"Homu? (Delicious food?)" Homu-beard paused, looked at Kiana Kaslana's expectant face, and then chuckled.
"Homu homu... (Of course, there's delicious food... The bread at Houhou Bakery is very tasty.)" Homu-beard said with a smile.
"Mhm, mhm!" Kiana nodded eagerly. "Anything else?"
"Homu...? (Also... the white bread at Mumu Bakery is quite fragrant?)" Homu-beard thought for a moment and added.
Kiana: "?"
Still bakeries?
Kiana had a bad feeling. "Um... Grandpa Homu-beard, besides bakeries... is there any other delicious food here?"
The group of Homus fell silent. After a moment, one spoke up.
"Homu? (How about the cakes at the King's Cake Shop?)" that Homu suggested.
"Homu! Homu? (But that's the place that specifically provides cakes for His Majesty the King. Can we really go there?)" another Homu asked doubtfully.
"Homu mu! (Didn't His Majesty the King say during last year's Spring Festival, 'The beauty of cake is in sharing'?)" the first Homu immediately replied.
Shu frowned slightly.
Cake? A cake shop specifically providing for the King, even named after him...
Did this count as finding out one of the King's little hobbies?
"Are there other shops established specifically for the King like this?" Shu joined the conversation, asking a question.
"Homu? (Other shops established for the King?)" Homu-beard thought carefully, then nodded. "Homu... (Of course, there's the King's Biscuit Shop, the King's Fruit Shop...)"
Homu-beard listed over a dozen different shops, ranging from clothing stores down to the King's snack stall.
Looking at it this way, this Homu King seemed a bit extravagant, needing specialized providers for everything.
However, based on what these Homus said, these shops seemed to just bear the name; the King was more like a brand ambassador, granting these shops the right to use the title "King."
So, Shu still had no clear idea what kind of person the King truly was.
But if he was a brand ambassador... would those shops perhaps display the King's image?
With these thoughts, the group arrived in front of an inn on the main street.
Shu looked up. Compared to the other low-slung storefronts, this inn looked much more... "human-friendly."
The door was tall enough for Shu to walk through without bending down, the lobby was spacious, and Shu even spotted sofas...
This made Shu take another look at the seemingly ancient Grandpa Homu-beard beside him. These "human-friendly" designs didn't seem like something someone who had never met humans could create.
So, had he met other humans before, or did the King frequent this inn as well?
"Homu (Everyone can stop here.)" Homu-beard climbed the two steps with effort, then stood at the top, looking down and waving dismissively at the Homus who had followed them, dispersing the crowd.
The group of Homus behind them had grown quite large by now. Seeing Homu-beard's gesture, they didn't linger and quickly dispersed.
"Homu. (Alright, everyone, please come in.)" Homu-beard turned around, leaning on his cane, and headed into the inn.
Shu watched Homu-beard approach the front desk, which was two Homus tall. He asked the Homu receptionist, who needed to stand on a high stool just to peek over the counter with its ears, for the keys to four rooms.
The Homu behind the counter struggled to place the keys on the countertop, while Homu-beard below strained to reach the keys being handed out by the receptionist.
The four humans stood by, watching the two Homus' efforts. After a couple of seconds, Shu sighed helplessly, stepped forward, and took the four keys directly from the Homu receptionist's hand.
"Allow me..."
"Homu! Homu mu! (Thank you! Kind human!)" The Homu receptionist, still on the high stool, bowed deeply to Shu, banging its head hard against the inside of the counter.
If Shu weren't tall enough, he wouldn't even have seen the receptionist bow.
Bronya Zaychik certainly couldn't see it.
"Homu! (I'm sorry, it's all because my arms and legs are too short! If only I could be tall like a human...)" the Homu receptionist said, sounding dejected.
"It's okay..." Shu racked his brain, searching for comforting words, but couldn't find any suitable for consoling a Homu. He could only manage: "Being small... is also cute."
The moment he said it, Shu felt the urge to cover his eyes.
What am I saying?!
Not just Shu, but the three girls behind him also stared wide-eyed at him. It was hard to imagine such words coming from Shu in his current state.
"Homu? (Really?! Thank you for the compliment! You must be the second-best human in the world!!)" However, the Homu receptionist seemed quite receptive to the compliment. It excitedly bowed to Shu again, thumping its head against the counter once more.
Thank goodness Homu heads were made of cloth sacks and cotton; otherwise, bowing so forcefully would be unimaginably painful, Shu thought.
"Then who is the best person in the world?" Bronya asked the question Shu wanted to ask from behind him.
"Homu! (The best person in the world is His Majesty the King, of course!)" the Homu receptionist replied, puffing out its chest with pride.
Looks like the King holds a very high place in their hearts...
"Is that so? It sounds like you've had close contact with the King?" Shu asked, as if joking.
"Homu! (Wh-what?! How could that be possible! I'm just a lowly inn receptionist! How could I possibly have met such a great being as the King!)" the Homu receptionist vehemently denied, looking almost panicked.
It was as if it was terrified Shu might think it had actually met the King up close.
Such a strong denial made it difficult for Shu to press further without seeming overly deliberate.
"Homu... (I'll be satisfied if I can just squeeze into the front row at this year's Spring Festival and catch a glimpse of the King from afar...)" the Homu said, its tone full of wistful longing.
This feeling... was just like seeing a devoted fan talking about their idol.
"Homu... (Alright, follow me, guests.)" Homu-beard interrupted their conversation. Shu withdrew his gaze, glanced back at the others, and followed Homu-beard towards their rooms.
The four rooms were adjacent, opening doors revealed the doors to two other rooms.
Surprisingly, the room interiors were no different from standard rooms in a normal human hotel.
A bathroom and shower near the door, then the bed. The only difference was that instead of a TV hanging opposite the window, there was a painting.
Shu glanced at it. Yep, it was the Mona Homu.
Apart from the painting, everything exuded a strange sense of déjà vu. If it weren't for Grandpa Homu-beard standing beside him explaining the room, Shu would have truly thought he'd just checked into a standard room at some random hotel...