(Uru - Lanong)

The process of entering the city of Morpolis was not as complicated as I had imagined. Or rather, with President Ahad as my guarantor, I only needed to pay a deposit of four gold coins to be allowed passage by the guards.

Another thing that surprised me was that the city of Morpolis, belonging to the Bright Alliance, seemed to accept beings other than humans as their legal citizens. As soon as I entered the city gates, I saw several humanoid creatures resembling dwarves and orcs confidently walking around the medieval-style streets, happily chatting and mingling with humans, seemingly without much racial prejudice.

"Now that I've brought you into the city, do you have any plans?" President Ahad asked me a question that even I wanted to know the answer to, under the east city gate at dusk. I glanced at the tall and fierce lizardmen nearby and instinctively felt fear, so I moved closer to the knight lady standing beside me.

"Perhaps you can stay with me for a night. Don't worry, this time it won't be charged." Apparently noticing my confusion, President Ahad smiled kindly. Although this golden-haired knight lady was a bit greedy, her every movement was filled with a strange charisma. Her clear and direct blue eyes were different from mine now. She knew exactly what future she wanted to pursue and understood the burden she carried.

She was a person of conviction.

I quite enjoyed being with her, so I agreed to her proposition: "Thank you very much for your help! If I remember correctly, President Ahad, your Adventurer Guild is called Casa do Penedo, right? What kind of guild is it?"

"You'll find out when you get there."

When she heard the name Casa do Penedo, the smile on the lady president's face abruptly disappeared. She didn't say much about this topic, and I didn't dare risk stepping on a landmine by asking further. Then, in an eerie silence, she took me on a public carriage and we headed to her residence, my place of stay.

...

...

A dilapidated signboard...

Sleepy clerks at work...

An empty lobby...

Decaying floors and stairs...

"This... This is the Adventurer Guild?" Although I was somewhat mentally prepared, I couldn't hide my surprise when I saw the true face of Casa do Penedo. Pointing at the dilapidated storefront, I couldn't help but ask a question I already knew the answer to.

President Ahad's expression stiffened for a moment when she heard my impolite question, then she reluctantly put on a smile befitting a host: "I'm sorry, the environment isn't great, but you'll have to make do, Little Blue."

Little Blue?

Although I didn't quite understand why I suddenly went from Miss Lanong to Little Blue, compared to my previous impolite remarks, this change in address suddenly seemed less important. I looked up at the forced smile of the lady president. For a long time, I couldn't bring myself to say a word of apology or comfort, because those unnecessary words would be another blade that would hurt her.

So, I asked, "Can you show me the room?"

Fortunately, her smile seemed more genuine when she heard my request.

"With pleasure! Please follow me."

She raised an eyebrow and once again attempted to hold my hand without any defense. I immediately wanted to retract my hand and step back to avoid her grasp, but the knight's physical ability overwhelmed me. In the end, she firmly held my small hand.

"No escaping!" President Ahad proudly brought my little hand to her nose to take a sniff. I could only admit that this teasing gesture was quite effective, as someone who had always been a mute virgin, I was undoubtedly unable to resist the excitement it brought. My heartbeat accelerated uncontrollably, and blood rushed to my neck, causing my face to feel flushed and hot.

"Damn it, I'm definitely blushing like a woman now!"

I berated myself for having such thin skin while lowering my head, trying not to let the lady president notice my embarrassment. However, judging from the constant teasing sensations transmitted through the palm of my hand, she probably already saw through my expression and continued to playfully tease me even more. This made me lower my head even further-The spiral staircase of Casa do Penedo extended all the way to the third floor, but President Aihade led me to the second floor. As we walked along the corridor, I noticed that most of the room doors had empty signs on them. It was clear that Casa do Penedo, as a shop offering accommodation services, was facing a very difficult situation.

"We're here," President Aihade said, stopping in front of a door. She opened it to reveal a neat little suite, at least three times larger than my tiny unit.

"This room was recently used by a guest, so it's clean. You can rest here tonight, okay?" President Aihade held a key halfway up and I nodded gratefully. "To be honest, the environment here is much better than what I experienced downstairs. I think I'll have a good dream tonight."

President Aihade's expression froze for a moment, and then she sighed, "Yes, the business at Casa do Penedo is really not doing well..."

It was only then that I realized I had misspoke again. As I frantically tried to think of how to console the failed businesswoman in front of me, she continued with a deep and bitter self-reflection, "No, to be more accurate, Casa do Penedo is in a state worse than the worst. Not only has it been losing money for four consecutive years, but the business is also getting worse. The massive debt of 800 gold is scarier than a woman's monthly period. Even in the end of last month, the few remaining employees voluntarily quit..."

I stared blankly at the almost solid black hole in front of me, immediately activating my intelligence. Fortunately, Intelligence didn't disappoint me. It came online and made a foolish statement, "Don't worry, you're still young. Even if the business fails, you can file for bankruptcy. Life is like this, there are always ups and downs. Just look at the bright side, as wide as the sea and sky!"

"Bankruptcy? As wide as the sea and sky? Haha... haha..."

Hearing my words that were more like a counterattack than comfort, President Aihade put a hand to her forehead, fingers buried in her bangs, and burst into a laugh that sounded sick. Lastly, as if the string had been cut, she fell completely silent.

"Sorry, I'm a bit tired. I need to rest for a while. Please make yourself at home."

With that, President Aihade didn't even look at me again. She turned and walked out of the door, closing it behind her.

"Idiot─"

I made a hand gesture to myself, feeling an immense and indescribable sense of frustration. At this moment, I wished everything in front of me was just virtual data, so that my mistakes could be meaningless, and the heavy burden on the blonde girl would only be a simple game plot. But...

"Who designed such a ridiculously realistic online game?"

After President Aihade left, my mood became more and more frustrated and restless. I knew where that feeling of distress was coming from, but I didn't know how to completely solve the problem. Furthermore, I couldn't even think of a reason why I got involved in the first place. The most urgent thing was for me to find a way to log out of the game as soon as possible!

But...

Once you see such a shattered determination, I suppose any man would find it hard to ignore?

Since my mind was made up, I immediately slapped the dressing table, straightened my back, and confidently walked out of this comfortable and spacious room. I nodded firmly to myself and set clear and specific action points.

"In short, let's find something to eat first!"

My honest stomach rumbled in response.