NOVEL NEXT Ch23 - Adventurer Guild and the Inn♡
Chapter 23: Adventurer Guild and the Inn♡
After walking for about five minutes along the main street from the gate of Toiria, a bustling Adventurer’s Guild, filled with burly men, comes into view. It’s an impressively large building, with the front doors always open, creating a welcoming atmosphere. It’s currently evening, so people who have finished their quests are likely gathering here. The lively voices can be heard even from outside, giving the impression of a refreshingly athletic crowd.
“Wow… it’s so big…”
Rena muttered, seemingly lost in thought. The reference she made would only be understood by a Japanese person, so there was no problem with her odd statement.
“Haru-kun, could you shrink down with [Size Change]?”
“Sure!”
Since it was their first time entering the Toiria Guild, they wanted to avoid standing out as much as possible. Hamal, the creature, shrunk down to about the size of a watermelon to avoid any accidental bumps or confrontations.
Rena held the slime and the sheep together in her arms, while Lily, in her fairy form, disappeared and sat on Rena’s shoulder.
“Alright, let’s go!” “Oooh!”
After talking quietly to her familiars, Rena, slightly nervous, stepped into the Adventurer’s Guild.
“…Excuse me…”
She moved along the very edge of the main entrance, almost creeping like a timid newcomer.
“Wow!”
Once inside, the scale and energy of the place made Rena stop in her tracks near the wall, overwhelmed. The first floor of the guild housed the quest reception counters and the material purchasing section, while the second floor was a dining hall. The delicious smells seemed to stimulate the appetites of returning adventurers, and large plates of food were being carried out one after another. Massive servings were quickly vanishing into the adventurers’ bellies.
At the quest counter, reports of completed requests were flooding in, and the receptionists were extremely busy. Though they were all beautiful women, by evening, their smiles had become strained. One woman, dealing with a complaining adventurer, had an intense look on her face as she verbally berated him—a truly formidable sight.
As Rena searched around for the quest bulletin board, a huge bald man standing next to her spoke up, startling her with his intimidating appearance.
“Hey, little miss. You here to sell some monster materials? What kind of party leaves a small girl like you unattended? Uh… the purchasing counter is over there, but I gotta say, with just slime jelly and that tiny sheep, you won’t make much money. You’re better off cooking them yourself or getting the dining hall to prepare them for you.”
Despite his rough appearance, he seemed to be a kind person. Rena, who had initially been a bit scared of him, relaxed as Lily patted her head, reassuring her that he wasn’t lying.
“No, I’m not here to sell materials! These monsters are my precious companions. You see, I’m a monster tamer! My name is Rena Toudou. Nice to meet you. I was just looking for the quest bulletin board.”
When Rena spoke normally, the bald adventurer looked surprised. Perhaps, as Aisha had advised her, her slightly informal speech helped. The man gave a sheepish grin.
“Oh, I see! Nice to meet you too. I didn’t expect a young girl like you to talk to me so casually. Usually, kids cry when they see me. But even so, I can’t help but speak up when I see someone who looks like they need help. You’re pretty brave for your size.”
“I’m not a little kid! I’m an adult!”
“Haha, joking too, huh? Even better.”
“It’s true…!”
Unfortunately, without any noticeable curves, Rena looked like nothing more than a child. Her wide, surprised black eyes made her look even younger, drawing warm smiles from those around her.
“Could you tell me where the bulletin board is?”
Giving up on further defending her age, Rena asked about the location of the board. The man nodded and pointed to the side of the counter. It was in an obvious spot, but it had been blocked from her view by the crowd of adventurers submitting their requests.
“Ah, I wonder if I can even check it right now…”
“Why, are you looking to take on a quest, or are you here to post one?”
The bald man, seemingly pleased that Rena was talking to him normally, asked her politely.
“Well, I’m not planning to take one immediately, but I was thinking of doing a simple quest tomorrow. Since it’s my first time at this guild, I wanted to see what kind of requests are available.”
“Oh! That’s a great mindset. It’s always good to gather information early! You can never be too prepared. Good for you. So, what’s your guild card rank?”
“The lowest, G-rank…”
“No need to feel small about that. In that case, I recommend herb gathering or mushroom collecting. They’re easy and don’t have a set deadline, so they’re always available. There are also personal requests like house cleaning or grass cutting. The place will be quieter first thing in the morning, so if you come early, you should be able to take a good quest. The best ones go fast!”
“Thank you so much for all the information!”
“No problem. It feels good to be thanked. Good luck! Every young adventurer starts from these simple tasks. It brings back memories. Just don’t rush into anything too hard—there are plenty who’ve died from taking on difficult requests too soon.”
