Dream Life Vol II Chapter 10: “Adventurer’s City”

　July 7.

　Today’s journey is only twenty-five kilometers, but we set out at 7:00 a.m., considering the business we have in Pericritor.

　Departing from the village of Meigle, we soon entered a gently rolling meadow. There are occasional wild deer, but no dangerous beasts or monsters are in sight.

　It is yawn-inducingly long and tranquil, but as the sun gets higher, the hot summer sun bakes us.

　I took off my cloak and jacket and steered my horse in my shirt.

　The noon bell was heard from the northwest.

　We crossed a small hill and there it was, a huge city surrounded by miles of wooden walls.

(Wow. How big is it? But still, it’s not a stone wall, huh? Well, it would have been a huge undertaking just to build such a wall…) (Zack)

　Pericritor was originally a major transportation center, but its location near the borders of the Caelum Empire and the Kingdom of Lux delayed its development.

　When the northern policy of the Caelum Empire changed and the distribution volume of the Aurella Highway extending from the commercial city of Aurella increased dramatically, the damage caused by the monsters that appeared in this area could no longer be ignored, and the city of Pericritor was established. An organization called the Adventurers’ Guild was then created as a system to efficiently defeat the monsters.

(It is said to have been created by the Commercial Guild, but whoever thought up this Adventurers’ Guild system was a genius. First, they motivated adventurers by including a class system. Second, they decided to pay taxes on the members’ behalf. This has forced the state to recognize the guilds. And then there’s the formation of a network of branches. All branches are treated in the same way, ensuring the mobility of adventurers and eliminating regional differences as much as possible…) (Zack)

　Shortly in the afternoon, the merchant team arrived in front of the south gate of Pericritor.

　The entry tax is low in Pericritor.

　One large copper coin per person, 50 Eere = 500 yen. Horses are charged the same amount, which is considerably cheaper than in other cities.

　In Kilnarc and Thornbrough a small silver coin or 1 C (Crona = 1,000 yen) is the standard.

　Since it was still early in the day, there were only a few wagons of merchants who had left early, as well as neighboring farmers loaded with vegetables, and the turn to go through the formalities came quickly.

　Guy gave his purpose, his name, and the city entry fee, and step by step, he showed his orb, a magical device that proves his identity.

　The guard on the gate was in leather armor and a short spear with a smile on his well-tanned face, and he did not look like a government official.

　It is my turn, and I show the guard the orb in my left hand.

“Oh, you are young. Can you tell me your name and age?” (Guard)

“My name is Zacharias Lockhart. I am ten years old.” (Zack)

　The guard said, “Yes. No problem. Welcome to Pericritor.” then, perhaps curious about my sword, he asked, “Are you here to become an adventurer?”

“No, I’m on my way to Doctus.” (Zack)

　The guard smiled and said, “I see. Well, have a nice trip,” the guard chuckled. I bowed, he raised his hand, and went back to his work calling the “next person”.

(Is this person just giving us special treatment, or is he nice across the board… I thought that this kind of work would be demanding and difficult, but I was surprised.) (Zack)

　Just past the south gate, Norton approached me.

“Thank you for accompanying us. Thanks to all of you, we did not incur any damage from the monsters and were able to move smoothly. If you need anything else, please come to the Norton Trading Company in the North District.” (Norton)

　Norton bowed his head once more and returned to the wagon.

　The mercenaries escorting us also bowed lightly as they passed in front of us.

　Byron, their captain, stopped.

“I have learned a good deal from you, milord. Whenever you need mercenaries, just ask. Basically, we are here in Pericritor, so if you ask for Byron Seedorf at the mercenary guild, they will know who we are.” (Byron)

“I understand. I’m sure I can count on Byron’s skill. I’ll let you know if I need anything.” (Zack)

　Byron bowed deeply and followed Norton and the others.

　When Byron and the others were out of sight, Guy said, “Quite the interesting man, isn’t he?”

“Right. He sure was an interesting guy. I feel like I understand a little bit about what it’s like to be a mercenary.” (Zack)

　I stared down the road they were on, thinking that maybe I would see them again soon.

　It was still early, just after noon, so we decided to find a place to stay for the time being and then go have lunch.

　I asked Guy if he had any plans about lodging.

“I’ve only been here about fifteen years. What about you, Lydia?” (Guy)

　Lydia waved her hand in the air and said, “Mine was longer than yours.”

　At any rate, we decided to walk around the southern district in search of the inn Guy used to use.

　Pericritor is roughly divided into two districts: the southern district is for adventurers and the northern district is for merchants.

　With a population of 50,000, Pericritor is the largest city in the area, and the main street running north to south was filled with people.

　Entering a side street from the main avenue, one finds a row of weapon shops and tool shops. The sound of hammers clanging was echoing from the back of the weapon shops, and the eaves of the tool shops were lined with knick-knacks.

(It’s a lively town, isn’t it? It is indeed a city of 50,000 people. Compared to a Japanese city, the population is much smaller, but it seems to have a lot of people because there are no high-rise buildings. Still, it’s a racial melting pot…) (Zack)

　Even if you take a side street, you will pass many people. Many of them were adventurers wearing protective gear and swords sheathed. The adventurers were a motley mix of races, including humans, elves, dwarves, and beastfolk, and I felt as if I had wandered into a movie set.

