Blood Assimilation

359  Holy Knight Randy's Thoughts

Holy Knight Randy had visited the Luxurious Inn earlier to visit Brawler Randy before his collapse, but now he ended up inside one of their rooms when he woke up.

'It can't be him who brought me here… right?' The thought flickered in his mind, but he quickly dismissed it, focusing instead on the woman before him, his sharp gaze making her tremble slightly the longer it lingered on her.

"How did I… No, who brought me here?" He asked, recalling the last person he had encountered before losing consciousness. However, considering his current guise as Zolat Grant, he found it hard to believe. Despite his doubts, he decided to inquire further.

"You were brought here by a woman in green clothes — a combat uniform, I believe. She made sure everything was taken care of for you." The attendant answered to the best of her knowledge.

Holy Knight Randy's eyes narrowed at the mention of the green-clothed woman, his mind flashing back to their brief encounter outside the inn. He remained composed, though inwardly, he was surprised by this revelation.

Tentatively, he pried further.

"That woman... did she say anything when she brought me here?"

Though puzzled by his questioning, the attendant thought for a moment before responding, recalling what she had heard.

"Only that you needed rest and should not be disturbed. I also overheard the innkeeper mentioning that she paid for the entire day's worth of residence. Everything, including food and accommodations, was taken care of. You're welcome to stay until noon tomorrow, Sir Holy Knight." She added sincerely.

Holy Knight Randy's thoughts momentarily drifted.

'She not only ensured my, or rather Zolat Grant's accommodations but also secured his privacy, which is highly unusual, considering her impression of Zolat Grant.' He remained outwardly calm, though his mind raced with possible reasons for why she would help someone she disliked. After much deliberation, Holy Knight Randy could only arrive at one odd conclusion.

'Does she secretly harbor feelings for Zolat Grant?' The thought crossed his mind more than once, but he eventually dismissed it as absurd. 'No, that's just my conjecture.'

Perhaps she was simply a compassionate person. She saw someone in need and acted out of kindness. That explanation seemed far more reasonable to Holy Knight Randy than imagining she harbored feelings for the hedonistic Holy Knight just because of a single kind gesture from her.

Nodding to himself, Holy Knight Randy addressed the young woman.

"Thank you for your help and suggestion, but I must be on my way now."

The young woman nodded, lowering her gaze as he walked past her. Only after he left did she dare to glance in the direction he had gone.

"Was that really the infamous Holy Knight Captain Zolat Grant? He's so different from the rumors." She murmured to herself.

As a new worker, she had heard tales of Zolat Grant from her seniors, and none of them were flattering despite Zolat Grant's status. They spoke of him as a notorious lecherous man who preyed on women wherever he went, even harassing staff at the inn. Some of the room attendants had been on the receiving end of his advances during his previous visits.

She had dreaded the thought of encountering him, and when her luck ran out and she did, fear took hold. However, Despite her initial fright upon their encounter, she still managed to salvage the situation by feigning a smile and acting surprised. In the end, though, it seemed unnecessary.

The Zolat Grant she encountered did not seem to show any interest in her, nor did he seem to have noticed her discomfort. On the contrary, she believed he might have noticed, but he didn't feel offended by her reaction.

'Maybe my seniors exaggerated the rumors a bit when they said he pursued every woman he saw. I mean, I'm not a stunning beauty, but as a woman in my early twenties, I'm still considered attractive by normal standards. What am I thinking? If he was even anything close to the rumors, I should be glad he didn't target me.' With this thought, she shook her head and returned to her duties as a room attendant, though her mind lingered on the encounter with the infamous Zolat Grant.

Meanwhile, downstairs…

Holy Knight Randy entered the lobby, passing by the front desk where a middle-aged woman — the innkeeper, according to Zolat Grant's memories — approached him with a warm smile.

"Greetings, sir Holy Knight. I trust your stay at our inn was pleasant?" She inquired perfunctorily about his stay, her tone polite but professional. Just as he was about to respond, a thought occurred to him.

'If I recall correctly, I believe that green-clothed woman's name was Sylvana. The main body had quite a memorable encounter with her in the past. Maybe I should leave a message to express my gratitude. Even though I don't fully understand why she helped Zolat Grant — me — it's still customary to thank someone who aids you in a vulnerable moment.' With this thought in mind, he addressed the innkeeper.

"The woman in green who brought me here… When she returns, please convey my gratitude for her kindness. Inform her that I intend to repay her in the future." Holy Knight Randy instructed, deciding to leave a message to express his gratitude to his benefactor.

He then made his way to the door, pausing at the threshold of the inn's exit before responding to the innkeeper's polite inquiry.

"And yes, while the room's setup was simple and understated, perhaps a bit too modest for someone of my standing, it was nonetheless comfortable." He added, surprising the innkeeper, who hadn't expected such a courteous response from the usually grumpy Zolat Grant.

Leaving the innkeeper in stunned silence, Holy Knight Randy stepped out of the establishment. The street outside was quiet, as one would expect from a residential area. Unlike the bustling market and rowdy mercenary districts, the aristocratic and residential streets were distinct in their tranquility.

That should expected as the two streets housed the city's inhabitants. Additionally, they were subjected to strict noise regulations enforced by law enforcement. No one dared to disturb the peace, lest they draw the ire of law enforcement.

As he walked the narrow streets, his thoughts turned to the primary agenda for taking the trip to Residential Street. He came to inform Brawler Randy of his upcoming mission from the Holy Church of Light. Unfortunately, he had missed him.

According to his sources, Brawler Randy had already departed early on a joint mission with a notable woman from the Assassin's Guild. He knew of this information thanks to the Grant family's extensive information network, which he exploited through Zolat Grant's identity to gather intel on Brawler Randy.

While he didn't know the specifics of their mission, based on Brawler Randy's reckless behavior and attitude, Holy Knight Randy doubted it was anything of real significance to their original

To assess Brawler Randy's actions and behavior, he shadowed Brawler Randy's movements through his men and discovered that he had gone to a casino to stir up trouble, caused a scene, and even offended the owner. In retaliation, the owner sent his best assassins after him, but Brawler Randy managed to escape unscathed, not before leaving the two female assassins sent after him severely beaten.

As someone with a stringent character, dedicated to the mission assigned by their original body, Holy Knight Randy disapproved of the carelessness and recklessness exhibited by his fellow incarnation.

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