"This is the place."
Rei muttered to himself as he and Set came to a halt in the middle of the road. Passersby gave the pair a wide berth, but Rei ignored them entirely, his gaze fixed on the sign hanging above.
The sign depicted a sun dipping below the horizon, casting its red glow over a field of wheat. It was a literal representation of the inn's name: the Dusk Wheat Inn.
The building itself wasn't significantly different in size from the other lodgings Rei had passed on his way from the guild. It followed an orthodox layout, with the first floor serving as a tavern and dining hall while the second and third floors housed guest rooms. The real difference lay in the scale of the stables built behind the main building. They were large enough to swallow another inn whole. The Dusk Wheat Inn primarily catered to large-scale caravans, mercenary bands, or the attendants of nobles visiting the city. In the case of the latter, the nobles themselves usually stayed at high-end establishments that charged several platinum coins per night.
Rei pushed the door open with a heavy creak. Since it was only mid-afternoon, the common room was nearly empty, with only a few patrons scattered about the first-floor tavern eating their meals.
"Welcome. Are you here for a meal? Or perhaps a room?"
A plump, middle-aged woman called out to him as he entered.
"I need a room. I also have a tamed monster with me, so I’ll need space in the stables," Rei replied.
The woman nodded, a pleasant and inviting smile spreading across her face.
"Of course, thank you. We require payment in advance. Our rate is three silver coins per night, which includes breakfast and dinner. If you stay for ten days or more, we can offer a discounted rate of two gold coins and seven silver coins for the duration. And what sort of tamed monster might we be hosting?"
"A Gryphon."
"...I see."
She froze for a split second at the mention of a Gryphon, but her immediate return to composure proved she was more thick-skinned than most men. She clearly had plenty of experience dealing with rough adventurers and mercenaries.
"For a creature as large as a Gryphon... including the stable fee and feed, it will be two silver coins per night. For ten days or more, it’ll be one gold coin and eight silver coins."
"Yeah, that works."
Rei didn't hesitate. He pulled a pouch from his robes, retrieved five gold coins, and handed them over. He had already heard this was the only inn in the city that would accommodate Set, so there was no point in haggling.
"Thank you. Here is your change—five silver coins. I’ll have someone show you to the stables right away. Could you bring the Gryphon around?"
"Understood. I noticed the tavern is open; can I get a meal now?"
"Yes, certainly. However, any meals outside of breakfast and dinner will be an additional charge."
Rei handed back one of the silver coins he had just received.
"I’ll have lunch after I’ve dropped my gear at the stables, so please have it ready. Get something for the Gryphon, too."
"Understood. I realized I haven't introduced myself—I am Lana, the landlady of the Dusk Wheat Inn."
"Right. I’ll be in your care for a bit. I'm Rei. The Gryphon outside is Set."
"A pleasure to meet you both. Ah, here he is. He’ll guide you to the stables."
A young man around twenty years old approached at Lana’s call. He shared many of her features and was likely her son.
"This is my son, Dram. He manages the stables. If you have any specific needs for your monster, you can talk to him. Dram."
Prompted by his mother, Dram gave a polite bow. He had a simple, honest face and wore a smile just as friendly as Lana’s.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Dram. Let me show you to the stables right away."
"Yeah. The monster is out front."
"Understood. Please come with me for the initial introduction. It can be quite a problem if a monster gets wary of me."
Rei nodded, and the two headed back outside. Lana, meanwhile, moved toward the kitchen to begin preparing the requested meal.
"Whoa... what a magnificent Gryphon."
Those were the first words out of Dram’s mouth upon seeing Set. Rei looked at him with surprise. Since arriving in Gilm, every person who saw Set had reacted with fear or intimidation. Seeing someone voice pure, unadulterated admiration was a first.
"Customer, um... would it be alright if I petted him?"
"Guruuu."
Dram even asked if he could touch him. The reaction seemed to please Set as much as it did Rei; the Gryphon let out a satisfied trill from deep in his throat. Rei let a rare smile play across his lips and nodded.
"Go ahead. It looks like Set has taken a liking to you."
"Then, if you'll excuse me..."
Dram slowly reached out and stroked Set's back, which was covered in fur as smooth as silk.
"Incredible... This is my first time touching a Gryphon. I had no idea they felt this smooth."
Dram muttered in awe, though Set’s texture was unique; a standard Gryphon’s fur would have been far coarser.
"Now that you've had your fill, how about showing us to that stable?"
"Ah, right! Sorry. I’ll lead the way!"
Following Dram’s lead, they took a side path near the inn's entrance. The stables soon came into view. As expected for an establishment that hosted caravans, the building was massive, nearly as large as the inn's entire ground floor.
"Please, come in."
Rei followed Dram inside. Though the space carried the typical scent of animals and monsters, it was exceptionally clean. There were several horses already there, likely belonging to other guests. However, as soon as they caught sight of Set, the horses became restless, shifting their weight and looking around frantically. Their instincts were screaming at the presence of a superior predator.
"Ah—sorry about that. As you can see, the other guests' horses are a bit spooked, so I’ll have this fellow rest further back."
Dram offered an apologetic look and led Set to the area furthest from the horses.
"Is this spot alright for Set?"
"Guruuu."
