Looking at the grumbling looks a couple of them sprouted at his announcement, Tedior wonders why his current tenants would want to stay in this so called inn. There is literary nothing in it. Granted, they did not ask about anything, not the facilities, the securities, services nor food.
Do they just automatically assumes he would provide as a proper innkeeper? So much faith on a complete stranger? Or is it naivety? Maybe it is something else completely?
'Well, whatever it is, they are about to be severely dissapointed' he thoughts, snickering to himself while feeling excited to see their look of surprise.
Even so, he would like to think of himself as a gracious host. Their food and drinks, if they choose to stay, he will take care of them. The most basic facilities, he will try his best to accommodate to that. Which means, sorting out the toilet system after he finds their basic needs first.
As he ponders on his thoughs, trails of orange light streaking past the dense foliage and through the morning forest fog. Daytime creatures are rousing from their restful slumber. Chirpings from the winged creatures are making their presence known. Flowers gradually blooms, showing off their myriad of colors to the world.
Dawn is already here.
Tedior curiously peers at the unmoving crowd, seemingly resigned to their fate at staying in such a shady inn. The crowd would rather not waste any more time lingering about nor wandering in search for a more sensible inn. The sun is awake, and some of them could not survive under the light.
They reluctantly follow Tedior as he beckons them to follow, leading them to their designated lodgings. They manoeuvre past the mangled door and into the dark, omninous hallway, up the hastily made ladders and straight through another unlit eerier hallway then finally, finally reaching their rooms.
A consecutive row of empty room, free for their choosing. When they peeks into nearby rooms, a completely bare, dark cold room greets each and everyone of them, no place to sleep nor to sit. The caterpillar was not joking.
There was a glorious moment of shocked silence.
"What about the loo?" One shakily asks turning its grimm face from the room to Tedior. They all dread
the answer.
Tedior graciously points them to another bare room. When they peek into the toilet and see nothing, not even a proper cut out toilet hole, Tedior was met with dozens consecutive looks of horror.
"...t-t-the d-dining hall?" Another asks, stuttering from the blood pressure thats steadily rising.
Tedior shurgs in reply.
His gestures are met with a resounding scandalized gasp.
"Surely there's something? Anything? A shed? Bathroom? The kitchen?" The gnome asks, disbelief marred its face. Once again, Tedior nonchelantly shrugs, raising all three pairs of legs with a tilt of his head. He basks in another marvellous moment of dreadful realization.
Tedior starts crackling out loud, laughing hysterically at their misfortune and stupidity of trusting the system notification so completely, unquestionably. He is not at fault here, in fact, he would go as far to say that he is a victim of the system; Getting pulled into an unknown world and now strangers are barging into his well made mansion, proclaiming it as an inn. Turning into a caterpillar is the only positivity here so far and maybe... making a friend in Gurrhuyre.
'Dearest system, I wonder what you are... how much power and influence you hold here?' thoughts Tedior solemnly, before cheering up at the expressions his poor tenants sprout.
The scandalized look on their face are like a soothing balm to his none existing heart.
"Don't like it? I'm not forcing you to stay." He utters, giving them a mock sympathetic look.
The gnomes looks at each other before rudely pulls away to have a private conversation. Meanwhile the forest spirit seems to be having some sort of mental communication, seeing as they seems to be making eye contact but no audible noises are made.
The fireflies make their payment first, not minding the lack of basic everything. The leader approaches Tedior and hands him four insect cores for two rooms. The cores dissapear upon contact and he is now the proud owner of 16 insect cores.
The woodland mouse comes next. It proudly hands him a pin. Just a normal and useless looking lapel pin. Tedior blankly stares at the mouse. Its proud smile gradually wilts the longer the stare stays on it. Before it sadly retracts the pin and hands a slightly more colorful lapel pin and a single insect core. He gives it a pity pat on the head, before taking both the items gleefully.
The gnomes, seemingly concluded their discussion reluctantly relinquish three tendrils of stringy and sticky looking leaves for three rooms. Whereas the forest spirit hands him an orbed nightlight that Gurrhuyre spoke of and something that looks to be a plain old drop of mud. He wonders if its a scam but reserves his judgement for later until he seeks wisdom from Gurrhuyre.
At the end of the night, he deems these transaction a success.
After bidding the grumbling new tenants a good day rest, he retreats back to his original room one level up and stores all the items together with his precious. Gazing at the hauls he gathers in a single night, including the 17 insect cores, he wonders if he should stay as an innkeeper or go out for an adventure. He can not make his mind up so he decides to venture out to find food and water for his tenants. Thats what they need right?
"As a very responsible and new innkeeper, I will keep my tenants happy." He says to himself, humming joyously as he ventures out for his long awaited adventure.