I opened my eyes and saw a grey ceiling. I rubbed my eyes and looked around to see an unfamiliar room. I felt something fluffy right beside me. It was Shiro. He was on his bed last night but I guess he must have jump up on my bed and cuddled with me in the middle of the night.
I reached for my watch that I left on the nightstand and checked the time. It's only half past 5. I should get up soon since I have a lot of things to do today.
I reluctantly shifted my body to the side of the bed and got up. I put my slippers on and went to the bathroom to wash up my face.
I got out of the bathroom and decided to have my breakfast. I took out the usual [IS] food and ate them at the table. I should ask for Shiro's food once I'm done. I wonder who's at the front desk now. I might have to introduce myself again.
While thinking so, I finished my food and coffee. I put on my cargo pants, grey shirt, chest armor, leather boots and hang my gun on my belt just in case. I put on the simplest clothes I can find in my backpack so that I won't stand out too much.
“I'll leave Shiro in the room since he's still sleeping.” I said quietly.
I opened the door, look around and the hall was empty. I headed towards the stairs and went down. Before I can reach the first floor, I had a glimpse of the reception and it looks like someone else is there today. It wasn't the siblings I met last night.
A lady around her mid-twenties with long dirty blonde braided hair, gentle light brown eyes and thin lips was sitting there sorting out some paperwork. She's quite healthy and on the chubby side but still, you can see that she's very pretty.
I was walking towards the desk when she noticed me.
“Hello~ Good Morning! Are you, by any chance, Miss Mika?” she greeted me in a chirpy tone.
“Yes, I am.” I answered
“I'm Emma. I usually work on days here but have to cover someone's shift last night. You will be seeing me quite often during your stay. It's a pleasure to meet you.” she smiled that showed her cute dimples.
“It is nice to meet you.” I replied with a smile as well
“Did you need anything?” she asked politely.
“Yes, I would like to get a meal for my contracted beast.”
“Ah, yes~ for Shiro right?”
“Yes. I want to go out early today so if possible, I'd like to get it soon.”
“Sure, that wouldn't be a problem. I'll get someone to bring it over to your room as soon as possible.”
“Thank you very much.”
She picked up the phone and called someone to bring the food over. She told me that it will take around 10 minutes. She hanged up the phone and faced me.
“Is there anything else you need?”
“Yes. Actually, it's my first time visiting this town so I'm not very familiar with the place. I would like to get a map and maybe some input on where I can get some things.”
“I see. We do have a map here for guests to take. I can mark some good places to shop as well if you don't mind getting suggestions from me.”
“I don't mind at all. In fact, that would help me out a lot. Also, do you know of a place where I can leave Shiro while I do my errands? I'm not sure if I can take him with me everywhere.”
“Most places actually allow small contracted beast to accompany their owners. You shouldn't have to worry much about that but if you need a place just in case, I recommend going to the Beast Inn. You can leave your contracted beast there for a period of time. They have day facilities and rooms as well.
You can entrust the safety and well-being of your beast there since they're all experience beast tamers. They will take good care of Shiro and since you're staying here with us, you can get a discount as well for using their facilities. They're under our management. All you have to show is the tag that is attached to your room key.”
“That's great. Thanks for the info. Can you mark the Inn on the map as well?”
“Sure, give me one moment.”
She went through a couple drawers and pulled out a folded piece of thick paper. She opened it up and it looks like it's a map of the town.
“Here it is.” she said while placing the opened map in front of me.
She grabbed a pen and started marking the places she recommended while pointing out and explaining what they sell and or services they provide. There are quite a bit of shops nearby that I wanted to check out.
I also asked her where the Town Hall, Library, and Guilds are. I also wanted to know where the Specialty Stores are. The ones that sell tablets, phones and data station since I wanted to get them.
She then marked the Beast Inn and told me that it's quite a long walk, so she marked the quickest route to get there. The best option though is to take the public transportation. I have to wait at one of the bus stop half a block from here and pay 5 Gìl to get transported to the east side of the city. It will take approximately 30 minutes to get there by bus.
I gave my thanks and headed back to the room because I don't wanna miss the room service for Shiro's food.
Just when I got in front of the room, there was a young man in his late teens with bright orange hair and eyes, walking with a cart from the opposite side of the hallway. I opened the door and waited for him to get close and said
“Hello~ Is that for Room 202?” I asked after I gave my greeting.
“Yes it is.” He gave me a huge smile.
