Exiting the stables, the company decided to stroll through the congested town road to find the inn that Tybalt was suggesting. Laurence decided to increase her attention as to not get separated from the rest, but the Great Sage held her hand, which made Laurence feel embarrassed. Arnold chuckled at this sight, which caused Laurence to redden more.
There were many stalls that sell all manners of things, from accessories to animals, and from animals to mouth-watering dishes. The delicious aroma that freshly cooked food releases made Laurence more impatient, but she attempted her best to shun the temptation. She wasn't with her brother nor with her father, so Laurence chose to act maturely in which she was already struggling. Seriously, what is up with this kid?
"Don't worry. I'm pretty sure the inn's nearby. We'll probably be going to eat brunch soon." Perhaps sensing Laurence's dilemma, the Great Sage decided to cheer her up, even if He had to lie about the distance that they needed to travel. It probably won't be adequate if someone said those words to her, but since it came from the Great Sage Himself, Laurence tried really hard to behave herself.
Continuing to walk for a while, the company came to a stop when Tybalt halted in front of an inn. It was three stories high and about five rooms in length and width. Its roof is adorned with beautiful azure roof tiles, and its walls and pillars are made from marble bricks. To top it off, a spectacular signboard with golden inlays is hanged from the top. "Godiva" is what's written on the board. 'Splendid' is what one would call it. Without a doubt, it's perhaps one of the best inns in the town of Clarendale. Although it wasn't located near the main road, it's popular enough that it wouldn't need to be seen by travelers just so they would know. There were many people going in and coming out of the place, but it wasn't a tussle to get inside.
Opening the massive entrance door, the group went inside, and an attendant came over and greeted them.
"Oh my! I didn't expect Sir Tybalt would come. What can I- Oh! You also bought his excellency, Sir Arnold Fabian, and the Great Sage! It's an honor to be your attendant today, good sirs!" The black-suited lad said as he bowed deeply. His voice was loud that it was audible even for the furthest person's ears on the hall. Now that the group had managed to gain everyone's eyes and ears, silence filled the room for a moment before everyone burst into an awe-filled frenzy. The reason why they haven't attracted most of the attention until now is that Arnold and the Great Sage had applied 'weak presence concealment' on themselves as to avoid drawing a large crowd. If they entirely concealed themselves, then people would start bumping onto them. Now that the 'weak presence concealment' has been rendered useless, chattering spread throughout the hall. Everyone was hysteric, apart from Laurence's company.
"What in the world are ya'll noisy lots blabbering about!? You know it's part of the policies to remain as quiet as possible as to not annoy me or any other customers, right!? If you can't keep your mouth shut, then I'll personally have to kick yer' buts out!" A loud shrill echoed throughout the entire room and cut off the noise. It came from the presence of what everyone knows and fears the most, Auntie Muriel Godiva. There's a cold pressure that lingers and emanates from her mesomorphic figure. Everyone became silent, afraid of angering Auntie Muriel, alias 'Ice Queen' due to her habit of wearing a light blue dress and fondness for using ice magic back when she was on her younger adventurous days.
"I'm sorry, my dear special guests, about the ruckus that was made because of my loud husband." Auntie Muriel said as she walked towards the group. Once she was close, she halted and performed a curtsey.
"How can I help your excellencies?" Raising herself, Auntie Muriel asked.
"We would like to order a meal and some rooms to-" Just as Tybalt was about to finish what he was trying to say, a hand patted his shoulder.
"Let me be the spokesperson." The Great Sage said in a composed tone. Tybalt responded by giving a brief nod and backing off to allow the Great Sage to come forward.
"We would like to have a table for four people and a nice meal for each of us." The Great Sage said.
"Do you need rooms to stay?" Auntie Muriel asked.
"No, and we're not going to need anything else." The Great Sage had already predicted what she was going to ask. He wanted to avoid wasting time for the reason that they had to depart early and that He can also feel Laurence's patience running out.
"Then, I'll lead the way to your table!" Peyton, Auntie Muriel's husband, exclaimed. He wanted to get away from her as soon as possible due to the ruckus he had made. But as he turned around, a hand gripped his shoulder. There was a tremendous amount of strength applied that it made a cracking sound. Peyton gulped as he bore a grim expression on his face.
"Don't think you'll ever escape the consequences for your careless action." Muriel hissed as she let go of the man's shoulder. Caressing his shoulder to ease the pain, Peyton gestured the group to follow him.,
The group followed Peyton to the staircase, which leads to the second floor, the V.I.P lounge. Unlike the previous room, this one is sprinkled with fashion and touched with glamour. Everything looked high-class and decorated with expensive ornamentals. It was Laurence's first time to be in such a place that she was left flabbergasted and unable to describe the details in her own words. She commiserated about her own clothing when she looked at how people in this room dressed up fashionably. Being stared at by the vicious eyes of noblemen and wealthy individuals, Laurence couldn't help but be in a state of uneasiness. Disgust took over her emotion for two reasons. One was because of her insecurity, and the other is because she despised the greed-ridden nature of nobles.
"Don't worry. No one's ever going to harm you. Not in my presence. But you must remember that society will change their view about you when you become the hero that the world needs." The Great Sage said as He comforted Laurence.
"No point looking fancy. Take a look at me. You and I are the same. You may be wearing a lovely pair of pajamas, and I may be wearing my casual robe, but bear in mind that what we wear can't define what our values are. If people came to know what you're capable of, they won't judge you by your appearance!" The Great Sage smiled as He gave a wonderful lesson. Inspired, Laurence was uplifted upon witnessing the Great Sage's brilliancy in expressing words of wisdom.
