The hushed whispers and gazes gradually converged on Zelier, making him somewhat uncomfortable. At the same time, Zelier was puzzled by some of what he overheard.
Was it really so strange for a mage to come take on a commission...
“Can the Association help recycle this mist demon core?” Marcus asked.
For certain spoils that had no shortage of buyers, adventurers could sell them directly to the Association. The price was usually about the same as the market rate, and it saved them the trouble of finding a buyer themselves.
“Of course. Please wait a moment!”
Ella carried the mist demon core into the room behind the counter. A moment later, she hurried back in small, quick steps.
“After evaluation by our appraiser, the Association is willing to purchase the mist demon core for sixteen gold coins. Would you like to sell it?”
Marcus turned back to glance at the others. After receiving everyone’s tacit approval, he nodded.
“Deal.”
“This is your payment. Please keep it safe.”
A cloth bag filled with coins was pushed in front of Marcus, and Ella spoke in a respectful tone.
“In addition, the Adventurers’ Association would like to thank you once again for the information you provided. We will issue risk warnings to adventurer parties heading to Graywood Forest in the near future.”
“Phew... finally free.”
After leaving the Adventurers’ Association, Zelier stretched lazily, feeling as though a great weight had been lifted off him.
Marcus handed Zelier the cloth-wrapped four gold and eleven silver.
“This is your payment. Take it.”
Zelier carefully tucked it into his pouch, even turning his head to look around.
This was his entire fortune.
“Then this commission can be considered complete. It was a pleasure working with all of you.”
Marcus said, “Also... Zelier, would you consider forming a fixed party with me?”
Marcus’s party was not a permanent one, merely something temporarily put together.
This was Zelier’s first time taking on a commission with him. Grey and Wallace had cooperated with Marcus a few times before, but they had not formed a fixed party either.
“Me?” Zelier pointed at himself, somewhat surprised.
“You’re already thinking of recruiting Zelier so soon?”
Grey smiled. “He’s a mage, you know.”
“Mm... I’m very grateful for your invitation, but for the time being, I don’t plan on joining a fixed party.”
Zelier thought for a moment, then shook his head. “But if you have any other commissions in the future that require a party, you can come ask me.”
“All right...” Marcus looked rather regretful.
To be honest, Zelier had a very good impression of Marcus.
He divided rewards fairly, and his strength was dependable. Even when encountering an unexpected situation like the mist demon, he had been able to respond calmly.
But Zelier did not want to be bound by a fixed party. That would slow down his personal development.
Moreover, his goal was far from simply making a living in Blackstone Town. He had greater ambitions, and leaving the party later would be another troublesome matter.
“All right, I need to go to the clinic... Hopefully there won’t be any aftereffects.”
Grey grimaced and waved to the others. “Goodbye, everyone.”
“See you.”
Marcus and Wallace also left one after another.
The sky gradually darkened, and the curtain of night descended.
Zelier wandered along the street for quite a while before finally choosing a place to stay—the Nightflower Inn.
Its decor could not be considered luxurious, but it was much better than those crude civilian houses. Moreover, the Nightflower Inn was located near the center of Blackstone Town, so public security presumably would not be bad.
After all, this was an unfamiliar otherworld where he knew neither the people nor the place. Safety always had to be guaranteed.
Scattered throughout the first-floor hall were a few people eating, and judging from their attire, several of them were adventurers.
“Hello.”
At the front desk was a cute-looking girl. When she smiled, her little canine teeth showed. “Are you here to stay or to dine?”
“I’d like a room.”
“All right. We have two types. One is a shared room upstairs, thirty copper coins per day.”
The girl introduced, “The other is a single room, two silver coins per day.”
Zelier narrowed his eyes slightly.
A shared room...
A group of people crammed together in one large room to sleep. Moving around would be extremely inconvenient.
And who knew whether he could even fall asleep at night surrounded by snores? Just thinking about it gave him a headache.
After completing a commission while eating and sleeping out in the wild, he needed a proper rest. A quiet and comfortable environment was essential.
But a single room cost two silver coins a day... The price was a little steep.
If he had not just received a windfall, Zelier would have been tempted to turn around and search for a cheaper inn.
“If I stay for a month, is there a discount?” Zelier asked tentatively.
The girl’s eyes lit up, and her voice became a little sweeter.
“Of course. If you choose a single room and pay one month’s rent at once, we can reduce it to fifty silver coins.”
“Fine. Then give me a single room for one month,” Zelier said.
He chose a room at the end of the corridor on the third floor. After paying the fee, Zelier’s savings were reduced to three gold and sixty-one silver.
“Welcome to the Nightflower Inn. My name is Auro. If you have any problems, you can come to the front desk and find me at any time.” Auro smiled.
“Gurgle...”
Zelier’s stomach made an untimely sound.
All he had eaten today was a piece of black bread dipped in hot soup and some dry rations on the road. After experiencing that high-intensity battle against the mist demon, he had long since become unbearably hungry.
The smile on Auro’s face did not diminish. “Before you go to your room, would you like to eat something first? It’s currently our dinner serving time.”
Zelier took the menu and browsed through it.
From low-end stewed beans, black bread, and pickled vegetables to high-end meat dishes, everything was available.
Having worked hard all day, Master Ze naturally did not want to mistreat himself when it came to satisfying his appetite. So, steeling his heart, he chose the item he wanted to eat the most.
“I’ll have this red wine sauce beef shank set meal, thank you.”
It sounded delicious, and the price was beautiful as well.
Three silver coins.
He did not have to wait long before the meal was brought to the table.
The aroma of the food strongly stimulated Zelier’s senses, and his mouth had already begun to water profusely.
The main dish was naturally a large piece of tender, juicy beef shank, roasted to just the right degree, with an enticing layer of rich sauce brushed over its surface.
Zelier impatiently cut off a piece and put it into his mouth.
The texture of the beef, the slightly sour fruity fragrance of the reduced red wine sauce, and the flavor of black pepper mixed with various spices—every single aspect brought Zelier a top-tier culinary experience.
The greasiness that came after eating big mouthfuls of meat was also balanced out by the roasted asparagus and soft bread that came with the set meal. Everything was just right.
After a day of exhaustion, being able to sit down properly and enjoy such a meal was so blissful it almost made one want to cry.
After finishing dinner, Zelier went to his room.
There was a single bed, a complete set of table and chairs, and the bedding was fairly soft as well. It was worthy of the price of two silver coins.
Drowsiness swept over him. After a tiring day, Zelier quickly entered the land of dreams.