In the evening.

We arrived at Graeil, a small rural village located far south of the capital of the North.

Originally, we planned to travel further, but the sudden rain made us hastily look for a place to stay.

This village was the only one visible from a distance due to its lights, so we had no choice but to head there. We climbed the hill to the village’s only inn, our cloaks covered in rain.

Upon reaching the inn, we were a bit surprised by its size.

It was a relatively large two-story wooden building for such a small village.

“There should be rooms available here!” General Mobie said confidently.

While Yora was taking care of the horses in the stable, the four of us entered the inn.

The first floor was a large dining area, doubling as a hall.

“This is a mining village, as I recall,” Ergo commented, and it seemed accurate.

In the hall, robust men who appeared to have come to the village for work were gathered in small groups, sharing food and drinks.

The thick scent of their sweat mixed with the smell of the rain-soaked earth, stinging our noses like acrid smoke.

It was not a welcome smell.

The plump innkeeper, sitting at a desk beside the door, stood up upon seeing us.

General Mobie inquired, “Innkeeper, we need three, or maybe four rooms.”

The Grand Duke and I each needed one, and the other two were for Yora, Mobie, and Ergo.

However, the innkeeper frowned.

“Ah, we’ve had so many guests today that there’s only one room left.”

“Even in this large inn?”

“When it rains, all the passersby come here. As you can see, everyone in this hall is a guest, so there’s only one room left.”

It was a quandary.

The innkeeper turned to me and the Grand Duke.

“Do you two also need a room? What to do. This elderly gentleman here seems to get the last room. Now there’s no room left.”

I was flustered.

‘Where will we stay in such heavy rain?’

The innkeeper asked with concern, “Do I see a couple here? Oh dear, newlyweds?”

“No, not at all!” I exclaimed louder than I intended.

Mobie protested, feeling slighted, “Elder? I’m part of this young group too!”

“Oh, is that so? How many are you?”

“Five in total.”

“The room might be too small for all five. Can you share the room, miss? What’s your relationship with these people?”

“Why do you ask?” the Grand Duke questioned.

“Well, I need to know your relationship to see if I can make another room available.”

We remained silent, as we had agreed not to reveal our identities until reaching the territory.

Revealing that we were the Grand Duke of the North and his knights would unnecessarily complicate things for both us and the innkeeper.

Mobie said, “Well, we are connected by kinship. Innkeeper, can you find another room?”

“There’s a newlywed couple planning to leave tonight. If they leave, another room will become available. But with this heavy rain, I’m not sure if they will.”

Just then, thunder roared outside.

“How about it, will you take the one available room? I think it can fit three men.”

“When are the newlyweds leaving?” the Grand Duke asked.

The innkeeper smiled broadly, “Such a tall, handsome young man with few words.”

‘Oh no.’

The Grand Duke, currently dressed in casual clothes, was unrecognized by the innkeeper.

Feeling awkward, the Grand Duke asked, “What time are they leaving?”

“The carriage they reserved has arrived here. They said they’ll definitely leave today. Maybe because they’re newlyweds, they’ve been staying in their room for days. It’s their good time. I wonder if they’ll leave the room clean.”

The innkeeper grumbled nonchalantly, as if ready to keep complaining.

Ergo suggested, “If another room becomes available, we can stay there too. Shall we stay here?”
The innkeeper grumbled indifferently. Left alone, she seemed likely to continue her complaints.

Ergo suggested, “For now, if another room becomes available, we can stay there too. How about we stay here?”

The Grand Duke nodded in agreement. I concurred as well.

The rain was intensifying. We had no other choice.

“Let’s take one room for now,” said the Grand Duke.

“Yes! Gentlemen, please follow me,” the innkeeper beckoned.

The innkeeper led the two elders (?) and the Grand Duke upstairs.

Just then, Yora entered, and all four men went up to the second floor.

I quietly sat down on a chair next to the desk and waited.

After a while, only the Grand Duke and the innkeeper came back down.

“?”

The Grand Duke shook his head.

When he went upstairs, he found Yora, Mobie, and Ergo cramped in a small room.

Ergo said to me, “We’ll rest here for a bit. Did you see the continuous flow of guests? If we don’t secure a room, she’ll kick us out at any moment. She’s tougher than she looks.”

Mobie, glancing outside to make sure the innkeeper was gone, continued, “The room with the couple is larger. Once that room is available, all the men will move there, and Knight Esdel can use this room.”

“Yes. Please don’t worry about me and take some rest, everyone. You all have been pushing yourselves too hard.”