Miro looked at me in surprise, furrowing her brow slightly, then said, "Commander… who were you talking to?"
I froze for a moment. She'd caught me muttering about the system… I felt tension creeping inside me, but I quickly hid it and let out a light, forced laugh before saying, "I was just wondering if fifty thousand would be enough for a week."
She approached me slowly, then stopped in front of me, staring directly into my eyes with a calm, expressionless face, which made me instinctively look away. A few brief moments of silence passed before she nodded and said, "Ah… well, don't worry, we'll be fine."
I turned toward Zoe and found her looking at me in silence, without uttering a single word; only her eyes were fixed on me as if she were trying to understand something. I let out a faint sigh and whispered to myself:
I'd better not tell them about the system right now… at least not before I know if they have something similar. Miro and I are just two strangers thrown into this strange world, and I don't know anything about it yet.
But Zoe… I don't know anything here either—it seems she's lost her memory.
I shook my head quickly, as if to shake those thoughts out of my mind, then said aloud:
"Let's head to the nearest inn… I'm starving."
:
After thirty minutes of wandering, we finally settled on a place after a long, arduous search for an inn. We stood in front of an old, traditional building; its wooden door looked as if it had withstood the test of time, and a passerby had directed us there. Since Miro had been staying in this area for about a week, she was able to speak with them at ease, and through them we learned about this inn, which—as they said—was famous for its delicious food.
I pushed the door open gently and stepped inside, then whispered to myself: It looks like it's almost eight o'clock… I just hope we find some vacant rooms.
The interior resembled a small, old-fashioned, well-organized reception hall. Wooden chairs were scattered here and there, while strange glass lamps hung from the ceiling, containing small, ever-burning flames that cast a warm light throughout the space.
A woman who looked to be in her twenties looked up at us. Her long red hair fell down past her shoulders, and her hazel eyes radiated a gentle calm, while she wore a simple, neat maid's uniform. She smiled as soon as she saw us and said softly:
"Welcome to our humble inn. How may I help you?"
I said in a low voice, "We'd like two rooms for one night."
Her smile widened as she nodded and said, "Very well, sir. You and the girls wait here."
She pointed toward a group of wooden chairs behind us, then walked away with quiet steps. A few minutes later, she returned to us, but this time her face showed signs of slight embarrassment as she said:
"I'm afraid, sir… there aren't two vacant rooms left; all the rooms are booked."
She paused for a moment before quickly adding:
"But don't worry, we have one room left with three beds."
I froze in my tracks.
Impossible…
I whispered to myself as I felt tension gradually creeping up on me.
I lifted my head and looked at her; my lips moved as if to speak, but before I could utter a single word, Zoe and Miro spoke at the exact same moment:
"Okay… we'll take it."
I looked at them, my face clearly showing my tension and confusion, then said, "But…"
Miro raised an eyebrow and looked at me in surprise before saying, "But what? It's not like I plan on going back to sleep in some alley."
Then Zoe raised her hand wearily and said in a weak voice, "I'm starving… and I don't have the energy to look for another hostel."
I shifted my gaze between them for a moment, then let out a long sigh and said resignedly, "All right… if that's what you two want."
The receptionist looked at us with a small smile and said, "Since you've agreed, you'll need to sign this form."
I took it from her hand and glanced at it quickly before whispering to myself: Four thousand for one night… it's not that bad.
I handed her the form back, and she gave me a small key and said kindly, "If you need anything, let me know."
A few minutes later, we stood in front of the room. I inserted the key and turned the knob quietly, then pushed the door open.
The room was neat and elegant, and a light fragrance filled the air. Small lamps hung from the ceiling, and beneath them stood three neatly made beds.
Before I could take a single step inside, Miro rushed past me, then jumped onto one of the beds and flopped down, rubbing her face against the pillow and saying happily:
"I've missed this! I've missed the bed!"
Immediately afterward, Zoe followed her and jumped onto the other bed, then curled up on it like a little cat seeking warmth.
Miro grabbed a pillow and suddenly hit her with it; Zoe quickly raised her head before grabbing another pillow and throwing it at her.
"I walked over quietly and
sat down on the middle bed, while pillows flew past me—one from the right, another from the left. I froze in place, my face blank and my eyes fixed, watching the chaos around me...
Before my patience ran out completely, I yelled at them:
"Stop it, you two idiots!"
At that moment, there was a soft knock on the door.
I lifted my head and said, "Come in."
The door opened quietly, and the red-haired girl appeared in the doorway with her usual calm smile,
then said, "Dinner will be ready in thirty minutes." She paused for a moment before adding:
"And if you need anything else, just let me know." Then she closed the door behind her and left quietly.
Zoe sighed as she flopped down on the bed, saying wearily:
"Thirty minutes is too long… I feel like I'm going to starve to death." Miro laughed lightly and replied:
"Then let's take a shower in the meantime." Zoe lifted her head immediately and replied enthusiastically:
"Yes." They stood up and headed toward the bathroom, but Miro suddenly stopped and turned toward me, then said, narrowing her eyes slightly:
"We're going in before you… Don't try to peek, Commander."
I felt a sudden wave of embarrassment wash over me, so I waved my hand quickly and said in a stammering voice:
"As if I'd want to see anything anyway! Don't worry, I won't."
Then they went into the bathroom and closed the door behind them.
I lay back on the bed and stared silently at the ceiling as thoughts began swirling endlessly through my head, but after a few moments, Zoe and Miro's whispers and their muffled laughter from inside the bathroom interrupted my train of thought.
Suddenly, strange thoughts began to creep into my head; my eyes widened slightly and my cheeks flushed before I raised my hand and quickly slapped myself. "What on earth am I thinking?"
About fifteen minutes later, they came out of the bathroom.
Both of them were wearing simple nightclothes.
Miro's long, silky black hair cascaded down her back, while droplets of water slid down her soft, fair skin.
Her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her wet hair clung lightly to her shoulders, while the faint freckles on her cheeks highlighted her beauty even more clearly.
As for Zoe, her short white hair lay softly against her forehead, and her serene features looked even more at ease and relaxed after the warm shower, as if she had just stepped out of a completely different world.
I whispered to myself as I looked at them: "It's unbelievable that I'm going to spend the night with these two girls… They look like princesses in their own world."
I was glancing at them out of the corner of my eye when Miro suddenly turned toward me.
She said with a sidelong smile:
"Commander… it seems you've been watching us. Do you like my long hair? Or Zoe's short hair? Or is there something else you like?"
The corners of her mouth turned up in a slight smile as she waited for my reply.
I felt confusion wash over me, and I blurted out, stammering:
"No way… I don't like anything about you two!"
She looked at me calmly for a moment,
then said:
"Oh… okay."
System:
Warning Notice