Upon seeing a village in the distance, a surge of joy and excitement swelled within Ventair, dispelling the weariness of his wandering days.
Finally, after countless days of relentless walking across the vast plains, he had found a place with intelligent life forms!
Moreover, it was a race he was most familiar with: humans.
It was a feeling of profound relief, as if he had discovered an oasis in the desert.
He immediately strode towards the village, his heart brimming with anticipation.
But as he drew closer, a thought suddenly flashed through his mind, causing him to pause. He realized something crucial: he should conceal his face.
He currently knew nothing about this planet – its culture, its society, or the potential dangers he might encounter.
Furthermore, if something were to happen, he could hide his identity to avoid unnecessary trouble. It was best to conceal his identity.
Having decided this, he raised his hand, and an idea materialized.
Instantly, a pure black mask appeared in the air, adorned with a pair of pristine white, stylized wings above the eyeholes, creating an enigmatic yet elegant appearance.
He placed it on his face, feeling the mask conform snugly and comfortably.
Next, a thick black cloak, wide enough to conceal his entire body, automatically appeared and draped over his shoulders, also hiding his white clothes.
Feeling prepared, Ventair took a deep breath and resumed his walk towards the village.
From within his soul space, the Angels' voices echoed with reminders.
"Heavenly Lord, please be careful," Seraphiel said, her voice filled with concern.
Abyzaria followed, "If anything happens, please call us out immediately."
Belloniel was no exception, her voice resolute, "We will eliminate anyone who dares to harm you!"
Mechaniel, with her usual composure, added, "Situational analysis indicates an unknown level of potential risk. Precaution is necessary."
Hearing them, Ventair gently shook his head, feeling a slight helplessness.
'This is just a village, what terrible thing could possibly happen? They're really overthinking this,' he mused.
Nevertheless, he felt warmed by their concern.
As he drew nearer to the village, he realized it was larger and more populated than any village he had known on Earth.
The houses here were built very sturdily, with thick stone walls and bright red tile roofs, giving them a robust and ancient feel.
Wisps of cooking smoke drifted lazily from the rooftops, carrying the scent of food and life.
As he stepped closer to the village entrance, Ventair felt a slight anxiety.
He didn't know how the people here would react to him, a masked stranger cloaked in black.
Moreover, it had been a very long time since he had engaged in extended social interaction with anyone, which had developed a mild "social anxiety" within him, making him unsure how to communicate.
But what happened surprised him.
People only glanced at him for a moment, their eyes holding a fleeting curiosity, then continued with their work as if they were perfectly accustomed to strangers entering.
Behind his mask, Ventair felt perplexed by this indifferent attitude—it wasn't what he expected—but outwardly, he maintained a calm stride, preserving his mysterious demeanor.
As he walked deeper into the village, he saw a large wooden gate, ancient-looking yet sturdy.
Carved on the gate were inscriptions in a strange script that he could nonetheless understand: 'Rion Village'.
Seeing this, he knew it was the main gate of the village. On either side of the gate stood two guards, simply equipped with spears and leather armor.
As he approached, the two guards immediately fixed their gazes on him, their eyes sharp with vigilance.
"Who are you? Why are you here?" one guard asked, his voice a bit gruff, his hand tightening on his spear.
Hearing this, Ventair felt tense.
He didn't know how to answer.
Then, the other guard, with a more discerning look, seemed to realize something.
He stared at Ventair's cloak and mask, then immediately said,
"You're an adventurer, aren't you? By your attire, I'd say you're an assassin, perhaps?"
His tone had softened slightly, mixed with curiosity.
Hearing this, an idea flashed in Ventair's mind. 'Adventurer? Assassin?'
He realized this world also had the profession of adventurer, but he wasn't sure if it was the same as what he knew on Earth.
However, given the situation, this was a good escape route. He quickly replied, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible.
"Y-Yes, that's right, I'm an adventurer. My profession is an assassin, so I prefer not to reveal myself."
He lightly touched his mask, as if to emphasize his point.
Hearing this, the two guards visibly relaxed.
"So you're an adventurer," the first guard said, his expression much more at ease.
"But I've never seen you before, nor have I ever seen an adventurer travel alone." He still had a touch of suspicion.
Ventair quickly thought of a reply.
"I'm a new adventurer, and I have a mission in this village, which is why I've come."
