When the three of them went downstairs,
the inn's lobby had completely transformed.
The once simple lobby was now adorned with all kinds of decorations unique to the Ice and Fire Festival. There were ornaments of various shapes crafted from frost steel scraps, along with ice-blue trinkets in the shapes of flames, furnaces, snowflakes, and anvils...
A banner was even stretched across the space above the fireplace, reading "Happy Ice and Fire Festival" in handwriting that was far from pretty—in fact, it was rather crooked.
The busy figures in the lobby were not the elderly dwarf woman, but the adventurers staying at the inn.
“Noxie, you hung that flame ornament upside down!”
“I know, I know! Can't you just adjust it? So naggy!” The speaker was a young girl with braided pigtails. A priest's badge hung from her belt, and she was currently standing on her tiptoes, trying to hang a furnace ornament onto a nail above the window.
“Let me do it. You're not tall enough,” a beastkin adventurer who was hammering nails into the wall nearby chimed in.
“I am plenty tall!” Noxie stood on her tiptoes with a sudden burst of effort and finally hooked the ornament. The ladder wobbled from side to side, and a brown-haired young man quickly steadied it.
“I swear, can you be a bit more careful? What if you fall?”
“Pff, I'm a priest. Falling from this height won't do anything to me!”
Loviki stood at the foot of the stairs, arms crossed as she watched the busy crowd. “They're quite enthusiastic.”
The brown-haired young man was the first to notice the trio. He strode over with a smile on his face. “Are you guys also adventurers staying at this inn?”
“Yes, we just checked in,” Chen Mian nodded.
The brown-haired youth turned and pointed to the decorations in the lobby, his tone thick with excitement. “How is it? These were all my ideas. Doesn't it feel super festive?”
“Griff! How can you show off with a straight face? Look at your handwriting... it's hideous! I wouldn't want anyone to know you're our captain.” The braided girl walked over quickly as she spoke. “Sorry to bother you three. Just ignore our idiot captain. You can pretend that writing doesn't exist!”
“Come on, Noxie, it's the thought that counts. Besides, you said that so loudly that everyone already knows!”
As soon as Griff finished speaking, clear laughter erupted in the inn.
Noxie rolled her eyes at him, then turned to Flora, her eyes shining brightly. “Hello! Super pretty elf big sister and black-haired big sister, I'm Noxie.”
“Flora.”
“Loviki. And this is our captain, Chen Mian,” Loviki said with a nod.
“Hello there!”
Noxie seemed to be quite familiar with people easily. She stepped forward to grab Flora's hand, her eyes shining with undisguised envy. “Elves are so beautiful. I've wanted to be an elf since I was a kid, but unfortunately, I didn't choose well when I was being reincarnated.”
“Reincarnation isn't up to you,” Griff chimed in from behind.
“That's why I'm going to train hard in this life, so I can strive to be an elf in the next!”
“Does training have anything to do with reincarnation?” the beastkin adventurer dressed as a shield warrior interjected.
“Bagins, you're talking too much!”
“Finish hanging today's decorations before you worry about your next life,” Griff said, shaking his head helplessly.
“What's the rush? Aren't there new friends here?” Noxie glared back at him righteously, then turned back to Flora, lowering her voice though her volume didn't drop at all. “Let me tell you, our captain is actually a good guy, he's just a bit of a chatterbox.”
Griff sighed, walked over, and pulled Noxie back a step. “Alright, alright, let them breathe. They just came downstairs and got cornered by a stranger like you. Aren't you scary?”
Only then did Noxie realize. She let go of Flora's hand and took half a step back. “Oh, sorry, sorry! I got too excited!”
“Oh right, tomorrow the innkeeper is treating everyone to fruit wine she brewed herself. Don't miss out!” With that, she turned and ran off to hang decorations again.
Griff shook his head and said to Chen Mian, “My apologies. Noxie usually spends too much time in the wild. Arriving in Wigtan and running into the Ice and Fire Festival has made her a bit overexcited.”
The corner of Chen Mian's mouth curled up slightly. “It's fine.”
“Hehehe,” Griff scratched his head, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“Where is the innkeeper?”
“She's in the kitchen.” He pointed toward the end of the hallway. “Said she's preparing traditional food for the Ice and Fire Festival.”
“For the people of Wigtan, the Ice and Fire Festival is the most important festival of the year. The old lady has been cooped up in the kitchen since early morning, and she couldn't manage the decorations on her own, so everyone agreed to help out.” Griff's tone was light. “We adventurers who haven't entered the dungeon yet pretty much feel the same way. It would be a shame to miss out on celebrating a day like this on our first visit to Wigtan.”
Just then, the elderly dwarf woman pushed open the kitchen door and walked out. Looking at the lobby covered in decorations, a rare smile appeared on her usually placid face.
She walked into the lobby, looking at the adventurers who had finished their work and were sitting around chatting. She looked around, her gaze finally resting on Griff's crookedly written "Happy Ice and Fire Festival."
“Innkeeper, did our captain's ugly handwriting offend your eyes?” Noxie asked, putting on a dejected face.
“It's fine.” The old lady shook her head, a hint of a smile on her face. “Wigtan hasn't been this lively in a long time.”
Dinner was eaten at the inn. The tables had been pushed together into a single row, with the adventurers staying at the inn lining both sides.
The elderly dwarf woman had made a large pot of stewed meat, a massive bowl of roasted potato wedges, a stack of crispy toasted rye bread, and a pot of steaming soup.
To be able to eat this much meat for a free meal, only during the Ice and Fire Festival would one receive such treatment.
Noxie sat next to Flora, her mouth never stopping even while she ate.
