PRB | Chapter 9

Eddie was in a e51e9e7e56 good mood.330e83cfae96895c

Although Ketron seemed a bit listless, it felt like he had temporarily stopped the protagonist’s dark turn. Plus, thanks to the festival, the inn was bustling with guests, even if just for a season.06508c87fd2a832d

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Tourists visiting the Empire bb8b31e1d9 would enjoy the festival f37dcc5eea and linger to explore 2388e8cc2f the Empire before heading ab4500059e back. This meant it was 73cad7386a the perfect time to 1e720ad0bb introduce a new menu. Eddie had 9a6c0b11c8 plenty of 2ce46870eb options and b896bf5964 was happily 7f388651ea pondering which a8fca78447 to choose.9bfc08413944c950

On the morning 09465196dc of the third 44fa53d5c0 day since picking e75c2c0691 up Ketron, everything f14ee991ce seemed smooth—at least 7c5f3d48b6 until he found 29e1dfd2f7 that note.6badd56b8c120ecd

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“Huh?”5d94d104fa45718a

It was early morning, 26f9e23d39 and Eddie, waking up 9e669651b3 out of habit, stretched b313ec6769 and yawned. He noticed a piece 94f8f47f48 of paper stuck in 04a1515429 the window next to 95cc0f2314 his bed.179b6e3935cb5e7a

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The paper was wedged 3db83410b7 so perfectly between the 87a306f3c0 window panes that it be96d936cb was clear someone had ff11fec932 left it for Eddie.59515ab06b408986

But the cfc44dc86f Empire had 960fcab222 a functioning 36930f4d4a postal service, ce713fe77b with a 9bf5cb8f40 mailman delivering 3e7b55fd77 letters every d1c3f1f50c morning. If it 4c4e2d7d82 were a 7476a6164f regular letter, d459382b7b it would e2d66c3469 have come ce9f4306b6 through the 8db6760158 mailman.a8a680f58d5e165f

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This wasn’t an ordinary letter.3f4821aa04b88313

Eddie carefully ebebca0f74 pulled the 5c74ded420 note from 8932de8862 the window.770b93ed96e2f11c

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There was 8df84fc098 no envelope. The paper was neatly a8a70b6876 folded twice, with only b1850303d6 a short message inside.9effec88499afebe

[Eight, completed]

“…?”73ad05c919ab4269

Eddie flipped 8259aeec2a the note 29fc009ccc over, puzzled. There was b815134ea3 no additional 4e4ec4a040 content, no d8fe4a442f sender, no 594aef89b8 recipient. It made him 15803fdc27 question if this 4d299612d3 was even meant e56758a755 for him.4051a5d9395b7418

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[Eight, completed]

Even after a162fb38fe rereading, the 35851ba221 meaning was 4588b04caf unclear. What was completed?c8d21f3b92a6b60a

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What did the number 4e3b8161c0 eight signify? It seemed 314076d951 like something 3c97a46ea3 had reached 7809e057e9 its eighth f3d22dbdc1 iteration.87e0f5a0f2f3aae7

But why send such 40f2334181 a secretive message to 502d88e50b Eddie?4f505f95a3e4ecfb

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Who was 79c591a749 he to 381094e3a9 warrant this?6228910a705d1ce5

After staring 67c6722308 at the c35478533a note for 4801b67772 a while, b8df7907b1 Eddie refolded 5d53139744 it.63478348e5f23cb5

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Should I ask be72c611ed Gerald?a95919e0507fbf5d

He considered it briefly but dismissed the idea, fearing it would seem suspicious if Gerald knew something Eddie didn’t. The lack of memories from his transmigration was inconvenient.fbb0b70b63b2aacb

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Sometimes he wondered about Eddie’s past, why Gerald, a high-caliber individual, was at this humble inn, and why Gerald never commented on Eddie’s changed personality or lifestyle.581b275ec7355d0f

Why was he so loyal? Did the “original” Eddie have family or siblings?abf316c5b028c873

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These were questions he couldn’t answer now, and he wasn’t eager to investigate. Rushing might ruin things. Haste makes waste, after all.8ba5a7dc56c50981

Eddie’s expression grew serious for a moment.2bacd1cbb5d8d003

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But only for a f20fd5d66b moment. He casually tucked the 2cdb005d36 note into his desk 5742b118d9 drawer.9de891d812154869

Unlike in movies, he couldn’t burn it immediately since he was an ordinary person without magic. He worried about accidentally setting something on fire with matches. Plus, it wasn’t winter, so the fireplace was unused. He might need the note later.f1117358ca92c27d

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Besides, even if someone saw it, how would they understand its meaning? Eddie himself didn’t know.52781476d1463a94

There was no need to dwell on it. Eddie only knew about the inn and its surroundings, so pondering wouldn’t reveal anything new.19cd5624e99ca9b9

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Eddie was positive enough 324632b8d5 not to waste energy 4f27d9967b on such matters.ce2d53c6193a8c45

He quickly forgot about it and went downstairs to the inn’s first floor, pulling out a piece of parchment to start brainstorming.0dd4657e6b5157f0

