A dinner full of exotic flavors eased much of the fatigue of their long journey.
But as the crowd around the campfire gradually thinned.
And some travelers began spreading out their sleeping bags to rest, a new-and very basic-question confronted Cui Ciyou and Elinalise.
Where would they sleep tonight?
Cui Ciyou sought out the middle-aged stallholder who had been so friendly to him.
I paid you, so asking a few questions isn't too much, right?
He asked politely, "Excuse me, is there an inn or anything like that nearby?"
"An inn?"
The stallholder looked as though he had heard something utterly absurd.
He wiped his hands on his greasy apron and burst out laughing.
"You're joking, lad, aren't you?"
"Where would you find a fancy place like that in Kalaf Town?"
He pointed at the broad stretches of sand and the scattered tents around them, then said as if it were only natural:
"The sky is your roof, and the sand is your bed."
"Just find somewhere you like and sleep there."
"That's how we do things in Begaritt."
Cui Ciyou understood.
This little town-or rather, marketplace-had no facilities such as inns.
Travelers without tents generally slept out in the open.
He couldn't help remembering Buena Village, which hadn't had a single decent inn either.
But Buena Village had been remote, with almost no passing travelers, so there had naturally been no foundation for such a business.
Kalaf Town, however, was completely different.
People came and went constantly, with an endless stream of caravans and adventurers.
By all rights, that enormous transient population should have supported several inns.
So why...?
Cui Ciyou's gaze swept over the locals sleeping beside the campfires, perfectly at ease.
An answer gradually took shape in his mind.
It wasn't a lack of business sense, but