The Inn

"Sorry, Anna," Norn said apologetically, holding up a small knife.

Anna, who was sensible beyond her years, nodded and turned her head to the side, revealing her pretty neck and smooth, long hair. As the knife blade slid down, her beautiful locks fell to the floor.

Norn looked at his less-than-stellar haircut job and wiped some soot from the pot on Anna's face. "Is it necessary?" Anna asked a hint of regret in her voice.

But now she had transformed from a pretty young girl into a short-haired, soot-covered tomboy. The sight was so comical that Norn had to hold back his laughter.

"Sorry, but you're just too pretty, Anna. If we don't do this, we'll run into all kinds of trouble on the road," he said gently, patting her head.

After packing a few clothes, Jinn dug up a purse from the corner of the room, and the three of them hurried toward the town, catching the last rays of the setting sun.

They rushed as fast as they could and made it to the town just before the sun dipped below the horizon.

The guards at the gate were about to close the wooden doors when they saw the three of them running over, panting heavily. The guard didn't seem too bothered and continued to close the gate at his leisure.

A purse flew through the air and landed in front of the guard, a shiny copper coin rolling out and catching the guard's attention. He immediately stopped what he was doing, quickly pocketed the purse, and let the three of them through without a word.

Only after they had passed did he continue to close the gate.

The three of them arrived at the inn, where the enthusiastic owner informed them that they only had one double room left, and one of the beds was already occupied.

"You three can share the two beds in that room with another guest," the innkeeper, with his red nose from too much wine, said cheerfully.

With no other choice, the three of them paid for the room and followed a scantily dressed maid to a room of about 300 square feet. The modest room had two wooden beds on either side, with thick straw mattresses underneath.

A simple screen divided the room in the middle, and in the corner was a wooden bucket filled with water.

On the other side was a chamber pot, which made the air in the room, with only one small window, quite unpleasant.

Frowning, the three of them entered and saw a man already fast asleep on one of the beds on the right side of the screen. The maid handed the room key to Norn, then bent over deliberately, revealing a lot of smooth skin, and said with a sly smile, "If the guests need anything, I can help them relax."

Before Norn could ask what kind of relaxation she was talking about, the maid looked at the three of them and added, "It's not a problem if all three of you want to, but the price..."

With Norn's astonishment, Jinn's embarrassment, and Anna's firm refusal, the maid had no choice but to leave with a sigh of disappointment. But the three of them, looking at the single bed and the soundly sleeping middle-aged man, were all a bit at a loss.

"Let's just sleep together!" Norn finally made up his mind.

"Huh?" Jinn was very awkward, seeming quite embarrassed.

"Hmm?" Norn raised an eyebrow, standing in front of Anna, and said loudly, "Don't you dare have any ideas about my sister!"

"No! I just..." Jinn's face turned bright red, and he stammered.

Seeing Jinn's shy behavior, Norn sighed. With a personality like Jinn's, becoming a knight would require a lot more toughening up.

As night fell and the room grew dark, the three of them, tired from the day's journey, couldn't help but feel sleepy. With Norn's assurance, Anna slept on the side against the wall, Norn in the middle. Jinn stood by the bed, hesitant to get in for a long time.

"Maybe I should just sleep on the floor," Jinn finally said, still uncertain.

"I don't mind sharing with you. Besides, I'm only into pretty girls, so I won't do anything to you," Norn grabbed Jinn's hand and pulled the blushing Jinn onto the bed. "We have a long day ahead tomorrow, so let's get some sleep."

Ignoring Jinn's stiff body, Norn turned over and hugged the soft Anna closer to him.

Just as Norn closed his eyes, the poorly insulated walls began to transmit some rather intimate noises and an irregular shaking.

"Norn," Anna, her face flushed with embarrassment, snuggled even closer to Norn.

Looking at Anna's flushed face, combined with the noises from next door, Norn couldn't help but let his mind wander a bit. But, come on, Anna was only 14 years old, and even if she were an adult, his 13-year-old body wouldn't allow him to do much anyway.

Norn had to comfort her, saying, "It's okay, it'll be over soon."

"Okay!" Anna nodded obediently.

Norn felt a bit bad seeing how well-behaved and compliant Anna had been these past few days. She had quietly followed him, enduring the hard-to-swallow food and the coarse linen clothes without complaint. Even when her skin broke out in a rash from allergies, she didn't tell Norn.

Norn gently patted Anna's back and said with a smile, "It's okay, Anna. We'll be back to our good life soon."

"Norn, you're the one who shouldn't work too hard. I'll take care of myself," Anna said, looking at Norn with her big, twinkling eyes, then lightly kissed him on the cheek before turning over, embarrassed.

Because of their embarrassment, neither of them spoke anymore. For a while, the only sounds in the room were the snoring from the other bed and the howling from next door.

"Sigh!" Norn had no choice but to turn over and lie on his back, counting the stains on the ceiling out of boredom.

Fortunately, after about 15 minutes, the noises from next door finally stopped.

Just as Norn thought he could finally get some sleep, the ceiling started making those same intimate noises and vibrations again. To make matters worse, the dusty ceiling occasionally dropped some dust on his head.

Annoyed, Norn huffed. If his guards were here, he wouldn't have to put up with this. But now, with no power or influence, he had to endure it.

Feeling restless, Norn turned over again, facing Jinn, and noticed that Jinn's face was also flushed.

Norn frowned. In this situation, it was understandable that Jinn, being young and full of energy, would be affected, but what was he thinking about him?

"I think that maid had a pretty good figure. Maybe you should go talk to her, Jinn," Norn suggested, trying to come up with a solution.

"No, no, no! It's not necessary," Jinn, whose face was as red as an apple, quickly refused.

"Don't worry about the money. I've got plenty," Norn said, reaching for his purse, thinking of helping Jinn transition from a boy to a man. But Jinn quickly stopped him.

"It's okay. I'll just wash my face," Jinn jumped out of bed, hurriedly washed his face, and then lay back down.

As soon as Norn's hand touched Jinn's shoulder, he could feel the stiffness and even trembling in Jinn's body.

"Come on, we're friends. There's no need to be shy with me," Norn said, but Jinn's body only grew more rigid.

"Sigh!" Norn couldn't count how many times he had sighed tonight. Jinn's shy personality needed to change.