Chapter 87

“Oh my! Thank you, sir!”

After giving the coachman a bit more than the original fare, I got off the carriage.

“…So this is Silan.”

My first impression of the city of Silan was definitely different from Runde. Geographically, Runde is close to the capital of Baronia, while Silan is on the outskirts, so it’s natural that the vibe is different.

“Alright, we’ll be staying at an inn for the long term. The investigation probably won’t be over quickly.”

Since there’s no Clan House here, we had no choice but to stay at an inn. The lodging fee could easily be covered by the clan’s funds, and as long as we weren’t planning to stay for years, there wouldn’t be any financial issues.

Mr. Ho-won spoke to Yoo Ju.

“Hmm… Do you have a place in mind?”

Despite being older, Mr. Ho-won showed respect to Yoo Ju due to her position as Clan Master.

“Yes. I’ve looked at one place. I’m not familiar with Silan since it’s my first time here, but… I’ll guide you.”

It seemed Yoo Ju had already scouted a place to stay.

As we followed Yoo Ju, various sights caught my eye. Particularly, the women soliciting customers.

‘…No place to rest my eyes.’

They were dressed provocatively, showing off their shoulders, stomachs, and cleavage.

“….Yoon Seong.”

“Ah…”

In the brief moment I glanced out of curiosity, Yoo Ju caught me.

She suddenly stopped and looked at me with a cold expression.

“No, it’s just… the atmosphere is so different from Runde. Haha…”

‘Why do I have to feel guilty for this?’

Honestly, everywhere you look, it’s like this. What am I supposed to do?

Even Wi Ho-yeon, a woman herself, turned bright red seeing these women.

She seemed utterly lost in this city’s atmosphere.

Anyway, while I was responding to Yoo Ju, one of the soliciting women hooked her arm around mine.

“Oh, handsome. Haven’t seen you around before? Stay for a night. I’ll give you all sorts of services, okay?”

‘What the hell is this?’

I was completely flustered. I didn’t do anything!

In a panic, I looked at Yoo Ju, but all I saw was her trembling with her head down.

‘Damn it…!’

“Ah, sorry, but could you let go of my arm…?”

Thud!

Just as I was politely refusing, Yoo Ju removed the woman’s arm from mine.

“Sorry. We’re a bit busy.”

‘Her expression…’

Yoo Ju smiled at the woman, but the atmosphere was anything but gentle.

“Ah, yes, yes…!”

The woman, sensing something off, quickly left.

The problem was that after the woman left, I had to deal with Yoo Ju’s anger alone.

“….Yoon Seong, do you have some kind of ability to charm women?”

“Huh?”

‘What are you talking about…’

If I had such an ability, I wouldn’t be living like this. I wouldn’t have struggled so much back on Earth either.

“Sigh… Just curious.”

Both I and the other clan members could tell Yoo Ju was in a bad mood, so we were all tiptoeing around her.

“Uh, it was just a solicitation. I just happened to be the target, haha…”

As I spoke, I desperately signaled the other clan members with my eyes, and Lee Jae-hyo finally spoke up.

“…Ahem! So… how much longer until we reach our destination?”

“…Just a bit further.”

Following Yoo Ju’s lead, we soon saw an inn.

‘Blind Bard…’

The inn’s name on the sign was peculiar.

“…Is this the place?”

“Yes. It shouldn’t be too uncomfortable staying here.”

‘…She must have stayed here before.’

Judging by Yoo Ju’s reaction, she had stayed here in her first run. Coming back here must mean the inn was decent.

Ding-dong –

“…Welcome.”

Entering the inn, the interior was surprisingly clean.

‘…This is unexpected. For an inn in a red-light district or slum, the atmosphere is different.’

Given the city’s nature, I expected it to be noisy and raw, but it was quiet and tidy.

‘Is this why she brought us here?’

The first floor seemed to be for dining, with a few people quietly eating.

Yoo Ju approached the counter and asked the man who seemed to be the innkeeper.

“Hello. We’re looking to stay here. How much for long-term lodging?”

“…For long-term, pay weekly. Meals are separate. If each person gets their own room, it’s 21 gold per person per week. And don’t ask for discounts. It’s already cheap compared to other places.”

The innkeeper’s tone was blunt. Checking his status window, I noticed he had impressive stats.

Probably a retired adventurer.

‘That explains the quietness.’

I could imagine the innkeeper personally cracking heads if anyone caused trouble.

“Alright, we’ll pay for a week first.”

“…Rooms are on the third floor. Keys are here. What about meals? If you’re eating out…”

“Ah, we’ll eat here. Is it possible now?”

“Then eat first. Choose your menu, tell the staff, and wait for the food.”

“Thank you.”

Anyway, we paid and sat down.

Mr. Ho-won looked around and spoke.

“Hmm… The inn’s atmosphere is different from what I expected. Of course, this is my first time at an inn here, not on Earth… but it feels different from the city’s vibe.”

“Yes. I looked into it before coming. Other inns in this city are… quite noisy. Given our goals, a quiet place seemed better, so I chose this one.”

“Good choice, Yoo Ju.”

Given our group’s nature, a noisy place wouldn’t suit us.