I let him in right after me and when I passed the bathroom door, I got lightly tackled by Shiro who jumped into my arms and hit me with a thud. I caught him in my arms and he started wagging his tail and started licking my face.
“Awww~ you're so cute, Shiro!” I cling to him while rubbing my face on his soft fur.
I heard a chuckle behind me. I almost forgot that there's another person here. In fact, I did forget for a second because Shiro is just too cute. I cleared my throat and ask him to place Shiro's food bowl on the floor.
He took the old bowl from last night and places the new one full of meat mixed with a small portion of veggies. He also replaced the water bowl. I gave my thanks as he left with a big grin.
I think he was laughing at me for spoiling my Shiro but I don't care what other people thinks.
“Shiro is the cutest! Right?” I said while looking at Shiro in my arms.
“Arf!” he barked as he wagged his tail back and forth.
I placed him down on the floor right next to his food and he started sniffing it before gobbling it all up. He seemed satisfied with the food so I'm happy as well. He got a little dirty so I used "Clean" on him.
“Shiro, I'm going shopping today. Would you like to come with me?” I asked him with a soft voice
“Arf!” he replied excitedly while shaking his butt and tail widely that he couldn't sit still.
“I think that's an obvious yes.” I gave him a big smile and patted his head
“Ok. First thing’s first. I have to train you.”
I need him to behave because I don't want to get kicked out when doing my shopping. I grabbed a steak from my inventory and cut them into bite size pieces. I'm using it as a treat for training. I held a piece of meat in my hand and closed it. I sat down beside him and held it over his head.
“Sit.” he sat down as I said so.
“Good boy!!! You're so smart!” I said excitedly while giving him the meat.
I held up my hand, palm facing Shiro while he's sitting down
“Ok. Now stay.” I got up and started walking backwards and made it all the way to the door. He stayed there and when I said
“Come” he booked it towards me and jump into my arms again.
“Hahahah~ Silly boy! You didn't have to jump on me~ but that's a pass. Here you go~” I laugh while giving him another piece.
I tried different tricks like lie down, roll over, play dead, stand up and heel. I repeated this over and over until he gets it with just a simple hand gesture and would even do it without the treats. He managed to learn them all in a short amount of time.
“You're a genius, Shiro! I think you're ready to come shopping with me.” I said proudly.
“We're going to be walking in a busy town so I need you to stay close to me all the time and behave, ok?”
“Arf!” I think he agreed...
Anyways, I got up and check my watch and it's already 7am. I decided to leave then. I walked out of the room and locked it. I headed downstairs again and Shiro is obediently walking right beside me. He's a really smart do-, wolf. I almost forgot that he's a dire wolf. He acts like a spoiled puppy and just super adorable I can't help but treat him as such.
“I'm leaving for a bit.” I said to Emma at the reception before heading out the door.
“Take care~” as she waved goodbye.
I walked outside with Shiro. The sun is already coming out. It's bright and still a little chilly. I looked around and was amaze at the view. There are more people than last night. Horses and carriages are either running down the street or park by the sidewalk. There are only a handful of cars around though. Also, the general appearance of most people are above average and when you see someone who's not, they can be describe as way below average or just plain ugly.
“Totally a game. I wonder if I look normal here. I think I'm a little above average... maybe.” I showed an awkward smile.
I didn't notice this last night even with all the people there, but the clothes they're wearing are similar to the fashion of late 18th to 19th century.
You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Most female wear different style of dresses from elegant, sexy to simple ones with corsets and petticoats and most are up to their ankles. Some men still sports tights and tailcoats, some wear shirts with small corset and waistcoats, another with shirt, vest and long trousers. It's like I've travelled back in time but the difference is that some people wear armors and have their huge weapons in the open. It is like a scene from a fantasy game.
After admiring the view, I started walking down the street. On the map that I got, there's a big clothing store just a block away. I wanted to check that one out first.
“Let's go, Shiro. Stay close to me, ok?”
“Arf!” he replied with a high energy bark.
Shiro closely followed me while making my way to the store. I look so out of place with my getup so the first thing I wanted to get are normal clothes for this world.
It didn't take that long before we reach the place. It's a three-story fancy looking store. Emma said the price here is probably one of the best around this area.
I opened the door and was greeted by a salesperson. She's a little taller than me and was wearing a dark green uniform and black leather shoes.
“Welcome dear customer! Is there anything specific you're looking for today?” she asked me with a smile
“I'm looking for everyday clothes and also comfortable clothes for traveling. Maybe some dresses as well as shoes if you have any.”
