Staying at the Village

Highrise. Located in the northern part of Spartia.

At a higher latitude than the northern Kingdom, it was cold.

Since ancient times, it had been known as the home of Dragon Slayers, people who made their living hunting dragons.

Beyond that, the region had few notable products, and the mountainous terrain made it ill-suited for farming.

Some areas did have sheep grazing, though.

With Dragon habitats nearby, no one migrated in, making it a place that had remained unchanged through the ages.

Azu, bundled in cold-weather gear, exhaled a cloud of white breath.

If it was this cold during the day, it would be freezing once the sun went down.

Alexia had also layered up.

"Elza, have you been here before?"

"Yeah. There should be a village nearby."

Yohane had his doubts about a priestess visiting a place like this on her own, but for the time being, he followed Elza's lead.

She said it was close, and he wanted to get there before nightfall.

The mountains visible along the way were capped with snow, but the flatlands were clear.

It was almost as if there were a visible boundary between the two.

"Over there."

Just as the sky began to darken, they looked where Elza was pointing and spotted a village.

The candlelight hanging from the houses stood out in the dusk.

They entered the village with the carriage.

A small place with fewer than twenty houses in total.

Someone from a nearby house opened their door and stepped outside.

They came over carrying a torch.

Yohane thought it over briefly, then left the talking to Elza, the priestess.

Clergy tended to be well-trusted in places like this.

"Travelers? That's unusual. What brings you here?"

"We wanted to see the Highrise region for ourselves, but we're unfamiliar with the area and spotted this village nearby, so we stopped in. Would it be possible to buy some food and find a place to stay?"

"Well, well."

When Elza handled the introductions, the villager remarked that it must be cold out here and pointed to a particular house.

"Head over to that house. They'll take care of you."

"Thank you. May fortune be with you."

"And thank you for the blessing, Priestess."

The villager headed back home after that.

"Clergy really do command trust. When I'm the one going up to people in places like this, I sometimes get suspicious looks."

"That's because you look shady, isn't it?"

"Hey."

He glared at Alexia for that remark.

But she brushed it off like a breeze. Not one bit fazed.

He poked her in the side, and she reacted nicely. Must be sensitive there.

The house they'd been directed to had a small sign hanging out front.

It read: General Goods.

It looked like a house, but apparently it was a shop.

Opening the door, they found a variety of goods arranged inside.

"Welcome."

A young woman greeted them in a relaxed voice.

She wore black clothing, had long blue hair loosely tied back, and was leaning her right elbow on the counter with her cheek resting in her palm.

She looked like the shopkeeper, but her posture wasn't exactly what you'd call eager for business.

Her usual customers were probably just villagers, so this was likely the shop's normal state.

The shop's interior was kept warm, thanks to a fireplace.

"Travelers?"

"That's right. It's a long story."

When she asked, Yohane answered this time.

If it was a matter of trade, this was his domain.

"We need food and cold-weather gear."

"Hmm, that stuff's over on that side."

The shopkeeper pointed lazily with her left hand.

There was dried meat and root vegetables with a long shelf life.

Next to those hung cold-weather gear.

The selection was limited, but there was enough for everyone, so he bought supplies along with the food.

"Kingdom gold coins. Haven't seen those in a while."

The shopkeeper said this as she picked up one of the coins.

Kingdom gold coins were widely trusted and accepted in other countries.

Some shops disliked the hassle of currency exchange, but this one didn't seem to mind.

Since this area wasn't governed by any nation, there was likely no standard currency in circulation.

Foreign coins probably didn't bother them.

"Thanks for the business. Got a place to stay?"

"No, we don't."

"I can lend you my warehouse if you want. You did buy a lot, after all."

The carriage let wind in no matter what.

Alexia's magic could help, but once she fell asleep, the effect weakened and it got cold.

Azu and the others were quite fatigued from the whole auction ordeal. Ideally, he wanted them to lie down and get proper rest.

"That'd be a big help."

"Gotta be nice to the occasional traveler who comes through."

The shopkeeper closed up the store and led them to the warehouse.

It was a modest shed around the back.

Inside, it was mostly empty.

"Not using it this time of year."

She went to the back and brought out some blankets for them.

In the rear, there was a wood-burning stove installed.

The smoke was vented outside through a pipe connected to the ceiling.

"Sorry, but firewood costs extra. What do you say?"

"Can't be helped in this cold. We'll take some."

He paid and she set down a bundle of firewood.

"Well then, good night. Give me a shout when you leave."

"Thanks. Really appreciate it."

"Thank you very much."

After Yohane expressed his gratitude, Elza bowed her head.

Azu and Alexia gave polite nods as well.

Once the shopkeeper left, Yohane sat down.

"At least we won't have to camp outside."

"Indeed. When you said you wanted to look around this area, I wondered what we'd gotten ourselves into."

Alexia said this as she arranged the firewood in the stove and lit it.

The wood crackled softly and began to burn, slowly warming the room.

Once the room was sufficiently warm, they all shed a few layers.

Alexia in particular had been wearing the most clothing, so she finally seemed able to breathe.

Azu and Alexia warmed their cold hands in front of the stove.

When they spread out the cold-weather gear they'd bought, it was fluffier and seemed warmer than what they already had.

For their meal, they ate the last of the old dried meat and bread toasted over the stove's heat.

Without this village, the food situation would've forced them to start heading back by tomorrow.