3

The inn was huge.

旅馆很大。

This did not refer to its floor space, but the overall size of the entire building; each door was at least four meters tall. However, it still would not be able to accommodate large races like Giants, and so to put it bluntly, their attempts to appeal to everyone failed to win over anyone.

这里指的不是占地面积的大，而是整个建筑就很大，单是一扇门起码就有四米多高。但若是像巨人一类的大型种族，恐怕还是容不下的，说句不客气的话就是两头不讨好。

Suzuki Satoru pushed open the weighty doors.

铃木悟推开那厚重的大门。

Contrary to how they appeared, the doors swung open easily. He had not used much force -- even a child should have been able to push them open.

与其厚重的样子相反，很轻易的就推开了。并没有十分用力，这份重量的门就连小孩子应该也能推得开。

This was probably an inn cum restaurant, given that there were people sitting around and drinking in the middle of the day. They looked surprised to see Suzuki Satoru’s mask.

可能是旅馆兼营酒馆吧，大白天的就有些人在喝着酒。他们看到铃木悟戴着的面具，表露出了吃惊的神色。

He ignored their reaction and then he noticed the bartender. “I see, no wonder the inn was built so large,” Suzuki Satoru mused.

无视了这些人的反应，在看到了站在柜台后的男性酒保后「原来如此，怪不得旅馆建的这么大」铃木悟感叹道。

The bartender was a massive man standing over two and a half meters, and he had a massive horn protruding from his forehead which pointed to the sky.

那是个身高在两米五以上的壮汉，头部还伸出了巨大的角直冲天际。

He was massively muscled, and his well-developed pectorals bulged out his white uniform. He did not look like the owner so much as a bouncer, and truth to be told he might have been just that.

体格十分壮硕，纯白的衣服被刚猛的胸肌撑了起来，与其说是店主倒不如说是看场子的，说不定也确实有这方面的意图。

Before him, Suzuki Satoru was like a child again. He walked straight towards the man and got up onto one the stools beside the bar with some effort.

铃木悟在他面前仿佛变回了一个孩子似的。直接冲着他走过去，费了点劲坐上柜台旁边的椅子。

“I’d like a room for two, for one night. Will that be a problem?”

「两个人、住宿一晚。有问题吗？」

“Not at all -- and I have to apologize, little man, our chairs here aren’t too suitable for manlets.”

「问题倒是没有——对不住啊小兄弟，我这儿的椅子不太适合小号的种族」

Is he mocking me, Suzuki Satoru thought. However, his face implied that he was not doing so, which meant that he was being sincere.

是在嘲讽我吗？铃木悟这么想着，但是看他的表情似乎并没有这个意思，而是诚心在表示歉意。

“It’s fine, don’t worry about it.”

「没事、不用客气」

“Given the size of your little buddy, I could recommend you a few other good inns, but those wouldn’t fit you too well, little man. There are also inns suitable for big guys for you… but they’re of a lower standard. If you don’t mind, I can tell you about them.”

「按你身边那位小伙伴的身材来说，我可以推荐给你其他不错的旅馆，不过这样一来怕是就不太适合小兄弟你了。另外倒是还有些适合大块头的旅馆……不过档次就会稍微低一些了，如果你愿意的话我可以介绍给你」

“I have no intention of lowering the standards of my accommodations.”

「我没有降低住处档次的打算」

While there were many ways to entertain oneself during a journey, living in luxury was essential for the pair, since they could not enjoy good food, Therefore, they always lodged in the highest-end inns whenever they went to a city.

虽然在旅途中获取乐趣的方式有很多种，但对于无法享用美食的两人来说，住宿上的奢侈花费是十分必要的，所以每到一个城市都会住在最高级的旅馆。

“Is that so. Then, how about the room? Even the bed in a single room would be enough for the two of you, which would also be cheaper.”

「这样啊，那、房间怎么说？本店就算是单人间，那一张床也足够装得下你们二位了，这样花销还会稍微便宜一些哦」

“No need for that. I am not short of money. Give me a double room.”

「不必了、我并不缺钱。要双人间」

The innkeeper whistled.

店主咻地吹了声口哨。

“I wish I could do as I pleased like that too. Go ahead and throw your money at me then. Let’s see…” The innkeeper bent down, and when he came up again he had a key in his hand. “Take this. Oh yes, may I ask how you two honored guests arrived here?”

