Chapter 61: A Visit
In a shop near the Adventurer’s Guild, the squad got rid of all the miscellaneous items obtained from the kobold commission task.
Most bottom adventurers handle their loot in these shops; overall, the prices are quite fair.
The sum of money they received was more than they expected.
The total price for selling the loot was 25 silver coins and 60 copper coins, mostly from the body of the elderly kobold, which sold for 12 silver coins, while the rest of the cart’s junk sold for a dozen or so silver coins.
Gathered around the now empty cart, their faces lit up with happiness. For adventurers, the happiest moment of a commission task is undoubtedly when they receive the money.
With the smooth silver coins in their palms, the exhaustion from the commission seemed worth it.
The happiest among them was Daphne, with her eyes curved from smiling, full of yearning for a magic staff.
After the group split up, Gauss glanced at his money pouch.
A one-day task, earning 11 silver coins—he was quite satisfied with this efficiency.
After counting his money once more and feeling the rumbling in his stomach, he realized he was hungry and quickly found a tavern.
This time, he didn’t splurge entirely on meat but ordered some staples with mixed dishes. After eating about 2-3 adult men’s worth of food, Gauss finally felt full.
Perhaps it was just a psychological illusion, but when Gauss got up to pay, he already felt as if his body was starting to digest the food, with a gentle warmth flowing through him.
Was it the effect of [Rapid Digestion]?
But considering it’s still the weakest initial level, it shouldn’t be this immediate; it’s likely influenced by psychological suggestion.
...
"Has business been better lately?" Gauss leaned on the counter, glancing at the hall and then at Sofia, whose face couldn’t hide her smile.
"You noticed too, huh? Indeed, more people have come to town," Sofia said with a beaming smile. "And I put a small advertisement board at the door to draw in customers."
It was clear she was in a good mood.
Gauss nodded.
He recalled seeing the wooden sign painted with simple ink at the inn’s entrance when returning last night.
Not everyone can afford to rent a room in a tavern, so privately-run small inns like Sofia’s became an alternative.
Although this place was a bit far from the town center, it was quiet and serene.
"Sofia, are you going to raise the prices?"
He suddenly remembered seeing that the board last night said 4 copper coins per room per night, with a monthly rent of 60 copper coins.
That’s double; he remembered his rent was just 30 copper coins per month.
"Shh—"
Sofia quickly shushed Gauss.
After glancing around at the other guests in the hall still engrossed in conversation, she breathed a sigh of relief and whispered in Gauss’s ear.
"I’m just trying to make some extra money off these out-of-towners," Sofia winked. "I’ve checked, the nearby inns have also raised prices."
It seemed they were looking to cash in on the "peak season."
Even doubling the price was still cheaper than most tavern rooms.
Considering the taverns in town were nearly full, even a small price increase wouldn’t scare away tenants.
Looking at Sofia, Gauss opened his mouth but stopped before speaking.
He actually wanted to say he was also an out-of-towner.
But considering that "he" first saw this inn upon arriving in this Otherworld, in a sense, it felt no different than home.
"Let me know if you plan to raise the price later; I’m not short on money right now," Gauss said after receiving a glass of water from Sofia, remaining silent for a moment before speaking.
"I can earn a few silver coins just by going on any random task." He held back, as he made 11 silver coins in just a day yesterday.
"There’s no way you have that much. Even if you have some money, don’t be extravagant; save up while you’re young," Sofia kindly reminded him.
She wasn’t familiar with adventurer affairs but could reason that a novice adventurer wouldn’t easily earn so much.
"Believe it or not," Gauss chuckled and shook his head.
He didn’t want to explain too much, as it would seem boastful.
Besides, he felt that being a bottom adventurer was not yet presentable; it wouldn’t be too late to share once he officially advanced to a profession, becoming a notable bronze-level adventurer.
Then he could give her a surprise, as professionals held quite a bit of prestige in Gray Rock Town.
After having some water at the counter and feeling the morning’s sleepiness fully dispelled, Gauss ended the chat with Sofia and left the inn.
"1st-level Spell Mage Armor lv2(10/20)"
"1st-level Spell Magic Missile lv2(11/20)"
"0th Ring Trick Mage’s Hand lv2(19/20)"
The proficiency in all the spells was increasing rapidly.
The Mage’s Hand hadn’t been specifically practiced but was nearly lv3.
However, he currently didn’t feel that guiding pull towards a professional path, so it was likely that a lv3 Mage’s Hand was still not enough to meet the requirements for a professional advancement.
It’s unclear whether there are differences between 1st-level spells and 0th Ring tricks in this regard.
Considering Mage Armor had only been practiced for a few days and had already reached lv2(10/20), it seemed that lv3 and lv4 wouldn’t take excessively long, especially compared to other apprentices. He felt reassured.
His improvement speed was quite fast, especially when compared to the other members of the Night Owl Squad, making it even more apparent.
However, Gauss didn’t plan to practice spells this morning; instead, he was preparing to visit a swordsmanship instructor to address his fundamental shortcomings.
After casually mentioning to Doyle his desire to practice sword skills to strengthen his Basic Swordsmanship, Doyle recommended his "mentor" to him.
In a world with adventurers, naturally, there were instructor mentors teaching adventurer skills.
It’s said that in bigger cities, various professions have their own guilds, and only professionals can officially join them.
However, Gray Rock Town had no such professional guilds, and as Gauss was not a formal professional, to find someone to teach basic swordsmanship, he’d have to pay for instruction.
Actually, he should have another better option—the Black Anvil Workshop’s Boss Glon.
But considering that Glon didn’t want to expose his professional identity, it seemed too presumptuous for Gauss, who had no relation to him, to ask for his guidance. Therefore, he preferred to spend some money.
After all, he only needed a skilled practitioner to guide him on the fundamentals—a professional would be overqualified.
After circling around town, he quickly found the courtyard Doyle mentioned.
The door was slightly open, and in the courtyard surrounded by low mud walls, a dozen teenagers were practicing swordsmanship under the guidance of a middle-aged man.
"Hello, I heard you can provide swordsmanship guidance here? Doyle referred me," Gauss said, stepping into the courtyard, instantly drawing all the attention.
The young eyes were filled with envy, curiosity, and a little wariness.
Unlike these newcomers, who hadn’t yet embarked on real adventures, Gauss looked like an experienced hand.
Especially the weapons he carried, which made the teenagers still practicing with wooden swords admire him enviously.
Even though he seemed not much older than them.