" What, you don't want to pay?" The innkeeper raised her eyebrows, looking at Bryce.
Bryce remained silent, the two of them locking eyes.
'What's the matter? Today, I won't give you any leeway!' Bryce mentally shouted, trying to bolster his confidence. But perhaps due to his inherently good character and excessive integrity, Bryce felt like he was inflating a tire with an air pump – though the more he pumped, the less sure he became.
After a long pause, Bryce finally caved.
"I… I don't have any money…" His gaze shifted, revealing his guilt.
"Hmph?" A disdainful grunt escaped the innkeeper's lips, followed by an unfriendly glare.
'Why hesitate? I've got a super magic pistol! It could blow up this whole house in an instant!' Bryce lamented inwardly, feeling both unfortunate and frustrated.
"Well…" Bryce stammered, "but I can compensate you with work. I can do many – chopping wood, mining, blacksmithing, and even some trading…"
The innkeeper burst into laughter, seemingly unsurprised. Bryce stole a glance at her; her beautiful face showed no signs of anger.
"I knew you had a bit of a conscience," the innkeeper chuckled.
"When you were ordering, I was curious about how you'd pay. Anyone with keen eyes could see you didn't have a single gold coin in your pocket."
"Ah? Well…" Bryce didn't know what to say.
"Go upstairs and find a room to sleep. We've settled it – remember to wake up early tomorrow. And as we discussed earlier, you'll help us with some work." The innkeeper waved her hand, surprisingly lenient and even agreeing to Bryce's previous request.
"th - thank you!" Bryce was taken aback; this was unexpected. He felt like the innkeeper was an otherworldly fairy, radiating kindness.
Without further ado, he bowed slightly to the innkeeper and left the counter, heading upstairs.
At the bar, the burly young man had long fallen asleep, blissfully unaware of the recent little drama.
...
[Notice: Spawn point set!]
'Wow, just wow!' Bryce exclaimed upon waking up and reading the message.
'Now I don't have to worry about dying and spawning in a different place!' His mood lifted as he appreciated the comfortable bed, cozy room, and the understanding innkeeper.
Bryce remembered last night's promise. He finished his morning routine and descended the stairs.
The innkeeper still lounged lazily in her rocking chair behind the bar, chatting with the young man.
The sun blazed outside, and the bar remained empty except for them.
"Good morning." Bryce greeted her casually as he approached the bar.
"You slept soundly," She teased, as if nothing unusual had happened the night before. "Just call me Nancy. And this young man is John."
"I'm Bryce," he quickly introduced himself.
"John, meet our new colleague," Nancy said to John. "He arrived last night; you might not remember."
"Nice to meet you, Bryce. I'm a helper at the Mulan Tavern," John said warmly, though he occasionally furrowed his brow, as if his head didn't feel quite right. "Apologies if I had a bit too much to drink last night."
"Relax. After we finish lunch, we'll head to the oak forest," the innkeeper announced their plan. "Bryce, I'll find an axe for you later. Is that okay?"
"No problem!" Bryce patted his chest.
'To get rich, start by chopping trees. Although this beginning is a bit unconventional, we're finally getting on the right track.' Bryce felt a little excited.
As everyone knows, in the original Minecraft game, chopping the wood is the foundation of development and the source of wealth. Unless you visit villages or raid dungeons, most players gather logs, craft wooden planks and sticks, and then create their first set of tools—the wooden tools (wooden pickaxe). Although the wooden pickaxe often wears out after just three uses and players quickly transition to stone tools, it's still a significant step from nothing to something.
Therefore, for Bryce, chopping wood holds great significance.
After a hearty free lunch, Bryce and the others set off on their journey.
"It's about a two-hour journey to the forest. We'll arrive around three in the afternoon. The sun sets at seven, so we'll be back around five. Today, you'll get familiar with the work, and later, you can handle it on your own." Nancy said to Bryce on the cart.
Bryce nodded in understanding. He glanced at the shiny iron axe in his hand, feeling a long-lost familiarity.
[Item: Iron Axe]
[Durability: 200/250]
"You just need to chop wood, and once you accumulate enough, we'll have someone specifically handle the logs," Nancy added.
"Understood," Bryce replied, pondering how to broach the topic without seeming too abrupt, hoping to gather more information.
"Nancy… I apologize for last night," Bryce hesitated, deciding to address the situation. After all, he had been in the wrong. How could this kind and gentle innkeeper compare to the cunning merchants in the game? Besides, she ran the tavern alone, guarding an empty space—there might be more to her story.
"Haha, don't worry about it," Nancy chuckled. "But… wouldn't you like to know why I readily agreed to your conditions?"
"Yes, why?" Bryce asked.
"No particular reason, really. It just felt interesting. It's been a long time since we had a newcomer in the village."
'So, boredom got the best of you,' Bryce thought to himself.
"Where are you from?" Nancy inquired.
"I… I'm not sure," Bryce stammered. "They mentioned something about the Western Grasslands…"
"What?" Nancy looked surprised. "That's so far away! It's the kingdom's extreme west."
Nancy seemed lost in memories. "I've always wanted to see it. But I heard it's dangerous and incredibly distant, so I eventually gave up on the idea."
"Yeah, probably best not to go," Bryce recalled his countless trials and tribulations, grimacing.
Nancy's expression grew intrigued. Bryce proceeded to tell her about his adventures—from venturing toward a tower on the grasslands to being carried away by an eagle.
The rhythmic clip-clop of the horse-drawn cart provided a fitting backdrop as he recounted facing monsters, collapsing in a swamp, being rescued by Lucas, and fighting alongside Kinsley and the enigmatic group.
"Turns out you came from such a distant place," Nancy mused after the story. "Truly a legendary journey."
"Thank goodness for my luck," Bryce half-sighed, half-boasted.
It was true. Whether or not he had good luck, no one had more of it than him.
"I never expected to instantly traverse thousands of miles to arrive here. Honestly, I have no idea about my current situation … Nancy, could you tell me where I am now?"