"...Huh? Are you lost, children?" The hoarse voice of a middle-aged man was the first thing that greeted Cyrus the moment he and Sylvie stepped into the inn.
Cyrus didn't even have time to look around before a towering figure blocked his view. A stout, broad-shouldered man, likely in his late forties, was glaring down at them, his thick arms crossed over his sweat-stained tunic. His frown deepened the moment his eyes scanned their faces.
Dirty clothes, even dirtier, bloodied faces, and that appalling scent that made it clear they hadn't washed in a while. Shaking his head, the man glanced at them and waved his hand dismissively before he continued
"Take a hike, kids. I don't have any food."
Sylvie's cheeks reddened when she heard that, but Cyrus didn't flinch. He had already expected such a reaction. If anything, this man could even be considered kind compared to the glares of disgust he'd gotten on the streets.
"I want a room." He answered simply, his gaze never leaving the man.
The innkeeper raised a brow, clearly unimpressed, until Cyrus held up his right hand. The bronze badge of the Adventurers Guild gleamed faintly under the sunlight that seeped through the windows. Cyrus turned it slightly, just enough to show the official crest while covering the rank at the bottom with his thumb. Then, he withdrew the leather pouch he'd gotten from the receptionist and flung it towards the man who effortlessly caught it with one hand.
The innkeeper blinked. "…You're an adventurer?"
He leaned closer, squinting at the badge again, and then at Cyrus and the red-haired girl by his side. His expression shifted, but only slightly, before shaking his head again.
"Tsk, even beggars look better than you, you know."
Cyrus didn't reply.
The man scratched his stubbled chin, glanced again at the leather pouch in his hand, and finally let out a sigh.
"Fine. You've got money, so I won't throw you out, but listen well, kid." He pointed at Cyrus's face and tattered clothes and continued "This place has a decent name, so I can't have people think I'm sheltering beggars. I'll give you a room but make sure to at least clean yourselves up before you get out. Also, do something about those rags of yours."
With that, he turned around and gestured for Cyrus and Sylvie to follow him to the second floor.
As they stepped onto the wooden staircase that was just wide enough for two people to walk next to each other, Cyrus took the opportunity to glance around the first floor. Despite the inn's size, there were less than ten customers scattered across the hall. A few were hunched over bowls of stew and jugs of ale, while others whispered in silence. No one seemed to pay attention to him and Sylvie, though.
When they reached the second floor, the innkeeper stopped in front of a plain wooden door at the very end of the floor. He opened the door and said flatly
"This is it. One room, two beds, a single basin. You'll find clean water in the washroom down the hall. The price is twenty bronze coins per night. Pay up front."
The man tossed the pouch back to Cyrus, who nodded and retrieved the gold coin inside it.
Cyrus had to admit, he didn't really know the rates inns in Novera usually went for, but he doubted the innkeeper would try to overcharge him. After all, a bronze coin was the lowest form of currency in Astrea and twenty coins for a single night at an inn didn't sound too unreasonable.
At the very least, it was worth the price if he and Sylvie could avoid sleeping out on the streets and having to look over their heads for the guards of the Red Arena.
Besides, Cyrus had intentionally shown the man his adventurer's badge earlier, so unless the innkeeper wanted to risk having the name of his inn smeared for a few extra bronze coins, he probably wouldn't try anything funny.
"We'll stay for a week." Cyrus said and tossed the gold coin to the middle-aged man who paused for a moment before handing him back 8 silver coins and 60 bronze coins.
In the kingdom of Astrea, a single gold coin equaled 10 silver coins, while a single silver coin equaled 100 bronze coins. In other words, the value of a single gold coin was that of a thousand bronze coins.
After giving Cyrus his change, the innkeeper turned around and walked back to the first floor, not throwing the two children another glance.
Once the man had disappeared down the stairs, Cyrus pulled Sylvie into the room and locked the door, before he calmly took in his new surroundings.
It was an extremely simple room. One could even call it Spartan, really. Two narrow beds were placed next to each other, each with a thin blanket folded at the edge. A wooden basin was placed at the far edge of the room, next to what seemed to be a drainage system for the water to run after they washed themselves.
The wooden floor creaked softly with every step he took, but Cyrus didn't seem to mind. He just stood there, taking everything in.
It was a strange feeling, one that was difficult to put into words. It wasn't exactly contentment, but he felt like a small weight had been lifted off his shoulders... at least for now!
After all, even if the guards of the Red Arena managed to somehow track him down all the way to Novera, there was no way they would be able to find him in the Bronze Coin Inn. And even if they did, it was unlikely that the Ironbound innkeeper would let them do as they pleased in his inn.
After a few more moments of silence, Cyrus finally glanced at Sylvie.
The red-haired girl was still standing in front of the door, her eyes drifting slowly across the room. She was hesitantly fidgeting with her fingers, as if unsure whether to step further inside.
Shaking his head, he let out a deep breath and made his way towards one of the beds. Then, he looked at her and continued
"What are you waiting for?" he muttered, "Get some sleep."
Then, without even waiting for a response, he closed his eyes and allowed himself to fall asleep.