A Budget Inn (With Excellent Amenities)

I arrived in Yuri Lousouth’s territory via Spatial Leap.

In the Kingdom of Inraku, few organizations can rival the Dark Guild known as "The Crow." As their number two, I possess considerable Aptitude, but even for someone of my caliber, a high-tier spell like Teleportation Magic isn't something that can be tossed around lightly.

Even with my level of Magic Power, the distance dictates everything. At most, I can manage three jumps a day. The trip from the Royal Capital to this Frontier Region was an exhausting, long-distance haul. By the time I landed, my Magic Power was effectively zero.

I guess I’m sleeping rough tonight. Damn it. When I get back, I’m making the guys buy me a drink for this.

I stepped out from behind the wall of a temporary housing unit and froze.

"…Huh?"

For a second, I thought I’d botched the coordinates. I was supposed to be in a rural backwater on the edge of the world, but the place before me was a meticulously planned, beautifully maintained town. It was hard to believe I’d actually reached my destination.

Tch. Did I run out of mana mid-jump?

If your Magic Power fails during Teleportation Magic, you drop out wherever the energy runs dry. I’d handled a job elsewhere, jumped to the Royal Capital, and then immediately jumped for the frontier. I thought my math was solid, but I must have wasted a bit of mana somewhere along the way.

I didn't know the first thing about this town, let alone where to find a bed. I had no choice but to flag down a man walking nearby.

"Got a second?"

"What's up?" the man asked, stopping.

He was carrying a Shovel on his back for some reason. The moment he turned around and I saw his face, a cold spike of regret shot through me.

A Dragon Slayer?! What the hell is he doing here?

Maybe he’d already caught wind that "The Crow" was moving. I couldn't stop myself from glaring at him, my instincts on high alert. But the Dragon Slayer just kept that easy smile on his face.

"Are you a Mercenary? Just get into town?"

I exhaled slowly, relieved he’d jumped to his own conclusion. "Y-Yeah. Exactly. I’m looking for an inn."

"I see. I’m actually heading that way myself. Want to walk with me?"

This was actually a stroke of luck. If I could get close to a Dragon Slayer, I might be able to squeeze some intel out of him about this land.

"I’ll take you up on that."

I gave a quick nod and followed him toward the inn. I realized halfway there that I’d forgotten to ask him why he was carrying a Shovel.

---

The inn looked new—a two-story wooden building with a surprisingly clean exterior. Inside, the lobby doubled as a reception area, and it was spacious enough to breathe. I’d seen places like this decked out in gaudy, nouveau-riche gold, but this place was minimalist. Functional. I liked it.

"We’re here. Hey! You’ve got a customer!" my guide shouted.

"Coming—!"

A girl about two heads shorter than me scurried out from the back.

"Welcome to the Meat Inn. Are you staying the night?"

"Ah… Yeah. Can I get a room for one night?"

"Understood! Right this way!"

She started to lead me toward the stairs immediately, and I had to put a hand up to stop her.

"Wait, wait. Don't I pay the bill first?"

"Oh! R-Right. I’m so sorry!"

She was clearly a rookie. She rushed back to the counter and bowed so low her head nearly hit the wood. As a guy who prefers to stay in the shadows, her frantic energy was making me nervous.

"Don't sweat it. Is it about five Silver Coins for the night?"

In the Royal Capital, a room goes for a Gold Coin. Out here in the Frontier Region, you can usually find something for five silver. But the girl just beamed at me.

"Actually, it’s just one Silver Coin!"

That’s way too cheap. I found myself worrying about their profit margins, even though it wasn't my problem. She must have seen that look before, because her smile didn't waver.

"We’re currently developing the surrounding land and we need all the help we can get. The Lord is subsidizing the costs, so it’s a total bargain right now."

"Oh. I see."

So the Lord was trying to attract labor. But wouldn't you limit the discount to people actually working? I wasn't about to complain about a low price, but dealing with a kid in a place this cheap felt… off.

"How many nights will you be staying?"

"Just one."

"Understood! Follow me!"

"I said take the money first!"

Talking was getting me nowhere. I pulled out five Silver Coins and slapped them onto the counter with an intentional clink.

"Oh? Are you staying for five days?"

"The rest is a tip. Take it."

"A tip? I don’t really get it, but okay!" She scooped up the coins, oblivious.

"While I’m at it, what’s the situation with food?"

