Percy left Erdwin’s shop without any further delay. He moved to another merchant’s shop and purchased the things he needed for a more feasible price. Almost everything was cheaper than in Erdwin’s shop, but Percy also noticed a noticeable difference in quality. Erdwin’s goods were of much higher quality.
Quality was nice, but Percy didn’t have enough coins just yet. Instead, he spent five copper coins to buy two sets of clothes and a large leather bag.
[Set of Clothes(Linen)– Average Quality– 0 Prosperity]
[Set of Clothes(Linen)– Average Quality– 0 Prosperity]
[Leather Bag – Low Quality– 1 Prosperity]
Only one Prosperity? I could have earned five if I didn’t buy those clothes…
Despite complaining, Percy purchased the clothes and the bag. He changed his clothes in the shop’s changing room – a small room right next to the shop’s main room – and threw his old, dirty, and torn clothes away without hesitation.
The clothes stayed by his side for a while, but Percy felt the gust of change shroud him. Things were slowly changing. Percy was changing.
What now? Percy yawned, stretching his body lightly to feel his clothes better.
His attention fell upon some leather boots, but the price tag scared him slightly.
I won’t spend half my fortune on new boots if my old ones are still perfectly fine!
‘Perfectly fine’ might be grossly exaggerated, but Percy didn’t care. His half-torn shoes would survive another day or two until he earned enough money. Maybe he wouldn’t feel that bad about paying the exorbitant price for the leather boots.
I will come back for you…probably.
Percy left the shop and yawned again when the midday sun basked his face. It was warm and comfortable.
He yawned again.
It was still early, and Percy could have spent the rest of the day hunting or doing something else to learn more about his Ego and the power of Gifted Ones, but exhaustion crept up his spine. It spread through his entire body and slowed Percy. He couldn’t even gather his thoughts properly any longer.
Percy was mentally drained.
I do deserve some luxury, right? He asked himself and nodded slowly as if to confirm that he deserved a treat.
That was enough to make a decision. Percy chose to do something he wouldn’t have dared in the past. It was time to search for a good inn and rent a room for the night – or the rest of the day!
**
He wasn’t sure what had happened, but less than fifteen minutes after he had decided to find an inn, Percy found himself in a cozy room with a large bed.
Seven copper coins per night…
Percy only realized what he had done but didn’t regret it. Paying seven copper coins to sleep somewhere was quite a lot. That money would have been enough to sleep in the chamber of poverty for an entire week. But Percy never wanted to get back to that place.
It’s worth it. Just look at this bed! It’s clean. Everything is well-maintained as well. This is perfect!
He pressed his palms against the mattress and felt a chill shoot up his spine.
This is better than perfect!
Percy’s mind blanked out. He removed his clothes except for the new pair of undergarments – which were included in the set of linen clothes – and jumped onto the bed.
Only a few seconds later, Percy found himself struggling to stay awake. But was that really necessary?
Percy realized that he didn’t have to stay awake. He allowed the tight embrace of darkness to come for him.
A moment later, Percy fell asleep, his heart filled with excitement.
The first day of his eventful new life he ended just like that. At noon.
**
The sun rose behind the horizon, casting the first gleams into Percy’s room. The darkness in his room dispersed slowly, stirring the smiling youth awake.
He groaned softly but removed the blanket and got up more instinctively than consciously. But as he stood there, his naked feet pressing tightly against the warm wooden floor, Percy froze in his tracks.
His eyes shot open, and the dreaminess wiped from his face.
“It’s real!!” Percy exclaimed, his head flicking left and right as if trying to find something to crush his hopes.
However, nothing in the room could crush his hopes. The inn room was the same as before, his clothes – alongside his dagger – were sprawled all over the ground, and his bag with his remaining coins was also where he’d left it.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“Yes!” He clenched his fists in excitement, not even noticing that his arm didn’t hurt anymore.
Percy spent several minutes putting on his clothes, attaching the dagger sheath to his belt, and counting his remaining copper coins. It wouldn’t have taken long under normal circumstances, but Percy’s mind was filled with memories of the day before.
He reminisced about everything happening to him in the last 24 hours and smiled like a fool. At some point, he noticed his bandage and removed it. Percy was ready to change the cloth but couldn’t see the bite wound inflicted by the Berserk Rabbit anymore. There was the faintest sign of a scar, but that was about it. It was hardly noticeable and could only be seen if someone knew the scar existed.
That is much better than anything I could have hoped for.
He was well-rested, felt more invigorated than before and his injury healed faster than expected.
I want to hunt again!
Despite yesterday’s encounter with the Berserk Rabbits and how conflicted he had been after eliminating the monsters, Percy’s entire being was drawn to the wilderness. The wilderness changed his whole life. It allowed him to learn more about his Ego and would continue to help him improve and get stronger by earning him more money.
The urge to return to the wilderness and hunt was greater than the fear of dying or killing.
