The Innkeeper



Although Lex would not fall into panic when faced with trouble, that did not mean he did not feel the pressure of the situation. To be entirely honest, it was not the being sent into never ending war for as long as he remained at the Inn that bothered him. His workers weren't weak to begin with, and once they started training properly at the pagoda he expected they would become even more powerful.

Not to mention, Velma had given him a file of information she collected based on the Fuegan as well, so he knew at least a few details on what to expect from the battlefields. If he went a step further, and personally participated in the war, he could further ensure the survival of those who he was forced to send to fight.

Yet as much as he wanted to personally make sure none of his workers were harmed in battle, he had already thought of a much better way in which he could help the situation.

So no, it was not the war that unsettled him. It was the payment the Henali were asking for. As the Innkeeper he had been exposed to a lot already, so he vaguely had a concept of the capabilities of the higher level cultivators in the universe.

While it seemed impressive that he owned many Minor realms, apparently, such a feat could only impress lower leveled cultivators. Heck, any random cultivator strong enough to take control of an entire planet would suddenly own all the Minor realms that had openings on that planet.

Keeping that in mind, whatever payment was so important that the Henali were repeatedly pestering a supposed Daolord to pay up would not be cheap, or even in his realm of affordability. He could literally sell all the Minor realms he had and he still wouldn't have enough to pay them, let alone, would they even be interested in MP?

So, he really had to come up with some way to avoid this. If it were really up to him, he would avoid messing with the Henali. But considering his situation, he had no choice but to put up a strong front and play hard ball. While previously he had passed his message through Jotun, in hopes of amicably reaching a solution, this time he had to employ more official means.

The Midnight Inn letterhead was official Inn stationary which was specifically designed to be used for writing official letters or messages to be sent outside the Inn. The letterhead was imbued with the majestic aura of the Innkeeper, ensuring that the letter was viewed with the appropriate significance.

As if that was not enough, its use would be paired with the Innkeepers Pen. Its official description was 'each of the Innkeeper's words is worth a hundred worlds. Writing anything with this pen will imbue the words with the Innkeeper's aura.'

The pen somehow seemed an impressive treasure, but oddly enough held no ink. Yes, Lex could substitute ink with his spirit energy, in which case the pen would use that to create an ink substitute which could get the job done. But the original design of the pen dictated that its tip would have to be dipped in some ink which would then be used. That was exactly the reason this specific pen had also come with the Inkwell.

Shockingly, the Inkwell was surprisingly useful. It made it so that no word written with the ink from it would or could ever be misconstrued, misunderstood or manipulated to mean anything other than what the authors' intentions entailed.

Combined together, they provided Lex with exactly what he needed to deliver his message while making sure he lost none of the authority he was determined to show. The only thing missing from this was a Midnight Inn envelope or something of the sort.

Paying no attention to Jotun, Lex dipped the tip of his pen in the well, and prepared to write on the letterhead. The tools were radiating a powerful aura, and Lex's intentions being communicated perfectly through the ink filled the room with a feeling of authority.

Lex did not feel the need to write actual words. Since the ink would ensure his meaning would be conveyed perfectly, Lex decided to substitute each word with a thin, horizontal line. Each line would be just as thin and equal in length regardless of the word they represented, making the letter look like someone had printed a page full of dashes.

This would avoid him having to use any words or characters which might link him to earth. Despite his recent efforts to begin distancing himself from humans, the warning from his intuition was not fading. His efforts were too irrelevant when compared to the damage he had already done.

Due to his strained state of mind, Lex had to switch from the Flow state to the Overdrive state, while also pushing his intuition to its maximum limits. He absolutely could not afford to make a single mistake in communicating what he wanted.

When he felt he was ready, he finally put pen to paper and began writing.

Mr. Klaus,

Due to the competent and forthwith actions of your herald, Jotun Marcus, I received your letter regarding the required war efforts, and the alleged payment which the Henali feel they are entitled to, at the earliest.

I would like to begin by stating that the Midnight Inn is a neutral organization with no third party affiliations, and is dedicated to providing equal and fair service to all who wish to avail its services, and follow the Inns rules. But, given that a branch of the Midnight Inn is operating from within a region of your sovereignty, for so long as the branch continues to operate, it will thereby follow your directive. However, I expect to receive specific and official instructions regarding the level of required involvement, the time frame, and the location. I trust that you will provide the necessary information to me, as is customary in such matters. As a lawful and legal business, the Midnight Inn will fulfill its requirements so long as they are effective.

Then comes the matter of the alleged pending payment. I must assert clearly and directly so that there is no room left for any doubt: there are no outstanding debts on my part to you or any other entity. Your claim for the payment is based on the assumption that I, the Innkeeper, am a foreigner in the Origin realm, but at the same time, you yourself cannot find any evidence of my entry into the realm. Your claim for a pending payment is unsubstantiated. If you wish to claim any payment from me, I insist that you provide sufficient proof of any services availed or agreement reached. Should you be able to muster up legitimate evidence supporting your claim, I suggest you bring it forth promptly. Once I have reviewed the evidence and discovered that it is legitimate, and your claim is accurate, I will address the matter timely and fulfill any financial obligation I have accordingly.

I would like to add that the Midnight Inn is always open to serving its guests without discrimination, so in the event you choose to host your event at our venue, you will find the event to be a great success.

Finally, I would like to request that unless your claims are sound, and you have sufficient evidence, you limit any future communication to matters pertaining to the Inn or its services only. The Midnight Inn is not interested in any external or unaffiliated matters.

Regards,

The Innkeeper.

Although Lex did not have a special signature to use for the title of Innkeeper, the moment he signed the letter with his title, a powerful aura radiated across the entire Inn. It was not oppressive or intimidating, and instead was warm and confident. Yet the associated sensations did not diminish the power at all. In fact, Jotun, who felt the aura most clearly, nearly completely buckled.

The mental strain associated with watching the Innkeeper pen a potentially disastrous response was immense. He could feel the emotions of the Innkeeper as he wrote each word, though Jotun of course did not know what the words were or what the Innkeepers response entailed.

His only remaining job now was to deliver the letter successfully.

To Lex's wonderful discovery, once he concluded the letter, it gently rolled into a scroll and sealed itself, preventing anyone from being able to open it. He suspected that only the person he meant this letter for could open it without completely destroying it.

With his task done, Lex grabbed the scroll and casually tossed it towards Jotun, not bothering to deliver it in a proper fashion.

"That should be a satisfying response to their requests. I trust you'll be able to deliver it without issue."

"It will reach its destination without fail!" he said, feeling extremely stressed. The Innkeeper did not seem angry, but he seemed to know that Jotun had not left his name behind. He could only hope that the Innkeeper had not mentioned that fact in the letter.