“Are you two in a hurry?” The carriage driver said this, looking at the two of them with a fawning expression. “You must be siblings, right? You look like you’re from a wealthy family. My carriage isn’t just fast; it’s also smooth. I promise you won’t feel a single bump while riding.”
“With roads as well-built as those in the capital, if your carriage could cause bumps, I’d be more worried about my safety.” Orson didn’t fall for it and instead responded to the carriage driver with a cold sneer. “And by the way, we’re brothers. Your observational skills don’t seem to be that great.”
“My apologies, my apologies! I didn’t realize!” The driver quickly bowed and began apologizing profusely.
Seeing the driver’s humble attitude, Orson nodded slightly.
“Alright, take us to the Starry Inn. Can you do that?”
“Uh... the area around there is a restricted zone for passenger carriages, so I can only take you to the entrance of the district...” The driver’s expression turned awkward at the mention of the Starry Inn.
“Fine, just drop us off at the entrance,” Orson said, handing over the fare.
“Sir, about this amount...” The driver hesitated, looking at the money in his hand.
“Don’t try to pull anything with me. I’ve traveled this route many times, and the price I gave you is fair. You’re not going to overcharge someone like me, are you?” Orson said, flashing the family crest pinned to his chest.
“Well? Are you taking us or not? If not, I’ll find someone else.”
“No, no, please, hop on!” The driver, realizing he was dealing with someone sharp, had no choice but to comply and let them onto his carriage.
—
After getting off the carriage, Litte looked at Orson with some confusion.
“Orson, was it really necessary to haggle with that driver? I mean, judging by his tattered clothes, he probably has a family to support and needs the extra money...”
“Litte, you don’t understand.” Orson pointed to the departing carriage.
“Don’t be fooled by his shabby clothes. Look at him—he’s strong, full of energy, and speaks so confidently about his carriage.”
“Does he look like someone who’s short on money?!”
“He dresses like that on purpose, to prey on inexperienced young people like you.”
“What!? Really?” Litte’s face flushed with indignation.
“Of course it’s true.” Orson nodded. “People like him make a living by overcharging customers. For all you know, he could have hundreds of gold coins saved up at home. If you show him sympathy, he’ll turn around and treat you like an easy target.”
“Ugh! People like that are the worst!”
“Exactly. That’s why you need to be able to recognize them,” Orson said, patting Litte’s head before leading him toward the affluent district.
—
The Starry Inn, where they planned to stay, was the same inn Orson had used during his entrance exam visit a year ago.
The name alone set it apart—it wasn’t called a “tavern” or a “lodge” like ordinary establishments, but an “inn,” signaling its upscale nature.
Located in the wealthy district, the Starry Inn was surrounded by top-notch commercial facilities. If guests didn’t like the food served at the inn, they could easily dine at any of the nearby high-end restaurants.
Additionally, catering specifically to nobles visiting the capital, the Starry Inn was designed to make guests feel at home. Every piece of furniture and every amenity in the inn was among the most luxurious available on the market.
Naturally, such luxury came at a steep price. A single day’s stay at the Starry Inn cost more than what an average family needed for several years of living expenses.
—
“Welcome,” greeted a beautiful elven receptionist as they entered the inn.
In Saint Roland City, encountering individuals of various races wasn’t uncommon, as it was the largest city on the continent.
Known for their intelligence, agility, and beauty, elves were highly sought after in the service industry, and this receptionist was no exception.
The moment Litte stepped into the inn, her gaze fixated on the elven receptionist.
It wasn’t the receptionist’s beauty that caught her attention, but rather her pointed ears—something Litte had never seen before. Her curiosity was piqued.
“Please book us two single rooms until the day after tomorrow,” Orson said, pulling out a paper note.
The note was a form of credit used exclusively in high society.
The currency system in this world is still an extremely impractical gold, silver, and copper coin system. Gold coins, being the highest denomination, are rarely used in the everyday transactions of commoners, but nobles often spend dozens or even hundreds of gold coins at a time.
However, in practice, nobles typically don’t carry such large amounts of gold coins when traveling. As a result, a form of paper notes, used exclusively among the wealthy, came into existence.
The way it worked was that nobles would deposit money into a state-guaranteed treasury and receive paper notes equivalent to their deposit. The smallest denomination was 10 gold coins, with larger denominations of 50 and 100.
These paper notes were highly convenient to carry, as even a stack of 100 wouldn’t feel heavy.
As for anti-counterfeiting measures, the paper notes are crafted by the court’s grand mages, who infuse each note with magic. This magic creates a unique rhythm that can be consistently felt. If the rhythm differs, it indicates that the note is counterfeit.
In the Empire, counterfeiting paper notes was a capital offense, and even aiding in their forgery could result in severe punishment.
The elven receptionist glanced at the room availability chart, her expression turning a bit uneasy.
“I apologize, dear guests,” the elven receptionist said, bowing to the two of them. “Due to the Imperial Academy entrance exam, many of our rooms were booked out a month in advance. Currently, we only have one double room left.”
“I wonder if the two of you might be able to accept that...”
“Excuse me, is the double room equipped with one bed or two?” Orson asked.
“Uh... it has one large bed...”
“Hmm...” Orson rubbed his chin before looking at Litte. “Litte, what do you think?”
“Huh?” Litte, who had been staring at the receptionist’s ears, snapped out of her daze. Seeing Orson addressing her, she froze for a moment before replying, “Uh, I’m fine with whatever...”
“Alright then.” Orson nodded. “We’ll take the double room for three nights. I really should have booked earlier—your inn’s popularity is no joke.”
“Haha, we’ll take your feedback into consideration,” the receptionist said with a polite laugh, pulling out the room ledger. “Please register your information here.”
“Sure.” Orson nodded.
To ensure the privacy of guests, each room had its own separate ledger, so no one could see the names of other guests when registering.
After Orson and Litte wrote down their names, they handed the ledger back to the receptionist.
The receptionist glanced at the names and blinked in surprise.
“Orson Stranick and Litte Stranick, correct?”
“Mm.” Orson and Litte both nodded.
“Understood. Your room is number 301. Here are your room keys; there are two of them,” the receptionist said, handing them the keys.
“Thank you.” Orson expressed his gratitude, then led Litte upstairs.