Amidst the hustle and bustle of Gias City's streets that late afternoon, Calian and Wolvin walked side by side in search of an inn. The atmosphere in the city was still incredibly lively with passing residents and horse-drawn carriages.
The two of them walked at a leisurely pace, looking to the left and right sides of the street to find an inn where they could rest.
However, after walking for quite some time, they still had not found the inn they were looking for in that area.
"Darling, it's better if we just ask the locals to find out where the inn district is located in this city." Wolvin suggested.
Calian halted his steps for a moment and looked around.
"Yes, you're right! Let us ask that person." Calian replied while pointing toward a middle-aged man who was busy organizing wooden crates, preparing to close his shop.
Wolvin nodded and immediately approached the man with a friendly smile.
"Excuse me, Sir! Apologies for interrupting your time for a moment."
The middle-aged man paused his activity of arranging his merchandise and turned to the person who had greeted him.
"What is it, young man? Is there anything I can help you with?"
"We have just arrived in Gias City and are looking for a place to spend the night." Wolvin explained. "Where is the nearest inn area located in this city?"
"Oh, if you are looking for an inn around here, the two of you just need to walk straight from here until you find the intersection ahead, then turn right!" the middle-aged man answered with a soft chuckle. He then raised his hand and pointed at the straight road ahead of them. "Once you are there, the two of you will surely find plenty of inns."
"I see. Thank you very much for the directions, Sir!" Wolvin said gratefully.
"You are welcome! Be careful on your way!" the merchant replied, resuming his work.
Having obtained information about the inn's location, Calian and Wolvin immediately continued their footsteps toward the intersection mentioned by the middle-aged man.
Upon reaching the intersection, they promptly turned right and began walking down the area.
Sure enough, after walking just a few meters, there were numerous inns lined up on the left and right sides of the street, each with a wooden signboard hanging above its door.
They kept walking, looking left and right to find an inn they would use to spend the night. However, after walking for a few dozen meters, Calian immediately stopped in his tracks when Wolvin suddenly halted his steps.
The Night Wolf youth was observing a building situated on the left side of the street.
Seeing his spouse looking so focusedly at the building, Calian also turned his head. He observed the building carefully, trying to figure out what had caught Wolvin's attention.
In his eyes, there was nothing strange about the building. The place looked perfectly normal, like any regular inn.
However, the longer Calian looked, there was something he finally noticed. Above its main entrance, there was an old wooden signboard carved with the words "Welcome to the Night Hill Inn". And right above those words, there was an emblem in the shape of a wolf's head silhouette.
Wolvin turned to Calian, a faint smile blooming on his lips. "Darling, let us just stay here."
Calian nodded in agreement without any hesitation.
As soon as they arrived in the lobby, a woman who was cleaning a glass instantly looked up upon hearing the ringing of the door chime.
Wolvin immediately caught sight of the woman's figure. She was a beastfolk from the Night Wolf clan.
The woman was surprised when she looked straight at Wolvin. She never expected to meet someone from the same clan as hers in a city located so far from their homeland. The same went for Wolvin. He was also quite surprised by the presence of someone hailing from the same clan as him in Gias City.
Realizing that she was receiving a customer, the woman focused on her job.
"Welcome to our inn!" the Night Wolf woman greeted in a very friendly and professional tone, even though her gaze still occasionally stole glances at Wolvin. "Are the two of you looking for a room to stay in?"
"Yes!" Calian answered amiably, taking over the conversation as he stepped forward toward the counter desk. "How much is the rent per night for one room?"
"100 Lens per night, Sir." the woman answered with a friendly smile. "For how many nights would the two of you like to rent the room?"
"We would like to rent one room with a bed sized for two people, for three nights."
"One master room for three nights. Very well, I will prepare it immediately. The total comes to 300 Lens."
Wolvin immediately took out 300 Lens from his dimensional storage necklace and handed the money to the woman.
After the lodging fee was paid, the woman promptly stored the money in the drawer, then took a key hanging on the wall.
"Please, follow me. I will escort the two of you to your room on the second floor." she said as she walked out from behind the counter, leading them toward the wooden stairs in the corner of the room.
Calian and Wolvin immediately stepped forward, following the woman from behind.
"Are you the owner of this place yourself?" Wolvin asked suddenly, striking up a conversation between them while continuing to walk up the stairs.
"Yes, you are right. I am both the owner and the manager of this inn." the woman answered while keeping her pace. "Is there something the matter?"
"Ah... no, I was just curious. What do you think about living in Gias City? Is the city comfortable enough to live in?"
Hearing the question, the woman's footsteps slowed slightly as they arrived in the second-floor hallway. She let out a soft sigh before answering.
"Actually, this city is very comfortable to live in." the Night Wolf woman answered as she walked down the hall toward the room at the end. "But, lately the situation has become a bit dangerous and unsettling."
"Dangerous?" Wolvin asked again, very eager to know about it.
The woman stopped in front of a wooden door, inserting the key into its keyhole. Then, she looked at Calian and Wolvin with a serious facial expression.
"Yes, dangerous! There have been numerous cases of missing persons lately. Not only outside the city walls, but several people have also been reported missing around the outskirts of the city."