Chapter 47: Dealing with the Spoils (Two-in-One)

The lodging conditions of the inn, while far inferior to the star-rated hotels of his previous life, were undoubtedly much better than sleeping in the wild under the open sky.

At the very least, he didn't have to worry about being shaken awake halfway through the night by a companion on watch duty, only to fight off a sudden monster attack with disheveled hair and bleary eyes.

For the first time in a long while, Xia Nan had a good night's sleep.

But he did not indulge in oversleeping.

The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to dawn, he forced himself out of bed through sheer willpower.

As an adventurer, the first day after completing a mission was often the busiest.

Turning in quests, disposing of loot, repairing equipment...

Countless urgent matters piled up in Xia Nan's mind like a checklist.

Even if it took an entire day to handle these affairs, he was more than willing.

Because only by doing so, after a hard day's work, could he tuck a bulging wallet into his pocket and, filled with a sense of accomplishment, enjoy his hard-earned "vacation" without any burdens.

After a quick wash, he left the tavern.

Carrying a somewhat heavy backpack, Xia Nan made his way to the River Valley Town Adventurers' Guild.

It was still that treehouse-style building with a distinct "Misty Forest" aesthetic, and it was just as busy.

Despite waking up as early as possible, by the time he stepped onto the dark brown oak floorboards at the guild entrance, the view was already filled with all manner of adventurers.

Some, like him, carried bulging packs on their backs, looking as though they had risen early to turn in quests; others gathered in small groups beneath the quest board, leaning in to whisper to one another.

Xia Nan even spotted an extremely burly half-orc, over two meters tall, strolling leisurely from a distant street while carrying a gruesome monster head.

The traces of battle were clearly visible on his dust-covered body, and blood still dripped from the severed neck of the head in his hand.

He had obviously just finished a fierce struggle.

The thick scent of blood emanating from him, combined with the stench of someone who hadn't bathed in many days in the wild, caused passing adventurers to frown and dodge away.

However, from Xia Nan's observation, the half-orc showed no sign of anger at the disdainful reactions of the crowd.

On the contrary, he looked utterly content and relaxed.

His composed demeanor was like that of a fisherman who had finally caught a big one and was so eager to tell the whole town that he would take a detour of a dozen streets just to make sure everyone knew.

Xia Nan even suspected that if someone approached him now to ask the name of the monster or details about the fight, the half-orc might laugh so hard his protruding tusks would swallow themselves.

In the end, the half-orc failed to enter the Adventurers' Guild.

As soon as he reached the entrance, he was "politely" escorted out by staff who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, told to clean himself up before returning.

Yet, the man maintained a blissful expression, clearly having achieved his goal.

Withdrawing his gaze, Xia Nan felt his somewhat oppressed mood—a result of spending a long time in the Misty Forest—begin to lift alongside this comical scene.

*Ding-ling.*

A crisp bell rang, bringing him back to reality. He saw the adventurer who had been ahead of him leaving the counter with a coin pouch.

He composed himself and walked to the front desk.

It was still the same short-haired girl, looking listless with her head hanging low as if she might fall asleep at any second.

"Quest number?" a lethargic voice drifted from the girl.

"387H, the Glow-Garlic Vine gathering quest."

Silence.

The girl didn't reply; she simply operated something beneath the counter for a moment.

Then, she spoke slowly

"Number 387H. The quest time has expired. The issuer did not choose to extend the bounty, so it has been withdrawn."

As expected...

Though Xia Nan had prepared himself mentally, he still felt a faint sense of disappointment.

Normally, three days would have been more than enough to make a round trip from River Valley Town to the outskirts of the Misty Forest; the time allotted was very generous.

But who could have guessed he would encounter a half-elf party during his journey and accept their commission to venture deeper into the forest?

Although he had earned 100 gold and plenty of loot because of it, the original task of gathering Glow-Garlic Vines had timed out.

He had rushed back to town through the night specifically to turn in the quest, but the guild had already closed by the time he arrived, forcing him to wait until now.

"Understood. Thank you."

Xia Nan gave a slight nod to the girl and prepared to leave.

Unexpectedly, she glanced up at him and added

"I heard Lady Edwina's new detoxification potions are quite effective; they are preparing to produce a second batch."

"You could try asking at her shop. There might still be a chance."

