“What the heck?” Ben’s mouth dropped open at the sight.

  By then, the sky had become completely dark, which caused the headlights to beam into the guts of the village like a lighthouse. A large two-story building stood at the front of the village. Its construction consisted of tattered wood, uneven walls, and small slits for windows, which appeared to be boarded up. Still, some glow came from within, and smoke rose from the stone chimney.

  Further up, he saw the silhouettes of smaller dwellings that looked worse for wear and devoid of life. They reminded him of the ones he had seen at the outpost with Le’Vieux, and he hoped it wasn't another situation like that.

  The old man pointed towards the entrance of the large building, where a pair of guards stood with their weapons drawn. Muffled shouting emerged between them, and the guards finally pointed toward a grassy clearing beside the inn.

  Ben followed the cart and parked. But before switching the engine off, he gave the fuel gauge a once-over [56%] and hoped it would last him till the end of his quest. With nightfall, the temperature had plummeted to around five degrees, which made him feel sorry for the old man and the little girl who only wore thin garments.

  As he got out, the old man approached him. The little girl was hopping in his tracks, still shaking. He wasn't sure if that was due to the encounter with the creature or the cold.

  “Your magic cart will be safe here. The guards usually keep a keen eye on things around here.” The man pointed at the building they were next to. “That’s the Blackrock Inn. If you don't want to freeze your nuts off, it’s a good idea to head inside. They have a large fireplace. Also, don't mind the guards. They can be a little rough, but rightly so. Everyone's walking on the edge of a cliff with all that’s happened recently.”

  Ben nodded. “Alright. I’ll let you lead the way then.”

  The guards stood in the way of the entrance, lifting their torch to get a better look at Ben’s face. Their hands never left the hilts of their swords as they scanned him from head to toe with frowns of confusion. They wore rugged leather armor filled with scuffs and rips that looked like it had been hard-boiled. A crest on their chests looked like it had been stamped on with a hot iron, resembling a dilated cat eye with a bird in the center.

  A robin on a hill… It makes complete sense that.

  The older one gave him a narrow gaze. “I’ve never seen the likes of you around here. Who are you, and what is your business here?”

  Ben removed the pendant from his pocket and showed it to the guard. “I’ve been tasked with speaking with the innkeeper here.”

  The guard scoffed as he wasn't impressed. “That's what the last bunch said.” He moved the torch closer to the pendant before his eyes opened and his jaw clenched. “Who does that belong to?”

  “Grand Marshall Le’Vieux. He’s the one who sent me here.”

  The guard gulped and started to look more relaxed. “Alright, I’m going to let you in. You need to make your way to the bar and ask for Arthel. He should be able to help you with whatever you need. If you’ve forged that pendant, then be assured the Hollow Moon will hunt you down without mercy.”

  “Take it easy.” The old man interrupted. “We were ambushed by a bloodhound on the way here and broke down. We would have been dead if it weren't for him saving our skins.”

  The guard nodded, “I’ll take your word for it, Olson, but we have to ensure things around here are safe.” He then hopped to the side.

  Before opening the door, the old man faced Ben. “Don’t take it personally. Come now.”

  The warm orange glow of the inside slapped Ben’s face, melting away the layer of cold that had gathered there. The inside was very different from what he thought it would look like. The tables and benches had been piled around the edges of the customer area and looked like they were barricading the walls. The central part was filled with straw-filled mattresses, where people sat staring at him with raised eyebrows.

  “Nice to meet you all,” Ben stated, breaking the awkward silence.

  Many of the adults' faces were still concerned, but he did get a few of the children breaking into hysterical laughter at the situation.

  The old man raised his hands, “Don’t worry, there’s no reason to be alarmed. He’s here on Hollow Moon business and even saved us from being mauled to death by a bloodhound.” As the tension in the room faded, he turned back to Ben. “There are not enough guards to protect everyone in the village, so they asked everyone to live here… It makes the whole job of saving lives a lot easier.”

  “Are the knights not protecting the people here?” Ben asked.

  The old man shook his head. “What knights? You’re in the Mesolands now. Our knights disappeared one day and never returned, just like the ones that came here a few days ago from your order.” He pointed to the bar. “Arthel is over there. You should speak with him as he runs things around here. We’re going to warm ourselves before I make my way there.”

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  Ben nodded and twisted his head toward the bar. A middle-aged man with greying hair stood with a towel over his shoulder, cleaning a wooden tankard. He stared at Ben unrelentingly as if weary of his presence.

  The old man patted Ben on the shoulder, “Don't worry. He does that to every new face that shows up here. You should talk to him before he gets frustrated.”

  Before Ben made his way to Arthel, he turned to the old man. “I never got to ask you your name?”

  “It’s Har Olson. And what’s yours?”

  “Benjamin Bailey. Just call me Ben for short.” Ben replied as Har gave him a nod and started moving away.

