Chapter 377: Welcome to Velmont & Thread

Ruvian slid the key into the lock, gave it a turn, and pushed the door open. The moment he stepped inside, his eyes moved around the room and a faint look of approval settled on his face.

It was roomier than he had expected, with honey- colored timber flooring and a broad bed set against the far wall.

A thick cream-colored rug covered the floor beside it, while a small table and two cushioned chairs sat closer to the window, with a dark wooden wardrobe against the opposite wall.

A crystal lamp burned softly atop the bedside table, its light falling across the clean white sheets. There was also a light smell of lavender in the room, probably from the small bundle of dried flowers resting near the window.

’Not bad. The design is actually to my liking.’

He liked the room quite a lot, though Mister Halven’s discount probably helped improve his opinion of it.

Calyra was technically the one paying for both rooms anyway, but Ruvian saw no reason why he couldn’t enjoy the benefit along with her.

Slipping off his dark coat, Ruvian draped it over the back of one of the chairs before walking over to the window.

He pulled the curtain aside and looked past the nearby rooftops toward the northern edge of Valcavein, where the distant silhouette of Frostgrave Fortress loomed beneath the night sky.

Even from this far away, its sheer size dominated the northern horizon. Its colossal walls stretched across the northern horizon, while scattered lights burned along the towers like a row of stars.

Ruvian stared at the fortress a little longer before yawning and letting the curtain fall back into place.

’Ah, I really am exhausted today.’

His thoughts soon drifted toward tomorrow. The journey here had already taken most of his energy, and tomorrow was unlikely to be any easier.

’Yeah, I should get some rest.’

After changing into a more comfortable set of clothes, Ruvian walked back to the bed and dropped onto the mattress.

His tired body immediately welcomed the chance to finally rest.

The soft mattress sank beneath his weight as he leaned against the pillows and stared at the ceiling.

Before long, he fell asleep.

*****

The next morning, Ruvian left the inn not long after breakfast with one thing he needed to take care of first: before he stepped anywhere near the Arcanis estate, he needed something more appropriate for the occasion.

Fortunately, finding proper clothes in Valcavein turned out to be easy enough.

The city was several times larger than Natoris Town, and the streets surrounding the central district were lined with tailors, cloth merchants, and clothing stores that catered to everyone from ordinary townsfolk to wealthy nobles.

Calyra had somehow ended up acting as his guide for the morning, walking beside him with the same calm and unreadable expression she usually wore.

The morning streets were growing busier around them, but both of them walked at the same measured pace.

Calyra’s idea of a city tour was exactly as dry as Ruvian had expected.

She would point out an important road, building, or district in the same flat manner, give him a few concise details, then continue walking as though that was all he needed to know.

Dry delivery aside, she clearly knew Valcavein extremely well. So at least, he got a free tour guide. Though, her smiles were evidently sold separately.

Gradually, Ruvian also became familiar with its layout as they moved deeper, including the main commercial streets, the noble districts, and the roads leading toward the northern military routes.

’It really does look different in daylight.’ he silently took in the change.

By then, morning had already brought the streets to life. Shopkeepers were setting out their goods, workers moved quickly between buildings, and carts kept rumbling past.

Ruvian also noticed that every patrol of the Valcavein Guard seemed to have its own route rather than simply roaming the streets.

The roads themselves were noticeably broader than those in Natoris Town too, wide enough for military wagons, supply caravans, and entire groups of soldiers to pass through without clogging the streets.

Maybe that was simply how cities this close to the frontier developed. After all, despite all its wealth, Valcavein still had a hardened edge to it.

After walking a little farther along the commercial street, they entered one of the more respectable clothing stores in the area.

Inside, Ruvian gave the place a brief once-over with a faintly approving look, where dark wooden racks stood in orderly rows, carrying neatly arranged coats, shirts, waistcoats, and trousers.

Most of them came in restrained colors such as black, gray, navy, and dark brown, though he could also spot several more expensive pieces with decorative embroidery running along the lapels and cuffs.

Since he would be meeting Calyra’s parents later, Ruvian spent most of his time looking through the more formal pieces.

One of the darker coats caught his eye. He drew it slightly off the rack, felt the fabric between his fingers, then turned his attention to the shoulders and ran a thumb along the stitching there.

The material was soft and thick without feeling too heavy, and the seams were clean enough that the thread was barely visible from the outside.

Even then, Ruvian looked less than satisfied.

He looked over the coat once more, gave the shoulder a small pinch, then quietly returned it to the rack.

He had never cared much about fashion in his previous life, but he had bought enough suits to remember at least one thing.

’The shoulders come first. That was one of the few things I actually remembered from buying suits back then.’

Sleeves could be shortened and the waist could always be taken in later. But if the shoulders sat wrong from the start, there was only so much a tailor could do to save it.

Calyra eventually wandered over from the next row, her gaze passing over several coats before settling on the one Ruvian had just returned.

"You have been looking through the same section for quite a while. Have you still not found anything you like?"

Ruvian glanced toward her with mild curiosity, then rested one hand against the wooden rack.

"Since you grew up around nobles, I assume you have at least some sense for this sort of thing, right? What would you pick?"

Calyra regarded him for a moment before simply shaking her head.

"You are asking the wrong person. Most of my clothes were chosen for me."

"Right, of course they were."

Before Calyra could say anything else, a cheerful voice suddenly came from the other side of the rack.

"Then perhaps this humble employee may be of some assistance to the young gentleman."

Ruvian turned his head and saw a young man approaching them with an amiable smile, dressed neatly in a black vest over a crisp white shirt.

His dark hair had been carefully combed to one side, while the measuring tape hanging loosely around his neck made his profession obvious enough.

He was one of the shop’s tailor.

"Welcome to Velmont & Thread. I hope the two of you have found our selection agreeable so far, though from the way you have been inspecting that rack, young sir, I suspect we have not quite earned your approval yet."

The young man offered a courteous smile.

"May I ask what exactly you are looking for today, young sir?"

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[Chapter 377: Welcome to Velmont & Thread]

A/N: I have safely arrived in my homeland :)