“This way please.” as she leads me to different parts of the store to show me their selections.
There are a lot to choose from so it took me awhile to pick. I bought some dresses, shirts, pants, shoes, boots, coats, socks and underwear.
After using clean on them, I placed them inside my storage but left a pair of pants and shirt. I changed into them so that I won't stand out.
I went to the next shop and bought some necessities like toiletries, towels, blanket, pillows, bed sheets, wash cloth and such.
The next shop is a bookstore. I wanted to learn about this world and also magic. When I got there, I don't even know where to start because there are way too many books to start with.
As I was walking around, I noticed a glass display with a salesperson standing behind it. The display case was filled with tablets like the one they used at the inn. I wonder if I can buy those here. I walked towards it and looked at it.
“Hello~ Can I help you with anything today?” the salesperson asked.
“I'm curious about these items. What do they do?” I asked
“Oh, these are called Data Tablets. There are different types that contains various information from different books. There are encyclopaedias, world history, academics, magic and more. There is a search function as well and it's easy to navigate to find the information you need from the books. Prices differ from the amount of information it contains. Would you like to take a look?”
'Cool~ it's like an E-reader!' I thought while my eyes sparkled. ‘I want it.’
“Sure, if you wouldn't mind.” I nodded my head while looking forward to it.
She grabbed the nearest one and turned it on and placed it on top of the display. She showed me how it worked and how to navigate the countless amounts of books in it. It's really convenient.
“Do you have one that contains all the books here?” I asked.
“Uhm... No we don't have one at the moment but we can customize one for you if you'd like. Although, for the amount of information you're asking... that would come with a high price.”
“Hmm... How much would that one cost if I made an order?”
“I'll have to ask a manager because we have never been asked about this before. Can you wait one minute, please?”
“Sure.”
She called in a manager and a middle-aged man with a cleanly trimmed beard approached us.
“Sir, this customer is asking if she can get one of these tablets containing all the books available here. She would like to know how much it would cost.” the salesperson explained to the manager.
“I see. Young lady, we currently don’t have one on hand and have to place a special order for it. It will probably take a few days to make. With that said, the price might be a little high because it's a special order.” he said with an uncertain look.
“And how much would that be?” I asked again while tilting my head to the side.
I really wanted to know even if it's a little expensive, I need all the information I can get because I'm clueless about this world. I might not survive. I won't be able to finish this game or return to my world without the knowledge of this world.
“Hmm. I’m estimating it at around 100,000 Gìl.” He said hesitantly
That is really expensive... I could afford it right now but maybe there's a better way to obtain information without buying all the books. I also don’t need all of it. I don’t know how long I’ll be stuck here so I need to make sure that I have enough money to last until the end. I still have to travel to the Capital after and I’m guessing that it’s more expensive there.
“Hmm...” as I grab my chin thinking about whether to buy it or not.
“Do you really need to include all the books here?” the manager inquired
“Hmm... Not really. I'm looking for specific information but I don't know where to find it that's why I figured if I have all of these, then I might be able to figure something out.” I explained.
“I see. What kind of information are you looking for, if you don't mind me asking? I might be able to help out and cater a specific set of books to suit your needs.”
“I'm looking for information about the world and magic. Anything that’s related to magic, like history of magic, learning it including time and space magic especially about teleports. Also, the history of the world, current happenings, heroes, leaders, clans, races, and basically everything that’s related. I also need all the lore and legends. There might be something else but those are the important ones right now.”
“I can probably afford the special order one but I really have no use for other books like novels and such right now. It will probably take a while to compile all the books I needed though.” I added.
“Hmm... I see. You're right about not needing all those books and it would be a waste to buy them all if you're not going to use them even if you can afford them. May I suggest something else instead?” the manager asked.
“Go ahead. What is it?”
“If you come back in a few days, I can compile all the books that I can find that contain all the information you want. It's still going to be a special order but it's not going to be as expensive.
Also, the tablet we're going to use for this one is pretty easy to update. You can also go to a library for more information and if you find more books that you would like to add, all you have to do is ask a librarian to add it for you using [DS].”
'They can do that?! That makes my life easier.'
“That's a great idea! I think I'll go with that. How many days does it take and how much would that one cost me?”
“I don't really know how many books are going to be there, and this is just an estimate but it'll be around 10,000 Gìl. It could be more or less. I can give you the exact price tomorrow if you'd like.”