「我也好想这么任性一次啊，尽管拿钱砸死我吧。让我瞧瞧……」店主蹲下身子，再站起来的时候手里拿出了一把钥匙。「拿着这个吧。对了、二位客官的是怎么来的？」

“We took a covered wagon. The soldier who came by earlier is taking care of it. Our goods are only a few bags of grain.”

「乘带篷马车来的。已经交代给先一步过来的士兵了，携带的货物就只有几袋小麦」

“Oh, then how about the beast pulling your wagon? Feed will be extra, and so is having a groom take care of it.”

「哦、那拉车的牲口呢？如果需要本店提供饲料的话得另外算钱，若是还需要打理一下的话也是要额外加。」

“It is a Golem Horse. It doesn’t need care or feeding.”

「拉车的是哥雷姆马，不需要喂食和照料」

“Huh!” The innkeeper suddenly exclaimed. “So there were things like that. I guess I’m not up to date on these things. Well done.”

「嘿！」店主突然提高了音量「还有那种哥雷姆的吗，这倒是我孤陋寡闻了，真不错」

Suzuki Satoru could sense that the patrons who had been quietly drinking at first were now all focused on him. Had the topic of a Golem caught their interest, or had they unconsciously looked over in response to the innkeeper raising his voice?

铃木悟感觉到，店里原本在安静喝着酒的顾客们都把视线集中到了自己身上。是对哥雷姆马这个词产生了兴趣呢，还是单纯的因为店主音量陡增而做出的下意识反应呢。

They haven’t looked away after a while, so it should be the former, Suzuki Satoru thought.

感觉到视线久久没有离去，看来是前者了，铃木悟想着。

If it were the latter, they would have lost interest quickly. Since they had not looked away, it would seem they knew something about Golems.

若是后者的话，应该会很快就失去了兴趣，而既然视线并未离去，看样子这些人对哥雷姆都还是有着一定了解的。

Is it because there are Golems working in the city, or have all travellers heard of such things?

是因为某些城市有在利用哥雷姆做工呢，还是因为行走各地的旅人自然会对其有所耳闻呢。

“Acquiring this Golem Horse cost me a pretty pennty. Oh, how much are the room fees? Ah yes, could you omit the cost for meals? We’re planning to head outside to sample the local delicacies.”

「当初为了搞到这匹哥雷姆马我可是大大的出了次血呢。哦、住宿费总共多少钱？对了、餐点费能刨出去吗？我们打算去外边吃些本地特色菜」

The innkeeper was briefly suspicious, but then he accepted Suzuki Satoru’s explanation immediately. Perhaps he had remembered the guards’ description of Suzuki Satoru.

店主瞬间闪过了狐疑的表情，随后马上接受了铃木悟的说辞。或许是回想起了士兵对铃木悟外表的描述吧。

“Ah, so that’s how it’s going to be, little man. Er -- yeah, that might be for the best. You might be able to hold it in, but I think your little buddy won’t be able to take it.”

「啊、这样子啊小兄弟。额——可能那样的确更好些。我们家的早点晚餐什么的，小兄弟你说不定还凑合，但你的小伙伴怕是扛不住」

“Unable to take it?”

「扛不住？」

“Well, our portions are enough to fill our bellies. A big helping’s around two kilos. Can you finish that much?”

「因为饭量是以能让我们吃饱的标准来的嘛，一大份差不多有两公斤，吃得下不？」

“Impossible.”

「不可能」

The innkeeper laughed a loud “Wahaha” as he heard Suzuki Satoru’s prompt reply. After that he stated the price, which was fairly low compared to all the others they had encountered during the course of their journey.

看着脱口而出的铃木悟，店主不由得发出了「哇哈哈」的大笑声。随后他所说出来的金额，根据旅行至今的经验来判断，算是比较便宜的价位了。

Now, whether that price was fair remained to be seen. After all, the prices of things varied from city to city, and that would also be affected by the room they were given. Matters became even more complicated once one considered that this was a major city on the Marquis’ domain. However, top-end inns in national capital-level areas typically had very few free rooms, and the expenses of staying in one for a night would be five to ten times as much as this place.

