Two weeks later.

A group of riders appeared at the gates of Haven.

All five were mounted, their faces obscured by hoods, and glimpses of metallic armor beneath their robes hinted at their extraordinary status.

The horses they rode were magnificent, radiating an aura of prestige that even an untrained eye could recognize as exceptional.

"Top-tier mercenaries or knights!"

The guard stationed at the city gate, his voice tinged with nervousness, raised his hand to signal them to stop.

“Halt!”

The riders slowed their horses as they pulled the reins.

“State your origin and purpose... for entering.”

As the five drew closer, the guards adopted a tone that was both firm and respectful.

“We’re here on business regarding the Abyss.”

The man at the front answered coolly, revealing an emblem from within his robes.

“The High... High Castle?!”

The emblem he displayed was the unmistakable crest of the Knights of Renslet.

“Attention!”

The guard, already on alert, straightened further and saluted sharply.

“You may proceed!”

With that, the five knights entered Haven.

“Hurry and inform the Centurion!”

Behind them, the guard called out to his subordinate, ordering him to report the knights’ arrival to their superiors. Knights of Renslet were not just any knights—the Captain of the Guard and the Mayor needed to be informed immediately.

“Will you be meeting the Mayor and the Captain of the Guard?”

One of the knights glanced at the figure riding beside them, their question directed at the smaller figure whose hood was pulled low.

“No. We won’t be staying long.”

The leader, their voice unmistakably feminine, shook her head.

Despite her smaller frame compared to the others, her demeanor exuded authority.

“Still, all this riding has left me hungry.”

The leader muttered as she rubbed her stomach.

“Shall we dine at Polly’s Inn first?”

Another knight asked, having overheard.

“I have somewhere else in mind for our meal.”

The leader declined with a slight shake of her head.

“Somewhere else?”

“Yes. Polly sent me a letter, highly praising a place called Jack’s Inn.”

“Polly? But isn’t he running his own inn? What’s the meaning of him praising another establishment?”

“In his letter, he asked us to eat there but stay at his inn instead. He mentioned that Jack’s Inn isn’t large enough to stable five horses.”

“Polly truly is an honest and honorable man.”

“Indeed.”

How good must it be?

If Polly praised it so highly, it must really be something...

The four knights from High Castle followed their leader’s decision without question, though their curiosity about the food grew.

“For now, let’s head to Polly’s Inn to stable the horses.”

“Understood. Though it’s hard to imagine a meal surpassing Polly’s cooking.”

“If he praised it, it must at least be comparable. Let’s go unpack.”

Riding on empty stomachs, the group hastened toward Polly’s Inn.

On their way, a peculiar scene caught their attention.

A long line had formed in front of an otherwise ordinary-looking inn.

“Queue! Stay in line!”

A boy who appeared to be in his teens was splitting the line into three groups.

The lines were peculiar. One consisted of shabbily dressed people holding bowls and spoons. Another comprised individuals in modest attire. The last line was made up of people in well-tailored clothing.

“Takeout queue! Ten people may enter!”

A man, presumably the innkeeper, emerged from the building. One of his arms was wrapped in bandages as he called out to those in line, inviting a group inside.

The shabbily dressed individuals entered the inn, and within moments, they exited with bowls filled to the brim with stew, their faces beaming with satisfaction.

“Guards and officials, this way!”

At intervals, guards and officials bypassed the lines entirely, entering the inn directly.

“That must be the inn Polly mentioned.”

The knights from Renslet stared wide-eyed at the unexpected and somewhat bewildering sight, their curiosity piqued far beyond what the letter had described.

++++

 

The five knights from Renslet, commonly known as High Castle, watched the bustling scene at Jack’s Inn for a moment before moving on. Their priority was to stable their horses.

“It’s lunchtime, but it’s unusually quiet.”

Upon arriving at Polly’s Inn, Haven’s largest and most luxurious inn, the knights looked around at the surprisingly sparse crowd for such a busy time of day.

