Character: Nathan Fiore, Information Battle

-----

Waking up the next day was… quite difficult.

My stomach was hurting so bad, and I had to wake up three times in the middle of the night to poop. Thankfully, the bathroom in the inn was clean, and since it was in the middle of the night, no one else was using the bathroom. As such, I was able to use it for myself the entire evening.

I was so tired and in pain that being awake on time for breakfast was very tough. I just didn't want to get off the bed, mainly because the bed was really nice and soft. Not just that, the room quality is truly remarkable, unlike what I expected from an inn.

This inn is truly modernized. This level of quality for a rentable room probably existed only in Ellen, and I can't help but fall in love with just how fancy this room really is.

The bed is soft, the room is quite big, and it even comes with a sofa. The bathroom is outside at the end of the hall, and it was quite far from my room. But that's all good, because after going back and forth in the middle of the night, I found myself to be quite used to going on a trip to the bathroom.

Upon waking up, I cleaned myself in the bathroom as neatly as I could. Once I was done with that, I went to the lobby to grab the prepared breakfast that the inn made for people who stayed here. It was something that came with the purchase of the rooms, so it's nice to have considering I won't have to look for food in the morning.

The inn has a restaurant in the lobby room, which means I can just pick a random empty table for myself and wait for the innkeepers to prepare the breakfast for me. After sitting down, I fiddled with my bracelet while waiting for the innkeepers to bring me breakfast. And after waiting for a while, one of the ladies serving the breakfast finally came up to me.

"Good morning! Are you feeling all right?" A lady walked up to me from the front desk, and I quickly remembered who she was.

Last night, when I was having a full tummy, I met her at the front desk alongside the old lady behind the desk, and the two helped me process the room purchase since I was in a not-so-good state. It was this young lady who showed me the room and even made sure I knew where the bathroom was.

And looking at her now, I feel bad at myself for not treating her well last night.

The girl looked to be around my age, and she is wearing a long light blue dress. Her hands are holding a large wooden tray with a cup of tea above it, and her face wears a soft smile as she places down the tea on the table in front of me.

"Ah, thank you so much for your help. I was… in a state of emergency after eating two plates of lamb meat…" I told her the actual truth of what happened, and she quickly covered her mouth from surprise.

"That's… wow. I thought you were drunk or something…"

"I'm still underage, so I can't drink."

The lady then turned really surprised by my answer, and it looks like she was quite happy about it.

"R-Really? How old are you?"

"Sixteen…"

Why is she suddenly asking for my age?

"Same! Ah, if you're at that age, then… are you applying for the academy?" The girl asked awkwardly, and I nodded softly at her.

"Yep. I applied for the entrance exam yesterday." I said with a smile, and it looks like she became even happier.

A bit too happy, maybe?

"That's… great! I mean… I'm also applying, but I don't really know anyone else who is also applying there." She said shyly, and from what she said, it seems like I can make out what she really intends. "Do you reckon we can… go to the exam on the day together?"

This is… not a date invitation, right?

I mean, of course it's not. Forget it... Stupid brain and ego.

"Sure thing! I also don't know anyone else who is applying for the academy. It'd be great if there's company." I said cheerfully, and the girl looked quite happy with that answer.

Looks like I found myself a new friend. A very cute one, too. Thank god I'm handsome.

"Then, I actually have something I wanted to ask you about. Do you mind listening to me?" The lady asked as she held the tray tightly, and I realized that I really wanted to eat that breakfast right away.

"Of course! Ask me anything. Why don't we discuss it over breakfast?" I asked politely, and she immediately remembered her duties as the innkeeper.

"Ah, you're right!! I'm sorry, I forgot about the meal!" The young lady said aloud before turning around and left me to go to the front desk. 

At the front desk, it seems like the older lady who was stationed there is telling her things quite sternly for slacking off. From the way they converse, it seems like the girl I talked to is only a part timer here, and the older one is the real owner of the inn. I simply grinned as I watched the scene unfold.

After that, the girl then started bringing the breakfast to everyone. Not just me, but also for other people who are sitting at the other tables. And once she was done bringing the food to them, she walked over to my table.

"I'm sorry… that ended up taking a while." The young lady said to me after she came over, and I pointed at the chair as if asking her to sit down because she looked really tired.

"I'm sorry for asking, but… you don't look like you've worked here for a long time." I said to her, and she seems to be fine with the question.

"That is correct, because I'm only working here so I can get some pocket money to sustain myself while I wait for the exam to come. It's also something to keep me busy, you know? Because the exam is still a week away." She answered honestly, and I relate to her reasoning so much because now I have nothing to do.

"I'm Nathan, by the way." I said while lifting my hand at her above the table, asking for a handshake. Seeing that I wanted a handshake, the girl smiled and grabbed my hand.

Her hand feels… rough. It's covered with callouses, which means she has trained with a sword or other weapons a lot.

"Lily. Lily Annastasia. I'm from Valkaria." The girl introduced herself, and I can't help but be surprised by her origins.

Lily Annastasia… Why does the name sound familiar?

"Valkaria…? The water empire? That's not that far from here, isn't it?" I said to her as a guess, and Lily nodded with a soft smile.

"It's quite close, yes. What about you, Nathan? Where are you from?"

"Fiordall. The boring hot kingdom." I described my home country so horrendously, and Lily laughed a little at that joke.

"That can't be, though. Wasn't Fiordall in a pretty elevated land? I'm pretty sure some people say that the weather there is a bit chilly."

"It is quite windy. But when it gets hot, it gets really… hot." I tried describing it as simply as possible, and it looks like Lily understands it

High areas like hills or mountains can be quite cold and windy, but in the middle of the day, you are still closer to the sun. To live there, you must be compatible with extreme changes of the weather. That's why most people from Fiordall are more resistant to extreme temperatures than others.

"So, what was it that you wanted to ask?" I asked Lily while eating the fried potato slices that she brought me, and she pondered about it for a while before asking.

"That… I actually wanted to ask more about the rumored attendees of the entrance exam." Lily mentioned what's on her mind, and I became curious about what she really wants to know.

"Rumored attendees…? Ah, you mean the royalties from other countries?" I guessed what she meant, and Lily nodded at me.

"I actually wanted to ask you if you know anything about it, but it looks like you know quite a lot! Especially because you're from Fiordall!" Lily said energetically, and I can't really match her considering it's still early in the morning.

"Well… I may have heard quite a bit from a pair of knights I met in a nearby restaurant…" I answered truthfully, and Lily became even more interested.

"Then, do you know anything about the two princes from your kingdom that are applying for the academy?" Lily asked away her real question,

"I know nothing about them." I answered, but Lily stared at me with a suspicious stare. "I only heard about them yesterday at a random restaurant in the middle of the road. Also, wasn't it just rumors? It's not certain yet that they are really applying…"

"It is… quite certain to me." Lily murmured, but it was clear enough for me to hear.

"Oh~? It seems to me that you know more about them than I do?"

"Not that I know anything! Anyway… Ekhem." Lily cleared her throat to try and take control of the conversation.

"I'm only asking because I was curious. They are going to be in the same year with us, after all."

"It sounds to me like you have more than just curiosity towards them. I heard the second princess of the water empire is attending too." I blurted out another thing I heard from the knights yesterday, and Lily was quite surprised by that.

"I-I mean… huh? I had no idea that was a thing. The second princess?? That shut-in? Wow, it's truly a surprise that she even goes outside!" Lily really tried her best to pretend she knew nothing, but she only made it worse.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're terrible at lying…?"

"Fuahh~, sorry for asking, I guess…" Lily finally gave up and lowered her head. It seems like I have made her feel uncomfortable.