“Right, my cloak…” Meanwhile, after dragging Sara out of that outrageously overpriced snake-infested inn, Li Xian realized he had somehow lost his cloak.
It was probably during the chase after that Fox Girl, maybe left behind in that alley.
What a shame—he actually liked that cloak…
After all, wearing a cloak gave off a cooler vibe.
But there was no need to go back and search for it now; the alley was still quite far from here.
Besides, it wasn’t anything valuable.
He could just buy another one later.
Cloaks weren’t really suited for walking around the city anyway; wearing one on the Imperial Capital’s streets just looked odd.
That kind of gear was better saved for leaving the city—to hunt Magic Beasts in the Northern Wildwood or when taking on quests.
It was already getting close to dusk, the sun about to set.
Finding that outrageously priced inn had wasted a lot of time.
If he didn’t quickly find a place to stay, tonight would be spent sleeping on the streets.
Fortunately, the previous inn was, after all, the highest-end one in the Imperial Capital, located in a very bustling area.
Finding another inn nearby in such a busy district shouldn’t be too difficult.
Before long, Li Xian and Sara found a second inn.
This one was also in a busy area, though a little more secluded compared to the last.
It still looked decent.
“This one will have to do,” Li Xian said, glancing at the dimming sky.
At this hour, there was obviously no choice left.
They entered the inn.
Since it was located in a bustling part of the Imperial Capital, although it was a step down from the previous one, it still gave off a fairly high-class atmosphere.
Having learned from the last time, Li Xian didn’t immediately ask for the most expensive room.
Instead, he went straight to the front desk and calmly inquired about the price first.
“Welcome, sir. Are you looking to stay overnight?” the clerk asked.
“Yes, um… may I ask about your room rates?” Li Xian replied.
“For a standard double room, it’s ten Gold Coins per night,” the clerk said, glancing at Sara beside Li Xian.
Li Xian breathed a slight sigh of relief.
Ten Gold Coins was still reasonable.
Though it was twice as expensive as the inn last night, considering this was in a prime location with noticeably better decor and style, it wasn’t too bad overall.
He had initially planned to book two single rooms, but seeing Sara clutching his clothes tightly and recalling the day’s earlier events, Li Xian simply took out his Magic Crystal Gold Coin card and said, “Then please book a double room. Hmm… for three nights.”
The Imperial Capital was definitely different from those remote places he had been before.
Originally, Li Xian had intended to leave after completing the quest.
The living expenses here were really high.
But after learning that raising one’s Adventurer Rank required a Profession Rank Certification, or else he’d be stuck as a Bronze forever, he reconsidered.
He couldn’t spend his whole life as a Bronze, could he?
It wasn’t just about pride; Bronze-level adventurers only got access to very limited quests, and the rewards were meager.
Despite his considerable strength, he didn’t want to live a poor life forever.
So since he was already here, he might as well stay a while.
Maybe he could find a way to get that proof and boost his Adventurer Rank.
Of course, if you asked Li Xian to go back to school for this, he wouldn’t be happy.
He’d been a student in his past life and had no intention of doing it again in another world.
As for how exactly to handle this, that was a problem for another time.
For now, staying in the Imperial Capital for a few days to gather more information about this world was a good plan…
“Sara Miss?!” Suddenly, just as Li Xian paid and prepared to leave, a somewhat familiar annoying voice called out from behind.
Sara was caught off guard.
She grabbed Li Xian’s clothes and turned her head.
In sight were two figures walking side by side into the inn.
“Is that you?” Li Xian’s brows raised immediately.
Weren’t those the two hot-headed, foul-mouthed guys he had saved near the edge of the Northern Wildwood?
The two originally seemed excited to see Sara, but the moment they caught sight of Li Xian’s face, their mood instantly soured.
They could still vividly recall Sara throwing herself into that brat’s arms earlier.
Now she was still clutching this “pretty boy’s” sleeve tightly.
It made them jealous… no, more like bitter as if they’d just eaten a sumptuous feast prepared by Extraordinary Brother, resenting the adorable little angel before them.
Such a young talent with incredible strength, yet he had to follow a weakling “pretty boy” who was too scared to face Magic Beasts and made the girl do all the fighting…
Their good mood instantly turned sour.
“Single room!” They almost simultaneously stepped up to the front desk and said the same words, clearly annoyed.
Their eyes kept darting toward Li Xian, more specifically toward the arm that Sara was clutching tightly.
The faint tension in the air made the clerk feel awkward.
He looked helplessly at the four of them, not knowing what was going on and unwilling to ask, so he could only awkwardly smile and book the two young men a room.
Li Xian shrugged and ignored them.
***
Instead, he took a moment to glance at the inn’s entrance and squinted, trying to sense if anyone was following.
No one… Seems like they didn’t continue tailing him.
Whatever, it had nothing to do with him.
“Sara, let’s go to the room.”
Li Xian said this to Sara and took her small hand.
Following the clerk’s directions, they headed toward their room.
Behind them, the two young men followed, their jealous gazes heavy with envy.
When Li Xian and Sara reached their destination and entered the double room together, the footsteps behind them suddenly stopped.
The two exchanged a glance, then looked at the now-closed door of the double room before looking at each other again…
“This… you, he…”
This was no longer just being salty.
This was straight-up dog slaughter! Shrimp meat with pig’s heart, shrimp meat with pig’s heart!