“Yes. I don’t want to die, and as long as I can earn enough for my living, that’s all I need. I won’t push myself too hard.”
“…That’s the way to do it! Funny thing is, people like you sometimes end up becoming high-ranking adventurers. Once you’re making money, treat me to a meal, okay? Haha! I’d love to treat you today, but… I’ve gotta help some younger members of my party train. How about we grab a meal some other time?”
“Isn’t that a bit too much…?”
“Nah, think of it as my way of showing gratitude for this great meeting today! Haha… I’d love to drink the night away! Oh, and if you don’t mind, maybe you could become friends with my party members? They’re just adults now, but there’s no one their age in the group. You seem easy to talk to. If we meet again, I’ll call out to you!”
Lily gently patted her master’s head. …People like this tend to do even more for you if you decline, so I decided to graciously accept his goodwill.
“…Alright. I’ll look forward to your invitation next time!”
“Yeah! See ya! Gahaha!”
The loud, burly man left with big, heavy steps. I didn’t catch his name, but with such a distinctive appearance, there’s no way I’ll forget him. I’ll ask next time.
Since he spoke so loudly, even Lena ended up attracting some attention. With the information I needed gathered, I decided to leave the guild quickly.
Apologizing in my head to the receptionist, who kept glancing at my cute familiar, I turned on my heels and briskly left the Adventurer’s Guild, heading toward the inn.
▸ Lena met the bald adventurer!
▸ She made a promise to have a meal together.
＊＊＊
The town was now bathed in a soft lavender hue, though the streetlights gently illuminated the path, providing more than enough light. Grateful for that, we leisurely made our way toward the inn. It had been a while since Lena had felt such a sense of civilization, having gotten used to the pitch darkness of camping at night.
And finally, they arrived at the inn in question…
“…This is… the place, right?”
『Yaaaan!』
『Hehehe, oh my stomach hurts!』
『So bright!』
Alright, let’s recall the information I got at the tourist office about the inn♡. The name of the inn we’re staying at tonight is “Lulu the Succubus’s Inn♡”.
The exterior was flashy, and the owner was a succubus demon.
…This doesn’t bode well. I’d heard that the quality and service of the inn were good, but what kind of “service” is this going to be? Just the appearance of this inn♡ in front of us is making me think some pretty indecent things.
But it’s not like my familiars and I are thinking unnecessary pink thoughts.
“…”
『…』
Once my familiars quieted down after their outburst, a single seductive voice escaped from the inn.
A cold sweat began to drip down Lena’s back.
The shocking pink neon lights that illuminated the frozen group were blinding. Though the building itself followed the country’s standard, with tan brick walls and a red roof, the garish lights coiled around it like some over-the-top decoration, twinkling like an illumination display.
It reminded me of those… certain hotels in Japan. Ahem!
“Ugh…”
Please, no more neon signs with “Welcome” written in pink.
Even though I hesitated, time kept ticking away. I was paying for the night, after all, so the sooner we got to our room, the better. Being the thrifty girl I am, I calculated that it made more sense to get inside quickly. With my head burning, I finally opened the door!
“Welcome♡!”
I slammed it shut!
▸ Lena is extremely confused…
The door was opened again from the inside, and the owner, a succubus, appeared.
“…Oh my! If you slam the door that hard, young lady, it might break, you know?”
“I-I’m so sorry…”
I’d been scolded. A moment ago, she was striking a sensual pose at the reception desk, but somehow, she’d managed to walk over to the entrance at lightning speed and opened the door herself.
As soon as I closed the door, she had it open again in a flash.
…Was it just my imagination, or did her red eyes gleam a bit when she saw me?
With one hand on her slim waist, the succubus looked down at Lena, then smiled brightly, trying to put her at ease and casually motioned for her to come inside.
“Come now, there’s no need to tremble at the door. Step on in!”
That didn’t sound natural at all. The black dress, perfectly fitted to her slender figure, and the short pink hair made her look quite alluring, enough to make even Lena’s heart race, despite being the same gender.
The succubus’s allure is… intense.
“Excuse me for intruding…”
Seeing the hesitance in Lena as she timidly entered, the succubus blinked in surprise. Realizing the reason, she chuckled and swiftly handed Lena the key to her room with a wink.
“Welcome!
To Lulu the Succubus’s Inn♡!
You must be Lena the Tamer♡. We’ve been expecting you!
You’ll be staying for a week with no meals, only room use, right?
The price is 3,000 Ril, paid in advance. Each room comes with a private bath.
Feel free to use it whenever you like.
Just one thing—our bathrobes are for in-house use only, so please don’t take them with you, alright?”
