Lior and Korrin finally reached the inn just as the glow of the mana crystals above began to dim,marking the close of another day. The building was old but sturdy, its wooden frame groaning faintly as the wind from the tunnels brushed against it. Warm light spilled out through the shutters,and the sound of voices carried over the hum of tired travelers.
As they entered, the air was thick with the smell of cooked grain and smoke from low burning lamps. The downstairs cabin served as both a common room and a tavern. Men and women huddled around tables, nursing cups and muttering in low voices.
Lior was about to head for the counter to register them when Korrin tugged at his sleeve.
"Wait," she whispered, nodding toward a table near the corner.
Two older men sat there, their cloaks still dusted from travel. They leaned close, speaking in hushed but urgent tones. Lior and Korrin quietly took seats at a table nearby, close enough to listen without drawing attention.
"…I heard it again today," one of the men muttered, his voice heavy. "The Worshipers aren't just spreading through the lower floors anymore. They've got eyes even here."
The other scoffed, but his face was pale. "And you know what they say. Humanity has no right to be here. That this dungeon is a trial from the gods, not a home. And because we build settlements, trade, grow crops… they call it sin. Blasphemy. They want the dungeon to reclaim everything."
The first man's hands trembled around his cup. "Madmen. If they had their way, every settlement would fall. Mortals like us would not be safe anywhere"
"They're not just mad," the other whispered. "It is said that there is a big figure behind them, that why they have not be eradicated. Someone's funding them, guiding them. I swear it."
Lior felt Korrin shift uncomfortably beside him. He kept his gaze fixed on the table, pretending to study the scratched wood as he listened. The words spoken by these men felt heavy in his chest. If such people really
existed, and if they were spreading… then the dungeon wasn't the only enemy of humanity.
After a few minutes, the men's voices lowered further, turning into mumbles. Lior exhaled and stood. "Let's go," he murmured to Korrin.
They approached the counter, where a stout innkeeper gave them a weary smile. With the last of their credits, they managed to secure a small room on the second floor. The stairs creaked as they climbed, the noise of the common room fading behind them.
The room itself was plain but clean a narrow bed, a small basin of water, and a cracked mirror hanging from the wall. Korrin closed the door behind them and set down their pack. Her eyes lingered on Lior, who had slumped into the chair by the bed.
"Let me see," she said quietly.
Lior tried to wave her off, but the movement only made him wince in pain. The cuts and bruises from their fights along the road hadn't been properly tended.
Korrin knelt by the basin, soaking a cloth before turning back to him.
"This will sting," she warned, pressing the damp cloth against the gash along his arm."
He hissed softly, biting back a curse. But as her hands worked with surprising care, the tension in his shoulders eased. For the first time in days, the pounding in his head quieted.
Silence settled between them, broken only by the drip of water and the faint murmur of voices drifting up from the tavern below.
Korrin finally spoke while applying the ointment on his injuries. "Those men… do you think what they said about the Worshipers is true?"
Lior scrunch his eyes. "If it is… then the dungeon monsters isn't the only thing we'll have to watch out for."
Korrin finished wrapping the last bandage around Lior arm, her face pink from concentration. She pulled back, fidgeting with her fingers. "That should hold for now," she murmured, eyes flicking toward the floor rather than meeting his.
They sat in silence for a moment until Korrin suddenly cleared her throat,
and said softly, hugging her cloak tighter around herself. "So… uh… about sleeping arrangements…"
Lior raised an eyebrow. "You take the bed. I'll take the chair."
"That's… not fair," she said quickly, though her voice was too flustered to sound convincing.
"You're injured."
He smirked faintly. "I've slept in worse places. Don't worry about me."
Korrin pressed her lips together, half wanting to argue but too embarrassed to push the issue. She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the cracked mirror across the room as if it might offer her a solution.
The silence stretched again until she suddenly stood, tugging at her cloak. "I… I need to cleanup myself. After three days on the road, I can't bare the…" She cut herself off, her cheeks blazing. She turned to Lior, clutching her pack against her chest. "C-could you… step out? Just for a bit?"
For once, he chuckled, though he masked it with a cough. "Of course." He pushed himself up, grabbing his sword as he headed for the door.
Korrin looked away quickly, her voice a mutter. "Thank you…"
The door clicked shut behind him, leaving her alone in the small room. She exhaled, steadying herself, before gathering her things and heading toward the basin.
As Korrin slipped into the basin, the warm water lapping against her skin. The heat loosened the knots in her shoulders, but her thoughts didn't relax with it.
Her mind drifted back to how her journey had been these past few days on the road and then her thought drifted further back to when she first met Lior, how awkward she had been, fumbling with her words, how he had looked at her with that calm, unreadable face.
She pressed her lips together. He really does have a… handsome face, the thought escaped before she could stop it. Her cheeks burned instantly.
"N-no… what am I even thinking right now?" she muttered under her breath. With a splash, she slid lower into the basin until the water covered her chin, as though she could bury the thought beneath the surface.
The steam fogged the cracked mirror across the room, blurring her reflection. She stayed there, letting the warmth wash away the dirt from the road, and the embarrassment swirling in her chest.
….
Outside the Room
….
Meanwhile, Lior leaned against the hallway wall, arms crossed, listening to the muffled sound of water splashing on the other side of the door. His body was still aching from the journey and the bandages tugged at his skin, but his eyes stayed sharp, scanning the corridor.
The common room's noise drifted faintly upward, the clatter of cups, the low murmur of voices. But here in the narrow hall, it was quiet. Too quiet.
He rested his hand on the hilt of his sword, which had already became an habit of him, and then let out a slow breath.
"Worshipers," he muttered to himself. "I wonder if it was them who took Ashley," He clenched his fist "If they dare harm her I would definitely make them pay."
The splashing inside finally quieted. A few moments later, soft footsteps shuffled across the wooden floorboards. Then Korrin voice, muffled but firm, called out.
"…You can come back in now."
Lior pushed the door open, the hinges creaking faintly. Korrin was standing by the bed, her damp hair clinging to her shoulders. She had already wrapped herself in the simple cloak she wore on the road, though her face was still flushed, whether from the steam or something else, he couldn't tell.Their eyes met briefly, and she looked away just as quickly, fumbling with her pack as if it
suddenly needed organizing.
"You took your time," Lior said, lowering himself carefully back into the chair. His tone was casual, but there was the faintest tug of a smirk on his lips.
Korrin puffed out her cheeks. "I—I needed it, okay? Three days on the road, anyone would."
"Didn't say otherwise," he replied, closing his eyes for a moment. The chair creaked under his weight.
The room fell into an awkward silence. The single bed loomed between them, a quiet reminder of the next problem neither wanted to bring up. Korrin shifted uncomfortably, stealing a glance at the narrow mattress before quickly looking away again.
Finally, Lior broke the silence. "You should take the bed. I'll manage with the chair."
Korrin opened her mouth to protest but stopped halfway. He already looked half asleep, his injured arm resting stiffly against his side. She pressed her lips together and sighed, sitting down at the edge of the bed.
"Fine. But don't complain tomorrow if your back hurts."
He gave no answer, only a quiet exhale that might have been a laugh.
Korrin lay back slowly, pulling the thin blanket over herself. The dim lamplight painted the room in gold and shadow, the muffled noise of the common room below humming like a lullaby.
For the first time in days, they had a roof over their heads, four walls around them which was better than staying in an wild open in the dungeon where anything can attack. Yet the unspoken thoughts between them made the silence heavier than any noise outside.