episode_0005

As the clock struck noon, we emerged from the labyrinth.

Inside the maze, it’s hard to keep track of time, so things like ‘clocks’ and alarm spells come in handy.

Today, we found four low-grade mana stones.

Yesterday, I managed to find three low-grade and one mid-grade stone on my own, but that was after a whole day of hardships. Today, we found them comfortably and quickly.

“Are we okay to leave already?” Rinde asked.

“If we stay longer, it’ll get crowded. This is good enough if you want to keep your magic hidden,” I replied.

Although the final income might be slightly less, we saved time.

The value of time varies greatly. Some waste it, while others can turn it into something as valuable as gold with efficiency.

As I told Rinde, it’s best for her to keep her abilities moderately concealed.

She might be exposed someday, but there’s no need to rush that moment.

We headed straight to the inn where Rinde was staying.

In a city as bustling as the Labyrinth City, there are plenty of inns. There are even places where an entire street is filled with inns.

Of course, in the outskirts or remote areas of the city, there are inns too. However, don’t expect top-notch service in such places.

There are hidden gems who excel in business, but there are also places where you doubt if they’re really planning to do business.

“This place is a dump,” Rinde’s inn fell into the latter category.

It was a dark corner of the city, far from the market, public institutions, and adventurer guilds, which are considered the city’s lights.

The inn’s walls were poorly finished, with rooms covered only by dirty curtains without any glass windows.

The most perplexing fact was that I remembered there being no inn here last month.

This meant the building was relatively new but in such a state.

I heard they allowed foreign adventurers to enter, probably attracting opportunists.

Moreover, the construction seemed subpar, lacking even properly trained carpenters.

“You’ve been staying here?”

“Yes… because the rent is cheap…”

“I see.”

I entered the inn. The moment I stepped inside, a foul stench pierced my nostrils.

My helmet was enchanted to keep the interior pleasant, allowing me to smell the outside odors more clearly.

And the smell in this inn… was putrid.

And not just any kind of putrid, but a dangerous type.

The unkempt man behind the counter glanced at us. His face was wrinkled between his eyebrows, his greasy bald head had knife marks on the right cheek.

Probably the owner, but he didn’t bother greeting the guests.

Since we were going to rent a room anyway, I didn’t pay much attention.

I gestured to Rinde to speak up.

She hesitated but approached the innkeeper.

“What is it?” the innkeeper gruffly asked.

“Um, well… the person living in the end room on the second floor…” Rinde started.

“I know who you mean. What about it?” he interrupted.

“Well… they want to rent the room today…”

“What?”

The innkeeper’s expression turned hostile, raising his voice.

Rinde immediately cowered and let out a small scream.

“What sudden nonsense is this?! I lowered the rent for you to live here until next year!”

As the innkeeper shouted, the gazes of the people drinking at the table turned towards us.

Indeed, there are many unfamiliar faces in this neighborhood.

Glancing around, I noticed someone from the Brygal Kingdom, looking like a noble. Their eyes weren’t friendly towards Rinde.

Seems like the Brygal folks really dislike witches.

“Um, well, you see…” Rinde tried to explain.

“Just drop it! Don’t bother me with this!” the innkeeper snapped.

“Enough.”

I stood next to Rinde and called out to him.

“What are you doing here?”

The innkeeper’s voice softened slightly.

To those who appear weak, they seem strong, but to those who appear strong, they seem weak.

You’re so straightforward that it’s refreshing.

“He’s my colleague.”

I nodded towards Rinde.

“How much is the rent per day?”

“Five copper coins per day. But you probably heard earlier, right? Since he’s staying until next year, I made a special deal and reduced it to four copper coins.”

“Four copper coins per day…”

Considering that most average inns in the Labyrinth City charge 6 to 7 copper coins, it does seem cheap.

However, even four copper coins at this inn can’t be considered a good deal.

If it were me, I wouldn’t stay here even if it were free.

“If you decide to cancel the room, you’ll have to pay back the discount I gave you so far, and I won’t return the deposit.”

“I can’t do both.”

“What?!”

The innkeeper’s voice started to rise again.

“I won’t give back the discount I’ve given you so far. And I will return the deposit.”

“Who says so?! Do you think this is your inn?!”

“Hey, calm down.”

I clapped my hands.

“It seems like you’ve only been running this inn for a short while in this neighborhood. Or rather, did you properly get permission to operate?”

“W-What?!”

At the mention of permission, the innkeeper hesitated for a moment.

Clearly, this place isn’t a properly licensed establishment.

It hasn’t even been a month since it was built, so either no one has reported it yet, or even if they did, the authorities haven’t taken action.

“You didn’t get it? To run an inn, you need to report to the lord and mayor, and also join the Innkeepers’ Guild.”

Of course, when you join the guild, you have to pay membership fees and are obligated to enroll in the insurance they offer.

