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After settling her turbulent emotions, Linetta casually asked, “What’s the best inn in town, Vaan? Do you know?”

He was well-read and well-informed, but there was a limit to how much he could learn about another town he had never been to.

Books contain vast knowledge, but they don’t always record everything.

As the proverb says, “Traveling thousands of miles is better than reading thousands of books.”

“Golden Peacock Inn, was it? Let’s dine and settle our lodgings there,” Linetta decided without bothering to hear the other options.

Alas, when they arrived at the inn with the golden peacock sign, they found that even the so-called best inn in Sunpeak Town was shabby.

Despite that, Golden Peacock Inn was in much better condition than the other buildings they came across on the way.

“Even the best inn in town is only this much, huh?” Linetta uttered while glancing at the building’s exterior condition.

“We shouldn’t expect much from Sunpeak Town,” Vaan stated.

“No one wants to invest in Sunpeak Town with the frequent bandit raids. It’s only been able to last until now, thanks to the wealth brought in by travelers. Without a lord to govern it, Sunpeak Town cannot stand on its feet again.”

“But isn’t that strange? How can there not be a new lord after so long?” Lillias wondered with doubt while clinging to one of Vaan’s arms.

“It’s not my place to comment on that, my Lady,” Vaan calmly replied with a slight smile.

Naturally, Vaan knew Sunpeak Town’s situation was fishy. He even had an educated guess as to its underlying cause.

However, a loose tongue can get him killed.

“Ehhh, why not?” Lillias asked thoughtlessly.

However, Linetta admonished her for asking Vaan a difficult question. The town was soulless, but there were eyes everywhere.

As such, Linetta quickly ushered Lillias into the inn.

…

“Good evening, dear customers. How may I help you tonight?” the innkeeper eagerly greeted at the counter.

The innkeeper was a woman roughly in her mid-40s with a pale complexion, blue eyes, and blonde hair.

If not for the slight wrinkles on her face that came with age, she could have retained her beauty like many others.

Vaan subconsciously activated Magic Vision to study the innkeeper. He was immediately baffled by the innkeeper’s outstanding magic circuit and two Magic Circles.

The innkeeper should already be a high-level Senior Witch. And yet, she was aging like an average person.

“I’d like to book two rooms for the night; one single and one double. Also, I’ll have three servings of your inn’s specialty, thank you,” Linetta stated.

“Understood, dear customers. Please take a seat anywhere you like. The food will be brought out shortly.”

Shortly after the female innkeeper directed them, Linetta, Lillias, and Vaan glanced at the seats and tables in the dining hall.

Apart from three other small groups of two to four people, the dining hall was mostly empty.

Vaan suspected that everyone present was all the travelers that arrived in Sunpeak Town that day. Despite being a town connected to four different cities by roads, business was poor as expected.

While Vaan, Linetta, and Lillias secretly studied the people in the dining hall after picking their table, the people also secretly studied them.

Fifteen minutes later, the innkeeper brought out three plates of herb-roasted golden pheasants that exuded pleasant and appetizing scents.

“Is there anything else I can get for you all, dear customers? Drinks, perhaps? If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I will be happy to answer them all,” the innkeeper said.

“Where did you get these golden pheasants?” Lillias wondered with a mouth-watering expression while smelling the fragrant herb-roasted golden pheasant in front of her.

She figured Sunpeak Town would only have Dark Hellhound or Horned Rabbits on the menu.

After all, there were only goblins around the area apart from those two beasts brought by travelers from the Blackmoon Region.

“The golden pheasants are mostly imported from Redcliff City. But since golden pheasants are relatively easy to raise, I also cultivated a few of my own in the backyard to keep the business afloat,” the innkeeper politely replied.

“Ehh… It sounds like it’s quite difficult living here. Why don’t you move elsewhere?”

After hearing Lillias’s question, the innkeeper forced a smile.

“It seems like dear customers haven’t heard the rumors circulating this town. Many of the residents do wish to leave, but Lady Helia, Lord of Redpine City, has ordered that none of the residents shall leave the town for we are cursed.”

“Cursed? What kind of curse can’t be resolved with magic?” Linetta raised an eyebrow in doubt.

“The kind that prevents the use of magic, I presumed,” Vaan interjected before shifting his gaze to the innkeeper. “I would like four mugs of your finest mead, please, innkeeper. Three for us and one for you—if you don’t mind joining us at the table for further talk, beautiful.”

“Of course, you can put your drink and service time on our tab,” Vaan added with a charming smile.

“My, aren’t you a sweet one. For a handsome young man like you, I’ll be willing to sit down for a talk anytime,” the innkeeper replied with an equally sweet smile.

But then, the innkeeper shook her head and added, “Unfortunately, I will have to decline the offer to drink, handsome. I don’t drink on the job.”

“Fair enough,” Vaan casual replied with an understanding nod despite the poor business in the inn.

“I will fetch your drinks now, dear customers,” the innkeeper informed before leaving to fill three mugs with mead.

Right then, Vaan received a slight elbow jab from a disgruntled Linetta, who sat on his left while Lillias was sitting on his right at a table for six.

“Little brother, you are very daring. Even if no one can use magic in this town, no one dares to hit on Lady Solana, who is a Peak-stage Senior Witch,” a beer-bellied man from another table spoke.

“Lady Solana, you say? Well, ain’t that just my luck?” Vaan smiled wryly.