The predawn hours were utterly silent.
In a reasonably clean, simply furnished bedroom, Romon was still awake. He lay flat on the bed, his eyes half closed.
"Shh, be careful. Don't disturb the guest inside." The innkeeper and his wife had risen to prepare breakfast and were leaving their room at the other end of the upstairs corridor. As they passed the guest room, he whispered a warning. They finally had a guest, and he had no desire to wake him.
"Yes, I know." His wife hastily nodded.
After this guest had checked in, the mayor had made a point of speaking to the couple.
Everything he said, directly or indirectly, urged them to attend to their guest with care. From what the mayor had told them, the young man staying at their inn was actually a Druid!
A Druid! To ordinary people like them, who depended on farming for their livelihood, someone of that profession inspired even greater awe than a Knight!
The quality of the harvest directly determined whether they could survive. A Druid appearing in their town was a momentous event!
And this Druid had actually declined the mayor's invitation and stayed at their inn instead. That was an even bigger event!
In all their years running the inn, they had never encountered such an honored guest. Even without the mayor's instructions, they would never have dared neglect him.
Speaking in whispers, the couple carefully softened their footsteps and tiptoed past the guest room. Only when they reached the stairs did they release quiet breaths of relief.
The inn had two floors. Upstairs, there were only about five rooms. Apart from the couple's bedroom and a storeroom, the rest were guest rooms for rent.
Downstairs were the kitchen, tavern, and dining room.
When the innkeeper and his