Chapter 640 Quite Perceptive

Aside from its unique geographical location in the Rime Forest and its distinct local customs, Ice Tree Village was, to a certain extent, no different from the vast majority of remote villages on the continent.

It lacked the abundant resources of the large cities, sharing their same poverty and squalor.

But for this very reason, the villagers—terrified that their meager possessions might be plundered by brutal outsiders—were gripped by a mixture of fear and awe. They brought out almost everything they had to entertain these five passing adventurers.

The dinner was held at the village chief's house. This wooden cabin, which usually served as both a home and a meeting hall, had been temporarily converted into a guesthouse for the adventurers.

An uneven wooden table, cobbled together from several thick planks, sat in the center of the room. It was draped in a coarse, slightly worn, but impeccably clean tablecloth, upon which rested steaming clay pots and bowls.

Stew, cured meat, and wild vegetable soup—every dish was filled to the brim with hearty portions.

Limited by the village's resources, however, the food itself was quite ordinary.

The only two decent-looking dishes, a roast chicken and a rabbit stew, had been provided by Xia Nan, who had taken some free time that afternoon to hunt in the nearby woods.

With the exceptional physical prowess of a Class Holder, catching a few small prey was effortless, even without much hunting experience.

In just an hour or two, he had returned with two full baskets of game.

Half of the catch consisted of a wild bird the locals called the "gurgle chicken." Short-legged and thick-feathered, it offered dense, meaty portions and earned its name from its distinctive bubbling call.

The other half were rime-fluff rabbits, small beasts native to the Rime Hills. Not only was their meat delicious, but their snow-white pelts also held considerable economic value. However, because they were incredibly alert and difficult for even the most experienced hunters to catch, the locals had never established an industry around them.

Xia Nan left all the rabbit pelts with the villagers, figuring they would make up for the cost of hosting the dinner.

"Old man, this wine of yours is way too weak! It's like plain water. I can't even feel a thing after a whole cup!"

The half-orc Gank sat at the table, his plate already piled high.

Tipping his head back, he poured the last drop of liquor from his empty bottle into his mouth and casually tossed the clay vessel to the floor, letting it shatter.

He wiped the sticky mixture of drool and alcohol from the corner of his mouth and spat toward the village chief opposite him, his tone thick with dissatisfaction.

The village chief naturally didn't dare argue. Keeping his head bowed, he nodded repeatedly in cautious agreement, promising to buy better wine to entertain passing adventurers in the future.

His tone seemed sincere, but they were undoubtedly just empty words meant to placate the brute.

The half-orc obviously didn't notice. Instead, he patted the man's shoulder in satisfaction.

"Don't worry, hic—that banshee or whatever near your village, I'll definitely clean it out for you!" he declared boldly. "I won't even ask for any money. When—when I come back after taking care of it, just don't forget to prepare more food for me!"

"Rest assured, Lord Gank, our village will definitely prepare all the supplies you need!" the village chief replied with a fawning smile, bowing slightly in subservience.

Broad-shouldered, thick-waisted peasant women bustled about adding dishes. Having been specifically instructed beforehand, they moved with hurried steps and kept their eyes lowered, only stealing cautious glances at the adventurers when clearing the plates.

Outside, the faint sounds of children playing could be heard, quickly followed by the sharp scolding of the villagers.

Due to the adventurers' arrival, the children had been strictly forbidden from going out. Yet, the more curious and mischievous ones still managed to sneak out, peering into the house from a distance through the windows.

Uriah, Treebrook, and Tal, along with the half-orc Gank, were all seated at the table, enjoying this rare and lively dinner.

Xia Nan wasn't very familiar with the group and didn't want to be caught in the crossfire of their spitting, so he sat alone in an armchair by the fireplace, enjoying the game he had hunted that afternoon.

To be fair, although the villagers hadn't used many spices, their cooking skills were excellent. They brought out the unique, savory flavor of the wild birds and rabbits—creatures that had grown up in the Rime Forest—in a pure and natural way.

If not for the fact that there were too many prying eyes around and he didn't want to expose the existence of his [White Flask] Pocket Watch, he would have definitely paired the meal with two bowls of creamy mushroom soup.

