348 Maps (1/2)
Zero was very excited. They had finally walked out of the forest and were heading towards the first town Zero saw on the map. Truen didn't say anything about Zero's choice and Camie explained that there was only one town near Endow Hill in the Rocket Mountain area. The town's name tickled Zero when he heard it for the first time.
On Mii's map, Little Stone Town was registered and if Zero really wanted to, he could set up a teleportation array to bring them over at once. The distance to the town was only about a day's walk but Truen was strict about it. He told Zero that he should learn to appreciate the views on a journey during an adventure and not be hasty.
”If you focus too much on getting ahead in life you will miss out on a lot that is important,” the wood elf said and Zero was left to ponder over the meaning of those words for the rest of the journey.
When the travelling party finally arrived at Little Stone Town, it was already dusk. The waves guards at the gate were drunk but they still stopped the party and asked them for their purpose of visit. Zero left the talking to Camie who explained that they were travelling to Magnus Hilda but are stopping in town for the night. The dwarf looked at Camie for a while before sighing in pity.
”It's been a little while since I saw one of your kind. Too bad the plague struck hard, even us dwarves no longer go there to trade. I would advise you not to go back but if you really insist, we'll do our best to resupply for your trip.”
Camie thanked the dwarf guard who then told them the location of the nearest inn that still accommodated giants. Zero didn't think that there would be houses big enough for giants but he was wrong. Little Stone Town might be small but the inn that was recommended was huge. In fact, the doctor thought that it might be a little too huge for such a small town. It was even larger than the town mayor's house and that was saying a lot.
”Good evening,” Truen smiled and greeted the inn's receptionist. ”I'm looking for two rooms, one for us and another for her.”
All three travellers wore hoods in order to not attract too much attention to themselves even if they still stood out. Before they entered the town, Truen told them to wear hooded cloaks to look like adventurers so that they wouldn't attract the hostility of the dwarves. Apparently, while dwarves were friendly with giants, they had beef with humans and elves.
The receptionist eyed them for a while before handing them their keys for the night and showing them their rooms. Zero wondered if now would be a good time to use his vessel-customising ability and change his height to something more dwarf-like. The receptionist didn't seem to like Truen or him.
Once they reached their rooms, Camie said that she would meet them downstairs for dinner. Zero agreed and waited for Truen to change out of his dusty clothes and unpack.
The wood elf paused and looked at Zero. ”Why do you think that?”
Zero hesitated. He didn't know if he should talk about the judging stares he received ever since they entered Little Stone Town. Zero didn't want to attract too much attention to himself and what he thought was the least eye-catching appearance before was now no longer applicable.
”I don't want to be stared at too much...” Zero mumbled and Truen smiled. Was Zero concerned about how others perceived him? That has never happened before.
”Is it making you shy?” the wood elf couldn't help but tease. Zero immediately turned Scarlet and started hitting Truen lightly on the arm. The wood elf chuckled and took the hits without dodging because he knew he deserved it.
”Don't worry too much about your appearance. However, if you feel uncomfortable about it you can always change it. I heard that you finally got the ability to customise your appearance so you should put that to use from time to time. It might be even better for you to create a new identity with a new look. How about I introduce you as my younger sibling? People in the tavern will surely be curious and ask about us.”
Zero thought about it and looked through the customising panel. Truen wasn't quite expecting Zero to change his appearance right in front of him. This time, Zero also equipped himself with a different set of clothes that Truen had never seen before.
”Z-Zero... is that?”
The doctor smiled. ”I made gowns for the three gorgon sisters at Ruban x Pointes. This summer dress is something I bought to add to the collection of female clothes in case I ever needed a female identity. Don't worry, I still don't have genitals so nobody will find out that I don't have a gender. How do I look? Will I make a believable younger sister?”
Truen scrutinized the transformation carefully. Zero matched his tan skin tone and black hair perfectly. Even the shade of green eyes that Truen had was copied precisely. Truen's pointy elf ears twitched when he saw Zero's own pointy ears move in apprehension. The doctor compromised none of his previous height but that was alright. Truen was still taller than Zero. The doctor actually looked adorable with his new hairstyle. Zero had bangs and long straight hair that reached his back, framing his small elven face that made his green eyes shine brighter than emeralds.
Truen was very satisfied with Zero's quick thinking and good sense of style. ”Is that a healer gown?” he asked. The gown was medieval-styled like most of the clothes worn on this side of the continent. It was made from cotton with a light beige colour. The trims at the neckline and sleeve edges were green and embroidered with yellow thread, making it look sophisticated and classy. The dress was long and elegant while the sleeves flared out at the ends, covering much of Zero's arm so that only his fingers could be seen from beneath.
Zero gave him a thumbs-up. ”I was thinking of going by the name Zero Zheng who is a travelling healer. You're the travelling archer and we're friends with Camie the warrior who is on her way back to visit her hometown. How's that?”
The wood elf nodded in satisfaction. The closer they stick to their story the easier it was for Zero. ”If they ask where we come from then we will explain that we travel often and just came from the border of Endow Hill travelling from Smargdas. Most of them will simply assume that we come from the Great Forest of Altear anyway.”