Ch. 175: The Cries of Stars Inn
We walked through the town of Ligaleo.
Compared to the thriving northern district, we crossed through the eastern district and headed south.
The further south we went, the shops and stores began to gradually diminish, and instead, the number of inns and resident buildings for soldiers were more prominent.
And the farther we went……..the number of abandoned buildings also grew.
Cyril: “Wow……they really just left these damaged buildings abandoned…….”
Henry: “Yeah, they usually remove the rubble that gets into the street, but the owner of the property might die or they may just not have the people to rebuild at the moment, and it’s waiting to be scheduled. Some are completely abandoned though.”
Leaving a broken down building without demolishing it is something you would never see in Flowtier. As Cyril gazed at the abandoned buildings, I add my own commentary to explain.
Yuu: “But it is a sore sight, and it’s dangerous if any curious children explore the buildings, so there are construction plans in place, but like Henry said, if the owner of the property passes, the paperwork that follows can take quite a while to complete.”
Jend: “? Miss Eustacia, are there children in this town?” It was Jend who asked the question.
…….yeah, well. It is not a city where you want to raise children, so there are probably less than your average town.
But there are enough to make you worry.
Yuu: “Yesー wellー”
Henry: “Jend, there’s really not a whole lot to do in this town as far as entertainment is concerned. So if there are men and women, you can see what follows, right?”
Yuu was trying to beat around the point, so I answered Jend in her stead. Yuu: “Henry! It’s still the middle of the day!”
But c’mon. There’s nothing to be embarrassed about. She’s always been sensitive about this topic……and judging from her reaction, she hasn’t really progressed in this aspect.
Jend: “Ummm, so you’re telling me that….”
Henry: “If you do the deed, kids usually follow, right?” They have ways of avoiding pregnancy, but when you’re in the moment…..some just end up with kids.
Those guys could technically migrate to safer towns north of here, but many have circumstances where that’s not possible.
So with this and that, there is a solid population of kids here.
And in most cases, the majority of kids are fathered by Adventurers. This is where we highlight an Adventurers’ poor reputation for lacking morals. ……but when you face so much life-threatening danger, the urgency for reproduction naturally increases.
Henry: “And there are a few kids who come to the frontlines like I did.”
Jend: “Now that….sounds dangerous.”
But as Jend looked aghast at the thought, I saw Yuu turn to look away.
It’s no secret that there are many injuries on the frontlines. Hearing those rumors, she came to Ligaleo at the age of 12 just like me.
Henry: “Yeah, you’re right, Jend. Most of them are just waiting to be killed…..and I’m no exception. It’s like that, but sometimes, just sometimes, there will be one who’s unbelievably strong.”
Jend: “OーOh yeah?” Every once in a while, there will always be at least one who is leagues ahead of everyone else.
Yuu fits in that category because she matched the top Healers here as soon as she arrived.
Cyril: “I see, I see. Then if I had come here as a child, I could have been the renowned Genius Magic Girl, Miss Cyril, no? Urgh, I missed an opportunity of a lifetime.”
Henry: “Idiot.” I struck my retort before Cyril got too stuck in a rut.
A Genius Magic Girl? I saw glimpses of Emily who we met in Sunwest. They were pretty good friends, but you don’t have to copy one another.
…….but well, if you think about it, Cyril did have astounding amounts of Magic reserve, so she had a shot at making a name in Ligaleo. But her physical fragility would have made it quite tough to survive till now.
Cyril: “Hmph. You don’t have to be that cynical, Henry. …..in fact, isn’t this an opportunity for you to say, ‘Don’t worry, your legend can start here.’ Can’t you at least encourage me like that?”
Henry: “Yeah, yep. I guess. I think you’re rightー”
I just nod and agree to whatever.
…..and though she should have recognized my nonchalance, Cyril took it and with a “I knew you believed in me! I’ll do my best!” and began pumping herself up. A classic simpleton.
And we continued to chat as we walked.
……finally, I saw our destination.
Henry: “That’s it, everyone. That’s the Cries of the Stars Inn.”
The building was much newer and sturdier than what I remembered, but the overall look hasn’t changed.”
It was 6 stories tall and on the blue roof, they had their trademark star on their Inn’s sign - an inn meant for Adventurers.
