Nightflower Inn

The whispers and stares gradually focused on Zeliel, making him somewhat uncomfortable. At the same time, some of the murmured comments left him puzzled.

Was it really so strange for a mage to take on missions...?

"Can the Association help us buy back this Mist Demon core?" Marcus asked.

For spoils that had no trouble finding buyers, adventurers could sell them directly to the Association. The prices were usually close to market value, saving them the trouble of finding buyers themselves.

"Of course. Please wait a moment!"

Ella carried the Mist Demon core into the room behind the counter. A moment later, she hurried back in quick little steps.

"After appraisal, the Association is willing to purchase the Mist Demon core for sixteen gold coins. Would you like to sell it?"

Marcus turned to look at the others. After receiving everyone's silent agreement, he nodded.

"Deal."

"Here is your payment. Please keep it safe."

A cloth pouch filled with coins was pushed before Marcus as Ella spoke respectfully.

"Additionally, the Adventurers' Association would like to thank you again for the information you provided. We will issue risk warnings to adventurer teams heading to Graywood Forest in the near future."

"Whew... finally free."

After leaving the Adventurers' Association, Zeliel stretched lazily in relief.

Marcus handed Zeliel the four gold coins and eleven silver coins wrapped in cloth.

"This is your payment. Keep it safe."

Zeliel carefully tucked it into his pocket and glanced around as well.

This was all the money he had.

"Then this mission is considered complete. It was a pleasure working with you."

Marcus said, "Also... Zeliel, would you consider joining a permanent team with me?"

Marcus's team was not a permanent one; it had merely been assembled temporarily.

This was Zeliel's first mission with him. Gray and Vales had worked with Marcus a few times before, but they had not formed a permanent team either.

"Me?" Zeliel pointed at himself, somewhat surprised.

"You're already trying to recruit Zeliel so soon."

Gray smiled. "He's a mage, after all."

"Mm... thank you very much for the invitation, but I'm not planning to join a permanent team for now."

After thinking it over, Zeliel shook his head. "But if you have other missions in the future that require a team, you can ask me."

"All right..." Marcus looked rather disappointed.

To be honest, Zeliel had a very good impression of Marcus.

He distributed rewards fairly, and his abilities were solid. Even when faced with an unexpected incident like the Mist Demon, he remained calm.

But Zeliel did not want to be tied down by a permanent team. That would slow his personal development.

Besides, his goal was far more than simply getting by in Blackstone Town. He had greater ambitions, and leaving the team later would only be troublesome.

"All right, I need to head to the clinic... I hope there won't be any lasting effects."

Gray grimaced and waved to the others. "See you, everyone."

"See you."

Marcus and Vales left in turn as well.

The sky gradually darkened as the curtain of night descended.

Zeliel wandered the streets for quite a while before choosing a place to stay—the Nightflower Inn.

Its decor was not particularly luxurious, but it was much better than those crude private homes. Moreover, the Nightflower Inn was located near the center of Blackstone Town, so the security should not be bad.

After all, this was an unfamiliar world. Safety always had to be guaranteed.

Inside the first-floor lobby, scattered diners sat eating, and judging by their attire, several of them were adventurers.

"Hello."

The girl at the front desk had a cute face and little fangs that showed when she smiled. "Would you like a room or a meal?"

"I'd like a room."

"Certainly. We have two options. One is a shared room upstairs, thirty copper coins per day."

The girl explained, "The other is a private room, two silver coins per day."

Zeliel narrowed his eyes slightly.

A shared room...

A bunch of people crammed into one large room to sleep. It would be extremely inconvenient to move around.

And who knew whether he could fall asleep at night surrounded by snoring? Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

After spending missions sleeping rough outdoors, he needed proper rest. A quiet, comfortable environment was essential.

But a private room cost two silver coins per day... That was a little expensive.

If he had not just come into some money, Zeliel would have turned around to search for a cheaper inn.

"If I stay for a month, is there a discount?" Zeliel asked tentatively.

The girl's eyes lit up, and her voice became a little sweeter.

"Of course. If you choose a private room and pay for a full month in advance, we can reduce the price to fifty silver coins."

"Fine, then I'll take a private room for a month," Zeliel said.

He chose a room at the end of the third-floor corridor. After paying, Zeliel had three gold coins and sixty-one silver coins left in savings.

"Welcome to the Nightflower Inn. My name is Auro. If you have any problems, feel free to come find me at the front desk." Auro smiled.

"Grrr..."

Zeliel's stomach made an untimely sound.

Today, he had only eaten a piece of dark bread dipped in hot soup and some dry rations on the road. After that intense battle with the Mist Demon, he had long since become unbearably hungry.

The smile on Auro's face did not fade. "Before going up to your room, would you like something to eat? We're serving dinner right now."

Zeliel took the menu and looked it over.

Everything was available, from cheap stewed beans, dark bread, and pickled vegetables to more expensive meat dishes.

After working all day, Master Zel naturally did not want to deny himself in matters of appetite. So, gritting his teeth, he chose what he wanted most.

"I'll have this braised beef shank in red wine sauce set meal, thank you."

It sounded delicious, and the price was equally lovely.

Three silver coins.

The meal was brought to his table before long.

The aroma of the food intensely stimulated Zeliel's senses, and his mouth was already flooding with saliva.

The main course was naturally a huge piece of tender, juicy beef shank, grilled to perfection and brushed with a tempting, rich sauce.

Zeliel eagerly cut off a piece and put it into his mouth.

The texture of the beef, the faintly tart fruity fragrance of the reduced red wine sauce, and the flavors of black pepper mixed with various spices all gave Zeliel an exquisite culinary experience.

The greasiness after taking big bites of meat was balanced by the grilled asparagus and soft bread that came with the meal. Everything was just right.

After a tiring day, being able to sit down and enjoy such a meal was enough to make someone want to cry with happiness.

After dinner, Zeliel went to his room.

It had a single bed, a table and chairs, and the bedding was fairly soft. It was worth the two silver coins.

Drowsiness washed over him, and after a tiring day, Zeliel soon fell asleep.