“Sure. I'll come back tomorrow then. What time would be good?”
“Let's say, any time after 7 am. My name is Reese by the way. I'm the manager of this store. Here's my card.” he handed me a calling card as he introduced himself.
“I'm Mika. By the way, do I need to sign an agreement or leave a down payment for the order?”
“No, that's not necessary right now. We can talk about that later once I get you the actual price and you can decide then if you would like to proceed with the order.”
“Oh I see. Alright then. I'll stop by tomorrow morning. See you then.” as I walked away while giving a little wave.
They both bowed their heads and wave their hands when I was leaving.
“Haaa... I guess I'll have to wait for a while for the info.” I sighed as I walked out of the store.
I went to the Armor and Weapon's Shop next and bought better equipment for me and also got Shiro a body armor just in case. I'm feeling hungry so I decided to have a meal somewhere.
It's lunch time now so I went to the nearest restaurant. They allowed Shiro in. I thought that since they're dealing with food, that they wouldn't allow pets or beast in the dining area but I was wrong.
There's a specific area just for people who have a contracted beast with them. The food was pretty good. I guess it was worth the money. Shiro also got a plate of tasty meat since he's been a really good boy the whole time I was doing my shopping.
I'm full and ready to go again so I decided to walk around for a bit, checking more stores. I bought a few more necessary items and decided I would head back for today since I'm really tired.
I paid all my purchases with credit card because I'm a high roller. Just kidding... I'm going to go broke if I kept spending like this so I have to be thrifty now. I only bought the necessities, and a few wants. I'm gonna be spending more for the tablet so I have to save for now.
I also have to register at the Adventurer's Guild so I can sell some drops to make money. I wonder if I should register at the Merchant's Guild as well. That might make me more money than the former.
While having these thoughts, we managed to reach the Inn. I opened the door and got greeted by Rosie.
“Welcome back! How was your day, Miss Mika?” Rosie welcomed me with a cheerful smile
“So busy. I had to do a lot of running around and I'm not even done yet. There's so much that I have to do still.” I said without much energy
“Hang in there~ My brother just made some ice cream, would you like to have some?” she tried to cheer me up
“Ice cream?!” my ears perked up and got excited when I heard what she said.
“Yes, my brother is a chef so he just made a new batch. It's a new flavour. Would you like to try it?” (Rosie)
“Sure! I would love to~ Thank you!”
“It's pretty good. I already tried it. You can head back to your room and rest while waiting. I'll get someone to bring it over to your room in a bit.” she said happily and smiled.
“Alright~ Thank you so much! Let's go Shiro.” as I started walking back to our room.
“You're welcome.” she said while waving.
We got to our room and first thing I did was flop down on the bed.
“I'm beat...” my voice muffled because I still have my face buried in the mattress
Shiro lied down right beside me and cuddled. I placed my arm around Shiro and almost doze off when I heard a knock. I didn't lock the door so I gave them permission to come in.
The door opened and I heard the cart rolling closer. I turned my head to find the same orange haired young man who brought Shiro's food this morning came again.
“Good evening, Miss Mika.” he greeted me politely with a big smile.
“I brought you your ice cream and Shiro's meal.” he added
“Thank you. Can you put it down on the table for me, please?” I asked while still flopped down on the bed. I can see his grinning face in the corner of my eye but I was too tired to care.
“Sure.” he placed the clear glass with two big scoops of ice cream on the table and put the spoon on a napkin. He then set up Shiro's food right after.
“I'll be going now. Have a great night, Miss Mika.” he bowed and just as he was about to leave the room, he added
“Oh and also, don’t forget to lock your door next time. It’s not safe to leave it open specially for a young lady.” he cautioned me before he left the room locking the door behind him.
‘Thanks Mr. Orange Head’ I thought. That's nice of him to do so since I'm too drained to do it. I forced myself up and woke up Shiro who fell asleep beside me.
“Shiro~ wake up. You gotta eat your dinner properly.”
Shiro woke up and jump down the bed and went straight to his food bowl. He ate it quick and went back on my bed to sleep.
“You know you have your own bed.” I sighed
“Oh well~ at least I got a cuddle buddy.”
I walked over to the table and sat down. I grab the spoon and started eating the ice cream.
“Yum~ It has a fruity flavour but I don't know the taste. It's pretty good though.” as I finished the whole thing.
I used clean on me and Shiro before changing into my tank top and shorts for sleeping. I crawled onto the bed and cuddled with Shiro and fell asleep in no time.