It’s a money drain, but with the overwhelming number of guests, you’ll likely cover the costs and still make a profit.

But it’s not surprising that there are people who don’t want to pay even those expenses.

“How much is the fine for an unlicensed inn?”

“Wait a moment. What?”

This time, the innkeeper frantically called out to me while clapping his hands.

“I-I’ll return the deposit, so you don’t need to pay extra. You can just leave.”

“Well, it’s good to have mutual understanding. But… I’m in urgent need of money right now.”

“W-What?”

“I’ll definitely pay it back by next month. Can you lend me some money?”

“W-What…!”

“Don’t want to? If not, I can borrow from somewhere else…”

I took out my adventurer’s badge from my pocket and showed it to him.

“Huh…?”

The innkeeper’s expression turned pale upon seeing it.

“If I don’t repay the money by next month, inform the Adventurers’ Guild instead.”

“…How much do you need?”

“Let’s see… Three gold coins will do.”

“Three gold coins… Ugh… But in return, the interest will be…”

“Add thirty silver coins as interest when you return it.”

Ten copper coins make one silver coin, and one hundred silver coins make one gold coin, making it a whopping 10% interest per month.

Three gold coins.

Even for the owner of this shabby inn, it shouldn’t be an amount of money he can’t handle.

“Really, thirty silver coins?”

“Of course. This adventurer’s badge guarantees it.”

I took out the strap of the adventurer’s token I had put in earlier and shook it again.

“Alright. Just wait a moment.”

The innkeeper bent down, rummaging under the counter before bringing out a pouch of coins after a short while.

“Here’s a deposit of 10 silver coins. And the 3 gold coins you mentioned.”

I received the pouch of coins and opened it to inspect.

Indeed, there were 10 silver coins and 3 gold coins.

“Don’t worry. I’ll definitely return the money next month.”

I took out only the gold coins, transferred them to my pocket, and handed back the rest of the pouch to Rinde.

She watched our conversation with a puzzled expression.

“Or else, I’ll go directly to the Adventurer’s Guild.”

The innkeeper spoke with more confidence than before.

Since I showed my adventurer’s token, if he lied, I could really go to the guild.

It would be troublesome if he told the guild that I had cheated him.

Of course, that would never happen.

“Whatever.”

I shrugged and led Rinde up the stairs to the second floor.

“You said it’s the last room on the second floor, right?”

“Y-yes? Oh, yes.”

“Get yourself together. You’re falling for such a worthless guy like that.”

“Worthless?”

“There’s a saying like that. Anyway, we need to pack up. How much longer?”

“Not much…”

A room at the end of the corridor.

Mold was visible in the corner of the wooden door.

It’s only been a month, but it’s really severe.

Even the wood seems like it wasn’t properly sourced for construction.

Maybe they picked up some cheap stuff.

When Rinde opened the door, the room inside looked better than expected.

But that was probably because she cleaned it; fundamentally, there were many issues.

Just like I saw from outside, there were no glass windows, just covered with tattered curtains, and there was no fireplace either.

It would be perfect for freezing to death when winter comes.

No, maybe they didn’t even plan to stay open until then.

They probably never intended to run a proper business from the start, just cutting costs as much as possible, sucking up profits, and planning to close and run away before getting caught.

“These guys…”

If trash like this flows in now that the city is open, it will be a problem.

“What?”

“Don’t worry about it. Anyway, let’s pack up.”

I opened the shoddily made wardrobe that clearly wasn’t crafted by a professional carpenter.

“…”

I just opened it a bit roughly, and the handle came off.

“Is this all the clothes there are?”

All the clothes in the wardrobe were just two sets each of black robes and dresses.

There were only a few spare undergarments lying on the floor.

“T-that, um… th-those are… undergarments…”

“Undergarments or whatever, hurry and pack everything. I don’t want to stay here long.”

Ignoring Rinde, whose face turned red from showing the undergarments, I pulled out all the clothes from the wardrobe and tossed them onto the bed.

“Yes…”

Rinde hesitated, then took out a handkerchief from the drawer and packed the clothes along with another bundle.

“We’re done now.”

“Huh?”

“I’ve packed everything…”

It’s been a week since we arrived in the Labyrinth City, and the luggage hasn’t been unpacked yet.

At least we can save time, which is fortunate.

“Are you sure you packed everything?”

“Yes.”

“Make sure you won’t come back here again.”

“I-I really packed everything.”

“Then let’s go quickly.”

I hurriedly left the inn with Rinde.

I didn’t even glance at the innkeeper who was glaring at us.

“Tsk. If I’m going to die, I’ll die alone.”

It was only after completely leaving the inn that I muttered under my breath.

“Wh-what do you mean?”

Rinde asked.

“You’ll understand later.”

The smell I first encountered when I entered that inn.

It was the smell of rotting wooden pillars.