After exploring the city and seeing not just new things but, well, weird things—like a guy who seemed to be serenading a chicken—Ren and Peanut finally spotted a small inn with a wooden sign hanging over the door. It read, in bright, cheerful letters,
Sweet Home.
"Sweet Home, huh?" Ren scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, because nothing says 'comfort' like a strange city, unfamiliar faces, and the smell of a mystery stew brewing inside."
He gave Peanut a pat on the side. "Alright, buddy, you hold down the fort out here. Try not to get into any trouble." Peanut snorted in response, clearly understanding—or at least pretending to.
As Ren stepped inside, the warm light and the smell of baked bread greeted him. A young elf woman with emerald-green eyes and hair that flowed like a waterfall of leaves stood behind the counter, her face brightening the moment she saw him.
"Welcome, traveler," she said with a graceful nod. "I am Olivia Zylrona, and it is my honor to welcome you to Sweet Home. May peace and rest find you here."
Ren gave her a polite bow, trying to play along. "Why, thank you, my lady. Always nice to be greeted by such a friendly face in… such a fascinating place."
Olivia's face lit up with curiosity. "And are you new to our city?"
Ren gave her a sideways glance, smirking. "Oh yeah, you could definitely say that. I mean, I'm practically as new as a fish out of water here."
Olivia tilted her head, brows furrowing. "A… fish out of water? Does that mean you were recently in the river and someone rescued you?"
Ren blinked, caught off guard for a second, then tried to keep a straight face.
"Uh, yeah. Exactly. I totally got fished out of the river just yesterday. Thanks to, uh… heroic bystanders," he added, barely holding back a laugh.
Olivia nodded in complete seriousness. "That is fortunate! Many creatures struggle outside their natural environments."
Ren sighed internally, thinking, This is going to be a long conversation.
Ren's eyes darted around the inn, trying to refocus. He noticed a few patrons quietly sipping drinks in the corner and a couple of adventurers flipping through maps at a nearby table. Still, he couldn't help but feel a little… out of place.
Olivia, apparently taking his sigh as a sign of distress, leaned forward, genuine concern in her expression.
"Are you well? You seem troubled. Perhaps you'd like a warm tea brewed from the herbs of the Eastern Groves? It's known to calm the spirit and soothe aching feet."
Ren put on his best polite smile. "Thanks, but I think my aching feet are the least of my worries."
Olivia blinked, her face serious. "Oh dear… Then are your knees the problem? We have compresses for that as well."
Ren paused, stifling a laugh and shooting her a look. "You… don't get a lot of sarcasm around here, do you?"
Olivia tilted her head, clearly puzzled. "I'm unfamiliar with… 'scar.....what?' Is it a type of herb?"
Ren opened his mouth, then shut it, utterly delighted. "Yep! It's, uh, pretty rare where I'm from. Hard to find, but people love to… apply it as often as they can."
Olivia nodded in understanding, though her expression was still skeptical. "If it's that beneficial, I can try to source some for you. Though I must warn you, we may not have any here."
Ren gave her a thumbs-up. "No worries. I've got plenty of sarcasm for the both of us."
Olivia nodded earnestly. "That's good! I'd hate for you to be without it."
Ren nearly snorted as he took a seat. Just as he started to settle in, one of the patrons leaned over and muttered, "She really doesn't know what sarcasm is, does she?"
Ren grinned, whispering back, "Oh, not even a clue. This might just be the best thing that's happened to me since I got here."
Ren settled in, leaning back with a satisfied smirk as Olivia bustled off to attend to another guest, still clearly pleased with her supposed knowledge of "sarcasm."
The patron beside him, a grizzled man with a wide-brimmed hat and a mug of something suspiciously green, leaned over with an amused grin. "You, uh, new around here, friend?"
Ren shrugged, trying to look casual. "Depends. How new do I look?"
The patron chuckled. "New enough to be spinning tales for the elf maid. No one's ever bothered explaining sarcasm to her. She's just... kind of accepted that it's a mysterious thing other people 'use' sometimes."
Ren grinned. "So everyone just… lets her believe that?"
The man shrugged, taking a swig from his mug. "Well, no one's cruel enough to tell her otherwise. She's a bit of a local legend—she takes everything literally. And if you try explaining a joke to her? You'll be at it for hours. Once watched a guy try to explain a riddle to her; poor soul nearly fainted by the end."
