BXBX NOVEL Chapter 96: The Uninvited Guest at the Door
The innkeeper, although unsure why he suddenly felt so uncomfortable, could surmise that his suffering was somehow related to Medusa.
In a hurried tone, he replied, "You are welcome to stay at the inn. Feel free to choose any of the vacant rooms. I won\'t charge you a penny."
Upon hearing these words, Medusa turned her head and smiled at the others.
"Let\'s go." she said, "Hurry and choose the rooms you like for your stay."
With that, Medusa headed straight up the stairs to choose the room she fancied the most. Naturally, she was also picking a room for Charles, as she was certain to share a room with him.
Eck and Johann stood there, dumbfounded, their fear of Medusa growing even stronger.
Charles, feeling slightly awkward, remarked, "It seems my companion is quite persuasive. Since she convinced the innkeeper to waive our fees, we shouldn\'t just stand around here."
Having said that, Charles, along with Little Green, followed after Medusa.
Eck and Johann, though slightly fearful, couldn\'t help but feel apprehensive.
However, they couldn\'t forget that it was Medusa who had rescued them in the Desert of Sands.Since they had already traveled a considerable distance with Charles and the others, it was inconceivable for them to part ways now.
Moreover, the two were worried that if they angered Medusa, they might end up like the innkeeper.
"We should hurry upstairs and pick our rooms."
Eck said in a low voice to Johann, who nodded in agreement.
Though the inn appeared small from the outside, the second floor was surprisingly spacious, with a total of twelve guest rooms.
Before the arrival of Charles and the others, only two guest rooms were occupied.And these two rooms were inhabited by Serpent people.
Ultimately, Charles and his group selected three guest rooms.
Charles and Medusa took the room in the middle.Little Green chose to stay alone in the room on the left.Eck and Johann settled into the room on the right.
After selecting their rooms, everyone gathered in Charles and Medusa\'s room to discuss their next steps.
"We\'ll be staying in Rock Fortress for about three days. During this time, we\'ll try to stock up on as many supplies as possible." Charles said.
"During these three days, the two of you can reach out to any members of The Explorer\'s Association you know. If they can help you return to your own territories, then go back directly." Charles suggested.
"If you can\'t find a way back and wish to continue the adventure with us, you\'re welcome to join. After all, you both probably have more exploration experience than I do."
The reason Charles wanted to stay here for three days was that he aimed to learn more about Rock Fortress and the situation with the Serpent Empire\'s guards stationed there.
From what Charles had gathered, although Rock Fortress was one of the core territories of the Serpent Empire in the Desert of Sands, it didn\'t face any external threats.
Why would the Serpent Empire station so many troops here? Could it be that these guards were preparing for an attack on Serene Forest?
Charles was deeply concerned that the Serpent Emperor might have already learned that Serene Forest was his territory. If the enemy had obtained this crucial piece of information, they would undoubtedly amass the Serpent Empire\'s army to attack Serene Forest.
Charles needed to ensure the safety of his own territory before moving forward. Thus, he had to investigate the true purpose of the Serpent Empire\'s army gathered here.
When it came to Charles\'s arrangement, Medusa and Little Green, quite naturally, had no objections whatsoever.
Eck and Johann, likewise, found no reason to disagree.For they were well aware that finding a town in the Desert of Sands was exceedingly difficult.
"No problem at all. If we can\'t find a way to teleport back to our territory, we\'d actually be very willing to continue the adventure with you."
Even before Eck could voice his thoughts, Johann had already made his stance abundantly clear.
Even though Johann had been injured in a previous expedition, he hadn\'t given up on further adventures. He also realized that Charles and his group were more reliable than the guides sent by The Explorer\'s Association.
"I\'m glad you agree. It\'s getting late today. Let\'s each return to our rooms and get a good night\'s rest. Tomorrow morning, we\'ll head out to handle our respective tasks."
