Days turned into days. After going through quite a long and exhausting overland journey, the small group finally saw sturdy stone walls towering in the distance.
They had arrived at the eastern gate of the City of Sellon, a fairly large trading city and one of the main transit points for wanderers in the empire's territory.
The identity check process went very smoothly without raising the slightest suspicion from the gate guards.
After being allowed to enter the city and passing the inspection area, the three men pulled over for a moment near a horse carriage station located not far from the city entrance gate.
"Calian, Wolvin, we will part ways here!" said Rodaz opening the conversation, looking at his nephew and nephew-in-law alternately. "I will immediately go to the City of Gardan using a rented horse carriage. The carriage route heading there will depart shortly."
Calian nodded in understanding, feeling slightly worried that his uncle would have a hard time getting what he wanted.
"Alright, Uncle. Be careful on your journey." said Calian calmly.
"Good luck getting what you want there, Uncle!" exclaimed Wolvin giving encouragement, his black tail wagging slowly behind his cloak.
"Yes, thank you very much to the two of you!" replied Rodaz in an enthusiastic tone. He then turned his body and started walking toward the row of horse carriages preparing to head to the southern gate. While continuing to step, Rodaz raised his right hand high and waved without looking back. "Good luck to you two as well. Just destroy anyone who tries to stop your steps!"
"Yes, Uncle!" answered Calian and Wolvin in unison.
The two of them stood for a moment, watching their uncle's figure slowly blend with the crowd and climb onto one of the horse carriages before finally the carriage moved away.
Following Rodaz's departure, the two of them agreed to go find the adventurer guild building to ask about a safe and suitable place to stay.
As they walked along the crowded streets of the City of Sellon, the heat from the scorching midday sun began to sting their skin. Wolvin, who was walking by his husband's side, drew his body slightly closer, then turned his head.
"Darling, my body feels very sticky and smells like street dust." whispered Wolvin in a spoiled tone, his nose wrinkling slightly because he felt uncomfortable with the scent of his body which had not bathed for the last few days camping in the forest. "Can we look for and get an inn with an en suite bathroom in this city?"
Hearing his spouse's whisper, Calian smiled faintly. "Let's hope we can find one quickly at the guild later. My body also feels very hot and sticky."
It did not take long for the two of them to find the adventurer guild building standing conspicuously in the city center. The building made of wood and brick looked bustling with armed fighters passing by.
As soon as they pushed the thick double wooden doors, the distinctive aroma of alcoholic beverages, monster skins, and old parchment immediately greeted their sense of smell. Calian and Wolvin walked calmly past the crowd of armed people, heading straight for the long receptionist desk.
Behind that wooden desk, stood a young woman in a neat uniform who was looking toward the two of them.
"Good afternoon, I am Denna, the receptionist who will serve the two of you today." greeted the receptionist with a friendly and professional smile upon noticing their presence. "Is there anything I can help you two with?"
"Good afternoon!" replied Calian, his tone of voice flat and straight to the point. "The two of us just arrived from a long journey and are in need of a place to stay in this city. Do you have a recommendation for the best place for adventurers?"
Denna nodded in understanding. "If the two of you are looking for an inn, right in the building next to this guild there is a very good inn. That inn is indeed specifically for adventurers and is managed directly by the guild."
"How much is the room rental price per night?" asked Calian.
"We have three types of rooms." explained Denna fluently. "For a regular room the price is 200 Len per night. A medium room with a larger bed facility costs 500 Len per night. And for a full facility room equipped with an en suite bathroom, the price is 1,000 Len per night."
Hearing the last option which perfectly matched their wishes, Calian immediately turned his head toward his spouse.
"Wolvin, please take out three silver coins and place them on the table." requested Calian calmly. "We will rent that en suite bathroom room and stay for three nights here."
Hearing his husband's request, the Night Wolf youth immediately nodded. Wolvin took out three silver coins from his dimensional storage necklace and placed the money on the wooden table in front of Denna.
"Please give your two adventurer license cards to be recorded in the inn's guest book." said the woman while receiving the payment money.
Calian and Wolvin reached into their cloak pockets and placed their respective adventurer license cards on the table. A soft metallic clinking sound was heard when the two cards collided with the wooden surface.
As soon as Denna's eyes dropped to look at the license cards placed on her desk, the movement of her hands instantly stopped. The woman held her breath.
Instead of the wooden, copper, or bronze cards she usually saw, the two cards in front of her were made of gold-colored metal radiating an elegant gleam.
Denna swallowed hard. She was extremely shocked to learn that these two simple-looking youths standing before her were rank A adventurers.
Despite being shocked, Denna tried hard to maintain her professionalism so as not to attract the attention of other visitors in the guild hall.
"V-very well, Sir. Please wait a moment." said the receptionist with a tone that suddenly became much more respectful.
Not wanting to waste much time, Denna immediately hurried to the end of the administration room to process their data as quickly as possible.
While waiting, Calian and Wolvin turned around and walked approaching the large announcement board displaying dozens of parchment mission sheets. Their eyes swept over the rows of paper they saw.
"Wolvin, what if tomorrow we take a mission from the guild in this city?" offered Calian in a low voice.
"That is a good idea, Darling!" answered Wolvin enthusiastically, his tail wagging slowly again. "Before we continue our journey to the northern region, it is good for us to carry out an official mission here first as a warm-up. Who knows, by completing a difficult mission, our reputation and rank will quickly rise later. Hehehe."
Calian nodded in understanding, agreeing with his spouse's thoughts. Carrying out several high-level missions would also strengthen their disguise alibi as real adventurers in the public's eyes.
A few moments later, Denna's voice was heard calling them politely. Upon receiving that call, Calian and Wolvin left the announcement board and went straight to the receptionist desk.
"Thank you for waiting. Here is the room key for the two of you." said the woman while handing a brass key to them. "Just show this parchment form to the inn receptionist on guard in the building next door."
"Thank you very much for your help, Denna." replied Calian friendly while storing the items into Wolvin's dimensional necklace. "If so, we will go to the inn first to clean ourselves up."
Just as Calian turned his body, he remembered something. The youth turned back to look at the receptionist's face who was still standing upright. "One more thing. Please find and prepare a rank A or rank S mission for the two of us. Because tomorrow morning, we intend to carry out a high-level mission around the territory of this City of Sellon."
Denna's eyes widened slightly, but she immediately nodded firmly. "Yes, Sir! I will search the special archives and prepare it for you tomorrow morning!" answered the woman enthusiastically, feeling honored to be able to serve elite-level adventurers. "Have a good rest."
The two of them nodded slowly, then walked out of the guild's crowd and went straight to the large inn building next to it.
Upon arriving at the inn lobby which looked clean and quiet, Calian went straight to the desk and handed the form from the guild earlier to a middle-aged man serving as the inn receptionist.
After seeing the guild stamp and the room number on the parchment, the man smiled friendly and immediately came out from behind his desk to accompany Calian and Wolvin up the stairs to their room on the second floor.
Upon arriving in front of the wooden door numbered 64, the receptionist opened the door.
"Do you two want your dinner delivered directly to this room later, or would you prefer to go down and eat at the restaurant bar on the ground floor?" asked the receptionist to make sure before he left.
"The two of us will just go down and eat at the bar later!" answered Wolvin enthusiastically, imagining warm roast meat and fresh drinks. "Thank you for the service."
After knowing his guests' wishes, the receptionist bowed respectfully then took his leave to return to his desk on the ground floor.
Once the door was closed and locked from the inside, the married couple immediately put their weapons on the wooden table, took off their clothes, and walked together entering the bathroom together.