Bell attention shifted to the cracked wooden door. With just a few steps he was already at the door and he pulled it, revealing an elderly woman, the same woman who had welcomed him to the inn.
"G-good morning, ma'am" Bell stammered, unsure of how to greet as he slightly bow down his head. "Thanks for letting us stay"
"Don't talk like that, you're paying for it after all" the elderly woman said as she handed him a large bowl of water. "We don't have a bath at the inn so you'll to visit the bathhouse, but before then, use this instead"
"You didn't have to bother but thanks" Bell replied as he collected the bowl from the elderly woman then closed the door behind him.
He used the water to wipe Ryu body and surprisingly, she was still asleep.
_Ryu has always been a heavy sleeper_
He changed his clothes and headed downstairs, but he didn't see the inn owner at the counter. He wanted to ask her to check on Ryu but then again, there was no need. Ryu had always been an heavy sleeper, he wouldn't be surprised is she was still asleep by the time he came back.
The town wasn't as big as big as he had imagined, but according to the map that the old man had given to him, it wasn't the main town. Instead, Bell was at the industrial part of the town, which main focus was on iron.
Drakenforge was nestled in a rugged, resource-rich terrain. It was surrounded by giant rocky mountains, with few vegetation at the mountain's base. The Town was defined by its utilitarian architecture and the constant activity of resources extraction.
The streets were dominated by blacksmith workshops, a few processing plants, and a few rundown building which were supposed to be inns. The entire town hand no well built road but instead, brick pavement spread around the town. The air was thick with coal dust and metallic odors, punctuated by the sounds of hammering, grinding, and the rumble of mine carts, fostering a sense of desperation and potential social unrest among its inhabitants.
Bell watched a few armoured people with weapons either strapped to their backs or just walking around empty handed, they seemed to be adventurers. They were also some of them with fancy armour, who Bell suspected to be knights.
The town isn't what you'll find amazing but Bell couldn't help it, he gazed at the activities. The adventurers walking around, the knights giving others to worker, and the loud thudding of the blacksmith's hammer. These were things you're only find in a fantasy novel but he was witnessing it.
"Move out of the way!"
Bell couldn't tell who it was, all he heard was a coarse voice before falling to the ground. Luckily, he stopped his face from hitting the ground. He turned towards the direction he had heard the voice and saw an heavily armoured man, he didn't stare long enough to catch his face before he heard another voice in front of him.
"Are you okay?" This time it was a feminine. Feeling slightly embarrassed, Bell turned to her without looking up.
A hand which was covered with an iron glove was reached towards him.
"I-im okay" Bell said as he stood up without accepting her help.
"The captain been worked up"
"That doesn't give him the right to be pushing people around" Bell commented as he wiped his clothes.
"I guess you're right, but everyone been worked up lately"
Bell finally raised his head to look at the lady. She was dressed in similar armour as the man that had pushed him down.
The knight's armor appeared to be crafted from a lightweight alloy, its silver surface polished to a mirror sheen. Black detailing traced the edges of each plate, highlighting the craftsmanship. The breastplate, custom-fitted to her form, offered vital protection, while the segmented arm defenses allowed for swift swordplay. Rather than traditional leg armor, she wore a battle skirt of white fabric, edged with a vibrant blue that matched her star-stamped boots. A delicate circlet of silver completed the ensemble, a subtle mark of her noble status.
Her bright emerald eyes glimmer as she looked at Bell. She lean herself a little to the right, her green hair was packed into a ponytail.
"I don't think I've seen you before" she said while staring into his eyes. "Are you from around here?"
"I, um... I'm actually from Aria" Bell said, trying to hide his red face. "I'm actually looking for looking for a job. Since I'm new to this town, I don't really know where to go"
She paused for a while, then smiled happily and clapped her hands.
"Is that all?, You should have said so. The Dragon Knights are always looking for new members" She held his arm and pulled him along. "But first you'll have to pass the test, it will be hard but I'm sure you'll pass out with flying colors"
"Wait, that's not what I meant" Bell stopped to pulled her back which almost made him fell down but luckily, she stopped and manage to keep him on his feet.
"What's wrong?"
"I don't want to be a knight!, I just want to get a manual job to make some money before leaving town, like you know, delivering items or even helping people to carry their loads"
"Hmm" she thought for a while before smiling again. "Then let's get to the outpost, I'm sure we can get you something to do"
"Thank you" Bell sighed and and quietly followed her.
"Do you want to know what the Dragon Knights does for the country?"
"No"
"Good, I love how curious you are and I'm sure after my explanation, you'll hurry to the capital to sign up" She said, pretending not to hear his respond.
_But I said no_
"First of all this country, Hilda, is divided into sixteen region and ruled by the great king. Of course there are dukes who are assigned with a region each but the king oversees everything. The are many people tasks with protecting the country, like knights and adventurers, blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah...."
She kept on going and going till Bell almost fell asleep, he stopped listening to what she was saying. But the part he was able to understand was:
The knights are divided into two parts, the holy knights and the royal knights.
The royal knight are the ones who protect the royal family and the cities of each region and the holy Knights are much smaller in number but are trained to scout dungeons and slay higher level monsters.