(MC POV)
Turns out it really was just that bar place that serves food.
No wonder there were so many people there, since it was the only place in this town that actually serves food as a business.
Or at least, that's what the people I asked told me.
But seeing that there were no restaurants or even food stalls in this entire town, that might actually be true.
Maybe everyone here just prefers eating in their own homes? I guess with a town that has only one inn, it's quite obvious that this place doesn't get a lot of visitors.
That brings me to the question of what does this town actually do? I don't see any sort of industry be it mining, production, agriculture or even trade this town was engaged in so how are these people surviving?
Seems a bit sus if you ask me.
Because of that, I'm now seated in a corner of the bar with a plate of food I requested from the bartender.
I half expected the guy I knocked out to be waiting here with more people or something but he was surprisingly nowhere to be found. Guess he must have gone back home.
The meal was relatively simple but I was a little surprised they actually served meat too.
Maybe they are a town of hunters or something, but then again, I do not see any facilities here that handles meat processing.
I did have Xun Guan test the food for any forms of poison first before eating it so nothing's wrong with that.
"As expected of Master, everyone here is afraid now," Xun Guan commented.
I swallowed the food in my mouth before wiping my lips with a napkin, "No, not afraid. They're more of being cautious, you could say. They have judged that the risk is not worth the reward at this point of time."
"I see… As expected of Master!"
"It's nothing much, I'm just used to such things."
Finishing my dinner, I was prepared to leave the table when another group of people entered the room.
This group of people were obviously not locals as well seeing how they were wearing armour and carrying weapons.
They remind me of the Adventurers back in the Earthen Plane, except they are obviously less well equipped.
A woman stood at their lead, this one more well-dressed than her companions. Her long emerald hair was tied into a braid that stretched to her lower back, her green eyes matching her hair colour perfectly. Her most prominent feature was that she was at least half a head taller than the tallest man in the group thanks to her long legs.
She was the only one not wearing armour but Practitioner robes instead.
Looking at the quality of her robes, I'd guess she's a noble Practitioner from somewhere and she's travelling through here with her posse. Why a noble would come to such a place is beyond me.
Ah, maybe that's the deal with this town? Their trade lies primarily with noble goods that they don't show to commoners like me?
No, no, no. If that was the case, this inn would be a tad more luxurious than this. No noble in their right mind would assent to staying at a rundown place like this.
"When they say this place was unremarkable, they really meant it, huh?" The woman commented, her gaze sweeping the room.
I felt her gaze pause at me for a few moments before moving on, most likely also sensing that I was an outsider.
She reached up and smacked one of her companions on the head, causing him to stumble forward.
"What are you standing around here for? Do you need me to tell you what to do you useless slave?"
The man quickly muttered words of apologies before shuffling his way forward towards the counter, asking for a room to stay in.
The innkeeper inspected them for a moment before turning back to him, "Just one room for the night?"
"The rest of us will stay in the stables with the horses, if you don't mind."
"Not at all, one room for the missus with food included will be five silvers."
The woman smashed her fist on a table nearby, causing it to explode into splinters. Unfortunately the table she chose to smash was the one that I was currently sitting at.
"Five silvers for this trash of a place?! You have got to be joking!" She screeched.
The innkeeper shook his head, "It is completely reasonable, my lady. We are the only inn in this town. Unless my lady wishes to sleep outside… Those are our rates."
"This place isn't even worth ten coppers, much less five silvers! You dare charge me such blatantly exorbitant prices for this place?! Do you know who I am?!"
Sensing an imminent conflict that I had no wish to involve myself in, I slowly stood up from my seat and pressed myself against the wall, making myself as inconspicuous as possible.
The innkeeper surprisingly kept his cool, "My lady, it's a price set by our Mistress, Baroness Tian. I'm afraid that if you are unhappy with the price, you will have to find her to discuss it…"
She clucked her tongue, "A mere Baroness thinks she can act so impudently in front of me? Does she want her town to be burned down that much?"
"No, not at all, my lady," The innkeeper shook his head frantically. "If it pleases you… I can let my lady stay for free, even with meals provided as an apology for our rudeness!"
She nodded her head, "Hmmm… That should be adequate enough. Very well, I shall take you up on your offer! You there, servant boy! Bring my luggage up!"
Huh… Seems like I was not inconspicuous enough.
The person she was pointing at to bring her luggage was me.
She didn't even wait for me to say anything before she snapped her fingers, prompting one of her followers to drop her things in front of me.
I turned to the innkeeper and he was deliberately averting his eyes, as though telling me that he did not want to be involved anymore.
The woman had already started going up the stairs, while her followers had filed out of the inn, presumably to head towards the stables. That left me no chance to deny her request.
Not wanting to make a big scene and draw attention to myself, I picked up her things and trudged after her quietly.
I noted that almost everyone began whispering to each other while looking at me, they must have found it amusing that the person who knocked out their friend actually allowed himself to be treated like a servant.
Although I was a bit worried when I heard words like "Poison", "Drug them", "Ransom" amongst the whispers, I ultimately decided it was absolutely not my problem as long as it does not become one of mine.
What's more, the fact that this woman was glaring daggers at me from the staircase prompted me to work just a little faster. Last thing I wanted was to create a big commotion here and draw attention to myself.
Xun Guan did try to suggest she take care of her but a quick smack from me silenced that dangerous suggestion.
Let's just hope we're not room neighbours, something tells me she's going to be quite the troublesome one…
