Walking downstairs, and stepping inside the hall on the first floor, this time, he wasn't alone, as a completely dressed and beautiful maid was one step behind him.
Arthur, who woke Mariane up, apologized for the sudden waking up, before asking her to get ready to follow him here.
' I would've prefered to come here alone, but.. '
There was something telling him that this encounter would be bothersome, so he decided to take his most reliable and trustworthy ally with him.
Sending a glance inside the room, it really felt like stepping inside another building just from the tense feeling alone.
Surely, it was silent, and this time, he wasn't because he caused ' a lot of noises ' , but due to the sheer presence of one person.
One person, more precisely a woman, which was standing still in the middle of the room, apparently waiting for him, as she kept staring at the both of them.
' Would you look at that.. '
Feeling like laughing when he saw the small size lady with such a serious face and being able to overcome other with just her whole being, he restrained himself, though a smirk appeared on his lips for a moment.
" Lady Vivianne, this is the man in question. "
Vivianne, that girl, didn't seemed to have reached puberty yet, with blond hair and blue eyes, a body that barely scratched the bar of 140cm, and an evident lack of forms, she was what one could consider a loli, though he didn't knew her age, since it was a fantasy setting, maybe she would actually be older than what she looked like.
Wearing a frilly blue dress, her hair attached in a luxurious way, and small shoes that didn't went above her heel, he was sure that this lady never went outside of a city, or if she did, she wouldn't walk at the very least.
" Hmm ? So that's him ? He's handsome, I'll give him that, but there's doesn't seem to be much to him... "
Accepting her words easily, even if harsh, it was true that he had no special strenght himself, and his previous wealth was gone as well, so she was pretty much right, but wouldn't admit it.
" ... His maid is a different story though.. Hey you, do you want to work under me ? "
" .... "
With Mariane, staying silent under her question, the little girl didn't went into a fury for such disrespect or something of the sort, instead, she just nodded, showing an understanding that wouldn't be fit for her age.
" Luce, I get that the maid is special, but I don't think she deserves to be a VIP, what about the boy ? "
Seeing that she was talking to the receptionist, Arthur just learned about her name, and while he wouldn't forget it like that, he made sure to remember it, at least for a short future since he didn't intended to spend his life here.
" About that.. Why don't you ask him directly since he's here ? "
Unless Marcus talked about him to the receptionist behind his back, even she, who gave a room for the both of them, wouldn't know about his abilities and secrets.
Thinking about having to speak for the first time since he came downstairs, as the scene unraveled in front of him without having to do anything, he didn't knew if he should do a joke or not.
His abilities as a troll were top tier, and everyone spending at least two to three hours on the internet every day should have a minimum of skills into that as well, but restraining himself from doing it, he naturally waited for her to ask her questions.
" I guess it won't hurt.. For starters, what's your name ? "
" Well, won't you start by presenting yourself first ? "
" ... Vivianne Darianno, the only daughter of the count Darianno. "
' A count huh, no wonder she act like a small princess. '
Though she was rude, in her position, she had every right to do so, especially as nobility held a really important authority in this world, one that commoners wouldn't dare to defy.
" I'm Arthur, nice to meet you. "
Giving her a small greeting, he didn't proposed a handshake or anything to such a young girl, and seeing her frown, he realized that maybe he was too casual with her, but it wasn't like he intended to get on his knees from the start.
" Arthur.. Right, do you mind explaining to me, how come you're inside the inn as a VIP ? "
Keeping a sigh from coming out, he started to think that he couldn't handle a brat for too long it seemed, how come she could be that curious ?
" Cards.. "
By summoning the pure white book in front of him, he didn't opened it, just had it float in front of him, after all, one image is better than a thousand words, isn't it ?
" A grimoire.. "
Apparently, she was really surprised as her eyes widened, and her mouth remained agape.
' No, why are you surprised too ? My maid wore artefacts, did you really not expected me to have anything as well ? '
Sending a glance towards the innkeeper and receptionist, Luce, she also had a shoked expression on her face.
" My maid also have a few artefacts of her own, is that enough to be considered a VIP now ? "
" .. Enough ? More than enough ! I'm sorry to have doubted about you and called you someone without anything special to him. "
At least, she was reasonable.
' Wait, aren't her words quite different from what she said earlier ? '
He decided to ignore such thoughts for now, only satisfied that he didn't had to prove his words by making Mariane transform in front of everyone just for showing off.
" It may seem presumptuous, but can I take a look at your grimoire ? "
" ? "
Wondering what she was on about, Luce, who seems his expression, or at least the stare he directed towards the small lady, quickly empressed herself to explain her reasons.
" Sir, please do not have any bad will towards Lady Vivianne, her family just happens to have years of history, researching dungeons and artefacts, I hope you won't take her requests to the heart. "
" ... Well, suit yourself. "
- Vivianne Darianno's POV -
Having received the owners approval, she couldn't help but start feeling excited.
A grimoire was a kind of artefact, one where spells or experiences of a mage would be written and recorded, if not something even more precious than that, and some in the legends were even told to have a will of their own.
The book still floating, as if waiting for it's master to take it, didn't moved an inch when she approached it, nor did it showed any peticular reaction, a strange sight for an artefact.
Most artefacts would shake violently when held, trying to get out of the living being grasps if they couldn't satisfy their conditions, and some more violent ones would even electrocute them on the spot or send various attacks, even mind attacks.
But the grimoire of Arthur, didn't showed any of those signs even though she was this close.
' Can he control it to such a degree ? To the point where it wouldn't show any reaction ? Or do I have the talent to wield it as well ? '
Theories were formed in the mind of the young lady, with a tinge of excitation being felt the closer she got.
And just when she was about to grab it..
- Whoosh
Her tiny hands, grabbed nothing but air.
It wasn't that the grimoire had disappeared, vanished, or was recalled by his master, instead, it was a very bizarre sight, even for her.
' What.. ? '
How come her hand could just go through matter ? No, was the grimoire just an illusion from the start ? Did he played her a prank ?
" Ah.. I knew this would happen. "
Yet, the man, with a sigh, was the one to grab freely the floating book emitting a faint light.
It seemed so easy for him, why couldn't she touch it ?
Looking at the grimoire being taken away from her, she had no right to say anything about it, after all, it wasn't hers from the start, but she still felt a certain amount of sadness and regret.
' Am I really not fit for it ?.. '
Just as she thought so, something cold and soft made contact with her fingers.
" Well, that's the best I can do for you, as long as I hold it closed, I can touch you with it, but it can't go further than that. "
The man's words, sparked the flamme of curiosity inside of her heart.
' How does this works ? How did he discovered about that ? Why does it only recognize other people existence only after being held by it's master ? '
A bunch of questions, that she couldn't answer, popped inside of her tiny head, one after the other, as she discovered that unique property of the artefact.