Chapter 10: First night in an inn

The moment they passed through the massive gates, the scenery shifted.

On the other side was a lively town. The streets weren’t paved with shiny stones or anything fancy, just a well-worn mix of packed dirt and scattered gravel. 

Wooden houses with slanted roofs lined either side, their walls patched here and there, showing they’d been standing for quite a while. 

Smoke coming out from chimneys, carrying the faint scent of roasted meat. It wasn’t exactly bustling like a modern city, but there was a steady rhythm of life here. Merchants were calling out to customers, carts rattling by, the chatter of townsfolk.

Lylia’s eyes widened as she took it all in.."Whoa… It’s like I just stepped straight into... a different country." she muttered under her breath, grinning. 

Eduart’s carriage rolled ahead of them, and Lylia ran a few steps to wave goodbye. "Thanks for everything, Mr. Eduart!" she shouted, cupping her hands around her mouth. 

He leaned out slightly, smiling warmly as he waved back. 

The carriage gradually disappeared into the crowd.

She turned back toward the street with a dreamy sigh. "This is kind of a fresh scene and all… but…" Her excitement dimmed slightly as she scanned the town more carefully. 'It’s… not really magical, is it?'

Sure, there were some differences compared to her old world. Their clothes, weapons, and some fantastical creatures wandering around. Though the place didn’t feel as mystical as she’d hoped. If she had to describe it in one word…

"Medieval," she said flatly. Or actually, those creatures are fantasitical enough?

Still, there were little things that sparked her curiosity. She spotted a robed woman whose outfit looked strangely similar to her own. 'A fellow mage, maybe?' Lylia thought, resisting the urge to run over and ask.

Then her eyes caught on a man with a giant blue bird perched proudly on his shoulder. Lylia’s jaw dropped. 'Okay, that’s cool. Don’t stare. Don’t stare.' She immediately stared.

As they walked, a deep, cheerful voice called out.

"Hey there, miss! Care for some roasted giant boar barbecue? Fresh off the grill!"

Lylia blinked, her stomach growling on instinct. The skewers were massive, the meat glistening with savory juices.

"Giant boar?" she repeated, eyes lighting up.

She instantly remembered the beast Slade had taken down earlier with a single strike.

'Wait, is this… that kind of boar? Does it taste good? Well, there's no way they will trouble collecting its meat if it doesn't.'

She stood frozen, drooling slightly, caught in a staring contest with the skewered meat.

"…Huh?" Lylia looked around, realizing something was missing. “Where did Slade..."

Her eyes widened.

Slade was already halfway down the street, walking briskly without even glancing back.

"Hey! Wait up!"

She dashed after him, nearly tripping over her own feet.

"Why’d you leave me like that?!" she yelled, panting. "Aren’t you supposed to be my tour guide or something?!"

Slade stopped just long enough to turn and glare at her, his expression unreadable. "My job is only to take you to the inn. Sightseeing is your problem. Do it tomorrow or whenever I'm not there."

Lylia froze, then scowled. "… Argh, killjoy?" she muttered under her breath. "Fine, whatever. Be that way."

Still, she couldn’t help herself from glancing around while walking beside him, her head swiveling like an owl. Weaponsmiths, cloth vendors, strange fruits that looked like glowing oranges. Everything begged for her attention.

Eventually, they arrived at the inn.

It was a two-story wooden building with a faded sign hanging above the door. Warm light spilled through its windows, and faint laughter drifted out from inside. It wasn’t fancy by any means, but it felt cozy and welcoming.

As they stepped inside, a cheerful receptionist greeted them with a practiced smile.

"Welcome! How many nights will you be staying?"

"Ten days," Slade answered curtly. "Only me. This girl is not with me."

"Why don't we just share the room?"

"So that you won't need to pay?" 

"So that we'll save money and for more efficiency." Lylia reasoned. 

"I wont share the room. Now tell her how long you'll stay."

"Tch, fine. Who knows what you'll do to me if I'm alone with you." Lylia said, confident about her cute face. She tilted her head to the receptionist. "So, uh… how much is it per night?”

"Ten copper coins per night," the receptionist replied.

Lylia’s eyes went wide. "Woah, that’s… kinda cheap!" Though, it's not like she knows the currency yet. Just that ten and copper together doesn't sound like costs much.

Then she slowly turned to Slade, eyes shimmering like a puppy begging for scraps.

Slade immediately shut her down. "No. Eduart already gave you money."

"Tch." She clicked her tongue, muttering, "Stingy."

With a sigh, she pulled out the pouch Eduart had given her and plucked out a single coin. It was reddish-brown and light in her palm. "Uh, this is… copper, right?" she asked hesitantly.

"Of course," Slade said flatly. His gaze sharpened. "Don’t tell me you don’t even know the basic currency."

"Hehe…" She gave a weak laugh and scratched her cheek. 'If this world follows the usual fantasy stuff, then… copper, silver, gold, and platinum, right?'

Dumping the pouch into her hand, she counted carefully. Her smile vanished. "…There’s exactly ten coins."

The empty pouch slipped through her fingers as she stared at it in disbelief. "He… really only gave me enough for one night?"

He was more stingy than she thought.

She turned to Slade with a pitiful expression, her lips trembling. "Slade… I only have money for one night."

He didn’t even blink. "And? I told you, I won’t be paying for you for anything."

Her pitifulness intensified dramatically. "Then I guess I’ll just… starve." She lowered her head dramatically. "Or maybe I’ll beg in the streets… or...” she glanced away, muttering darkly, "If things go south, you don't need to be surprised if you see me committing cannibalism. Oh, hey, speaking of one night, I can just commit a one night stand in exchange for money, or maybe even just for food. I haven't eaten all day. I'm that desperate—"

The receptionist coughed awkwardly. "Ahem! If you're worrying about dinner, then you don’t need to worry, miss! You chose the right place as a stay here includes free meals."

Lylia’s head shot up like she’d been struck by divine light. 

"Really?!" Her entire face lit up, as if a blessing from the heavens had descended.

'Thank you, God! You truly love me!' 

The receptionist giggled and handed her a key. "Room ten, third floor."

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The third floor was quiet, the wooden hallway creaking under her light steps.

When she found a door marked with a simple carved '10', she held up her key.

"This must be it."

Inside was a plain but cozy room. A wooden table, a single chair, a small wardrobe, and most importantly, a bed.

Lylia’s eyes locked on the bed instantly.

Without hesitation, she rushed forward and pressed her hands against the blanket.

"It’s not super soft… but not bad either," she murmured.

'Way better than sleeping on the ground. Not like I can't be one with the floor, though.'

Flopping onto the mattress with her arms and legs spread wide, she stared up at the ceiling. "Ahhh… finally…"

Then, something above caught her eye.

"…Wait. Is that… a light bulb?"

She squinted, leaning up slightly. Upon closer inspection, it wasn’t a bulb at all but a fist-sized glowing yellow rock, hanging by a rope.

"Woahhh… cool," she breathed. "Magic light. Magic rock."

With a lazy grin, she collapsed back down. "Oh well. Just a short rest before dinner…"

Her eyelids grew heavily almost immediately. 

Before she knew it, she drifted off to sleep, sprawled out like a starfish on her very first real bed in this world.