Locating the inn was an easy feat. Of all the buildings that had signposts hanging from the side, in that last stretch of road, only one had the carving of a bed on it. The quaint and unassuming building lay sandwiched between two others; it was reminiscent of a slim townhouse. It was taller than it was wide, and Sigurd couldn’t tell how far back it stretched. Doubt settled in his mind.

Cuntz’s words echoed in his mind, and all he could think was: ‘This is the best inn in town? Let’s see what they’ve got to offer.’

A little bell affixed atop the door rang as they entered. Upon stepping foot in the establishment, his fears were confirmed. The place reeked of a musty stench of old wood. Dust coated the walls and floor, the latter of which was adorned with a worn rug. Even the windows were opaque. It gave the impression the building had been around a long time, and he didn’t dislike it, but to Joyce’s taste – having had more modern commodities, even in the capital alone – the state of the ‘best’ was less than ideal. It was yet another reminder of the good things she’d been forced to leave behind.

Still, Sigurd decided to remain positive. Something was humbling, even comforting, about such abodes nestled away in nooks. Contrary to his first impression, however, Mia and Nia’s eyes sparkled a bit.

“This place looks really cozy, Sigurd!” Mia remarked.

“It could use a little work, but there’s potential here,” Nia added, while her sister nodded along.

“Well, I’m glad you all think so!” A gruff voice said aloud from a back room. Emerging from the door behind the main desk, the inn’s owner added, “And it’s great to see such a lovely family gracing my establishment. Welcome to Moe’s Inn, let me get you settled in!”

Mia and Nia ran up to the desk, scanning everything in sight. Sigurd followed suit, smiling and nodding at the owner. ‘To them, such simplicity must seem like a luxury...’ he thought.

“Such cute catkin!” Moe said, beaming before turning to Sigurd. “So, where did you hear about us? Let me guess. Traveling merchant?”

Sigurd raised his eyebrows in shock, “Good guess. I take it they’re your frequent clientele?”

“That is correct! This is, after all, the best inn in town!” the owner boasted. “Every merchant that travels through town will usually stay here a few days. That said, business has been a little slow lately...”

As they spoke, the building creaked, a floorboard cracked, and one of the shelves behind Moe fell. He remained unfazed.

‘Maybe if you spruced up your establishment, you’d get more customers!’ Joyce thought, fuming at the apparent mismanagement she immediately took hold of. ‘I’d better not let my discontent show.’

“So how much is it for the night?”

“Here at Moe’s we charge in bulk, that way you don’t have to worry about the price right now,” the inn owner replied.

“Alright, then we’ll take a two-bedroom,” Sigurd requested.

Moe awkwardly cleared his throat, clarifying, “We really only have one-bedrooms.” He scratched the back of his head, letting out a half chuckle. “Like I said, we really only get traveling merchants, and those guys are loners!”

Sigurd paused, then dryly replied, “...Not a problem. We’d also want to take a bath. Do you have a bathhouse?”

“Afraid not,” Moe squeaked. “But you can take a bath! As soon as you settle into the room, I can bring you a pan with hot water. Trust me, it’s a heavenly experience!”

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Mia and Nia looked at each, unsure, but then longingly at Sigurd. He stared back at them, resigned yet incapable of denying the offer.

“Deal. We’ll just make our way upstairs, then.”

“Perfect!” Moe stammered in relief. “Here’s your key. The room is the one at the far end of the hallway, second floor, you can’t miss it!”

Sigurd took the room key and followed the girls up the narrow, rickety stairs and down the thin, crooked hallways of the dilapidated, three-story building until they reached their room. The accommodation was somewhat cramped, as part of the slanting roof made up the ceiling; he was a tall man, so there wasn’t a lot of space for him to stand fully. The one bed was sufficiently wide, though, for both him and his daughters to sleep in comfortably, and it had a window to peer out onto the street below.

Overall, he tried to be positive about the experience, “It’s severely lacking, but it’s cozy, right?”

“It sure is!” Mia replied, before running and jumping into the bed. She landed with a pomf.

Sigurd took another “sweeping” look across the room before sitting on the bed beside Mia. Nia followed behind and sat next to him, like some kind of postage stamp. The bed was reasonably comfortable and the looks on their faces – as if the girls were on an adventure – meant everything to him. That’s when a realization hit him.

‘This isn’t bad at all,’ he pondered. ‘But I’ll need to work hard, to make more coin, to be able to provide for them. I don’t know what that shitty Goddess put me here for, but I’ll make my own priorities!’

Within minutes of them setting their things around the room and the examination of it, there was a knock on the door. Moe had personally brought up a large tin pan with steaming water, three fluffy towels, and a bar of soap. He carefully laid the pan on the floor and the towels on the bed.

Handing Sigurd the bar of soap, he said, “Enjoy!” and departed.

The door clicked as it gently closed behind Moe, leaving the large pan in the center of the room. It released so much vapor that Sigurd was quick to open the window. He left it only ajar and proceeded to undress.

“Come on, girls, time to bathe! We need to hurry else the water will freeze!” he urged.

“Finally, it’s been so long!” Nia exclaimed in her deadpan tone.

Sigurd knew it had only been a few days since he’d last taken a proper wash, but he wondered how long it had been since Mia and Nia had taken a bath. The thought lingered in his mind as he undressed and grabbed the bar of soap. It was so simple, yet easy to take for granted. More so given that Joyce had arrived from a modern Earth.

At the same time, while it wasn’t the luxury she expected from “the best inn in town”, her expectations had both been set and leveled by the world she now found herself in and also by her past experiences. Joyce’s time in the military often meant less than ideal conditions for bathing – some would even call them poor – and that was assuming she could bathe at all between skirmishes.

By contrast, the more laid-back life he was currently living, albeit with the specter of financial strain constantly looming over him, made Sigurd appreciative of even the smallest of luxuries. And though the pan of slowly cooling water was not much, it had its charm.

He and the girls reveled in the warmth of the steaming water, taking one of the towels as a washcloth to maximize the usage of the water. He wiped them down thoroughly, scrubbing away the grime that had built up over years of neglect. The soap, though nothing extravagant, was effective and mildly fragrant. Before long, all three of them were squeaky clean and refreshed.

Afterward, they set the pan with used and cold water to the side and lay on the bed. The warmth of the bath and the excitement of the day had tuckered out all three of them; the mattress was inviting and, coupled with the cool wind which softly seeped in from the ajar window, it lulled them into a relaxing afternoon nap. Free from responsibility, Sigurd carelessly let sleep take hold.

A couple of hours later, though, he opened his eyes. The angelic sight of his two catkin daughters blissfully sleeping on either side of him made him smile, but a cold truth slapped him awake.

‘Oh crap, the sun’s still up, so it’s not too late,’ he thought. ‘But I need to get to the Adventurer’s Guild. I hope they don’t close their doors early!’

Carefully, he got up off the bed and grabbed his scabbard, equipping it. He put on his boots next, and as he did Mia opened her eyes, rubbing the grogginess away.

“Where are you going?” she asked, squinting her eyes.

“I’ll be back in a while. I need to visit the Adventurer’s Guild,” he replied in a whisper, so as not to awaken Nia.

Her head still sinking into the pillow, Mia followed up, “Will you be taking a job right away?”

“I think so, but I’m not sure,” Sigurd paused for a moment before resuming. “For now, I want you both to stay here and out of trouble, you hear me?”

Mia nodded, to which Sigurd replied, “Alright, I’ll see you both later then.”