He paused, then added, "And I also have a team, but they're also assassins, so they asked me to come here first to prepare for them."
The two guards looked at each other, then nodded, appearing to understand.
"I see. My apologies for holding you up. You may enter now."
Ventair was surprised at how easily he had passed.
He had braced himself for a much more complicated interrogation. However, he quickly seized the opportunity, asking further,
"But since I'm new to this village, could you tell me where I can find lodging for the night?"
The two guards nodded.
"You can go deeper into the village, and you'll see a building marked 'Rion Inn'. That's where adventurers stay overnight," the first guard said, pointing into the village.
"The village chief's residence is also nearby," the second guard added.
Ventair nodded,
"Thank you both."
He then stepped through the gate and into the village, leaving the two guards behind.
As he ventured deeper, he truly saw how large the place was.
Approximately over 2000 houses of various sizes were interspersed, forming winding, curving streets.
Along the way, he saw all sorts of people: from young children playing chase, their clear laughter echoing, to patrolling guards with steady, vigilant steps. He also passed by their market area with all kinds of products, from fresh meat and grains to fruits and vegetables, neatly arranged on stalls.
He also saw clothing shops, and even equipment like swords, spears, shields, hanging outside, their metallic gleam shimmering under the sun.
The more he looked, the more surprised he was that a mere village could be so bustling and lively, no different from a small town.
He also noticed that no one paid him any particular attention, a masked stranger, as if they were accustomed to people like him.
Everyone was busy with their own affairs.
He continued deeper into the village and finally found a large building marked 'Rion Inn'.
But before his eyes stood a colossal five-story mansion, 30 meters in both length and width. He thought.
'This is an inn in a village? Unbelievable! It's much bigger than I imagined.'
With that thought, he entered, standing directly before a large, intricately carved wooden door.
He pushed it open, and before his eyes was a bustling scene with all kinds of people: warriors in shining armor, the clang of weapons and armor echoing, mages holding staffs with glittering gemstones, and assassins dressed similarly to him, lurking in the shadows, creating a vibrant and colorful atmosphere.
When he entered, a few people looked at him then turned away, showing no particular expression.
Behind his mask, Ventair breathed a sigh of relief that he hadn't attracted undue attention, unlike in the movies he'd seen where strangers were often stared at and suspected. He felt fortunate.
He then approached the reception counter.
There were five counters, but all were busy, with long lines of people waiting. He saw that the third counter had the fewest people, so he joined that line.
After waiting for a while, and it was almost his turn, he saw the person in front pay with a silver coin.
He suddenly realized that he didn't have any money in this world!
He quickly memorized the shape and size of the coin. Immediately, he skillfully created an identical coin behind the cloak that covered his body, ensuring no one saw.
When it was his turn, the receptionist, a young woman with neatly braided hair, asked.
"What do you need?"
Ventair said, "I need to book a room."
The employee then asked, "How many rooms and how many people do you need?"
Ventair thought for a moment, then said, "I need one room for five people."
The employee nodded and said, "Then that will be a total of 5 silver coins for five people."
Ventair nodded and made a gesture of reaching into his pants pocket for money, but he took out the five newly created silver coins and handed them to the employee. Upon receiving the money, the girl counted and meticulously inspected each coin.
Seeing nothing unusual, she went to the back, retrieved a brass key, and handed it to him, saying,
"Your room is number 5 on the 5th floor."
Ventair nodded his thanks, then navigated through the noisy crowd and ascended the wide wooden staircase.
Upon reaching the 5th floor and finding his room number, he took out the key, inserted it into the lock, and opened the door.
Inside was a spacious room with five single beds neatly arranged alongside five wooden wardrobes for storage at the far end of the room.
At the end of the room was a large window overlooking the peaceful village below, which now glowed with the soft light of evening.
The room also had two smaller attached bathrooms. Opening the bathroom door, he saw a circular wooden bathtub inside, simple yet clean.
Next to it was a small shelf holding transparent, sea-blue colored stones, sparkling. He wondered, approaching to examine them closer, unsure what they were.
From within his soul space, Seraphiel gently spoke.
"Heavenly Lord, I can sense the water element from these stones. Perhaps when you break them, they will produce water."
Hearing this, he understood that this was how water for bathing was created.
He nodded slightly, then stepped out of the bathroom and removed his mask.
He stood before the window, gazing at the peaceful scene of the village below, as the lights gradually illuminated the approaching night.