave a thought to us commoners.
Yet, Lord Fry Eltor casually shows up, pays a single gold coin to chill an entire barrel of ale, and tells us to share it with everyone.
Not only that, but for several days after that, he went around not just my tavern but other establishments as well, providing ice-cold ale for free to parched throats.
What kind of noble does that? I’ve never heard of such a thing!
And even after a year passed, Lord Fry’s generosity continued.
It wasn’t just a one-time thing. Even after the famine ended and the drought was resolved, Lord Fry kept distributing gold coins and telling everyone to eat their fill.
What’s going on? Aren’t nobles supposed to spend money on themselves and take taxes from the citizens? If they keep acting like this, I’m going to end up loving them!
“Ah~ I’ll have to leave for the academy soon. I don’t think I’ll be able to come back until I graduate.”
That’s truly a shame. But it’s the duty of a noble, the duty of those who have the means.
And Lord Fry will surely succeed no matter where he goes.
“I see, that’s unfortunate.”
“Yeah. I really liked this place too. Oh, here’s ten gold coins. Treat me to something delicious today.”
Ten gold coins!!! That’s enough to buy this tavern and still have change left over!!!
“W-what would you like?”
“Well, there’s a monster I hunted. Can you cook it for me?”
“Huh?!”
I had decided not to be surprised anymore, but how far is this guy going to push me?
“This is it.”
What he brought out was the tail of a massive fire dragon.
“Huh? Where did that come from just now?”
“Hmm? I can only use non-attribute magic, so I create a space with it and store things inside.”
“Sorry, I don’t understand.”
“Really? Well, it doesn’t matter.”
It does matter, but I’ve come to understand that you’re an extraordinary person.
“Anyway, this fire dragon had settled near a water source, causing it to dry up and creating a lot of trouble. So, to make it leave, I cut off its tail. The dragon apologized, so I let it go, but I heard dragon tail is a delicacy. Can you cook it?”
What am I even hearing right now? The cause of the great drought was a fire dragon, and Lord Fry defeated it? And now he wants me to cook the tail of the dragon that caused the drought?
Have I gone insane?
“Sorry, but someone of my skill probably can’t cook it properly. Only the top chefs in the empire could handle something like this.”
“I see~ Well, as long as it’s stored in my spatial magic, it won’t spoil. I’ll ask someone to cook it eventually.”
This person is surely going to accomplish incredible things in the future. Until then, I’ll keep quiet about all of this.
Someday, someone will surely come to listen.
To hear about the birth of that hero and the miraculous path he walked…
