"Let's go, we are entering the town." Jasmine took a deep breath of the bustling air tinged with a bit of dust. Having endured enough of the exhausting bumps of the carriage, she decided to walk, leading the way in front with a confident demeanor.
The Minotaur, leading the carriage reins, hurriedly followed closely behind, the wheels rolling and creaking on the stone-paved road.
Seeing this, the others, although still feeling a bit fearful and timid in their hearts upon arriving at a strange place, felt their courage grow a little bit seeing their brave Lord leading the way.
They crowded together, walking in formation forward, their eyes wide open, curiously observing the architecture and people around them.
Before departing for this place, Jasmine had carefully asked for detailed information about Ankera Town from the experienced old Butler.
Because Knight Isaac frequently went out to do missions to earn money, the place he usually stayed to rest was this Ankera Town; therefore, even though it was the first time they had personally set foot here, they did not count as being too unfamiliar or clueless about the ways of Ankera Town.
The time they arrived was still quite early; the sun had just passed overhead, marking noon.
Although they had not yet had time to eat lunch and everyone's stomach was growling with hunger, Jasmine still intended to prioritize finding a safe place to rest and store their belongings first.
Ankera Town primarily had two types of places that could provide accommodation services: one was the noisy and boisterous pubs, and the other was the quieter inns.
Pubs were usually the gathering places for drinking and carousing by rude adventurers, so the environment was quite noisy and complex, while the locations of the inns were usually situated relatively secludedly in the alleys, and the atmosphere was also quieter, suitable for resting.
It was just that cheap inns usually did not provide food services; people staying inside needed to go out to find food themselves, which was a little inconvenient for daily living.
Of course, if one had a lot of money, one could also rent small independent buildings fully equipped with amenities, only the rent would be many times more expensive than the pubs and budget inns.
Given Jasmine's current tight financial situation, that option would not be on the list for consideration.
Before coming to Ankera Town, Jasmine had consulted the old Butler's opinion carefully and had chosen the place they would lodge early on.
So, as soon as she entered Ankera Town, Jasmine did not hesitate at all, leading her people straight toward the target inn with clear determination.
Ankera Town was actually not very large; the planning was simple, with only one main road running longitudinally from the beginning to the end of the town.
Important buildings and large shops were usually distributed on both sides of this main road frontage, but most of the exteriors of the buildings did not have signs with clear writing because the majority of the populace was illiterate; they only hung some characteristic symbolic patterns like an anvil, a beer mug, or a sword.
A person unfamiliar with this aspect would be completely unable to distinguish what exactly those buildings were doing inside; at least Jasmine felt a little confused.
Fortunately, the symbol of the inn was still very easy to recognize; it was a two-story wooden structure that looked a bit old, the paint having peeled in many places, but the area was not small, situated modestly in a secluded alley hidden behind the noise of the main road.
That alley was very narrow and dark; the width was only barely enough for a carriage to squeeze through.
In front of the inn's door, a few ancient maple trees were planted, their leaves rustling in the wind.
On the highest branch of a maple tree hung a faded cloth flag painted with the simple symbol of a bed for the inn.
"This is it. I hope Isaac is here. I wonder if he is in his room right now?" Jasmine stood in front of the door, somewhat looking forward to meeting Isaac in Ankera Town.
That was the only and strongest Knight of their Black Dragon Castle, a great spiritual pillar.
The slaves' feelings toward Isaac were also very good and respectful.
After all, every time Isaac returned from doing a mission outside, they were all shared an extra half-handful of beans by him; even when the harsh cold winter came and food could not be found, Isaac would risk his life to bring food back, not letting them starve to death in the cold castle.
It could be said that before Jasmine transmigrated here and changed everything, Knight Isaac was the benevolent master whom the slaves of the Black Dragon Castle loved and were grateful to the most.
At this moment, hearing the Lord say they might meet Isaac here, this group of slave guards was very happy, their eyes sparkling with hope.
The Minotaur was even more enthusiastic, stepping forward first and using his strength to push open the heavy oak door of the inn, respectfully inviting Jasmine inside.
In the inn, the space was strangely quiet, as silent as if there were no guests staying there at all.
Right at the old wooden reception counter in the main hall, there was an elderly old man with snow-white hair holding a thick ledger and dozing off, a soft snoring sound resonating steadily.
Even the commotion caused by Jasmine's large group entering the door did not wake him from his deep sleep.
Jasmine took the opportunity to observe the environment inside once first.
The area of the main hall was not very large, the floor was a bit dusty, and inside there was only a set of rustic wooden tables and chairs that were slightly old and chipped, probably for guests to sit and wait or rest temporarily.
Behind the reception counter, there was a long, dark hallway; from Jasmine's standing angle, she could not see the end, but she could see that not far along the hallway was a row of closed doors, and on the doors hung room number plates made of tarnished brass, presumably rooms for guests to stay.
The hygiene in the establishment really could not be counted as very clean; Jasmine frowned as she could see a few spiderwebs hanging suspended from the smoke-stained ceiling, and there was also fragmentary rubbish that someone had thrown scattered in the corner of the house that had not been swept up.
Except for the old man dozing at the reception counter, looking around, Jasmine did not see the silhouette of any other service staff or general workers in the establishment.
However, she did not mind the simplicity and degradation of this inn too much; after all, her limited wallet did not allow her to be picky and demand a better, luxurious environment.