Chapter 53: The Innkeeper’s Embrace

The journey to Alastor was not particularly long.

Counting from the moment they acquired the seal, Qing Yu and his companions reached Alastor after a mere four-day trek.

The path they traversed was predominantly a rugged mountain road.

Along the way, the tents of less formidable travelers clustered together haphazardly, while more powerful adventurers pitched their tents in solitude, far removed from the bustling crowds.

Of course, exceptions always arose.

Along their route, Qing Yu had observed numerous adventurers who had undertaken escort missions.

These individuals bore no relation to the ordinary travelers; they had simply accepted quests in Alastor and journeyed here specifically to protect those venturing into the mountains.

As they traveled, they would also hunt various monsters, collecting their valuable body parts to sell to those in need, effectively earning some extra income.

Qing Yu had been fortunate enough to witness several monsters himself, such as low-level creatures like Poison Gas Lizards, Thunder Tigers, and Armored Pythons.

Even so, these beings were far beyond the capabilities of an ordinary person to contend with, let alone Qing Yu, who was a complete novice among novices.

Consequently, he could only watch from a distance as Thrud and the others dispatched these monsters with effortless ease, harboring a silent envy in his heart.

Yet, the thought of his own future opportunities to showcase his abilities brought a measure of balance to Qing Yu’s spirits.

Filled with such anticipation, Qing Yu and his group arrived in Alastor as dusk began to fall.

After entrusting their seal to the knight guarding the city gates, Qing Yu finally had the chance to behold Alastor in its entirety.

The first sight to greet their eyes was a towering, silver-white super-spire, piercing the very clouds.

Golden gemstones, embedded within the tower’s structure, emanated a dazzling golden radiance that illuminated the dim streets below.

Though twilight was approaching, the main thoroughfares still teemed with people.

Lights twinkled on in every street and alleyway, as pedestrians of diverse races jostled shoulder-to-shoulder, and shops of all sizes overflowed with customers.

The air was filled with an incessant chorus of hawkers’ cries and animated conversations.

Not only the ground but even the skies above were dense with soaring, disparate races, leaving not a single gap in their aerial procession.

Within this surging human tide, everyone had to press together tightly to avoid being swept away.

As soon as they entered the city, Roalsa bid farewell to Aldoran and her group, departing with the knight order to report their arrival.

Aldoran and her companions, meanwhile, stayed close together, struggling to navigate the dense crowds.

In this unfamiliar city, their first priority was naturally to find an inn; after all, securing lodging was paramount, and Qing Yu certainly had no desire to sleep on the streets.

However, locating an available inn in a city teeming with such an immense flow of people proved to be no simple feat.

From dusk until midnight, every inn they encountered along their way was completely booked.

In some cases, even the corridors and basements of the inns were packed with makeshift beds.

Moreover, as Qing Yu searched for an inn, he occasionally spotted groups of travelers who had resorted to pitching tents or making makeshift beds on the streets.

Essentially, every conceivable sleeping space was crammed to capacity.

Finally, after searching until nearly the dead of night, when the entire group was utterly exhausted, they at last discovered a high-class inn that still had two rooms available.

Though it was baffling why such a high-end, opulent inn would still have two vacant rooms, at least they had found a decent place to stay.

While Aldoran handled the check-in procedures, Qing Yu sat in the lobby, his gaze wandering curiously from left to right.

In a corner of the inn’s grand lobby, several sofas were arranged around a table laden with steaming dishes.

Beside the table stood a few pale green plants, whose names Qing Yu could not recall.

Upon these plants grew several small, golden flowers, their petals opening and closing rhythmically, as if breathing.

Unable to resist, Qing Yu reached out and gently touched one.

The petals instantly snapped shut, startling him.

A voice beside him made Qing Yu jump.

“Are you quite interested in these?”

“Wah! Who’s there?!”

Qing Yu spun around to find a young man, clad in flowing green robes with a cascade of white hair, who had appeared silently beside him.

Upon seeing Qing Yu turn, the young man, without a word, suddenly pounced on him, nuzzling his nose against Qing Yu’s body, sniffing here and there.

“Hey! Wait! What are you doing?!”

Caught off guard by the stranger’s sudden embrace, Qing Yu was utterly bewildered.

He hastily pushed the young man away, shielding his chest, and stared at him with an expression of profound surprise.

Aldoran and the others were drawn over by Qing Yu’s startled cry.

Aldoran approached Qing Yu, steadying him, and then turned her gaze to the young man.

“May I ask if there’s a problem?”

The young man looked at Aldoran, then again leaned closer, sniffing at her with his nose.

This time, it was Qing Yu who stepped in front of Aldoran to shield her.

“Hey, hey! What do you think you’re doing?!”

Simultaneously, Thrud and Liliya adopted a defensive stance, watching the young man intently.

However, the young man merely twitched his nose, surveyed those around him, and burst into cheerful laughter.

“What truly delightful people you are!”

“My apologies! I simply got a little too excited!”

Sitting on the floor, the young man scratched his head, displaying an apologetic expression.

