Eryndor was bustling with activity. Merchants were selling while blue-headed gentlets bought. Zane was still not used to seeing the blue-headed human-like beings.
I thought I would find gentlets with all sorts of differently colored heads here. Turns out all of them have blue heads.
Zane thought as he moved past the narrow cobble street. There were noises emanating from everywhere around him. Zane was supposed to be a divine trader, yet he felt disturbed walking in the market. The noise was just so irritating.
Also, gentlets were giving him strange looks of awe and reverence as he passed by, though no one dared approach him. A path was opened for him as he passed, people avoiding him like some divine being.
Zane was wearing an astronaut's suit, the helmet held at his waist. Though it wasn't out of place compared to the gentlets who wore all sorts of different clothing from different ages, Zane even doubted if some of them were from Earth. Most looked like they were from Earth.
Well... I bet I'm an eyesore among these blue-headed beings. If only they knew I'm the only normal one here. Wait... This is actually their home, so I'm the abnormal one. Pretty crazy.
Zane was only passing here because Cozysprouts had told him that he could find an inn past the market.
Cozysprouts had given Zane an overview of Eryndor City, which was now etched in his mind. Zane had parted with the hunters at the city gate. The gentish city looked more like a futuristic medieval city. It had stone structures, mostly resembling Victorian buildings. But then came the technological advancement that was way more advanced than Earth.
The air smelled clean and pleasant—there were no fumes nor putrid garbage smells.
Zane was surprised by the structure of this city. It looked like an imperfect mixture of everything. On one hand, Zane could see a sleek futuristic hovercraft moving overhead, but then on the other hand, there was a dusty old carriage moving on the street adjoining the one he walked on.
Zane noticed that there were only those glassy balls being sold everywhere. The economy of this city appeared to operate only with these mysterious glass balls that magically produced items when shattered.
Zane also noticed that gentlets didn't trade using money. Rather, every once in a while, he could see gentlets shaking hands, then a color inside their crystalline palms would be transferred. Their currency was the colored gossamer stored inside their crystalline bodies.
Zane walked for a few minutes, then he saw it. Zane was currently at a junction where the market street and another street intersected at a right angle. On the other side of the adjacent street from where Zane had walked, there was a large three-story wooden building. It looked exactly like how Cozysprouts had described it. It was also the only wooden structure there, sandwiched between medieval stone buildings. Zane could see something written on a banner hanging on a post by the inn. Zane didn't know how to read Gentish yet, so he didn't know what was written.
The street was made of asphalt, like a modern street on Earth. Zane was also surprised to see modern cars moving on the asphalt road. Zane was now confused.
How can there be a hovercraft, a carriage, and modern Earth cars at the same time? What is this place?
Zane thought as he climbed the wooden flyover that hung over the street. Soon enough, he was in front of the inn that looked completely out of place in comparison with the other buildings on that side of the street.
The doors were open, and Zane could see a female gentlet receptionist at the wooden counter.
He entered the inn.
The receptionist looked at him curiously. Silence stretched between them as she scanned the strange man standing before the counter.
Bet she's wondering what an ancestor is doing here.
Zane thought as he also studied the receptionist. Just like everyone else, she wore completely different clothing. Hers was more peculiar, though. She wore beaded leather garments with intricate feather patterns woven into a vest, and turquoise jewelry that seemed to shimmer with its own inner light.
"I need a room."
Zane finally said when the silence became more than overbearing.
"Is there any available?"
The receptionist was dragged from her fantasies and imagination by the request.
"Ye... yes, there is a room available, esteemed guest. What floor would you like? All ground floor rooms are fully booked. You can book a room on the first or second floor."
She paused, then continued.
"The first floor costs only half a gradeless memory per day. The second floor will cost a complete gradeless memory."
Zane was surprised by the receptionist's professionalism in how she handled his presence. Zane had anticipated things to be hectic and chaotic. It was actually pretty chill.
What surprised Zane was that he needed to pay with memories. How was he supposed to give a memory?
Before Zane could ask if he could trade anything apart from memories, a panel popped up before him.
『Currency Established』
✦Memory wisps can now be exchanged.
✦ 1 Memory wisp (Grade 0) = 1 Supreme coin.
『You have received new item』
『Inventory full』
✦ Item cannot be deposited in the Inventory grimoire.
Zane read the interface with awe as his question stuck in his throat.
Zane was now contemplating whether to use the Inventory Grimoire in the open. He had used it before the hunters, but that was in some dream shard, and he'd instructed the gentlet hunters not to tell anyone of his strange abilities.
"Excuse me. Can I use your washroom?"
Zane inquired. He then watched as the receptionist's face turned clueless.
"I'm sorry, we only offer accommodation rooms here. There are no such things as restrooms."
The receptionist replied, looking at Zane suspiciously.
Zane was slightly shocked.
"Where do people relieve themselves here?"
Zane asked, though he didn't even know if gentlets used toilets.
"I'm not sure what you mean by 'relieve.' Can you clarify?"
This confirmed Zane's suspicion. Gentlets didn't use washrooms. Zane remembered the dream eater's meat disappearing into emotions in his stomach. It wasn't like normal food. Now, he couldn't help but think how the hunters coped with the noodles that didn't disappear in their stomachs.
