Chapter 31: One Month

Inside the city, Aino and her group stopped in front of an impressive building. Its name was displayed in Dwarvish, Beastman, Bloodkin, and Human languages: Inn.

With money in hand, Aino decisively chose the high-end inn recommended by the Flower Sprite. She had always been dissatisfied with the living standards of this world.

In this primitive era, many cities still had uneven dirt roads. Despite being called towns, their conditions often fell short of modern rural areas. Litter and waste were scattered across the streets, and the dust kicked up by passing carriages lingered for half a minute before settling.

Grantham, the Dwarven city, was comparatively developed. Its streets were wide, flat, and well-maintained, with efforts made to preserve cleanliness and order. Yet, to Aino, it still felt somewhat "bland."

She had no intention of staying in a cramped, dark wooden shack or lying on a bed made of worn-out cloth. Money was meant to be spent.

“Wow! I’ve never stayed in such a nice room before…” Alea exclaimed as she entered.

The room was spacious and clean, furnished with tables and chairs made of red wood, exuding a sense of elegance and grandeur. The tiled floor reflected a faint image of those walking upon it, reminiscent of a modern setting.

Aino booked four single rooms, ensuring each person had their own space. Since forming their party, the four had stuck together, even sleeping around a single fire when camping outdoors. They had little to no private time.

Even the most sociable person needed time to themselves, Aino thought, and she was certain Alea and the others felt the same.

With accommodations secured and no immediate tasks at hand, the group could simply wait.

The next problem was dinner.

After settling into their rooms, the four regrouped to explore Grantham’s nightlife and find food.

The street they wandered onto was filled with mobile vendors rather than permanent shops. There were stalls selling sweet drinks, vendors sitting quietly by their ovens roasting small snacks, and others noisily grilling meat over roaring flames.

Aino didn’t need food. Her feast in the Karlsa Shadow Forest had been more than satisfying—the Oni king's flesh was a rare delicacy in both flavor and nutrition.

She now understood the mindset of the Black Dragon King, Tananorn.

The stronger the opponent, the more satisfying the meat, the sweeter the blood...

For a black dragon, devouring an opponent after a fierce battle was an irresistible delight, an instinct etched into their very bones.

And now, this black dragon sat with her companions, munching on skewers of grilled gluten.

The group had stopped at a barbecue stall and ordered a variety of items. The gluten-based main dish was chewy and springy, reminiscent of the skewered snacks from Aino’s previous life. They also ordered vegetables and meat.

“So, we’re just going to wait here for a whole month?” Alea asked between bites.

“More or less… During that time, we can also look for a map of the Northern Abyss. But honestly, I’m curious to see what that Flower Sprite’s shop turns into,” Aino replied.

Claiming to sell everything imaginable—was she trying to create something akin to a modern shopping mall? It would certainly be innovative.

The shops Aino had seen so far were all single-purpose: a barbecue stall sold barbecue, a blacksmith’s forge sold weapons. She’d never encountered a large-scale shop offering diverse goods.

She genuinely wanted to see how it turned out.

“A month is a long time, but our goal is to travel the world. The Northern Abyss is just one destination, not our mission.”

For Aino, a month wasn’t particularly long.

She could feel changes in her perception, linked to the immense lifespan of dragons. For them, life spanned thousands of years—falling asleep, immersing oneself in magic, or having an epiphany could easily pass several years.

If Aino were traveling alone, her approach would be completely different. She might spend months in a forest, years in a comfortable city like Grantham, and only move on to the Northern Abyss at a leisurely pace, taking months or even years at various stops along the way.

But she had to consider Alea and Parker, both human.

The difference in lifespan would eventually complicate their bond. As time passed, they would age, their personalities would change, and they would eventually die—becoming unrecognizable to her.

As a modern person who had read countless novels, Aino had thought about this from the start.

But the future was uncertain. For now, living in the moment and doing her best were enough.

Thus, a month seemed reasonable. Any longer, and Aino would have to abandon this waiting game to continue their journey.

A month was enough time for them to become thoroughly familiar with Grantham. By the time the Flower Sprite’s shop opened, they had learned the layout of their district and gained a deeper understanding of the city.

In Grantham, Aino experienced a sense of freedom absent in Dante City. Dante was chaotic and dilapidated, and living with the Carter family in their thirties and forties always felt like staying in the home of "elders." Every action required consideration of their needs.

But here, with her young companions in the clean and orderly Dwarven city, there was little to be annoyed by. Money wasn’t a concern either. In truth, the month spent in Grantham had been addictive.

Especially for Parker.

Parker, who had lived at the bottom of Dante City’s hierarchy, had been a follower—an errand boy for thugs, scraping by just to survive. His dreams had been simple: decent food and clothing.

Would this comfortable life make him unwilling to leave? Then again, Parker had no grand ideals like "returning to the homeland" to hold him back.

But the man who had earnestly begged Aino to teach him magic, vowing to become a mage, was the companion Aino had chosen.

She hadn’t randomly picked a thug or refugee for her team. If Parker became complacent, indulging in pleasure like those who rose to power by chance, she wouldn’t stop him from staying in Grantham alone.

Reality, however, was the opposite.

Parker thrived in Grantham, quickly becoming the group’s guide. He befriended locals and learned the best places to visit, often leading the others on outings to the east for picnics or to the west for night markets. While Alea and Zola had little interest in meeting new people, Parker made numerous friends from different races.

“How do you even talk to them when you don’t share a language?”

It was a skill the other three lacked. Even with centuries’ worth of memories, Aino couldn’t master it.

Yet, Parker was also the most eager to leave.

As the group lounged in the sun, Parker returned with news: the shop would open tomorrow. He had meticulously handled their supply needs for the journey and made all necessary preparations.

All that was left was to purchase the Northern Abyss map tomorrow.

In hindsight, taking Parker into the group had been a casual decision. Yet, he had become their backbone. A witch and two “monsters” now relied on an ordinary human to handle their daily affairs.