“They’re all eating at Jack’s Inn, sirs,” a staff member at Polly’s Inn replied politely.

“Ah... I saw that on the way here.”

“These days, Haven is in chaos whenever it’s mealtime.”

“Is it really that good? I caught a whiff of something unusual from the stew when we passed by.”

“I’ve tried it myself, and it’s the best stew I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

The staff member answered with a dreamy expression, drool almost forming at the corners of his mouth as he spoke.

“But where’s Polly? I don’t see him around. Is he out?”

The knights began asking after Polly, the inn’s owner.

“Mr. Polly is probably standing in line at Jack’s Inn right now. He’s completely obsessed with it these days.”

“Even though it’s a competing inn?”

“He says he’s researching the recipe and goes there to eat every day.”

The absurdity of the situation left the knights from Renslet speechless.

“Is it really that good?”

“Strange. Polly’s cooking is nothing to scoff at either.”

“No matter how good stew is, isn’t it all the same?”

“Maybe they just use a lot of salt?”

“If it’s that good, it must be expensive.”

Their curiosity deepened as they exchanged thoughts.

“Tell us more,” one of the knights said, tossing two small coins to the staff member as he pressed for details.

“On the way here, we noticed a variety of people lined up outside that inn.”

“Yes, the food sold at Jack’s Inn isn’t that expensive. A bowl of stew costs about 2 copper.”

“Two copper for a bowl of stew? That’s not expensive?”

“Once you taste it, you’ll think 2 copper is cheap. It’s completely different from the stew served anywhere else!”

“...?”

The knights began to piece together a theory as the staff member continued speaking.

“Could it be... they’re using spices?”

“Of course! The smell we caught earlier didn’t come from an ordinary stew.”

The idea of spices immediately came to mind—those magical ingredients grown on the Eastern Continent and imported to the North through the Empire.

They were culinary treasures, often exchanged for their weight in gold.

Recently, spices had become an obsession for nobles across the continent, including those in the Empire.

“If they’re using spices in their stew, that would explain the reaction.”

One knight recalled the spice-laden stew he had tasted at his birthday celebration last year and nodded in agreement.

“Be realistic. We only use spices sparingly on special occasions. How could a 2-copper stew possibly include them?”

Another knight chimed in skeptically.

“Besides, getting spices in the North right now is harder than plucking stars from the sky.”

Spices were always rare, but recent hikes in prices by the Empire had made them even more inaccessible.

Even nobles, and the Grand Duke herself, could only dream of eating spice-flavored dishes without fear of emptying their coffers.

The idea of sprinkling spices into a 2-copper stew? It defied common sense.

“Oh, and they offer takeout too. If you bring your own container, the stew is only 1 copper.”

“Takeout?”

“Additionally, guards and officials can have one bowl for free while on duty.”

“...?”

Hearing this, the knights stared in disbelief, their curiosity giving way to astonishment.

The staff member continued as the knights listened intently.

“Also, it doesn’t seem to be the spices from the Eastern Continent. According to our owner, who’s practically living at Jack’s Inn to study the recipe, they mainly use common weeds and roots.”

“Weeds and roots? Can that even produce such flavors?”

“But the ingredients Arad—the chef at Jack’s Inn—requests from adventurers and street kids are all weeds.”

“Arad?”

“Yes. He suddenly appeared in Haven one day. His original profession is a healer, but he’s also an incredible cook.”

“A healer? Making a living as a chef?”

“His cooking is excellent, but the key is the so-called ‘Arad’s Salt.’”

“Arad’s Salt?”

“Yes. It’s like a spice... no, it’s even better. It’s one of Chef Arad’s secret ingredients. Our boss has been trying to figure out its recipe for days.”

“Hmm...”

The more they heard, the more the knights found Arad suspicious.

“This Arad fellow sounds shady.”