There was nothing special about the architecture, and it didn’t stand out amongst the rest of the inns…….but they are somewhat renowned for having 2 Heroes of Legend stay at their location.
Well, you don’t need to be strong to stay at the inn, but somehow, it became a trend.
Cyril: “Is that it? Hehehe, I really love that star on that sign. It’s so cuteー”
Henry: “Well, the design follows after its name. That sign has remained the same after every reconstruction.”
Though it’s been a while since I was last here, I was able to locate it at once with that sign.
Teo: “Isn’t Sister Ageha staying at that inn as well?”
Ageha: “Yeah, well, the food is okay, and it’s a decent inn……..but no one there really understands the beauty of head chopping. That’s probably the only fault it has.”
Please stop setting up a standard that no Inn would ever be able to fulfill - nor should they.
Yuu: “.......well then, I have to part here. I need to go back to the clinic. Henry, everyone, I will see you again tonight.”
Ageha: “Yeah, I’m going to go hunt solo for a bit. See ya.” Yuu and Ageha departed.
Okay then.
Henry: “Shall we?” And with that, I came back to my old Inn in Ligaleo.
<<<<>>>>
We stepped into the Cries of the Stars Inn.
The rooms for guests begin from the 2nd floor, and the 1st floor is reserved for the front clerk, the cafeteria, meeting rooms, and bath. ……this floor plan hasn't changed since the current owners took over.
People come down for breakfast and dinner, and it’s quite lively, but during this time, all the Adventurers are out, and the Inn was quite empty.
The only person here was a 12 or 13 year old boy sitting at the front desk reading a book - or at least a man who looked that young.
Though customers had just arrived, his eyes were stuck to the book. ………and well, most of the customers here are long-residing, so I get why he’s like that.
…….and a bookworm just like I remember.
Since he was not looking up, I called out to him.
Henry: “Mr. Chris, sorry to interrupt. You got guests.”
Chris: “Hm? …….hold on, let me finish this. It’s getting good.”
Does he even know he’s running an inn?!
I let out a sigh at his response and patiently waited for him to finish.
……and after a full 10 minutes, he nods approvingly, places a bookmark inside his book, and looks up to my face.
Chris: “Ah, well if it isn’t Henry. I got your letter. You said there’s 5 including you, right? Here’s your keys. It’s the same as before, so you know the drill.”
He tossed 5 keys to me, and Mr. Chris picked up his book to……..wait, wait,wait.
Henry: “Mr. Chris, can I at least introduce you to my new Party? We’ll be here for a while.”
Chris: “........I guess that’s logical. I really want to get back to Mrs. Audrey’ new book though. It’s quite the page turner.”
He looked bothered by the additional task, but tugs on his shirt and leans forward.
……but then, Cyril said something unnecessary.
Cyril: “Umー Henry? Who’s the child? Someone helping with the inn? Why are you so formal with him?” Chris: “........little brat, can’t you see these ears? Just for your information, I’m turning 156 this year. I’m an Elf after all. There’s many kinds of races that live in this city. Don’t go shoving your human ignorance just because.”
Cyril: “? But even if you are an Elf, Elves are the same height as humans. Are you small for different reason?” Yes, that is true. Elves have an extremely short elderly period, but they grow up physically and mature just the same as humans. Unlike Halflings or Dwarves, Elves are not different from Humans as far as height goes.
In other words, Mr. Chris just never hit those growth spurts……that’s simply the reason butー
Chris: “Ah, you got some nerves directly commenting on people’s height description. I like you! Little brat, I’ll make sure your meals are just 1 potato this week. Never worry! I’ll steam it nicely for you!”
Cyril: “WHAT?!”
……..and Mr. Chris really takes comments about his height very personally. If you look past his obsession for books and the way he likes to twist your words, he’s actually a decent guy who looks after his customers. Unless you mention his height. Then this happens.
“What?! What’s all the fuss?!”
As Cyril and Mr. Chris were going at it, a woman appeared from the cafeteria.
ーーher face brought back a lot of memories.
But before I could enjoy the nostalgia, Mr. Chris called towards her.
Chris: “Oh, Patty! Good timing! This brat will be staying with us, but she lacks respect towards her elders! Just to teach her a good lesson, make sure her meals are just a single steamed potato!”
Patty: “.........ah, so that’s what’s happening.”
