The Black Inn (2)

The beast driven carriage crept slowly, eventually making its way in between the high traffic of carriages on the road.

"Is there always this many carriages on the road?" Nox quite asked, looking outside the window opposite the carriage's door.

The interior of the wagon surpassed the extravagance of its exterior. Plush red leather seats invited comfortable repose, accentuated by intricate golden seams that bestowed a regal air.

Underfoot, a foundation of exquisite wood remained subtly visible beneath the opulent expanse of a golden rug. A dainty lamp suspended from the ceiling's apex cast a warm, golden glow that suffused the entirety of the vehicle with a luminous elegance.

"Not quite," replied Juino, not averting his gaze set upon the masked man, "Most of them are here to see you."

'I sure am famous,' Menace chuckled to himself, reclining back on his seat and placing his open palms over his thighs.

The rest of the trip was spent in silence as he calmly observed the settlement of the tenth floor, while the dark elf elegantly observed his every movement.

The scene beyond the window mirrored the familiar urban vistas of Earth's bustling metropolises. Occasional glass skyscrapers pierced the sky, while smaller yet elegant edifices graced the surrounding landscape.

The broad, dual-carriageway roads teemed with beast-drawn carriages akin to his own, though notably more modest in design.

A tapestry of humanity unfolded on the narrow footpaths, where humans, elves, dwarves, beastmen, and a myriad of creatures strolled—some leisurely, others in a hurry.

As their journey continued, the towering skyscrapers gradually gave way to smaller, more subdued structures. Simultaneously, the once-elegant populace transformed into individuals draped in threadbare rags instead of proper attire.

It wasn't long after the sudden transition in architecture that the carriage came to a sudden halt.

Clasping his hands together, the elf opened the carriage's door before stepping out and ushering the masked man to follow him.

The place they had stopped was a barren land, with small huts on all three sides.

Before them stretched an immense flight of grey brick stairs, an imposing cascade of almost a hundred steps that ascended toward a castle of such vast proportions that gazing upon its culmination seemed to court the danger of a strained neck.

This castle harked back to medieval architectures, a stark departure from the contemporary styles that Menace had thus far encountered.

The whole edifice relied on dusty, aging brick walls to maintain its integrity. Its expansive roof, bedecked with maroon bricks, gently sloped downward.

Encompassing the central structure, four other colossal buildings, though smaller in comparison, were erected on each of its cardinal sides, contributing to the majesty of the locale.

Each of these edifices soared to a staggering fifty floors in height.

But even though such royal buildings were present right in front of what seemed to be slums, not a single guard, was in sight.

On the other hand, a handful of waiters were the only beings who stood on the stairs, conversing silently.

On the climb up the stairs, right at the middle point, a large fountain stood tall, with the marble statue of a man in rags bending down, with his face submerged in the pool of water.

Nox briefly glanced at the statue before continuing to follow close behind the dark elf.

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"Nice to meet you, Menace," said an elderly man, reclining back on his chair, beckoning the masked man to take the seat before him.

Juino had led him into one of the many rooms on the ground floor of the central building.

The room was the living embodiment of a humble but neat office.

The floor as well as the ceiling was layered with shiny marble bricks while the walls were covered with panels of expensive white wood.

Cabinets and tables were lined all across the walls of the windowless room, with a huge wooden desk situated in the middle.

The desk had just a few files neatly arranged in a corner, while the rest of the space was empty.

The man sitting on the throne-like white chair behind the desk, wore a simple black tuxedo, similar to that of Jueno's with the only difference being that he wore a neat white tie, unlike the waiter's black bow tie.

He had a pleasant face and a scrawny build. Not a single hair was visible on the top of his head, while his cheeks and chin were filled with a well-kept white, bushy beard, with a few strands of black here and there.

His eyes were completely hidden under his stylish sunglasses resting atop his round nose.

Nodding, Menace sat down on the brown chair with red cushions, opposite the man. The dark elf quietly made his way beside the elderly man.

