Rising from the Slum City of Reincarnation in Another World ~ Gathering, Hunting, and Living a Slow Life by Eating

Chapter 129 The Bed Situation and the Circumstances of Poverty

I found myself in a Baron’s guest room for the night.

“I’ll be sharing the bed with Ed-chan, so we don’t need a separate room.”

“Oh, really? Minya-chan?”

“Yes.”

“Well then, what about Lania-chan and Ciel-chan?”

“I’ll be sharing with them too.”

“Alright, then I’ll join in for a cozy slumber, meow.”

“All four of us in one bed? Should we get a double bed room then?”

“Thank you very much!”

The maid confirmed our room arrangement.

Minya and I insisted on sleeping together, which caused the maid to blush a bit and touch her cheek, though it’s not like we’re planning anything scandalous. Seriously, what age does she think we are?

Considering the maid is at that age, I guess it’s natural for her to have such fantasies.

“Goodnight, everyone.”

Anyway, it all starts with me getting some sleep.

I settled myself comfortably in the middle of the bed, with Minya and Ciel snuggling up on either side of me.

The bed in the Lord’s mansion was quite comfortable, but this one is equally impressive.

Considering it’s a guest room in the Baron’s house, they must have used decent furnishings.

Lastly, Lania crawled into the bed with a composed expression, as if saying “I’m fine.”

And so, we assumed our sleeping positions, finally liberated from the long day and able to rest.

Speaking of which, a double bed seems to be just right; everyone seemed to sleep soundly.

Their bodies are still small, so I suppose it’s okay for four of us to share a bed.

Oh, yeah. I wonder what kind of bed I should sleep in when I grow up.

Maybe a king-size? But I’m not a king. Those custom beds seem ridiculously expensive though.

Setting it up, getting special sheets and comforters – it all seems quite a hassle.

Thinking about it now won’t really help.

And as we grow older, a shift system might be more practical.

When you’re an adult, there are things to do at night, and if I were to accompany four people every night, I might end up becoming a withered zombie, just skin and bones.

Oh, scary.

“Good morning…”

As I woke up, everyone else began to stir as well.

Minya seems particularly weak in the morning, and Ciel probably slept through it all regardless of the time.

Lania, being dependable, likely woke up but waited for me to rise. She really is a capable future wife.

We each prepared for the morning individually and reconvened at the dining hall.

“Let’s begin our meal.”

Honey drizzled on bread, followed by sizzling bacon, and a glass of milk.

Ah, each one is delicious.

Everyone eats heartily, with great enthusiasm.

Refills of bread and more, we’re eating quite a lot.

I was a bit worried that my frugal nature might earn me a scolding, but the Baron simply had a constant smile, perhaps being a doting father.

“What’s wrong, Ed? You can eat more if you want.”

“Well, I’m eating quite a bit, but is it okay?”

“A child shouldn’t hold back. Keep eating. We could prepare more if you’d like.”

“No, this is already more than enough. Thank you very much.”

“Thank you very much.”

Everyone expresses their gratitude properly, bowing our heads.

Our manners are impeccable, and it’s endearing, making the old man melt.

They’re like little rays of sunshine, my kids.

I’m the same, finding comfort in their presence.

You can’t let such adorable children not eat their fill; that’s a matter of justice.

Absolutely, that must never happen.

Indeed, there is a fact from my past when I struggled in the slums due to poverty, but there’s a sequel to that story.

Firstly, regarding my father’s defense, it was actually safer for him to not bring me along. I was a target, and settling down in one place was impossible. It would have been dangerous to embark on a journey of escape.

As for my mother, she sensed the danger, but there was no time for delay. Everyone she knew was of noble birth.

Most of her acquaintances were high-ranking nobles, and alarmingly, there could have been individuals among them with connections to our enemies, perhaps even the instigators of our troubles.

She had no one reliable to turn to. While my grandfather’s home in the Baron’s estate was safe, its location in the capital posed a problem.

With no other choice, she journeyed to the distant city of Trieste and, after careful consideration, settled us in the farthest reaches of the slums in Lanierda.

The fact that we were luckily aided by an elderly couple was significant.

The challenge arose when, after living in the slums for a few years, my mother, unable to gather any information or improve our situation, decided to return to the capital, leaving me behind to explore potential solutions.

Unexpectedly, Tomaria had apparently been sending funds to me. Unfortunately, before the money could reach the slums, it was misappropriated by someone somewhere, and I never received it.

Naturally, upon learning the truth, Tomaria was on the verge of an outburst, but with too many intermediaries involved, pinpointing the culprits was impossible. She had no choice but to swallow her anger.

There are two options for money transfers, the Seven-Seven Trading Company of the Raffalier Church and the Adventurer’s Guild. Tomaria had chosen the latter.

It seems that within the capital’s Adventurer’s Guild, there are some shady characters who take advantage of situations like sending funds to unreliable places such as the distant slums.

While taking the matter to the kingdom’s authorities is possible, the powerful Adventurer’s Guild strongly dislikes external interference, putting the kingdom in a difficult position to voice complaints.

In essence, Tomaria bears some responsibility for not utilizing multiple routes, like the Seven-Seven Church. I won’t be too hard on her, as she seemed genuinely disheartened by the situation.

Well, I managed to scrape by and as long as I avoided extravagance, I wouldn’t die even on Ilk beans alone.

Around that time, the lord occasionally provided rations and organized communal meals, and the concept of assisting the vulnerable was put into practice effectively during times when scoundrels and disasters were scarce. This happened at a reasonable frequency.

It might have been a failure, but dwelling on what’s already done won’t get us anywhere.