Chapter 530:
Dinky?
SO WE’RE IN OKANKE VILLAGE NOW, but…something feels off.
“Hey, Dad,” I murmured quietly to him. “The whole village feels…gloomy, doesn’t it?”
He nodded slightly in reply. We’d temporarily parted ways with the serpents to visit Okanke Village, and the looks on the villagers’ faces were just too gloomy for words. We were walking on Main Street, but we didn’t hear a single cheerful voice.
“I don’t want to stay here very long,” my father said.
I nodded and looked ahead. Zinal’s expression had gotten very grim as he walked in front of us, and his usual light and carefree banter was gone.
“It’s completely different from the last time we were here,” Fische sighed, looking around. He seemed disappointed. Maybe the problems here were greater than both of them had imagined.
“Yeah, let’s change our plans and stay at that lodge over there.”
“Sure, that’s probably for the best.”
Their conversation raised questions. Which lodge had they originally planned on staying at? I didn’t remember them talking about lodging. As I stared quizzically at them, Fische turned around.
“Druid, Ivy, we’re going to stay at a lodge run by somebody we know. That okay with you?”
I nodded. Any lodge Zinal and Fische recommended was fine with me.
“Yeah, we don’t mind,” my father answered. “Is it Asuro? I think I remember this village had one of those.”
Asuro? Wait, wasn’t that the name of the place we stayed at in Hataha Village?
Fische and Zinal gasped in perfect harmony. Finding that strange, I scrutinized them both, and their expressions made it clear that they were both genuinely shocked. But what about? Was there some significance behind an inn called “Asuro”? I remembered it was a good inn…they let me use the kitchen whenever I wanted, and their bath was also wonderful.
“Am I wrong?” my father asked.
About what?
I looked at him, but he didn’t seem any different to me. Meanwhile, Zinal and Fische looked a bit perplexed. Was I imagining things? Those two were always difficult to read.
“You knew about Asuro?” Zinal finally asked.
“Well, not too much,” my father replied. “I just always sensed something was special about it. When we stayed at the Asuro in Hataha Village, the things I heard while I was there seemed to confirm my suspicions.”
Zinal looked a bit angry to hear that, and Fische also had a menacing look in his eye.
“Guys, cool down. You’re scaring Ivy,” my father snapped.
And with that, their menacing auras vanished.
“Sorry. Um, we’ll talk later,” Zinal said.
I nodded in understanding. But what was there to talk about? Something they wanted kept secret, I assumed.
“Um, you don’t really need to talk to us if you don’t want to,” I reassured them. I didn’t think we would lose anything by not knowing.
“Hmm, no, going off everything that’s happened to you so far, Ivy, I think you should know.”
Everything that’s happened to me? Everything that’s happened… Does he mean how I always seem to get caught up in annoying problems? I can’t seem to avoid it, though.
“I swear, none of it’s been my fault,” I insisted.
I just happened to always be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
“It may not be your fault, Ivy, but you can’t deny you’ll be going through a lot in the coming years, can you?”
Well, I…would rather not think about that, honestly. But looking back on everything that’s happened to me, I’m starting to feel like I’m bound by some invisible force.
“That’s why I think you should be in the know,” Zinal said. “It just isn’t something we can discuss around prying ears, so let’s go to the lodge.”
If Zinal says I should know, then I’d better pay close attention. I’m sure it will come in handy the next time I get caught up in something.
“Understood.”
My father looked satisfied, which made me wonder if he had coaxed Zinal and Fische toward that decision. When our eyes met, he shrugged his shoulders and smiled sheepishly—yeah, he definitely coaxed them. My father probably also thought I’d better know. But why hadn’t he just told me, then?
“There it is.”
I looked up to see an old building in the distance.
“The innkeeper there is a bit quirky, but his veggie rolls are delicious.”
Veggie rolls? If I remember right, that’s meat wrapped in vegetables and grilled with a marinade. That does sound good.
We entered the inn and found four adventurers there. Everyone looked stern as they spoke with an elderly man whose white hair and beard were very eye-catching.
“Whitey over there is the innkeeper.”
Zinal’s phrasing made me giggle a little. Calling him “Whitey” was a little too uncouth. What’s more, the innkeeper looked calm and peaceful while the adventurers talking to him appeared stern and grim. He seemed out of place in every way possible.
“Hey.” One of the adventurers nudged his companion at the sight of us, and I suddenly felt uncomfortable.
“We’re done here,” the innkeeper told the adventurers. “Just trust me when I say I don’t know anything.”
One of the adventurers jumped to his feet. “Stop lying to us!”
He angrily grabbed the innkeeper’s collar. The other adventurers eyed us warily as they tried to calm their angry companion, who shot a death glare in our direction for some reason. He was incredibly rude.
“Think we can wrap things up before you scare my guests away?” the innkeeper asked the adventurers as he beckoned to us.
The adventurers all swore under their breaths. Now only one of them was calm and the other three were mad.
“We’ll be back later,” one of them said.
“No matter how many times you ask me, my answer will always be the same: I know nothing.”
The adventurers glared at the innkeeper as they left, then made things even worse by glaring at us, too.
That’s strange…they were staring daggers at me, yet I didn’t feel even a little bit scared. Why is that? I shake with fear whenever my father glares, even though it’s never directed at me. I’ve been scared by Fische and Zinal’s stares as well. And of all the people I know, the one who scared me the most is…Bolorda, I think? No, Seizerk was also really scary. And come to think of it, Sifar’s, Rattloore’s, and Velivera’s smiles were scary, too. But looking back on those adventurers just now… Yeah, not at all scary. They looked more like animals of prey trying to act intimidating… Ohh, now I know the word to describe them.
“They’re dinky! That’s why their death glares didn’t scare me. Oh, how interesting.”
All the men stared blankly at me.
Huh?
“Pff! Ha ha ha ha!” Zinal clutched his belly and burst out laughing.
Uh-oh…did I just say that out loud?
My hands jumped to my mouth, but the damage was already done.
“That’s our Ivy. Your judgment was right on the money.” Fische was nodding merrily, and so was my father. The innkeeper was looking down, so I couldn’t see his expression, but his shoulders were shaking.
“So, um, we want to stay the night,” I told the innkeeper, desperate to change the mood.
The innkeeper took a deep breath in and out and looked at me. “Hello there. Sorry you guys came in at an awkward moment,” he said, smiling peacefully.
I gave him a scrutinizing look. He seemed friendly, but there was something odd about his smile. He gave the impression that the look on his face clashed with his true nature.
This smile…it reminds me of somebody I know…who is it? Oh, now I know! He’s just like Master!
“Ivy, be careful. This guy’s got a rotten personality,” Zinal said.
I knew it! Hey, I don’t think Master has a rotten personality…
The innkeeper eyed Zinal in shock. Then his gaze quickly filled with mirth. “Funny, you don’t usually act like yourself around me. Does this mean these people are safe to unmask around?”
Yikes! Now his smile changed into something that, for the life of me, I can’t grasp. So is this closer to his true self?
“That’s right, though we still haven’t told them yet,” Zinal said.
The innkeeper nodded, then set two keys onto the counter. “The usual room and the one next to it. Zinal and Fische, you boys come down later. I need to talk to you.”
Zinal and Fische nodded at the innkeeper, took their key, and headed for the staircase. As I followed them, I turned back to look at the innkeeper, who waved at me.
I think this innkeeper is going to be very entertaining.