"It was your decision to treat, I didn’t force you."
"Of course, I’ve taken up a lot of your time today, and if I didn’t invite you for a meal, I’d feel uneasy."
"Not at all, I don’t usually have many visitors here."
Andri closed the door of the Thorny Hut.
Differing from the casual pajamas she wore in the shop, she went out in a dark green elegant long dress, its hem gracefully resting at her knees, with slender legs clad in brown soft leather boots below.
"Do you not go out much, Senior?"
Gauss watched her constantly examine her outfit, looking curious and asking.
"Since retiring, I’ve gotten lazy about going out. Usually, I have familiar taverns delivering meals over." Andri adjusted her dress one more time and only relaxed after ensuring it looked fine.
Even though she dressed quite maturely, standing next to Gauss with her height under a meter, they still resembled siblings with a notable height difference.
Gauss noticed but didn’t point it out.
He realized Andri seemed a bit conscious about her height, especially when situated in a human town environment.
It might also be because, as a retired adventurer, she wasn’t used to going out frequently anymore.
"Let’s go. I happened to find out about a nice restaurant this morning."
If most taverns in Gray Rock Town served as dining halls for bottom adventurers, there were naturally more refined high-end restaurants to entertain the not-so-many professional level adventurers in town.
After all, on his previous visits to the taverns, Gauss didn’t see many figures that looked like bronze-level adventurers.
The place he planned to treat at was the Firefly Kitchen, a high-end restaurant he learned about from a shop owner earlier in the day, typically visited by professionals or mid to high-level managers traveling through Gray Rock Town.
There were also several such private small kitchens, and ordinary adventurers might not even be aware of their locations.
Walking with Andri through the alley.
There were few clouds today, and the moonlight spread over the stone-paved path, so even without torchlight, it wasn’t very dark.
In front of a few residences, Gauss found a lamp shaped like a firefly, finally confirming the restaurant’s location.
From the outside, it didn’t resemble an operational restaurant at all, with the front door on the ground level tightly shut and a warm yellow light softly diffusing from the second-floor windows.
The small courtyard was planted with neatly trimmed evergreen shrubs, their starry white flowers emitting a strong fragrance.
Upon pushing the door open and entering, a mature woman was seated behind the counter on the first floor.
"Welcome, how many of you?"
"Just two of us."
"Perfect timing, we have a free room now. But if you’re satisfied with your meal and wish to visit our little place again, please make a reservation in advance next time," the mature and well-rounded female owner gently reminded.
As she spoke, her gaze swept over the height contrasting pair of Gauss and Andri.
She particularly gave Andri a few more glances.
Of course, it was not her first time seeing a half-elf. While half-elves in Gray Rock Town weren’t as numerous as humans, they weren’t particularly rare either.
But this half-elf woman had an unusual aura that made her look exceptionally exquisite, inviting more than one look.
"Second room on the left in the second-floor corridor."
As Gauss ascended the spiral staircase with high-quality wooden handrails, he took in the decor of the establishment.
The restaurant didn’t have an abundance of decorative art pieces but provided a very comfortable atmosphere, the overall tone as warm as a home.
"That woman earlier, she’s a professional too," Andri abruptly mentioned.
"Really?" Gauss was a bit surprised at her words.
To him, the gentle female owner who spoke softly showed not the slightest hint of danger.
"She’s likely retired for many years too, like me," Andri yawned.
"How did you find out? Magic?"
"Of course not, and in a town, it’s best not to casually use magic on strangers. For most adventurers, it’s seen as a provocative insult." Andri gave him a sideways glance.
"Sure, if you’re certain their strength is far inferior to yours it’s no big deal, but if you encounter someone whose strength is unknown, it’s best to avoid such risky actions."
"Understood." Gauss nodded.
"The reason I made this judgment was due to my exceptional observational skills," Andri continued explaining. "Had you looked closely, you’d notice her shoulder and collarbone skin is rougher and darker than other areas, with a slightly unusual pelvic dip. Her thumb root and palm edge, though cared for, also have visible calluses."
"This indicates that the female owner used to wear armor long-term and handle a sword or reins."
"I learned something, Senior Andri."
"Gauss, even though you’re advancing through the professional ranks quickly by ordinary standards, there’s still much for you to learn." Andri softly hummed a few notes.
She felt she’d regained a bit of her composure after being somewhat taken aback by Gauss during the day.