至于这个价格算不算公道那就判断不出来了。毕竟随着城市的不同物价会不太一样，再者房间的配置也会有所影响。考虑到这里是伯爵领地的主要都市那就更复杂了。不过若是大国首都级别地段的顶级旅馆，一般来说很少有空房，而住一晚的花销差不多是这里的五倍到十倍之多了。

After asking why the price was so low, the answer he received was: “this is without the cost fo food.”

问了一下是不是本来就这么便宜，得到的回答是：这个价格是去掉了餐点费后的。

It would seem this inn not only provided a large amount of food, but they were also very confident in the quality of their cuisine. Suzuki Satoru suddenly felt a pang of regret over his inability to eat. No, to be precise, he felt the same way every time he went to a new country, a new market, or a new plaza.

看样子店里不但提供的饭量大，对饭菜的品质也是十分有自信的。铃木悟突然对无法进食一事感到了些许的遗憾。不、确切的说，是每到一个新的国家、新的市集、新的广场就会产生这种想法。

“Keno.”

「琪诺」

“Mm.”

「嗯」

That one word was more than enough for Keno to understand Suzuki Satoru’s intentions. She produced a pouch and handed over the amount that the innkeeper had asked for. Needless to say, it was just a deposit.

仅靠这样的一句话，琪诺就理解了铃木悟的意图。从怀里取出一个皮袋，按照刚刚店主所说的金额交了钱。当然了、只是押金而已。

“Come again!”

「多谢惠顾！」

The innkeeper handed over a massive key and then briefly told Suzuki Satoru about the room’s location. After that, Suzuki Satoru and Keno climbed the stairs leading to their room on the second floor.

店主递出尺寸大了那么一号的钥匙，并给铃木悟简单交代了一下房间的位置。接着铃木悟就和琪诺一同走上楼，向着二楼的房间走去。

Each individual step was very high, and Keno had a harder time climbing them than Suzuki Satoru. However, both of them were undead, and climbing a flight of stairs was not enough to tire them out. Their room was very spacious, and the first thing they noticed was that the ceiling was very high. Then, they noticed the two enormous -- a size beyond king-size -- beds that were planted smack in the middle of the room, and then they noticed the exceptionally large cabinet and benches.

楼梯每一级台阶都很高，琪诺爬起楼梯来比铃木悟更加吃力，不过二人都是不死者，倒也不至于因为上个楼就被累坏了。房间很宽敞，首先入眼的就是天花板很高，然后就看到了两张过于巨大——比特大号还要大一圈——的床大大咧咧地摆在房间里，另外还有格外庞大的柜子和长条椅。

Keno exclaimed in delight and threw herself onto the bed, and then -- the look on her face defied description. She had probably expected to be bounced back up after jumping onto the bed, but there were no springs inside, and what she felt instead was a stiff sensation.

琪诺发出高兴的叫声，冲着那张大床飞扑过去，然后——脸上露出了难以言说的表情。估计是期待着跳上床后被反弹起来的感觉吧，但床内并没有弹簧，迎接她的是有些硬邦邦的触感。

That said, the clean white sheets alone more than merited a passing grade.

但话说回来，光是这雪白洁净的床单，就已经在合格线之上了。

“So, when will we be going to the market, Satoru?”

「那么悟、我们什么时候去逛集市呀？」

It had become a tradition for the two of them to visit the markets whenever they came to a new city. Not only did it fulfil the requirement of buying items necessary for their travels, it also allowed them to investigate the market.

每到一个新的都市，去逛一逛集市已经成了琪诺他们二人的惯例。既达成了购买旅途必需品的需求，也顺便做一下市场调查。

“Well, about that… it’s fun to go strolling down the city streets, and we need to find a market and get a feel for the situation while the grains haven’t rotted yet. Still, I was hoping to learn more about the surrounding countries. After all, your knowledge is out of date, Keno.”

「这个嘛……像往常那样逛街也是周游各地的乐趣所在，趁着麦子还没有腐坏，得赶紧找个市场了解下行情。不过、还是希望能了解一下周边诸国的情况啊。毕竟琪诺的知识已经过时了」

Upon hearing that, Keno narrowed her eyes slightly.