“Let me tell you, Griff was once chased through the wilderness by a pack of goblins. He ran so hard he lost a shoe.”
“That was a tactical retreat,” Griff said expressionlessly as he tore off a piece of bread. “There were too many of them, and the way those goblins looked at people was so perverted it freaked me out. Especially that leader with the full beard.”
Noxie laughed so hard she almost spat out her soup. She quickly covered her mouth with the back of her hand, her shoulders shaking.
Sitting opposite them, Bagins ate his stewed meat, looking up at his rowdy teammates with a grin.
Loviki held her soup bowl, leaning back in her chair and taking small sips, her posture very relaxed.
Flora sat on Chen Mian's right. She had eaten less than half of the stewed meat in front of her, her gaze occasionally drifting to the ice-blue decorations on the wall.
“Sister Flora, did you guys come here for the dungeon too?” Noxie asked, tilting her head.
“Yes,” Flora nodded. “We wanted to check it out.”
“That's great! Us too!” Noxie's eyes lit up, and she leaned forward. “Do you want to explore the Ice and Fire Festival with us tomorrow?”
Chen Mian set down his soup bowl and shook his head, refusing very flatly.
On the Ice and Fire Festival, he and Loviki were going to celebrate Flora's birthday. Bringing a few third wheels along would just get in the way.
“Oh? Is that so...” Noxie looked at Flora and Loviki, then at Chen Mian, her lips slowly curving upward. “I get it!”
“How nice~ Ah~ How blissful~”
“Hey brat, keep staring and I'll beat you up!” Loviki glared at Noxie, though there was no real anger in her voice.
Noxie stuck her tongue out and shrank behind Griff, poking only half of her head out. “My mistake!”
Just then, the innkeeper carried out a sealed oak barrel and placed it horizontally on a low table.
“Wow! Innkeeper Granny! Is that fruit wine?” Noxie asked excitedly.
“I've had it stored for quite a few years. I don't really drink. Since it's the festival, I might as well bring it out.” The elderly dwarf woman patted the side of the barrel, a dull thud echoing from within.
She used a wooden mallet to gently tap open the barrel's lid.
A rich fruity aroma surged from the opening, blending the mellow warmth of alcohol with the unique sweetness of iceberries, filling the entire lobby.
“Innkeeper Granny, aren't we supposed to drink this tomorrow?”
“I'm happy today, and there's more for tomorrow,” the old lady said with a smile. She used a long ladle to scoop out the liquid. The purplish-red wine rippled slightly in the ladle before she poured it into a wooden mug and handed it to Bagins, who was closest to her.
Bagins took it with both hands, looking down at the swirling liquid. He took a sniff, then gulped down a large mouthful.
His eyes went wide, and his voice was louder than usual: “Delicious!”
The old lady ladled a cup for everyone, finally pouring one for herself as well.
Noxie stood up and raised her mug. “Cheers!”
“Cheers!” Everyone stood up and gently clinked their mugs together.
Chen Mian raised his cup. The first sensation as the liquid entered his mouth was sweetness—the distinct crisp sweetness of iceberries, with a hint of tartness. Then came the warmth of the alcohol, and finally, a subtle oaky fragrance lingered in his mouth.
It was very delicious. The taste was similar to what he had drunk when he first came to Wigtan many years ago, but the aroma was much richer.
“It's good,” Flora said softly. She held her cup in both hands, looking down at the swaying liquid inside, her eyes reflecting the bright firelight.
Loviki took a large gulp, set her cup down, and exhaled a warm breath. A faint blush slowly spread across her face from the alcohol.
The fire in the fireplace burned a bit brighter, the firewood crackling.
The atmosphere in the lobby shifted.
It was no longer the bustling clamor of dinnertime, but a quieter, more peaceful feeling.
Some chatted in hushed voices, some drank quietly, and others leaned back in their chairs, lost in thought.
Noxie had drunk two cups, and her alcohol tolerance seemed rather low. She leaned against Griff's shoulder, mumbling incoherently.
Griff simply lowered his shoulder a bit to make her more comfortable.
Bagins drank three cups all by himself. After each sip, he would fall silent for a long time, as if savoring the taste. This young beastkin warrior likely had stories of his own.
The old lady poured another cup for Chen Mian.
“Thank you,” Chen Mian accepted it.
The old lady put the ladle back into the barrel. “It is I who should thank you. This place hasn't been this lively in a long time.”
Chen Mian smiled and nodded, taking a sip from his cup.
The night gradually deepened.
Noxie fell asleep against Griff's shoulder, her mouth slightly open as she let out soft, light snores.
Griff didn't wake her. He simply took off his coat and draped it over her, then nodded to Chen Mian before carefully helping Noxie up and guiding her toward the stairs.
Bagins followed behind them. Before leaving, he drained the last drop of wine from his cup, raised it toward Chen Mian, and then turned to go upstairs.
The crowd in the lobby slowly dispersed.
The old lady began clearing the tables, placing the empty cups one by one into a wooden basin.
Flora stood up and went over to help.
“No need, you all go rest,” the old lady waved her hand.
“It won't take long.” Flora had already rolled up her sleeves and picked up a stack of cups, her movements light and steady.
The old lady glanced at her and didn't refuse again, turning to wipe the table.
Loviki stood up as well, hesitated for a moment, and then went over to help move the chairs.
Once everything was cleaned up, the three of them walked up the stairs.
“Enjoy the Ice and Fire Festival tomorrow. It's going to be the liveliest day Wigtan has seen in years,” the old lady said with a smile as she closed the inn's front door. This seemingly stern dwarf woman didn't actually seem so stern after all.
“Yeah! You too, innkeeper.”
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