Before the group even thought about heading toward what they assumed was the Adventurer’s Guild, they realized there was something more important to take care of first. They needed to secure a place to stay.
Walking through the streets, they came across a building that stood taller than the others, with a second floor that seemed to hold several rooms. From the outside, it looked sturdier than most places they had seen, though still worn from time and use.
“I think this is an inn, right?” Gary asked, tilting his head as he studied the wooden structure. “It’s just like those games Tom used to make me play. You sleep in these places, rest up, maybe even restore your health. Though in the games it usually meant regaining stamina or something like that. Not that we need to worry about that here.”
The three pushed open the door and entered inside. Immediately, the scent of cooked food and ale hit them. They could see meals being served at rough-hewn tables, drinks being poured, and people heading up and down the stairs, likely to the rooms above. Gary’s guess was spot on—this really was an inn.
Kai didn’t waste any time. He made his way toward the bar counter, the others following close behind, and spoke to the man standing there. The innkeeper had a large bushy mustache that twitched slightly as he shook his head at their request.
“I’m sorry,” the man said firmly. “I can’t make an exception. This place is already too busy as it is. If you don’t have coin, I can’t give you a room for the night. Not even if you promise to work here.”
Kai thought his smooth tongue might get them out of the problem, but clearly, it wasn’t working this time. His gaze swept the room, taking in the drunk men slouched over tables, mugs of ale in their hands. For a moment, he even considered beating a few of them up and snatching some coins. It would certainly speed things up.
“Is there anything we can do to get coin around here?” Lupus asked, his deep voice cutting through the background noise. “Something easy.”
The innkeeper gave him a long look, eyes scanning up and down. Though Lupus carried no weapon, his sheer size and thick muscles made it obvious he was no ordinary traveler. With a build like that, the man could only assume one thing.
“If you’re an adventurer,” the innkeeper said, “your best bet is heading to the guild hall at the end of the street. Do a quest, earn some gold. Hunt a few beasts, or find some missing items.”
To the innkeeper, these sounded like simple tasks, but to the three, it seemed almost laughable. With Gary’s nose, sniffing out missing items wouldn’t be a challenge at all. Still, it felt like a waste of their time.
“Or,” the innkeeper continued, “if you have some beast crystals, you can sell them to the guild hall for coin. That will be enough to get you a few nights’ stay here.”
That gave them hope. Without another word, they left the inn, the rucksack slung over Lupus’s shoulder clanging with every step. As they walked out the door, the innkeeper’s eyes followed them. His brow furrowed slightly as he noticed the bag bumping against Lupus’s back, the sound unmistakable.
“I wonder...” the man muttered to himself. “It can’t be what I think it is, right?” He shook his head and went back to serving his customers.
The three of them soon reached the guild hall. As they stepped inside, they were greeted by the sight of large notice boards plastered with wanted posters and quests. Round tables filled the space, where adventurers sat drinking and talking loudly with each other.
Everywhere they looked, there were men and women with weapons strapped to their backs, armor covering their bodies. Gary couldn’t help but stare. To him, it felt like stepping into one of those games Tom had always been obsessed with.
But the adventurers were staring too. Their gazes turned to the newcomers, eyes traveling up and down their figures. The three stood out, not only because of their clothing, which lacked the usual adventuring gear, but especially because of Lupus. His towering size and bulging muscles made him look like a seasoned fighter even without armor or weapons.
“Man, should I take off my shirt?” Gary whispered suddenly.
Kai whipped his head toward him, his expression deadpan. “Why is your solution to everything getting naked? Do you really want to draw even more attention to us than we already have?”
Gary’s face turned red as he realized how strange his words had sounded. “No, I didn’t mean it like that. I just thought... everyone’s staring at Lupus. They don’t know what’s under my shirt. Maybe if I spilled something on it, pretended it was an accident, and took it off, they’d realize I’m not weak either.”
Kai pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “You’re impossible.” He ignored Gary completely and led them deeper inside.
At the back of the hall were several reception desks, each apparently assigned to different departments. Kai guided them to one that looked like the right place to ask general questions.
“Hi,” Kai began politely. “We were told we could sell beast crystals here for coin. Is that true?”
The receptionist looked at them curiously. “It is...” she said slowly. Her eyes narrowed. “But I haven’t seen you before. You don’t look like adventurers. Where are your weapons? Your armor?”
Even with Lupus’s size, it was unusual for anyone to walk into the guild without proper gear.
“Ah, we don’t need them,” Gary said casually. “As for adventuring, we’re kind of new to this.”
“So,” the receptionist replied, her voice flat, “you don’t have any rank. And you want to sell beast crystals? Is this a hypothetical question, or are you actually here to sell crystals?”
“We’re really here to sell,” Lupus added without hesitation.
The receptionist sighed heavily, clearly not in the mood to deal with beginners. “Alright. Are you registered with any guild? If so, and if it’s a guild we’re connected with, a percentage of the coins will be sent to that guild.”
“We’re not part of any guild,” Kai answered simply.
The woman’s sigh deepened. No adventurer rank, no guild affiliation. She assumed they were wasting her time, probably hoping to sell some low-tier crystal they’d picked up by luck. Three men sharing one tiny find. She was tired of these kinds of encounters.
“The guild can still buy your beast crystals,” she explained in a monotone, “but if you’re not registered with any guild, we’ll take a small processing fee for the crystals provided.” The source of this content ɪs 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵•𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮•𝓷𝓮𝓽
At that moment, Lupus pulled the rucksack from his shoulder and dropped it onto the counter. With one motion, he tipped it forward.
Crystal after crystal tumbled out, scattering across the desk. Each one gleamed in the dim guild light, clattering against one another as the pile grew larger and larger until they were spilling onto the floor. The sight was impossible to ignore.
The noise in the hall died instantly. Conversations stopped mid-sentence. Adventurers froze, their mouths wide open, eyes locked on the mountain of crystals. Even the receptionist was stunned, staring at the shining heap in front of her.
“Is this enough to get us some coin?” Lupus asked casually.
The receptionist snapped out of her daze, her eyes wide with alarm. “I need to get the Guild Leader. Now!” she shouted, rushing away from the desk.
(Second Chapter will be my morning, Back in my apartment now)
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