novelraw Chapter 259
Chapter 259
Chapter 259
The inn Garmaph had introduced was of satisfactory quality, considering the level of civilization on the planet called Mardila.
At first, the innkeeper rudely stared at Kait from head to toe, but once he heard that Garmaph had referred him, his attitude softened slightly.
"Oh? Garmaph sent you here? You must have made quite the impression."
"Did I?"
"Yeah. Folks who use this place usually come from neighboring towns for business, so it's mostly familiar faces. If Garmaph recommended you, there's no problem. The room's upstairs, follow me."
Sensing the unspoken rejection of Talvani, Kait followed the innkeeper up the stairs. When he shared the same backstory he had told Garmaph, the innkeeper showed a similarly moved response.
"I see, that must have been rough. Well, if that's your situation, you're welcome here too. You can stay as long as you like until you figure out where to go next... I'll still charge you for the room, though."
"Of course. Still, I'll need to find some work."
"Right. How much money do you have on you right now?"
"Umm... about this much."
Being careful not to let Emotion see under his cloak, Kait pulled out a bunch of what looked like coins from his bag. As he rolled up his sleeve and extended his right hand from beneath the cloak, the innkeeper furrowed his hairy face in surprise.
"...That's some pretty old money, huh?"
"Yeah. I got this from the belongings of a senior who collapsed in the desert. I already used up everything I had originally."
"I see. It's not exactly praiseworthy, but I get it. Let's say it covers about ten days' worth of lodging."
"That helps."
So it really was old currency.
Judging by the innkeeper's reaction, if it had been newer money, he might've been more suspicious. Hearing that it came from the belongings of someone who died in the desert probably made Kait's story about escaping from a sand-swallowed town more believable.
Internally mocking his own talent for making excuses, Kait looked around the room's furnishings. The interior consisted of just a chair, a desk, and a fairly large bed. The window was reasonably sized but didn't seem to open—probably to keep the sand out. Some of the protrusions from the wall were likely for hanging clothes.
"You like it?"
"Yeah, thanks. It's a nice room."
"Today's meal is on the house. So, what about job hunting? Starting today or tomorrow?"
"Hmm, mind if I decide after a bit of rest? If I lie down now, I might not be able to get up for a while."
"Got it. Anything else you need?"
"Ah. Sorry to keep asking, but if you have any spare old clothes, I'd really appreciate it... The sand, you know."
"Hang on. And don't you dare sit on the bed like that."
Responding to Kait's request, the innkeeper turned on his heel with a tone more serious than before. If Kait had been walking near the desert, it was obvious that even under his cloak would be covered in sand.
While waiting for the innkeeper to return, Kait spent his time looking out the window. It seemed that Talvani were not well-liked by the residents of this town. From what Garmaph said, they were connected to that machine group, but the reason for the hatred remained unclear.
Since the innkeeper also didn't want to host Talvani, perhaps the townspeople saw them as akin to outlaws.
"Here, use this. Want me to get rid of the clothes you're wearing now?"
"Thanks. No, I'll keep them. I might have to cross the desert again once I leave this town."
"I see... That might be for the best. This one's on the house, too."
The outfit the innkeeper brought was similar in design to what he wore himself. However, the size was significantly smaller compared to his build. It was closer to Kait's frame.
"Oh, are you sure?"
"They're my kid's old clothes. Even the thrift shops won't take them anymore, so they were just going to get tossed. Well, if it bothers you, just pay me later once you get a job."
"I'll do that."
He accepted the outfit and gently placed it on the desk.
Although the innkeeper said they were just going to be thrown away, the fact that he had kept them suggested they might be mementos or keepsakes. But judging by his lack of sentiment, maybe he really was planning to toss them. Kait didn't consider himself insensitive, but reading emotions from a different species' face at a first meeting was still difficult.
"Well then, I'll leave you to it. If you need something next time, come downstairs."
"Thanks, innkeeper. You've been a big help."
"Oh, I guess I never introduced myself? I'm Asban. Nice to meet you."
"Got it, Mr. Asban. I'm Kait, nice to meet you."
"Alright then. Take it easy."
The door shut with a thud. As the innkeeper's presence faded just as he said, Kait finally let out a breath.
He took off his cloak and hung it on a wall peg. When he gave it a light shake, a decent amount of sand fell off. He placed his bag on the table and removed the tight Federation-made clothes. Emotion was nearby, but at this point, it didn't really matter. The clothes quickly compressed into a cube small enough to fit in his palm. He could easily hide it in his bag—unlike with Emotion.
When he tried on the clothes he'd been given, they were a bit loose but still wearable. Even though Kait's build had been hidden under the cloak.
"Emotion, how's the soundproofing?"
'Let's see. As long as we don't raise our voices too much, it should be fine...'
"Got it."
He lightly imagined placing a psychic power barrier along the walls of the room. It wasn't as strong as a full barrier, but it should provide decent soundproofing. Especially since the beast-headed residents of this town—Kait was slightly concerned about how sharp their hearing might be.
It wouldn't be surprising if conversations could be heard even from downstairs. It was worth being a bit more cautious.
'Captain?'
Just thinking about soundproofing. If someone hears me talking to you, I won't be able to explain it away.
'To avoid being mistaken for Talvani, right?'
"Yeah. From the looks of it, they're really hated around here."
Kait's Federation-made clothes and Emotion's appearance—both were quite out of place compared to the townspeople. If the residents of Mardila saw them, they'd no doubt suspect Kait of being Talvani. And no matter how he explained it, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference between Emotion and the machine group.
Kait and Emotion's primary goal was to eat Dangaresion. As for investigating and confirming the machine group, honestly, if the Federation Congress were functioning properly, they could've left it to them without issue.
"Well, if it's not urgent, I'd rather just sightsee around Mardila and get out."
'I see. Then we're definitely getting dragged into something.'
With a knowing look, Emotion said something ominous.
Kait glanced at her, wondering if she had uncovered some critical information, but she didn't reveal anything.
"Uh, Emotion?"
'If Captain is saying things like that, I'm sure we'll get dragged in with high probability.'
There were too many past experiences for him to deny it.
Kait avoided commenting on that and sat down on the bed.
"So, how's the council? Any progress?"
'Unfortunately, none at all. We did get a video message of complaints from Terapolapaneshio, though. Would you like to watch it?'
"...I'll pass."
It seemed reinforcements from the Federation wouldn't be arriving anytime soon.
Still, the fact that they weren't being told to immediately pull out from Terapolapaneshio might mean there was some level of trust in Kait and the others' abilities.
Staring up at the ceiling, Kait resigned himself to the future where they would inevitably get caught up in the chaos of this planet.