Chapter 26 <The Ivy Cottage>

[Princess Bereqor, it might be rude of me but I would like to advise on our expenditure, since excessive spending might tear us apart financially…] (Me)

My words are very possibly met with deaf ears. Before I knew it, the princess behind me has one hand held by mine, and the other holding full of food and snacks, which are specialties of Flurea. I am unsure how she even managed to carry a bag which I see is stuffed with some weird looking souvenirs.

…They are all bought from my money.

Without paying attention to her, my earnings are steadily decreasing while I was reflecting on the lesson she gave me back then. I only have my carelessness to blame, so I silently clench my teeth and continued forward to the destination while holding onto a map with my other hand.

Let's just treat it as a tuition fee for my magic course.

The destination I'm heading for is not Eikraum. Reasonably, I should be treating her royal highness to a fitting accommodation such as the luxurious hotel modelled with the signature oak tree of the town. However, I'm especially conscious of attention every time, and especially now when there are potential pursuers that may endanger both our lives. The place I'm leading her to right now is slightly run down, but possess sufficient facilities to give anyone a comfortable stay throughout.

…Deep inside, behind those excuses, I just don't want to spend so much.

Slowly, the people around us began to noticeably decrease in number. It must be the reason that the inn I'm aiming for is slightly far from the central point in town where most of the bustling is. I pretend not to notice Princess Violet dripping what seems to be blood from the raw looking meat on her skewer while sticking her tongue out.

An old looking inn, but nonetheless a presentable one, comes within our view before long. At first, it looks plain and simple, but there is something like a hidden charm it possesses, taking our breath away. The discernible ivy growing on its walls are nicely trimmed to fit the serene atmosphere, alongside a small and well-kept fountain beside it surrounded by simple but attractive flowers. Finches and swallows bath in it while enjoying the mid-afternoon wash, while songbirds chirp their favourite melodies that entice both their partners and the visitors of this inn. It really looks like a place straight out of fictional books; a real fairy tale lays before my eyes.

[So pretty… It looks like a better version of your house, Rey.] (Violet)

[…] (Me)

I ignored the insensitive remark and walked towards the inn. I entered the inn while stating a polite greeting under the chime of the bell set to ring from the opening of the main doors, presumably to alert the owner of any potential customers. I have to push the door open since Princess Violet is bound by the rules of her race and is unable to enter any property on her own.

"Welcome! Are you looking to stay in ?"

"Ivy Cottage? Is it the name of this beautiful place, by any chance?" (Me)

"Your compliments brighten my day, dear customer. Yes, this modest place of ours is indeed the Ivy Cottage. It has been running for almost three decades already, and we only seek to preserve this place to the best of our ability so that people can come to enjoy the joy we share here."

This place gives me a peaceful feeling… I feel as if that I could stay here for my entire life making drinks for a living. Maybe I should abandon Princess Violet here and ask the owner if she wants to employ a non-alcoholic bartender for extra services.

The moment I first walked in, the clean interior instantly impressed me. The supposed lobby on the first storey is instead a dining area, modestly filled with wooden tables and chairs. The wooden floor is well polished to the point of reflecting light. The area is brightly lit by well positioned windows, giving it an overall sunny ambience. Whoever built this must have been a brilliant architect.

I can also see doors cleverly placed at areas that do not draw attention, which I guess are probably staff quarters. There are two doorways, which likely leads to the kitchen area and the staircase to where the rooms for customers are. Near the main doors is the counter where the owner currently converses with me.

"Pardon my enquiry, but I suppose you are the owner of this place then?" (Me)

"Please do not be reserved, customer. Yes, I run this place with my husband. My father was the first owner of the Ivy Cottage. He had built it from scratch with the help of his friends. We took over my father after he passed away."

Your father and his friends are great designers.

"My condolences." (Me)

"Thank you, but please do not worry yourself over such matters… Ah! My husband is back."

Behind the counter where she stood, a door opened. The incoming light is immediately blocked out by a humongous figure. He walked in with his head lowered, barely hitting the ceiling. He saunters in with both arms carrying bags.

I feel my hand squeezed tightly to the point of pain. For someone like me who find it hard to feel pain, having my hand squeezed till such a point shows how much force is put into it. I was about to ask when I noticed slight trembling, which made me startled inside.

Before I could ask, the female owner hastily waved at us while pushing her back at the huge man.

"Please do not be alarmed! This is my husband! I know it is hard to believe, but I agree that he is a humongous man. Don't worry, he is gentle and understanding. Ah! I have not introduced ourselves! Where are my manners!"

…Why are you panicking when we are the ones that should be the most unsettled here?

"Hahaha… There are no problems, so please calm down." (Me)

I give off an awkward laugh while trying to calm her down. It is hard to calm down someone when there is someone else crushing your hand with pure force.