“I simply have a fondness for cute individuals, and I’ve never encountered anyone quite as adorable as you all.”

“Oh, I see~” Thrud was the first to relax.

Since the young man didn’t appear to be malicious, she lowered her guard and stepped forward to help him up.

“Actually, I think you’re quite cute yourself.”

This was Thrud’s genuine sentiment, as she was never one to lie.

The young man’s appearance was indeed remarkably charming: delicate, adorable features, soft, fair skin, golden pupils, and snow-white hair, all contributing to an utterly endearing look.

“Thank you for the compliment, um, hello…”

Praised by Thrud, the young man’s face flushed slightly.

He scratched his hair, offering a shy smile, then covertly glanced at Thrud.

Observing the young man’s demeanor, Qing Yu also lowered his guard.

He composed himself, then tugged at Aldoran’s sleeve, signaling her to ease her vigilance as well.

“Aldoran, he doesn’t seem like a bad person,” Qing Yu murmured softly to her.

Aldoran took a few steps forward, positioning Qing Yu behind her, before finally relaxing her defensive posture somewhat.

“Alright, alright, everyone, I was indeed a bit rude just now, and I sincerely apologize.”

Seeing that everyone had lowered their guard, the young man smiled and gave Thrud a hug.

“You’re a very beautiful person too, big sister.”

“What a sweet-talker you are,” Thrud chuckled, delighted by the compliment.

Having rarely interacted with boys before, Thrud’s joy at being praised by such an adorable young man was plainly evident on her face.

“Thrud, you’re getting a little carried away,” Liliya remarked with dissatisfaction.

This young man before them had, for the first time, stirred a flutter in Liliya’s heart.

Having lived in the jungle for so many years, she had never encountered a boy quite so much to her liking.

‘This… this fellow is simply too adorable.’

“You’re also very beautiful, big sister,” the young man then said sweetly, approaching Liliya and giving her a hug.

“I-It’s fine, really…” Liliya mumbled uncomfortably, turning her head away.

She wasn’t particularly adept at interacting with boys she fancied.

Nevertheless, as a member of a hunting race, she silently resolved that by tomorrow, she would personally hunt a tiger and present it to the young man as a gift.

“You too, and you as well,” the young man continued, approaching Aldoran and Qing Yu and offering them a shy smile.

“By the way, you two seem to be a couple, don’t you?”

Seeing no immediate answer from Qing Yu and Aldoran, the young man tentatively inquired.

“Indeed, that’s right. I am her wife. Her name is Aldoran, and I am Qing Yu,” Qing Yu replied, returning the young man’s shy smile.

The young man then immediately embraced Qing Yu, rubbing himself against his body repeatedly.

“How wonderful, my dear Qing Yu—” the young man exclaimed, rubbing against Qing Yu with evident pride.

“Actually, I’m also the wife of a beautiful girl, just as lovely as your Aldoran! I won’t lie to you, she’s even prettier than your Aldoran!”

“Oh, oh, I see…” Qing Yu felt a little uncomfortable being treated this way by someone of the same gender, so he appeared somewhat flustered.

Fortunately, Aldoran noticed Qing Yu’s predicament and stepped forward, gently patting the young man’s shoulder, which prompted him to release Qing Yu.

“Oh dear, my apologies, I always get so easily excited,” the young man said, appearing somewhat embarrassed.

He maintained his shy smile, his eyes filled with bashfulness.

“Since that’s the case, then my dear Qing Yu and I can become good friends, right?”

After a moment of smiling, the young man suddenly seemed to recall something and gripped Qing Yu’s hand again, asking with a mix of excitement and anticipation.

“Oh, oh, of course…”

The young man was so enthusiastic and seemed so friendly that Qing Yu naturally had no reason to refuse.

However, Liliya, standing nearby, looked like a deflated balloon, appearing somewhat disappointed.

She hadn’t imagined her first crush would end so quickly.

This was truly a sorrowful event for Liliya.

“Excellent, excellent, that’s absolutely wonderful!”

The young man, oblivious to Liliya’s expression, cheered and spun around in place.

“In that case, you should all just stay here! All your expenses will be completely waived!”

“All expenses waived?” Qing Yu looked at the young man, confused, unsure of what he meant.

“Um, Ms. Aldoran, your check-in procedures are already…”

Just as Qing Yu was utterly perplexed, the Server approached.

He had come to inform Aldoran that their check-in was complete, but before he could finish, the Server froze.

He seemed rather surprised.

Everyone followed the Server’s gaze, which landed squarely on the young man.

For a moment, everyone except the Server was somewhat confused.

“Th-that, Boss, what are you doing here?”

Finally, after a long few seconds, the Server spoke.

Boss?!

Qing Yu and the others simultaneously stared at the enthusiastic young man, their astonishment palpable.

Being watched by everyone, the young man scratched his head and buried his face, his complexion slightly flushed.

“W-well, I forgot to introduce myself to everyone.

I am the owner here, and you can tell me if you need anything.”

“By the way, my name is Eden.”