Arriving near the gate, the pair came to a halt.
“Finally…”
Relieved by the sight, Violet felt as if a massive weight had been lifted off her shoulders. All around her rose the confused, lively chatter of the people gathered nearby.

The walls weren’t particularly tall, and the gate itself was set between two small guard towers where armed figures could be seen moving about. Red banners hung from them, each bearing the image of two fierce boars with long, curved tusks.

What kind of place is this?

Passing through the gate under the puzzled stares of the guards, Violet stepped into the city with her companion close behind. The ground underfoot was hard-packed dirt, and the houses and buildings around her were low, with steep, slanted roofs. Everything looked incredibly different from Giltown.

Hearing the splash of water, Violet turned to see a small fountain where a group of children had gathered, laughing and shrieking as they splashed each other. Approaching the fountain under their curious gazes, she washed her hands in the cool water before taking a long drink.

Behind her, Nainai had already been surrounded by the little creatures, who examined him with childlike fascination.

“Is he a dwarf?” the children whispered among themselves.
“He looks weird…”

Once she finished emptying her waterskin, Violet filled it again to the brim at the fountain.

“Why is that man tied up with a rope??”
“Are you his mom?”
The children bombarded her with questions as she pushed gently through them, wetting a cloth she kept in her bag and using it to wipe the dwarf’s face, helping him cool off.

“No, I’m not his mother…”

Looking around and taking in her surroundings, Violet noticed that the square was overflowing with people. Stalls were lined up with goods on display, and merchants shouted over one another to attract customers. There were also soldiers moving through the streets in small groups, along with others brandishing all sorts of weapons.

They look like adventurers…

Inspired by the thought, Violet turned toward Nainai with a hopeful smile.
“Maybe there’s a guild here! It could be a good place to ask for information.”

After finishing up with Nainai, Violet closed her waterskin, thinking about what to do next. The first priority, however, was food.

“I’m starving… we should probably find a place to eat something first.”

Nainai followed her silently, completely ignoring the curious stares of the people around them.

Under the watchful eyes of the children, Violet scanned the winding streets disappearing deeper into the town.

“Well, I suppose we’ll find an inn eventually. There have to be inns here, right?”

As she walked and kept looking around, Violet realized that inns weren’t nearly as common as she expected. She had spotted only one, but the moment she took a peek at the exterior—and the kind of patrons going in and out—she immediately understood it was far too expensive.

Violet didn’t have much money on her. Just enough for a few days, and that was already a problem.

I really hope we can find something cheap, otherwise we’re in trouble…

After finally reaching a less crowded district of the city, Violet spotted a building in the distance that seemed to have the typical look of an inn. It stood slightly apart from the surrounding houses, with a wide-open space in front of it, almost like an empty square.

Approaching with curiosity, Violet noticed that the place didn’t exactly give off a luxurious atmosphere. The exterior looked worn and aged, giving the impression of an old warehouse that had been converted into a residence.

As she drew closer, she noticed a small wooden sign hanging outside the building—clearly hand-painted with a messy coat of dye.

She stepped forward to read it:

“The sign has been stolen.
We apologize for the inconvenience.”

And this is supposed to be an inn?
In front of the entrance, a few wooden steps and a worn-out door greeted them.
The whole place looked like a rundown shack ready to collapse at any moment.

Well… it’s worth a try, I guess…

Sighing in resignation, she grabbed the door handle, pushed it open, and stepped inside.

“Customeeers!!”

Violet barely had time to notice a figure behind the counter before it shot toward them like a bolt of lightning, stopping right in front of her.

What is that thing?

She found herself staring into two huge, round eyes sparkling at her.
The young girl before her was a therianthrope — a dog-type beastkin.

She looked very young, with small soft gray ears folded forward and a slightly elongated face.
She wore a loose greenish tunic with a white apron over it. Her legs were thin, her feet small, dressed in simple white shoes tied around the ankles with a little strap.

Her hair was white — just like the long fluffy tail wagging wildly behind her.

“Welcome! Are you here to eat? Or maybe you want a room? Or perhaps both! How can I serve you?”

She was buzzing with excitement.
She spoke fast, and her eyes tracked every tiny movement Violet made.

“Well, I… we… do you have any free rooms here?”

The dog-girl’s nervous energy was overwhelming. Violet felt cornered.

“Of course! Come, follow me! Oh— I’m Mela, the owner! Ask me anything you want. Please, come in!”

The girl guided them into the empty dining hall, tail wagging out of control and smacking chairs and tables with sharp thwacks.
I’d better keep my distance… if that thing hits me it’ll feel like a whip.

At the far end of the room, she gestured for them to sit at a small table set into a wall niche, beneath an open window.

“Please, take a seat!”

Violet forced a polite smile, moving toward the bench and sitting down.

“…Thank you.”