"My name is Makhetes," said the man, stroking his long beard, "The manager of the Black inn on this floor."

"To what do I owe the pleasure of meeting the manager himself?" inquired Menace, straightening his back.

From what he had observed and heard so far, the Black inn was unlike any other chain of inn in the Tower. As such, it wasn't hard to deduce that its manager would be a person of great importance.

"A child who comes directly to the point… How interesting," replied Makhetes, pulling out a sheet of parchment from thin air, before sliding it towards the masked man.

"As you may have already heard," he added, taking a short pause, "Our inn is present up till the eightieth floor of the Tower, a thing which people can barely dream about. Since we follow an 'invite only' policy, it is almost impossible for most to get a membership in our inn."

Menace pulled the paper closer to himself with one hand, while adjusting his mask with the other.

Although he had never learned the language written on the paper, he could somehow understand it effortlessly.

"Seeing your performance and potential up till now, we have decided to give you a free membership of our inn upto the fortieth floor!" exclaimed the bald man, putting his elbows on the desk and bending towards the masked man.

Nox smirked under his mask, finally opening his mouth after a few seconds, "What are the conditions?"

An unintentional smile appeared on the elderly man's wrinkled face, as he reclined back on his chair.

"There is just one thing you will have to do," he replied, loosening his taut tie, "As long as the contract is active, you will need to carry out every single one of our… 'suggestions'. But, rest assured, we have highly skilled individuals who will be able to guide you to make the proper decisions."

"Basically," Menace replied, sliding the paper back to Makhetes, "It's a slave contract."

A few minutes of silence followed their conversation, and it was the elderly man who decided to finally break it.

"You should ponder over it," he said, "Our inn can provide you with benefits beyond your wildest imagination. Even rankers find it difficult to receive an invite from us, while you are fortunate enough to receive a membership for absolutely free."

Although the offer was attractive, it would defeat Menace's entire purpose if he allowed himself to become a puppet who would readily and mindlessly dance to someone else's strings.

But still, the idea of an inn, present on every single floor, was something he couldn't get out of his head. Even though he didn't mind resting on top of grasslands and trees, a room to return to on every floor, was an incredibly alluring idea.

"How much will I have to pay for the membership?" he inquired, cracking his knuckles.

An unintentional chuckle left the elderly man's mouth which he quickly covered with his hand. But this was an opportunity that would allow him to show the sheer greatness of the inn, which the masked man had failed to understand.

"Well…" Makhetes said, "the lowest package we offer is…"

"What about the highest package you offer?" asked Nox, interrupting him mid sentence.

With wide eyes and a thin smile, he replied, "You will have to pay about ten million gold coins as a down-payment for the highest package. It will include a lifetime membership, VIP treatment on all floors, as well as all the sevices we are able to provide."

He slyly smiled. There were only two things that the masked man could do now. Either he could run away, leaving behind his dignity and fame or he could become their puppet.

After all, even if he was affiliated with a giant guild, it was impossible that he would have ten-millon gold coins in hand to pay them.

In reality, the fee they asked, was nothing but a formality for their usual guests, who mainly consisted of rankers and divina. But for someone like Nox, who had just entered the Tower, such an amount was unimaginable.

At least, he thought so…

Menace darted his hand inside his inventory, before throwing a shabby brown pouch on the table.

The sly smile that had been plastered over the bald man's face for the past few minutes, disappeared in an instant, as he opened the pouch, which, in reality was a subspace, filled with ten-million gold coins.

With the payment done, Nox was no longer a stranger. He was now a guest.

Makhetes was a little shocked at the unexpected turn of events but his professional personality soon took over as he slid the pouch into his own inventory before extending his arms, making a grand gesture, "We humbly welcome you to the Black Inn."

{Author's Note: I Plan to do a Q&A section one reaching chapter One Hundred! Please do leave your questions below, no matter what they may be.}