Chương 66: Foodie

Just as he finished speaking, a cold wind happened to sweep through the cemetery. The chilly breeze slipped into everyone's sleeves, making them shiver.

"Zelier, maybe don't tell ghost stories in the middle of the night? Have some manners." Grey couldn't help shrinking his neck.

"……" No one said anything else. They simply sped up their search for the quest markers. A place this gloomy was enough to make anyone uncomfortable just standing around. By the time the team returned to Blackstone Town, the moon had already passed the highest point in the sky and begun its descent toward the east.

"You should all head back and rest first," Marcus said.

"It's too late. The Adventurer's Guild is already closed. I'll get up early tomorrow morning and turn in the quest. I'll deliver everyone's share of the reward afterward."

"Thanks for the trouble." Vaelis nodded.

"See you next time, then." Grey was already yawning. After saying goodbye to everyone, Zelier returned to the Nightflower Inn. The person on night duty was no longer Auro, but another woman. She looked to be in her forties, with a dignified appearance. Though a few fine lines had inevitably appeared at the corners of her eyes. Zelier had seen this woman a few times before. She was always quietly sitting behind the counter reading. She rarely spoke, but her gentle gaze gave off a feeling of wisdom and calm.

The two exchanged slight nods as a greeting, and Zelier went straight upstairs to rest. When he woke up the next day, bright sunlight was already pouring through the window. Zelier rolled around lazily in bed for a while before finally forcing himself to sit up. Being able to sleep until naturally waking up every day was honestly a pretty wonderful feeling. After washing up, Zelier walked downstairs while yawning. A wave of lively noise and the warmth of daily life immediately washed over him.

It was currently the Nightflower Inn's busiest lunch hour, and nearly eighty percent of the dining area was occupied. The aroma of roasted meat, the rich scent of soup, and the smell of ale all rushed into Zelier's nose together, instantly awakening his appetite. Auro was darting between tables, busy like a little bee. Her cheeks were flushed, and a bead of sweat hung from the tip of her small nose.

"Coming! One roasted meat platter for table three!"

"Table seven, your ale!"

"Kitchen! Table nine wants another serving of sausages!" Auro turned her head and noticed Zelier coming downstairs. A smile immediately bloomed in her eyes, and she hurried over during a brief lull.

"Zelier, you're finally awake."

"I slept too late…" He had probably returned around three or four in the morning last night. Zelier scratched his messy bedhead.

"By the way, who was that woman on night duty yesterday?"

"You mean Madame Dejean? She's the owner of this inn." This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. Auro explained, "When I first came to Blackstone Town and had nowhere to go, she took me in and gave me this job."

"Oh…" Zelier nodded in understanding. So she was actually a kind-hearted person.

"Are you hungry? What would you like to eat?" Auro handed him the menu. Zelier studied it for a while before choosing a lighter seafood porridge set. He had just woken up. His stomach wasn't ready for heavy meat yet. A nice bowl of porridge would be better.

"Got it! Coming right up!" Zelier found a seat by the window. He held the cup of black tea Auro had just brought over, letting the fragrance drift upward. His gaze moved outside. Looking at the endless stream of people walking through the streets, Zelier fell into a brief daze. Had it already been almost a month since he arrived in this world? Somehow, he had gradually gotten used to this kind of life. What should he do today…

First, he should visit the Mage Guild and show the herbs he collected yesterday to Instructor Manlin. Then he would return the Ancient Elven Tome. There was no point keeping it anymore. He couldn't figure anything out anyway. While he was thinking, a calm voice suddenly sounded beside him.

"You're awake? I thought you were still sleeping." Zelier looked up. It was Marcus. At some point, he had already arrived at the Nightflower Inn. Marcus pulled out the chair and sat across from him.

"Oh… have you eaten?" Seeing Zelier instinctively about to wave over Auro and order more food, Marcus immediately raised his hand.

"No, no, no, don't bother. I already ate before coming here."

"Alright."

"I went to the guild first thing this morning and turned in the quest." As Marcus spoke, he took out a cloth pouch from his chest and placed it on the table.

"This is your share." Zelier reached out and picked it up. But almost immediately, he noticed something was wrong. The pouch was far heavier than he expected. The cemetery quest's split was three-three-two-two, with Zelier and Vaelis receiving the largest shares. Twenty-six Skeleton Soldiers, ten silver coins each. That amounted to two gold and sixty silver. One Vile Skeletal Amalgam, ten gold coins. Total: twelve gold and sixty silver. Zelier's share should have been around three gold and seventy-eight silver.

But the amount inside the pouch was clearly much more. He looked at Marcus questioningly. Marcus simply nodded.

"I found a reliable buyer for the equipment we collected. It's already been sold. The total was twenty-one gold coins. Your share is five gold." So that was it… Zelier nodded calmly. The equipment those guys carried was surprisingly valuable. After accepting this reward, Zelier's personal wealth had surpassed thirty gold coins for the first time. A new record.

"By the way, did you report the corpse we found?" Zelier asked.

"I did. I told receptionist Aila, and she immediately reported it to Guildmaster Hogan. After discussion, the guild decided to handle it together with the local authorities. It's no longer our concern." Zelier nodded slightly.

"That's good." At that moment, Auro walked over carrying a large tray. She placed the seafood porridge, a serving of roasted asparagus, and two pieces of soft buttered bread in front of Zelier.

"Your seafood porridge set is here! Please enjoy." After that, she turned toward Marcus enthusiastically.

"It's Mr. Marcus! Would you like anything?"

"No, thank you." Marcus waved his hand and stood up.

"I'll be leaving first. Get some proper rest, Zelier."

"Alright." Zelier watched Marcus leave. Auro hugged the empty tray and looked thoughtful.

"Looks like you have a pretty high position in your team. Even someone as experienced and steady as Mr. Marcus has come looking for you several times."

"It's nothing special. Everyone just helps each other out." Auro was about to reply when a voice came from the other side of the hall.

"Table twelve wants to order!"

"Coming!" Auro answered and hurried away. Zelier picked up his spoon and began tasting the seafood porridge. Calling it seafood was a little generous. Most of the ingredients came from the rivers around Blackstone Town. The snow-white fish slices had already been cooked until they practically melted in his mouth. Several bright red river shrimp rested in the porridge, with a sprinkle of pepper adding just the right touch of flavor. The porridge itself was incredibly soft and smooth.

One spoonful carried the fresh sweetness of fish and shrimp together, making every bite a small pleasure. This set meal was cheaper than the red wine-braised beef shank, costing only one silver and fifty copper. But even so, it was still not something ordinary people could afford every day. However, Zelier had never been one to mistreat his own stomach. When it came to food, he was surprisingly willing to spend money. In less than a month, he had already spent nearly one gold coin on meals.

He spent every day training, running errands, and fighting monsters. If he couldn't even enjoy a decent meal afterward, what was the point of living? Might as well die. After finishing the seafood porridge, Zelier felt completely refreshed. He walked to the counter to pay and casually placed several more coins down.

"Is this my tip?" Auro blinked playfully.

"Fifty silver coins as a tip? At that point, I might as well hire you as my personal maid." Zelier laughed.

"This is next month's room fee. I'm paying in advance."

"I thought I was about to get rich." Auro wrinkled her nose. After Zelier left the Nightflower Inn, Auro began counting the coins left on the counter. When she finished, she discovered that besides the room fee, there were two extra silver coins.

"Hmph…" She said nothing. But an invisible smile had already crept onto her lips.