The Abundance Inn
In the adventurer city of Crying Heaven, Lahan entered a certain inn on the outskirts. He stood across from the innkeeper, discussing lodging costs.
“One night is five silver.”
“Five silver is too expensive! One night for three silver! No more than that!”
Before Lahan could protest, Estella, standing behind him, overheard the price and let out a startled gasp. She immediately launched into negotiations.
Lahan looked over at her, puzzled, when Estella suddenly elbowed him in the side and leaned in to whisper close to his ear.
“I stayed at an inn like this before, and it was only three silver. This place is just taking advantage of us.”
“…I see.”
Lahan thought to himself.
‘One silver is roughly ten thousand won in Korean currency. So three silver for a night would be around thirty thousand won on average.’
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the innkeeper rejected Estella’s offer.
“No. Absolutely not. You’re leaving.”
“Damn it…! Hmph! Lahan, let’s go. This place is hopeless!”
Estella walked away with a clear scowl, openly belittling the inn.
Lahan also surveyed the situation and followed her out.
The moment they stepped outside, Estella immediately started complaining.
“That uncle! He definitely thought we were fresh adventurers! Charging five silver for one night! No one takes advantage like that!”
Still grumbling, she kicked at a pebble rolling on the ground in frustration.
Lahan watched her from behind for a moment, then spoke up.
“Then maybe we should head back to the inn you stayed at before? It was three silver a night, right?”
Estella paused and turned around, giving him an awkward, probing look.
“…Ah, about that. It might be difficult there.”
“Why?”
“Because I owe a lot in back rent… hehe.”
She stuck out her tongue and gave her own head a light tap with her fist. Lahan let out an amused chuckle.
It was both adorable and so utterly absurd that it was almost funny.
To the embarrassed Estella, Lahan said, “Then let’s look for places with three silver or less per night. Long-term stays are even better.”
Long-term lodging meant paying for an entire month in advance to get a discounted rate.
“Yeah…!”
Estella answered eagerly as they continued walking forward. Lahan thought to himself.
‘Time’s running out. We need to find somewhere to bed down soon. Price should be the priority, no matter how it looks.’
The quest reward from extermination of the Rabbit Horn monsters had been about five hundred thousand won in Korean currency.
That meant fifty silver coins.
‘Fifty thousand won a day is a lot, but Rabbit Horn breeding season isn’t going to last forever… There’s no guarantee of more quests like this. This was already a decent payout for an E-rank job, according to Estella.’
‘This is troublesome.’
His pocket money was tight.
If they chose long-term lodging, he worried he might only have thirty to forty silver left.
They probably needed to discuss the future in more detail tonight.
If they kept wandering, they would end up sleeping on the ground hungry and freezing before long.
At that moment, Estella reached from behind and grabbed the collar of Lahan’s shirt.
“Lahan. Lahan.”
“Hm? What is it…?”
Lahan tried to answer, but when Estella pointed in a certain direction, he turned his head that way.
The place their walk had just passed was a weathered, old building right beside it.
Lahan tilted his head back to read the sign hanging overhead. A small three-story inn appeared beneath the symbol of an inn.
Given that most inns were four or five stories tall, this one was quite modest.
Lahan looked around. The area was quiet and belonged to the less-traveled outskirts.
“Hmm…”
“Lahan, let’s try this place! I have a good feeling about it!”
Estella kept tugging at his shirt as he hesitated.
‘A good feeling probably means it looks cheap from the outside.’
Even with a closer look, the Abundance Inn’s exterior wasn’t particularly inviting.
However, the owner clearly put some effort into maintenance. Here and there, signs of repeated repairs on the old wood were visible.
“Alright. Let’s go in.”
“Got it!”
With Lahan’s permission, Estella opened the door and stepped inside first. Lahan followed.
Creak.
Clink clink.
The bell on the door rang as they entered. Lahan and Estella first checked out the interior, then searched for the counter area.
Suddenly, a thud sounded from someone falling off a chair.
The person who stood up was a girl with twin braids of dark brown hair.
“W-welcome! Welcome to the Abundance Inn!”
“… .”
The girl who rose from the chair behind the counter had long, straight twin braids of dark brown hair that reached her mid-back. Her eyes were amber, and she was small in stature, though her chest was surprisingly full.
She smiled awkwardly and looked flustered, as if she hadn’t expected any guests.
“… .”
“Lahan… here…”
Estella, standing beside him, gave Lahan a questioning look.
