The man’s friends stood next to the bar, shocked to see his friend fly over the room like a pig, hitting several chairs in the process. The man rolled to the side and hit the receptionist's desk, knocked out cold. Silence reigned in the large room of the inn. If someone did not notice Ethan’s arrival before - they did now.

Ethan looked around the room, then at the man’s friends, and asked, “Well? Anyone got something to add?” Then, seeing that everyone else just stood there, he nodded and said, “Glad to have that cleared up then.”

Shaking his head, Ethan approached the receptionist and said, “G’day, ma’am, the name is Ethan. Vili mentioned that you have the nicest inn in Willow. I am looking for a room and bath if you have any for me.”

The woman stared at him, her dark-brown eyes captivating his attention, and she finally asked, “Oh? You have met Vili?” Then, peering over her desk at the man next to it and then back at Ethan, she added, “You a guilder then?”

Ethan nodded and confirmed, “Yes, indeed. I was separated from my team and had been spending the last few days in the forest around here, looking for them.”

The woman narrowed her eyes and asked, “You do not come across as the usual types we get around these parts. Too tall, a lot of blood on your person. Also, what are those pictures on your hands?”

Ethan looked at his tattoos and rolled his sleeves back down, slightly uncomfortable at her stare. Only then did he understand why everyone looked at him like some barbarian. When he entered the town, he saw that the people here were a head shorter than him and were built differently. The largest man he saw was the butcher, and even he was a solid head or shorter. Moreover, he was disheveled, dirty, and dressed in rags that barely resembled clothing.

He thought it was just the farmers and the women, but now the innkeeper confirmed that he was a man out of place, given his size. Also, for some reason, they did not know what tattoos were.

He looked at her, uncomfortable, not seeing a way out of this situation, before the woman laughed and patted him on the shoulder, “I am just messing with you! If Vili brought you here, then it's enough for me. He is a good judge of character.”

But he saw me for a couple of minutes, Ethan thought, smiling at the woman and nodding.

“My name is Elaine,” she continued pointing around, “and this, as you know, is my inn.”

“Thank you for taking care of Jerome there,” she pointed to the man groaning next to Ethan’s feet. “Has been giving my barmaids more trouble than it’s worth lately.”

Ethan nodded to her and said, “No thanks needed. He was in my way. And I did not start the fight if anyone asks. The guard will not come now and look for me, will they?”

Elaine looked at him and laughed delicately, “No, of course not. Jerome is a frequent customer of theirs. If anything, they will collect him again. Given who his father is, we usually allow him to have his way. Well, until he takes it too far anyway, but that rarely happens.

“So a guilder, yes? What has brought you to our beautiful town? Slaying monsters, protecting the innocent, that kind of a thing?” Elaine asked, twirling a curl of her hair.

Ethan looked at her and then around him and noticed that the people in the common room had gone back to their business, seemingly accepting that the innkeeper was all right with how things went down.

“No, no. No dashing heroics for me,” he said, turning around. “I was, umm, training with my team and got separate during one of the fights, as I mentioned.”

“Ah, yes. I have heard this before. Though not from a man your size. Usually, those twig mages complain that everyone in the team is against them and not doing their duty.”

A small boy ran up to where Ethan was standing and lifted the knocked-out man beside him, carrying him over to his friends at the bar. Ethan turned to the woman and asked in shock, “How did that little man carry him like that?”

“Oh? That is Emir. He helps us out from time to time. His father was a guilder and managed to save up for an aspect seed of Might. Common, in these parts, as you might know, especially in the past few years.”

“Ah, it makes sense,” Ethan said, nodding and feigning ignorance. “His father does not mind Emir hanging around here, then?”

“No, he did not when he was around. Now he cannot really tell Emir. So he continues to frequent us and help with the heavy lifting.”

“He died?” Ethan asked and then winced at the delicate topic.

Elaine did not laugh this time and looked him in the eye, “Yes, he did. He was a tough but fair man, and he died protecting this town from those monstrosities the damned sect had raised around these parts.”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

She turned to the side and spat at the wooden floor, breaking whatever stereotype about friendly and welcoming innkeepers Ethan had.

“Sorry, I did not know,” Ethan said, trying to fix his error. “Vili said something about an array? That must have helped, right?”

“Yes, it did, just after the incident. We all pitched in to build the thing. Even the mayor, knowing his son, whom you knocked out, would not stand to fight the dangers.”

“Oh,” Ethan said, understanding the situation he had landed in. “What a great way to make introductions, then. I really hope he does not come for my head.”

He then smelled the air and noted that one of the barmaids, dressed in a dress similar to Elaine with a white apron, brought out a plate with something steaming at the top of it.