"I am Jane, and this is my husband Urkahn!" (Jane)

With a cramped smile, Jane hit Urkahn with her fist. The huge man seemed to have finally noticed something and turned around to face us, swinging the bags he hold with slight momentum.

"…Urkahn, welcome." (Urkahn)

I think I know the reason behind Princess Violet's reaction. Upon gazing at the huge man named Urkahn, I immediate notice the eye-catching feature he displays. Where his forehead is, grew three horns. And after realising this, I begin to see his skin to be of a darker shade. At this point in time, the identity of Urkahn could not be any more obvious.

"Hahaha, please pardon my husband, he just picked up the human language… He is in no way rude at all! I'm sorry if we have offended you!" (Jane)

"No, that is fine. We are not bothered by the least." (Me)

Without pause, I put out my free hand in a gesture of receiving a handshake. Unknowingly, the room was immediately put into silence. Urkahn, who realised after some time that the handshake was meant for him, slightly widened his eyes. I continued to wait quietly.

He placed his bags on the floor gently and slowly walked to me. Then, he lowered his back in order to reach out to me and grasped my hand tightly. I shook my hand in response, revealing a smile.

"Pleased to meet you. We are Raycent and Violet." (Me)

"Pleased, to meet you. Stay, Ivy Cottage?" (Urkahn)

"Yes, we'd love to." (Me)

"Thank, you." (Urkahn)

We released our respective hands and looked at each other affirmatively as fellow men.

Behind that smile of Urkahn's, I believe that there is nothing: because that very smile I see now is a genuine one.

Urkahn picked up his bags and head towards where I presume to be the kitchen, leaving his wife in a state of shock.

"Ms Jane, we…" (Me)

"Ah! No, just call me Jane please." (Jane)

"…Alright, Jane, we'd like to enquire about the fees and rules we are to abide to during our stay." (Me)

I courteously asked for the rules of the inn, while pondering over the matters surrounding Urkahn.

The way I see it, a royal member of the vampire race is among the top ranks in power. It is hard to find anything to frighten a royal vampire when he or she is more than capable to single-handedly bring down most individuals. So when Princess Violet began trembling while hiding behind me, it was quite a shock.

But after discovering the identity of Jane's proclaimed husband, Urkahn, I feel as if Princess Violet's reaction made sense. A large body frame, a dark shade of skin and horns on the forehead. There is no other race that possesses such distinctive traits as a species. It really makes one wonder about how anyone could serve as an inn manager.

Urkahn is an ogre.

Ogres are known to be ferocious and merciless. Many come to see ogres as representatives to the War God. They are also considered unreasonable and murderous, and accompanied with their brute strength, they are hence feared by the weaker races and hated by the strong. Even within their own society, ogre communities live by the rule of the strong.

However, this is not enough a reason for a royal vampire to fear an ogre; in fact, average ogres fall behind vampires in combat due to the vampires' use of wits and flexibility in combat. Unlike vampires, most ogres are incapable of using magic. They mostly rely on brute strength to overpower any obstacles in their way.

What Princess Violet likely feared, was the three horns that Urkahn has. Among ogres, horns are a literal depiction of power. Ogres without horns are enslaved or exiled from their community as failures, while ogres with small horns are made to work in the lower hierarchy of their society. Ogres with a single horn are considered normal, while those with two are respected. This is because ogres with two horns mostly possess more intelligence, more strength and a minority possess the talent to wield magic even. Their behaviour also differ: it is said that ogres with two horns are crueller and even take pleasure in killing.

In extremely rare cases, an ogre with three horns is born. There is little known about them even among the ogre community itself, but they are existences that even the two-horned ogres fear. The ogre community treat them as a neoplasm within their society, because that is how abnormal they are.

Rumours, legends, sightings and news report that three-horned ogres are the literal manifestation of the evil hidden within the War God. They are said to make slaughter and carnage mere plays among children with their power. Three-horned ogres know not about mercy, even among fellow ogres, and are known to prey on any species they are capable of hunting down. They possess far more wits and strength, agility and flexibility, manipulation and many unfathomable traits, all utilised in their combat specialised to hunt down their targets. That is why many ogre societies exile ogres with three horns in fear of the destruction they bring.

One might ask, why do the ogres not kill the three-horned ogre while they are young?

Simply because, they can't do it. The last recount of the attempt to wipe a young three-horned ogre out of the society ended in half the village's destruction. The young three-horn was fatally injured, which sent its instincts of survival into an overdrive. If one does not want to be killed, he has to kill: before the young three horn bled to death, it drove many of its older brethren into the depths of hell. This only made the ogres fear them more, and labelled the three-horned ogres as scourges.

At least, that is what most people think they know.

