The weight of two gold and one silver coin in his pocket was a strange, new kind of power. It wasn't the earth-shaking force of Terrakinesis, but it could buy a bed. After the overwhelming noise and smell of the guild, the simple need for silence and stillness was overwhelming.
He found a place called The Oakwood Lodge, a mid-tier inn that looked clean and sturdy without the opulent intimidation of the high-end establishments that likely charged a gold coin a night. A weary-looking man at the counter named his price: two silver for a room and a hot meal.
Kaito carefully placed the two silver coins on the counter, the act feeling profoundly significant. It was his first true transaction, his first step into the economy of this world. The innkeeper handed him a heavy iron key, and Kaito found his way to a small, simple room. It contained a bed, a washbasin, and a window looking out over a quiet courtyard. It was perfect.
For a long moment, he just stood there, absorbing the quiet. Then, a sudden, boyish grin spread across his face. He took a running start and launched himself onto the bed, landing with a soft whump. He bounced slightly, the novelty of the sensation making him laugh—a genuine, unburdened sound. He rolled over and stared at the wooden beams of the ceiling, his mind drifting back to the guild.
The images of the three clerks and the beautiful mage floated in his mind's eye. He replayed the moments, and a warm, embarrassed flush crept up his neck.
Lyra's emerald eyes and that confident, disarming smile. The way her red hair seemed to hold the very light of the room. His cheeks heated. Had she noticed him looking? Probably. She seemed to notice everything.
Elara's sharp, intelligent gaze behind her spectacles, her silver-blonde hair so severe and perfect. He felt a different kind of fluster, the kind you feel under the scrutiny of a strict but fair teacher.
Anya's warm, hazel eyes and the comforting, gentle curve of her smile. The way her presence felt like a safe harbor. The memory brought a softer, more pleasant warmth.
And then Seraphina, the mage. The elegant drape of her sapphire robes, her piercing blue eyes that seemed to look right through Roland's boasting... and had, for a fleeting second, seemed to pause on him. The memory made his heart do a funny little skip.
He buried his face in the pillow, a groan of pure, juvenile embarrassment muffled by the down. He was a being of unimaginable, boundless power, and he was lying here blushing like a boy who'd just seen a pretty girl for the first time. It was ridiculous. It was humiliating.
It was the most human he had felt since he'd awakened in the forest.
Down in the guild hall, the source of his turmoil was also experiencing a slight, unusual shift in their evening.
Lyra, counting the day's earnings, suddenly paused, the image of the quiet, handsome newcomer flashing in her mind. "He had... very calm eyes," she murmured to herself, a slight, unprofessional smile touching her lips before she shook her head and got back to work.
Elara, closing her ledger, found herself mentally recalculating the purity of those monster cores. "A pacification talent... statistically anomalous," she noted, a flicker of intellectual curiosity in her steel-grey eyes.
Anya, tidying her station, felt a fondness for the quiet young man. "He seemed a bit lost. I hope he finds his way," she thought, her motherly instincts tinged with a faint, feminine appreciation for his well-made form and tentative smile.
And Seraphina, in her private quarters at a much finer inn, stared out her window. The braggart Roland was forgotten. Her mind was on the null-value. The man with no guild badge, no visible weapon, and cores of impossible purity. A puzzle. And she had always had a weakness for puzzles, especially when they were wrapped in such a... intriguing package.
Unaware of the small ripples he had caused, Kaito, slime in a man-suit, drifted into the first truly peaceful sleep of his new life, a faint, embarrassed smile still on his face.