I want to warn you guys that in a week or so I will be busy with some tough work for the next six months, having free days only in the weekends, so the update rate may or may not be considerably slower.

Chapter 13
The Sutherland Inn is still standing!

As Alexander started to rest his body and wait for the governors of the town to come back with their doubts cleared out, his mind unconsciously returned to the subject he had pushed for the next day: Alice's identity as the Monster Lord.

Why did Alice leave Hellgondo? Why did Alice start traveling around the world? Who forced Alice to go into the Ilias Continent? Why did Alice want to train a human to defend himself from her supposed subordinates? Why did Alice stop Granberia from conquering Iliasburg? Why didn't Alice attack them yet?

These were all the questions that he wished to answer right now. As far as he knows, the Monster Lord is in a state of passive offensive, in a sense that while she isn't actively invading humans, she is sending monsters to harass the travelers who ventured into the wilderness.

However, it was still a bit weird that the monsters in Grand Noah lived together with humans without that much of an issue, so he had a theory that the Monster Lord isn't really doing anything, that the monsters around the world were following their own instincts rather than orders.

As for what her true intentions are, Alexander didn't want anything to do with them as they aren't his business. As long as he got baptized and became a Hero so that he could use the perks of a Hero, he was fine with anything. But once he knew that he couldn't be a Hero anymore, he mostly ignored the whole thing, and merely followed the five commandments of the Goddess since he had been used to it for a long time.

But now that the Monster Lord herself is traveling with him, how is he supposed to ignore her? All of his theories were ultimately theories, and when he saw that many of them were invalidated at once, he was left in a state of confusion.

This is why he was trying to understand the truth of the situation from Alice herself. After all, if she wants to harm him…

"..." While still keeping his eyes closed, Alexander paused his thoughts as he noticed a particular detail that he didn't mention yet because of his lack of attention… What will happen if Alice wants to cause harm to them? What kind of good will do to him knowing what her objective is?

If Alice wanted to harm them, nobody is going to stop her. The best military force of Iliasburg didn't stand a chance against Granberia, and Alice, who was stronger than her, should know that by now. If she isn't doing any harm, it is because she doesn't want to cause any harm.

Well, there is the individual who inflicted the burns that Alice had on her skin when he first saw her, but they didn't seem to have appeared at all when the Heavenly Knight attacked Iliasburg, and he didn't even know their identity, so he certainly wouldn't trust them on helping him if Alice turns hostile.

Anyway, the point is that Alice can't be here to attack them. And besides, she was there to see how her subordinate ravaged the military army of Iliasburg, and not only did she do nothing about it, she even ordered Granberia to leave the place instead of letting her continue her invasion.

As weird as it sounded, it doesn't seem like the Monster Lord is in Ilias Continent to prepare for an invasion. What could be the reason, then? It's not his business.

Because of being caught off guard with such a bomb of an information, he focused on the details of the painting in front of him without looking at the full, simple picture.

What does a lack of sleep do to a man, it's incredible…

Alice isn't here with hostile intentions, so he doesn't have any reason to be on guard with her. As long as she doesn't impede him on his quest to find his lost father or intentionally harm any of his close ones, they can even be friends for all that he cares for, even if he is a follower of the church of Ilias.

In short, just like his motto suggests: It's not his issue as long as it doesn't become his issue.

Still, there is one particular thing he wanted to know, why did Alice interfere in Granberia's assault?

It was understandable that Granberia acted outside of Alice's orders, but as he tried to put himself in Alice's shoes, he couldn't find any reason to stop it either. She also said that she doesn't want to appear in front of other monsters, and that she wouldn't help them with anything else outside of training in swordsmanship.

Well, he will ask that the next day at the right opportunity. As for what to do with the knowledge of her identity, he should keep it a secret, even from Luka… He feared that if Luka knew that Alice was the Monster Lord, he would dive right in the fight without any preparation.

Footsteps echoed in Alexander's ears as he slightly opened his eyes to look at the newcomer, seeing a woman in her thirties entering the town hall. She was part of the five-people group that hid themselves up here during the invasion of Granberia, and if he remembered correctly, she was Sena, the leader of the Innkeeper's Guild.

"I apologize for doubting you." Sena spoke as she shifted her gaze between Alice and Alexander, who stood up on his feet once again and replied in Alice's stead.

"No problem, I know how you felt, I would also have big doubts if I heard some random people that didn't look that strong just fended off one of the Four Heavenly Knights." Alexander commented to Sena, who smiled in gratitude and replied back.

"Anyway, I and everyone else are very grateful for your help. If you people weren't here, I don't know what would have happened to our city. Right now, we have called the few people who can still help to spread the news of the monster's retreat from the city and bring the injured people to the hospitals."

Alexander nodded in understanding as he gave her a polite smile. "I see. Speaking of places to go, Miss Sena, do you know of any place where we can sleep for cheap? Me and my friend here-" He jabbed a thumb to the unconscious Luka before he continued. "-have slept too little last night, so I'd like to take my time to rest as much as I can now."