At the same time, he didn't mistreat his "Little Snowflake."

While hunting alone that afternoon, he had already filled Fanny's stomach using the fresh meat stored beforehand in the [White Flask] Pocket Watch, along with some of their catch.

The Winter Wolf was currently lying near the door, not far from Xia Nan. Resting her furry head on her crossed front paws, she dozed with her eyes closed, her breathing slow and steady.

"Creak—"

The door was gently pushed open from the outside. A brief gust of cold wind poured in before it was immediately blocked out as the wooden door swung shut again.

And inside the room stood a new figure.

Holding a tray stacked with several steaming wheat flatbreads, it seemed to be another villager coming to serve food.

But unlike the middle-aged peasant women bustling around the table earlier, the person at the door was a young girl of fifteen or sixteen.

She had a slender, flat build, yet her arms and legs possessed a sturdy strength that city noblewomen lacked, suggesting she had undergone some form of training since childhood.

Her dark brown hair was tied back in a thick braid, and her distinct, black-and-white eyes were bright and lively.

The girl's appearance was clearly not planned by the village.

The moment she walked into the room with her tray, the village chief—who had been carefully agreeing with the adventurers at the table—furrowed his brow deeply.

Taking advantage of the adventurers' distraction, he glared fiercely at the girl, signaling her to leave immediately.

But the girl already had her own plans.

Ignoring the chief's angry stare, her lively eyes shifted, quietly sweeping past the adventurers with their backs to the door before finally landing on the sleeping Winter Wolf nearby.

As if she had found her target, her eyes suddenly lit up.

Before she could make a move, she noticed Xia Nan sitting by the fireplace, watching her.

The moment their eyes met, the girl visibly trembled, and her gaze reflexively darted away.

But in the next second, she practically forced herself to straighten her back. She offered a somewhat clumsy bow in Xia Nan's direction, then stepped forward with feigned composure, gently placing the tray on the small round table in front of him.

"These are freshly baked flatbreads. Please enjoy them while they're hot."

Even as she spoke, her bright eyes couldn't help but steal a glance toward Fanny.

Having delivered the food, she should have stepped back and left.

But the girl seemed to have made up her mind. She stood her ground, took a deep breath, and pursed her lips tightly.

Overcoming her inner fear with immense courage, she raised her head slightly and looked straight into Xia Nan's deep, dark eyes.

"Sir," she asked, her voice trembling, "your companion—may I take a look at her?"

Xia Nan found this rather amusing.

He hadn't bothered to hide anything when entering the village. Fanny had been walking right beside his leg, and anyone with eyes could see the bond between them.

It wasn't surprising that the girl knew Fanny was his companion.

They were all seasoned, veteran adventurers. The only one in the room who likely hadn't figured it out was that green-skinned half-breed. How could the rest of them not know why the village chief had only assigned burly, middle-aged peasant women to serve and clean?

Under these circumstances, this young girl had not only dared to enter the room but had even mustered the courage to speak to him.

It was hard to say whether she was incredibly brave or simply had a severe misconception about the moral standards of adventurers in this world.

The moment the girl stood straight and spoke, the peasant women who had been secretly keeping an eye on his corner immediately stiffened.

The village chief planted both feet on the floor, half-rising from his chair.

Xia Nan guessed that if he showed even the slightest hint of displeasure, the old man would rush over and throw himself to his knees to beg for mercy on her behalf.

Xia Nan didn't answer immediately.

Shifting his dark eyes, his gaze bypassed the reckless girl in front of him and landed on Winter Wolf Fanny.

She appeared to be resting with her eyes closed, but the moment the girl tried to approach Xia Nan, those drooping wolf ears had quietly and vigilantly perked up.

Fanny understood Common, and with her hearing, she naturally hadn't missed the girl's request.

Sensing Xia Nan's questioning gaze, the Winter Wolf didn't even open her eyes. She merely exhaled a puff of frigid breath and gently swished her tail behind her, blocking the girl's line of sight.

Her attitude was clear.