After finalizing the plans for their next course of action, everyone retreated to their respective rooms.
Naturally, Medusa took the initiative to tidy up the bed in her room. She lay on the bed, gazing at Charles with her large, soulful eyes filled with deep affection.
"Master, don\'t you want to have a good rest?" she asked.
Charles certainly understood what Medusa meant.
"Since we\'ve temporarily arrived at the relatively safe Rock Fortress, it looks like I really can take a good rest tonight." Charles said with a smile as he walked over to Medusa.
Next door to Charles\'s room, Johann and Eck were discussing their next steps.
"I don\'t think we\'ll be able to find a way to teleport back to our territory here in Rock Fortress. This town is too small, and even if there is a portal, it\'s likely for the Serpent Empire\'s military use only. We have no way of using the Serpent Empire\'s military portal. Plus, we\'re not Overlords of the Serpent Empire, and we have no connections with their generals."
Eck expressed his slight concern about their current predicament.
Johann lay on the bed, silently listening to Eck\'s complaints.
"Are you really planning to continue the adventure with Richard? Haven\'t you noticed how strange Richard and his two companions are? I have a strong feeling they\'re hiding many secrets." Eck added.
Eck had already noticed Johann\'s thoughts, so he asked him directly.
At long last, Johann finally began to speak.
"Of course, I know Richard and his two companions are very strange. I even think Richard might not be his real name. But everyone has their own secrets.
As long as Richard and his companions are willing to offer us protection, we don\'t need to pry into their secrets. What if their secrets are terrifying for us?"
Johann was someone who could go with the flow. He didn\'t worry about many things like Eck did.
Under normal circumstances, someone like Eck would live better. But given the current situation, Johann was the one faring better.
Eck heaved a sigh.
"You\'re right. If we can\'t find a portal to go back, we\'ll have no choice but to continue forward with Richard and his group." Eck said, then fell onto the bed.
Eck and Johann, not being very strong, quickly fell asleep after a long day.
However, Medusa and Charles didn\'t tire so easily. It was well into the night when Charles finally said to Medusa.
"Alright, we should get some rest. Tomorrow, I need you to scout the Serpent Empire\'s guards, and you mustn\'t reveal your identity."
Medusa, lying on Charles\'s shoulder, whispered, "Master, you don\'t need to worry so much. I\'m very familiar with the Serpent Empire\'s guards. I know how to avoid arousing their suspicion."
Charles trusted Medusa completely. So, he closed his eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
After an unknown amount of time, Charles was suddenly awakened by Medusa.
Medusa whispered softly into Charles\'s ear, "Master, there\'s an unexpected guest outside our door."
Charles\'s expression turned slightly surprised upon hearing this. He quickly focused his attention on the area outside their room.
Before long, Charles discerned a shadowy, furtive figure.
This furtive figure not only lingered outside Charles\'s door but also loitered near the doors of Little Green and Eck. This behavior implied that the shadowy figure had a keen understanding of the relationships within Charles\'s group.
"He\'s not a Serpent, nor is he the innkeeper." Charles swiftly concluded.
However, Charles decided not to alert the Serpents. Since the sneaky figure outside posed no immediate threat, Charles saw no need to launch an attack.
Charles saw no need to launch an unprovoked attack on the individual. In the safety of the shadows, he could continue to scrutinize the person\'s actions to ascertain their true intentions.
"Master, I can curse him to death through the door." Medusa whispered softly to Charles.
Charles shook his head. "For now, let\'s not bother with him. We just need to note his characteristics. He\'s likely gathering information on us. We shouldn\'t alert the Serpents before he acts."
With that, Charles closed his eyes, intending to go back to sleep.
Medusa, of course, didn\'t require much sleep. She kept her eyes fixed on the sneaky figure in the hallway until he finally vanished, allowing her to relax slightly.
Medusa felt she detected a faintly familiar aura emanating from the sneaky figure outside the door.