When the city walls appeared before Gauss, he felt a long-lost sense of inexplicable emotion.
It’s not that village life was bad, but objectively speaking, it didn’t match the convenience of a town.
The town before his eyes wasn’t large, even smaller than Gray Rock Town.
A very simple little town.
Through the gate, the noise of the bustling crowds filled his ears.
"I’m so tired, let’s find a place to eat first." Aaliyah stretched lazily.
It had been a month since they last entered a town.
Everyone was a bit nostalgic for the hot dishes prepared by professional chefs.
After asking the guard at the city gate, they quickly found a bustling tavern.
"Is there a private room?"
"Yes, please follow me."
The waiter saw the four of them enter and instinctively put on a warm expression, even raising the pitch of her voice.
Leading the way, she swayed her hips flirtatiously, as if she could feel the gaze from behind her.
But in fact...
Gauss was turning his head to look at the scenery outside the window.
Instead, it was Aaliyah’s gaze that lingered on her for a moment, with a few black lines appearing on her forehead.
They entered the private room.
The waiter squeezed out a gentle smile again, speaking softly.
"Here’s the menu, would you like me to introduce the specialty dishes of our shop?"
The waiter leaned in slightly.
"Okay, thank you, no need to trouble you, we’ll choose ourselves."
Gauss politely took the menu and, while handing it over to his teammates, slightly moved away.
The waiter sighed regretfully in her heart without leaving any traces.
Seeing Gauss’s somewhat aloof demeanor, she felt a bit down, but still stepped back a few steps, leaning against the wall waiting for him to order.
For once, her heart was stirred, yet she lost so completely.
After Gauss and his teammates finished choosing, they politely handed the menu back to the waiter.
Soon, the waiter quickly left the private room.
"She seemed to be upset." Aaliyah’s gaze returned from the door, teasing Gauss.
"Ahem, you’re overthinking."
"..."
"Who?" Ying snapped back to reality, lifting her head and glancing at the two.
She didn’t understand their cryptic conversation.
Seriously inquiring.
Seeing her so serious, Aaliyah waved her hands repeatedly.
"It’s nothing, not important."
"Alright then." Ying nodded.
The dishes were quickly served.
All four had quite an appetite.
Soon, only empty plates were left on the table after a feast.
"Burp~"
Everyone had a satisfied expression.
Farmhouse dishes certainly couldn’t match the cooking skills of most tavern chefs.
In life, delicious food is the kind of physical desire most people can easily access and be satisfied with.
"Let’s rest up for a bit."
Having eaten and drunk their fill, Gauss and the others felt a bit sleepy.
Walking in this little town called "Gold and Silver Town," they hadn’t taken a close look upon entering, but now they noticed a somewhat bleak scene.
Specifically in the lower number of adventurers.
Considering this town’s remote location, the smaller number of adventurers was understandable.
The siphon effect of big cities was too evident.
Slightly more ambitious adventurers would choose to go to the more prosperous Sen City nearby.
....
They rested for a night.
The next day, the group of four had regained their spirit.
Aaliyah took Ulfen, Aik, and other animal companions for a few laps outside.
"Brought you breakfast."
"Actually, it’s almost noon, but thanks anyway." Gauss took the breakfast.
Munching on a biscuit.
"Anything special in town?"
Gauss swallowed the last bite of his biscuit, brushed off the crumbs from his hands, and casually asked Aaliyah.
While pouring water for herself and Gauss, Aaliyah replied, "It’s quite a quiet little town. I asked the fruit stand owner, and it seems it used to be a bustling place where people from everywhere flocked - many came secretly, others worked in the mines."
"But after the veins were depleted, most people left."
"Only the earliest miners settled down."
"There are a few sealed-off shafts around the village, but the rich ore layers have long been mined out, leaving behind only poor-quality ores."
"...."
Gauss listened quietly to Aaliyah’s introduction, gaining more understanding of this town named "Gold and Silver Town."
A town with dwindling resources, gradually declining.
"Since we’re here, as usual, let’s head to the Adventurer’s Guild first. Also, let’s see if there are any suitable quests nearby."
Even though they were currently on a special assignment arranged by the Adventurer’s Guild, staying in town for a few days to resupply didn’t violate regulations.
They could also claim the commission for the past four weeks’ tasks.
The group reorganized themselves a bit and soon arrived at the town’s only Adventurer’s Guild.
The area around the Guild was slightly livelier.
Unlike any of the Adventurer’s Guilds Gauss had visited before, this Guild was located above a tavern. More precisely, the tavern itself was part of the Guild’s building.
"Cheers!"
"Waiter, another cup!"
Pushing open the heavy wooden door.
The scent of ale greeted them; it was noon, but the ground floor hall was already filled with people.
Some of them were adventurers, while others seemed to be just regular residents.
The servers appeared to be employees hired by the local Guild.
"What a down-to-earth Adventurer’s Guild."