Leveling Up With Monster Girls

Chapter 10: The Mudmilk Inn

The voice came from somewhere behind the bar.

Julius could see the top of the bar, the bottles behind it, the lamp on the counter. Whoever had spoken was below the table.

Julius looked at the empty common room. He looked at the bar. He looked at Yumiko.

She was already looking at the bar with the attention she gave things that interested her.

A head appeared above the counter. Green humanoid, not like the council member Julius had seen when he was summoned. This creature lacked tusks, had long ears with a nose to match, and big eyes that moved between Julius and Yumiko.

The goblin climbed onto a stool behind the bar and looked at them properly.

He was approximately four feet tall with the build of someone who had spent a long time doing physical work. He wore a vest with more pockets than Julius thought was necessary.

He looked at Julius, not at his dagger or his strange footwear but his face, then various parts of his body.

Then he looked at Yumiko.

"Greetings, Welcome to the Mudmilk Inn." He offered a small bow for effect before adding.

"I apologize for my earlier outburst, I thought you were someone else."

"No problem, we want rooms." Julius replied.

"One room you mean?" he said as he assessed both of them.

"No, two," Julius said.

"Yes, one," Yumiko said at the same time.

Julius looked at her.

She looked at the bar counter.

The goblin looked between them with an expression that suggested he had seen stranger things and had come to terms with them.

He proposed a different offer. "How about one room, two beds. It is cheaper than two separate rooms but has more space than one room if you wish to be busy. " A small grin crept as he looked within them.

Julius ignored it. "How much?"

"thirty copper pieces," the goblin said. "Per night."

Julius considered the numbers. He didn’t know how money worked in this world and he wasn’t good at haggling.

The Goblin must have mistaken his silence for something else.

"I can rework the price if you plan to stay for more than three nights," he offered.

"How so?"

"how about a Hundred copper pieces for a few days."Food included."

Julius didn’t know why but he felt he was being tricked to make it seem like a discount. He had dealt with shady clients before and this one of their tactics.

There was no use haggling if he didn’t know the rules.

He almost reached for the pouch the council gave him till he remembered yumiko had taken it.

And as if reading his mind. freёwebnovel.com

She produced the pouch and gave it to him, adding another pouch alongside.

The action puzzled Julius but he examined the contents of both. His pouch had less coins than Yumiko’s. But between both they would be able to pay the Goblin.

He paid. Fifty coins from his pouch and ten from hers before giving the rest back to her.

She refused to take it. Julius noted the action and didn’t push it.

The Goblin watched the exchange and took the money with the practiced quality of someone who was used to handling coins. Julius could have sworn he saw a gleam in the goblin’s eyes as he put on glasses before counting the coins.

"The name’s Mudgob," he said as he counted.

A small smile creased Julius’s face as he made the connection with the inn’s name. the system flashed a popup.

[Mudgob | Goblin ]

"Julius," he responded.

"And you are?" The goblin looked at Yumiko.

"Yumiko,"

"No last names?" he noted.

They both shook their heads.

Julius had his reason for keeping his last name but he didn’t know why Yumiko did. He didn’t even know if she had a last name or if she used one at all. There were too many unknowns with this cat that he would find out later

"So, You are not from around here." He took a glance at Julius as he said this.

"What makes you say that?" he deflected.

"I have an eye for these things."

Julius resisted the urge to make a glasses joke.

The goblin finished counting the coins faster than Julius anticipated and confirmed they were complete.

He produced a key from beneath the table and gave it to Julius.

"Upstairs. End of the hall. Red door." he said.

A moment passed. "Your payment doesn’t cover food but I’ll throw one on the house."

Julius thanked him. freewebnøvel.coɱ

He went back to the glass he had been cleaning before they arrived.

Julius hoped what passes for food in the inn was good.

The room they were given was big by goblin standards. Two narrow beds and a table near the window managed to fit in with enough space for movement. There was also a washroom included.

Yumiko sat on the bed closest to the door. She pulled her knees up and looked at Julius. The look wasn’t unfamiliar to him. It was a kind of look Vincent gave him when they were younger. When they had something to discuss but he didn’t know how to bring it up.

Julius sat on the other bed close to the window, taking off his footwear so his legs could get some air. The noise from outside activities filtered in as he laid back on the bed. The material was soft but it didn’t feel like foam.

A few moments passed between both of them.

Yumiko broke the silence.

"I have questions."

"So do I." he replied.

"Good." she said.

"Well then, let’s get to it."