Percy had been at his lowest for the last few months, but yesterday changed everything. He never wanted to go back to that time. Just thinking about the past was enough to start shivering uncontrollably.
No. I won’t go back there. NEVER!
Percy steeled his mind and opened the door to the floor.
The second day of his new life began.
Percy hurriedly descended the wooden stairs to reach the inn’s ground floor. His thoughts were a jumbled mess of ideas and plans, but he was interrupted as a voice rang out from the right.
“Good morning. I hope you slept well.”
Percy slowed down and turned to a stocky woman with long brunette hair bound to a big bun. She had fierce features but smiled gently at him.
“I've never slept better,” He responded curtly to the woman. She was the inn's owner.
Let’s go hu–...
“That’s nice to hear. Are you hungry? Breakfast will be done in a few minutes.”
Percy stopped at hearing the inn owner talk about food. His hand reached out for his pouch but winced. He looked at the interface, and it showed that he had only two dozen copper coins left. He’d planned to hunt and earn enough copper coins to increase his rank or upgrade the iron dagger again.
However, the aroma hanging in the room bewitched him. The intensity of the fresh parsley, herbs, and spices overwhelmed Percy. It might be nothing special for other people, but it was heavenly for someone rarely graced with warm meals.
I…need to eat something for breakfast either way. A filled stomach will surely help me focus better. It shouldn’t be an issue to hunt more monsters with a full stomach!
“How much is it?” Percy asked hesitantly, hoping that it wouldn’t be too unexpected.
The inn owner chuckled, thinking Percy was joking. However, upon seeing his hesitant expression, she just smiled at him.
“Silly~ You already paid for breakfast. Don’t look at me like that. You paid for the room, and you will get a nice breakfast!”
Maybe that was normal, but Percy was pleasantly surprised.
“In that case, I would love to eat breakfast!”
“Perfect,” She disappeared in the kitchen, her voice reaching Percy, “I will be back in a minute. Take a seat.”
Percy entered the dining room. To be precise, it looked like what he imagined a well-maintained bar to look like.
At the end of the room was a wooden counter with countless bottles. Percy doubted he’d seen most liquid bottles but figured that hard liquor was stored in them. He tried beer once when Greg was still with him but never liked the taste. It was too expensive as well.
Maybe the money wouldn’t be an issue anymore, but Percy didn’t want to waste his money on something he didn’t like.
Other than the counter, Percy found several clean tables with sturdy chairs and sat down once he made sure that he was alone in the room.
“I don’t have many guests, and most are still asleep. They’re tired from hunting,” The inn owner explained when she noticed his attention drifting through the room. She returned from the kitchen with a tray full of food and arrived at his table in no time.
Percy found himself salivating as the stocky woman put the tray down before him.
There was a bowl with a clear soup – Percy had no idea what vegetables were hidden inside the soup, but an intense aroma came from them – and a plate with baked potatoes, some meat, and a brownish, viscous sauce.
Everything smelled nice, and Percy found himself a lot hungrier than before.
“There are Adventurers in your Inn? That must be nice.” He mumbled absentmindedly as he picked up the fork and knife.
Percy knew how to use a fork and knife, but he was certainly not the type of person who paid attention to his etiquette. If anything, etiquette was probably the last thing he thought about as the breakfast carnage began.
“You don’t have to eat so fast. I can give you seconds if you’re still hungry,” The inn owner said reassuringly, but Percy was an unstoppable force. She shrugged and answered his question instead, “Only traveling merchants, adventurers, bards, and the like would stay for the night. Well, maybe some drunkards after staring too deep into their mugs, but that’s rarely the case. Most drunkards can reach their home dead drunk as well.”
The inn owner studied him and took the tray once Percy finished the bowl and plate in record time.
“I better give you seconds before you start gnawing on my furniture,” She teased, but Percy blushed in embarrassment.
He didn’t expect to be this hungry.
This is so good. I should earn more money to stay here permanently. I would have a comfortable bed and the best breakfast in the world. It’s worth putting my life on the line for such a life!
The inn owner returned with seconds and a smile, seeing Percy’s expression.
“You’re terrible at hiding your feelings,” She noted in a matter-of-fact tone.
His blush intensified, but the woman didn’t mind that. Instead, she sat down opposite him and studied him a little longer before saying what was lingering on her mind.
“I think I’ve seen you before, but you are not one of the traveling merchants. You look frail and like you never had a good breakfast. Your clothes are new, but you have yet to buy new boots. There is also blood on your sheath, but the guards aren’t searching for a murderer. The only news I have is about a frail youth running around the town with monster carcasses, scaring everyone…”
Percy wasn’t sure what to do as the woman continued speaking. The more she said, the less comfortable Percy felt. He didn’t like the way the inn owner analyzed him.
What is she up to?
The tension within Percy rose, only to disperse when the stocky woman smiled at him.
“You want to become an Adventurer, don’t you?”