WLWES 3

“Damn… I was supposed to be splurging on a place like this…”

As Rio mumbled under his breath, he gazed up at the beautiful three-story inn. While grumbling, a friendly-looking middle-aged man stepped out from the entrance. Rio approached him with a pitiful look on his face.

“Um… may I ask you something?”

“Hmmm, what is it?”

“I… just got pickpocketed. I can’t afford to stay here or buy food. I’ll do anything! Do you have a job for me?”

He knew it sounded strange, but Rio was aware of his good looks. People often called him pretty or cute, as he tended to look much younger than he actually was. The man must have seen him as some poor kid because he looked sympathetic as he started asking questions.

“That’s awful. Where are your parents?”

“They’re not dead. But I travel alone.”

“I see… The sun’s about to set, and it’s dangerous for a kid like you to sleep outside. Alright, you can stay here. But in exchange, you’ll need to help out with some work.”

“Yes! Thank you very much!”

“That’s a good answer. Now, come on in. Ah, Nora! Perfect timing. Let this boy help you out with some tasks.”

As Rio stepped inside, following the man was a woman carrying a stack of folded sheets passed by. The man called out to her and gently pushed Rio forward. The woman, who was named Nora, turned to look at him and exclaimed in surprise.

“Oh my, what’s wrong, sweetheart? You look like you’re about to cry.”

Oh, right. Come to think of it, he was still wearing that sad face. Well, that’s fine. As long as he maintained that expression, everyone would feel sorry for him and start treating him kindly.

“This boy is traveling alone,” the man explained. “It must be tough for someone his age, and on top of that, he just got pickpocketed.”

“Oh my!”

Nora gasped and covered her mouth before hurrying over to him.

“I’m so sorry. You’ve been through such a hard time! Stay as long as you need and help out around here. The work isn’t too difficult.”

“I can handle it! Even heavy lifting! I’ll do my best!”

“My, my, what a strong young man!”

Nora nodded repeatedly, while tearing up. Rio wonder how old she and the man thought he was. Right now he was seventeen, and wouldnt turn 18 and become an adult before the winter. However, there was no need to correct them. Rio had learned throughout his time traveling that looking younger meant that more people would treat him kindly.

Rio thanked the man and followed Nora as she offered to show him to his new workplace. The work Nora instructed him to do was chopping wood, lighting a fire, and making the beds. He was good at this type of manual labor, as he used to do it when he lived with his mother. He quickly finished chopping the firewood in the courtyard and went to report back to Nora. She laughed and said, “That was fast!” Then, she told him, his next task was to go to the kitchen to light the stove fire.

Once he was shown to the kitchen, he entered and found that no one was there. “Ooh, this is just perfect!”.

After confirming that he was alone, he decided to use magic to start the fire. There was flint and steel right by the stove, but using it would take too long. With magic, he could ignite the fire on the first try. However, magic was not something that just anyone could wield. In fact, there was probably no one else in this world who could use it. Not even the high-ranking officials of this country or the king himself had magical abilities. The only ones who could use magic were Rio’s family.

He had to keep his magic a secret. If the wrong people found out, it could be used for evil. Therefore, his mother had strictly instructed him to avoid using magic and to rely on ordinary tools as much as possible. But he figured it would be fine as long as no one caught him.

As he watched the flickering red flame he had just lit using magic, he suddenly heard a voice calling out to him from behind.

“What? Have you already started the fire? You’re pretty good at using flint and steel!”

Oh, it was Nora. He hurriedly stood up.

“Ah, yes. What should I do next?”

“Hmm, then could you change the sheets? The bed in a room on the top floor hasn’t been made yet. The sheets are in a basket in the hallway.”

“Understood. I’ll head over right away.”

“You don’t have to be so tense.”

“Well, after all, you’re letting me stay here. Oh, and I’m looking forward to some delicious food!”

Nora giggled. “I’m just trying to help you! But I’ll let the head chef know you’re looking forward to their cooking.”