Xia Nan knew that if he forced the issue, Fanny would probably allow the girl to approach. However, he clearly wasn't the type to inconvenience his close companion just to accommodate a stranger's request.

He tilted his chin toward Fanny and looked back at the girl, politely refusing, "It seems she doesn't like you very much."

A look of obvious disappointment surfaced on the girl's face.

Of course, despite her inner dismay, she maintained her cautious courtesy.

"I'm sorry to have disturbed you, sir."

Her tone was sincere. Instead of turning away immediately, she bent down and meticulously began clearing Xia Nan's table, not showing a hint of complaint.

Watching her, Xia Nan pondered for a moment and was about to say something.

Suddenly, a gaze overflowing with malice shot over from the other end of the room.

Their interaction was brief, but it had been enough to draw the attention of the others.

His yellowish-brown beastly eyes narrowing, the half-orc Gank stared past the dining table, fixing his sight directly on the young girl.

"M-My Lord, try this! It's a specialty of the Rime Forest!"

The village chief reacted swiftly. Almost the instant Gank looked over, he leaped to his feet, trying to block the half-orc's line of sight.

But before he could even lift a plate, Gank shoved him back down into his seat with a heavy slap.

"Piss off! Stop getting in my way!"

The brief sliver of goodwill he had displayed at the table vanished instantly, replaced by wicked thoughts driven by primal, beastly lust.

There was no doubt about what fate would befall the villagers of Ice Tree Village if Gank were the only adventurer present.

But right now—the situation was different.

Xia Nan didn't even stand up. He remained seated in his armchair by the fireplace.

He merely raised his head slightly and shot a glance from afar, his deep, dark eyes completely devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

Driven by that same beastly instinct, Gank, who had already half-risen from his chair, inexplicably sat back down under the weight of an invisible pressure.

The half-orc's pale green face instantly flushed crimson, furious as if he had suffered some immense humiliation.

Evidently, he couldn't accept his own cowardly reaction.

Gank was never afraid of a fight, but if he were to actually stand up and continue what he was doing, the indescribable sense of danger that had surged the moment their eyes met made him instinctively glue his rear tight to his chair.

As the temporary captain of Sulfur Dragon Breath, Uriah immediately noticed the conflict.

Vaguely sensing Xia Nan's formidable strength and unwilling to make an enemy of him, the bard intervened almost the second the half-orc sat back down. Ostensibly reprimanding Gank but in reality diffusing the tension, he scolded the half-orc in front of everyone: "Gank! Don't do anything that might embarrass the captain!"

"Once the mission is over and we're back at the fortress, you can fool around however you want."

"But right now—no!"

In the past, hearing Uriah reprimand him again using Captain Gretchen's name would have only made Gank impatient.

Right now, however, he inexplicably felt no resistance; instead, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Even the bard's deliberate volume, ensuring everyone heard the scolding, perfectly suited his desires.

'See? I didn't back down because of that black-haired human named Xia Nan.'

'It was only for the sake of the team's reputation and the rules Captain Gretchen set that I forced myself to hold back.'

'It has nothing to do with anyone else!'

Thinking this, Gank used Uriah's scolding as an excuse to back down. He gave a rather comical cold snort, stopped looking in Xia Nan's direction, and deliberately buried his face back in the food on the table.

Seeing this, the pale-faced village chief, who had been forcefully shoved back into his seat across the table, let out a long sigh of relief.

Although the intimidating half-orc sitting right in front of him kept him from speaking aloud, he still cast a deeply grateful look in Xia Nan's direction.

He was clearly very aware that it was Xia Nan who had stopped Gank just now.

Xia Nan's face remained impassive, but he felt a faint twinge of regret.

'This mixed-blood bastard is actually quite perceptive.'

He looked at the young girl in front of him. On the surface, she still seemed to be clearing his table, but her body was trembling violently. She had obviously sensed the fleeting malice and danger just now.

After a moment's thought, Xia Nan slowly stood up and adjusted his clothes slightly.

"It's too stuffy in here. I'm going out for some fresh air."

He tilted his head toward the girl, who instinctively looked up at him, her eyes slightly unfocused from extreme tension.

"You lead the way," he said.