“Well, this is the Southern Gate Lodge, the most affordable option on this side of the district. You won’t find a cheaper place, but they offer some good food and the location is close enough to the main road. I bet you’ll find some promising new teams staying here… Of course, I’d be happy to provide you with listing services if you’re looking for a specific team…” Ellaine didn’t lose the opportunity to offer a list of ‘affordable’ services she could provide.

“Thank you for the tour and the referral, Miss Ellaine. However, I still want to walk around and check the neighborhood before deciding on an Inn…” Seeing the agent’s distressed expression and feeling the compulsion of the mind furry increasing, Tyra compromised: “I’ll be sure to mention your referral regardless of where I decide to stay.”

The agent blushed in embarrassment for a brief moment but immediately recovered her smiling expression.

“Then, I’ll leave you to your errands. Have a nice day, Miss Tyra. Don’t forget to find me when you get some loot.”

The unbound agreed politely and replied:

“You too, Miss Ellaine.” Tyra turned back and left first. She already had a destination in mind, an alley a few streets from the main road where she spotted something familiar. In truth, she would rather stay in any of the Inns suggested by Ellaine, but her financial state wouldn’t allow it. So, she could only find other options.

In the Hub, space is a rare and expensive asset. Therefore, aside from government dignitaries, only merchants and crafters are allowed to buy or rent buildings. Trainers and explorers have to look for lodging in one of the many Inns of the Hub. Fortunately, there are enough benefits to compensate for the limitation; all with matching prices, of course.

Tyra went in the opposite direction of the gate, getting further away until the buildings became visibly shabbier. She stopped in an alley, where dirty, emaciated, and probably homeless children played. The unbound approached cautiously, without letting the young ones notice her presence. Her sight quickly swept through them while she instinctively divided them into categories.

“Hey, you kid. Come here… Yes, you watching behind the rusting barrel.” The trainer pointed to one of the smallest kids, who was hiding from the others, while trying to sound less scary. Still, the youngling made no sign of approaching her, on the contrary, the child even stepped back defensively.

“Come quickly! I want some information, and I’ll pay you with bread.” The child no longer hesitated and ran forward to grab the opportunity. The others who listened also motioned to come forward, but Tyra warned: “You, go away. Or I’ll give you a good beating!”

The children paused and exchanged concerned glances. The unbound sneered fiercely and glared at them to show that she would follow true with the threat. In a world where mysticals could burn someone in a few seconds, numbers weren’t worth much, so the sad and starving teens could only retreat.

“What… do you want to know, Miss?” The boy used a weak voice to ask while keeping some distance from the trainer. But how could such an amateurish act fool Tyra?

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“Don’t pretend to be stupid or innocent… That won’t work with me. I need to find a cheap but safe place to stay.” She threw him a small piece of coarse bread and added: “I’ll give you the rest if I like the place.”

The dirty boy caught the bread but seemed to hesitate. Surprisingly, she didn’t pressure him into agreeing immediately. In fact, this kid reminded her of herself. He was probably beaten up badly several times before he learn to only trust himself and keep some distance from others. To survive as the weakest in the streets, he would need to be smart enough to hide his abilities from others.

He struggled for a few minutes, looking around to check if others would steal his reward, before finally nodding.

“Just take me there…” Tyra decided to lend him a hand; otherwise, the bread would certainly fall into the grubby hands of a bigger starving child.

The boy nodded and left the alley through her side to avoid the others. He walked fast, clearly uncomfortable with her following so close, and probably also to avoid any hungry stalkers. They walked through six squares making at least two unnecessary turns, but Tyra still refrained from scolding him. If he tried to take her to an ambush, she would surely notice and then punish him accordingly.

The way he moved, constantly looking around and taking notes of every corner, proved that her previous judgment was correct; they were made from the same cloth or at least tempered through the same method. The kid stopped in front of an old building, which would make the previous agency look like a palace. There was a wooden sign hanging over the door, but the words written on it were long gone.

“Hum…” The boy seemed a little embarrassed, but somehow it didn’t seem to be because of the dilapidated state of the place. “I don’t know about the price, but it should be cheap and the owner is… nice. She gave me food one time when…”

Tyra understood the reason why he brought her here, but considering the location and situation of the building, the price should be way below the usual rates. However, she wasn’t ready to trust him just yet, so she signaled for him to knock on the door. Fortunately, he didn’t refuse, and shortly after he did, the door opened by a middle-aged woman with disheveled brown hair carrying some bedding.

The woman looked curiously at the homeless boy, who promptly explained and pointed to Tyra. She clearly wasn’t an amateur in evaluating potential customers. With only a quick look, she noticed the unbound worn grey dress and humble bag and placed her in the group of people that would look for a room in her place. The woman’s serious expression immediately transformed into a welcoming smile.

“Welcome to my humble house, my dear. Would you like to come in and check if one of my rooms is of your liking?”

Her voice sounded genuine, so the unbound decided to enter the building and check the situation. She was definitely doing business with a different strategy than Ellaine, and though this one would usually put the trainer on the defensive, Tyra only felt warmth and sincerity.

Like the front door, the inside wasn’t built to fit an Inn; it looked more like the agency but without the glass front. The entrance room had two tables and some chairs that didn’t seem much comfortable, and an old counter. Tyra counted two doors on each side of the room, and another one leading to the back. The layout of the one-story Inn was very simple, four rooms for rent connected to the entrance, a kitchen, and a staff room in the back. There was also a backyard for laundry and other activities.

“The rooms are 10, 50, or 150 pale crystals for daily, weekly, or monthly rent. The meals are not included. I serve breakfast and supper for five crystals each. We have a curfew by the eighth bell, but we can make exceptions with prior notice. We offer one fire lamp in the evening, and a water bucket, cold or hot, both in the morning and evening. The bedding is changed every week or when you leave.”