“Sorry, is that…” he tried to ask, pointing at the plate brought to one of the guests sitting at one of the tables in the middle of the room. Unknowingly Ethan had this look a bear might give to a pot of honey that Elaine clearly saw.

“Oh, no, mister. No food for you yet. You are filthy as they come. Even the pigs would not dine with you. This is the finest inn in Willow, after all, so first, you must have a bath, then food. I assume you have tokens on your person somewhere, eh? The lack of weapon and armor does not mean you gambled all of them away?”

Ethan smiled reassuringly and patted his empty pocket, saying, “But of course, Elaine. The forest outside left me dirty and disheveled, not utterly poor.” He put his hand in the pocket and summoned ten copper tokens from his storage space, pulling them out and putting them on the table.

“Will this be enough?” he asked, hoping that the currency in this world worked like what he had read in his fantasy novels.

Elaine looked at the tokens and smiled brightly at them, then at Ethan, “But of course, Ethan. For this, we are happy to have you for the whole month. So how long are you looking to stay?”

“Just the night. But I will also need the bath you mentioned, some meals, and some ale if you have it.”

“Of course, of course,” the innkeeper said, pocketing one of the tokens and motioning for Ethan to take the rest. She walked out from behind her desk and moved toward the staircase behind her, motioning for him to follow.

“Thank you,” he said and walked after her. Once he stepped on the relatively small steps, they creaked dangerously under his bulk, and he winced, stopping.

Elaine turned around and reassured him, “Oh, do not worry about them. They easily withstood our dear mayor coming to visit. Let me tell you, as tall as you are tall, he is wide.”

Ethan chuckled and motioned for her to lead the way. They climbed upstairs, where Ethan was met by a narrow but cozy corridor leading further into the inn, multiple wooden doorframes stretching out on both sides.

“How many rooms do you have?” he asked.

“Around twenty. Most of them are full by now, given how the trade is bustling at the moment. But we have one for you. As a remote town in the north, Willow is small and does not get many visitors, but you know how it is before the ball. Everyone wants to get a pretty token in their pocket.”

Ethan nodded and followed her through the corridor, stopping by the last room on the left. The door was made from plain dark brown wood and had a simple iron handle with a keyhole.

Elaine got a key out of her pocket and opened the door, motioning for Ethan to check the room first. Walking in, Ethan was met by a simple but cozy space roughly three meters long and two meters wide. The walls were made from weathered wooden planks, and the floor had similar planks, thoroughly scrubbed and clean.

On the right side of the room, there was a simple table and a chair. While at the middle of the far wall was a glassed window, allowing in some of the afternoon light. On the left side of the room was a simple wooden bed frame with a straw mattress and what looked like a pillow. Ethan’s gaze zeroed in on the thing, and he almost cried out loud, A pillow!

Stopping himself from grabbing the thing, he turned to face Elaine and said calmly, his bulk visibly giddy, “Well, your inn is the nicest inn I have ever visited. Vili did not do it justice with his words.”

Elaine smiled and said, “I know how he is. Not a man to mince words. He is more suited to work with his meat. But, despite his social faults, he makes the best sausages in the region.”

She gestured around the room and said, “If you are satisfied, I will send for a maid, and she will prepare your bath. After that, we can have an early dinner if you are up for it.”

Ethan paused, looking at the woman, not understanding her question. “Emm, yes? Of course, I am hungry as, well, you know,” he stammered.

Nonplused, she nodded, “Good. I guess you will also need to visit a tailor, given your state. You do not mind, right? I know the right one who would do your bulk justice, even as a rush job.”

Ethan nodded slowly, not understanding if someone could have an aspect related to clothing, allowing to speed sewing up, and said, “Well, yes. Thank you. Would you mind me asking why you are helping me out?”

“To be frank, when I see a man in trouble, I help out occasionally. Especially if the said man is nice and well-mannered. Willow is a small town, and I would rather not have you walk through and scare people or entice any unnecessary violence for their sake. The shoes make the man, and you have nice-looking boots, but in your case, they do not help you much, as you look like a bloody bandit who stole someone's shoes,” Elaine explained with a wink.

Ethan winced and said, “I understand; sorry, I just thought… it does not matter. So bath, clothes, and then dinner with you?”

Elaine nodded, smiling in confirmation, “Exactly. Enjoy your stay, and I will see you soon.” She finished and turned around, closing the door behind her, leaving Ethan wondering if she was hitting on him or was just a nice person helping him out.

He scratched his head, shrugged, and pulled off his dirty rags, jumping into the bed and hugging the fluffy pillow. Finally, he thought and closed his eyes, enjoying its softness.