"Please, be my guest for dinner." Arthur smiled at me. He has a charming aura that not many people could say no.
I smiled back at him, "That's an honor to be your guest, but I want to find accommodation first. I am on travel for a very long time."
He turned towards the Ruckus. "Ruckus, take this man to the tavern." then he turned back to me. "I hope you can come to dinner." and he left Ruckus and me.
"Come on, let me show you the way." Ruckus hit my back, passed right next to me, and began to walk towards a big building.
"You will like House Of Dandelion, rooms with private baths and soft beds inside, good drinks, delicious foods, and bar fights you'll always remember. We have all of that in here."
He opened the tavern's doors with both his hands and entered inside with his hands in the air.
While people inside had havoc and cheered the Ruckus, I stayed outside a little longer and examined the building.
Looking at the structure alone, I can say it's a good place, the paint job is new, animal-shaped carvings decorates the doors and windows, and most importantly, tables inside are clean and big enough for a comfortable meal.
We took a seat next to the bar. A bald and built guy with nice looking beard moved towards us.
"Hey Ruckus, who's your new buddy we got here?" He said that with a thin sound you wouldn't expect from someone like him.
"Someone I met today, I don't know much about him, except that guy knows how to use a sword, but that's why we are, to make a little bonding."
"Then two drinks coming for your bonding, gentlemen." Barmen picked up two tankards from a cabinet and began to fill them with beer.
"New guy, can I learn your name? I don't want to call you a new guy all day." Barmen asked me while passing my drink.
"Name (I don't know a native name, fuck.) Edward (If there is an Arthur, why can't be an Edward) and yours?"
Barmen put tankards in front of us. "My name is Olie, now do you want anything else?"
I took a sip from the beer, and my eyes widely opened. Beer is surprisingly great. I wasn't expecting that.
"I need somewhere to accommodate, and food, probably new clothes, and most definitely a warm bath. I am willing to pay for it."
Olie began to calculate. He was using his fingers and whispering something while doing the math.
"The first day, I'll take forty silvers, 25 for clothes, 5 for food, 10 for a room, and bath is free. After every week, you must pay me 25 silvers for rent and food, okay, and before I forgot, every filling of beer is worth ten coppers."
Thankfully, I carried the most valuable-looking coins with me. Thanks to that I have enough to cover me for some time. Still, I am sad about the hundreds of coins I left at my cave.
I took out a gold coin from inside and put it on the table. "I am not very good with money, so how much I can pay with this.
Olie took the coin from the table and bit it with his teeth, and he shook his head when he confirmed that money was real. He took out ten silver coins from his pouch and put them on the table.
"More than enough for this week. Do you want anything else?"
"One more beer," I placed the tankard on the table. "And keys to my room, that's it."
"Third floor, first room on the left, and here is your key." Olie crouched and grabbed a key from a cupboard.
I grabbed the key and chugged the whole tankard in one go, and before I got up from the table, I touched the Ruckus's shoulder.
"Drinks are from me this time, but let's drink once again when you are available. I have a promise today."
Ruckus happily nodded with head and began drinking his free beer. He was happy with the surprise treat.
---------------------------------
I cannot describe how much I missed a proper bath. My makeshift bath was good enough to make me look like a human and not a wild beast, but this is something on a different level.
I got out of the bath and entered my room from the door that connected both.
Inside wasn't huge but big enough for comfortable accommodation, there is a bed in the right corner of the room, a table and two chairs next to the window, and a wardrobe in the left corner.
A set of clothes were waiting on the bed. There is a not at the top of them too. I looked at the clothes, a white shirt, and a jacket, plus a pair of black pants.
"If it doesn't fit, go to the town tailor. She will fix it for free." So, he found a time to order clothes in just an hour, what a service.
I changed my clothing. The clothes weren't a perfect fit but still comfortable to wear. Honestly, I am surprised that Olie can predict that much while I wore that amount of armor.
A detail I missed to tell is, there are a chain and lock next to the wardrobe. It uses the same key as the door. So you can lock your belongings inside them.
Other than the claymore and my money pouch, I put everything inside and locked it, and to be sure, I left fluffy for the watch.
I forget to tell, but they allow pets inside the bar, it is a weird thing, but I don't care long as I have an eye watching my equipment.
As I left the tavern, a knight greeted me on the street. He said he was here to bring me to the place where I needed to go.
I didn't question him and began following.
We walked for some time until we reached a mansion. Knight left me at the door, and a servant opened. I got inside, and the servant took my jacket and told me to give my sword to him.
I did what he said because I don't want to cause problems in a town I don't know, but I am not armless. I still got some magic tricks, don't I?
With the servant next to me, we walked through some corridors until we saw Arthur. He greeted me, and we began moving to another room.
He was wearing similar clothes similar to mine, with the only difference being his were looking much more luxurious than mineç
"I am glad you made it. Come inside. There are some people who I want you to meet. They want to thank you because of your heroic act."
We got inside a dining room with a big wooden round table in the middle.
That young man and Maria were sitting beside a man wearing a fancy suit.
"As I know, you already meet with my cousins, so no need to introduce you to them."
I greeted Maria and her brother with a bow.
They kindly bowed back.
"Now, there is one person I want you to meet."
The man in the suit got up from his chair and reached me out for a handshake.
He started to talk with a kind tone. "My name is Cyrcl. I am the commissioned administrator, but you can call me the mayor of this town. We didn't meet before, but thanks to Maria, I heard about your bravery and how you saved these two royal kids." He showed Maria and her brother with his hand.
All the people in the room, excluding one servant, began bombarding me with questions.
I told them I was a mercenary born in a town away from most cities around here. How my family had riches, they gained from serving many people over time, etc.
And after I managed to satisfy them with my answers, Arthur and Crycl began to talk about politics and upcoming barbarian raids, but only one sentence caught my attention.
"We heard that new heroes arrived in our world. How long do you think it will take them to come to the north."
Their coming could be why my quest changed into finding a human town. According to the book I got from the goblin town, liches, demons, and other monsters are hero's enemies.
"Now, I want to come into our main reason why I called you." Arthur's attitude change into a serious one. "But I need you to read this first." He took out a holy book from a nearby cabinet.
He opened a page and turned the books towards me.
I began to read. "How lowly the infidels and demons are. They can't even read the holy book that came from us, gods. But why they can't because we gods blessed every holy book so no evil could read it without getting hurt by it."
Arthur nodded with his head and closed the book.
"Sorry for the trouble, but you know, followers of the demons cannot read holy words, and I needed to be sure."
Mayor continued Arthurs talk.
"This young man Markus is a noble boy who doesn't know how to protect himself, we wanted Arthur to teach him the art of survival, but he's too busy with town's protection. So, could you teach him something? Your reward will be generous if you do that."
"I need to think about that, but wouldn't it be better if you hired someone who is a known expert about this topic. I don't think money is a problem."
Markus sighed and began to talk. "We wish we could, but money is not the only problem. The problem is finding someone we can trust. Most of the honorable and well-known hunters went to the south to fight against demon armies."
He got up from his chair. "Mr. Edward, you saw how pathetic I was against the bandits you cut like butter, I do not wish to become insanely powerful, but I want to have a chance if a situation like that ever happens again."
It is a difficult question. I am not the master of sword myself, but survival and self-defense. Well, I can do that.
Should I try my chance to teach him a bit? Maybe I could train his muscles, show him the basics of hunting and foraging, then finish his training after showing him some sword tricks.
"I need a minute to think."