Nora held a hand over her heart and laughed softly. She seemed to have taken a liking to him.

Rio was friendly and could quickly get along with anyone. More accurately, he could tell whether someone liked him or not. That’s why he wouldn’t approach those who wouldn’t like him. For example, there was Gideon, the knight he had met earlier that day. He was well-dressed, but the way he looked at Rio was cold. Gideon’s face was stern, and it was clear he didn’t want anything to do with him. Rio didn’t want to get involved with him either, but he had helped the knight out because he felt bad for his horse.

His mother had taught him to help people in need without hesitation. In the end, Gideon gave him a silver coin as a thank you, so it was fine. Besides, he figured they wouldn’t meet again. Fate has a peculiar way of surprising us. Rio went to the room on the top floor and finished changing the sheets on the large bed in the center of a spacious room. Just as he was about to leave with the dirty sheets in his arms, the door opened unexpectedly, hitting him right in the face.

“Ouch…”

“Sorry… Huh? You…?”

“…Huh? Ah, you!”

Standing right in front of him was Gideon.

No way… I thought I would never see him again. Why are we at the same inn?

Even though Rio didn’t bother hiding his displeasure, Gideon paid no mind and casually pushed him aside as he stepped into the room.

Rio attempted to slip past Gideon and reach for the door to leave, but Gideon mercilessly closed it before he could get through.

“Hey… Why did you close it? I’m in the middle of work.”

“Work? You’re working here? You’re not staying at this inn?”

“Yeah, I’m working. I don’t have any silver coins, so I’m working in exchange for a place to stay.”

“Hmm. What happened to the silver coins I gave you?”

“…It got stolen.”

“What?”

“The moment I arrived in this town, some kid swiped it from me!”

“Hahaha, is that so?”

Hmm? Huh? Did he just… laugh?

The man who always appeared expressionless, like he was always wearing a wooden mask? The guy who was so cold he seemed made of ice? Is it Rio’s imagination, or is he laughing?

Still holding on to the sheets, he looked up and froze, mouth hanging open in shock.

Gideon was actually laughing. Well, not exactly laughing, but his eyes had narrowed slightly, and the corners of his mouth were subtly lifted.

“What the…” So he can smile, I thought as I stared at him.

“What is it?” Gideon said in a low voice, glaring at me.

He was already back to his intimidating expression. Rio wanted to see him laugh a little longer.

Wait, what the hell am I thinking? After all, he was just laughing at me!

“Hey, you totally just thought I was an idiot, didn’t you?”

“I don’t consider anyone an idiot. I just thought you were capable, but it turns out you’re surprisingly careless.”

“See! That’s the same as calling me an idiot!”

“It’s not. Look, the more you get worked up, the hungrier you’ll get.”

“What does that mean?”

“Your stomach’s been growling for a while now.”

“Huh?”

Only after Gideon pointed it out did he realize how noisy his stomach was. Rio’s face instantly flushed, and he buried his face in the sheets he was carrying.

“I-I was just about to eat! I’ve moved around a lot today, so I’m hungrier than usual!”

“Good. That’s a healthy sign.”

“Hmph! See ya!”

Rio rushed to the door, threw it open, and bolted out of the room. Walking quickly, he took the sheets to the washroom and headed for the kitchen. As he approached, he could smell the delicious aroma of roasting meat.

“I wonder what’s for dinner… I can’t wait!”

Rio nearly jumped out of his skin when Nora handed him a large wooden tray.

“Thank you for your help. Could you take this to the room on the top floor right away?” she asked.

“What? What?? My food…”

“It’s in there. I heard you know the guest in the room on the top floor. You’re done for the day, so go ahead and relax.”

“What? Why?” he asked, still puzzled.

Rio tilted his head askingly while holding the tray. Nora then gave him a gentle push.

“If you don’t take it quickly, it will get cold,” she said, giving him a firmer shove and prompting him to start walking.