Chapter 11

The "Red-Faced Sheep" Inn seemed to cater to adventurers who stayed for long periods, with rooms mostly being single or double occupancy. It also apparently offered a storage service in the attic for luggage, for those who went on long journeys for guard duties. The room prepared for Al was also a single room. For a magician like him, who often read spell books late into the night to master them, this was a welcome arrangement.

After finishing his dinner, he hurried back to his room without much of a thank you. He promptly took out the new concealment spell book he had obtained. Just because he had the spell book did not mean he could use the spell immediately; it required a considerable amount of time to master. This spell was a third-tier spell, which generally took a year to learn if one studied for an hour each day. Mastering a spell required a great deal of concentration, and most magicians, being tired from their daily lives, found it difficult to do more than that, and thus were satisfied with mastering a few spells.

However, Al was different. He loved magic so much that he could study for five or six hours a day without getting tired. Moreover, he enjoyed reading spell books so much that he had almost memorized their contents. As a result, he could compare multiple spell books and think about their meanings, which allowed him to learn more efficiently.

As a result, for a third-tier illusion spell he had recently mastered, it took him about 20 days to be able to cast it, and about a month to cast it without fail.

With the new spell book in hand, he couldn't stop smiling.

"Well, what kind of spell is this...?"

Al hummed a tune as he unrolled the spell book. The parchment, about 30 cm high and 2 meters wide, was densely covered with complex circles, symbols, and text. Each symbol and circle represented various elements. He leaned in and began to examine it slowly. Midway through, he took out a bundle of parchments he had brought and compared them, muttering to himself, "This is this, and that is that..."

...

...

How many times had he repeated this? It was around dawn when he finally raised his head, rubbed his shoulder, and looked around. Noticing the morning sun coming in through the window, he stretched and frowned.

"Ah, it's already morning, I did it again. When I get a new one, I just can't stop..."

The hardworking people were probably getting ready to leave their homes. He began to tidy up the spell books and parchments that were scattered around. After extinguishing the light he had lit with a light spell, the room was left with only the faint morning light. He collapsed onto the bed.

"I'll just sleep a little... It feels similar to the illusion spell, but the part where you select the target is a bit different. Unlike illusions, you don't have to control the image that appears..."

Even as he lay down, he continued to mutter, but he must have been very tired, as he soon began to snore.

-----

The next day after Al stayed at the "Red-Faced Sheep" Inn, in the inn's backyard, Laus's wife, Laureine, and his daughter, Iris, were skillfully doing laundry and hanging it out to dry. The sun was almost at its highest point, so it was around noon.

"Hey, Mom, that person hasn't woken up yet."

Iris asked her mother, Laureine. The person she was referring to was Al, the benefactor who had brought her father and brother back yesterday. He looked to be about her age, but he seemed experienced as an adventurer. According to what she had heard, he was a magician, but he didn't act arrogantly and didn't speak rudely like other adventurers; he was kind to her, which made her a little happy.

"Hmm, yes. He might be tired from traveling a long distance, but it is a bit late. Could you knock on his door and call out to him? Don't go into the room, though, since he's not a child anymore."

"Okay, I will."

She stopped her laundry work, stood up, and adjusted the hem of her faded apron dress, which she had inherited from her mother. She entered the building from the courtyard and started to go up the stairs. There, she noticed the sound of someone running and doors opening and closing on the second floor.

"! Could this sound mean he's awake?"

Almost simultaneously, Al appeared at the top of the stairs, looking flustered.

"Good morning. Oh, I overslept."

He said this as he hurried down the stairs. His buttons were fastened, but his long, free-flowing golden hair, which reached his back, was wild. Al looked a bit embarrassed as he fiddled with his hair when he saw Iris's face.

"Um, I'll clean the room myself, so if you could please not go in... And can I use the well in the courtyard?"

Al's appearance made Iris smile.

"Sure, I won't go into the room. But don't leave valuables behind. You can use the well, and the bucket next to it is also available. However, be careful as drinking the water directly can upset your stomach. If you have any dirty clothes, we can wash them for you for 30 copper coins per piece. The price may vary depending on the dirt and material, so please be aware. And... your hair is a mess."

"Huh?"

Al, looking flustered, instinctively touched his hair. Seeing this, Iris couldn't help but giggle.

"Ah, when I was a kid, my older sister used to cut it for me. But since I joined the dorm, it's been too much trouble... I should cut it soon."

"Al, you have an older sister? What do you mean by 'dorm'?"

"Yup, I have two. By the way, I also have two older brothers and one younger sister. The one who used to cut my hair was my oldest sister. The dorm is the boarding house of a middle school in the capital. I just graduated this year."

While saying this, he repeatedly combed his hair with his fingers. The messy hair gradually came together, and after a while, he was able to tie it up. He wrapped a string around it a few times to secure it.

"If you'd like, I can cut your hair. I'm not the best, but I do cut all the hair in my family."

"Wow, that would be a big help. But I have a lot to do today, so could I ask you another time when I have more time?"

Al said this with a happy smile.

"Sure, of course. Just let me know whenever you're ready."

"Okay, I'm going out... Oh, could you tell me where the Revi Company's store and the Adventurer's Guild are?"

"Of course. This city is built on a hill, with the lord's mansion at the highest point. From there, four main roads extend in the cardinal directions. There are also circular roads called ring roads, which are named from the one closest to the lord's mansion as the 1st Ring Road, 2nd Ring Road, and so on. This inn is closest to the 3rd Ring Road on the East Main Road, so it's on East 3rd Street. The northern side of East Main Road, like our inn, is relatively safe, but the southern side has poor security, so be careful. The main store of the Revi Company is on North 1st Street, and the Adventurer's Guild is on West 2nd Street. Both are large buildings near the intersections of the main roads and ring roads, so you should be able to find them easily."

Al nodded at Iris's explanation. The city, being planned, had wide and clearly laid out roads. Laureine, who had been listening to their conversation, approached and offered a slice of black bread.

"I'm sorry, but I've already cleared away the stew, so this is all I have for breakfast. At our inn, breakfast is served between the second and third morning bells, and dinner is served within an hour after the evening bell. If you don't come to the table during these times, we can't serve you, as we need to clean up."

"Same as the dorm. Of course, that's fine."

Al took the bread and bit into it, chewing while checking his belt knife and belt pouch.

"Okay, I'm going out. I'll be back by the evening bell. There might be suspicious men around, so be careful."

"Got it. Thanks for the warning." "You be careful too, Al."

He waved lightly to Laureine and Iris and left energetically.

Thank you for reading.

I plan to post twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, at 10 AM. I appreciate your support.

Thank you for the typo corrections. I always find them helpful.

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May 4, 2023 - Corrected "courtyard" to "backyard"