章 26: Friend VII
"There's … an outskirt village? Too small, yet walled," Ervian expressed his finding from Sensus. "A mile from here."
"Mile? Must be the Rumabel eastern outpost." Her cyan irises glanced at the horizon. The sun was setting. "We could stay the night there."
"Oh, it's night already. But staying overnight in an outpost, is that really allowed? I don't think those soldiers would bother to keep an eye on strangers."
"They didn't. But my friend said there's an inn."
"Oh, how convenient." He could let his Sensus penetrate inside and retrieve the image of the interior of each house. But, it was unnecessary.
They arrived at the outpost right when the sun had already set. Ervian didn't have to worry much about the guards that asked about their identification. Such a remote place surely would not have any information regarding his true identity.
Once inside the gate, Ervian looked for the horse carriage that had passed him before.
'Hmm, they are not here. I knew there was an old lady and two teenage boys inside of it. I could see them as any other strangers, but there's something that clicked with me about them.'
Even when he expanded his Sensus vision beyond the outpost complex, he still couldn't find the horse carriage.
"What are you standing there for? Let's get inside."
Being fruitless in his search, Ervian just nodded and followed her step to the two-story tall wooden building.
Not many people were inside the inn aside from casually chit-chatting soldiers after their shift change. They were having a good time over a drink with a merchant that hails from the outside city.
He knew that the soldiers were eyeing him and Adelle the moment they pushed open the half-hanging double door. But Adelle just gave them a quick glance and continued on her way to the counter table.
"Good evening, Lass. May I help you with something?"
"Good evening, Sir. How much will it be for a room?"
"A room?" The inn owner looked at the teenage boy behind the girl. "You two are coming together?"
"Yes," Adelle replied. Ervian just nodded quickly along with her.
"We're relatives," she quickly added, causing Ervian to burst out laughing on the inside.
"That's not reassuring ... but never mind. It'll be eight hundred silvers a night."
"Sounds good." She tossed a gold coin from her pouch.
"Here's your change and your key number three. A kind reminder that I wouldn't mind letting you sleep outside if I or the other lodgers heard any unnecessary voices."
"Pssh, hahaha. Don't worry, such things won't happen, right, Ervy?"
The dark-brown-haired boy twitched his lips to one side. He crossed his arms over chest. "Right."
"Haha, alright. Enjoy your visit. Don't forget to come back down here during dinner time for a free slice of apple pie."
"Gee, thanks, Sir. I can't wait for bed." Adelle dashed over the stairs.
"You need help, Lad?" The inn owner was concerned about Ervian, who was left behind and had his eyes closed while he talked to him.
"No need. Excuse me then, Sir."
"Okay, if you say so."
The second floor was a place of a hallway with a dozen rooms. Just a few steps from the stair, the door to room number three had opened. Inside of it, the silver-haired girl had been lying down on the bed that was sized just right for a single person.
It could be forced for two people, but they'll end up slightly overlapping each other.
Ervian sighed. If only he had some coins with him.
"You wanted to sleep early?"
He moved to the room's window and opened it, permitting the wind to gently graze his face.
"Nah, just lying down about. It felt good after such a long walk." She kept her head buried on the pillow.
Then Adelle remembered why she only rented a room. "Are you not going to complain about something, Sir Errigan?" She grinned, looking at Ervian.
"Nothing to complain about."
He knew that Adelle didn't bring much coins anyway.
"I must say that it's a good thing to save some coins. But the bed would be cramped for two. You might be sleeping on the floor. This place is mine."
Ervian chuckled. He decided to play with her a little, so he moved closer to her.
"I don't mind sharing the bed with you." He ended it with a flirting smile.
Gasped in shock, Adelle blushed and backed away until she bumped into the wall.
"T-that's... not what I... expected."
"Then what did you expect?" Ervian laid down on the bed. Positioned his head just right beside Adelle, who still sat leaning on the wall. "You're the shameless one. Asking for a kiss from the stranger you just met in a few days."
It is a pity Ervian could not see the redness on her cheeks, but how she hugged her knees was enough for him.
Adelle's heart beat like a drum roll. She kept her own nasty expectations to herself. "But you hugged me in the forest."
"Well, if you had not caught hypothermia. I wouldn't." Ervian grinned proudly after that. "I was just being reasonable."
"Hmph, suit yourself," she pouted, still unable to extinguish her blushing. Adelle then laid down just above his shoulder.
"I could hear that pounding heartbeat. Is there some kind of carnival around?"
Couldn't contain the embarrassment anymore. Adelle kicked Ervian out of the bed.
He laughed as he held out from falling on the edge.
"Alright, alright. Just messing around, haha." Ervian stood up and sat. He succeeded in making her irritated. Had enough of his payback from the counter table.
He then checked from Sensus that people started to gather in the dining hall. A new horse carriage just came from the other gate that leads to the city of Katalan. But it was not the same wagon that he looked for.
"Adelle, won't you go for dinner?"
Covering her own face with the pillow, she let his question go in the ear and left from the other.
"Hmm, why are you so upset? You really don't want me to sleep on the bed?"
"N-no! Wait, arghh .... L-let's just head down ... for dinner," she jumped out and went on ahead in an awkward manner.
"Alright," Ervian said, letting out a relieved sigh followed by a slight chuckle. He couldn't help but notice the resemblance Adelle had with Lika that made him feel nostalgic.
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