The carriage gradually slowed as it approached the towering walls of Astravia City.
The line of travelers waiting to enter stretched for quite some distance, with merchants, adventurers, and ordinary civilians all passing through the massive city gates under the watchful eyes of the guards. After a brief inspection, our carriage was allowed through, and before long, it entered the bustling streets of the city.
Compared to the western outskirts, the difference was immediately apparent.
The roads were broader, the buildings taller, and the number of people several times greater. Merchants loudly promoted their wares outside shops, horse-drawn carriages moved continuously through the streets, and countless pedestrians hurried toward their destinations, filling the city with a constant stream of activity.
The carriage continued through the busy roads before eventually arriving at one of the city's designated carriage stations.
As soon as it came to a stop, the driver announced our arrival.
Passengers gradually climbed down one after another, and Charlie, the young woman, and I followed shortly afterward.
After stepping down from the carriage, I turned toward the young woman.
"Alright then," I said. "Take care."
She looked at Charlie and me for a moment before giving us a slight bow.
"Thank you... for all your help."
Her voice was filled with genuine gratitude.
Over the course of a single day, Charlie and I had rescued her from the people pursuing her, given her a safe place to recover, and even left her with a lead that might help her find her missing friend. It was only natural that she felt indebted.
I simply returned her bow with a small nod.
With nothing else left to say, I turned around, intending to leave alongside Charlie.
"Um..."
A hesitant voice suddenly called out from behind.
I stopped and glanced back.
The young woman looked slightly flustered after stopping me so abruptly. She hesitated for a brief moment, seemingly gathering the courage to ask what was on her mind.
"...What's your name?"
For a brief moment, I remained silent.
Ever since arriving in Astravia, although the face-changing mask concealed my real appearance, I had still chosen not to leave behind any unnecessary information.
However, after giving it some thought, I realized there wasn't much reason to hide something as simple as my first name.
"Arthur."
The young woman softly repeated it to herself.
"...Arthur."
It was almost as though she was committing the name to memory.
A faint smile gradually appeared on her face before she replied, "My name is Leslie."
I gave a small nod.
"It was nice meeting you, Leslie."
She returned the nod, but instead of leaving, she remained standing where she was. Her expression became slightly hesitant once again, as though there was still something she wanted to ask.
"There is... one more thing."
"What is it?"
She fidgeted with her fingers for a brief moment before looking at me.
"If... if I wanted to contact you again, how could I?"
Her question caught me slightly off guard.
To be honest, I couldn't think of any reason for her to contact me again. Once we parted ways here, our lives would likely continue in completely different directions, and the chances of us meeting again were slim.
Still, considering everything she had been through, I could understand why she asked.
Perhaps she genuinely wanted to repay the debt she felt she owed us.
After thinking it over briefly, I finally replied, "You can find me at the Green Leaf Inn on Market Street."
Leslie nodded almost immediately.
"I understand."
She lowered her head once more.
"Thank you... once again."
There was nothing more that needed to be said.
I simply gave her a small nod before turning around and walking away. Charlie silently fell into step beside me, and together we left the carriage station behind, making our way toward one of Astravia's bustling streets.
"Young Master, I'll head to the inn first."
I nodded.
"You're planning to resign today?"
"Yes."
Charlie smiled faintly.
After all, there was little reason for Charlie to continue working at the inn. He only needed to finish today's shift and formally resign. Once that was done, he would meet the man Bora had arranged to introduce him into the Caelthorne family estate as one of its workers.
"Alright," I replied with a nod.
Charlie bowed respectfully.
"I'll see you later, Young Master."
With that, he turned toward Market Street, where the Green Leaf Inn was located, while I continued walking in the opposite direction toward our rented house.
The journey back didn't take long.
Before long, I arrived outside the small house Charlie and I had rented after coming to Astravia.
Taking out the key, I unlocked the front door and stepped inside.
The familiar interior greeted me as I stepped inside.
Everything appeared exactly as we had left it before heading to the Daylight Inn yesterday. The furniture remained neatly arranged, and nothing inside the house seemed to have been disturbed. My gaze slowly swept across the room, instinctively searching for a certain little snake.
However, Camose was nowhere to be seen.
A faint smile gradually appeared on my face.
Pretending not to notice anything unusual, I casually walked farther into the house, my eyes wandering across the familiar surroundings as though I were simply making sure everything was in order. Before long, my attention drifted toward the wooden table standing against the wall.
At first glance, there was nothing unusual about it. The wooden surface appeared completely bare, yet a pair of tiny golden eyes quietly stared back at me from the edge of the table. Coupled with the faint but familiar fluctuation of energy emanating from that spot, it was more than enough to reveal the culprit.
Camose had perfectly blended itself with the wooden surface using its camouflage ability. Its scales had taken on the exact same color and texture as the wood beneath it, making its body almost impossible to distinguish from the table itself. Only its tiny eyes betrayed its hiding place, watching my every movement as though waiting for the perfect opportunity to spring its surprise.
A smile tugged at the corner of my lips.
It seemed the little fellow had decided to play a game.
Suppressing the urge to expose it immediately, I continued pretending that I hadn't noticed anything. I slowly walked toward the table, occasionally glancing around the room as though I were still searching elsewhere.
The moment I came within arm's reach, Camose suddenly sprang into action.
"Hiss!"
Its head shot forward with surprising speed as it lunged out from the table, letting out a sharp hiss in an obvious attempt to startle me.
I deliberately took a small step backward.
"Oh?"
I looked at the little snake with exaggerated surprise, as though it had genuinely caught me off guard.
"So that's where you were."
Camose immediately lifted its head proudly and flicked its tongue several times, seemingly quite pleased that its little ambush had been a success. Without waiting any longer, it slithered out from the table and onto my arm before skillfully winding its way upward. Within moments, it had settled comfortably around my shoulder, its tail loosely wrapped around my neck while its head rested near mine, just as it always did.
A faint smile spread across my face as I gently rubbed the top of its head.
"So..."
I glanced sideways at it.
"Were you bored yesterday?"
"Hiss..."
Camose flicked its tongue repeatedly before lightly rubbing its head against my hand, almost as though it were complaining about being left alone.
A quiet chuckle escaped my lips.
"I'll take that as a yes."
I couldn't really blame it. When Charlie and I had gone to the Daylight Inn yesterday, I had deliberately left Camose behind. Although the little snake had become much calmer since we first met, it was still a mutated beast. If anyone in the city were to discover it, it would undoubtedly attract unwanted attention, and if Camose felt threatened enough to attack someone, the situation could quickly spiral out of control.