On Vanguard's bustling main street, where roads stretched out in every direction, Raijin walked straight along one of them.
Various kinds of shops lined both sides of the street. Some sold weapons, while others displayed leather clothes and armor. Some stalls offered strange-looking fruits, and others sold unusual types of meat with a green color.
Different races of Beast Men constantly moved along the road. Some traded while wagging their tails, while others pushed through the crowd with their massive bodies. Their voices, laughter, and the calls of the merchants made the entire square feel alive.
Raijin ignored everything around him and continued walking as if none of it mattered to him.
A mixture of emotions appeared on his face. The corners of his lips were slightly twisted, his eyes carried strange emotions, and there was clear anger on his face.
In his hand was a card—completely different from his Guild Card.
While staring at it, Raijin muttered angrily,
"May that cunning fox and that wild bear be cursed..."
He gritted his teeth.
"They could have at least told me that entering as an ordinary person would result in my Guild Card being taken away and replaced with this useless card. A card that only allows me to move around inside Vanguard."
After walking for some time, he let out a deep breath.
"Well, what's the point of regretting it now? At least they didn't take my sword."
"I should have known just by looking at that fox's face that he would definitely trick me somehow."
The corners of his lips curled slightly once again.
"That guard didn't tell me anything either."
While Raijin was still complaining, a slightly spicy aroma of roasted meat entered his nose.
After following the scent for a while, he arrived in front of a restaurant.
The moment he saw the restaurant's name, his eyes widened.
"Eat Pasta, Fried Rice, and Sushi, and come running back to us!"
Raijin was extremely surprised by this, but his desire to enter was even stronger.
Without thinking much, he stepped inside.
The inside of the restaurant was simple. Round tables were placed at short distances from one another, each surrounded by chairs.
Only four customers were sitting inside.
Two men looked like bulls, one girl looked like a deer, and the last was a child who looked like a lion.
Seeing the child, Raijin slightly narrowed his eyes. The child reminded him of Lord and Sora, the people he hated the most.
Even though he did not want to, he walked further inside. He found an empty table and sat down.
After a while, a man approached him. The man was extremely tall and broad.
Raijin examined him carefully but could not understand what race he belonged to.
He looked as if a bear and a fox had been combined into a single being.
While Raijin was observing him, the man asked,
"Sir, what would you like to order?"
Raijin replied,
"Bring me a bowl of Fried Rice and the best juice you have."
After some time, a round bowl was placed before him along with a glass filled with a blue-colored liquid that looked quite thick.
Raijin lifted the glass and took his first sip.
A sweet taste mixed with a slight saltiness spread through his mouth.
It was very delicious, but Raijin did not particularly like the salty part of the flavor.
He then looked at the Fried Rice.
Steam slowly rose from the bowl on the table, spreading its aroma and making him even hungrier.
Raijin took his first spoonful.
Along with the warmth of the rice, the flavors of spices and fresh vegetables spread through his mouth.
Every grain of rice was separate and slightly crispy.
He ate every spoonful with complete satisfaction and enjoyment, occasionally drinking the thick, sweet, and slightly salty juice.
When his stomach was full, he went to the counter and paid twenty-one copper coins.
Finally, he stepped outside.
His mood was much better than before.
He looked around carefully, and after some time, he opened his pouch of coins.
Inside, there were 71 gold coins, 29 silver coins, and 29 copper coins left.
He quietly muttered,
"If I keep spending money like this, I'll have to find a job before I even find the Sword."
"Although most of my coins were spent on traveling here and entering Vanguard."
"I had to pay twenty-six gold coins for an entire year. I think they robbed me. Who charges two gold coins for a single month?"
Thinking about this, he started searching for a hotel.
After looking around for some time, he arrived in front of one.
It was neither too good nor too bad.
As soon as Raijin entered, he saw a counter about seven or eight meters ahead of him.
He walked toward it.
Behind the counter stood a man who looked like a dog.
Raijin asked him to rent a room for one month.
The man replied,
"Sir, my name is Fins. What kind of rental arrangement would you prefer?.
"If you only want a room for one month, it will cost five silver coins and nine copper coins. You will have to prepare your own meals and clean the room yourself."
"But if you pay four gold coins and two silver coins, we will provide your meals and take care of the room cleaning. The room will be cleaned every two days."
Raijin remained silent for a moment before taking out four gold coins and two silver coins.
He did not want to waste his time cleaning.
Besides, he did not know how long he would have to stay in Vanguard.
In the coming days, he needed to gather information, contact the Guild, and learn more about the Beast Continent.
A short while later, he received the key to his room.
His room number was 203, located on the second floor.