After paying the owner of the building, he was guided to a room. Opening the door revealed a spacious living area, at least twice as big as his old shed.
Leading the way, the building's owner marched across the room and proudly opened a small door in the corner, revealing a strange, bowl-shaped porcelain seat.
"This here is my inn's premier selling point!" the man beamed.
"Unlike the other slum buildings where you have to share a public self-relieving area, you have one right here in your own room!"
Krey stared blankly.
"Self-relieving?"
"Ah, I see, you must be a country lad. This is a genius invention created by none other than the Hero himself!" the owner explained, unveiling a treasure.
Krey gritted his teeth but forced a polite smile onto his lips.
"...So the Hero made it. How does it work?"
"Well, it's quite self-explanatory! You stand, aim, and then… well, you piss in the bowl. Or, alternatively, you sit down and let Mother Nature take back her children. Once you're done, you simply pull down on this lever on the side! The waste is whisked away through pipes."
"What can this possibly do that a good river stream can't?" Krey thought, utterly bewildered.
"Well then, if you have any other questions, you can always ask the front desk!" The owner said cheerfully, shaking both Krey's and Nixsen's hands before bustling out.
Once they were alone, Nixsen clapped her hands together.
"Excellent! Now we just need to look for a third member."
Krey tilted his head.
"A third member? What do you mean?"
"You need to be a registered adventurer and part of a party to claim official residency here." she explained.
"We need to form a party."
"So… any idea who our third member will be?"
A faint, mischievous smile appeared on Nixsen's face.
"No way! I would rather die!" shouted a delicate blonde young woman.
"Come on, Alison darling. It wouldn't hurt to join us." Nixsen leaned casually against a bookshelf.
"But such a fragile and elegant woman as myself shouldn't be taking part in such brutalities." Alison waved a hand dismissively.
"Fragile…?" Krey wondered aloud before he could stop himself.
A visible vein on Alison's forehead began to throb.
"What was that, you twerp?" She spat.
"Damn it, that slipped out." Krey thought, taking a small step back.
"Look." Alison sighed, composing herself.
"I'm glad you thought of me, but I simply don't have the time for adventuring nonsense."
"Don't worry, you won't have to do anything dangerous." Nixsen assured her smoothly.
"We just need a warm body as a third member on paper so Krey can become a legal resident of Graswald."
Alison paused, blinking.
"...Why didn't you just lead with that sooner?"
She carefully placed a large book about stellar constellations on a shelf just above where Krey was awkwardly standing, having been nervously flipping through a children's picture book.
"Come on then, let's go. Time is of the essence, after all." Nixsen said, already heading for the door.
After registering Alison as an adventurer at the guild, a process that involved much eye-rolling from her, the trio huddled to think of a party name.
"What about… Fish River?" Krey offered.
"No, that makes us sound like a group of illiterates fishermen." Alison replied immediately.
"Perhaps 'Nixsen's Party and the Rest'?" The ashen haired woman suggested with a grin.
"Get serious." Alison tapped her chin.
"How about… a band of…"
"Speak up, dear Alison." Nixsen prompted.
"Band of Outliers?" Alison said, the words tentative.
"That's quite the peculiar name. Any thoughts, Krey?" Nixsen asked.
"I think it sounds nice. Has a good ring to it." Krey said, nodding.
"But… what's an outlier?"
Alison looked at him, her grey eyes softening just a fraction.
"It's someone or thing that doesn't belong."
And so, they registered themselves as the 'Band of Outliers.' Looking down at her new adventurer identification card, a faint, starlight shimmer seemed to glow in Alison's eyes for just a moment.
***
[Name: Alison Asterlight]
[Registry: Graswald Kingdom]
[Party: Band of Outliers]
***
Walking back towards the library, Alison turned to Krey.
"...So, have you continued to study your reading?" Her tone deceptively casual.
"Uhhhm, well, you see…" he replied hesitantly.
"...Learning is a precious thing. You shouldn't stop so easily." Alison whispered.
"Huh?" Krey asked, looking up.
"I said you should bathe yourself. Like, seriously. You reek." she stated, pinching her nose.
"Do I really?" Krey wondered.
He glanced at Nixsen for support, but she was suddenly very interested in a cloud formation in the distance, trying to avoid the topic entirely.
"You can take a bath at my place if you'd like." Alison sighed.
"Afterwards, I'd like to check if your ability to read has improved or not. Consider it a tax for using my tub."
Once inside the library, Alison led Krey to the second floor and showed him to a small, private bathing room. She demonstrated how to work the taps, as it was clear he had no idea.