“So! What can I bring you? Want meat? Water? Maybe beer? We also have milk, eggs— hold on, I think I still have some potatoes somewhere…!”
Mela spoke so fast that Violet could barely keep up.

“Our menu includes meals for fairies and vegetarian dishes for picky elves as well!”

Exhausted from the journey and overwhelmed by Mela’s machine-gun chatter, Violet slumped onto the bench, defeated.

I can’t take this anymore… I feel like I’m going to faint any second. Does she ever stop talking?

“And your companion? Is he a dwarf? Is he your father?”
The dog-girl wasn’t giving them a moment to breathe.

“No, what am I saying— you’re human, I can smell it.”
The tavern owner turned to look at the dwarf, who stared back at her with wide, round eyes.

“He’s sooo cute!”

With sparkling eyes, the dog-girl leaned in toward Nainai and began sniffing him.

Sniff sniff…
Is she… sniffing him??

When she finally finished the inspection, Mela straightened up, looking satisfied.

“You two look tired… Want something to eat? You know, my meat-and-vegetable stew is famous all over Ostelria!”

Violet looked around.
The inn was completely empty, except for a lizard-man in the far corner who was slurping live snails, pulling them out of a big pot with his hands.

“Actually, I didn’t even think this was an inn. You know… the sign…”

At those words, Mela’s tail went stiff.

“Oh, the sign! Right!
Well, it’s not the first time someone steals it…”

She tilted her head, touching a finger to her cheek as if thinking deeply.

“I even ordered a brand new one. But they stole that one too! Who knows who’s running around at night stealing signs…”

“Yes, well, we…” Violet wanted to say something, but gave up.
“…The stew is fine!”

At that, Mela’s tail started wagging twice as fast.

“All right then! Two portions of my famous meat-and-vegetable stew coming right up!”

Better ask the price first.
If it’s cheap enough, I can stay for one night. But no more than that…

Instinctively, Violet brushed her hand against her pouch, making the coins inside jingle.

“…How much for food and a room?”

Mela tilted her head again, thinking for a moment.

“Mmhh… Two copper Zinni. Per person!”

Violet’s eyes widened.

That’s ridiculously cheap! Anywhere else they’d ask at least twice that…

Violet placed the coins on the table.
With a lightning-fast gesture, Mela snatched them and made them vanish inside her tunic.

“Thank you! I’ll be right ba—”
She suddenly froze, ears and tail snapping to attention at something behind her.

“Grrrrrrr… WOOOF!!!”

She suddenly lifted her arm, pointing straight at the lizard-man who had stood up from his table and was reaching for an empty mug placed near some fine, elegant ceramic pieces on the counter.

“Hey, you…”
Mela was furious.

“You’re not thinking of touching my ceramics with those filthy, greasy claws of yours, are you? Grrrrrr!!”

The lizard-man froze.
Seeing the enraged dog-girl turn toward him, he stiffened, then quietly sat back down without a word.

Snorting loudly, Mela turned her attention back to Violet, her fluffy tail swishing wildly behind her.

“I’ll bring your food right away!”

With that, she darted off toward the counter at lightning speed.

Violet exchanged a puzzled look with Nainai, who seemed to be thinking exactly the same thing.

“…Where in the world have we ended up?”

Let’s hope this goes well…

Aside from the ceramics arranged on the counter—which stood out awkwardly compared to the rest of the environment—the inn looked rather old and worn.
And yet, despite its shabby appearance, the place was orderly, visibly clean, and thoroughly dusted.

Violet, still perplexed, kept glancing at the girl as she bustled around with pots and dishes.

Looking at her like this, she seems more like a hurricane than a girl…

After a short absence, the innkeeper reappeared, carrying a huge tray—clearly far too big and heavy for someone so tiny.

On it were bread, water, and two large steaming bowls.
The bread was fresh, likely baked not long ago, and from the bowls rose thin curls of fragrant steam.

“Enjoy your meal!”
Mela placed everything on the table and then remained standing beside them, waiting.

Inside the bowls were large chunks of meat and steaming potatoes.
Violet stared at it for a moment, but she was far too tired to question anything.

Well… it’s all or nothing now.

She scooped up a generous spoonful and put it in her mouth.

“…This is delicious!”

Mela lit up instantly, her tail wagging energetically.

“I told you my stew is the best in all of Ostelria!
It’s made with carefully selected meat and potatoes I grow myself!”

She grows them herself?

Violet noticed that Nainai was staring at his bowl with a thin string of drool sliding down his mouth.

Taking his spoon, she filled it with stew, blew gently to cool it, and fed him.

“You two are such an unusual pair! Are you companions?”
Mela watched Violet feed the dwarf with clear fascination.

“Don’t tell me he’s… your boyfriend!!!”

“What??? NO!!!”

Again?? This is the second time someone says we’re dating!