Ch.2222. My Apologies

“I’m over there.”

Elin pointed to a distant place.

Above the endless wave of buildings, a pure white tower stood tall.

Its solitary figure, reaching for the sky, seemed somewhat surreal, and Rex had been keeping an eye on it since entering the city, wondering what it was.

But now it seemed that was Elin’s destination.

“Come visit me when you need something. I’m always staying there.”

“Thank you, Elin.”

“Well…”

Elin hesitated, her lips moving slightly, but ultimately she closed her mouth.

It seemed like she had something to say.

When Rex looked at her with curious eyes, Elin shook her head and turned away.

“…I’ll be going.”

And with that, Elin departed.

Rex stood in place, watching her back for a while.

‘Alone again.’

For some reason, he felt empty.

Rex let out a bitter smile. Even though Elin wasn’t particularly talkative, he already felt her absence. It seemed they had grown quite close in a short time.

I hope I’m not the only one who feels this way… anyway.

Rex looked up at the inn’s sign. He couldn’t read it, but it probably meant “Night Fox.”

If given the chance, he should learn to read. It would be useful in the future.

As soon as he opened the door to the inn, warm air touched his skin. Flames from the fireplace bathed the interior in a soft crimson glow.

‘Not bad.’

Rex approached the counter. A man who appeared to be the owner was wiping dishes with a cloth. He glanced at Rex and spoke in a gruff tone.

“Shared room is 5 leaves per night. Private room is 15 leaves, and if you’re staying long-term, say so. I don’t plan on giving discounts, so if you don’t have money, look elsewhere.”

After finishing his speech, he continued wiping dishes as if he had no interest in Rex, making him wonder if this man was really in the hospitality business.

Rex handed over the paper Dunstan had given him.

“What’s this?”

“I came with Dunstan’s recommendation.”

At those words, the man’s eyebrows twitched. He examined the handwriting on the paper several times, then made an exasperated expression.

“Well, I’ll be. Don’t know what got into that stingy fellow.”

“He said you’d give me a discount.”

“Hmm…”

Rex stared at the man intently. Before long, the man sighed deeply and said:

“Let’s do this. I’ll discount the private room to 10 leaves. And I’ll provide two free meals a day. How’s that?”

“Sounds good.”

“But only for a month. If you want to stay longer, you’ll have to pay the original price. I need to make a living too, you know.”

Rex handed the man a silver coin without further negotiation.

For Rex, it was an offer with no downsides. Whatever agreement existed between the innkeeper and Dunstan, it allowed him to get a discount of one-third.

The decisive factor was being able to rent a private room cheaply. Rather than sleeping tangled up with strangers, he preferred to pay a bit more for comfort. Shared rooms were also prone to theft.

“I’ll stay for a week for now.”

The man rummaged under the counter and pulled out a small key.

“Go to the room at the far left end of the second-floor corridor.”

Rex collected his change and the key, then headed to the room the man had indicated.

The interior of the room was simple.

A bed with a soft blanket, a small table, and a chair—that was all. Just the minimum furniture necessary for someone to live.

He hadn’t expected much, so this was perfectly acceptable. Rex slowly looked around the room.

The only light came from the sunlight through a window on one side, which meant it would be too dark to see anything at night. Perhaps that’s why a small candle was placed on the table.

‘Let’s unpack.’

Rex put down his leather backpack and greatsword beside the bed and took off his cloak. The accumulated sweat smell from days of sleeping outdoors wafted out. Looking at his palms, he saw they were covered in grime.

Rex went downstairs wearing only his short undergarments.

“Is there somewhere I can wash up?”

“Go to the courtyard. There’s a well there.”

“…A well?”

Rex tilted his head, surprised at how casually the man mentioned a well—something that had been so precious in Oakbrook Village that they could only use it occasionally.

‘It’s true?’

When he went out through the back door, there really was a well in the middle of the courtyard. The city truly was different. Rex pulled up the bucket attached to the pulley. He dampened a towel and wiped down every part of his body.

When he returned to the inn, the owner said in an indifferent voice from behind the counter:

“That’ll be 1 leaf.”

“It wasn’t free?”

“Is anything in this world free? You’re quite naive, aren’t you?”

Rex placed a leaf on the counter with a sour expression. The man quickly took it, cleared his throat, and added:

“Call me Wolfram.”

“Ah, I’m Rex.”

“Well, Rex. Would you like something to eat? Our inn is known for its good food. It may be quiet now, but when the sun sets, it gets crowded with all sorts of people.”

Though it was a bit early for dinner, Rex was starting to feel hungry, so he nodded.

Before long, Wolfram brought out some food. It was porridge made from thoroughly boiled oats. Apart from a few pieces of meat, it was ordinary oat porridge, but somehow it tasted excellent, as if there was some secret recipe.

After quickly emptying his bowl, Rex drank his milk with a satisfied expression.

“Where are you from? You look quite young.”

“Oakbrook Village. Have you heard of it?”

“You’ve come from far away.”

Wolfram looked Rex up and down, then clicked his tongue.

