FlinxAugust
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Chapter 28
🕑 Added 2024-04-04 08:16:31 +0000 UTCLunchtime arrived and Anton’s father still didn’t stop the cart. Anders asked them to eat lunch while they were still moving. There was still tension amongst his family and honestly, instead of worrying Anton, it brought a tinge of excitement. He wondered what loot they received from the vampire but his father asked him not to examine it. They would check it out once they stopped for the night.
“We should arrive in the village of Hareburrow at around dusk if we don’t stop,” Anders told his children.
The issue with their situation right now was Anton couldn’t take his eyes off the road. He couldn’t game or surf the internet because he was afraid something nefarious would attack them.
“What if the vampire wasn’t alone or maybe the vampire was connected to someone even higher like a lich?” Anton thought.
Maybe that was also the reason why his father was hurrying. At least inside a village, they would be surrounded by people and once they reached the Holy City of Tiande, they would be protected by the holy magics of the priests there.
That was also the reason why Anders suddenly told his son that they could only check out the vampire’s items once they reached the city of Tiande instead of tonight.
It was early spring and the surrounding was truly beautiful. The forest was full of green plants teeming with life. They could have taken the fruits of the forest if they had taken the time to stop and hunt game and fruits and berries but because of the undead, they needed to hurry.
“I’m truly grateful for your magic brother. If you’re a normal person, maybe the ghoul had killed us already, and if not the vampire certainly would,” Anna told Anton and based on their father’s expression, he agreed with that statement.
“I’ve been a mercenary before but I don’t think I could kill a couple of ghouls. Maybe if I’m lucky but three of them certainly mean death,” Anton’s father told them not mentioning the vampire since if three ghouls could kill him, a vampire most certainly could.
The setting of the sun washed the forest in golden colors and luckily, they spied the village before evening truly arrived.
Anders led the cart with the two horses at the back of the only inn in the village and luckily, they didn’t see any travelers beside themselves which was normal since the travelers could have gone to different routes and that meant they wouldn’t have any trouble renting a room.
Someone from the inn took Maide and Bailey somewhere with the cart and Anders and his children went inside the inn to eat dinner and rest.
Anton’s father talked to the innkeeper and rented a single room with two beds for the three of them and they requested dinner to be sent to their room. He also asked if a bath was available and the fat innkeeper said that with added gratuity, anything was possible.
Anton and his family went to their room first to leave their things there and brought a change of clothes with them. They were not worried about their stuff being stolen since the only things in their luggage were clothes since the truly valuable stuff was in Anton’s private stash.
A man led Anton and his father to the baths and a girl led Anna somewhere else which was probably the female section of the baths. When he sank his body into the hot water in the large bathtub, Anton couldn’t help but sigh. His father was also enjoying himself in the bathtub beside his. It had been a long time since his last wash but in reality, it had only been a couple of days. Still, Anton was used to a shower every day and couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable if he hadn’t had any for at least two days.
At least, Anton was able to brush his teeth twice a day using a linen cloth and baking soda keeping his teeth clean and fresh. At first, he needed to ask his family how they brush their teeth and Anna gaped at him momentarily forgetting that he was unable to remember some of even the most simplest of things. His father then showed him how saying they usually use a combination of salt and herbs. He then asked if they had some baking soda which thankfully they did since Anton knew that baking soda was the best ingredient he could use for his teeth that he was familiar with.
When he was in the old world, sometimes he couldn’t buy toothpaste due to his lack of funds and he read on the internet that baking soda was the best replacement. Since it was cheap, he bought some for emergencies since it was also useful in cleaning different things and removing smells from things.
One of the best parts about having the ability to create water from his spells was he didn’t need to wish for tissue if he went to the bathroom. A bucket and dipper from his inventory and soap that his father gave him solve that one hygienic issue. Still going number two in a forest was a new experience for him.
After their bath, Anton and his family went back to their room, and shortly thereafter they received their dinner. It was some sort of pork smothered in what looked like gravy and bread. Lots of bread. They still prefer the mana water from Anton’s Ice Bolt spell so he provided that to his family.
“Since we’re inside a village I doubt that we’ll be attacked by the undead but still I would prefer that you don’t meditate for now and due to the situation, I would still need to ask you both to do the guard duty for us,” Anders told his children.
Anton and his sister acquiesced with their father’s command since it was for their safety that he was doing this and they couldn’t help but remember the vampire that attacked them earlier.
“Are we going to sleep now? I’m not sleepy yet and it’s early. Can we stay in the common room and listen to the music there? I heard it earlier. Maybe they have a bard or something.”
“Okay but just for an hour or two,” Their father allowed them since it was still early.
They all went to the common room and Anders ordered some ale from the waiter while Anton and Anna ordered some juice. The waiter jokingly asked Anton if he would prefer some ale as well but he declined. He was not insecure in his masculinity or age to care about such things. With the experience that he had in the previous world and this world, Anton knew to care about more important things.
“I want to drink Ale!” Anna said which made everyone laugh even the waiter.
Once the waiter left to get their order, they turned to the minstrel playing a song on a raised dais that served as the common room theater. Anton had to admit that the minstrel had a nice voice. He was singing about farm animals which made everyone laugh. He suddenly missed his guitar.
Anton knew how to play the guitar and honestly thought of himself as having a nice voice. It was one of his hobbies aside from his laptop but unfortunately, he couldn’t play much after his parent’s death since whenever he tried, somebody shouted at him to stop. His dingy apartment had very thin walls.
