Morvash's words stayed in my mind for a while.
I didn't know what to say after hearing that, so the room became quiet again. The sunlight coming from the window was brighter now, spreading across the wooden floor and the bed. It really was already around midday.
Morvash stretched his arms slowly and sat up beside me.
"You're thinking too much again," he said, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I'm just trying to understand," I replied.
"That's fair," he said with a small yawn. "But you don't have to force yourself to figure everything out right now."
He stood up from the bed and fixed his clothes a little.
"You said your body still hurts, right?" he asked.
"Yeah," I answered honestly.
"Then hunting today isn't a good idea," he said. "Even if you're stronger now, your body still needs time to rest."
I nodded slightly. Deep down, I already knew that. Fighting monsters while my body still felt sore would probably slow me down anyway.
Morvash walked toward the window and opened it a little more. Warm air entered the room along with the noise of the town outside. I could hear people talking, carts rolling on the street, and merchants calling for customers.
"The town sounds busy today," he said.
"It always is around this time," I replied.
He turned back to look at me and smiled lightly.
"So," he said, "are we going to stay in this room all day?"
I sighed and slowly stood up from the bed. My legs still felt a bit weak, but it was manageable.
"No," I said. "You wanted to walk around the town earlier, right?"
Morvash nodded.
"Yeah. I'm hungry too."
"You're always hungry," I said.
He laughed quietly.
"That's because I use a lot of energy," he replied.
I grabbed my robe and adjusted my sword on my side again. Even if we were just walking around town, it felt strange to leave without it.
After getting ready, I walked toward the door and opened it.
Morvash followed behind me as we stepped out of the room and into the hallway of the guild lodgings.
"Let's go then," I said.
"Lead the way, Renji," he replied casually.
And just like that, we headed downstairs.
The wooden stairs creaked softly under our steps as we made our way down to the main hall of the lodgings. The place was already lively, just like yesterday. A few adventurers were sitting at the tables, eating breakfast while talking loudly with each other, while others were preparing their equipment before heading out to hunt.
As soon as I reached the reception desk, a familiar voice greeted me.
"Good morning, Renji."
I looked up and saw Ms. Cera behind the counter, smiling as usual.
"Good morning, Ms. Cera," I replied.
Her eyes moved past me and landed on the man standing beside me. Morvash looked relaxed as always, his hands in his pockets while casually observing the room.
"Oh?" she said with curiosity. "Who is this man with you?"
I paused for a moment.
Before I could answer, she spoke again.
"And where is the other one? The man who was with you the other day."
For a second, I didn't know what to say. My mind quickly searched for an answer.
"A-ah… him?" I said with a small, awkward laugh. "He already left."
"I see," Ms. Cera said, nodding slowly.
Her eyes returned to Morvash again.
"And this one?"
"This is… my brother," I answered, scratching the back of my head while laughing awkwardly. "He just arrived in town."
Morvash glanced at me for a moment but didn't say anything. Instead, he simply gave Ms. Cera a polite nod.
"Oh, your brother?" she said with a smile. "You didn't tell me you had family here."
"Y-yeah… it just happened," I replied.
"Well, it's nice to meet you," she said to Morvash.
"Nice to meet you too," Morvash answered calmly.
Ms. Cera then looked back at me.
"Are you going hunting again today, Renji?"
I shook my head.
"Not today. I'm just going to walk around the town for a bit."
"That's good too," she said. "Even adventurers need to rest sometimes."
"I'll remember that," I replied.
"Well then," she said cheerfully, "enjoy your day."
"Thank you, Ms. Cera," I said.
Morvash and I gave a small wave before turning around and heading toward the exit.
When we stepped outside, the warm daylight immediately greeted us. The streets were already crowded with people walking around, merchants selling goods, and adventurers passing by.
Morvash walked beside me as we continued down the street.
"So," he said after a moment, "your brother, huh?"
I sighed.
"It was the first thing that came to mind," I muttered.
Morvash chuckled quietly.
"Not a bad excuse."
I ignored his teasing and kept walking as we blended into the busy streets of the town.
We continued walking along the busy street.
The town was already lively even though it was still midday. Merchants were shouting to attract customers, adventurers were walking around in groups, and the smell of cooked food filled the air. Stalls were lined up on both sides of the road, selling all kinds of things—fresh bread, grilled meat, fruits, and small trinkets.
As we passed by one of the food stalls, the smell of grilled meat caught my attention.
I stopped walking.
Morvash noticed and glanced at me. "What's wrong?"
"I'm hungry," I said honestly.
He looked at the stall in front of us. A man was grilling meat on metal sticks over a small charcoal fire. The meat sizzled as the oil dripped onto the flames, releasing a strong and delicious smell.
"Two of those," I said to the vendor, pointing at the skewers.
The vendor nodded quickly. "Right away."
A moment later, he handed us two freshly grilled meat skewers wrapped in a small piece of paper.
I paid him a few copper coins before stepping aside.
Morvash looked at the skewer in his hand with curiosity. "Street food?"
"Yeah," I said. "It's cheap, but it tastes good."
I took a bite.
The meat was hot and slightly salty, but the flavor was strong and satisfying.
Morvash followed and took a bite of his as well.
For a moment, he didn't say anything.
Then he slowly nodded.
"This is actually good," he said.
I shrugged while chewing. "Told you."
We continued walking while eating. The crowd moved around us as people went about their day.
After a few bites, Morvash suddenly spoke.
"You really like walking around the town, don't you?"
"It's peaceful," I said. "No monsters. No fighting."
He chuckled quietly.
"That sounds boring."
"Not for me."
We walked a little further, finishing the last pieces of the grilled meat. I threw the small paper wrapper into a nearby bin.
Morvash stretched his arms slightly as we walked.
"So," he said casually, "where are we going next?"
I looked ahead at the busy street.
"Let's just keep walking," I said.