Ash stopped his jeep in front of a building that had a sign indicating it was an inn and parked it right outside.
He and Jagu then got out and entered the inn.
Inside the inn, many people were sitting and eating in the restaurant. The atmosphere of the inn, designed to resemble the medieval era, was bustling with visitors.
When Ash entered, all the patrons briefly turned their attention to him and the black jaguar accompanying him. However, after a few moments of curiosity, they returned to their own activities.
Ash approached the reception desk, which resembled a tall hotel reception counter from the modern world and had a registration tag for check-ins.
The innkeeper, an elderly man wearing reading glasses that rested at the tip of his nose, lifted his half-bald head and looked at Ash.
He observed Ash's disheveled and dirty appearance, his messy hair, and the black jaguar at his side.
Then, he asked, "Do you need a room, young man?"
Ash nodded and asked, "Will there be a bathroom inside?"
The old man replied, "Yes. But the price will be higher."
"That's fine," said Ash. "How much is it?"
"The price is two gold coins per night," the man replied as he placed a key on the desk.
"Your room is on the third floor, room number 309," the man said.
Ash paid him, took the key, and climbed the stairs to his room.
He noticed that all the spaces in the inn were clean, which pleased him. His room was located at the far end of the hallway from the stairs, and that made him even happier, knowing no one would disturb him.
When he opened the door to his room, he found it was also clean, complete with a private bathroom and toilet.
As usual, Jagu sniffed around the entire room before jumping onto the bed and sprawling out.
Ash let him be, but then he accidentally caught a glimpse of his reflection in the tall mirror in the room.
He saw how disheveled he looked—his clothes covered in dust, his face dirty, and his hair long and unkempt.
"Tomorrow, I'll try to find someone here who can cut my hair," he thought as he took off his dirty clothes, tossed them into the trash, and headed for a shower.
After changing into clean clothes, he said to Jagu, "I'm going downstairs to eat. You just stay here and rest, okay?"
Jagu lazily lifted its eyelids for a moment before going back to sleep.
Smiling, Ash left the room, closed the door, and headed toward the restaurant.
He ordered food, delighted by the wide variety on the menu, which only made him hungrier. Without hesitation, he ordered two large crabs, a portion of baked potatoes, a bowl of seafood soup, and a large glass of beer.
"It's been so long since I've had seafood," he thought happily, as he observed and listened to the conversations of the other patrons.
"Did you hear? Yesterday, another celebrity ended up in this world," said a man sitting not far from where Ash was seated.
"Who? A man or a woman?" his companion asked.
"A woman. This time it's a young actress named Yin Ah," the first man replied. "My friend who works at the White Guild told me about it."
"If it's a young actress, she's probably pretty. Not bad," his companion added, and they both laughed.
Ash shifted his attention to other patrons dining elsewhere in the restaurant.
This time, a group consisting of one woman and two men, equipped with armor and weapons, sat across from him. A large shield was propped against the side of their table.
"Searching for objects in the Fendi Desert is seriously challenging, you know. Is your task really to go there now?" the woman asked one of her companions.
The woman wore a tank top and shorts, with silver armor covering her shoulders and knees. Her build was muscular, and her dark brown hair was tied back in a ponytail.
The friend dressed entirely in black, with messy short blond hair, asked in return, "What exactly guards the Fendi Desert?"
The other man, shirtless and wearing armor only on his shoulders, replied, "There are a lot of earthworms there, idiot."
"Yes, that's true," the woman added. "And they're huge."
"Hmm. But I'm not alone. I'm with the Drogo team members, led by Vanthe this time," the man in black said defensively.
"Oh, in that case, you're safe," the woman replied, followed by an approving nod from the shirtless man.
'Drogo team members?' Ash thought. The crucial thing he wanted to accomplish in this place was infiltrating the inner core of Drogo Castle, a goal he could achieve by joining the object retrieval team.
Ash believed that within every group, there would be a special membership dedicated to object retrieval, as these objects were essential for individuals to safely level up.
When his food arrived, he ate while continuing to listen to their conversation. He picked up a bit more information, such as the fact that Vanthe was one of the strongest members of the Drogo team, along with other tidbits he deemed important to remember.
With a subtle smile, he sipped the warm seafood soup and enjoyed his meal leisurely.
Once he finished eating, he left the inn to search for a barber. A city this large was bound to have a place to get a haircut.
Ash disliked having long hair and felt completely uncomfortable with his current unkempt state.
After asking a few people on the streets for directions, he finally found a barber and got his hair cut there.
During his visit, he also gained some knowledge about the city.
This place was exceptionally well-organized in terms of governance, and its ruler was named Drogo, whom the locals regarded as the King of the city.
The friendly barber explained that in this city, there were no taxes, and Drogo ruled with fairness.
He also formed a team resembling law enforcement to maintain the security of the city.
Hearing the barber's glowing praise of Drogo, Ash began to feel puzzled. If Drogo was truly as benevolent as described, why would someone like Liliana choose to be his spy?