Hearing Dram use his name, Set trilled softly in agreement.
"...Rei-san, does Set actually understand human speech?" Dram asked, noticing the nod.
Rei gave a wry smile. "He’s an A-Rank Monster. Most of them can understand humans to some degree."
In truth, while normal A-Rank Monsters could grasp the general gist of human speech, they couldn't understand it perfectly like Set. Dram, unaware of the distinction, simply nodded in admiration. Rei turned to leave, calling back over his shoulder.
"Dram, I’m leaving Set in your hands. He hasn’t eaten since morning, so get him some food once he's settled. I’ve already paid your mother for it."
"Yes, sir. I’ve got it."
"Behave yourself, Set."
"Guruuu."
Set let out a lonely trill, and Rei gave his head a quick scratch before heading back to the inn.
"Your meal is ready, guest."
Lana greeted him as he stepped back inside. He took a seat in the tavern.
"I’m still prepping for dinner, so it’s just something simple..."
She set down a bowl of meat stew, a generous portion of bread, a vegetable salad, cheese, and a glass of wine. Rei’s stomach growled, and he took a bite of the meat. It was incredibly tender, the savory juices melting into his mouth the moment he chewed.
"This is delicious."
"Thank you," Lana said with a smile as she passed by. "Our rates are higher than other places, so we make sure our cooking is worth it."
Rei’s mental gears turned at the mention of the price.
Three silver coins a night. That’s about three thousand yen for a room and two meals. That’s a steal... I guess price standards in Japan and a frontier city in a fantasy world are bound to be different.
"What kind of meat is this, anyway?" Rei asked out of curiosity. It tasted similar to the wild boar meat a local hunter had shared with him back in Japan.
Lana gave him a puzzled look. "What kind? It’s Fang Boar. Haven't you had it before? It’s the most common meat in these parts."
Rei paused his spoon for a moment before adopting a nonchalant expression.
"No, I haven't. My master forced me to teleport here using space magic for my training. I only became an adventurer today, so I’m completely ignorant of local common sense."
"Ah, a mage then? That sounds like a trial. Eat up and do your best."
Having successfully diverted Lana's suspicion, Rei tried to recall Zephyle’s knowledge.
Nothing on Fang Boar... His information is becoming genuinely useless. I’ll have to hit a library or something tomorrow for proper research instead of the guild.
Rei savored the rest of the bread, salad, and cheese, finishing it all off with the wine. Despite his fifteen-year-old body, it had been crafted by the Zephyle Clan and possessed an incredibly high alcohol tolerance; he finished his drink without feeling even the slightest buzz.
"Phew... Today was one long day."
Rei was in a corner room on the second floor. For a place that was supposedly expensive by frontier standards, it was immaculate. The bed and linens were high quality, and the blankets smelled of sunlight, as if they had been recently aired out. He shed his Dragon Robe and flopped onto the bed.
"I should probably check the local calendar tomorrow, too. Can't rely on Zephyle for that either."
Rei had decided that Zephyle’s knowledge of general common sense was only useful as a rough reference. In fact, since so much had changed, relying on it too much might lead to dangerous misconceptions.
"At least the magic knowledge is still useful."
As he spoke, the Misty Ring on his right arm caught his eye. That reminded him of the loot he had taken from Vargas and his party. He sat up and mentally accessed the ring's storage, pulling out four pouches of money and emptying them onto the bed. He counted eight platinum coins, four gold coins, fifteen silver coins, and nine copper coins. It was a staggering sum.
"They might have had some left in their rooms, but this is still a lot."
Rei didn't realize that he had, in fact, taken every last cent the men owned.
"I hear labyrinth exploration is profitable... but the size is the problem."
Dungeons and labyrinths were full of monsters with valuable materials and magic stones. For any adventurer, they were a gold mine. However, they weren't exactly low-risk, and they required a certain level of martial prowess. The biggest issue for Rei was the physical space. A normal adventurer wouldn't have an issue, but a massive weapon like the Death Scythe and a two-meter-tall Gryphon like Set would find cramped corridors a nightmare.
"I’ll need to figure out my combat style for dungeons before I head into one."
Rei reached a tentative conclusion and swept the money into his own bag. Then, he pulled out the weapons he had confiscated from Vargas’s party.
There was one longsword, two daggers, a bow with a quiver of arrows, and the primary magic item: a battle axe.
According to the list in his mind—an identification effect of the Misty Ring—the sword was an Iron Sword and the daggers were Iron Daggers. The bow was just a standard bow. The battle axe, however, was named the Power Axe. The ring allowed him to see the names of any unidentified items he placed inside.
He looked over the gear before sighing and putting it all back. The longsword and battle axe would only be in the way while he carried the Death Scythe. For daggers, he already had his superior Mithril Knife. The only thing with any potential utility was the bow, perhaps as a way to harass enemies from a distance before switching to the scythe.
"Well, I’ll keep the sword as a spare. The daggers might work for throwing. As for the bow and the axe... no need to decide now."
With the wealth he'd taken from Vargas, he was in no rush for cash. He paid three copper coins for some hot water to wash up with, then lay down to nap until dinner.
Later that evening, dinner was served: a Kelpie steak and a savory stew of its offal.