Chapter 162 Elisa's Apartment Hunt
"Alright, this is the room key. You can go to the leasing office if you have any problems," Vincent handed the key to Elisa, adding, "It's the same place where you got the temporary residence permit."
"Great!" Elisa nodded, taking the key. She watched the old man leave, still not knowing his name.
He seemed quite amiable, not as aloof as officials in other cities. But she wondered, if he discovered she was an elf, would he try to capture her and sell her for a few coins?
'Maybe it's just a good disguise. Humans had always been so hypocritical,' Elisa dismissed the thought.
Shaking off her concerns, Elisa examined the key in her hand. It was no bigger than her little finger. She couldn't help but wonder, was this really a key? If it wasn't, she would have to beat up that old man.
She had seen keys before, much larger and more substantial than this tiny piece of metal. When did keys become so small?
'Did I forget to bribe him with a copper coin? Is he playing a trick on me?' Elisa considered this possibility. 'Opening a lock is no challenge for me.'
From her bag, she pulled out an iron rod as thick as her middle finger and casually tossed the small metal piece to the ground. This iron rod was her tool for opening locks, commonly known as a 'Skeleton Key.'
In reality, it was just a tool Elisa used to pick locks. She had successfully opened thirty-nine locks before, and today was the day she would reach forty.
"What is this? Where's the lock?" Elisa stood in front of the door, puzzled. She only saw a small hole on the doorknob, nothing else.
The locks of this era were as small as a shoe, made of wooden or bamboo pieces covered with a thin layer of iron. It was a simple mechanism.
Most commoners didn't even have locks; they either had someone guard the house or carried their valuables with them.
Because a lock itself was very expensive, only nobles could afford it. Elisa also realized that a house rented for fifteen copper coins would have such a lock? Perhaps she was being too optimistic.
Elisa pushed the door, but it didn't budge. She pushed harder, but it remained still.
"Is someone inside?" Elisa was taken aback. She had tried the other doors in the building, and they were all locked.
"Wait, did I miss something from the beginning?" Elisa slapped her forehead. "Right, that metal piece."
She quickly returned to the original door and found the small metal piece key on the ground. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that it had indentations and grooves.
"Could this really be the key?" Elisa found it hard to believe. She inserted the metal piece into the small hole on the doorknob and gave it a slight twist.
The door opened, and Elisa stood still.
"So, the metal piece was the key all along. And I just now...," Elisa's eyes darted around, relieved that no one had witnessed her foolishness. If someone had, she wouldn't mind silencing them.
"Fine, I managed to open it," Elisa said with a hint of pride, quickly picking up her package and rushing into the room, closing the door behind her.
Just as she entered, she saw a living room. The room was not very spacious, with a predominantly grey color scheme. There was only a table and four chairs, and nothing else.
She opened the door to the bedroom, finding only a bed inside, with no other furniture. She then checked the bathroom and discovered a pit with a sign on the wall that read, 'Remember to flush after use!'
Elisa understood. She returned to the living room and realized that the house was indeed lacking. There were no wooden barrels or tubs, nothing of the sort.
"Why pretend to be poor?" Elisa sighed, shaking her head in resignation.
On her way here, she had heard the old man mention some elegant and refined rental houses, which was a turnkey house. Although it would cost three hundred copper coins a month, it was something she could afford.
"Never mind. The risk of exposure is too high, and those bounty hunters would never imagine that an elegant elf like me would disguise myself in such a destitute manner," Elisa said, adjusting her cloak and performing an elegant noble gesture.
When she was alone, Elisa was a bit self-absorbed, finding her own company entertaining.
The sound of hunger made Elisa lose her composure, and she slumped in the chair, patting her growling stomach.
"Stop growling, we've run out of food!"
Elisa felt a bit distressed, wondering whether she should go out now to buy some food. But going out would greatly increase the risk of exposure.
Half an hour passed...
Two hours passed...
"Alright, let's go eat."
Unable to bear the hunger any longer, Elisa, with a perfect excuse, quickly left with a silver coin. She was going to check the location of Eldoria's strategic food supply - The food stalls.
After closing the door, Elisa observed cautiously and found that no one was paying attention to her, then she walked.
As she walked, Elisa noticed that Eldoria was indeed unique. The streets were very clean, without the foul smell that permeated other cities.
"Excuse me, your house is on the other side."
A familiar voice caught Elisa's attention. She turned her head and saw the old man, leading a group of orcs in the opposite direction.
"Are you really going to share a house with twelve people? It saves money, but it's too crowded," Vincent kindly advised.
The orcs shook their heads, insisting on having twelve people stay because they believed that more people meant more safety.
"Alright!" Vincent sighed. These were the last group of orcs moving in today.
Elisa watched the orcs and the old man walking away, and couldn't help but stick out her tongue. It seemed she had misunderstood him earlier.
Could it be that this city really accepts orcs and treats them fairly...She still found it hard to believe!
