章 10: Dungeon City
Will listened to the morning chorus of birds happily singing a joyful tune just as the sun rose above the horizon painting the sky in a warm orange. With a calm look, he observed the room he was in. It was dark and cold, its size was almost incomparable to the room he had back in the palace or the dormitory. The beds were uncomfortable and the wooden frames would creak loudly at the slightest twitch. However, even in touch a suffocatingly small room, Will felt as though he could finally breathe peacefully for the first time.
Will took a deep breath before calling out a name, "Rina."
After waiting for a minute or two for a response and only being met with silence, Will presumed that Rina was still asleep and got up from his bed. Ignoring the groan of the bed, Will slowly got up from the bed and gave his body a light stretch before wearing his armor and other gear over his sleepwear and putting on his mask. His hands gripped the wooden doorknob and turned before pushing the door open. He made his way through the corridor and down to the first floor where the Innkeeper was preparing for breakfast time.
"Good morning sir," said the Innkeeper with a grin, "Early start today huh? Most travelers would be asleep at this time."
Will acknowledged the Innkeeper's greeting with a slight nod before heading for in the nearest seat at the counter. The chair legs scraped across the wooden floor as Will pulled the chair back before sitting down.
"What brings you up this early in the morning, sir? Even the sun is barely shining," asked the Innkeeper with curiosity. "Heading somewhere far?"
Will shook his head. "Not particularly, I'm just an early riser."
The Innkeeper let out a chuckle. "And here I was thinking that you would ignore me like last night's dinner. You want anything? Breakfast won't start until after sunrise but I can make you an exception. Eggs and grilled meat will be seven coppers. Salad is three."
"I'll take the salad," answered Will as he placed three copper coins down on the counter.
The Innkeeper accepted the coins and dropped them into a jar before giving Will a wide smile. "One fresh salad coming right up. Any particular greens you wish to avoid?"
"None."
"Understood."
Will closed his eyes and started drumming his fingers on the countertop as he waited for his meal. He heard the crisp crunch of lettuce being sliced into smaller leaves, as well as the rhythmic thud of the knife as the Innkeeper sliced vegetables and fruits into thin strips. He also heard a sizzle of oil boiling on a hot pan and the crackle of an egg or perhaps meat.
"All right sir, your salad has been served."
Will opened his eyes and saw a bowl of freshly picked and cut vegetables and fruit with a single fork hiding under the leaves sitting on the counter before him. He could still see the water droplets that glistened under the warm light of the Inn, a sign that the ingredients had been thoroughly washed and prepared. Will picked up the fork, which felt chilly to the touch, and listened the leaves crumpling under the pressure of his fork before bringing it to his mouth. The salad seemed delectable at first glance, and it probably would've been so, but when Will placed it into his mouth, he tasted nothing. He could feel the firmness of the leaves with his tongue and feel the crunch every time he chewed, however, whatever flavor the salad would've contained escaped from Will's grasp. However, Will knew that he would be unable to taste the salad and continued eating without a complaint.
"How's the taste?" asked the Innkeeper with a smile after a few minutes had passed, "Good? Bad? So-so?"
"It is filling," replied Will with a calm smile. "I would gladly eat it again."
"Is that so?" asked the Innkeeper with a raised eyebrow. "I was wondering since earlier but why the mask? Got something to hide?"
Will nodded. "My face is somewhat problematic. It is similar to someone infamous and causes me quite a bit of trouble."
"Is that so?" asked the Innkeeper with a grin. "What if you were actually an infamous person disguised as a look alike?"
"Well, I suppose you are right, that could be the case," replied Will indifferently as he pushed the empty bowl towards the Innkeeper and stood up. "If that was the case, then I would've been detained at the front gate and be quickly found out."
"Well reasoned," said the Innkeeper with a couple of quick successive claps. "As a reward, I'll give you any piece of information you might desire."
"Is there a city near us? A city with a dungeon?"
"Is this small humble town not enough for you?"
"Yes."
"I see," chuckled the Innkeeper before going deep into thought.
"Are you looking for a big city or small one?"
"It doesn't matter," replied Will indifferently. "It only needs to house a dungeon or be relatively near one."
"Does the level of difficulty of the dungeon matter to you?"
"Something low in difficulty would be perfect."
"Then why don't you try Genesis?" helpfully answered the Innkeeper. "The city of-"
"-Dungeons," finished Will as he slightly tilted his head. "Even I know of the famous City built upon multiple dungeons. How far is it from here?"
"Four days on carriage, thirteen by foot."
"Is the security performed by the phone scan?"
"Yep, phone scans are impossible to fake after all."
Will gave the Innkeeper a nod of thanks. "I guess I do have plans to travel far today."
"Go visit the adventurer's guild and check if there is an escort quest available," advised the Innkeeper. "You may be able to hitch a carriage ride for free."
"Thank you for your advice," Will calmly said while giving a bow.
"It was nothing at all," replied the Innkeeper while waving it off. "Good luck on your travels."
"May the goddess of water watch over you," prayed Will before heading out of the Inn.
After basking in the warmth of the rising sun and cool air, Will took a deep breath of the fresh air and called out into the air. "Rina, wake up. We are leaving."
A voice yawned into his ear before drowsily saying, "Already? Where are we going?"
"To the city of dungeons, Genesis. The city where all adventures begin."
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット