Chapter 97: Magnolia Town!
Chapter 97
After a few hours of painful silence, eight hours of painstaking silence, the group were now approaching Magnolia Town.
Magnolia Town came into view like a painting brought to life. Nestled within a valley surrounded by gentle hills, the town sprawled with an organic charm, its cobbled streets twisting like vines between buildings both ancient and new.
The houses were built close together, their slanted rooftops tiled in shades of rust-red and ash-gray.
Wooden balconies jutted out from upper floors, draped with drying herbs, hanging lanterns, and clothes fluttering in the breeze. Smoke curled lazily from stone chimneys, carrying the rich scent of spices, roasted meat, and freshly baked bread that made even the tired travelers feel a pang of hunger.
The heart of the town pulsed with life. Market stalls lined the central plaza, each one bursting with vibrant color—gleaming fruits, glimmering ores, handwoven fabrics, and trinkets enchanted with faint magical glows.
Merchants barked out deals in booming voices, children weaved through the crowd laughing, and bards strummed their lutes near fountains carved in the likeness of mythical beasts, their music filling the air with rhythm and warmth.
Further ahead, a massive clocktower loomed over the town like a silent guardian, its golden hands ticking steadily beneath an arched sky that was slowly shifting shades as dusk crept closer.
A soft, perpetual mist clung to the outskirts, where Magnolia’s famed white magnolia trees bloomed year-round, their petals drifting through the air like snowflakes, adding an ethereal grace to the scenery.
And slowly but gently, the speeding vehicle rolled into the town, which drew everybody’s attention. The town residents stared at the strange contraption in awe, pointing at it with wide eyes and excited murmurs. Some even clapped and waved, their curiosity obvious.
"And here we are folks, welcome to Magnolia Town." Tom announced with a grin as he pointed forward excitedly. But contrary to what he expected, the younglings at the back seat didn’t share in his enthusiasm. Instead, they remained silent with tired faces. "Tch!"
"We would need to find a place to rest and also park this attention-grabbing vehicle." Jace muttered, finally speaking out for the first time in the whole eight-hour drive. His voice carried a hint of irritation from being forced into silence all this while.
"That’s why I’m headed for the town’s inn. So don’t tell me what to do." Lyra scoffed without looking at him, her gaze fixed firmly on the road. Her usually cold face was slowly trickling with sweat, something that did not go unnoticed by Zen’s observant eyes.
’So it takes eight hours for her essence to run out, huh? Which goes to show how much more powerful she is. If it was me controlling that vehicle, I would have gotten exhausted in thirty minutes or maybe an hour at best.’ Zen thought as his eyes flickered toward her hands on the wheel.
’That weakling kept putting me down. If it wasn’t because we were clan members, I would have sent him to his maker by now.’ Lyra scoffed inwardly as she forced the vehicle forward, her pride refusing to allow her to show the slightest weakness.
’Oh Zen! I feel like the moment he got his Veil, he became sharp tongued.’ Tom chuckled inwardly, crossing his arms. ’Wait! What even is his Veil? I wasn’t around when the portal break occurred. I guess it must be powerful enough to make him sharp tongued.’
’I’m so tired of this whole tension and banter. Can’t we all just get along, have fun, and maybe spar a little?’ Vynn thought inwardly, glaring at each and every one of the people in the vehicle as though silently pleading with them.
"We are here." Lyra announced as the vehicle rolled to a stop in the inn’s parking space.
One by one, they climbed out, stretching their stiff bodies as the cool air brushed over them. Their eyes fell on the building in front of them, a structure with wide wooden doors, polished windows, and faint magical lights glowing along its roof. A sign swung gently above the entrance, creaking softly in the breeze, bearing the words...
"Magnolia’s Inn"
Out front.
"Let’s go," Tom said as he began walking forward, but he quickly noticed that Lyra stumbled a little. Her skin looked slightly pale, yet even with that, she kept a straight face and moved steadily toward the entrance. "You need help?" he asked with concern in his tone.
"I’m fine," Lyra coldly replied as she pushed on, walking inside. The others followed behind, their bags hanging at their sides, filled with gear prepared for the mission.
"Hi, how can I help you?" a receptionist asked politely as they entered, her voice warm and professional. Lyra immediately strode over, her steps firm despite her earlier stumble.
"Need two rooms," Lyra said flatly.
"That will be ten shards, please," the receptionist replied, holding out her hand. Without hesitation, Lyra dipped her hand into the bag slung at her side and pulled out ten small, gleaming, diamond-like crystals.
The crystals sparkled under the inn’s light, each one the size of a coin. She set them down casually, as though they were nothing.
Zen, standing nearby, frowned slightly, confusion written across his face. Jace, who noticed his expression, leaned in close and spoke in a low whisper.
"Shards are this world’s currency. It’s the most common form used in trading. But this world actually has two types of currency. Shards and Ethers. Ethers are far more expensive."
"Huh?" Zen muttered with a raised eyebrow.
"Just think of shards as silver coins," Jace continued, "while Ethers are like gold coins from our reality." He then leaned back and stood upright, as if nothing unusual had been said.
"Oh," Zen mumbled under his breath, letting the explanation sink in.
"Here you go," the receptionist said with a bright smile as she handed two keys to Lyra. She then rang a small bell on the desk, summoning a man in uniform. "He will lead you to your rooms."
"Sure," Lyra muttered. She spun around while holding one of the keys and casually tossed it toward Tom. "Here."
Tom caught the key effortlessly, his reflexes sharp. He lifted a brow. "What for?"
"You and the boys will sleep in that room. Me and her" she pointed toward Aria—"will take the other room."
Tom frowned. "How is that fair? Putting four guys in one room? That’s going to be cramped."
"What do you want me to do? Sleep with guys... I mean, sleep in the same room as guys?" Lyra replied, a nervous crease appearing on her forehead.
"I think we should just go with three per room," Vynn suggested, shrugging. "The girls can take the bed in their room, and the guy can just take the floor. Problem solved."
"Sounds good to me. At least I won’t be sleeping in the same bed with a guy," Aria said, her tone casual as she shrugged as well.
"Fine," Lyra sighed in defeat. "I’m taking the pretty blonde-haired one then." She pointed straight at Jace.
"K," Jace muttered as he strode forward without resistance.
"Can I now take you all to your rooms?" The man who had been summoned finally spoke, waiting patiently for them to finish their debate.
"Sure," Tom replied, and with that, the group followed the man down the hallway, their footsteps echoing softly against the wooden floor as they headed for their rooms.