"Everyone, please enjoy. If you need anything, just give me a shout."
After bringing over a basket of white bread, a pat of butter, and a bottle of wine, the innkeeper Matt fled the room as fast as he could.
Even his fingers were trembling. With a hurried series of thuds, he all but ran downstairs, his footsteps as frantic as though some savage beast were chasing him.
That morning, Matt had followed Renato downstairs after hearing the knock at the door. Although Renato said Rafada was a friend, the innkeeper had still eyed the white-haired boy at the entrance suspiciously, peppering him with questions.
He had also kept throwing Renato meaningful looks, some subtle and some not, and hinted in a lowered voice that the child before them was a fraud. He warned Renato not to be taken in and suggested fetching the guards to arrest him.
Left with little choice, Rafada had taken out his silver Mage insignia and handed it over.
The innkeeper had turned it over several times, compared it with the white-and-gold royal Mage Robe Rafada wore, and run his fingers over the magical inscriptions engraved along its edge. Only after checking at least three times had he finally accepted, in disbelief, that the white-haired boy before him really was a member of the Royal Mage Corps.
Realizing that he had just tried to make trouble for a Royal Mage, Matt had immediately regretted it. The stingy merchant plastered an awkward smile across his face and apologized repeatedly, offering monetary compensation.
Although Rafada had been perfectly gentle in both manner and tone, shaking his head several times to say he did not mind, the innkeeper had remained terrified, his legs trembling.
After hurrying downstairs and bringing up some complimentary food, Matt had not dared stay