Helenna was bustling with activity.
The streets were cobblestone, and the first road we encountered immediately after passing through the gates was lined with massive, three-story houses. They almost certainly belonged to merchants.
Actually...this might have been the first time I’d ever seen such large buildings lined up along a street in this world. Even the largest buildings in Ruicerl were no more than two stories. Tachyrinn had been five stories tall, but since it was a citadel, it didn’t count.
“Eh, I’m sure things’ll be fine. We’ll figure it out,” I said.
“Don’t say stuff like that, Kariya! You’re making me nervous!”
“It’s fine, seriously. First, let’s look for an inn. You can tell which buildings offer lodgings pretty easily from the signs they hang outside—they’ll have an icon of a bed. There’s no mistaking it.”
“Come on, even I know that much! Is everything really okay, Kariya?!”
We’re pretending to be country bumpkins fresh from the mountains, Your Highness! It’s okay to pretend you’re not very knowledgeable of the wider world!
Inns lined the streets of the lodgings quarter of Helenna. By the time we arrived there, it was just after the usual checkout time. The area was comparatively devoid of people.
Peeking into the inns from the street, I looked for one where a woman was working the reception.
“How about here?”
I could see a middle-aged woman cleaning through the window of one inn. She seemed kind and gentle from her mien, so I thought it would be a good choice. I led the prince inside.
A vase full of fresh flowers had been placed on the reception counter, and the inn itself gave the impression of being sparkling clean—it was clearly a top-class establishment. As we entered, the woman, as well as another woman who looked slightly younger than the first, minutely raised an eyebrow. Our mountain-man appearances probably didn’t do us any favors.
“I’m very sorry, sir, but we’re still in the middle of tidying up. Could you come back in the evening?”
“Sorry. We’ve only just arrived in Helenna, and we’re tired from the journey. If you have a room available for two, for a three-night stay, we’ll gladly take it.”
“Please, sir. Do you understand what sort of establishment this is?” one of the women asked.
“I really want to let my brother rest,” I pleaded, then slid my attention to Wald. “C’mon, Al, pull down your hood and say hello to the proprietress.”
At my urging, the prince tugged the hood from his head and looked at his feet.
“Um, I apologize that my brother’s being so obstinate... Sorry.”
About one month had passed since we’d passed through the portal and had been flung to this far-off corner of the land. He’d managed to build a little more muscle, although I couldn’t describe his frame as being particularly athletic. He was still the same gorgeous young lady of a prince.
This inn was a family-friendly establishment that catered specifically to groups that included at least one female guest. Had I been alone, I would’ve been able to sleep under the entirely unsafe eaves of an empty stable at a third-rate inn instead. But I didn’t want to make the prince stay at a seedy place like that. Sleeping in a stable was completely out of the question anyway, and so too were shared lodgings where even the beds would be split with strangers.
There was absolutely no way we could do that. That would be like throwing a rabbit into a den of wolves. His virtue would be lost within the day.
So if I had to shell out money to buy his safety, I’d do it.
This inn, in particular, was a place meant to be safe even for lone female travelers. I knew that once the proprietress saw Wald’s face, she’d be sure to realize why I’d insisted on letting my “brother” stay here.
Wald was sporting a stiff look on his face out of nervousness, but the younger woman smiled kindly at him.
“Your brother was right; you do look awfully tired,” she said. “We have a room that’s just been cleaned—follow me.”
“I realize we’ve been rather demanding... Sorry,” he apologized.
“It’s okay. I’ll show you to your room. It’s just at the end of the hallway on the third floor.”
“Thank you.”
I bowed my head to the woman at the counter, who seemed to be the older sister of the girl who was bringing Prince Wald upstairs now.
“It’s fine,” the older sister said to me. “You’re worried about a lot of things, aren’t you? I could tell, especially from how you even dressed your sister up in men’s clothing.”
“Ah... Yes.”
Hold on. Huh?
I’d meant to pass the lovely young prince off as being a man as pretty as a lovely girl, but it looked like he was being straight up taken for a young woman.
“Let me just warn you, though,” the proprietress began as she wrapped up her explanation of the inn. “Our rates are at a level that may be...noticeable to some. Our rates reflect the security we offer, and the bodyguards need their wages as well. Is that still okay with you?”
“How much will it be?”
“For three nights, with breakfast, dinner, and hot water and amenities for washing included...that’ll be 1,200 gold.”
“That’s fine. My sister’s safety is priceless.”
“You’re such a good brother,” the woman replied with a bright smile.
Since I was paying in advance for our whole stay, she gave me a one-hundred-gold discount.
Thank you very much!
Still, 1,100 gold? That would’ve been about 110,000 Japanese yen for three nights.
This inn was exorbitantly expensive, but security and safety were priceless. I’d just have to accept it, mm-hmm.