Chapter 33: The Rose Inn Deal

I scratched my head, feeling a bit embarrassed by the enthusiasm.  

“I’m not skilled enough to brag about yet.”  

“Fabir, you’ll improve in no time! I bet the weapons you make will be incredible!”  

“Thanks for the support. Once I get better, I’ll craft you a weapon even better than the one you have now.”  

“You mean that? No takebacks, okay?”  

Cayton seemed genuinely eager to get a weapon made by me.  

Since I made the promise, I’d better work hard to keep it.  

Bernard spoke up.  

“The customers have been responding well, but we’re running low on stock. Could you increase the supply a bit? I think it’ll keep selling until the mosquitoes disappear in winter.”  

“Sure. The promotional event seems sufficient, so let’s raise the prices back to normal.”  

“Oh, I just remembered—there’s a request from the inn nearby. They want to buy a large quantity of citronella incense.”  

“From the inn?”  

If an inn where travelers come and go uses our product, it’d naturally promote it to outsiders.  

The offer piqued my interest.  

“I’ll go meet the owner myself.”  

“Is this the Rose Inn?”  

The exterior looks pretty fancy.  

The lavish lobby was visible even from outside.  

As expected of a city, it was clear they put a lot of effort into the decor compared to rural inns.  

As I stepped inside, a neatly dressed employee greeted me.  

“Welcome to the Rose Inn.”  

“I’m from the herb shop.”  

“Please have a seat on the sofa and wait a moment.”  

Shortly after, a man approached me.  

“Nice to meet you. I’m Robert, the owner of the Rose Inn.”  

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Fabir.”  

Robert raised an eyebrow.  

“Oh! I’ve heard a lot about you from Bernard.”  

“You’ve heard about me?”  

“Yes, you’re the one who made the citronella incense, right? I heard you personally craft all the effective products sold at the herb shop. It’s an honor to meet you!”  

“An honor? You’re too kind.”  

“Let’s not stand here—please, come to the reception room. I’ll have some tea brought in.”  

He courteously led me inside.  

The reception room was cozy and tidy.  

“Here’s some black tea. I hope it suits your taste.”  

“The aroma is wonderful. Thank you for the warm welcome.”  

I savored a sip of the bittersweet tea, then looked up to get to the point.  

“You’re here about the citronella incense, I presume?”  

“Exactly.”  

Robert looked at me with mild surprise, then chuckled.  

“You’re more direct than I expected.”  

He shifted his tone and began talking business.  

“We’d like you to supply us with a large quantity of citronella incense. When I asked Bernard, he said there’s a limit on the amount.”  

“That’s to prevent hoarding in advance. I don’t want someone else profiting off my work.”  

“A wise decision.”  

Though he spoke seriously, he couldn’t hide his excitement when talking about the citronella incense.  

“How did you develop such an effective incense? I bought some insect-repelling incense from an alchemy shop just to try it, but the effect was completely different.”  

His words reminded me of something from before.  

Probably that alchemy shop that came to snoop around tried and failed to replicate the citronella incense.  

“Compared to that, the herb shop’s incense is practically a luxury item. Light it once, and not a single bug comes near. The scent is so pleasant, we don’t even need air fresheners.”  

He clasped his hands together and pleaded earnestly.  

“The customers love it. For a prestigious place like the Rose Inn, citronella incense is a must. Please, could you supply us with more?”  

“Before we proceed, you should know that the event pricing is over, and the price will go up from now on.”  

“That’s fine. Honestly, I thought the current price was absurdly low for the quality.”  

Robert laughed good-naturedly.  

“Then I’ll make sure to supply as much citronella incense as you need.”  

“And…”  

Robert, who had been chattering excitedly, switched back to a serious merchant’s demeanor.  

“If possible, could you supply it exclusively to our inn? I want to leave a lasting impression on our guests.”  

The guests at the Rose Inn would surely remember the pleasant scent and comfort of the place.  

But—  

“I’ll need to think more about exclusivity.”  

I couldn’t play such an important card carelessly. If used wisely, it could lead to favorable deals.  

“I see.”  

Robert looked slightly disappointed but seemed to have expected the response and remained calm.  

“If you ever reconsider, please make the offer to us.”  

“I’m sorry I couldn’t give you the answer you wanted.”  

“No, no. I realize asking for exclusivity without conditions was a stretch. I’m already grateful you’re supplying the citronella incense.”  

He bowed his head politely.  

“It’s just business, after all.”  

I smiled awkwardly.  

“If you need anything else in the future, let Bernard know. I’ll keep it in mind for new products.”  