“I understand that you’re traveling with familiars, so I’ll guide you to a room with a queen-sized bed. As long as you clean up your familiars, it’s perfectly fine for them to use the bed too.”
“Oh, that’s such a relief! There’s even a bathroom in the room. This is so luxurious… Such great service at such a reasonable price—how wonderful!”
“Thank you!”
The hotel, with its bath-equipped rooms, might seem like a place with a certain reputation, but the innocent Lena didn’t realize that, simply marveling at the quality of the facilities.
“I’m mostly doing this as a hobby. Honestly, the prices are absurdly low for the amenities. You see, inns run by demonkin like succubi are typically affordable and offer great service. If you come across one in the future, please give them your patronage! …Though, you might hear some… ahem, noisy sounds here and there, but nothing too bad, right?”
“Noisy… sounds!?”
Lena froze, her face instantly turning as red as an apple, probably recalling the suggestive noises she had overheard earlier at the entrance. Her familiars, with their natural instincts as monsters, were happily playing around, completely unaffected. In comparison, their master was far more innocent in her reactions.
The succubus owner looked at the contrast between the familiars and their master and let out a hearty laugh.
“I’m just kidding! You’re adorable!”
“…Huh?”
“Don’t worry; almost no one comes here just for, you know, that. I mean, if a couple walked into a place this flashy, everyone would know what they were up to right away. It’s just too obvious! Most of our guests are seasoned adventurers who’ve been staying here for ages. Some even use it for secret meetings. Our inn is very well soundproofed, after all.”
…Wait a minute. Then what was that sound from earlier? Now Lena’s face had gone pale.
“So, that sound earlier… was it… a ghost…!?”
The idea of a ghost making those kinds of noises was a bit much to handle. Poor Lena…
“Pffft! Oh dear, you’re just the best! Hahaha! That sound was actually me! I used my skill, [Summoning Voice]. I heard from the tourism office that a little girl had made the reservation, so I couldn’t resist playing a tiny prank. Sorry about that, sweetheart!”
The owner was laughing so hard she held her stomach. Lena had been completely marked as the succubus’s perfect target for teasing, thanks to her innocent reactions.
“That was so mean! You really startled me!”
“Hehe. How about I teach you all about adult love tonight? You’re so cute; I might just get excited!”
“Eeeeeek!”
“Hahaha, you’re so adorable!”
Lena’s face turned bright red again. She quickly bowed and rushed to her room in a fluster, having been thoroughly played with by the succubus.
Though most of the succubus’s comments were just teasing, Lena was too shaken to notice Lily tapping her on the shoulder. By the time they made it into the room, Lena had finally learned the truth and collapsed in exhaustion. Looking at her familiars, who remained calm throughout, she reflected on how easily she had been swept up by the owner’s pace.
Meanwhile, back at the reception desk, the succubus owner and a rugged beastman adventurer who had appeared at some point were relaxing.
“Such an amusing little guest we had today. Hehe.”
“I saw what you were doing, Owner. You really shouldn’t tease that little girl too much. When her familiars thought their master was in danger, their eyes were… not normal. No way those are low-ranked monsters. There’s gotta be some kind of secret there. Not that you didn’t already know, right?”
“Oh, of course.”
The beastman had apparently been watching the interaction from a crack in the entrance. Though his tone was half-scolding, the succubus simply fluttered her red eyes seductively.
“I’ll be more careful next time. Honestly, if she had been interested, I wouldn’t have minded getting a little closer.”
“Come on now… You think she was worth using the Loving Gaze on?”
“What I saw… is confidential, of course. But let me tell you, she has a pure soul, and she treats her monsters with so much care. It made me happy to see.”
“Well, that’s good to hear. There are plenty of humans who take on jobs dealing with monsters, only to mistreat them. It’s pretty disgusting when you come across one of those.”
“Humans, demons, there’s always a few bad apples… Ugh! Anyway, I need to deliver some pajamas to her room now. Catch you later.”
“Forgot to prepare them in advance?”
“They’re for the familiars.”
“…Seriously?”
“Hehe.”
The [Mystic Eye] wasn’t a particularly rare gift. With her [Succubus Eye], the owner had glimpsed the souls and hidden titles of Lena and her familiars. And with the added ability of the higher-ranked succubus’s [Loving Gaze], she could gather detailed information, though it required physical contact. Still, she hadn’t gone that far, but the succubus smiled knowingly.
Lily’s soul-check hadn’t flagged the owner as a villain, but she certainly seemed like someone with a mischievous streak.
Later, the succubus knocked on the door, calling out, “Big sister’s here!” Lena, who was changing at that exact moment, screamed in surprise.
▽ You have arrived at “Succubus Lulu’s Inn♡”
▽ Next! Time to take on a quest!