After keeping watch over the inn for the next person entering and how they conduct themselves, I take note of the money I collected from the slavers. Enough to buy a room with food for a few weeks plus some money for information, perfect.

Stepping out into the main road, heading towards the inn I confirm the language processing of the biochip, allowing it to focus on processing the next few conversations.

Entering the main hall there seems to be a type of desk with a bell of some kind on top of the counter, a human man focusing on some papers hidden partially by the counter who looks up when the bell attached to the door rings as I enter. Besides a plant in a nearby pot, the entry hall seems empty, plain walls and a stone floor. A simple table and chair set up at the back of the hall gives me an indication of where most people will sit or stand to eat their food. There are two doors leading out of here and a fireplace with an open fire, though it doesn't look like there is anything cooking at present.

From the information I gathered from a short scouting of the facilities, it seems a few coppers would get me a space near a warm hearth but for about 20 copper I could get a room for a day, paying extra for food.

As I have enough money, I get a room for a few days as well as food for the morning and evening. Conveniently they are still serving so I go to the counter in the back for the kitchen and turn in a tag in exchange for something on the menu. Being unable to read yet makes ordering difficult but it looks like a soup of some kind and some bread.

Sitting down at one of the tables with my food and waiting for it to arrive, I let my mind focus on what I have managed to glean from eavesdropping. The guards seemed happy to work as guards for these people and were treated well enough. The merchant seems to have some influence with these people as he can pay guards to act as escorts in exchange for goods, though it doesn't seem like it is much more than a trade agreement.

There doesn't seem to be any type of hierarchy amongst the people I could gather based on how they behaved towards me. No expectation of titles or power, although there are likely more expensive inns they didn't ask many questions in regards to who I was, showing some acceptance of constant traffic though their town.

If they were willing to accept me in without being overly suspicious then it stands to reason that they won't care that I'm here either. At least until someone notices something odd and tries to find out if I'm hostile or not.

Quickly finishing up the meal, which seemed to be some kind of rye bread with a type of minestone soup I head to my room. Making sure to keep my head down with the hood of the cloak covering my silver hair. The less things that stand out about me the better. As I've not seen anyone else with my hair colour; better to play it safe for now.

The first thing I do once inside is take off my boots, washing away some dirt that I couldn't get rid of in the jungle before putting on clean clothing, making sure they fit properly and weren't damaged when I took them off.

Using some water from my backpack to wash away the dirt from my arms and face I make use of the mirror they provide and check my wounds, making sure they have stopped bleeding before bandaging them up again. Superficial wounds at worst, but best to keep an eye on them.

Once done, I decide to plan my next actions. After refilling my water and buying some supplies; it is probably in my best interest to pick a direction and learn more. I could head to a bigger population center, from basic dialogue downstairs it seems there is a capital just a few days away, or I could visit some smaller towns and rely on their decentralised information to gather more power and knowledge before moving on.

It is likely best to hang around smaller towns, build up cooperation with the locals to gain information with less ulterior motives but it would be best to start at the captial hoping to get into one of these guilds that has been mentioned, because they might also be able to supply me with information based on how they handle contracts for hunting, exploration, gathering materials and general scouting. Using my chip I should be able to make pretty accurate maps which might get me paid a bit more as a specialised cartographer.

Finalising my plan I set up the room to be secure while I rest, barring the door lightly with the chair in the room and leaving the bedside table underneath the window to make it harder to enter the room silently. Setting the lamp close to my side of the bed so as to give me enough light to sleep, I lie on the bed feeling tired after such a long day, falling asleep almost instantly.

JHarp

Gotta love getting ill when I was planning to backlog chapters