Chapter 79: Frost Valley City is Truly Full of Hidden Experts!

Chapter 79: Chapter 79: Frost Valley City is Truly Full of Hidden Experts!

Lorin contentedly counted out five Gold Coins from his belt pouch, placing them on the table one by one. This money was absolutely well spent!

Glen accepted the Gold Coins with a complicated expression, turning them over and over in his hand before looking up at him uncomfortably. His gaze held a mixed emotion, a blend of indescribable appreciation and the feeling that he had suffered a massive loss.

He opened his mouth to speak but only let out a sigh. "I have nothing left to teach you about Continuous Slash. As long as you master Sheathing the Sword, reaching Mastery is just a matter of time and persistent effort."

"I remember you mentioned force generation earlier. Can I not learn that as well?" Lorin asked.

"Once you learn Sheathing the Sword, you’ll naturally know how to generate force. Just practice more. It’s not worth you spending another five Gold Coins." Glen sat back down in his chair and picked up his now-cold tea, waving a hand at him in a resigned manner. "Go on, off you go. Biting off more than you can chew won’t do you any good. First, figure out Sheathing the Sword properly, then come back to me to learn other Combat Skills."

He was surprisingly principled.

"Alright," Lorin replied with a smile. He placed the Iron Sword back on the weapon rack, turned, and pushed open the wooden door leading from the inner courtyard to the main hall.

There were far more Adventurers in the hall than in the morning, making the place quite lively. After all, those in this profession could never sit idle; even during the Midwinter Festival, they wanted to find something to do. He greeted Vanessa, then promptly left the Adventurer’s Guild.

A cold wind blew in from the street, sending a chill over the thin layer of sweat that covered him after practicing his swordplay. Lorin took a deep breath. The freezing air filled his lungs, clearing his head, which had grown a bit swollen from thinking so much.

Although his forearms were incredibly sore and the web between his thumb and index finger ached from gripping the sword, he didn’t feel tired in the slightest. The feeling of immediately reaping rewards after putting in effort was simply fantastic! Physical training required rest to build muscle, but with Glen’s instruction, he had learned instantly. Lorin felt that Glen had to be an instructor with a wealth of experience. Frost Valley City truly had its share of hidden talents!

In high spirits, Lorin walked into the Furnace Tavern. It was already lunchtime, and many Adventurers were seated at the tables, eating their meals.

Gustav was rolling a fresh barrel of ale from the backyard behind the counter. He looked up, spotted Lorin, and jerked his chin toward a corner of the main hall.

Lorin turned to look. Erin and Pip were sitting at a table in the corner. Several plates were already laid out, but the food remained largely untouched.

"How did the house hunting go?" Lorin walked over and sat down on the bench next to Erin, reaching into the breadbasket on the table to break off a piece.

He chewed a bite of the bread and took a swig of cold ale. His sword practice had drained a massive amount of stamina, and getting some food in his stomach made him feel much better.

"What are you looking at?" he asked, seeing Erin propping her chin on one hand and flipping through a palm-sized booklet with an incredibly focused expression.

"My Spellbook. Learning Two-Ring Magic," Erin replied absentmindedly.

Lorin sniffled, knowing she was likely feeling demoralized by his previous performance, so he didn’t dare press further. He looked at the barely touched meat stew, bread, and pies on the table, asking in confusion, "Why aren’t you guys eating?"

"We were waiting for our Lord Lorin."

"Pip is digging in!"

The little guy immediately picked up his soup bowl and GULP GULP GULP, downed half of it. He mumbled through a mouthful of food, "Pip foun’ a ’ouse."

"You found a house? What’s it like?"

Pip put down his empty bowl and stuffed another piece of bread into his mouth. He chewed vigorously, then rubbed his belly in satisfaction before speaking.

"It’s a detached storefront in the market district with a small courtyard and a kitchen inside.

"The landlord is an old Halfling lady. Pip chatted with her all morning, and she really, really likes Pip!

"She said Pip looks like her nephew from her hometown before she married and moved to the Northern Territory in her youth. She’s willing to charge only one Gold Coin per month, and that includes door and window repairs."

Only one Gold Coin for a month’s rent for a detached building? The price felt quite cheap. Times had truly changed. He remembered how he was still stressing over the rent in the slums just a few months ago. Now, a rent that was dozens of times higher didn’t make him feel much of anything.

"Pip thinks the market district is more suitable. It’s convenient for buying and selling things, and it’s relatively close to the Guild."

Erin took a small bite of her pie, keeping her eyes on her Spellbook as she said, "Mhm, rather than living in the Upper City District, we might as well just live in the Divine Hall. And the outskirts are too far and inconvenient."

"Oh, right." She reached into the inner pocket of her Mage Robe and took out a neatly folded letter stamped with a blue goshawk crest. Erin pushed the envelope over to the little guy. "One more thing. Anya said Pip’s instructor has been found. See for yourself."

"Found? They found one!?" Pip’s mouth hung wide open, and the pie he had just been biting into tumbled onto his plate. He picked up the letter as if holding a precious treasure.

"Mhm. Anya used her connections to find a Dwarf instructor for you. He is willing to teach you how to channel your Frenzy and maintain your rationality during combat."

Erin took a sip of ale to suppress her rising smile. Then, on second thought, considering that a Dwarf Barbarian might not be particularly good at staying rational, she quickly added, "The maintaining rationality part... maybe."

Lorin smiled as he looked at the slightly flustered little guy, genuinely happy for his companion. "Then what are you waiting for? You can go after eating."

"Pip is going right now!" The little guy excitedly shoved the envelope into his shirt. He picked up his bowl and downed the rest of his soup in one breath. Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, he hopped down from his chair and announced, "Pip is full! Pip is leaving!"

He turned and sprinted toward the door, only to double back after a few steps to grab a piece of bread from the table before finally rushing out of the tavern for real.

Erin watched the little guy run out and let out a rare, soft chuckle. Catching Lorin’s gaze drifting toward her, she glared at him and scolded, "Hurry up and eat. We still have to go buy clothes later."

"Now?" Lorin paused, stunned.

"When else? Do you have something else to do this afternoon? A date with Lily?" Erin looked at him expressionlessly.

Lorin feigned a look of shock and said, "How did you know!?"

After swiftly putting him in his place, Erin walked out of the tavern with an icy expression, followed closely by Lorin, who was sporting a slightly red forehead.

Frost Valley City’s afternoon streets were much livelier than in the morning. The area was full of people bringing their families out for a stroll to take advantage of the festival, as well as many vendors pushing snack carts. The aromas of various foods mingled with the chill of melting snow, forming a wondrous scent that could only be smelled on sunny winter days, surprisingly bringing a sense of warmth to the soul.

Looking at the increasingly luxurious buildings lining both sides of the street, Lorin didn’t know whether to feel a headache or heartache. Over seventy Gold Coins hung heavily at his waist, yet he couldn’t shake the feeling that they were becoming lighter at a visible rate.

"If I had known, I wouldn’t have agreed to go clothes shopping with this woman..." he thought with a hint of regret.