Hearing this, Xia Nan was momentarily stunned, then thought to himself

From what he knew, Glow-Garlic Vines were not common plants. Even if the client no longer urgently needed them and the price wasn't as high, he should still be able to get a decent price by selling them at market value.

The girl's reminder had provided him with a second option.

He couldn't help but offer his thanks

"Thanks for the tip!"

After a moment's thought, he took a shimmering silver coin from his bosom, covered it with his fingertip, and silently slid it across the counter.

*Swish—*

In an instant, the silver coin vanished from sight.

The girl, who had previously seemed listless, suddenly sat up straight. Her half-closed eyelids lifted, and she assumed the posture of a diligent, exemplary employee, muttering to herself

"Lady Edwina usually likes drinking—the strong kind. I'll bring her a couple of bottles another day; maybe she'll give me a discount on my purchases."

Xia Nan raised an eyebrow slightly.

He nodded silently and turned away from the counter.

...

*Thud.*

Heavy leather boots struck the stone pavement of River Valley Town, making a somewhat dull sound.

Xia Nan carried a bottle of "Lava Sigh," a strong liquor he had just purchased from the White Sparrow Inn for two silver coins.

Standing on the bustling street, he looked toward the herbal shop ahead.

The shop was not large, only about half the size of the "Rock Hammer."

However, its design was exceptionally exquisite.

It seemed to mimic the style of the Adventurers' Guild that bordered the Misty Forest; the small cottage was built of dark forest oak, but was decorated with an abundance of climbing vines and greenery.

If the Guild was a giant treehouse, this shop was like a large thicket of shrubs found anywhere in the forest.

A vertical sign stood before the door, featuring a simple drawing of a slightly tilted iron pot being stirred with a ladle, containing a thick green liquid. Beside it, written in Common, were the words—

*The Verdant Cauldron.*

Organizing his thoughts, Xia Nan cleared his throat.

He pushed the door open.

*Ding-dong.*

A light, pleasant bell rang in his ear.

A rich, slightly fragrant herbal scent wafted into his nostrils along with the warm air of the interior.

The shop's interior was similarly small and delicate.

A brownish wooden counter divided the space in two, with shelves on both sides lined with various bottles and jars.

The items for sale seemed similar to the alchemist shops in the Guild, but the prices were much cheaper.

There were no healing potions, but there were many miscellaneous medicinal patches of unknown use.

Behind the counter, a slightly plump woman with curly hair was intently stirring a cauldron before her.

She occasionally used an iron spoon to scoop up the potion, seemingly checking its consistency.

Hearing the door, she spoke in a slow, gentle voice without looking up

"Sorry, please wait a moment. I'll be with you shortly."

Xia Nan was in no hurry. He simply placed the "Lava Sigh" gently on the counter and waited patiently.

About two minutes passed.

As the white smoke rising from the cauldron grew thicker, the woman stopped her stirring, took the ladle, and carefully placed the lid on the pot.

She took a handkerchief from her waist and wiped her hands.

Edwina turned around, intending to greet the customer.

She immediately spotted the bottle of strong liquor labeled with the White Sparrow Inn's name.

Her eyes lit up instantly.

Turning her gaze toward Xia Nan, her tone became even softer as she asked

"Welcome to the Verdant Cauldron. Is there anything you need, traveler?"

Having already prepared his pitch, Xia Nan replied

"It's like this. A few days ago, I took an Adventurers' Guild bounty for gathering Glow-Garlic Vines, but by the time I made it back to River Valley Town, the deadline had passed."

"I heard from the staff at the Guild that you might still have a need for Glow-Garlic Vines, so I thought I'd come and try my luck."

As he spoke, he glanced at the "Lava Sigh" before him.

"I happened to enjoy a good drink at the inn last night, so I brought a bottle along today, hoping it might be to your liking."

"Of course," Edwina smiled warmly, taking the bottle. "That is very thoughtful of you."

"I do indeed need a batch of extra Glow-Garlic Vines. I was planning to trouble you all at the Adventurers' Guild in a couple of days... If you have a surplus, I can buy them back at the bounty price."

Hearing this, Xia Nan felt a secret wave of relief.

He unslung his backpack containing the Glow-Garlic Vines and handed it to her.

"Um... there are thirty-two clusters of Glow-Garlic Vines in total. That comes to thirty-two gold coins. Please, take them."