  When Ben arrived at the bar, he didn't even get a chance to speak, as he was cut off by Arthel slapping the towel on the table.

  “I’ve never seen your face before, and trust me, I don’t forget a face. I’m unsure why the guards let you in, but I won't hesitate to kick you out if you start causing trouble here. What's your reason for being here?” Arthel spoke in a passive-aggressive tone.

  Ben shrugged. He didn't know what the guy’s problem was and instead planted his butt on the stool nearby. “Relax. I’m not here to cause any problems.” He pulled out the pendant and placed it on the bar table. “Grand Marshall Le’Vieux has lost contact with the knights who came here a few days ago. He sent me here to discover what happened to them and to bring them back to the keep if they are still alive.”

  A frown filled Arthels face. “Is this some joke? You look like you can't even fend off a dog. I’ve no idea how you saved Har and his granddaughter from a bloodhound.”

  Ben let out a huff and gave the innkeeper a narrow gaze. “If you want to come outside, I’d be more than happy to show you how. Or shall I return to Le’Vieux and tell him I returned empty-handed because of you?”

  Arthel raised his hands. “Come on, there’s no need for that. I will tell you what I know, but we can't speak here in front of everyone like that. My people are already suffering hardships. It’s better not to stress them more than necessary.”

  Ben nodded. “Alright, just don't be pulling my leg.”

  “You’re welcome to my free room upstairs if you have the money. It’s three copper coins for the night and one extra if you want your meals included. The ale will have to be paid for separately.”

  “Coins?” Ben realized he didn't have any money.

  “Don't worry about the money.” Har interrupted from behind. He took a seat beside Ben and turned to Arthel. “I’ll pay for his stay, meal, and whatever he wants to drink.”

  Arthels mouth dropped wide open. “Is he a relative of yours or something?”

  “No. But I believe you owe me some coins for the shipment. It’s at the side.”

  “Alright.” Arthel said before turning to the back and shouting, “Carolina, get a warm meal ready! And tell the lads to help me unload the cart outside.” He then walked to a barrel at the back of the bar and poured two tankards full of ale before placing them on the table. “The meals should be ready shortly, and I’ll let you know about the room.” He then hurried to the back and appeared to open a door that led outside.

  Ben turned to Har, “Thanks for that.”

  “Don't worry. It’s the least I can do for what you did.” He said before taking a sip.

  Carolina soon arrived with the meals, which consisted of a watery vegetable soup and almost stale bread that looked like it had been baked for over a week. Ben washed it down with the ale to avoid an upset stomach.

  Just as they took their last bite, Arthel returned to the bar. “What in the hell is that thing on my lawn?”

  Ben gave him the side eye. “That’s my van.”

  “Are you some kind of mage or something?” Arthel frantically asked with a worrisome look.

  Har cleared his throat and interrupted. “Relax Arthel. It’s just a cart that runs on magic instead of horses and has lanterns brighter than the sun. I could see the entire road getting up the hill on the way here.”

  Arthel started to tremble. “That must mean you’re a mage… Look, I’m sorry for acting the way I did before. Just don't be launching fireballs at me.”

  “Fireballs? I don’t know what you're talking about, mate. I’m not a mage.” Ben replied.

  Arthel scratched his head. “You’re telling me you're not a mage, and you have a cart that runs on magic parked on my lawn?”

  Ben grinned. “What, are you scared of mages or something?”

  “Hey! I didn’t say I was scared of any uptight magic users. I don’t like how they set things on fire when they're having a bad day. You know this business has stood here for over two decades, and I would like it to stay intact without being engulfed in flames. You hear me?”

  Ben put his hands up. “Alright. No flames, I promise.”

  Arthel sighed in relief before turning to Har and saying, “Next time, just let me know when you bring in a stranger who appears to be using magical devices.” He took a deep breath. “The shipment all adds up.”

  Arthel opened an iron lockbox from behind the bar and twisted the lock open with a wrist flick. He counted and piled fifteen round copper coins atop one another. The coins appeared to have a circular cutout in the center. He then placed a square silver coin, which had the exact cutout in the center, and slapped it on the table. “One silver pound and fifteen copper pennies as agreed.”

  Har quickly counted the coins before placing ten coppers in front of Ben. “That should last you a few days here if you decide to stay.”

  When Ben went to grab the coins, they vanished before a notification filled his vision.

  [+10CP]

  What? Do they get stored in the currency sub-system?

  He was about to open his system menu to double-check when the inn’s door slammed open at full force, almost crushing the wall behind it. The ear-shattering thud was loud enough to shut everyone up mid-sentence.

  The older guard poked his head through. “The Bloodhounds are coming. Brace yourselves.”

  Organized chaos filled the room as everybody moved frantically like headless chickens. They grabbed whatever broken furniture they could and started moving things around as if they were used to this happening regularly.

  “Don't forget to barricade the damn door.” The guard finished before slamming it shut.