The woman - Mrs. Patricia - sighed deeply looking at the situation. She looked like an ordinary woman…….but she is also an elf, and I think she’s in her 90s.
Patty: “I’m so sorryー Little miss. He still hasn’t gotten over it.”
Chris: “WhーWhat do you mean?! Got over what?!”
Patty: “Dear, it’s been 50 years since my sister dumped you because you were too short for her. It’s about time to let that go.”
Mr. Chris held his head and screamed as though Mrs. Patricia bashed him over the head with the memory.
Ferris: “........hーhey, Henry, so who are we speaking to?” Henry: “Mr. Chris is the Inn’s owner, and Mrs. Patricia is his wife.” I whisper to Ferris who looks bewildered at the whole conversation.
Ferris: “ThーThey’re quite the…….lively type, aren’t they?” Henry: “I know you’re trying to be nice, but don’t let Mr. Chris hear you say that. But yeah, the banter between Mr. Chris and Mrs. Patricia is well known. Just follow along like nothing is happening.”
It just gets more complicated if you try to interject.
Jend: “But that thing about her sister…….are you sure it’s okay for us to know about that?”
Henry: “Oh, about Mrs. Patricia’s sister? No worries. Mrs. Patricia talks about that constantly, so everyone here knows the story.”
From what I heard, Mr. Chris and Mrs. Patricia’s sister grew up together. Mr. Chris liked her from the beginning………but when he opened up his feelings towards her, she dumped him without hesitation.
Mr. Chris claims that it’s all in the past……but because she said, “I really can’t date anyone shorter than me,” his height-complex was twisted to new heights.
Yeah, but…..
………it’s been a while since I’ve seen them, but they haven’t changed one bit. It’s still tiresome dealing with their banter though.
Chris: “RーRegardless! We have customers! Henry and Party, I’m Chris. I’m the owner here. …….and little brat, I’ll let it go this one time, but there won’t be a next!”
Mr. Chris broke eye contact with Mrs. Patricia, and steered the conversation back to where we started. Looking towards us, he quickly introduced himself.
Patty: “Sheesh, Chris. …..oh, pardon me. I am Patricia. I am Chris’ wife, and I am responsible for the cooking here. If you have any requests, please don’t hesitate to tell me. ….also, Henry, welcome back. It’s lovely seeing you again.”
Henry: “......yes, thank you. It’s nice to be back.”
I bow my head low towards Mrs. Patricia.
They took care of me here from the age of 12 to 22. When I was barely scratching a living as a kid, they let me stay here by doing chores around the inn……..so these are the top 2 people I am indebted to in Ligaleo.”
Jend: “Nice to meet you both. My name is Jend.” Cyril: “I am Cyril. Pardon me for what I said before…..but I’m not a brat! I’m a bonafide lady!”
Ferris: “I’m Ferris. Thank you for letting us stay here.”
Teo: “Teo.” Everyone else introduced themselves to Mr. Chris and Mrs. Patricia.
Mr. Chris looked carefully at each and every one andー
Chris: “.......well, we welcome you. Welcome to the Cries to the Stars Inn. We pray good fortune upon your endeavors here in Ligaleo. May your fate shine as the stars.”
And that is how we arrived at our inn at Ligaleo.
<<<<>>>>
CREDITS
Semi-retired Adventurer Lives Leisurely
Written by Hisagushien
Translated by: ChonkyTranslator
Japanese Title:
セミリタイアした冒険者はのんびり暮らしたい
作者: 久櫛緑（ヒサグシエン）
http://kuontenrin.ehoh.net/
Original Source:
https://ncode.syosetu.com/n1161ft/175/
Book 11 Preparation for the Journey
Ch. 119 - 135
Book 12 The Mages Tower
Ch. 136 - 155
Book 13 - Before Departure
Ch. 156 - 171
Book 14 - Ligaleo
Ch. 172 - 184
Book 15 - The Strong Ones
Ch. 185 - 199
Book 16 - The Shift
Ch. 200 - 217
Book 17 - The Days in Ligaleo
Ch. 218 - 229
Book 18 - The Longest Day in Ligaleo
Ch. 230 - 248
Book 19 - Temporary Peace
Ch. 249 - 267
Book 20 - Striking Back
Ch. 268 - 294