Ren snorted, shaking his head. "Good to know. So she's like… the inn's secret weapon. An anti-sarcasm shield."
"More like an oblivious guardian angel," the man laughed. "Keeps everyone in line without even realizing it. Sometimes it's all you need—someone who's pure-hearted and about as subtle as a brick."
Ren raised his eyebrows. "Oh, I can work with that. There's a lot of fun to be had with someone who's immune to irony."
The man grinned, clearly entertained. "Just watch yourself. Her cousins run the armory, and they're a bit less… 'oblivious.' They might not take kindly to anyone messing with her head."
Ren made a mock gasp. "Duly noted. So I should only mess with her to the point where she starts questioning reality."
The patron chuckled, clapping him on the shoulder. "You catch on quick. Enjoy your stay… and if you end up needing one of those compresses, well, Olivia will know just where to find it."
Ren raised his own imaginary glass in salute. "Thanks for the tip."
Ren settled into his seat, glancing around the bustling inn.
The patrons seemed lively, filling the air with a mix of laughter, clinking mugs, and the occasional heated debate about who had the best swordsmanship in the city.
For a place called Sweet Home, it was a surprisingly chaotic scene, but somehow it felt… comforting.
Olivia returned with a steaming bowl of stew and set it down with a beaming smile. "Here's our special—Rabbit Root Stew! It'll keep you strong for days."
"Rabbit Root, huh?" Ren muttered, eyeing the bowl skeptically. It looked edible, but he wasn't entirely sure what "root" she'd used in place of potatoes. He picked up the spoon cautiously.
Ren took a tentative bite, half expecting the stew to taste like tree bark. But, to his surprise, the flavors were rich, earthy, and oddly satisfying. He took another spoonful, and then another, relaxing as he enjoyed the meal.
Olivia noticed and smiled proudly. "See? Told you it was good for strength! Rabbit Root is one of our finest ingredients, harvested only on nights when the moon is bright and the forest spirits approve."
Ren tried not to laugh. "I think I feel stronger already," he replied, flexing his arm dramatically, causing Olivia to nod with complete seriousness.
She reached out and patted his shoulder approvingly. "Good! You'll need it. This city can be tough for newcomers." With that, she headed off to serve another table, leaving Ren to chuckle to himself.
The grizzled patron beside him gave him a sideways glance. "Seems like you'll fit in well here, lad."
Ren snorted. "If by 'fit in' you mean 'confuse everyone within a five-foot radius,' then yeah, I think I'll do just fine."
The man raised his mug, chuckling. "Welcome to the city of Ironhold. You'll find all sorts here… folks who've been through more battles than they care to admit, scholars who think they know everything, and people like Olivia, who are just too good-hearted to notice the rest."
"Good-hearted," Ren echoed, finishing his stew. "I'll drink to that." He held up his empty glass, realizing too late that it was empty.
The man laughed, and Olivia swooped in to refill Ren's drink, as if she'd anticipated his need. She then set down a small, carefully wrapped package in front of him.
"What's this?" Ren asked, eyeing the bundle curiously.
"It's a travel charm!" Olivia explained with a delighted grin. "Good for protection and for keeping you healthy, at least, according to legend. My mother always said newcomers to the city should carry one."
Ren took the charm with a grin. "Guess I'll need all the protection I can get, especially with all those 'spirits' around here." He winked, but Olivia just nodded solemnly, as if he were finally catching on.
"Indeed! The spirits are always watching," she replied seriously. "And with this charm, they'll know you're a friend."
Ren exchanged a look with the man beside him, who raised an eyebrow, clearly used to Omylia's quirks.
Taking a deep breath, Ren pocketed the charm, feeling a surprising sense of comfort settle over him. "Thanks, Olivia," he said, genuinely grateful.
"Anytime, traveler," she replied with a small bow, before bustling off to attend to other customers.
As Ren leaned back, watching the lively scene around him and sipping his drink, he realized this place was starting to feel less strange—and even a little bit like a home away from home.
He could almost picture himself coming back here after a long day, sharing tales of the things he'd seen, and maybe… just maybe, making a life in this world that wasn't so different from all the stories he'd read.
"Well," he murmured to himself, "looks like I've found my first ally… and my first 'protector.'" He put his finger on charm, chuckling.
As he looked out the window toward the unfamiliar streets, he felt the thrill of adventure stirring in his chest. "Guess it's time to see what this world's really made of."