Chapter 3 - Part 8 (Book 1 - Fantasy World)

Approaching the counter in a relaxed manner, Han greeted the woman.

The woman bowed slightly, "Welcome to our humble inn. If there's anything our establishment can do for you to improve your time here, feel free to let us know."

Han looked at the woman's blonde hair that tumbled over her shoulders. Compared to Elis and Molly, the woman behind the counter wore an outfit that better fit her form.

As the woman straightened, Han couldn't help but glance at the small triangle window that allowed ease of view of her modest bosom.

“A room big enough for four people," Han said. Turning to the side, he motioned for Elis and Tom's family. "The woman will need a room for herself, and the family will need one, too."

Reaching into his pocket, Han materialized several thin gold bars.

Han then placed the gold bars on the counter.

The woman's eyes widened, seeing the amount of wealth that was casually placed in front of her.

"Her reaction shows that this establishment does have some nobles who stay for the night," Han said to himself.

Han thought about how the guards reacted to the gold he'd shown them, feeling their reaction was typical. So the woman not showing much of a response meant it wasn't unusual.

Seeing that Han was not an ordinary patron, the woman said, “My Lord, for the larger group, we have a royal suite. We've made it easy for groups to be close to one another. It's also possible to have all the rooms next to each other if you want."

The woman glanced at the gold, "In addition to the cost of your room, would you need any meals provided? It'll be five silver for the larger room, three for the next size, and only one for the individual."

“I will only require the rooms, thank you,” Han answered.

Han did think of paying for Tom's family and Elis to receive meals from the inn, but he dismissed the thought since he could have Brittany order the maids to serve them food.

"The amount you've provided is greater than the cost of the room, so we'll quickly measure out the amount and provide you the change. Thank you for your patience." The woman bowed as she placed a tray on the counter and transferred the gold bars onto it.

Smiling at her, Han said, “Keep one of the bars for yourself."

The woman looked at Han, and after seeing his smile, her cheeks turned red. She shyly looked away and bowed again, "By your will."

Han enjoyed seeing her walking off to the side, where another worker appeared to take care of the tray carrying the gold. There was a quick whisper of words before the woman returned to the counter.

The woman had difficulty looking at Han, shifting her weight as she cutely fidgeted.

Though Han didn't need to receive change for his gold, he did think it would be good to carry the local currency, so he wouldn’t have to keep creating bars of gold.

When the woman recovered, she looked at Han -- a slight tinge of pink still visible on her milky skin. She motioned to the area behind her, where a staircase was going up to the next level.

A teenage girl approached where Han and his group waited. She gave them a broad smile. Bowing low, she straightened before saying, "My Lord, please follow me, and I'll guide you to your rooms."

Han nodded at the well-trained mannerism of the young girl.

"I imagine people in this world start working at a younger age," Han mused.

The more he saw the world, it reminded him of the ancient world he'd seen in history textbooks. A time when kings and emperors ruled over lands. For the average person, work was the only thing that allowed them to survive daily.

What differed significantly was the existence of the Guilds, especially for adventurers.

Han could only imagine adventurers being what he'd seen in video games or portrayed in tabletop games. They'd take up requests from the Guild and get paid for their efforts.

"But not everyone can take up such requests," Han looked at the girl guiding them, failing to imagine her fighting monsters and risking her life.

As they walked up the stairs, the girl explained all the amenities in the hotel.

“We have a communal bath on the first two floors. On the third floor, where you are staying, the bathing area is restricted to those staying on the floor." The girl reflexively looked at Helania, Queen, and Brittany before quickly looking away in embarrassment.

The girl continued, "We are proud to have the same water system as the capital, so water is dispensed at the tub. It's designed to provide hot and cold water, allowing you to adjust the temperature.”

The girl puffed out her chest -- proud of the premium service.

Han admitted that such a service was impressive for a world far behind modern civilization.

"We likely wouldn't need to prepare the baths, but nobles likely enjoy the ability to keep the bath water steaming hot and not have to wait for the staff to provide more hot water," Han said to himself.

"Each room on the third floor has a copper tube -- connecting to the kitchen. If you wish to have food provided to your room, please use the mechanism for your convenience." The girl said.

In an excited voice, the girl said, "We have a lot of the same modern technology as seen in the capital, my Lord. I’m sure you will be just as comfortable here as there.”

It was clear that the girl assumed that Han and his group originated from the capital. Hence, she wanted to put Han at ease so that his stay in the inn would be comfortable.

As they arrived at the third floor, Han took a moment to look at the interior design of the inn. Though there wasn't much different from the lobby, the lamps had some kind of crystal instead of glass.

The walls had a more elaborate wallpaper with forest animal patterns, ivy, and leaves. There was also white crown molding at the top of the walls. At the bottom was a baseboard with a nicer varnish.