Chapter 81 | The Seventh Witch

“Chirp~! Chirp~!”

The morning birdsong woke Shulim from her deep sleep.

After changing her clothes, she washed up in the bathroom and pushed open the window.

In an instant, the golden morning sun flooded into the room, bathing most of it in light.

Shulim leaned against the windowsill, quietly watching the streets below as they began to bustle with people.

This was her first time visiting a major city.

Compared to Mente Town, which one could see from end to end at a single glance, the city of Dupor was countless times larger.

Under the slanted rays of the morning sun, rows of rooftops shined in brilliant gold, spreading out into the distance like ripples until their details blurred out of sight.

At the center of the city, the majestic Seven Heavens Cathedral towered over everything, its colossal bell atop ringing out with a melodious morning chime that echoed throughout the entire city.

“...I guess I'll go eat breakfast.”

Adjusting her clothes once more, Shulim grabbed her wand, strapped her mithril sword to her back, and stepped out of her room.

She walked down to the first floor.

The inn's receptionist was already hard at work.

“Good morning, miss! Did you sleep well last night?”

“Yes, I slept well. Could I get breakfast, please? Do you have bobom porridge?”

“Oh, my apologies, dear guest. We didn't make that today. But we do have cold bobom cake. Would you like to try some?”

“I'll have that then! And a cup of hot milk as well.”

“Understood, please wait just a moment~!”

Shulim nodded, found a table in the lobby, and sat down.

The inn Shulim was currently staying at was located in the midtown district. Mostly catering to merchants and tourists, its rates were significantly higher than the inns in the downtown area where most adventurers stayed. However, this also meant its facilities were much better, and the entire inn looked incredibly neat, with even the tables and chairs matching a uniform style!

The only downside was that the chairs were a bit too high for Shulim. Sitting on one, her legs dangled in the air, unable to reach the floor.

And since all the chairs were identical, she couldn't even swap it for another.

It was a minor oversight that left her quite speechless.

“Here is your breakfast, guest. Enjoy your meal!”

“Thank you!”

Shulim politely thanked them.

Once the employee turned and left, she picked up the knife and fork in front of her, slicing a small piece off the cold bobom cake, skewered it with her fork, and popped it into her mouth.

“Mmm~!”

Her face instantly lit up with a brilliant expression.

“So delicious~!”

After finishing the bite of cold bobom cake, Shulim picked up the large mug of hot milk in front of her.

“Gulp~!”

Taking a sip, Shulim set down the cup, stuck out her little tongue, and licked away the "white mustache" that had just formed around her lips.

“What kind of milk is this?”

Shulim stared at the steaming white liquid, her small face filled with confusion.

“Mipor? No, that's not it... Mokubur? Doesn't taste like it either...”

“Oh well... whatever. It's really tasty, anyway.”

“Gulp~! Gulp~!”

Not thinking too much of it, Shulim continued to cut the cold bobom cake while sipping the mysterious hot milk. As the food before her rapidly disappeared, other guests in the inn gradually woke up; some ordered breakfast like Shulim, while others headed straight out.

The inn, which had been rather quiet just a moment ago, suddenly became bustling and noisy.

After finishing her breakfast, Shulim wiped her mouth, picked up her wand, stood up, and walked toward the inn's exit.

“Are you finished eating, dear guest? How was the breakfast?”

The receptionist at the door asked with a smile.

“I've finished, thank you. The taste was very much to my liking. However, what exactly was that hot milk? I don't think I've ever tasted anything like it.”

“Oh, that! That's salamander milk!”

“???”

“Salamander milk? What's that?”

This was the first time Shulim had ever heard of such milk.

“It's perfectly normal that you didn't know about it. That milk is produced by the Lore salamander. They're quite rare, so it's only natural you've never heard of them. You could consider it a local specialty of ours.”

“I see... I've learned something new today. Thank you!”

“You're very welcome~!”

Stepping out of the inn, Shulim looked left and right along the street.

“I should head to the city station first to see if there are any carriages heading to the Royal Capital in the next few days. After that, I can explore the city...”

After drawing up a simple plan, Shulim headed toward the post station in the downtown district.

...

“Young lady, we still have seats available on the caravan to Langard the day after tomorrow. Would you like to make a reservation?”

The clerk at the post station replied, flipping through the schedule.

Shulim thought about it. Mr. Chandler should have the bandit group's bounty sorted out by tomorrow. If she could get the money tomorrow, leaving the day after would be perfect.

“Yes, I'd like to book one. Please reserve a seat for me.”

“Certainly, little miss, just a moment.”

The clerk pulled out a receipt booklet, tore off a sheet, and handed it to Shulim.

“This has your departure time and reservation number on it. Please double-check them. The total is twenty thousand Cole. You can cancel and get a refund anytime before tomorrow, but once tomorrow comes, it's non-refundable.”

“I understand.”

Shulim nodded, took out two gold coins to hand to the clerk, then put away her ticket and left the station.

There was still plenty of time left in the day.

Seizing the rare opportunity, Shulim began her sightseeing tour of Dupor.

Dupor was divided into three districts: downtown, midtown, and uptown. Thanks to Count Leicester's influence within the Empire, public security was excellent even in the downtown district, making it rare to see any impoverished areas. On top of that, almost every street was filled with a wide variety of street food vendors.

Consequently, her little belly—which hadn't even finished digesting breakfast yet—bulged once again.

Eating her way up to the midtown district, the streets here became much wider and brighter. While the delicious street food was gone, they were replaced by numerous beautifully decorated dessert shops.

Shulim even spotted a branch of a world-famous dessert chain among them, so she decisively made a detour inside...

“I probably won't be able to eat lunch today...”

Shulim rubbed her little belly as she walked out of the dessert shop, holding a gift the store had given her.

“I should stop eating for now.”

Her sightseeing tour continued.

Shulim soon arrived in the uptown district.

Many high-profile individuals resided in the uptown district, meaning many areas were restricted to commoners. Although Shulim was allowed entry, she had no interest in visiting them.

Compared to the midtown district, there were fewer shops and pedestrians in the uptown area. However, almost everyone passing by was dressed in fine attire, and the roads here were remarkably wide, adorned with scenic spots and even a few parks.

...

Dong~! Dong~! Dong~!...

As the midday bells chimed, Shulim looked up at the cathedral—the defining landmark of Dupor—and couldn't help but marvel at it.

“It's so huge... Is this really one of the four great cathedrals of the Empire?”

“Can I go in and take a look right now?”

After giving it some thought, Shulim decided to try her luck. However, she was informed by the cathedral's clergy that it was currently closed to the public, and entry during these hours required a reservation in advance.

Shulim felt a bit disappointed, but she wasn't about to go through the trouble of making a reservation just for a visit.

Setting aside whether she could even secure one, even if she did, it would likely be scheduled for days later. By then, she would have long departed from Dupor...

A gentle breeze brushed across the lakeside. Shulim sat on the pure white stone steps by the shore of an artificial lake not far from the cathedral, quietly watching the water's surface.

“The lake is so peaceful.”

Shulim looked left and right, hoping to find a pebble, but the area was kept spotlessly clean. Forget pebbles, there wasn't even a single fallen leaf to be found.