The caravan master led Lena and Leo to find lodgings.
After looking around for a while, he finally stopped.
“This is it. I almost forgot the way, it’s been so long.”
The place he led them to was a small inn located on the outskirts of Nebis. It looked neat and tidy from the outside, with a few flower pots placed outside.
Upon arriving in Nebis, the caravan master had promised to show them a good, cheap place to stay.
He had chuckled awkwardly, saying that since it was a friend’s business, they shouldn’t feel pressured.
It wouldn't hurt, especially since we were new to Nebis. An experienced caravan master like him would know much better, so we gladly accepted his offer.
As the caravan master opened the door and entered the inn, a lobby, quite spacious for the building's size, came into view.
Behind the counter sat the innkeeper, sporting a magnificent mustache.
“Long time no see, my friend!”
“Well, well! It’s been ages. I was starting to think you’d forgotten about me.”
The two exchanged friendly greetings.
Lena and Leo followed suit, politely greeting the innkeeper before inquiring about the availability of a twin room. The innkeeper, prioritizing his friend over his guests, replied in a regretful tone,
“Of course we have rooms for you two, but not enough for your entire caravan. We’re quite full at the moment, you see.”
The inn’s lobby was deserted. It seemed like they either had many reservations or the current guests were all out for the day.
It was understandable, given that it was the middle of the day.
The caravan master’s face fell.
“Oh dear, that’s a shame. Well then, could you at least give rooms to my young friends here? They’re traveling with me, do it for me, and give them a discount.”
The innkeeper put up a show of resistance, but eventually burst into laughter and agreed.
“Are you planning on a long stay?”
“If the price is right, we might just stay for a good while. We’ll need to find work first, so we’re not sure yet. Perhaps we could just book for a day for now?”
“I understand. If I want long-term guests, I need to show you a good room. Follow me. Oh, you wait here for a moment. There was something I wanted to give you but completely forgot.”
The innkeeper showed them a room on the second floor.
As expected of the capital, even the lodgings were different.
The clean bed had a mattress that looked incredibly soft, and a neat chest of drawers and wardrobe were placed in the corner.
There was also a table by the window. Although the flower in the small pot on top was dead, it added a touch of elegance to the room.
Lena, clearly pleased with the room, nudged Leo from behind. Leo, having no intention of refusing, promptly took out the money. Thanks to the caravan master, the price was reasonable.
It was still uncertain where Lena would find work, but it was highly likely they would be staying here for a while. A room this nice was more than welcome.
The innkeeper, after receiving the payment, handed them the key and went downstairs.
Lena, ecstatic, walked around the room in a circle.
“Leo! This place is amazing. And so affordable too!”
“I know, right? It’s probably cheaper because it’s located on the outskirts. But the facilities are great.”
“Are we going to stay here from now on?”
“Let’s stay here unless your workplace is too far away.”
As Lena excitedly opened the window, she spotted the caravan master exiting the inn below.
She leaned out and waved her arm enthusiastically.
“Mister! Thank you!”
The caravan master looked up, gave a slight wave, and walked away with confident strides.
He maintained his composure until the very end.
“He’s such a good person.”
“I know, right? That other caravan master was a bit too much with his jokes.”
The first caravan master they met had a loose tongue. He constantly made suggestive remarks, making Lena feel uncomfortable.
This caravan master, on the other hand, was polite. He even gave them a discount when they first met, seemingly sympathetic to their situation.
He was a kind and understanding man.
Lena and Leo watched his retreating figure for a moment before closing the window.
“Do you think we’ll see him again?”
“If fate allows it, we’ll meet again someday.”
They unpacked their belongings and informed the innkeeper that they were heading to the city center. He simply smiled and stroked his mustache, seemingly unconcerned.
Stepping out of the inn and onto the main road, the full view of Nebis unfolded before them.
“Leo! Look at that castle! It’s huge!”
Lena exclaimed in awe.
In the distance, a towering wall, at least eight meters high, stretched endlessly. As they got closer to the castle, the wall seemed to grow even larger.
Near the castle gate was a bustling marketplace.
Merchants hawked their wares, their stalls overflowing with various grains and vegetables, leather goods, livestock, flour, salt, and more.
It seemed that general goods were sold outside the outer wall, while processed goods were traded within.
Lena, overwhelmed by the bustling energy of the capital, hopped excitedly in place.
It was incomparable to the market in their small town of Torito, or any of the towns they had passed through.
Leo, too, was fascinated by the sight of the area outside the castle walls. It was his first time here.
Avril Castle, the setting of the Engagement Relationship scenario, was a fortress built for military purposes and lacked this vibrancy.
He hadn’t ventured outside the castle walls in Orville, the capital city in the Beggar scenario, so he couldn’t be sure, but he imagined it would have a similar atmosphere.
As they looked around, they noticed a crowd gathered in one spot.
“Ugh… are they selling slaves over there?”
On a small stage, emaciated, half-naked slaves were paraded one after another.
Covered in scars, likely from harsh treatment, their faces were etched with resignation and despair.
Most of the onlookers seemed to be mere spectators.
Only those seated in the front row appeared to be serious buyers, scrutinizing the slaves’ conditions with critical eyes.
Soon, an auctioneer took the stage and began his spiel. In short, they had captured these slaves from a barbarian tribe residing in the southern swamps.
Although the “Age of Men” had dawned, many lands on this continent remained unexplored.
Long ago, the Akaia Empire, in the name of their god, had deployed vast legions to conquer the entire continent.
In the process, they had nearly eradicated all other races, except for the barbarians. The Holy Cross Church, advocating for humanity, opposed their extermination.
As a result, many barbarian tribes still inhabited the unexplored regions.
The Einar tribe, featured in the Engagement Relationship scenario, were also considered barbarians by the standards of the central and southern kingdoms.
It was only because the northern kingdom, after gaining independence from the empire, had embraced the barbarian tribes as their own.
The central and southern kingdoms scorned the Astin & Aster Kingdom as a land of barbarians, and only the Jerom Holy Kingdom, heavily influenced by the Holy Cross Church, maintained relations with them.
In other words, this significantly limited the options for Lena Einar in the Engagement Relationship scenario.
Her only viable choices were the princes of either the Astin & Aster Kingdom or the Jerom Holy Kingdom.
While she could potentially approach a prince from any kingdom if she concealed her identity, he wasn't confident in persuading the proud Lena Einar to do so.
Lena nudged Leo.
“Leo, what are you thinking so hard about? Let’s go. It’s upsetting to watch…”
“Ah! Sorry. Let’s go.”
Lost in thought about a different scenario, he had momentarily forgotten about Lena standing right beside him. She was looking away with a dejected expression.
It was an unpleasant sight for the kind-hearted Lena, a devout student of theology. Theology always emphasized the importance of dedicating oneself to humanity.
However, reality was often a different story.
The two moved away from the market and approached the castle gate. Just then,
“Hey, you there. Come here.”
A guard stationed at the gate called out to Leo.