Of course, I can't say that I know much about three-horned ogres myself, but even so, I can tell a few things from what I see. For instance, if Urkahn is really as indiscriminate in preying as people know three-horned ogres to be, I'm sure the relationship he has with Jane right now would be non-existent. I also don't think an embodiment of destruction would lower his head just so he can enter the room without breaking the door frame and possibly the ceiling.

And the strange wariness I see within his eyes are not one a mighty and powerful creature should have when facing someone weaker than him.

That is why I took the chance and bravely offered a handshake. I believed that, if I can somehow break the ice and have a friendly relationship with Urkahn, he will open up and discard any hostility that can bring potential danger to both Princess Violet's and my lives.

I'm sure Princess Violet would have noticed the same things that I did if she hadn't hid behind me and blocked her own sight. It is likely that I happened to notice Urkahn's identity later, that forced me to somehow face it straight on and realise such factual information.

I was lucky.

"…also, mealtimes are notified with the ring of a bell, and if the customers do not respond, we will personally head up and knock on your door once to remind you. As for the fee, we will collect it on a daily basis. Are these alright with you?" (Jane)

"Yes, that is fine." (Me)

I smiled politely while trying to remember the way Ivy Cottage is run. Knowing that the trembling has stopped for quite some time, I turned to Princess Violet after Jane explained the rules of the inn.

[Urkahn has left, are you alright, Pr…] (Me)

[Ah, I see. I happen to know a little of this language, so pardon me for interrupting. It's a thing some people pick up when they live in a community where different races mix about.] (Jane)

Before I could affirm Princess Violet's condition, Jane shockingly conversed to us in the language of vampires. Princess Violet herself doesn't seem very shocked, but she continues to stay silent and grabbed my hand out of wariness.

If this was my luck in effect, I'm extremely grateful. I almost exposed Princess Violet's identity thinking that Jane is just like any other ordinary human, but her sincerity in expressing her apology to us somehow covered it. If word that Princess Violet is in Flurea, things will definitely not end well.

[I apologise for the shock my husband has delivered. Are you alright?] (Jane)

[…Yes, thank you very much for your concern. I was merely taken aback slightly, since I have never seen a person so huge in size before.] (Violet)

I give her a questioning look, since she is still gripping onto my hand as if they are iron claws. She replied my gaze with one of her own, before letting loose an explosive remark.

[Don't worry Rey, I'm calm now. Because, you called my name.] (Violet)

[Oh… Oh my. I did not realise you two were this close.] (Jane)

Hold on. This isn't what you think it is. It is exactly what she means, but you're getting it wrong Jane.

[Close? I guess we are, since Rey saved me and then took care of me till this day.] (Violet)

Oi. Aren't you just omitting some information right there? I can understand if you don't want to speak much to strangers you just met, especially when it is one you're wary of, but the story is cut too short!

"Jane, I am…" (Me)

[In that case, I think I already know your request for just a single room right?] (Jane)

My rebuke attempt was shot down with a smile.

[We cannot really afford two rooms since Rey said it might tear us apart f…] (Violet)

[Yes, definitely! We will make sure your time here in Ivy Cottage is the best we can offer! Here are the keys to the single room! The directions are up the stairs and straight to the end!] (Jane)

Oi. Oi. Why are you quoting me at such a time, and failing it so miserably!?

[Thank you, Jane. Rey and I will be pleased.] (Violet)

[I'm sure you will. Just a tip from me, there will be a fireworks show tonight in Flurea. If you're new here you probably won't know this, so it's an event for people like you two. And here is my secret spot to get the best view!] (Jane)

[Thank you Jane, we appreciate your kindness.] (Violet)

I give up. The fact is probably established that a new couple now stays at the Ivy Cottage inn, and since it is affirmed by one of the person herself, there probably isn't any more truth than that. I allow myself to be dragged up the stairs by Princess Violet after she received a hand-drawn map from Jane.

[Rey, three-horned ogres are really rare, aren't they?] (Violet)

[Yes they are…] (Me)

[And Urkahn is such a gentle one at that. That's just a rare amongst the rare, isn't it?] (Violet)

[Yes, I didn't expect it either. Now that you know, you don't have to be scared of his power anymore, right?] (Me)

[Scared? Whoever said that I feared his power?] (Violet)

[Hold on. If you were not scared, then why were you trembling behind me?] (Me)

[…Didn't you smell it?] (Violet)

Violet, who is leading me through the corridor, held her head and leaned herself on the wall. I begin to panic at her exhibit of giddiness and signs of feeling unwell.

Is there a gaseous attack somewhere!?

[I thought you knew, that you smelled the odour of vegetation from Urkahn… Urkahn is a vegetarian… I hate vegetarians, too much greens…] (Violet)

What the hell? That was the thing you were hiding from!?