Chapter 20: The Town

The clinking of wine glasses...

When he woke up again, it was, as expected, already morning.

Massaging his aching head, he climbed up from the wooden table.

These guys.

Can they please stop forcing alcohol down a child's throat!

What did she mean by "everything will be fine as long as there's Kumironi"? He turned his head to see Akari next to him, still snoring away with bubbles coming out of his nose.

And in front of him.

Was Kumironi, wearing a helpless smile: "I heard about what happened last night and thought you might be waking up by now."

Kumironi approached behind Lu Cang, and a gentle life force began to flow through his body.

The hangover and dizziness quickly subsided.

"Kumironi... is he always like this?"

"Mhm... more or less."

"Actually, he means well."

Lu Cang let out a soft sigh.

As a former corporate slave before his transmigration, he could actually understand Akari's intention.

It was just...

My wallet!

Lu Cang looked at his empty coin pouch.

Last night's expenses came to exactly 2 gold and 26 silver.

Not a penny more, not a penny less.

It had completely drained his newly earned savings.

Kumironi covered her mouth.

It looked like she was stifling a laugh.

Ultimately, she reached out quietly and placed her hand over Lu Cang's.

When she withdrew her hand, two shiny gold coins were left in Lu Cang's palm.

Kumironi said softly, "Consider it my treat."

"Kumironi..."

Lu Cang pushed the gold coins back: "Forget it."

"Actually, this is something I wanted to do myself."

"Oh my... it seems little Lu Cang is quite precocious~"

"But, it's alright."

"This is also compensation for Iz not protecting you well."

"As a hired bodyguard, allowing his employer to return on the brink of death is a dereliction of duty."

"In this situation, he shouldn't just refrain from taking money; he should actually compensate the employer."

"Let these two gold coins serve as proof of your reconciliation with Iz."

Lu Cang couldn't win the argument against Kumironi.

He pocketed the two gold coins.

After a night of heavy drinking, yesterday's suspicion, distrust, and unpleasantness had gradually faded away.

Perhaps this was just Akari's way of handling things.

Kumironi smiled: "Iz and the others haven't woken up yet. Let me take you for a stroll. You haven't seen the morning in Rain Town yet, have you?"

Lu Cang nodded gently: "Okay."

This had actually been his intention last night, but Akari had suddenly appeared and forcibly turned it into a victory party.

He left the Adventurers' Guild with Kumironi.

It was currently early morning.

Heh... he had to admit, he thought his sleep schedule had been flipped once again due to the coma.

As it turned out, this hangover had somehow turned a negative into a positive for his routine.

"Mhm... let me introduce them one by one."

"This is the Rain Town Adventurers' Guild. It's where adventurers accept commissions and where they usually gather."

"Over there is the Rain Town Library..."

Lu Cang followed Kumironi as they slowly strolled through the morning streets of Rain Town.

This was the first time Lu Cang had actually had leisure time to appreciate this world.

Most buildings were wooden houses, with an occasional uniquely shaped structure made of unknown materials.

Places like the library, for instance, were quite special.

Aside from the library, Rain Town actually had dedicated training grounds.

This was where adventurers usually practiced their combat skills and magic.

Lu Cang's behavior of casting magic inside a room was actually strictly prohibited.

Only after Kumironi explained it did Lu Cang realize that on the day he practiced magic in his room, Iz had already set up an absorption barrier within a certain range.

His magic hadn't been seen by anyone else, and of course, it hadn't affected anyone.

Besides the training grounds.

There was also the [Hall of Life].

Here, most diseases could be treated for free, or low-level curses could be dispelled, and minor wounds could be healed.

However, for more serious injuries, a certain fee would be charged.

Lu Cang could understand.

The Hall of Life was essentially a hospital...

In certain corners of the town, there were also blank altars.

Kumironi emphasized that Rain Town had no churches and no dedicated shrines.

If believers wanted to worship, they could only do so at the blank altars.

But even with freedom of belief, there were still certain gods that were forbidden from being worshipped at the blank altars.

One was "The White of Death and Destruction," and the other was "Bani of War and Fire."

Both of these gods were omens of misfortune.

Among them, "The White of Death and Destruction" was not only forbidden in Rain Town but was prohibited in the vast majority of the world, where even establishing churches or practicing the faith was banned.

Once discovered, one would be dealt with under local laws as a cultist.

In more serious cases, the possibility of being sentenced to death was high.

Eh...

The White of Death and Destruction?

It sounds like something ominous. It's definitely better to stay away from it; it feels like encountering it would be nothing but trouble...

No, it's not like one could just stumble upon something like that by accident.

It is, after all, a god.

There wasn't much to worry about regarding faith, especially since Kumironi knew Lu Cang was a non-believer.

Having no faith meant being free of burdens.

As the High Priestess of the Temple of Life, Kumironi was also occasionally responsible for the processions and blessings of the Church of Life.

In addition to faith, Kumironi also took Lu Cang along to browse shops for weapons, armor, potions, and ingredients.

Lu Cang gained a basic understanding of the world's prices.

The daily food expense for one person, if not eating grand meals, was around 10 copper.

1 gold = 10,000 copper.

Wait... those people yesterday ate 2 gold and 26 silver of mine!

That's equivalent to 2,260 days of food!

DAYS! Not meals!

There were only about a hundred people at the Adventurers' Guild yesterday.

Lu Cang calculated carefully and gradually felt that even if Kumironi treated a hundred people, it should have cost at most 50 silver.

These adventurers really didn't treat him like an outsider at all!

Wait, what did Akari say yesterday?

"Bring out the best wine here!"

As that blurry memory from before he passed out surfaced, a vein throbbed slightly on Lu Cang's temple.

He almost let out a curse that would have ruined his image as a child.

*Whew—*

*Patience, patience, keep a calm mind—*

Lu Cang forced himself to steady his emotions...

Just treat it as a tax. A transmigration tax.

By the time they finished touring the significant sites of Rain Town, it was already afternoon.

Kumironi counted on her fingers: "Rain Town... that should be about all the places."

"I don't think we missed anything."

Alright then.

Kumironi, I feel like you are much more reliable than those two guys.

"Thank you, Sister Kumironi."

Kumironi said, "Mhm, I promised Granny Sancy that I would help her harvest the fields this afternoon."

"I might not have time to accompany you around Rain Town later."

Lu Cang grinned: "It's okay, Sister Kumironi. I plan to wander around on my own."

A hint of worry appeared on Kumironi's face.

But she quickly realized that Lu Cang was a mage capable of soloing a Tier 2 dungeon; at the very least, Rain Town was a very safe place, so there was no need to worry too much.

"Alright, then I'll head off first."

"You know the way back to the inn, right?"

Lu Cang nodded: "Mhm, I know."

Kumironi leaned down to pat Lu Cang's head and then waved goodbye.

(End of Chapter)