Chapter 207: A Guest
"Coming," someone said from the other side of the door.
The door creaked open with a long, drawn-out groan, revealing an elderly man whose gray hair was streaked with remnants of black, stubbornly holding on to the last traces of youth. His back curved slightly, giving him a hunched posture that made him seem smaller, as though the weight of the years had pressed him closer to the earth. Deep lines etched his tan face. His rough and leathery skin bore the unmistakable marks of time and decades spent in the sun.
"What can I help you with?" he asked.
So this was the guy the faceless girl was so intimidated by? It seemed ridiculous. Even with her limited power to morph her body, she could kill everyone in the outer city and escape into the night without anyone knowing.
Sometimes, traditions or long-held beliefs are hard to break, it was just human nature. Children always had a hard time fighting against their parents.
"I heard you have an inn, and I suffered an accident on the way here. I was wondering how much a place like this costs?" I inquired.
A glint flickered in his eyes, and he smiled. I might have thought he was just some friendly, middle-aged guy if I didn't know better.
With customers rarely showing up, the place should be cheaper. But how cheap? That was up to him. He was probably trying to figure out if I knew about the faceless girl because he could hike up the prices if I didn't.
"How does four copper coins a night sound?" he asked. Noticing my slight pause as I pretended to think it over, he quickly added, "It's all negotiable, of course."