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"Huff... Huff..."
Detta was out of breath. They had been traveling nonstop for three days, chasing the trail of a mysterious person who went by the name Paisley.
They had crossed the entire Weeping Plain in just two and a half days, barely resting for even an hour. It was nearly noon when they entered the territory of Duke Rosa Alba—Detta could tell by the small hills beginning to rise around the edges of the plain.
"We'll rest here for a minute," Dracula said, standing ahead of her on a low mound. She sighed in relief.
Dracula took out a bottle, drank from it, then handed it to Detta.
"Thanks, Senior," she said.
"Don't be so formal with me. It's awkward."
"How can I not? You're the reason I've come this far," Detta replied, eyes twinkling with admiration as she took a sip.
Dracula let out a long sigh. "Haven't we been through this already?"
"Nope. Doesn't matter how many times you say it—I won't change."
"Fine, I give up," Dracula said, raising both hands in mock surrender.
After drinking, Detta looked ahead and spotted a town in the distance. Just seeing it seemed to ease her fatigue.
"We'll rest properly once we reach the town," Dracula said, not looking the least bit tired. And so, they continued on.
---
The town of Roslyn was located not far from Castle Grandrock, the capital of Duke Rosa Alba. It served as an outpost to keep watch over one of the most famous ruins—the Graveyard of the Gods.
Roslyn was full of adventurers year-round, except in spring when the Great Festival was held to celebrate the victory over the Abyss.
It was nearly dusk when the two travelers passed through the town gates. The guards barely glanced at them—it was a common time for adventurers to return from their work. They entered the town without issue.
"Senior, let's find an inn first. I'm tired and... um... I smell," Detta said with an embarrassed look as she sniffed herself.
"Let's do that."
---
"One silver for the double room—includes water and food for the night," said the plump proprietress, rubbing a glass with a rag. She leaned closer and whispered, "I'm giving you a discount, not many adventurers around just yet."
Dracula rolled his eyes and gave in. "Fine, we'll take it," he said, flicking a silver coin onto the counter.
"Right!" The proprietress grinned as she pocketed the coin. "Dinner will be ready shortly. Here's your key. Clean yourselves up with the warm water inside and come down to eat."
---
Creak...
They entered the room. It had one large bed, a small table and chair, and a tub of warm water placed at the foot of the bed.
"You clean up first," Dracula said.
"No, you go first," Detta replied.
"I don't sweat. And at this point, I don't smell either. Just do as I say."
"I-If you say so," Detta murmured, ears flushing as she glanced at the tub.
"Eat dinner without me. I'll be back soon," Dracula added, then jumped out the window and vanished into the dark.
Detta sighed in relief—too embarrassed by her own state to argue further.
---
Dracula moved swiftly, leaping from rooftop to rooftop until he reached the center of town, where the adventurer's guild was located. Spotting the familiar large red dome glowing in the dusk, he dropped down onto the street, straightened his clothes, and stepped inside.
"Welcome to the guild," a bored female voice greeted him as he entered the wide front doors.
The lobby was shaped like an 'n'—workers inside the curve, adventurers and visitors on the outside.
It was night, and with fewer adventurers around, the staff was sparse. Dracula spotted three others—one man and two women—beside the one who'd greeted him.
"'A'-rank adventurer check-in," he said, placing a silver card—roughly the size of a dog tag—on the counter.
The worker's bored expression changed immediately upon seeing the card.
"Adventurer identification confirmed. It's a pleasure doing business with you," she said with a cheerful tone. "My name is Lucinta. Please refer to me if you need a task or have a request."
"I need information on the ruins—urgently."
"Official info requesting is proceed in the morning," Lucinta replied. Then, after glancing around, she leaned closer. "But I'll look it up now. You can pick it up from me first thing. Faster than the usual way."
"Good. I'll do that," he said, turning and walking out into the night.
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