"Turn the knob the other way once it's full. I'll go find you some clean clothes." she instructed before leaving.
After the tub was full, Krey turned the water off and began to undress. But as soon as he had shed his tunic, the door swung open.
Alison entered, her eyes immediately catching on the network of scars across his torso—the two massive, streaks across his chest holding her attention. Her observation was cut short when Krey scrambled to cover himself with his hands.
"Have you no shame!" Her cheeks flushing.
"Why would you start to undress before I gave you the clothes?" She dropped the folded garments on a stool and slammed the door shut.
Sighing, Krey sank into the warm water, being careful not to wet his hair. The warmth was a profound luxury, utterly unlike the harsh cold of the river or rain. As he relaxed, his fingers traced the scars on his chest.
"Huh, that's strange. How did my wounds heal so fast?" he pondered.
"Maybe Nixsen transferred the damage? No, the last time she did that, there weren't any visible scars." He looked up at the ceiling.
"...I should really thank Alison for letting me take a bath here."
He blew a few bubbles below the surface of the water.
"This bath… I suppose it's another invention by the Hero."
His thoughts were disrupted by a firm knock on the door. "Hey, are you done yet? Leave your dirty clothes by the door and meet me downstairs after," Alison's voice called through the wood.
Rising from the bath, he dried off with a towel from a nearby table, still avoiding his hair, and changed into the simple, clean clothes she had left. He then walked downstairs.
Alison was sitting by a window, her face gently caressed by the late yellow sunlight. She was softly flipping through the pages of a book, staring blankly in the direction of Nixsen, who was dozing with a large volume over her face.
Krey pulled back a chair to sit down.
"Hey, I'm here… so, what are we going to do?"
Alison slowly tilted her head towards him.
"...Your scar. Did Nixsen heal it?"
"Yeah. Why do you ask?"
"Nothing. I was just wondering." She slid a book towards the table towards him.
"Read the first word on this page."
Krey squinted, "Umm… Toble?"
"Dimwit... It's 'table.' For goodness' sake, have you not been reading anything? Let's just focus on your vowels for now."
She stood up and moved to sit next to him, her pale pink fleece sleeve brushing his shoulder as she leaned forward to point at the text.
"Now, try again. Sound it out."
"By the way." she added after a moment, leaning back slightly.
"Are you sure you cleaned yourself properly? You still smell faintly of soil."
"Yeah, I did... must be how I naturally smell."
"...Okay then." Alison replied.
As time flew by, the influx of letters and sounds made Krey's eyes feel dry and his mind go pleasantly blank with effort.
"It's starting to get dark. You should get going now." Alison commented as the sun began to dip below the horizon, painting the sky in vibrant streaks of red, orange, and yellow.
"Ah, you're right." Krey said, stretching.
"...Is it perhaps okay if I can stay here at the library for a while?" he asked hesitantly.
"What? Why?" A look of surprise on her face.
"I thought you found yourself a place. Isn't that why we went through the trouble of making a party?"
"Well, it's because I want to improve my reading..! Where else would I possibly get better?" Krey explained, the idea solidifying as he spoke.
"...I see. You do have a point." Alison conceded.
"However, I already know you're lying through your teeth. You've been rubbing the sweat off your palms for a while now."
As Krey opened his mouth to forge an excuse, he lost his chance. Before he could speak, Alison stood up from her chair.
"I'll go take it up with my father first."
Nixsen, who had been dozing, jolted awake, the book sliding off her face.
"In that case, can I stay here too?"
"Yeah, yeah," Alison said, waving a hand.
"I'll ask for permission for both of you." She promptly disappeared among the bookshelves.
Once she was gone, Nixsen leaned towards Krey, her eyebrows wiggling mischievously.
"So, my darling friend… when are you going to make a move on her?"
Krey stared.
"What are you on about? Keep your thoughts to yourself."
"Oh, come on." Nixsen teased.
"I saw how close you two were getting along. Rubbing shoulders with each other, leaning in… oh, to be young again."
"So what if we did? What of it?"
"Ah, right." Nixsen said, grinning.
"You're oblivious to everything. You'll know what I mean someday."
As their conversation lulled, Alison reappeared around a corner of shelves. The sky behind the windows had deepened to a twilight blue, shrouding her figure in soft shadows.
"He said it would be alright, as long as you don't make a mess of anything."
Krey stood up.
"Ah, if that's the case, I should go pack my things."
"Do you need any help?" Alison asked.
"No, it's fine. All of my stuff fits in a small crate anyway."
"Alright." she replied, looking down at the floor.
Krey soon left the library, stepping out into the cool evening air.