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Most of the inn’s tasks were handled by Gerald’s magic, allowing Eddie to focus on the inn’s future.50b8d8978d55d96a

Specifically, the new 3b2231093c menu.8513d1c502ccca39

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“Hmm.”5a4a93e08faa6336

It seemed like a 30936f0324 good time to create 145d4540b9 a proper meal menu.b95febf374b87b0c

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Convenience stores 78307103b2 surprisingly have 9808805efb fresh ingredients 7c92d4d75f like eggs 484e90629e and vegetables. Having drawn attention with 83da0932b0 the fire chicken noodles, 409e4709be it was time to a0ed9bf14b consider a steady menu 0436b0b312 that could sell anytime.6f55d0eafc6978a6

There were 7720f66bfb so many 74c1abce52 options that df6ef85ed9 it was 40d4479e08 hard to dde1304fbc choose. Eddie pondered over cea32dfda7 the slightly yellowed f08eee684f parchment for a 4052a6b768 while.5535792a86703270

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It was around e0fb0fa98d lunchtime when the 923dcb2153 chatter of guests 3c5a7253f8 reached his ears.9a06350f27a04071

“Did you hear the news?”665c8989d2a59cd4

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“Yeah, about Marquis Megin, right?”6a276e2b1e304302

“Shh! Don’t talk so loudly. It’s about a high-ranking noble.”0ef468842c8fd236

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“You’re too cautious. Everyone in the capital is talking about it.”c281fdacec665667

Marquis Megin?2d19cf50e3ac6d73

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Eddie frowned, trying to recall. Then he remembered that Marquis Megin was a key noble in the Empire’s aristocratic faction.48a2115694fe994e

A character who frequently appeared in the original novel, “The Hero Doesn’t Hide His Power Well,” he was the epitome of a typical, authoritative noble—an annoying character.d9bdcc759e66e698

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Of course, that was from a reader’s perspective. In this world, Marquis Megin was considered a scoundrel.b5f3bd9554e5862e

“An important figure like that got assassinated. What’s going on?”d979b7566952d287

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“They say a public notice was posted?”f7bb072b918d19be

“The marquis’s people quickly tore it down, but the rumors spread. It detailed the crimes of the Marquis Megin family.”76d45ccb3156e7a2

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The men continued with trivial chatter. Aside from the marquis’s story, it was mundane stuff.3ebe67e72d58448c

A bakery f0b7eb42db in the 563d787ba3 west square 1283c22ab2 was so d1cbad1106 famous that 73138ed902 people lined 208d570676 up daily, ce13239b59 the smell a66803d1e8 of their ad5ab01889 bread was a09a6b6817 amazing, and fb7d63762b the owner 2c3664b262 had studied f9e8f2f1d0 baking in fc1311d97f a neighboring 785ea1b3ee kingdom.2ec440c6d9f2f3dd

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Listening to these stories sparked an idea in Eddie’s mind.b866fbc39b3ca27e

Come to think of it, isn’t an inn a place where information flows freely if there are enough guests? In fantasy novels, this trope is well-known.8f78482f73c7ad16

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In martial arts 5a49949e11 novels, beggars often 5e1f3ec745 played that role, cd1b4af6cd while in fantasy, d4c4bf0d8b it was the 214b9e61e4 inn.201d4689e0de0ea7

“Hmm.”1801e91183451f55

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Of course, this ordinary, humble inn didn’t have such a gimmick.7df297b35eda0eb9

Eddie, scratching his chin cda9bdaf1a while staring at the 81122cf874 blank parchment, spoke to 7027532c80 Gerald, who was nearby.222a4070d4cb8265

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“It’s a bit chaotic, Gerald, right?”cab9ebfc0bab2453

Gerald, focused 0679f9edc2 on his f37d8e23e6 work, paused 03de062c33 and looked 32066e36f1 up. He quickly a4be9e0416 understood Eddie 1f11f4b729 was referring baccec5146 to the c985c4b5ee Marquis Megin 57d860e95a incident.a870cda003abb78f

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Though Eddie initiated the conversation, he wasn’t keen on observing Gerald’s reaction. He just wanted to chat casually with his stoic employee.9fc4dbb5d46cc4b9

“Indeed.”5f68d8748302f728

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Gerald’s gaze lingered on Eddie for a moment before shifting away. Eddie didn’t notice the slightly more intense look than usual.4e30b90b9e8d06e4

𐙚 𐙚 𐙚e715632e80d5207b

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Eddie was 168c07d5df in the ae92025981 convenience store. Despite lacking electricity, d6fabcb277 the fridges, freezers, 5dd3454770 and lights worked a3d87fb801 perfectly, making it 5515530731 an unusual space 986caf5606 in the Empire b520ad6a79 but familiar to 89b6c9f072 Eddie.f62cdd929bb3b3dd

“Hmm.”f2b3cf21af91492f

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He had decided on 8808503d9b the general direction for de254e07a8 the menu. He would da78839be1 add a 7d21258278 couple of 7f6a07c3a7 meal options.e1adcf3cd024448a