“Did you come alone?”

“Yes.”

“I’ve seen many like you. Greenhorns who run away from home believing nonsense about making big money in the city.”

Despite the sudden lecture, Rex quietly listened to Wolfram’s words.

In a way, he was right.

Though he hadn’t come to the city for money, he was indeed a greenhorn. Wolfram seemed knowledgeable about city matters, so it was wise to accept his advice.

“I don’t know your circumstances, but living here won’t be easy. Have you found a job?”

“No.”

It was too late today, and he planned to visit the mercenary guild tomorrow. It wasn’t that he absolutely had to become a mercenary.

When he fought against Derbein—the mercenary captain who attacked his village—he instinctively realized: this world is never kind to the weak.

His main goal was to become strong enough to protect himself and those dear to him.

‘I have the power of the mark.’

And Rex was confident he could become strong faster than anyone else. After all, he had received a blessing from a giant who called himself a god.

When Rex remained silent, Wolfram glanced at his waist and said:

“I saw you carrying a greatsword earlier. Planning to become an adventurer?”

“…An adventurer? Not a mercenary?”

Rex blinked at the unfamiliar term.

Wolfram muttered, wondering where to begin his explanation.

“Well, if you lived in a remote village, you’d be more familiar with mercenaries. They both do similar things. Swinging swords for money, killing, dying, and so on. They’re busy pointing fingers at each other, but at least from my perspective, they’re the same.”

Wolfram finished by suggesting that Rex visit the Adventurer’s Guild tomorrow if he was curious. Just then, new guests entered the inn.

“Shared room is 5 leaves per night. Private room is 15 leaves, and if you’re staying long-term, say so. I don’t plan on giving discounts, so if you don’t have money, look elsewhere.”

Wolfram recited the same businesslike speech he had given when Rex first arrived. It seemed many people tried to haggle over the room rates.

Though Rex still had questions, he returned to his room, not wanting to interfere with Wolfram’s work.

Lying on the bed, Rex stared blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling.

‘The Adventurer’s Guild…’

As Wolfram suggested, he should visit it when day breaks.

With that thought, he closed his eyes.

***

Early morning, Rex woke up and immediately got up to go to the Adventurer’s Guild. Just as he was about to place his hand on the doorknob, Rex paused and looked back.

“Hmm…”

He returned to the bed and only after putting on light armor did he go downstairs. Lindveil seemed to have good security, but there was no harm in being cautious.

On the first floor, people who appeared to be guests were sitting at tables eating. When they heard footsteps from the stairs, they glanced over but quickly looked away. Wolfram, who was busy serving food, spotted Rex and called out:

“Where are you going without eating?”

“To the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“Is that so?”

Wolfram brought out a small package from the kitchen and tossed it to Rex.

“A snack. Eat it on your way.”

Rex, caught off guard, opened the package. Small pieces of bread were coated with sticky honey.

“Thank you.”

“But do you have money?”

“Pardon?”

“Never mind. You’ll find out when you get there. Go on.”

Wolfram waved his hand. Rex bowed his head and left the inn.

Though he didn’t know the exact location of the Adventurer’s Guild, finding it wasn’t difficult.

“Excuse me…”

“Hmm? Ah, an aspiring adventurer, I see. If you’re looking for directions…”

This was because anyone he stopped on the street would give him directions to the Adventurer’s Guild before he could even state his business.

‘Why?’

Rex scratched his cheek with a puzzled expression, then looked down at his appearance and realized the reason. The identity of someone boldly walking the streets armed in broad daylight was obvious to anyone.

If not a soldier, then one of two things: an adventurer or a mercenary. He wasn’t sure why people automatically directed him to the Adventurer’s Guild rather than the Mercenary Guild.

‘Is this it?’

Rex stopped in front of a building as he followed the directions people had given him. They had said he would recognize it immediately, and they were right.

Though he couldn’t read the large sign, the sword and shield depicted on it confirmed he was in the right place. The Adventurer’s Guild was incomparably larger than other buildings.

The grandeur of the Adventurer’s Guild made other buildings look shabby in comparison.

Especially the two-story building right next to it, which looked like a collapsing hut compared to the Adventurer’s Guild.

Just then, three rough-looking men emerged from that very building.

They had short blades like machetes at their waists, and they addressed Rex in a hostile tone:

“What do you want?”

“…Pardon?”

“Why are you loitering in front of the Mercenary Guild? Do you have business here?”

“Oh, this is the Mercenary Guild?”

Rex stammered, surprised by the unexpected revelation.

Then he understood why people had mistaken him for an aspiring adventurer.

Even now, all sorts of people were coming and going from the Adventurer’s Guild, while no one was visiting the Mercenary Guild. Given the stark contrast between the two buildings, who in their right mind would join the Mercenary Guild?

‘Ah, there they are.’

Such people—three of them—were standing right in front of him.

The man frowned and scratched the back of his head, then snapped his fingers as if remembering something.

“Are you a new recruit?”

“…Excuse me.”

Rex immediately turned and entered the Adventurer’s Guild.