* * *
The bed was nothing more than a hard wooden plank assembled together, without any spring, straw, cotton, or any filling.
Even though there was a blanket laid out, it wasn’t much different from sleeping on the floor.
No, it was worse, as the loose screws creaked and wobbled so much that I felt it could collapse at any moment, making it even more uncomfortable than the floor.
Cold drafts were seeping in through the window, and in the corner of the room, there was something piled up that looked suspiciously like rat droppings.
Was I really supposed to stay in a place like this?
It felt like I should be paid to endure such a place.
As my face paled without a word, Hernan irritably spoke up.
“Is this place too beneath your standards? If you’re uncomfortable, I don’t mind spending some time finding a nearby villa to stay at, even if it takes a while.”
As the conversation took a more bothersome turn, I quickly cut him off.
“No, let’s just inspect the area as quickly as possible and head back home by tomorrow evening.”
I already knew the infrastructure here was lacking, so I just wanted to assess how many local workers we could recruit and where the best place to build would be, and then leave as soon as possible.
When the actual construction starts, we can stay at the lord’s castle or something. The strange stains on the walls sent shivers down my spine.
“Understood. Shall we start with dinner? It seems most of the other shops were closed on our way here.”
Due to the short days in the north, people start and end their day early, so there weren’t many shops still open, even though it wasn’t even six o’clock yet.
In the south, where the sun sets only after eight, this would be unimaginable.
In fact, because it’s a tourist area, the famous pubs and shops there actually come to life after the sun sets.
Late-night swimming in the pleasant, cool weather naturally works up an appetite.
‘That’s probably why outsiders come to our region for vacation.’
If we were to start a business here, we’d need to keep these things in mind and set our direction accordingly.
If there’s nothing to enjoy outside late at night, we should prepare activities inside the hotel to avoid complaints.
After reaching this conclusion, I slowly nodded.
“Yes. We should eat something.”
Given the state of the room, I had no expectation that the restaurant would be any more hygienic or appetizing.
But I was so mentally and physically exhausted that I just needed to get something into my stomach to calm myself.
Surely, they wouldn’t serve something inedible, right?
After all, it’s a place that charges money.
At that time, I still didn’t realize just how sincere Hernan had been when he emphasized the need for infrastructure improvements in the north, nor how low the standards for paid food could really be.
“……”
The restaurant on the first floor was bustling with people, presumably all staying in this four-story building.
The ceiling was covered in grease, the floor was stained with dried alcohol, and there were remnants of something I didn’t even want to imagine.
I had to give up on hygiene. I needed to close my eyes.
If I didn’t see it, I might actually be able to swallow something.
Suppressing a gag, I asked Hernan if we could perhaps have our meal sent up to our room instead, but he smiled wryly and answered.
“If they could provide that level of service, we wouldn’t have considered this place as a business prospect in the first place.”
He was right. If there were places here that offered even basic services, they wouldn’t have let such a good environment go to waste.
I quietly squeezed myself into a corner seat as much as possible.
“I’ll just order what’s most popular.”
Too drained to argue, I slowly nodded.
Part of me wanted to clear the restaurant of everyone, throw out every single item, and thoroughly disinfect the entire place, but I knew better than anyone that wasn’t an option.
‘I wish I could call in someone…’
Or perhaps Chef Gordon … Not that they could do much, but at least they’d join me in lamenting this awful place.
I always thought that star chefs who traveled to terrible restaurants for TV shows were amazing, but now I had a newfound respect for them.
After a torturous wait, the food finally arrived—a meager stew.
“……?”
They had said it was a fish stew made with fish from the nearby lake, but the accompanying bread was so dry that it could probably hammer a nail, and the stew itself was so watery it looked more like clear soup, with a few tiny fish swimming around that were smaller than the anchovies used for broth.
The vegetables seemed to be dried and then rehydrated, and there were unidentifiable bits of fat floating around. It looked like scraps that had been picked up off the ground.
“……”
Just the sight of the food was enough to make me clench my teeth to avoid fainting, but what shocked me even more was that the two people beside me were casually breaking off pieces of the hard bread, soaking them in the broth, and eating them as if nothing were wrong.
While they were completely nonchalant, I was in such disbelief that I couldn’t trust my own eyes.
Covering my mouth with the back of my hand, I asked,
“Can this really be called food?”
I felt like I was stuck in some kind of staged drama set up to see my reaction.
But everyone else around me was calmly spooning up the broth as if it were a feast.
“It’s food, isn’t it? It doesn’t make you sick when you eat it.”
I was utterly shocked by Irina’s response, as if she couldn’t understand what the problem was.
The standard for food is just that it doesn’t make you sick?
Does that mean there are places that actually serve food that does make you sick?
In all my experiences, I could never have imagined such a response.
Quietly, I put down my spoon.
“I’m… I’m fine….”
I had some biscuits, jerky, and dried fruit packed away, enough to last me two days. I’d rather eat preserved food than this.
Knowing that staying here any longer would only drain my mental strength, I spoke in a voice completely devoid of energy.
“I’ll head up to the room. Please join me when you’re done with your meal.”
Surprisingly, Hernan didn’t stop me, and as I climbed the stairs, I felt an odd emptiness despite having wanted this outcome.
Every step I took made the wooden planks creak loudly, adding to my annoyance.
‘But Velon isn’t even a poor region, so why is the quality here so terrible…?’
I understood that the difference in quality between areas with and without jobs, like mines, could be stark, but if they were really that poor, wouldn’t the central government provide some kind of aid?
I needed to figure out if they had received support and if it had been misappropriated, or if this was truly the best they could do.
‘Or could it be… that this is just the normal standard for the north?’
Given the harsh environment with blizzards year-round, that was a possibility.
Of course, I was only speculating since I didn’t know much about this place.
Even after reaching the room, it was just as cold and dirty as before, so I huddled in front of the lit fireplace, chewing on some jerky, wondering what on earth I was doing.
I realized more than ever that the situation Hernan described, where jobs were desperately needed for the locals, was painfully true.
I hoped we could move quickly from inspection to action, including cleaning up the surrounding environment. I’d also need to meet with the local lord at some point.
I had been feeling cold, hungry, and irritated all at once for a while, and as soon as my body started to warm up, drowsiness hit me like a wave.
“Ugh… I shouldn’t fall asleep now…”
Just as I was barely managing to fight off the overwhelming drowsiness, the door creaked open, and Hernan walked into the room.
“What have you been doing over there?”
I must have looked quite ridiculous, sitting hunched over with a blanket covering me and a bag spread out under me, as if I were camping in the middle of the room.
I answered in a voice full of displeasure.
“I wasn’t doing anything.”
I snapped back in a curt manner, not wanting to engage in conversation, and I heard a light chuckle from behind me.
Laughing?
How can you be laughing when your domain is in such disarray?
You came here begging for help, and now you’re acting like this is your place, not mine?
I couldn’t help but speak in an irritated tone.
Just as I turned around, Hernan placed a small basket next to me.
“……?”
What’s this now?
As I looked up at Hernan with a suspicious expression, he started tidying up the floor and sat down beside me.
“Open it. I think you’ll like it.”
As if I liked anything around here… I scoffed and opened the basket. Inside was—
‘Gulp’
—an exquisite strawberry pie that looked so amazing it made my mouth water immediately.
* * *
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