The shocked girl looked at the bills and saw that they were each 10000 Starcoins. She didn't think he would be able to afford the rooms because he was a kid who was alone.
She took the bills and quickly gave him a room key. She then called for a waiter and told him to direct Leo to his room immediately. Since 20000 Starcoins were a lot of money, he would have to be treated like an important guest.
The waiter quickly put down the tray he had and walked to Leo.
"Sir, is there any luggage I have to bring for you?" He asked.
Leo shook his head. "No, you can just take me to the room." He said.
The waiter nodded and quickly directed him to the back of the inn. The ground floor was a restaurant, and there were a set of stairs in the back leading to the rooms. Leo and the waiter climbed up the stairs and got to the first floor.
The floor was a narrow corridor with rooms on each side. Leo assumed that those were the normal rooms because he was led up another set of stairs. In total, there were five floors to the inn including the ground floor. His room was on the topmost floor.
The waiter opened the room and Leo saw the inside. The room was a luxurious haven of opulence and elegance. Adorned with rich tapestries depicting noble life, the polished wood paneling and intricate carvings created a grand atmosphere. The centerpiece was a dark, ornately carved four-poster bed, dressed in sumptuous silk or velvet drapes and plush feather bedding.
There was a seating area with comfortable chairs and a small table offering relaxation. Beside the chairs was a writing desk with quill pens that showcased literary pursuits. The room boasted a beautifully carved fireplace, a large mirror reflecting the space, and an armoire for belongings.
The en-suite bathroom featured a prominent copper or brass bathtub and a basin with a decorative pitcher and bowl. Towels and robes hung nearby. It looked like a room fit for nobles.
The waiter left immediately after he entered the room so he was by himself. He quickly closed the door and sat on the bed. He sat comfortably and started training. He didn't really have any need to use such an expensive room, but he could afford it so he didn't care.
The time he would have to spend to find another place with a room available would be worth more than the twenty thousand Starcoins. After settling on the bed, his training filled the rest of his evening. He trained till the sun rose.
Once the sun rose, he got up. He had a plan to spend the few months he had before admissions for the Aura Academies started. Since it was only early April, he had an entire four months before he would try to apply for the academy. He couldn't just be jobless for all of that time.
It would hurt his mental health as well as make his joints stiff. Even if he perfected his mastery of the spells, it would be pointless if he didn't know how to use them. So when he got out of bed in the morning after the sun rose, the first thing was go to the front desk to as for directions.
"Hi, do you know where the nearest Mercenary Guild is?" He asked the boy manning the desk.
The boy looked up and saw Leo. He didn't know who he was, but he was still polite.
"Yes. If you exit through our main entrance, you are going to have to take a right. Then walk till you reach the main street. Then take the right. If you keep walking for around five minutes, you will see a huge white building. That's the Mercenary Guild." The boy said.
Leo nodded. He tossed a coin as a tip since the boy was very precise with his directions. When he left, the boy checked the coin to see what it was. It was 500 Starcoins. 500 Starcoins for telling the directions to a famous building. The boy quickly realized that Leo was probably one of the guests that were staying at the premium suites.
Meanwhile, Leo quickly found the building that he was looking for. Unlike in Solhaven, there was no way that he could use magic in Eldridge. He could feel multiple 3rd Circle Aura Knights and even mages around the area and knew that if he did he would be caught easily.
So he stuck to just using aura for the moment until he got stronger. He felt that once he perfected the Valkyr's Deception and reached the 4th Star, he would be fine. But he knew that he wasn't close to either. For now, he would have to focus on making money.
There was one main reason for him to make a lot of money. And that was that he needed a lot of money to buy enough pills to supplement his aura training. He knew that he couldn't advance without the help of pills, and if he was going to attend an Aura Knight Academy, he would have to show some improvement from time to time.
Leo looked at the Mercenary Guild. The building stood tall and imposing, a symbol of strength and opportunity in the bustling city. Its exterior was crafted from pristine white stone, giving it an aura of purity and authority. The architecture exuded a sense of grandeur, with intricate carvings and ornate details adorning the front, showcasing the guild's rich history and significance.
As he approached the entrance, massive wooden doors, adorned with polished silver handles, stood wide open, inviting him inside. The entrance hall was vast and spacious, its high ceilings adorned with elegant chandeliers that cast a warm glow over the marble floors below. The air was thick with anticipation, the bustling atmosphere resonating with the energy of numerous individuals seeking work or searching for skilled mercenaries to hire.
To the left of the entrance, a large reception desk stood manned by guild employees clad in polished uniforms, their friendly smiles welcoming all who entered. The reception area served as the nerve center of the guild, with rows of meticulously organized paperwork, job postings, and notice boards displaying the latest missions and contracts.
Further into the building, a labyrinth of corridors branched out, leading to various rooms. Leo was able to see that the corridors were lined with portraits and plaques but he couldn't see who they were representing.
When he looked at the center of the entire building, he saw something that screamed lavishness. The heart of the mercenary guild building was the central courtyard. Bathed in natural light streaming through a glass roof, it was a vibrant space bustling with activity. He saw multiple mercenaries gathered there talking to each other.
He took a deep breath and walked to one of the reception desks. He talked to the pretty woman managing the desk.
"Hello, how can I help you?" She asked.
Leo looked around and saw many mercenaries with their teams looking for missions. The most important feature that he noticed among them was that they all had a smile on their face. He turned back to the receptionist.
"I'd like to be a mercenary."