Sena's eyes brightened at his words, before she nodded and smiled with pride. "You can come to my Sutherland Inn!"

At the mention of that name, both Alexander and Alice's eyes went wide open, one out of surprise while the other out of joy.

"Wait, it still exists?" Alexander was clearly surprised as he said that, before he realized how it sounded and immediately elaborated. "I've read about it in a very old tour guide book, that the Sutherland Inn existed here about 700 years ago, so I didn't really expect that it would be still open to this very day."

A prideful expression appeared on Sena's face at the incredulous expression in Alexander's face. "Of course it is still standing! A great business will never be taken down just because some centuries have passed. As long as we have money, fame and what started everything, our Happiness Honey-filled Ama-Ama Dangos, my Sutherland Inn will never know defeat! Even across time and generations!"

"Oh…" Alexander could simply show surprise. "I apologize if it sounds offensive, but I didn't hear much of it in the times I walked around Iliasburg."

"It's fine, it's fine." Sena waved off his words. "After all, my inn isn't exactly a place where just anybody can stay. But just because of you guys, I'm willing to cut the price down to five Gold per night, meals and VIP treatment included."

"Huh, sure." Alexander nodded in confirmation, which made Sena's smile widen. "Great! In that case, follow me. I'll guide you guys there. By the way, should I call someone to take your friend to a hospital?"

Of course, Sena was referring to Luka, who was sleeping against the wall with an ugly bruise on his face. Alexander merely shook his head as he commented: "Don't worry, that one was made by me."

Sena paused upon hearing Alexander's words and blinked in surprise. However, she didn't insist on the subject as she gestured to them to follow her. Alexander picked up Luka, and with Alice, who was giving off an unusual smile, they all followed after the Innkeeper Guild's leader to the Sutherland Inn.

As they walked across the dark streets, they had the opportunity to see a few knights that didn't engage Granberia and volunteering citizens who hid in their homes during the assault carrying the unconscious knights and heroes to different directions, which Alexander presumed were the hospitals or any facility capable of giving medical help.

"By tomorrow, the city will function properly once again." Sena commented as she noticed Alexander and Alice's gazes wandering around. "Although there will be less soldiers working around, considering that more than half of them have injuries to deal with. Honestly, I don't know if I should thank the Heavenly Knight or think of it as a miracle of the Goddess, but we don't have any reported casualty or disappearance, at least not yet."

Soon enough, they reached a large building built in an empty flat space, which looked as big as the town hall. Alexander stopped for a moment as he saw the majestic building before memory slowly came up to him.

Thinking about it, he did see this place once or twice before, was this the Sutherland Inn? Why did he never get inside?

His gaze wandered to the side, where he saw a signboard sitting at the side of the stairs connecting the ground to the entrance of the inn. For a moment, he blanked out when he saw what was written on the board.

'Oh, that's why I didn't ever come here…'

Actually, according to the memories that suddenly flashed out in his mind, he did visit Sutherland Inn in the past, although he wandered outside rather than entering the building, but the reason why he quickly forgot about it was because the average price for a single night here was ridiculously high.

The average price between inns, for a single day of resting without bonuses, was five Gold. Some inns can also reach ten Gold depending on the place and the perks they offer, but beyond that, you will hardly find any inn around that has a bigger price, unless you are specifically requesting VIP treatment.

However, the price for a single day in the Sutherland Inn has reached the astronomical price tag of 100'000 Gold! This place was an inn for traveling nobles who have enough paper money to wipe their asses with!

Of course he wouldn't remember such a place, it doesn't have anything to do with him! Why would he have any recollection of such a ridiculous place?! A fucking house in Iliasville costed around 400 Gold!

He truly had to thank his lucky stars that Sena was willing to give them a massive discount to make the price affordable for simple men like him… Man, if Alice knew about the existence of Sutherland Inn, she may have caused a mess just to get those Ama-Ama Dangos.

'Thanks Goddess that she didn't become hostile…' Alexander thought to himself as he imagined how the situation would be if Alice found out about Sutherland Inn while also not having enough money to pay for a night there.

Sure, she is the Monster Lord, so she must have a lot of riches back at home, but he doubted that she would even pay for it when she could just take the snack through force without any consequence.

"Are you surprised?" Seeing Alexander standing on the lower end of the stairs while watching her signboard, Sena climbed down the stairway and looked at him with an amused smile.

Meanwhile, Alice was standing on the top of the stairs waiting for Alexander and the rest to come back up, but considering the invisible tense atmosphere between the two of them, she didn't say anything for this whole time. Whatever she was thinking was something only she knew.

"How do you even keep your business like this?" Alexander asked with a tone filled with stupor while Sena chuckled in response. "The price may look ridiculous, but there are a lot of people staying in here anyway, between foreign nobles who enjoy the privileges and perks of sleeping here and heroes who hand over the bill to the temple."

