Chapter 149: Elvenguard

Afternoon

After dealing with a large number of goblins along the way, Ino followed the two girls out of the Grand Flores and arrived at a sparsely populated market. This market also bore another meaningful name — Elvenguard.

This defense line was established by the local people to fend off goblin invasions from the forest. Unlike the scenes in his memory, Elvenguard, though sparsely populated, was equipped with all necessary shops and buildings: blacksmiths, taverns, inns, tailors, and more.

Ino looked around curiously at the surroundings, a curiosity that did not go unnoticed by Seria.

"Is this your first time at Elvenguard?" Seria asked curiously, then continued without waiting for a response, "Seria invites you to stay at our inn, which I run with Caitlyn. We won't charge you anything."

Hearing the girl's clear voice, Ino turned and smiled, "That sounds wonderful, but I insist on paying. Consider it my final stand on the matter."

Seria's Inn

Selia's inn was located on the west side of Elvenguard, at the back of the entire town according to the map. In a standard medieval single room, there was nothing besides the bed and some furniture.

Ino sat in a high-backed oak chair, his suitcase and wand placed on the large round table before him.

"Adventures in Arad..." he murmured, gazing out the window as he fell into contemplation.

There was no doubt that this was a vast world, perhaps even larger than any he had encountered before. This world not only included places like Heaven and the Underworld but also the concept of the universe itself, making it incredibly complex.

However, complexity isn't always a bad thing. It often implies diversity and inclusiveness.

A simple example is Middle-earth, where Ino always felt like a guest, an outsider among a close-knit family. In contrast, Arad is like a large inn or tavern, filled with people from all over the world. There's no distinction between locals and outsiders; as long as he doesn't draw too much attention, no one would care about a wizard.

Yes, a wizard! Mistakenly identified by Caitlyn, he decided to adopt the identity of a wizard for his adventures on this continent.

"Loton..." Ino murmured. After confirming the story world in the Grand Flores, he had set a goal for the first time in countless story worlds.

It wasn't about precious potions or powerful spells. Though this world's power level was indeed high, his own ice and fire magic had significant potential. It was all about not biting off more than one could chew.

What truly mattered to him, or rather the ideal contact, was Loton, the head of the Alchemist Guild in Hendon Myre.

And his interest in Loton wasn't about alchemy but another profession — the Disassembler.

In the story of the Brothers Grimm, he obtained two magic books. One contained ritual magic for time reversal, with conditions he still remembered clearly. Although the ritual involved many odd items, one stood out as particularly precious — Pure Time Sand.

A thing he had never heard of. He was about to give up on it when fate offered a glimmer of hope.

The machine claimed to disassemble all items.

No matter if it's the Time Turner from the magical world or other time-related items from various worlds, throwing them into the Disassembler might yield something useful. There's always a chance, however slim.

Nightfall

As night fell, Elvenguard was slowly enveloped in darkness. At dusk, countless adventurers emerged from the eastern Grand Flores, unwilling to fight goblins at night.

When the last bit of light disappeared, Elvenguard closed its heavy iron gate, creating a safe environment for the resting adventurers.

"Incendio!"

Ino waved his wand, lighting the oil lamp in his room — or rather, the one he brought with him. The lamp in Seria's inn was too crude: a small coarse porcelain dish with a cotton wick, barely enough to illuminate anything.

"Knock! Knock knock!" There was a rhythmic knock on the door.

"Come in!" Ino waved his wand, opening the door.

"Sorry to bother you. Seria said you hadn't come down for dinner yet, so I brought some up for you," Caitlyn entered with a tray of food, her tone respectful, not judging by his youthful appearance.

Having grown up in Hendon Myre and studied various firearms with her mentor Lady Kiri, Caitlyn was worldly-wise. She knew some wizards had elven blood, making their age deceptive.

"Thank you, Caitlyn," Ino said, grateful for the food.

"It's nothing. I should be the one thanking you," Caitlyn sighed, "If it weren't for you, Seria might be fine, but I might not have made it."

"Maybe it's fate!" Ino said softly, "Mind sitting and chatting for a bit? To be honest, you might have guessed this is my first time at Elvenguard."

"Well, there's nothing special about this place," Caitlyn said, sitting down and placing the tray on the table.

But a casual gesture drew Ino's gaze.

"Is something wrong?" Caitlyn asked, uneasy under his piercing gaze.

"No, no. It's just your ring is quite unique," Ino said, easing his expression.

"Ring?" Caitlyn looked at the straw ring on her left index finger. She didn't see anything unusual but still explained, "I found this when playing in the ruins behind Hendon Myre as a child. It looked delicate, so I've worn it ever since."

As she spoke, Caitlyn began to remove the ring.

"Wait! Put it back!" Ino grabbed her hand, then quickly released it, "Sorry, I meant keep it in the light."