The name of the commercial capital of the mercantile nation Aresgüte was Cometz. It was a city that served as the headquarters for the Six Great Merchant Associations, where merchants fiercely competed with one another, dedicating themselves wholeheartedly to making a profit.

"Let's bring the items we want to auction directly to the venue tomorrow. But first, we should secure accommodations."

"I see."

As we proceeded down the main street of the commercial capital in our carriage, I noticed that despite it being evening, there were still many people about.

Listening to Fleur, who was seated on the driver's bench, talk about our upcoming schedule, I couldn't help but let my gaze wander, curious about what this city had to offer.

"During auction season, most mid-range to high-end inns tend to be fully booked."

"I see."

The main street was lined with stone-built shops, and food stalls were scattered throughout. The aroma wafting through the air was quite enticing—come to think of it, I was getting hungry.

When I turned around, I saw Nir following behind us, drooling. Feeling a little sorry for him, I took some meat out of my dimensional storage and tossed it to him. He caught it and immediately started eating.

"Therefore, Lord Shu and Lady Rio, please make use of this inn."

"Huh?"

Fleur had brought us to an inn called Black Iron Armor Lodge, located just before the central plaza after traveling a ways down the main street. At a glance, it was clearly a high-class establishment.

As we passed through the gates in our carriage, an impeccably dressed employee, who could easily be mistaken for a butler, appeared immediately.

"Welcome, Lady Fleur of the Rashiyu Merchant Association. It is an honor to receive you."

"Yes, it has been a while. Do you have any available rooms?"

"Unfortunately, at present, we only have a suite available."

"Then that will do. Please take care of these two."

"Understood."

"Put the bill on the Rashiyu Merchant Association’s tab."

"Whaaat!?"

While we had simply been riding in the carriage, the arrangements had progressed at an astonishing pace. And now the merchant association was covering the cost of our stay?

"Wait, wait—"

"Please, don’t worry about it. We plan to earn plenty from you two in the near future."

Just as I was about to decline, arguing that we had our own money from selling various goods, Fleur interrupted me with a dazzling smile. Well, in a way, it was true—the Rashiyu Merchant Association would indeed be making a lot of money off the items we had sold them.

"Uh… well, if you insist."

Exchanging glances with Rio, we both nodded and decided to accept Fleur’s generosity.

"Then, I will come to pick you up tomorrow morning. Please enjoy your stay."

"Oh, Fleur, what about you?"

"I still have matters to attend to at the merchant association’s headquarters."

Ah, I see. I had assumed she would be staying at the same inn, but apparently not.

"Understood. Then, we’ll see you tomorrow."

"Thank you for your hard work today."

"Yes, you as well. See you tomorrow."

After watching Fleur’s carriage depart, I turned my attention back to the inn.

The entrance had a roundabout large enough to accommodate several carriages, and through the highly transparent glass windows, I could see a spacious lobby. It truly looked like a luxury hotel.

"Please, right this way."

Following the butler’s lead, we stepped into the lobby. I felt completely out of place—was our attire really that unusual?

I glanced at Rio’s clothing. She had the typical look of a mage, wearing a robe over a leather chest piece tanned from monster hide. Since it was handmade by her master, it wasn’t exactly the most formal outfit. But then again, the same could be said for my own attire...

"Shu? What’s wrong?"

As I looked down at my own outfit, Rio turned back to me, puzzled.

She didn’t seem to find anything odd about it, so maybe I was just overthinking things.

"No, it's nothing."

Yeah. No point worrying about the small stuff. Even if our clothes didn’t look fancy, they were made from high-quality materials from the Demon Forest—probably first-rate. Not that I actually knew for sure.

"Oh, by the way, what should we do about Nir?"

"Your familiar is welcome to stay with you."

"Got it."

Upon hearing this, Nir’s three tails wagged happily as he followed along. After a brief check-in process in the lobby, we were led further inside. Passing through a well-maintained garden, a quaint building came into view.

"This entire building will serve as your room."

"Seriously?"

It wasn’t just a regular suite—it was more like a luxurious standalone house with a garden. Entering through the gate, we stepped into the inner courtyard. The garden was meticulously maintained, and when we opened the entrance door, a maid stood waiting, perfectly upright.

"Welcome. I am Olivia, the maid assigned to the suite."

"Uh, um, nice to meet you..."

I was slightly taken aback by how precisely she bowed at a forty-five-degree angle.

"…We’ve ended up in quite the place, haven’t we?"

I heard Rio whisper beside me, and I couldn't agree more.

"Now then, allow me to show you around."

The maid smiled as she led the way. Although the space wasn’t overly large, with each room she introduced, we couldn’t help but let out impressed murmurs of "Ohh" and "Wow."