Edwina handed a coin pouch imprinted with the Verdant Cauldron's logo to Xia Nan.

Feeling the heavy weight in his palm, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly from inner satisfaction.

Suddenly remembering something, Xia Nan took a small cloth bag from his waist, its surface faintly stained with green residue.

"This is..."

The rimless glasses perched on Edwina's nose caught the sunlight from the window, reflecting a slight glint.

A look of surprise appeared on her rounded, plump face.

"Rust Monster? Did you go to the Underdark?"

She carefully pinched the deep purple venom gland, holding it up to the sunlight for close inspection.

Faced with the shopkeeper's confusion, Xia Nan did not answer; he merely blinked at her in silence.

"Oh, my apologies." Realizing her slip of the tongue, Edwina gave an apologetic smile and placed the confirmed venom gland back into the bag. "After all, these things are quite dangerous for the average adventurer, and they aren't very common here."

"I'll give you the market price. Six gold each, so twenty-four gold for the four glands. How does that sound?"

"Deal."

He didn't know the exact market rates, but since she had offered, Xia Nan didn't haggle and agreed readily.

His small treasury surged once again.

...

By the time the quest was turned in, it was already late morning.

The sunlight was intense.

Walking down the street with his backpack, Xia Nan mused

"Next, I'll deal with the small items like the compass and such."

Before encountering the half-elf party, in the clearing where he had discovered the Glow-Garlic Vines, he had fought two unlucky adventurers.

Aside from a coin pouch containing what seemed to be their entire life savings—53 gold and 6 silver—the other weapons and armor were too heavy to bring back.

But there were also some small items that had vanished once stuffed into his backpack.

They should be worth at least a few meals.

Unlike last time, when he had malachite that required appraisal, Xia Nan hadn't obtained any loot during this mission whose price was uncertain.

Therefore, rather than the rigorous and meticulous but stingy "Fairy Wind," he chose the more cost-effective "Kukunuur's Sundries."

The shop owner, "Kukunuur," was a quite cheerful gnome. As soon as he entered the shop, the gnome enthusiastically introduced his services.

And just as the [Adventurer's Handbook] had mentioned, the prices were quite fair.

Even though they were just miscellaneous small items, they added up to 3 gold and 7 silver—it was originally 6 silver and 5 copper, but Kukunuur had rounded it up for him.

"No wonder he can be listed in the handbook despite having mediocre business skills; he really is honest," Xia Nan thought to himself.

By now, he had finished processing almost all the loot he needed to sell for the entire morning.

His small treasury, which had been severely depleted by the purchase of equipment and weapons after his first mission, had surged to an unprecedented level.

From the duo of adventurers—57 gold, 3 silver.

From the Glow-Garlic Vines and Rust Monster glands—56 gold.

From the half-elf mission reward—100 gold.

Combined with his original savings of over twenty gold, Xia Nan's total savings had reached a staggering—

236 gold, 2 silver, and 7 copper.

Although it was still only enough to buy more than half a bottle of [Radiant Resistance Potion], or one-seventh of a suit of heavy plate armor, he was already extremely satisfied.

After all, this was the savings accumulated from only two missions.

Xia Nan was even considering whether he should buy a full bottle of healing potion just in case of emergencies.

"Right!"

Recalling the information he had gathered from Wood and the half-elf during the mission, Xia Nan did not leave the shop immediately after the transaction.

Instead, with a strong sense of purpose, he carefully scanned the shelves of the sundries shop.

"Customer, is there something you need?"

Seeing this, Kukunuur asked enthusiastically.

Xia Nan hesitated slightly, then glanced back at the empty doorway.

Leaning in, he asked tentatively

"Do you sell 'Combat Techniques' in this shop?"

"Of course!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, the gnome, whose height barely reached Xia Nan's thigh, puffed out his chest and declared loudly.

He ducked under the counter, accompanied by the sound of heavy objects being moved.

Then...

*Bang!*

A massive, dust-covered cardboard box was slammed onto the counter by Kukunuur, who was standing on his tiptoes.

"Cough... cough, cough..."

Choking on the dust dancing in the air, he coughed and said

"Combat techniques, *cough*... they're all in there."

"1 pound and 3 copper. If you buy 10 pounds, I'll give you a thirty percent discount."