"..." Alexander didn't comment on that, he didn't even know what to say. People were actually paying for this? How dumb are they? Were the perks of this inn worth that kind of price? He could have rented a beautiful, sexy, and truly professional maid to serve all of his needs for 200 Gold every week, and this woman is paying every guest of hers with 100'000 Gold for each day they stay here? Something here is clearly wrong.

'Fuck me.' Alexander swore in his heart with a surprised expression before he followed Sena through the stairs once again. As Alexander reached the place where Alice had been standing, Sena opened the doors of Sutherland Inn and proudly welcomed her new guests with open arms.

"Welcome to my Sutherland Inn, heroes! I hope you can enjoy your stay here until you have fully recovered in health, filled your stomachs, and truly feel fulfilled!" Sena bellowed with a wide smile on her face as she brought the two of them, three if you count Luka sleeping on Alexander's back, to the counter at the end of the large hall filled with clean and empty tables.

The main hall looked really luxurious, with a red silky carpet below their feet and a very clean atmosphere in the air, something that was rare to perceive in many inns considering that people from every corner of the world can just waltz in those places, carrying their own smells and odors.

"So, do you guys want a single room to share or separate rooms?"

"...Make it two bedrooms." Alexander replied to Sena's question, and seeing that Alice wasn't saying anything yet, Sena simply handed them two keys with different tags attached to them.

"Your rooms are on the second floor at the eastern wing, they're beside each other. If you need anything, just ring the bells on the tables and I will send a waiter to carry out your needs." Sena told them as Alexander nodded, before handing one keychain to Alice and told her: "For now, we'll split it with me and Luka in one room and you in the other."

Alice simply nodded before she went to the stairs alone, while Alexander slowly carried Luka and their luggages through the stairs by himself. They looked very heavy for a single person to carry, but surprisingly, Alexander was holding on to them with just some effort on his part, which was unexpected for someone with a frame as thin as his.

Even though he never truly fought, if there was something Alexander was confident with, it was his body- Despite having the physique of a man who has barely made efforts just to keep himself in shape, Alexander's physical strength, five senses, and even regenerative factor were levels way above that of an average adult.

It was one of the things he had inherited from his family, his father once said. However, he didn't know the details of this sort of thing, because he didn't necessarily use his abnormally-high strength in the daily routine of his life during his childhood. He just assumed that he may have inherited monster blood from either an ancestor from his father's side or from his mother, considering they were living in Grand Noah, a place where humans and monsters were free to copulate and have children.

But even knowing that, Alexander was taken aback at first when he actually managed to lift two large backpacks and Luka over his back. He wasn't supposed to be this strong at this moment, especially when he was still in the middle of his growth sprout. At first, he tried just for curiosity, and thought about asking Alice or somebody else for help if he couldn't manage to lift them all, but he was actually able to carry them all, all the way here, even though he was physically exhausted. This was something like 90 kilos on his back.

Maybe, once he finds out about his father, he will ask him about the reason for such great physical abilities… Thinking about it, he really doesn't know much about his parents, does he?

When his father was still living with him, Alexander was just a child, so it was understandable that he was focused more on the present rather than the past. Rather than learning who his mother actually was, he was more focused on the delicious smell coming from the nearby bakery.

Well, at least he knows what else he can do once he finds his father, he should put that on the to-do list after knowing why his father left home without saying a word and bringing him back home: Knowing more about his parents' lives and past, not to talk about his mother's identity.

Soon, with enough balance and effort, Alexander carried Luka all the way to his room, and after putting down everything on his back for a moment, he opened the lock of his door and entered his new room.

As soon as he opened the door, he was welcomed by white walls with golden decorations spread around each corner and edge of the room, paintings hanging around the walls, a beautiful set of luxurious-looking furniture along with bookshelves filled with books, and a clean and pristine air entering through his nostrils.

Coming in here certainly feels like Heaven, but it still didn't justify the price in his opinion.

As Alexander walked through the dark room which was just a bit brightened by the remaining light left from outside of the window, he gently put Luka on a large sofa at the center of the living room before placing down their bags against the sofa's back.

Once he had done that, he turned on a candle to orient himself through the dark rooms of the apartment, took care of his business in the bathroom, and then he jumped straight on the matrimonial bed in the bedroom connected to the living room where Luka was currently resting separately from him.

'Finally…' As Alexander spread his body on the soft and elastic mattress below him, he could finally relax his body and mind without worrying about monsters assaulting him. He immediately stretched his limbs across the bed and closed his eyes, taking a long and deep breath before he started his long and deep sleep…

In this very instant, he didn't care about having dinner, he didn't care about waiting for Luka to wake up, he didn't care about his supposed talk with Alice, and he didn't care about finding his father. All of those stressful and disturbing thoughts were pushed aside as he could finally enjoy the sleep he was looking for in the past 13 hours.

All of that stuff will be left for the Alexander of tomorrow to deal with…