Early in the morning, long before the sunlight touched his face like on the previous days, Rian was already awake. It wasn't the sound of villagers that woke him, but his own excitement that made it impossible to stay asleep. He sat up on his bed with a wide grin on his face.
That morning, he packed his belongings with overflowing energy, preparing to leave Fredd's house. Strangely, he didn't feel sad at all. Instead, his face was filled with pure happiness because of the reason he had to go. He was going to rent another inn and start a truly independent life with Catty.
"Living in an inn… that means we'll be closer. No more separate rooms like at Fredd's house. Maybe… maybe we could get one room together?" Rian muttered softly with a shy laugh, his cheeks turning slightly red at the thought. "Just the two of us living together, with no one to disturb us. It's like the beginning of a new life."
Instead of thinking seriously about finding an inn, his mind drifted elsewhere, filled with thoughts of Catty. His wild imagination made him completely forget the financial burdens he would have to face in the coming months.
Rian finished packing his few belongings and stored them in his Storage. Then he went to Catty's room. There, Catty had just finished folding her only set of clothes while wearing the other one. She handed her small belongings to Rian to store as well. When Rian was about to put them away, he suddenly stopped.
"You only have two sets of clothes, including the one you're wearing? So, you've been wearing the same outfit all this time?" Rian asked, his tone turning worried and a bit regretful. He just realized how much he had overlooked Catty's basic needs. "What do you do when you wash your clothes? Do you really wear nothing at all while waiting?"
Catty smiled at his concern. "No, Rian, did you forget? I can use wind magic. After washing them, I just dry them with my magic for a bit, and once they're dry, I can wear them again."
"Actually, I also only have two sets of clothes. My white shirt that's torn from the Troll incident, and this brown outfit that Grandpa Bebegig gave me," Rian replied, his eyes brightening. "And yeah, that's a great idea. I don't know why I never thought of drying my clothes with wind magic before."
"Yes, Rian. It's not like I could go a whole night without wearing clothes just to wait for them to dry. Maybe I could use the other one, but if both are dirty, I'll wash them together. And… it would be really embarrassing for this human body to be without clothes," said Catty, her cheeks slightly blushing.
"When we have more money, we'll buy a few more sets of clothes, okay?" Rian promised, knowing Catty would never ask for such a thing herself.
"Okay!" Her tail swished happily. "Thank you, Rian."
They left their rooms without carrying anything, as all their belongings were safely stored in Rian's Storage. Their journey felt light and effortless.
In the dining room, Fredd was already waiting for them for breakfast. In the corner, a large travel bag sat on the floor Fredd's own belongings showing he was also preparing to leave for the Kingdom of Lea. He invited Rian and Catty to have breakfast one last time at his house.
"Before you go, let's eat first," said Fredd.
In the blink of an eye, Catty was already in her seat, eagerly eating the food that had been prepared. She loved Fredd's cooking and knew she would miss it.
"I'll definitely miss your cooking, Fredd," said Catty with her mouth full.
"Don't worry. Once I return to this kingdom, I'll cook for you again," Fredd replied with a smile.
Meanwhile, Rian sat quietly, his mind wandering, imagining the moment he would share one room with Catty. But to Fredd, Rian's silence and blank expression looked like sadness or even resentment at having to leave.
"Rian," Fredd called with a serious tone, his voice full of regret. "I'm sorry. I never meant to drive you away."
Rian, who didn't want his sweet daydreams about Catty to be interrupted by Fredd's apology, simply replied, "Yeah."
That short answer made Fredd even more convinced that Rian was angry. Fredd stared nervously at Rian, who was eating calmly but still wore a flat expression. Fear began to creep into Fredd's chest. The image of Rian's brutal slaughter in the forest flashed in his mind.
"Listen," Fredd said awkwardly, "I'll add a little more help. I'll cover the inn fee for your first two months, okay? That should make things easier for you to save money for your needs later."
Hearing that, Rian snapped out of his thoughts. He suddenly realized that his expression must have looked cold and emotionless, making Fredd terrified of him. Oh no, he thinks I'm mad, Rian thought.
"It's fine, Fredd, you don't have to worry," Rian said, trying to ease the tension. "But if you insist… well, I'll accept your offer."
He said it as if reluctantly, though deep inside he was genuinely grateful.
"All right, I hope this helps you both," Fredd said, visibly relieved.
Catty simply nodded while continuing her meal, and Rian thanked Fredd again for his kindness.
After breakfast, Fredd handed them a slip of paper containing the address and a rough map of the inn he recommended. They left the house together and parted ways at the crossroads, heading in different directions.
Rian and Catty followed the map Fredd had given them. It was very detailed, showing every turn and street name, making their journey easy without getting lost. After passing dozens of houses, they reached the middle part of the city.
The majestic royal castle now stood in sight, not far from the inn's location. Its tall spires rose proudly into the sky.
"That must be Fulakmi Royal Castle. It's huge," said Rian, walking beside Catty, his eyes wide with awe.
"Yes, Rian. This is my first time seeing a royal castle. Back then, I only lived in the forest. My view was always trees, maybe mountains and rivers," Catty replied.
Rian nodded, and they continued walking. Soon, they arrived at a building that matched the address and the rough sketch on Fredd's map. It was a semi-wooden, three-story inn.
Rian and Catty entered the building and were warmly greeted by the receptionist at the modest lobby. Rian immediately took care of the registration.
"I'm sorry, sir," said the receptionist after checking the records. "There's only one room left available for monthly rent. So, I'm afraid there are no other options."
YES! That means I don't need any other excuse for Catty to share a room with me! Rian screamed in his mind, trying hard to hide his smile.
He then looked at Catty for confirmation. Catty, who didn't think much of it, simply nodded.
"All right, that's fine," Rian said to the receptionist in his calmest voice.