novelraw Chapter 74 : The Foal’s Inn
Chapter 74 : The Foal’s Inn
I bet The Foal’s Inn has a little picture of a foal on its sign. The literacy rate in the city is so low that most shops use pictures instead of words.
It sure is a busy street, crowded with inns, taverns, and weapon shops all jostling for space. Guess that makes sense, being so close to the west gate. This whole area seems to cater to adventurers.
Thinking of adventurers reminds me of Maggie.
When I told her I was moving my base to Raymond City, her eyes grew so sad. I had to promise I’d bring her back something cute as a present.
I keep an eye out for a general goods store as well as the inn itself.
I don’t spot any promising shops for gifts, but I do find The Foal’s Inn. Just as I suspected, a cheerful, painted foal hangs on the sign above the door.
The ground floor looks to be a dining hall, with rooms for lodging on the floors above. The sign even has a helpful little drawing of a bed next to the foal.
“This could be my home base…” I think. But the thought of lining up in that dreadful entry line every time is enough to make me groan.
Renting a room would let me teleport right inside and skip the wait entirely. The only question is how much it costs.
I shudder, remembering the inns in Carlton. I am not staying in one of those cheap flophouses with just a row of sleeping mats on the floor.
For five or ten pennies a night, you get your things stolen and run the risk of being attacked in your sleep. No, thank you. A proper room in a decent inn should cost at least twenty.
My stomach gives a loud rumble just then, and a wonderful, savory smell wafts out from the dining hall.
Well, that decides it. This looks promising!
“Welcome!” a cheerful girl with bright red hair says from the doorway. She reminds me a little of Maggie.
“Is it all right if I’m only here for a meal?” I ask.
“Of course!” She gives me a wide smile and leads me into the hall.
The dining room is cozy, with a handful of small tables for two and larger ones for four. She guides me to one of the smaller ones, and I slide onto the bench.
The girl returns with a wooden board, propping it up on the table in front of me.
It’s a menu! My very first real menu!
“For the lunch special, you just have to choose your main dish,” she says. “Ale and bread are included, but other alcohol costs extra.”
Ale? I’ve never had it. Wonder if it’ll make me tipsy.
I scan the main courses listed on the board. There’s a little plus sign next to the steak… maybe that’s for monster meat?
I can grill a slab of meat myself, though. I’d much rather have something that takes a bit more skill to prepare.
“What do you recommend?” I ask. It’s a very handy phrase to know.
“The stew is our specialty, especially in the winter!” she says proudly.
Perfect. “I’ll have that, then! But do you have anything to drink besides ale?”
The girl tilts her head. “We have herbal tea,” she says with a smile. “That’s included in the price.”
The lunch special is thirty pennies. It’s a bit more than the diners in Carlton, but then, this includes a drink.
It seems you pay up front, so I pull thirty pennies from my coin pouch and hand them over.
I wonder what it will taste like. Will it be a creamy white stew, or a rich brown one?
My foot starts tapping a happy rhythm against the floorboards.
I can’t help it… I’m in such a good mood. The stew the adventurers at the next table are eating smells absolutely heavenly, so you can’t blame me for getting my hopes up!
“Here you go!”
The stew that arrives is a rich, brown one. I usually make creamy, milk-based stews. I guess the wine-braised dishes I make sometimes count as brown stews, though.
I scoop up a spoonful and take a taste. “It’s delicious!”
“I knew you’d like it!” she beams. “My pa’s stew is the best in town! We get people who aren’t even staying here coming just for a bowl.”
Ah, so she must be the innkeeper’s daughter. So many places seem to be family-run.
The bread they served is wonderfully soft, and the herbal tea has a gentle chamomile flavor. I’m super happy.
When the girl comes to clear my empty plate, I take the opportunity to ask about the rooms.
“A room for the night is forty pennies, without meals. If you want breakfast included, it’s fifty.”
That’s a fair price, though a little more expensive than in Carlton.
“I’d need to board a horse, too. How much would that cost?”
She flashes another smile. I suppose with a name like The Foal’s Inn, they get that question a lot.
“Oh, we take great care of our horses,” she says. “My older and younger brothers are mad about them, so you can be sure yours will be in good hands. It’s ten pennies for one horse, and that includes feed.”
It really is a family affair. Cheaper than hiring outside help, I figure.
So, for me and Noah, that’s fifty pennies a night, or sixty with breakfast. It stings a little, but it might just be worth it.
But wait a moment. Do I even need to bring Noah? I could just teleport here on my own.
The trouble is the distance between Raymond City and the Great Forest. It just shows how much land they’ve cleared around the walls, but it’s a real pain to teleport into the forest and then have to walk all the way back to the gate.
That must be why so many adventurers rent horses from the guild.
“Do you have any vacant rooms?” I ask, holding my breath. If they’re all booked up, then this whole plan is for nothing.
“Oh, are you planning on staying? Yes, we have rooms available!” she answers, so quickly she nearly cuts me off.
With so many inns around here, it seems everyone is keen for business.
“I’m heading home for today,” I tell her, “but I’ll definitely stay here next time I visit!”
I have my fields and animals to look after, after all, not to mention my secret tree-felling project. I can’t just check in and stay for days.
Still, the thought of securing a room here as my own private teleportation point is so, so tempting.