Well, if Hyeon-jin or Kang I-seo were here, it might have been different, but for now, this quiet inn is much better.

After ordering our meals, we looked around.

I could feel the gazes of a few people.

‘What? Why are they staring?’

For a moment, I couldn’t understand why those people were glancing at us, but then it suddenly clicked.

‘They’re staring at Yoo Ju and Wi Ho-yeon.’

Probably because their looks are just that striking. But…

‘…Their stares are annoying. Must be because they’re the kind of guys who live in entertainment districts.’

Whether on Earth or here, guys who drown in gambling and entertainment are all the same.

“By the way… what are you planning to do now, Yoo Ju?”

At my question, the group’s attention focused. After all, the reason we came here was to investigate drug distribution.

The problem was, everyone looked clueless about where to even start.

I could peek at others’ status windows, so I planned to use my ability for the investigation, but for the rest of the group, it must feel overwhelming.

‘Well, Yoo Ju probably has a solution, so I’m not too worried…’

“First, I think we should split up. It’s a bit awkward for all five of us to move around together while investigating, right?”

True, investigating drug distribution with five people moving around in a group would basically advertise that we’re onto something.

It’s better to investigate discreetly, so splitting up is a reasonable choice.

‘The problem is safety…’

Splitting up reduces the risk of being noticed, but on the flip side, if something happens, we can’t guarantee safety.

“I plan to divide the group like this: Yoon Seong and Ho-yeon, Jae-hyo and Ho-won, and then me alone.”

‘…I thought she’d stick with me, but she’s going solo?’

I thought Yoo Ju would move with me. After all, it’d be easier to protect me that way.

‘…Is she planning to investigate separately? Is Wi Ho-yeon the minimum safety measure for me?’

Wi Ho-yeon is one of the top-tier powerhouses on this continent, so if she’s with me, I should be safe.

Since Yoo Ju essentially said she’d investigate alone, Jae-hyo spoke up with a worried tone.

“…Clan Master. I don’t mean to disregard you, but you’re still new. Isn’t it dangerous for you to investigate alone…?”

Jae-hyo and the others, unaware that Yoo Ju is a Returner, all seemed concerned about her.

Even though Yoo Ju has shown skills far beyond a newcomer, there’s a difference between entering a dungeon together and investigating something like this alone, so everyone was uneasy about her decision.

“…You don’t need to worry about me. I can handle myself.”

“Hmm… If you say so. But please let us know if you feel like you’re in danger.”

“Of course. Thank you for your concern, Jae-hyo.”

Anyway, while we were talking, the food was ready, and a female employee started serving.

“Here’s your food ~ Enjoy!”

“Thank you.”

After serving the food, she started chatting with the owner, so she was probably the owner’s daughter.

“Alright, everyone, let’s eat. Oh, and Yoon Seong, I’m saying this just in case, but don’t do anything dangerous this time. Got it…?”

“Haha… I got it.”

Just as I was putting some food in my mouth, I noticed a man from the next table approaching ours.

“Excuse me… ladies?”

Seems like the guy approached because of Wi Ho-yeon and Yoo Ju.

‘…Flies are swarming.’

Probably because of their looks, and since we removed Eternity’s insignia for the investigation, the flies are buzzing around.

“…Can I help you?”

“Ahem, ahem… Is this your first time in this city? My friend and I know this city inside out. If you’re okay with it, how about spending the day with us?”

This idiot doesn’t seem to notice me, Ho-won, or Jae-hyo. Or maybe he’s too distracted by Yoo Ju and Wi Ho-yeon’s looks to care.

‘Well… he’s not bad-looking.’

The guy was decent-looking, so he probably had some confidence.

Hearing the man’s words, Yoo Ju’s expression turned sour. Wi Ho-yeon, having experienced this kind of situation many times, just stayed expressionless.

“…No, thank you. I’m in the middle of a conversation with my group.”

“Come on… don’t be like that…”

As the man reached out to touch Yoo Ju’s shoulder, I was about to sigh and speak up, but Yoo Ju grabbed his wrist and twisted it.

“AAAAAH!”

Thud!

Seeing this, the guy’s friend at the table stood up and shouted.

“You son of a…!”

As the friend drew his weapon and charged, he froze when he felt a cold sensation on his neck, his face turning pale.

“…Move again, and you’re dead.”

In an instant, Wi Ho-yeon had a blade pressed against the man’s neck.

It was an invisible sword, so the blade wasn’t visible, but the cold sensation on his neck was real, so his pale face was understandable.

The two guys realized they’d messed with the wrong people and froze. The guy with the twisted wrist seemed fine, as Yoo Ju had controlled her strength.

“W-what the hell, breaking someone’s wrist is going too far, isn’t it?!”

I was impressed by the guy’s bravery in speaking up despite the situation.

“Sigh… I refused, but you still touched me, didn’t you?”

“Even so…!”

As the guy tried to continue, the owner placed a hand on his shoulder.

“I told you not to cause trouble, didn’t I? You two, no refunds. Get out.”

“D-damn it…”

At the owner’s words, the guys couldn’t even argue and just grabbed their stuff and left the inn.

I thanked the owner.

“Thank you for your help, owner.”

“It’s nothing… I just kicked out some troublemakers from my inn. Finish your meal.”