“I’ll definitely do that.”  

“Here’s to a good partnership, Robert.”  

“Likewise, Fabir.”  

We shook hands firmly. And so, the Rose Inn became my second business partner.  

*** 

The next day.  

Lately, I’ve been so busy I’ve been passing out and waking up in a blur.  

Times like these call for eating well to keep my strength up. What should I have for breakfast to feel energized?  

I checked the ingredients stored in the Ice Cave. After some thought, I picked up a pumpkin and some milk.  

I cut the pumpkin in half, scraped out the seeds, peeled it, and put it in a steamer. Then I lit some coal.  

Whoosh.  

The heat was strong. Even a little coal could raise the temperature significantly in a furnace. No wonder dwarves love it.  

I placed the steamer on the heated oven and waited for it to cook.  

Next, I transferred the steamed pumpkin to a pot, mashed it finely, added fresh milk and a pinch of salt, and stirred while simmering. Soon, a creamy pumpkin soup was ready.  

“It smells so delicious!”  

“Dorori, come eat!”  

“Bbi-iit!”  

Dodo-dodo.  

Dorori ran over with an excited face.  

“Let’s eat!”  

“Eat lots!”  

“HH!!”  

The pale yellow color looked so appetizing it made my mouth water. 

I scooped a big spoonful and brought it to my mouth.  

The soup melted softly in my mouth. 

The creamy milk and the subtle sweetness of the pumpkin blended perfectly—it was heavenly.  

“I didn’t even add sugar, but it’s so sweet and delicious.”  

Slurp, slurp.  

Elenia was busily spooning up the soup.  

“Slow down, you’ll choke.”  

“No worries. This is just too good. The pumpkin tastes as sweet as honey!”  

I’d never tried pumpkin honey, but I took it as a compliment on how tasty it was.  

That settles today’s market menu. The elves will love it too.  

Suddenly, I recalled yesterday’s meeting.  

“Elenia, are there any herbs good for athlete’s foot?”  

“You’re eating, and you bring up athlete’s foot?”  

Elenia pouted her lips.  

“Do you have athlete’s foot?”  

“Not for me—it’s for the herb shop to sell.”  

“Maybe the natural soap the elves use would help.”  

“Really? Thanks. I’ll check it out in the Elf Forest.”  

***  

I flew to the Elf Forest with the pumpkin soup. 

As I headed to the village entrance, I didn’t see Gail today.  

“Is he off today…?”  

I couldn’t help feeling a bit empty without Gail, who always eagerly ate my food first.  

Pushing aside my disappointment, I went up to the Plaza, where quite a few elves were waiting for the morning market.  

“That nutty, sweet smell! It’s pumpkin, isn’t it?”  

“Correct. I brought pumpkin soup today. Perfect for breakfast. The subtle sweetness is amazing!”  

The elves’ eyes sparkled as they gathered around my stall.  

“Thanks to your stall, my family’s obsessed with your food. I don’t even have to cook breakfast anymore—it’s so convenient.”  

“Could you do an evening market too? It’d be nice to eat out with the family sometimes.”  

“How about opening a restaurant? I’m not the only one who’d love that.”  

Even if not a full restaurant, I did need a cooking space. 

Making food here would let me offer a wider variety of dishes.  

“I’ll seriously consider it.”  

I ladled pumpkin soup into bowls and handed them to customers. 

The soup sold like hotcakes.  

“Next customer.”  

“Heap it up.”  

I looked at the customer’s face and broke into a big smile.  

“Gail! Is today your day off?”  

“No, my post changed to the patrol team. I stopped by for breakfast before heading out.”  

“You need a full stomach for patrol. I’ll give you a big serving!”  

I scooped a generous portion with the ladle, pouring my happiness into the bowl.  

“Oh! I can’t open my eyes in the morning without your food.”  

“Thank you!”  

I couldn’t miss Gail’s food review. I leaned in, eager for his reaction.  

Slurp—  

“How’s it taste?”  

“Delicious. But…”  

Contrary to my expectations, his reaction seemed lukewarm.  

“What’s wrong? Be honest, it’s okay.”  

“It’s tasty even cold, but I think it’d be even better warm.”  

I touched the pot—it was lukewarm. It’s inevitable that food cools down on the way here.  

“With colder weather coming, warm food will probably be more appealing.”  

“Some customers have mentioned that too, so I’m thinking about it. It’d be nice to do some simple cooking here.”  

“Then why don’t you ask Sharin, the village chief?”  

Yeah, it’s about time for a change at the stall.  

With so many elves wanting it, surely the chief will agree?