　After walking for a while, Guy stopped in front of an inn.

　It’s a fairly impressive three-story wooden building, The sign hanging at the entrance read “The Eagle’s Nest” and showed a picture of a fierce-looking bald eagle perched in a nest in a tree.

“This is the inn we used to use in the past, but I believe it has been replaced. The last time I was here, it was fully booked and I couldn’t stay there, so I don’t know what happened to it…” (Guy)

　I suggested to Guy, who seemed unsure of himself, “We don’t know which one is better anyway, so let’s stay here.”

　Liddy didn’t seem to have any objections either, so Guy went to ask if a room was available.

　He was soon told that a room was available, and they took the horses to the stables.

“There is a charge for taking care of the horses, but I have already requested it. Let’s just unload our luggage and go into our rooms.” (Guy)

　Check-in at inns in this world is quite lax, and if the room is available, they will usually let you in.

　After taking the horse to the stables, I walked into the inn with my luggage in hand and found a woman in her mid-thirties, who appeared to be the innkeeper, waiting for me at the front desk.

　After checking the orb, she explained the mealtimes and other details.

“…You can have dinner at any time after four o’clock… In the morning, it’s just about before dawn. If you need hot water, let me know early. There is a bathroom on the first floor, so you can clean yourself there.” (Innkeeper)

　The price for one night with two meals was 6 C (Crona = 6,000 yen). Horses cost 2C (Crona = 2,000 yen) a day, including managers and simple care. The price was almost the same as in the provincial cities of Kilnarc and Thornbrough, and I guessed this was the standard price.

　As the innkeeper was explaining the situation, a man about the same age as Guy came out from the back of the room. The man had a big belly and a face as red as if he had been drunk on alcohol. He was probably the cook, as he was wearing an apron.

　The man looked at Guy and said, “Didn’t you used to stay here in the past?” He tilted his head.

“About fifteen years ago… could that be you, Yoan?” (Guy)

　Joan is the current owner of this inn, and he was the cook fifteen years ago when Guy was staying here.

　While Guy was bonding with his old acquaintance, we asked Mira, the innkeeper, if she knew of any good places to have lunch.

“Well, you should eat at our place. We can only serve simple food, but it’s better than most restaurants.”

　Guy returned, put his luggage in his room, and we went down to the dining room.

　The dining room is quite large, with about 20 tables and 15 seats at the counter. The dining room is quite spacious, with about twenty tables and fifteen seats at the counter.

　Joan, the owner of the inn, had started cooking in the back, and we sat at a nearby table and waited.

　After about 15 minutes of waiting, Yoan came out of the kitchen with our food.

“I just made it from the ingredients last night.” (Yoan)

　What came out was said to be bread, sautéed pork, and leftover soup from the morning with added vegetables, but when I tried it, it was quite good.

(The spices work well, too, don’t they? As one would expect from a big city. Where can I get such spices?) (Zack)

“Yeah, it’s good. …I wonder what spices are used on this pork. And the broth of this soup has an unusual aroma too…” (Zack)

　Joan, who was watching from the side, was a little surprised at my soliloquy and said, “You have a nice palate, boy,” and patted me on the shoulder.

　Guy saw this and said, “He’s the son of the family I serve. Don’t treat him roughly.”

　I told Guy, “I don’t mind,” and said to Yoan, “I’m Zacharias Lockhart. Just call me Zack,” I smiled at him.

“Lockhart? You mean that Lockhart? Come to think of it, you went out to serve the Lockhart family. I didn’t know you really get to serve the family.” (Yoan)

　Guy said with a proud expression on his face, “I did what I meant. So, treat him with respect,” he nailed Yoan.

　Joan nodded, but looked a little troubled, “All right, but I don’t know anything about the manners of nobles.”

　I shook my head at Guy and then spoke to Yoan.

“This city is for adventurers, right? I heard that it’s a place where merit is the deciding factor, regardless of status. If that’s the case, just deal with me like you normally would until I am recognized for my ability.” (Zack)

　Joan said, “I know what you’re talking about. I’m sure you have the blood of the Lionheart,” he patted my shoulder again.

“If that’s the case, I don’t need an honorific either. And I will call you Zack.” (Yoan)

　When I nodded, Guy looked at me in dissatisfaction, but reluctantly agreed when I lightly shook my head.

　After that, Yoan and I hit it off over seasonings, and we had a lively conversation about spices until Liddy and the others stood up in boredom.

　The one they were using was white pepper, an expensive one that comes from the southern part of Caelum via the commercial city of Aurella. They also have access to a variety of other spices, including cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves.

(It might be a hit here. It might be a good idea to make this “The Eagle’s Nest” a wholesaler of “Scotch”. I’ll let them drink the scotch I brought later.)

　Since I was planning to stay in Pericritor on my trip to Doctus, I brought only five bottles of three-year-old scotch with me. I thought that I might be able to get a diner in Pericritor as a wholesaler, but I didn’t expect to find one out of the blue.

(Travelling is full of interesting encounters, after all. Byron is one thing, but this Yoan is another. I’m sure I’ll meet a lot of people down the road, but this is a really good start…) (Zack)