Chapter 146: Silence

Hegu Town after Hunting Day was noticeably much quieter compared to the bustling scene from before.

Those dust-covered adventurers who traveled between the Adventurer Association and various cheap grocery stores, wearing simple equipment, had disappeared into the deepening autumn wind before anyone knew it.

It was naturally impossible that they had earned enough money and retired satisfactorily.

As for where they went... the much more fertile soil in the Mist Forest might be able to give the answer.

And replacing them were the young and green faces on the street, the sharply increased sales of equipment at the blacksmith shop, and the 【Adventurer's Handbook】 that had been sold to the point of near-exhaustion in a short time.

The income myth of working for two years and saving enough for a happy life, making the Sheriff in the village who used to be arrogant toward them never dare to speak loudly to them again, and even becoming a "professional" to achieve a leap.

Adventurers, at least on the Aifala Continent, would never lack people.

The Baishanque Tavern was still as lively as ever.

With its excellent location and the expensive prices far exceeding other taverns in town, it was a place that gathered a large number of veteran adventurers who were willing to spend money and had money to spend.

And for these "old oil-slicks" who had been mixing in the adventurer line for many years, the so-called Hunting Day... was indeed just a "happy festival" where income soared once a year.

There were naturally those who capsized, but they were rare.

This made the tavern hall full of veteran adventurers who chose to use alcohol to release pressure and numb their nerves after a hard mission, even if the streets outside were cold and "full of vigor."

It was even more lively than usual because they had earned gold coins on Hunting Day.

"Today, even if I bleed heavily, I'll bring you here to see the world!"

An adventurer with blood stains on his leather armor pushed open the tavern door with a showy expression on his face.

Behind him followed a green youth with a curious face, a brand-new single-handed sword hanging at his waist.

"The Baishanque is almost the highest-grade tavern in the entire Hegu Town."

"Even just staying for one night costs a whole silver coin."

"Usually, even your cousin, I, only come here for a meal with my teammates after a mission ends."

"You kid are lucky, you got to enjoy it before even doing a single mission."

Hearing his cousin say this, Jimi nodded ignorantly, his face wearing the cautious smile peculiar to a newcomer.

He didn't have any real sense of it; it was only when the other mentioned the one-silver-coin-per-night accommodation fee that he subconsciously tightened the money bag at his waist, calculating in his heart how many days his entire net worth could support him staying here.

Subconsciously, he even looked up to the waiter who was mopping the floor nearby, feeling that they were a big shot he couldn't afford to offend.

Looking around cautiously, he saw his cousin walking toward the bar, so he quickly followed.

Unlike the dashing posture he had imagined, his cousin appeared exceptionally hesitant when ordering, stopping to ponder for a while from time to time, as if calculating the cost of their meal.

Jimi was initially puzzled; after all, he had heard from his family that his cousin had earned a lot of money as an adventurer in Hegu Town for the past two years, and given his personality, he shouldn't be so stingy about treating him to a meal.

But when he saw his cousin report just a few dish names lightly and then take out three whole silver coins plus five copper coins from his pocket, Jimi finally understood the reason for the pained expression on his face.

"Good heavens, if this much money were used to buy bread, it would be enough to fill two big bags..."

While clicking his tongue secretly, he also had a few more expectations for the "adventurer" profession and his own future.

Seeing his little cousin, whom he had brought from his hometown, looking very envious, the pained expression on his cousin's face, which had been there due to the huge expenditure, couldn't help but reveal a bit of pride.

Pretending to be generous, he reached out, put his arm around Jimi's shoulder, and walked toward an empty table in the hall.

"Your cousin, I, haven't achieved any great results in the past two years, but I do have a bit of a reputation in town."

"Don't worry, since I promised your uncle and aunt that I would take good care of you, I definitely won't let you suffer."

"Follow me from now on, I guarantee I'll take you..."

Encouraged by the sweet words in his ear, Jimi also gradually became lost, starting to fantasize about his soon-to-begin beautiful adventurer career.

It was just that, for some reason.

The loud, even somewhat floating voice of his cousin beside him suddenly became quiet.

His body also froze on the spot.

His expression was stiff, his gaze staring straight ahead, yet without focus, as if he were deliberately avoiding a certain direction and pretending not to see it.

Not understanding the tricks of the trade, Jimi felt puzzled and subconsciously looked at the tables nearby.

"Is it this dwarf? But isn't he asleep on the table? Nothing special."

"Or that table of half-orcs? I heard from a bard who passed through the village before that their personalities are all not very good; if they are drunk, they are indeed more troublesome."

"It couldn't possibly be this table, right? That black-haired adventurer, his age doesn't look much older than mine; he's probably just a newcomer who just entered the business, the two in front of him are..."

Pondering, Jimi suddenly felt his cousin's fingers on his shoulder exert force, forcibly twisting his body around so he wouldn't look anymore.

Almost pressing him to walk back, while nervously lowering his voice:

"Don't look!"

"We'll change seats, we're not sitting here."

"As the first lesson of being an adventurer, I'll teach you how to recognize people!"

His cousin's suddenly changed attitude made Jimi freeze for a moment, and he subconsciously blurted out:

"Recognize people? Who? That black-haired..."

"Silence!" his cousin said, holding his left index finger to his lips, and whispered.

As he spoke, he looked back guiltily, and seeing that the other party didn't seem to have noticed them, he breathed a sigh of relief.

Touching his neck, which felt vaguely cold, he scolded:

"From now on, don't look around, and don't speak without my permission!"

"Since you plan to make a living in Hegu Town in the future, there are a few people you don't have to interact with, but you must recognize!"

"Otherwise, if you offend some big shot, you won't even survive a single mission!"

Seeing his cousin's expression so serious, Jimi felt as if he had done something wrong, couldn't help but shrink his shoulders, and consciously shut his mouth.

"I'll tell you the rest slowly later."

"Since we met this one today, I'll take the opportunity to give you a hint, so you don't get your head cut off and not even know who you offended!"

"First, the most obvious one, and also the source of his nickname, you should have already seen it just now."

Hearing his cousin say this, Jimi subconsciously recalled the scene he had glimpsed earlier;

"That... gray longsword?"

"Right!"

"'Gray Sword'!"

(End of Chapter) ===== CHAPTER 147 =====