PRB | Chapter 9

Eddie was in a good mood.

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.

Tourists visiting the Empire would enjoy the festival and linger to explore the Empire before heading back. This meant it was the perfect time to introduce a new menu. Eddie had plenty of options and was happily pondering which to choose.

On the morning of the third day since picking up Ketron, everything seemed smooth—at least until he found that note.

“Huh?”

It was early morning, and Eddie, waking up out of habit, stretched and yawned. He noticed a piece of paper stuck in the window next to his bed.

The paper was wedged so perfectly between the window panes that it was clear someone had left it for Eddie.

But the Empire had a functioning postal service, with a mailman delivering letters every morning. If it were a regular letter, it would have come through the mailman.

This wasn’t an ordinary letter.

Eddie carefully pulled the note from the window.

There was no envelope. The paper was neatly folded twice, with only a short message inside.

[Eight, completed]

“…?”

Eddie flipped the note over, puzzled. There was no additional content, no sender, no recipient. It made him question if this was even meant for him.

[Eight, completed]

Even after rereading, the meaning was unclear. What was completed?

What did the number eight signify? It seemed like something had reached its eighth iteration.

But why send such a secretive message to Eddie?

Who was he to warrant this?

After staring at the note for a while, Eddie refolded it.

Should I ask Gerald?

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.

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.

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

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

Eddie’s expression grew serious for a moment.

But only for a moment. He casually tucked the note into his desk drawer.

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.

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

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

Eddie was positive enough not to waste energy on such matters.

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

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

Specifically, the new menu.

“Hmm.”

It seemed like a good time to create a proper meal menu.

Convenience stores surprisingly have fresh ingredients like eggs and vegetables. Having drawn attention with the fire chicken noodles, it was time to consider a steady menu that could sell anytime.

There were so many options that it was hard to choose. Eddie pondered over the slightly yellowed parchment for a while.

It was around lunchtime when the chatter of guests reached his ears.

“Did you hear the news?”

“Yeah, about Marquis Megin, right?”

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

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

Marquis Megin?

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

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.

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

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

“They say a public notice was posted?”

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

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

A bakery in the west square was so famous that people lined up daily, the smell of their bread was amazing, and the owner had studied baking in a neighboring kingdom.

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

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.

In martial arts novels, beggars often played that role, while in fantasy, it was the inn.

“Hmm.”

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

Eddie, scratching his chin while staring at the blank parchment, spoke to Gerald, who was nearby.

“It’s a bit chaotic, Gerald, right?”

Gerald, focused on his work, paused and looked up. He quickly understood Eddie was referring to the Marquis Megin incident.

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

“Indeed.”

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

𐙚 𐙚 𐙚

Eddie was in the convenience store. Despite lacking electricity, the fridges, freezers, and lights worked perfectly, making it an unusual space in the Empire but familiar to Eddie.

“Hmm.”

He had decided on the general direction for the menu. He would add a couple of meal options.

Meals are about carbs, so he just needed to choose between noodles or rice as the base.

But what to add? Should he include side dishes like a set meal? How much should he charge? What should the composition be? Unable to decide, he opted to look at the items directly.

Being Korean, the first thing that came to mind was kimchi, but he held off, thinking fermented foods might be off-putting.

With fire chicken noodles already on the menu, ramen was also on hold.

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

He needed something not too strong in flavor, not polarizing, suitable for frequent consumption, simple in presentation, and easy on the stomach—ideal for breakfast.

“…It has to be that.”

After a moment of contemplation, Eddie made a decision.

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

He chose soy sauce with an egg on the label, instant rice, large packs of seasoned seaweed, a six-pack of fresh eggs, and instant udon with a steaming bowl on the package.

“Oh, right.”

He almost forgot the most crucial ingredient: fragrant sesame oil. His hands were full by the time he picked it up.

Eddie grinned after gathering all the ingredients.

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…

The bright yellow pumpkin porridge caught his eye.

Porridge is often associated with illness, but past Eddie enjoyed it as a regular meal.

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

Suddenly, he recalled the face of someone who had eagerly accepted banana milk.

“It’s sweet.”

The voice that honestly answered his question.

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

He seemed to like sweet things.

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

Moreover, Ketron was technically a patient. Having gone without food for days, porridge seemed like a good choice to avoid burdening his stomach.

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

To maintain that physique, he needed to eat a lot. Eddie, knowing how poorly Ketron had been eating, kept adding more porridge.

The small basket was eventually filled to the brim.

It seemed like the food for Ketron was heavier than the ingredients he intended to buy.

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

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

As he left, the items he took were automatically restocked.