After all, she had been the one to suggest coming here first.
Lahan ignored her and walked straight up to the counter.
He immediately asked the girl, “Is one night’s fee three silver? And is long-term lodging possible?”
The girl, Eri, answered hesitantly.
“Uh… one night is two silver fifty cooper… Long-term lodging… twenty silver a month…!”
Her words felt incomplete. She had clearly been here for some time.
She seemed to have weighed her words carefully when stating the price.
Lahan immediately understood why.
‘There must be few customers. She’s probably trying to attract guests by charging a bit less than the usual rate.’
The place clearly wasn’t fully functioning as a meal-and-lodge business, but it didn’t matter. As long as the price was low and they could stay for a while.
Lahan pulled a money pouch from his pocket and said, “Long-term lodging. Two people for here. That’s forty silver total.”
He took out forty silver coins from the pouch and handed them to the girl.
That left him with ten silver coins in his possession.
“Ah! Thank you…!”
The girl looked genuinely surprised, as if it had been a long time since she’d received payment. She carefully accepted the coins with both hands.
When she finally snapped out of it after staring blankly at the shining silver in her palm, she said belatedly, “Ah! Sorry! Please follow me this way. This way, please.”
The room assigned was one of two at the end of the hallway on the second floor.
Despite her small stature, the hallway and room were surprisingly clean and bright, suggesting careful upkeep.
‘This is fine.’
“Wow! It’s better than I expected!”
Lahan turned to glance at the girl, who had been guiding them, at Estella’s blunt remark.
The girl smiled awkwardly.
“Ahaha, it’s fine. I was thinking the same thing. By the way, my name is Eri. If you need anything, please let me know anytime!”
“Understood.”
Lahan took the key and answered.
Eri bowed deeply with perfect etiquette and left.
Lahan watched her retreating back for a moment. At her age, it was unusual for someone to be running an inn, and it was rare for the innkeeper herself to personally escort guests to their rooms. There must be some special circumstances.
“Why are you staring like that? Not what I think, right?”
Just then, Estella, who had been standing beside him, poked Lahan’s side with her elbow, her face full of mischief.
“…Shh. It’s not like that.”
“Hiyah, I see! So even a young girl with a big chest can make you feel lustful!”
“… .”
Lahan simply smiled and grabbed Estella’s head with one hand, pressing her hat down firmly. Then he started applying pressure.
“Eek?! Sorry! Sorry!! I was wrong! Let go!!”
As expected, she had to add one more unnecessary remark to get a reaction.
* * *
The moment Lahan entered the room, he sat down on the bed.
Because he had been standing and walking for a long time, the soft mattress felt incredibly comfortable.
It had been a while since Lahan last opened his status window.
“Status window.”
[Name: Lahan]
[Gender: Male]
[Titles: Self-Proclaimed Training Knight, Beginner Adventurer, One Who Has Realized the Way of the Sword, One Who Penetrates the Laws of Nature, One Who Has Transcended Human Limits.]
[Skills]
[Passive]
[Innate Bone Strength][Healthy Body][Sharp Senses][Perfected Bone Strength][Mighty Physique][Evolved Senses][Mental Resistance][Poison Resistance]
[Active]
[Sword Aura][Sword Force][Harmonic Sword][Mana Cultivation Method]
[Carlos Swordsmanship]
Lahan looked at the semi-transparent window floating before his eyes and rested his chin on his fingers.
The titles perfectly reflected his current level, and the skills showed just how much stronger his body and mind had become.
The sword aura, sword force, and harmonic sword were powers he could now use at his current stage.
Among them, his gaze settled on the Carlos Swordsmanship.
It was named after his masters Carlson and Logan.
The Carlos Swordsmanship consisted of seven forms.
Each one carried such overwhelming power that calling it the strongest style would not be an exaggeration.
The first form was the one he had used to defeat the Rabbit Horn, essentially a firearm-style technique.
A technique modeled after an assault rifle, created in image.
Form 1 of the Carlos Swordsmanship.
Gun Sword.
Simple.
A straightforward concept.
In this world, where guns did not exist, only someone like him, who knew 21st-century civilization, could interpret the name’s meaning.
Lahan finally closed the status window.
He then turned his gaze toward the door and said, “Come in. Don’t just stand there.”
A single presence outside the door felt the faint shift.
Soon, the doorknob of the room turned slowly, and the door creaked open.