Anomaly - 45 Freetime 3 24

Right now they stood in front of the outer wall of the castle. The seven of them all wore rough clothing of far lower quality than until now, had big backpacks on their backs and each wore a travelers cloak.

Aside from that, they were all lightly armed, with Allan being the only one without any weapons.

All in all, they looked like an average group travelers, or so he assumed. Well, not quite, looking at everyone like this Allan realized that every single one of them was rather good looking, way above average in that regard.

Realizing this fact Allan wondered once again if this was also a criterion to be chosen as a hero. It wasn’t the first time he pondered on this question in that last month if he wasn’t able to do something else at that moment. He even asked the princess once about this with her answer being:

„Maybe, i never heard of any hero that didn’t have good looks at least.”

But that didn’t mean anything in the end as most heroes tales were exaggerated to some extent. Additionally, the number of successful hero summonings were rather low. On average there would only be four successful summonings within one hundred years on the whole continent.

Hero summonings just didn’t happen often enough, and every country would keep all informations heroes for themselves. That was why the most that was known about them were their achievements in form of folk tales. It was impossible to start a research on heroes, and especially on something ridiculous as the question if good look were a requirement to become a hero.

„You all look perfect! Like this no one should suspect you. Remember, you are a group of travellers, on your way to the western border. You arrived yesterday at the first wall but the gates were already closed for the night and you entered first thing this morning and you are searching for a suitable inn to stay at, while resting in the capital for a few days. That should do for a background.

We gave you some money, and it is by far enough to stay a few days in a good inn. You can use whatever is left however you want, but please try at least not to get scammed, some merchants can be rather vicious after all… Did i forget anything?”

They, who were supposed to be heroes were given a sermon by the princess right now, like a mother would for her children. They felt pretty weird considering that she was younger than most of them, and by a few years at that.

„Well, even if i forgot anything you should be able to figure out the rest by yourself. Oh, naturally you aren’t allowed to say that you are summoned heroes, most wouldn’t believe it in the first place, but it would be troublesome if rumors spread, it is still to early.”

At this point, Aya could barely prevent herself from answering with an annoyed:

„Yes, Mom!”

Even as a hero, she shouldn’t make fun of the princess.

„Until later then, have a good time in the city.”

It was early morning, shortly after the city gates opened, and no one was on the streets right now. At least in the noble district. Even though most nobles were at least level 50, and thous didn’t need as much sleep, they used the nighttime strictly for office work and would leave the house to start socializing only when the sun stood rather high in the sky.

This way many commoners thought that nobles were all lazy, but it was still better than the rumors about nobles being vampires and sucking blood at night. Or that nobles go around at night to kidnap children. Who had ever said that being a noble was a thankful job?

Only when they left the confines of the first wall and entered the merchant district could they see the first few peoples on the streets, preparing to start businesses for the day.

After they had looked around for some time, they finally found a suitable inn and entered. It wasn’t the best inn that one could find, but that wasn’t what they were looking for in the first place. As long as the beds were good and they got food in the morning and evening it would be fine. After all, they were here not to stay in their rooms but to have fun in the city.

The young woman at the reception counter greeted them and asked:

„A good day, how may i help you?”

Taking a step to the front Cale answered:

„We would like some rooms for the next two nights. Are there any free ones?”

„I’m very sorry sir, right now there aren’t any free rooms. But some rooms become free today, and should be ready in the afternoon. Until then we could offer you a room were you can leave your baggage, if you pay for the rooms right now it’s free.”

„Hmm, that sounds good. How are prices? And what about food?”

„Sir is quite lucky, there are five rooms that get free today, one single person room, three with two beds and one with three. The basic price is 15 silver and a further 5 silver for every extra bed. You can either eat outside, or you get a simple dinner and Lunch here for 1 silver each.”

The money that was used here were mainly copper, silver and gold coins. A hundred copper for one silver, and a hundred silver for one gold. Then there where also the half silver and half gold, which were basically coins that got cut in half, effectively halving their value and giving them a very distinct form. But these were only used by commoners, single stores and some small scale merchants. Everything of higher value, especially high level artifacts were traded almost exclusively with magic metals. And those only came in weight units but not as coins.

Every one in their group had a gold coin hidden somewhere on their bodies and a pouch with one half gold thirty silver and twenty copper on their belt. When compared with the papermoney and many different kinds of coins of the modern world, this was rather unpractical.

„I think we should take the three rooms in that case, do we have to decide on the food right now?”

„No sir, we need to know about your dinner before noon the same day and lunch in the evening on the day before. That makes…”, the woman started pushing around some pebbles on a calculation table and answered a moment later.

„One gold and thirty silver, sir.”

Giving her one gold and a half gold he told her:

„Dinner today and lunch tomorrow as well please, ignore the rest.”

‚Ignore the rest’ was nothing else but this worlds way of giving someone a tipp. Basically saying that it didn’t matter what happened with the rest of the money.

Opening a small room behind the counter with a key, she said:

„Please, your baggage.”

After everyone had put their bags down, which were mostly for camouflage purposes in the end, they all gathered together again. The Lady locked the little room again and have the Key to Cale.

„Well then, what now?”