Rest

Tap...

Arshen arrived at Oak Street and entered an inn called Bourguis, located at number 43. It was an inn that wasn't too expensive, but not exactly cheap either.

He spent one silver and two pearls to stay here. Arshen chose this inn because it offered the benefit of two meals a day—breakfast and dinner.

**Tak...**

Arshen quickly approached the receptionist and booked a room. After paying one silver and two pearls, he received the room key and hurried to his room.

Once inside, Arshen took a shower and washed his clothes. While waiting for his clothes to dry, he put on the temporary clothing provided by the inn.

After finishing, he lay down on the bed and finally allowed himself to rest after his long journey to the salt city.

---

'Bourguis Inn'

Arshen opened his eyes after rest in the inn he had just rented. His hair was messy, and his clothes were disheveled. He got up from the bed and glanced out the window. A snowstorm was raging outside, prompting him to quickly close the curtains.

His gaze shifted to the wall clock, which showed 7:40. He grabbed a pen and a goat-leather-bound notebook from his bag, then sat on a chair and began writing.

---

-Monday, 21 December 1051-

"A lot has happened recently, but I'll keep it brief."

"I suddenly woke up in Elden Forest with something new inside me."

"I met someone who claimed to be from the Daylight Order."

"I also met Broughstone again, but..."

---

No… no, I don't need to write down what happened to him. It might harm me too if someone reads this book. I'll just note the important points.

Arshen crossed out some of the words he had just written and moved on to the next paragraph.

---

"He has ascended to the Seventh Pathway Realm. I don't know the exact name of this seventh sequence, but it must have made him stronger."

"He seems to be under surveillance by a secret organization, which is why he suddenly disappeared."

At the end of his writing, Arshen swallowed hard. He hesitated for a moment but eventually wrote four words in the Earth alphabet:

"Arshen", "Archivis", "World"

---

After finishing, he closed his notebook, put it back into his leather bag, and glanced at the wall clock, which now showed 7:58.

Arshen got up and left his room for dinner. As he walked past the doors of other rooms toward the stairs, he was bathed in the purple moonlight streaming through the window. But then… he suddenly felt something strange.

Why do I feel like I'm being watched? There's nothing here… maybe it's just my imagination?

Ignoring the feeling, Arshen continued walking toward the reception.

"Excuse me, miss. Is it time for dinner? Where is the dining room?"

"Oh, yes, sir. It's dinner time now. You can go down the hallway next to the stairs, and you'll find the dining room there. You can place your order with Mrs. Dorothy."

Mrs. Dorothy?

Arshen nodded and said, "Thank you."

He then walked down the hallway in search of the inn's dining room.

---

'Dining Room'

Tap.

Arshen arrived in front of a room where several people were sitting and enjoying their meals. His gaze shifted to a middle-aged woman with a large build, wearing an apron around her waist. Her long black hair was left loose, and her strong hands rested on the table. She was cheerfully serving the guests.

Arshen approached her.

"Excuse me, are you Mrs. Dorothy?"

"Yes, I'm Dorothy. How can I help you?"

Her face had a motherly warmth, but her eyes sparkled with the energy of a young girl.

"I'd like to order a slice of plain bread, a glass of water, and a bowl of lamb stew, please."

Dorothy smiled warmly. "Hmm… are you from out of town, sir? This is the first time I've seen you here."

Dorothy looked at the man in the long brown coat with curiosity.

"Yes, I just arrived this afternoon, but I was so tired that I slept until evening."

"Oh dear, you must be exhausted. Where are you from, sir…?"

"I'm from Persepolis in the north, but due to various circumstances, I've wandered all the way here."

Arshen gave a faint smile, trying to suppress his hunger.

"Wow! You're from Persepolis too? That's surprising! I'm also from there. I used to be the daughter of a famous restaurant owner, but after the business went bankrupt, my father passed away, and my mother brought me here. Then—"

Dorothy began to ramble on enthusiastically, her hands gesturing animatedly.

Can you stop talking, Mrs. Dorothy? I don't even care about all this… Do you always do this? Will you keep talking even if I faint and die of hunger here…?

Arshen furrowed his brows, maintaining a polite smile even as his stomach growled louder.

"—and finally, I became the chef in here!"

Are you done yet?

Grumble!

His stomach let out a soft growl.

"Sorry, Mrs. Dorothy, could you prepare my order now?"

"Ah, sorry! I was so happy to meet someone from my hometown that I forgot. Just a moment, I'll prepare your order. You can find a seat first, and I'll bring it to your table."

Finally… I thought I was going to starve to death listening to her story.

"Alright, no problem."

Arshen turned around and chose an empty table at the corner of the room, then sat down.

A short while later...

Dorothy returned from the kitchen with a tray containing a bowl of lamb stew, a slice of bread, and a glass of water. Her gaze fell on the man in the long brown coat sitting listlessly in the corner of the room.

He walked up to him, and with a friendly smile he said while moving the food he brought from the tray to the table.

"Sorry for the long wait, I added a little extra for you, ah... Don't tell anyone, this is just for you as my apology."

"Then have a nice day A..., how do I call you sir?."

Arshen looked at Dorothy, and with a smile he said.

"Zodiac Moriarty..."

After hearing Arshen say her name, Dorothy nodded slightly and said "Enjoy your meal, Mr. Zodiac..."

"Yes, Thank you Mrs. Dororthy..." Arshen replied by immediately tasting the food one by one, before eating it greedily.

That night it seemed like snow was still falling, the sky was covered with dark clouds that covered the moonlight.

The wind blew through the ventilation of Bourguis' inn, and there–Arshen who was seen eating his food–felt a little goosebumps.

Nothing happened after that, Arshen just thought it was just a passing wind and continued eating.

...

After finishing his meal, Arshen returned to his room and continued sleeping while thinking about how to make money in that world.