On entering the second floor, all the other room doors in the corridor were closed, with just one room left vacant.
The heavy wooden door seemed well soundproofed, as there wasn’t a hint of sound from any other private rooms.
Upon closing the room door, Gauss got a good idea why professionals would be inclined to patronize such a small restaurant.
Compared to a tavern, it was indeed much more serene.
Outside the windows, one could still see the nightscape of the surrounding town.
Sitting back at the table, there was a menu and an order form placed on it.
"Do you want to order first, senior?"
"You go ahead."
Gauss nodded.
But as he opened the menu, Andri sitting not far away leaned over closer too.
Clearly, her courtesy remained only as words; her desire for good food overshadowed such pretentious niceties.
Or rather, most adventurers, when conditions allow, are foodies.
It’s hard to maintain a detached attitude towards food when consuming large amounts of stamina; the body’s instincts won’t allow it.
If you can manage that, you’re not an adventurer but a saint or an ascetic.
Gauss looked at the menu and couldn’t help but have his eyes light up a bit.
To say the least, the dishes in this upscale restaurant were indeed better than what he’s eaten in other taverns.
"Oysters in Moonlight Grass Vinegar, Grilled Mushroom Platter, Charcoal Grilled Silver-scaled River Fish, Slime Gel Fruit Tart, Baked Walking Mushroom..."
"Slime Gel can be used as an ingredient?" Gauss was dumbfounded.
Images of those ugly, sludge-like creatures, resembling facehugger slimes jumping onto heads, floated before his eyes, making him doubtful.
"It needs to be specially processed through many steps. I’ve tried it, and it tastes good, has a unique texture — very springy but not sticky." Andri, leaning closer, swallowed.
"Otherwise, why do you think someone is always buying up Slime Gel."
"Let’s give it a try."
"This one is good too..."
The dishes were served one after another.
Initially, Gauss felt a slight sting in his wallet looking at the prices, but smelling the rich aroma wafting from the dishes soon made him cast away those feelings.
The dishes sparkled in the glow of warm oil lamps.
Sure enough, the only downside to pricey things is the price itself.
Gauss thought if there came a day he couldn’t afford it anymore, it would be due to his own shortcomings.
"Let’s eat!"
Neither of them bothered with formalities; as soon as a dish was served, it quickly turned back into a clean plate under their combined efforts.
After the feast.
The two leaned back in their chairs, belching.
It had been days since they had a decent meal.
This meal made Gauss extremely satisfied.
He thought, although the prices here were a bit steep, coming here once in a while for a meal to relax wasn’t a bad idea.
Eating the specially ordered blueberries for dessert, Gauss and Andri slumped in the soft chairs, staring out the window, not wanting to move at all.
"Moonlight Grass, several special mushrooms, Walking Mushroom..." A meal had Gauss memorizing some ingredients.
Even if he didn’t eat them himself, selling them could be an option.
However, Andri mentioned that Walking Mushrooms aren’t as common on the outskirts of the Jade Forest; they’re more likely to be found in groups in narrow caves deeper in.
After all, many monsters have Walking Mushrooms in their diet.
When she was an adventurer, Andri’s favorite way to deal with Walking Mushrooms was to charcoal grill them.
After peeling off their outer layer, simply charcoal grilling them made them very delicious.
But for some reason, many demon-like creatures similar to Walking Mushrooms can’t be artificially cultivated and must rely on adventurers for capture.
Back at the first floor for checkout, Gauss intentionally paid attention to the female shopkeeper; with a mindful eye, he indeed noticed the obscure little details Andri had mentioned.
The shopkeeper noticed his gaze, unflinchingly maintaining her warm smile.
"The total is 31 silver coins and 60 copper coins."
"We’ll round that off for you, so it’s 31 silver coins."
Yet beneath her soft-as-water expression, the quoted price was enough to make any bottom adventurer panic or even feel faint.
Gauss paused slightly, but nonetheless pulled out 31 silver coins from his wallet.
Lucky for him, he had planned to find time in the coming days to invite Sofia for a nice meal, but for now, it seemed his finances wouldn’t support frequent visits.
He’d come back to celebrate after passing the assessment and receiving the bronze badge.
"Hope to see you next time."
Exiting the shop.
Andri, as if noticing his brief pause at checkout, felt a bit embarrassed too.
Despite her small size, she ate a lot.
"Gauss, next time it’s on me."