Meals are 2d88570eca about carbs, af6729c8c8 so he b13a91e1ed just needed 9112855cac to choose e9f802d1eb between noodles 22d031ba3f or rice 86e535a399 as the db7ad8b8c6 base.3bdcf6bf0d4daa70

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But what to add? Should he 526096ee61 include side d48d16e412 dishes like 626436cb30 a set 0b744b394b meal? How much b0a7921e63 should he c59b81a8a7 charge? What should the composition 3321a7d4de be? Unable to decide, he 5653516003 opted to look at 9b621b334c the items directly.fc83bc03b73b478e

Being Korean, the first 47818e0855 thing that came to 7b5ffeeb03 mind was kimchi, but f90780cc55 he held off, thinking ed5ae857c8 fermented foods might be 1110bbec76 off-putting.011471a743546214

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With fire chicken noodles 301fa45e1f already on the menu, 969206898a ramen was also on 8c1409fbf2 hold.57e8d7a36b36ac6a

He considered a set meal with various side dishes, but it seemed to clash with the inn’s identity, so he held off.a514feeea64012d9

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He needed something 2346e68a0c not too strong fd37579c68 in flavor, not 15983cf457 polarizing, suitable for 593efeea3c frequent consumption, simple 42f6290267 in presentation, and 98bce937b4 easy on the feadde30e0 stomach—ideal for breakfast.2213ee4a1e0313bc

“…It has to be that.”f29028122ff2a007

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After a moment eeffd8907d of contemplation, Eddie 5d0d41b606 made a decision.4c258aab63ebc2e3

“The most important soy sauce, hmm… Ah, here it is.”e4c619a94291f57e

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He chose d8631c4787 soy sauce 928de7b204 with an 03918f14e8 egg on 7e0794fe0a the label, e18b8b97b4 instant rice, b69ec1a0e4 large packs 05b8d158ea of seasoned d2d491f9c8 seaweed, a 245980cfc2 six-pack of 6d8d7281bc fresh eggs, cafff66d8a and instant fed90f5db3 udon with f7ba0277c7 a steaming badd215229 bowl on c29d6db5b9 the package.586a7d3f41e50c7a

“Oh, right.”0cb7464e75e8e51a

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He almost forgot 6bb402b389 the most crucial 0bd39b9933 ingredient: fragrant sesame 2d037d283f oil. His hands were 57aec5aff2 full by the 1936059f31 time he picked e4a2761a08 it up.d825f33f2c0b41e3

Eddie grinned aa0f5a0583 after gathering 10cb5e5245 all the ad4eb38af8 ingredients.3f22f31421172e75

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As he was about to leave with a basket full of items, he noticed retort porridge near the entrance. There were various kinds: abalone, abalone innards, beef, vegetable, pumpkin…618c5fb6aaa9df1d

The bright yellow pumpkin 25eadc7257 porridge caught his eye.f0380d975e19fba6

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Porridge is often associated 5214d5cf15 with illness, but past fd71614f51 Eddie enjoyed it as 7934adef6e a regular meal.45f2cec6fd14eb7c

He hadn’t lived a life that included sweet pumpkin porridge.fa49e7b9b33e2542

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Suddenly, he recalled the b270132943 face of someone who bd442953f6 had eagerly accepted banana 0551b4c253 milk.a6420c856d27745f

“It’s sweet.”bb3b49b5731a43be

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The voice that 0bb379893e honestly answered his 8074a13a10 question.8689486bd829576c

Thinking of Ketron, who probably hadn’t eaten today, Eddie decided to bring him something.5e2afce9c2b4a9b8

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He seemed d2a903deb4 to like cf8cf15e61 sweet things.3be54a634253d826

Imagining Ketron’s disbelief at never having enjoyed such things, Eddie crossed his arms, lost in thought.a0f3fd4903e74b6c

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Moreover, Ketron 1145f1be00 was technically 02a5726039 a patient. Having gone 471093c7a8 without food 83a9a33b71 for days, 43c9b67cda porridge seemed 49f04b26a2 like a 3d6f357050 good choice 2a3627fec6 to avoid 07fb92acf4 burdening his fd076a4b7e stomach.e3b51f7cf3b54c38

Eddie added the pumpkin porridge to the basket. Since it wasn’t a large portion, he also grabbed abalone innards and beef porridge.a8b1c0f1923d4b29

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To maintain that physique, 8449912347 he needed to eat 4736edd137 a lot. Eddie, knowing how 0e59c5bd34 poorly Ketron had 04140d1b9e been eating, kept 398a972e0d adding more porridge.9141ef26d8ecbf5a

The small basket ee4919647d was eventually filled c6dd96bd2a to the brim.e2f2525a35ff68a9

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It seemed like 580d84fa49 the food for 865a0790ad Ketron was heavier 2a7be21037 than the ingredients 1e3b68175c he intended to 025ff65b94 buy.03d93345582bf2f1

But that’s okay. Men can still grow in their twenties, so he’s just a growing kid.14cb136338ca81c2

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Eddie, not considering that the “kid” was taller than him, left the convenience store with a light step.fded46f7ece807c9

As he b1b64cc899 left, the c116697954 items he 57cd787c06 took were f7f8216527 automatically restocked.3d25b6a842a5014d

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