Where were they going to excrete it? Wait... Do they even have taste buds? How did they find the noodles tasty?
Zane thought as he contemplated what he was going to do.
"Just forget it. I need a private place where I can retrieve the memory. Is there any such place here? Or can you just give me the room, then I'll retrieve the memory and give it to you?"
Zane said with indifference on his face. He wasn't a poor pauper anymore. Ever since he'd acquired the system, he'd started feeling slightly more arrogant than he admitted to himself. Arrogance was now like a second skin to his nature. After all, he had means of earning money. Money was but a trivial thing now—the adventure behind it was what interested him the most. He had come to this realm not only to trade but also to see what the world had to offer beyond Earth. So far, he was pleased.
Though Zane had sworn never to leave Ashburn again after the near-death experiences he'd gotten in this realm before arriving in Eryndor.
"Sorry, I can't give you a room without payment. If you want a private space, just use the lounge over there."
The receptionist said while pointing to a direction opposite to the inn entry.
"Just close the doors and you'll gain your privacy."
She added, then continued to read the book on her desk. Zane watched in surprise as the book's contents faded as she read. He didn't stay anymore and went to the lounge. He then closed the two doors in the lounge.
There were two wooden doors: the entry door Zane had just used and another leading to a long hall.
There were comfortable wooden chairs at the sides of the lounge.
Zane summoned the Inventory Grimoire, then took out the dagger.
『You have received a memory token』
The panel popped up before Zane as a rectangular, dark blue object engraved itself on the Inventory Grimoire's page where he'd removed the dagger.
It was just a rectangular dark blue object. Nothing more, nothing less.
Zane retrieved it from the grimoire, then returned the dagger to its rightful place.
The memory token was made of a weird material. It wasn't plastic, wooden, or metallic. It was more like glass or jade, though it wasn't transparent. It was like a dark blue obsidian. The object was small, almost the size of Zane's thumb.
Zane didn't know its purpose, but he had a guess. Still, he asked.
"Nyx, what is the purpose of this object?"
It had been a long while since he'd last spoken to the personal assistant AI. Zane had been pretty busy recently and never had any time to indulge in their pleasantries of information exchange.
[Memory currency exchanged will be stored in the memory token.]
Nyx replied, simple and clear.
Zane then initiated a currency exchange.
『You have successfully exchanged 10 Supreme Coins for 10 memory wisps (Grade 0).』
『Balance』
✦ 58 Super Points
✦ 33 Supreme Coins
✦ 10 Memory wisps
The memory token in his palm started glowing with various different colors. Zane could feel the emotions behind the colors in the token. He now understood that these were memories of emotions. Zane could will any of the ten wisps to exit the token. He could also separate the wisps into various portions.
Zane then dismissed the Inventory Grimoire and opened both doors before stepping out to the reception area.
"I have the memories now. How do I pay?"
Zane said to the receptionist, who looked up at Zane. She smiled. The smile appeared to be more of relief than a pleasant one.
She then removed a ball with various colors inside from below the counter. It had a wooden stand. It looked like a seer's ball used for predictions.
"Place your palm here."
She said. Zane, however, didn't place his palm but rather held the memory token over the ball. He then willed a yellow wisp that felt like joy to enter the glass ball.
The receptionist looked at Zane with surprise. She then looked at the ball that glowed yellow for a few seconds before returning to its initial rainbow colors.
The receptionist then reached under the counter and removed an old key with a tag attached to it. She then placed it on the counter for Zane.
"I guess you want the second floor. Your room is the second to last in the partition. You can use the stairs past that hall."
The receptionist said while pointing in the lounge's direction.
Zane grabbed the key, then followed the receptionist's directions to the upper floor. He soon reached his room.
The room was elegant and refined. There was a Victorian-style bed at the center with rich mahogany posts and deep burgundy curtains. Ornate wooden furniture lined the walls, including a carved wardrobe and a writing desk with brass fittings. The wooden floors were polished to a warm glow, and soft lamplight cast dancing shadows across the cream-colored walls.
Zane explored the room a little bit. He discovered that there was a window past a door that led to a balcony where Zane could see the beautiful view of Eryndor.
There was also a bathroom in the modest room beside the balcony door.
Zane removed the astronaut's suit and the air bag while stretching his body. It surely felt nice being out of the suit.
Zane entered the wooden bathtub in the bathroom, and after a warm, refreshing bath with the dream-like water, he soon got out.
Zane threw his clothes on the bed, then summoned the Inventory Grimoire and removed all the noodles. He then ordered himself some casual clothing. He bought a plain blue shirt, navy blue hoodie, grey sweatpants, and a pair of black sandals.
Zane wore the clothes and then threw himself on the bed to sleep. Zane didn't need to sleep—the spring of vitality refreshed his body whenever exhaustion reached extreme levels. Still, Zane wanted to sleep. There was nothing better than a night of good sleep.
I'll have to explore Eryndor tomorrow. Then I'll find a proper way to increase my stats. Still don't know how I'm supposed to increase them. I'll figure everything out tomorrow. Though I don't know how gentlets determine time. There is literally no sun in the blue sky. It's just an empty blue canvas.
Zane then looked at his watch. It was 11 PM on Earth. Zane continued thinking until sleep engulfed him.