"We have a Grand Dining Hall. It doubles as a public restaurant, so it gets pretty crowded, but the food is great." She gave a little wry laugh. This place was better equipped than I’d expected.

"Got it. Also… can I get some hot water?"

"Hot water?"

"Yeah. To wipe myself down."

"Oh… well, we have a Grand Bath, you know?"

"HUH?!"

I yelled it before I could stop myself, drawing every eye in the lobby. I winced and lowered my voice, leaning in. "Are you serious? This inn actually has a bath?"

"The inn… well, actually, every house in this town has one. If you want something even bigger, there’s a Public Bathhouse down the street…"

What is going on here?

To have running water, you either need a well and a lot of manual labor, or you have to hire a Mage with a water affinity. To fill a Grand Bath, you’d need someone capable of Intermediate Magic. That’s the kind of luxury only the high nobility in the Royal Capital enjoy.

And yet, here was a one-silver inn on the frontier claiming to have one?

I felt like I was being tricked by the Demon Race. Maybe their idea of a 'Grand Bath' is just a slightly larger bucket, I thought. I had things to do, but my curiosity won out. I told her I’d wash up first and headed for the tubs.

---

The Grand Bath didn't just meet my expectations; it shattered them.

"You’ve got to be kidding me…"

I’d prepared myself for a lukewarm tub, but this was a massive, steaming pool. The water was perfectly hot—they had to be burning a fortune in fuel or using magic to maintain the temperature. Using this bath once was worth more than the single Silver Coin I’d paid for the room.

But the real shock came when I actually got in. As I sank into the water, the exhaustion drained away—and my Magic Power began to surge.

This bath… it recovers mana?!

For a Mage, Magic Power recovery is life or death. Finding a source of it in a common bathhouse was utterly inconceivable. I usually just do a quick scrub and get out, but I stayed in that water until I was pruned.

Once I confirmed my mana was fully restored, I headed to the dining hall. I wasn't expecting much. Frontier inns usually have meager supplies; you’re lucky if the meat isn't spoiled.

But when I walked in, it looked like a festival. Mercenaries were shouting and drinking, and the tables were piled high with food that smelled so good my stomach actually growled.

"Are you new here, mister?"

A girl emerged from the kitchen and led me to an open seat.

"Sorry it’s so loud. It’s always like this around dinner…"

"Don't worry about it. It looks like everyone’s having a good time."

"I’m glad you think so!" She gave me a bright smile.

"So, what’s on the menu?"

"Oh, sorry. We don’t really have a menu yet because we don’t have a huge variety of ingredients."

Fair enough, I thought. Supplies must be tight. I didn't realize she was just a novice cook who hadn't mastered many recipes yet.

"Fine. Just bring me whatever you recommend. And one of those drinks."

"You got it! I’ll make it special!"

She vanished into the kitchen. A few minutes later, she returned and began covering my table in a literal mountain of food.

"Wait! There’s no way I can eat all this!"

"Oh! I-I’m sorry! It’s your first time here, so I guess I got a little too excited… Is it… is it a problem?"

She looked like she was about to burst into tears. I felt a massive wave of guilt. "No… actually, I’m starving. This is great."

I fought a war with that table. By the time I finished "subjugating" the last plate, I could barely breathe.

"Time to crawl back to my room…"

I flagged the girl down to pay the bill.

"Oh, you’re staying at the inn, right? The food is included in your stay. Don't worry about it!"

"Wait, what?!"

A mana-restoring bath and a feast? All for one silver? How was this Lord even making this work? I was starting to get very curious about the man running this territory, but I had a job to do.

"First things first," I muttered to myself. "I need to find the Lousouth estate and deal with this Yuri guy…"

"You looking for me?"

The voice came from right behind me. I’d let my guard down completely. I whirled around, heart hammering against my ribs.

Standing there was a young boy, a Beastman girl, and the Dragon Slayer I’d met earlier. They were all eating the exact same meal I’d just struggled to finish.

"Ah… uh… Lord Yuri?"

"That’s right. I’m Yuri Lousouth, the Lord of this territory. And you’re Ren, of 'The Crow'."

One of the boy’s eyes glowed a faint, predatory red as he gave me an audacious smile. He already knew who I was. He’d known the whole time.

Everything about him screamed that he was someone I should never have crossed. I felt a cold sweat break out across my neck as I desperately tried to figure out a way to get out of that room alive.