Matthew watched Regg ride away, only slowly withdrawing his gaze once the horse and rider vanished at the end of the street.
He turned around, preparing to step into the inn, when a clever-looking young servant dressed in a clean linen shirt quickly hurried forward to meet him.
The boy had clearly noticed the guests lingering outside for some time. With a welcoming smile plastered on his face, he bowed slightly and asked,
“Are you looking for lodging, my Lord?”
Matthew swept his gaze over the inn's simple yet clean exterior, then looked back at the respectful servant in front of him. He nodded. “Yes.”
Seeing the guest's confirmation, the servant's smile widened. He stepped forward to take the reins of Matthew's horse. “Then let me help you settle—”
Before he could finish, Aidan took a step forward, placing himself between the servant and Matthew.
With a calm expression and a flat yet unquestionable tone, Aidan said, “Just explain the details to me and handle the check-in.”
Turning to Matthew, Aidan spoke with respectful initiative, “Brother Matthew, it's been a long and tiring journey. Please go inside and rest first. I will handle these trivial chores.”
Matthew glanced at Aidan, a faint trace of approval flashing in his eyes.
Along this journey, Aidan had not only grown increasingly sharp, but he had also learned to take the initiative to share the burden, maintaining Matthew's dignity and peace. His growth was truly remarkable.
As for whether Aidan had enough money to cover daily expenses, Matthew did not worry in the slightest. Since Regg highly valued Aidan, the people around him naturally wouldn't be treated poorly either.
With Aidan's current wealth, he was probably not inferior to ordinary adventurers who had been traveling the world for years.
“Alright,” Matthew replied simply, his tone calm. “Come find me once you're done.”
“Yes,” Aidan replied, then turned to speak with the servant. “Make sure to feed the horse the best fodder...”
Matthew did not linger any longer and stepped inside the Stone Oak Inn.
The lobby was clean and tidy. A rather shrewd-looking middle-aged man stood behind the counter wiping glasses, likely the owner.
Matthew walked up, requested two premium rooms, and prepaid a week's worth of lodging. He instructed the owner to give the other room to the young man who would be coming in shortly.
Then, Matthew took the copper key and walked up the wooden stairs to the second floor, carrying the slightly bulging cloth bag containing his loot and miscellaneous items.
His room was at the end of the hallway. Opening the door, a faint scent of pine mixed with sun-dried cotton drifted toward him.
The room was spacious and bright, with clean glass set into the window frames. The warm afternoon sun spilled inside, casting bright patches of light across the floorboards.
The furnishings were simple yet complete: a wooden bed laid with a thick cotton mattress and clean sheets, a broad oak table with a high-backed chair, a sturdy wardrobe in the corner, and even a copper washbasin and towel rack near the fireplace.
Compared to the cheap inns in Anda Town with drafty walls and damp bedding, this place was exceptionally comfortable.
After bolting the door, Matthew placed his cloth bag on the table and swept his gaze across the room, already planning his next moves.
First, of course, was gathering information.
The county seat was a hub of information. He needed to quickly understand the local power dynamics, as well as potential opportunities where he could profit...
Second was the “No. 7 Courtyard on Shizhong Road” that Nathan had revealed before his death.
This matter had to be handled with extreme caution. As the Fiery Lion family's “white glove,” Nathan's hidden cache might not be simple treasure; it could be a trap, or a location under the family's secret surveillance.
Before figuring out the truth and making full preparations, he absolutely could not act rashly.
Following that was the repair of his staff.
He had personally witnessed how terrifying the boost from the staff in his hands was. Moreover, once repaired, with the empowerment of his attribute panel, who was to say it wouldn't come with additional bonus spells?
At this thought,
Matthew felt a trace of disbelief in his heart.
He had originally assumed that the territory of the Kingdom of Cher was distributed evenly in a circle around the royal capital. However, after his conversation with Regg, he realized that was not the case.
Due to its unique geographic plates, the Kingdom of Cher possessed a semi-circular territorial outline, with the royal capital situated right on the coast.
Abilan County was particularly unique in its geography. Although it nominally belonged to Calais Province, vast grasslands occupied most of its area, forming a natural geographical barrier.
Its actual position bypassed the provincial capital entirely, allowing one to reach the royal capital directly by passing through the county. It was essentially a convenient corridor connecting the kingdom's heartland to the coastal capital.
Because of this, even though Abilan County was just a county seat, its resource abundance, commercial prosperity, and strategic importance far exceeded that of ordinary counties, even rivaling many provincial capitals.
This was also why Matthew felt a glimmer of hope regarding the repair of his staff.
Just then, several footsteps echoed in the hallway, pulling him back to reality.
His attention fell upon the black iron bar inside his cloth bag.
This was something he had obtained from the Shadow Forest, and there had been a crystal cluster next to it, so he had naturally assumed it was a magic item!
However, despite his Spirit increasing and his control over it growing more practiced over the past few months, he was still unable to identify this item, let alone know how to use it.
Brody had mentioned that the Count who led the Fiery Lion family might know a thing or two, but Matthew had his doubts about this—
How could an ordinary person understand magical things?
What concerned him even more was that, based on this world's rule of “strength determines status,” for a patriarch to rule a family, his power must be extraordinary.
‘Sigh, this is going to be difficult,’ Matthew thought to himself. The Fiery Lion family could control the inner city gates and dispatch Silver Rank experts to act as their “white gloves,” showing that their influence in Abilan County was deeply rooted.
A patriarch capable of commanding such a family would surely possess unfathomable strength.
There was a high probability he was of the Gold Rank!
Just then, a knock sounded at the door.
“Come in,” Matthew said.
Aidan pushed the door open and walked in. “Everything is taken care of.”
Matthew smiled and nodded.
“Aidan, when arriving in a strange place, the first thing you need to do is familiarize yourself with the environment.”
Matthew walked to the window, his gaze landing on the clean streets outside and the distant inner city buildings.
“First, I need you to gather detailed information on all the noble families in Abilan County—not just the Fiery Lion family, but also the families that control the other two inner city gates, as well as any other influential nobles.
The key is to map out their relationships, spheres of influence, and any potential conflicts or alliances between them.”
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