听到这句话、琪诺微微地眯起了眼睛。

Me and my big mouth, Suzuki Satoru lamented as he saw her reaction. However, apologizing now would probably only make it worse, so it was probably better to pretend he had not noticed.

瞧我这张臭嘴——铃木悟看到她的反应，后悔了起来。不过此时如果要道歉的话，事态怕是反而会更加恶化，所以还是假装没留意到好了。

“--In that case wouldn’t a bard be better than a trader?”

「——这样一来、比起商人，还是找吟游诗人比较好吧？」

“That’s true. A bard would be more appropriate.”

「也是呢、比起商人，应该还是诗人更合适」

It would seem she was not particularly mad. After hearing Keno’s prompt answer, a weight lifted off Suzuki Satoru’s heart.

看样子也不是特别的生气吧。听到琪诺立刻做出了回答，铃木悟的心里悬着的石头也总算放下了。

A travelling merchant or a bard or some other related tradesman would probably know the surroundings best. A mercenary might pay attention to the situation in the nearby country, but a trader would have heard rumors of what happened in more distant lands, while bards might have come from even further.

还是行旅商人或吟游诗人之类的职业对周边地区的情况比较了解，佣兵虽然会留意周边各国的情况，但商人会对更远之外的国家发生了什么有所耳闻，而吟游诗人甚至会有来自更加远方地区的人物。

Between the two of them, traders were better for accurate information, but in terms of general topics bards came out on top.

要问这二者哪一方更好，若要追求情报准确度的话就是商人了，而若要了解更广范围话题的话则是吟游诗人更胜一筹。

Since biased information could result in huge losses, traders typically spent a lot of effort to ensure their news was reliable. In turn, bards sought stories from further afield, but they were not too concerned with accuracy. Being interesting was good enough. However, there were cases where some stories which seemed fake -- interesting tidbits from distant lands -- had actually happened.

商人一旦得到了有偏差的情报，很有可能会造成损失，所以会在情报的可信性上花很大力气。相对的、吟游诗人则是追求更为宽泛的故事，但不会太过在意其精准度，只要足够有趣就好。不过呢、有时候看上去很假的故事——从远方流传而来的趣味故事，其实却是真实发生过的。

In short, since Suzuki Satoru and Keno wanted to know more things, it was obvious that they would pick a bard.

Even if the news they gained was fake or just rumors, it would simply be a matter of sighing in regret and going “ Ahhh, what a shame, looks like I came all this way for nothing. Where shall I go next?” That was because they were undead -- being possessed of infinite lifespans, they could afford to be that cavalier.

One could also say that they could savor the joy of the situation because they were undead.

-- The joy of fruitless effort.

In addition, there was another reason for choosing a bard.

Bards considered storytelling to be a job. They would eagerly do so if paid.

On the other hand, traders were the sort of people whose information concerned their interests. Sometimes, it would be hard to get anything out of them, and they might not share what they knew honestly with Suzuki Satoru and Keno, being that they were strangers. If they tried for an introduction through a trader’s guild, one problem was that there were as many guilds as there were trade goods, and another was that members of the guild were typically curt to outsiders, citing reasons such as secrecy agreements and guild rules and the like. It typically ended up being very troublesome.

While bards had their guilds too, their management was not nearly as struct as those of traders’ guilds. Of course, some of them had strict rules, but experienced wanderers from faraway lands -- in other words, higher-level bards -- typically had an easier time in the guilds. However, Suzuki Satoru and Keno were not concerned with such details.

“We’ll hire a bard, then. Besides, we got a whole bunch of treasure from that previous lot, enough for several lifetimes of spending, so we’ll just be more generous with the payouts.”

Suzuki Satoru smirked to himself and it seemed Keno had not seen it. However, she wrinkled her brow and smiled bitterly for some other reason.

Suzuki Satoru sensed that there was some other meaning behind her expression, and decided to let her give him a score for that undead joke just now.

“About thirty-ish points?”

“Really… Are you sure you aren’t low-balling it?”

“I thought it was appropriate. It wasn’t particularly funny or memorable.”

“Ehhh…”

While he had not expected it to be a gut-buster of a joke, it was still disappointing to get such a low score. If this were a performance assessment or some kind of department goal, Suzuki Satoru would have probably started bargaining with his boss.