A Boar Can't Eat Fine Bran

"Pah!"

Hades spat out the steak he had just sliced and put into his mouth. The texture was tough and dry, and the seasoning was bizarre; the cooking process had failed to mask the gamey odor of the meat, yet it was so heavily salted that one bite nearly killed him.

"Hey! You, yes you, come here!"

Hades beckoned to a waiter not far away.

Seeing someone calling, the waiter approached Hades' table and asked politely, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Hades pointed at the steak from which he had cut a piece and asked, "Is this your signature dish?"

"Er..." The waiter nodded and asked, "Are you dissatisfied with something?"

"Have you ever eaten this thing you people make?" Hades asked, expressionless.

"This... is the dish not to your liking?" the waiter asked.

"Try it yourself." Hades pushed the plate outward.

"I apologize, guest, but we have regulations. We cannot—"

"How will you know what the problem is if you don't taste it? You're making it seem like I'm deliberately looking for trouble." Hades cut the waiter off.

"Mm... you are right. My apologies." Helpless, the waiter picked up a knife and fork, cut a piece of the steak, and tasted it. However, as he chewed, a look of confusion appeared on his face.

"Well? Is it good?" Hades asked, eyeing him sideways.

"It's delicious," the waiter said after a moment of hesitation.

"Delicious?" Hades exclaimed in surprise. "You call this delicious? Your inn looks decent enough, yet you serve this kind of thing? Don't you think it's salty?"

Facing the three-layered walls of E-Rantel, Hades had chosen not to land in the outermost district, nor the innermost, but in the middle layer.

Based on his understanding of ancient urban planning, the outermost layer was likely a slum, while the innermost was reserved for high-ranking officials and nobles.

Only the middle area was likely inhabited by relatively wealthy residents. He didn't want to go to the territory of the elite and find himself uncomfortable; in his impression, ancient nobles were not particularly reasonable. Although he wasn't afraid of them, there was no need to invite trouble, and he didn't want to go to the outermost slums and suffer needlessly.

He had ten gold coins borrowed from Nigun, along with some silver and copper coins. Hades touched the gold coins and took out a gold coin from YGGDRASIL to compare them, feeling that the two were somewhat different; the YGGDRASIL coin was heavier.

Gold has a high density. Judging by the texture of Nigun's dull yellow coins, they should have been gold, and while the size difference was negligible, they were lighter than the YGGDRASIL coins. For a moment, he truly didn't know which one was actually gold.

Later, Hades searched for an inn within the city. Although it was the middle of the night, the inns were quite conspicuous. Through the monk skill "Tongue of the Heavens," identifying the strange, distorted characters of this world was not a problem.

After finding a large inn, he swallowed his pride and asked the attendant on duty some common-sense questions that must have seemed incredibly idiotic, finally clearing up the currency issue.

Nigun's dull yellow coins were indeed gold coins. One gold coin equaled twenty silver coins, and one silver coin equaled twenty copper coins. Looking at the inn's room rates, Hades suddenly understood why Nigun had looked so resentful at the end.

Those ten gold coins, along with all that silver and copper, were indeed of significant value. It would probably take him a long time to earn that much, and based on the accommodation costs, he could roughly gauge the income level of the residents.

As for the YGGDRASIL gold coins, Hades had also taken them out for the attendant to examine. From the attendant's impatient expression to his shock, and then the subsequent weighing with a scale and his offer to buy the set, the change in attitude was clear.

Hades was overjoyed; over twenty billion gold coins would be enough for him to live in luxury in this world. However, this joy vanished completely, replaced by worry.

YGGDRASIL gold coins were not just currency; they could be used for many things, such as summoning mercenary monsters using magic item scrolls, or as a medium for casting certain spells.

Furthermore, forging materials and other items also required gold coins. The YGGDRASIL coins were not just money; they were consumable materials.

If not for the threat of Ainz Ooal Gown, he could spend those twenty billion coins however he pleased. But given the current situation, that was absolutely out of the question; these were strategic resources.

Moreover, if he spent them, there was a high probability of exposing his tracks. He had to be cautious and first see what this world had to offer.

He also possessed items that could likely be exchanged for money, but these, too, carried the risk of exposure. It was best to wait until he understood this world before deciding what could be sold.

There was no longer a way to replenish his YGGDRASIL coins; every one he spent was one less. If he wanted to spend freely, he would have to wait until he had dealt with the trouble of Ainz Ooal Gown and gained a detailed understanding of this world.

Life's ups and downs were too stimulating. He had thought he could enjoy a life of abundance just like in his original world, but now he found he still needed to earn his keep.

However, Hades was someone accustomed to a wealthy life. Although his current problem was a lack of money, he wouldn't mistreat himself.

If there were no conditions, he could endure it; making do wasn't a big deal. But since he had borrowed money from Nigun, he naturally wanted to order a delicious meal to comfort his stomach.

He slept until the sun was high, went to the inn's restaurant at noon, and ordered the most expensive item on the menu. As it turned out, the taste made him feel it was worse than the black bread and bean soup he'd had that night.

To Hades' surprise, the waiter didn't find it unpalatable at all. Judging by his subtle facial expressions, the waiter didn't seem to be lying.

This caused a silent wail in Hades' heart. Was he a wild boar unable to eat fine bran? The inn's decor looked ten thousand times better than that rural village, yet the food served was this terrible.

Could it be that he was only fit to eat that black bread and the strange-tasting bean soup?

"If you are dissatisfied with this dish, we can prepare another one for you," the waiter offered helplessly. Their food naturally couldn't compare to the level of a top-tier inn like the Golden Radiance Pavilion, but that was related to their inn's positioning.

The Golden Radiance Pavilion hosted mostly royalty, nobles, and wealthy merchants. While they imitated its high-end decor, they served mostly commoners with a little extra money or high-level adventurers who occasionally came to experience the atmosphere of high society.

It was because of this business strategy that their inn was constantly bustling and very famous in E-Rantel. But at the same time, because of this, the taste of the food naturally couldn't compare to the Golden Radiance Pavilion; after all, they had to consider costs.

Still, it wasn't exactly bad; he personally thought it was quite delicious.

"Forget it." Hades waved his hand weakly. "No need for the trouble. Just leave it. Could you bring me a pot of water?"

"Please wait a moment." The waiter left.

Since it was salty, he would just drink more water and make do. As Hades ate the salty steak, he suddenly felt a sense of nostalgia for that black bread and bean soup.