“Maybe he’s a black magician.”

“Could Arad’s Salt be some sort of addictive drug, like opium?”

“Polly’s letter might have been a distress signal.”

Their growing curiosity and questions naturally evolved into skepticism and concern.

The only female knight among them, and the highest-ranking member of the group, remained silent. She simply listened carefully to her knights and the staff member, absorbing every word without interruption.

++++

 

The five knights from Renslet, the High Castle of the Northern Grand Duchy, arrived at Jack’s Inn.

Though it was well past lunchtime, the line outside the inn remained intact—albeit shorter than before.

“Make way!”

“Do not obstruct official duties!”

Of course, they had no need to wait in line. Word had it that soldiers and officials could bypass the line and receive a free bowl of stew each.

“Knights! They’re knights from Renslet!”

“They’re from the High Castle! Step aside, everyone!”

The rank of knight had its privileges, and this was precisely one of those moments.

While they often traveled incognito throughout the North, they saw no reason not to reveal their status when it suited their needs—provided it wasn’t a top-secret mission.

“My goodness, what brings knights from the High Castle to this humble establishment?”

As they entered the inn, Jack, the owner, was the first to greet them with a mix of surprise and enthusiasm.

“Knights from the High Castle?”

“No one mentioned anything about knights from the castle visiting.”

The mayor of Haven and several officials, who were already dining in the inn, glanced toward the five knights with slightly furrowed brows.

“It doesn’t seem like they’re impostors…”

“Who could they be? I can’t recognize their faces with those hoods…”

“M-Mayor! Those knights are…”

Polly, who was sitting beside the mayor, leaned in to whisper hurriedly.

“Wait, what?!”

The mayor’s face turned pale as Polly’s explanation sank in.

“Shh!”

One of the knights gestured sharply for silence, his gaze cold.

Polly, the mayor, and the officials immediately nodded fervently, understanding the implicit command.

“Who is the chef named Arad?”

The knights, having defused any potential commotion, addressed their question to the innkeeper and his staff.

“Is there... a problem, sirs?”

Jack asked, his voice tinged with concern as he exchanged glances with the other employees.

What’s going on? Is something wrong?

Jack’s unease grew as he realized these knights were likely more important than they appeared—especially given how Haven’s mayor and officials sat frozen in their seats.

“No, nothing yet. First, we’ll try the food. We’d like to order.”

“Ah, yes! What would you like?”

“Five bowls of stew for now.”

“Understood.”

The inn was packed, but the arrival of the five knights caused some of the patrons—those who hadn’t even budged for the mayor and officials—to quietly vacate their seats.

It seemed some had something to hide.

The knights took note of these individuals, memorizing their faces, but made no move to pursue them. Instead, they sat down at the now-empty table.

“Here... here is your stew...”

A young boy, presumably the innkeeper’s son, nervously brought the bowls to their table, his hands trembling slightly.

“Whoa!”

“What in the world is this smell?”

“I’ve never encountered such a rich, savory aroma before.”

As the bowls were set down, the knights found themselves momentarily stunned by the intoxicating fragrance. The stew smelled even better up close than it had outside, as if the scent had been concentrated.

Their empty stomachs churned with anticipation, and the aroma clouded their thoughts.

“The ingredients in this stew look incredible… so appetizing.”

“It looks even better than the stew we’re served at the castle.”

“Focus, everyone! Don’t let your guard down. Surround your bodies with mana, just in case!”

The knights took deep breaths, steadying themselves as they raised their spoons for the first taste.

The lone female knight, silent until now, also wrapped her body in mana before carefully taking her first bite of the stew.

“?!”

“!!”

All five of them froze in place, their bodies trembling as the flavors hit their palates.

The tension in their expressions dissolved, replaced by a dreamy, dazed look.

Gulp.

The mayor, the officials, Jack, and the other patrons watched the knights with nervous anticipation, their gazes fixed on their every movement.