The reception stood near the entrance, with a polished dark-wood counter and a wall of brass room keys behind it.
A curvy woman stood behind the counter. She had shoulder-length brown hair and green eyes. When she saw the two hooded men enter, she gave them a polite smile.
"Welcome to the Moonveil Stag. How may I help you two gentlemen?"
Issei stared at her for a second too long, his face slowly turning red as he ogled her boobs.
Adrien noticed immediately and smacked the back of his head, forcing him to snap back to reality.
"Focus," Adrien muttered.
Issei quickly straightened his back and cleared his throat.
"Go get us two rooms for the night." Adrien said.
Issei stepped forward. "C-can we get two r-rooms for the night, p-please?"
"Of course," Mirella said with a warm smile. "Each room costs half a crown per night, so the total will be one crown."
Issei nodded and took out one golden crown, paying for their stay upfront. "T-Thank you!"
"Of course. If you need anything, my name is Mirella. You can ask for me," she said, giving him a playful wink.
Issei's brain almost shut down on the spot, and his mind immediately started wandering. Adrien grabbed the back of his hood and dragged him away before he could embarrass himself any further.
They went upstairs to check their rooms first. The rooms were simple but comfortable, each one having a wooden bed, clean sheets, warm blankets, and a small desk near the window.
After checking out their rooms, they went back down to the main hall of the inn.
A large stone fireplace burned at the far end of the room, keeping the place warm. The walls were decorated with old paintings of Velmora, the floating island of Agreas, and past members of the Agares family visiting the town.
They sat at a round table near the side of the hall. Their hoods were lowered now, leaving their faces in plain sight. Adrien had already changed his appearance so people would not recognize him, especially after his official appearance at the Devil Youth Social. His face had been published across the news all over the Underworld.
Issei, on the other hand, was not well known yet, so he did not really need to hide his face.
"Confidence is key when you want to approach girls. Yeah, looks matter, but if you're at least a six out of then, then you're already fine. What matters more is your vibe, girls notice how you carry yourself. They usually pay attention to the guy who seems like he can handle himself and take care of her. To give off that kind of feeling, you need confidence."
"But what if I don't have confidence? What if they reject me or make fun of me?"
"If they reject you, then you move on," Adrien said simply. "That's it. Girls get asked out and complimented often, so unless you do something weird, they'll probably forget about it later."
"And about them making fun of you, what are the chances, really? Most people won't go out of their way to be cruel for no reason. But even if it happens, you stay calm and respectful. Just take the loss and walk away."
Issei listened quietly.
Adrien continued, "And here's the funny part. Girls usually notice how a guy reacts under pressure. So if you happen to approach a rude girl and she makes fun of you, but you still stay respectful and composed, the other girls around her might actually respect you more for it."
"But what should I even talk about?" Issei asked, looking completely lost. He really had no idea how to talk to the opposite sex without panicking.
Adrien looked at him for a second, then smirked.
"Watch the pros and take notes."
He stood up from the table and walked across the main hall. Issei quickly straightened in his seat, watching him closely.
Adrien approached a girl who was sitting alone at a nearby table, quietly eating her dinner. She had long blue hair that fell neatly over her shoulders and violet eyes, she was a very beautiful woman. He stopped at a respectful distance and gave her a smile.
"Hey, I saw you from my table, and I just wanted to tell you that your hair is beautiful."
The girl looked surprised at first, but she quickly smiled, clearly happy with the compliment. "That's so sweet. Thank you!"
Seeing that she reacted well, Adrien continued without rushing the conversation. "Is this your first time coming to Velmora? I don't think I've seen you around before."
"It's actually my second time," she said. "My father is a merchant, and I sometimes come with him on his business trips so I can learn from him. I like this town because it's quiet and peaceful, so I decided to come with him again."
Adrien nodded as if he was genuinely interested. "Oh, a merchant? That's nice. What does he sell?"
"Mostly enchanted fabrics and small protective charms," she replied. "Nothing too dangerous or expensive, but nobles and travelers usually buy them. Velmora is a good place for that kind of trade."
"Makes sense a lot of travelers pass through Velmora everyday, do you have anything in hand so I can check it out?"
The woman's expression brightened, "Sure please sit!"
Adrien sat at the table in front her.
"May I ask for your name?"
"A-Ahh, yes my name is Celina, you?"
"My name is Valthen, nice to meet you."
Adrien ended up telling her several crazy stories from his travels—which were all true by the way—He only changed small details so they would not reveal who he really was.
Celina spent most of the time laughing, sometimes covering her mouth when she laughed too loudly. The more Adrien talked, the more relaxed she became.
From his own table, Issei watched in complete disbelief like he was seeing forbidden knowledge being used right in front of him.
Adrien eventually bought Celina a drink, and the two of them continued talking for a while. By the end of the night, Celina gave him her contact information—Devils have their own phones that devil scientist created—before standing up from the table.
"I had fun tonight, Valthen," she said.
"Same here."
Issei watched in amazement as Adrien came back and sat across from him.
"That was smooth as fuck!" Issei shouted, his eyes shining as he looked at Adrien.
"Not every girl is like this," he said. "Girls aren't all the same, obviously. Some are shy, some are direct, some just don't wanna be bothered. You just have to read the cues she's giving you and act based on that, the rest becomes easier."
Issei nodded excitedly, taking in every word like it was sacred knowledge.
"So… compliment first, then ask questions?"
"Not really," Adrien said. "You just have to see how she reacts when you first talk to her. Pay attention to her face, her tone, and whether she actually looks interested. If she keeps looking at you before you even approach her, there's a decent chance she finds you attractive or is at least curious about you. That's usually a good sign that you can approach her directly."
Issei nodded, listening carefully.
"Okay, now," Adrien said, glancing toward the reception desk. "You seemed interested in the receptionist. Go talk to her."
"H-huh? What!? Right now!?" Issei whispered loudly.
Adrien gave him a flat look. "We're leaving tomorrow, and you're not going to learn how to approach girls if you never approach anyone. So go talk to her."
"What am I supposed to say?"
"Don't know, just go." Adrien lightly kicked his chair, making it slide back across the floor.
Issei awkwardly stood up from his chair and awkwardly made his way to Mirella who was still behind the counter, writing something in the large guest book. When she noticed him approaching, she looked up and smiled.
"Hello again. Do you need something?"
Issei froze for a second, his brain completely blanking out. "Y-You're really exotic!"
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Adrien burst into laughter from his table.