Chapter 372: Two Ordinary Citizens
I stood on the balcony with Retze, gazing at the Es River.
“It’s so restless.”
“Yeah, it really is.”
The inn was introduced by Haulon, a favorite of the royal family. I couldn’t help but think, why would anyone stay at an inn so close to the royal palace? But then again, the Es River had gradually changed its course, making it seem farther away.
Originally, the royal palace had been right by the riverbank, but as it moved further away, a previous king had built a villa by the Es River. It seemed that when the nation’s power dwindled, they had to let it go. Or rather, they entrusted its management to merchants.
I glanced around the room.
The rectangular space featured a bed that looked like it had been propped up at an angle, draped with silky fabric and piled high with cushions. Karn lay sprawled atop it, while Haulon was in a similar state a little farther away.
That was fine, but surrounding us were young boys and girls, on the verge of adulthood, dressed in waist wraps, fanning us with long-handled fans…
They were munching on something while others stood by, waiting to serve water.
“Why am I crammed into this room…?”
This was supposedly the best room among five connected ones, yet it felt incredibly uncomfortable.
“You’re above those two, after all. More importantly, why am I here?”
Retze sighed as he watched the boats passing along the river.
The balcony was covered with a sunshade, making it cooler than inside.
The room assignments were me, Retze, Haulon, and Karn. The Dinoss Family had one room, while Ash and the Butler, and Chris and Dean each had their own.
“All the other rooms have at least two attendants, right?”
Retze looked exasperated.
“When I checked in on Ash and the others, they seemed unfazed, and Dean and Chris accepted it normally. The kids were sound asleep, like their batteries had run out, and Dinoss and Shiva didn’t seem too bothered either.”
I had hoped to join a more relaxing room, but it seemed I was stuck with this one.
I noticed Ash, who seemed to have activated some noble-like skill of ignoring the attendants around him, and the way he was accustomed to the gaze of Gold Rank individuals.
Dean and Chris had that same familiarity from the brothel. The older girls, who looked like they were carrying signs, had young female attendants who took care of food and various chores.
Ash’s room was said to be one or two ranks lower, but it was still for wealthy nobles. In fact, this inn was high-class, so at least one attendant was expected to be present.
I figured it was a room with attendants, but the attire was… well, it was fatal. No, it was just me looking at them that way.
With Karn and Haulon around, I could escape a bit, but still, one attendant stood nearby, maintaining a certain distance while holding a water pitcher.
“It’s kind of scary how they can read my thoughts and anticipate my needs without saying a word.”
“They say there’s a Contract of Silence in place.”
“Silence?”
“Yeah. It means no speaking inside the building and not discussing what you see or hear here outside. The rewards are said to be quite good, at least until they fully mature.”
When did he gather that information? I wondered if he heard it from Haulon that the attendants couldn’t speak. It was a mystery.
For now, I’d do my best to avoid eye contact!
As evening fell, I left the inn with Ash for a stroll. We had walked together with everyone else until we parted ways at the Bazaar.
The narrow pathways were overflowing with goods, making it unsuitable for large groups. It was just the two of us, but I suspected the Butler was lurking somewhere nearby. While it was fine for us to go bear hunting or on long trips, this was an unfamiliar land, and I could understand their concern.
“Is there anything you want to see, Ash? The Es is known for its hemp cloth, carpets—oh, and glass perfume bottles and lapis lazuli jewelry are local specialties.”
I quickly adjusted my focus to items that might interest women.
“Hmm… Don’t you have anything you want?”
“Well, I’d like some blue-patterned sarasa.”
That’s the cotton fabric with stamped patterns. Last time I was here, I had seen some with blue designs but passed them up. Now, as I planned to sell blue cloth on the island, it piqued my interest.
“I see, then let’s go look for that. I don’t know what I want, but just seeing various things is enjoyable.”
And so, we decided to go.
Along the way, I discovered a dye shop and stocked up on supplies. I grabbed some already dyed items, saffron, madder, and weeds for dyeing. I also picked up a few pattern stamps. I had Ash choose some too, planning to dye something later as a gift.
After a short break, I sipped on a bright red tea sweetened with honey. It was made from dried plant calyxes, known here as karkade. It reminded me of hibiscus.
“Hmm…”
“Let me borrow that for a moment.”
I discreetly pulled out some honey and mixed it into Ash’s tea, enhancing its sweetness. The color was lovely, but the tea was quite sour.
“Thanks.”
Ash happily drank the now sweeter tea, the sourness overshadowed by the sweetness.
The next day, Ash gifted me a piece of blue-patterned cloth. How had he found it without me noticing…?