Hellbents
Chapter 65: SemPurrna

Famous for being a free city, Oranera is inhabited by a variety of non-human species that pass freely on the street. Ava saw a muscular dwarf man in the place of the blacksmith who was highly recommended by the people around, the Dwarves. Drug stores, flowers, and other natural products are also sold by pointed-eared Elves. The beastmen also proudly showed some of their animal characteristics such as tail, ears, hands, even all over the hairy body in carrying out their duties as mercenaries.

Even so, Ava cannot say that life here will be said to be harmonious. Because each group will continue to gather with their respective species to form a promiscuous box, reluctant to blend in with other groups outside the box.

And now, the initially inconspicuous problem, is now increasingly apparent with the election in Oranera. Because this year's candidate was a Dwarf, a beautiful Elf, and a tiger beastman, without any human-species candidates. So each race will choose a leader that suits their species, in other words voting is influenced by the choices of the human population.

Therefore, every human being who shops in stores, is currently rewarded with many discounts.

"Miss can take this tea for free" said the beautiful elf who sells herbs to Ava.

"Well, miss can bring one knife as a bonus." Again free stuff when Ava renews her weapon at the blacksmith of a Dwarf.

"In 80% off if Miss use our service!" The man with the long black hairy tail offered a guard to go around, but Ava didn't need it so she refused.

The circumstances were favorable to him, so whenever he was asked, "What is Miss's choice for next week's election?" Ava would not tell him that she had no voting rights, nor that without relatives and acquaintances who could be persuaded to vote, the girl replied ambiguously, "I still don't know." River just had to keep his mouth shut during the period, it was fortunate that the man understood, besides that he also liked free stuff.

Their problem is only one, where to stay.

Farther into the city, Ava looked at the sign that read "SemPurrna Inn" with skepticism and anxious expectation.

And when the door opens, "Welcome to the SemPurrna Inn! Is there anything I can help you with?" Women of Ava's age with cat whiskers and clawed and hairy hands greeted them. SemPurrrna, of course it's a word game. A dozen pairs of beastman eyes there looked at Ava and River with interest.

"Is there an empty room here?" The girl in front of him immediately put on a condolent expression, her eyes glancing to the right or left, observing the other visitors.

It seemed like Ava set foot in an exclusive inn for beastmen.

"If there isn't, we'll go--"

"Oh, Brother Rina!" A familiar tweet sounded from one side of the lobby. With light steps, Lorah surrounded them happily. River himself crouched down and held out his hands, Lorah patted the man's palm, then in an instant the secret greeting that out of when they created ended with the two of them sticking out their tongues.

Wow, Ava was amazed herself.

"It's been this afternoon you still haven't found an inn?" Dom, as usual, asked in a mocking tone.

"If I hadn't asked, would I?" Ava replied sarcastically. For a moment, Ava and Dom face off, not wanting to lose by turning their faces first.

"Eh, isn't the room next to us still empty? You can stay there!" Lorah innocently exclaimed.

It's an exclusive inn, so even if there are empty rooms Ava won't be allowed to stay there. But when he turned to the cat woman earlier, ignoring Dom who was cheering his childish victory, a bright look with sparkling eyes that Ava caught. "You know each other?"

It's been hours that he and River have been busy looking for lodging, so when Ava sees a gap she can exploit, she immediately uses it, "We're roommates on the boat that docked earlier this morning."

"Then, Mister and Miss can rent the remaining rooms in this inn. Let's follow me!" After obtaining the key, Ava and River were led to the third floor of the corner room. "This month is indeed a lot of tourists, so many lodgings are full. So even though this inn is a special inn for the beastman race, as long as you get a guarantee of the identity of one of our races, the door will still be open for you. Alright, enjoy your stay at SemPurrna Inn!"

Dom's no use either.

***

Unlike when they were on the ship, Dom and Lorah entered perfectly in the company there. Yesterday, the pair of brothers were seen once away from the people around them, only to talk to Ava, River, or Ib. There is absolutely no intention of building a friendship with the other passengers. But now, Dom has been scattered for five minutes full of his new group, mercenaries who are all members of the beastman. In addition, Lorah also no longer attached to River to invite the man to play, the little girl already has her peers, playing dolls and cooking in the backyard of the inn.

Not only that, maybe dragged by the flow of feeling in the free city, River for the first time trained his call monster in open space.

"Geez, that's so funny!" The cat woman, the innkeeper's child, Wendy, was enthusiastic when she saw Ako jumping over the twigs used as obstacles by River.

There is no judgmental view, disgust, or fear.

This city seems to have a more open mind than its home country.

The motto of Oranera is free and orderly. That is, anyone is free to do what he wants to do as long as it does not disturb others or violate applicable laws.

That is to say here, criticizing the individual who lives his independent life will only invite cynical views for himself.

This is certainly not a problem for people like Ava and River, but individuals who are narrow-minded and like to interfere in the affairs of others will find it difficult to adapt in the city of Oranera.

"Who would want to stay in this inn smelling like a cage!"

Days of silence without making trouble after the "slander" incident that made him into the ingredients of every table in the ship's restaurant, the peacock's grandfather turned out to have not changed as well.

With the new stick, which was made of ordinary wood, Woodrow shouted in annoyance right in front of Wendy's face. Ava only realized that the grandfather was always too close when angry, probably because of myopic eyes due to old age, which also shortened the axis of patience.

Finding himself in trouble like Ava, Woodrow is unable to rent the inn as it is full, though he offers twice the normal price to kick in one of the occupants of the room he first rented, but he does not, not aware that his disrespectful attitude is what brings disaster.

"Our room was full," finally Bob, Wendy's father, the restaurant owner replied coldly and dashingly, immediately making the peacock grandfather hastily escape. Although Ava already knew that Bob was from the cat tribe, his large body made the man look more like a tiger.

But of course, the last thing Woodrow was about to do would not be welcome for the residents of this inn. "Animals like you should be in cages!"

Old age does not come along with creativity, its insults are still the same as those of the past.

"What's the guy's problem!" Dom's reaction must have been the roughest of their tables, but now there are many other grunts that support his frustration.