The Gray Tower (Being Rewritten as The Erstwhile Druid)

Chapter 4: Silver Old Buddy

A couple hours earlier...

Tetsu’s messages were boring. Have you been eating well? Remember to study. Respect your parents. Luke had read them over breakfast in a bid to catch up. After that, Luke left a message for Tetsu, but the old man hadn’t replied. Likely busy, thought Luke. He’d have to save Noelle by himself.

Luke finished his meal, leaving half of the coffee untouched. It was all about the pancakes. He made sure to finish them, for if Alford realized he was wasting food, especially food that he had given Luke for free? Oh, there would be hell to pay. A twenty minute lecture, with no toilet breaks. He shuddered at the thought. Pushing open the door, Luke stepped out into the hallway.

The hallway was narrow, but the full-body length windows on the right gave the inn a spacious feel. In all, there were five rooms. Down the hall to his right was Alford’s room, and to the left were three guest rooms. The guest rooms went unused, unless Tetsu or Noelle paid a visit. Both of them had their own homely abodes on the outskirts of Vana. Noelle had invited him to her home once, but he’d been too embarrassed to accept the offer. Of course, Noelle was offended by his rejection and ended up ignoring him for a week.

Women, thought Luke. I just can’t understand them.

The hallway ended in an abrupt left turn. Around the bend were stairs leading down to the first floor, where the kitchen, hearth, and dining room were housed. Walking past the guest rooms, Luke carefully made his way down. The stairs were narrow, only wide enough to fit one person at a time. Madeleine was waiting patiently at the bottom, a twinkle in her eye.

“Master, how was the jam?”

“It was great, didn’t even eat a bite,” Luke muttered.

“Here. Tata! Look what I just went out and bought.” Madeleine held out a container of jam, freshly bought from the vendor.

“Are you taunting me, or are you genuinely wanting me to eat jam?”

“Both!”

Luke was annoyed. “I’m going to need to talk to Alford later. About you, Madeleine. And yes, we’re going to have a long talk. Have you ever heard Alford talk? He could kill you with his words. Literally.”

“Okay, I’ll bring the jam.”

The optimism of youth was terrifying. Luke sagged against the wall. “Please, head upstairs. I’m going out. Tell Alford that I’ll be gone for a few hours.”

“Roger!” Madeleine floated up the stairs, humming a repetitive melody.

She’s going to drive me insane.

Luke went through a mental checklist as he fastened his boots. Weapons, check. Bandages, check. Antidote, check. Armor, check. Hmmm… what else? Oh right, groomed hair, check. He opened the front door and headed outside. A cool breeze hit his face as he opened the door and stepped into the sun.

Now I have to hurry.

He ran as fast as his legs could take him, enjoying the virtual benefit of increased stamina. In Tralheim, Luke could run for hours without rest. Outside of the virtual world, Luke would be lucky to manage ten minutes before collapsing in a heap. Wind blew past as he churned through it, ruining his previously set meticulous mane.

Well, that didn’t last long.

Ruined, hair billowed freely from the hood of his cloak, tendrils curling as if they had a mind of their own.

He hurried through town, barely noticing the NPCs and other players strolling through the brick-inlaid streets. The scenery went by in a blur. Still, at this rate, he knew he would be unable to reach Noelle in time. Noelle would only ask for help if things were bad. Luke shook his head and let out an exasperated sigh. What had she gotten herself into this time?