Chapter 42: Fully Prepared

Chapter 42: Chapter 42: Fully Prepared

"Did we really just get the Fire Oil Grass like this?"

Pip looked at the bag in his hands with a hint of confusion, feeling like it was somewhat surreal.

"Why do you think that Elf helped us like that? It can’t be just because we’re handsome, right?" he asked.

Lorin gave him a sideways glance and said mildly, "Your confidence is certainly savage enough."

His thoughts were still immersed in his conversation with Silvia.

After he had used Sword Skills and Shadow Step simultaneously, she had immediately mistaken him for a descendant of a Combat Mage.

Could humans also have a profession similar to the Sword Singer?

However, Lorin wasn’t clear on why she had made such a judgment. Was it because he possessed both Sword Skills and Magic, or was it strictly the combination of Sword Skills and Shadow Step?

Mainly because he had never met any other Casters, he felt her conclusion was a bit hasty. Were there really no other Casters who liked using swords?

Perhaps there were actually many Combat Mages, but the place he lived was just too remote, which was why he had never heard of them.

According to Hiv, every profession had its own corresponding path. So what was the path of a Combat Mage?

Then there was her assertion linking High Elves and Sword Singers together, which explained her strange attitude toward High Elves.

The sheer volume of information from all this was a bit overwhelming for him. Lacking too many key elements, he had no way to make a proper judgment.

"Regardless, at least your hammer is settled," Lorin teased.

Pip nodded excitedly.

"Then are we still going to catch that big fish?" he asked, looking eager to try.

Lorin looked at him in surprise.

They had just escaped from a bear’s mouth. If Silvia hadn’t happened to be nearby, who knows if the two of them would still be in one piece right now.

Yet this guy was already thinking about their next job.

"Are you serious?" he asked.

"Of course I’m serious." The short fellow nodded. "Think about it. After we’re done with all this, we won’t have many Gold Coins left. Since there’s a perfect opportunity to make a fortune, why not give it a try?"

"You just want to test out your new hammer, don’t you?" Lorin rubbed his temples. "We’ll see. Let’s get the Enchantment sorted out first. Wait until we meet those Professionals and see what they’re made of before we decide."

Pip nodded with a wicked grin, his expression clearly saying, "You’re already tempted."

Lorin was indeed a bit tempted. After all, they were about to run out of savings again, and this would be a good opportunity to interact with so-called "Formal" Professionals.

The way back was much easier than the way there. With a clear sense of direction, the two of them didn’t have to stumble around like headless flies, and they soon walked out of the Mist Forest.

As they left the forest, Lorin glanced at his system panel.

[Exploration Area: Mist Forest — 2%]

To think that their first real foray deep into the forest had only increased the exploration progress by 1%. This forest was apparently far larger than he had imagined.

It was already the afternoon two days later when they returned to Shallow Beach Town.

The two of them first headed to Tom’s grocery store. The herbs could be sold for a higher price while they were still fresh, and they also needed to commission him to extract the Fire Oil Grass.

Several strings of bright red things were hung at the entrance of the grocery store, looking like wreaths woven from dried berries and pine branches.

A faded cloth ribbon was also wrapped around the doorframe. He remembered they hadn’t been there before he left.

"Are you... expecting?" Lorin handed him the Oilcloth Bag containing the herbs, asking hesitantly.

The Old Gnome rolled his eyes at him, snatched the Oilcloth Bag from his hands, and said grumpily, "Didn’t you see it on your way here? It’s the Midwinter Festival in a week."

Midwinter Festival? Lorin froze for a moment.

He knew about this holiday. In the official terminology of the Ferma Kingdom, it was called the Feast of Winter, somewhat akin to the Spring Festival from his past life.

According to tradition, the local Lord would hold this feast before the end of the year to form alliances, renew treaties, and exchange gifts with other Lords.

For the commoners across the kingdoms, it was also a day worth celebrating, as the hardest half of the winter had already passed.

He just hadn’t expected time to fly so fast. It had only just entered winter when he first arrived in Shallow Beach Town, and now half of it was already gone.

Pip poked his head out from the side, his eyes lighting up with excitement.

"Midwinter Festival!" he practically shouted. "I completely forgot! The Midwinter Festival is right around the corner!"

"Halflings celebrate the Midwinter Festival too?"

"Of course! The Halfling Midwinter Festival is way livelier than here. It’s a celebration for..." The short fellow paused halfway through, his voice dropping. "A day for family reunions."

Lorin patted him on the shoulder. Being an orphan in both of his lives, he didn’t feel much about it, but he knew Pip must be hurting. He promised softly, "There will be a day for that."

Pip nodded, quickly cheering himself up again.

"Such good luck? You actually found it all, and the quality isn’t bad." Tom glanced at the two of them, chiming in at the right moment.

He then carefully checked the quantity of the herbs in his hand. Picking up a leaf with utmost care, he examined it in his palm for a moment before saying, "One blade of Silver Leaf Grass is two Silver Coins, one stalk of Hemostatic Grass is five copper. Along with seven stalks of Fire Oil Grass, the total is forty Gold Coins, two Silver Coins, and nine copper."

Lorin nodded; it was exactly as they had agreed upon earlier.

"One more thing," he added. "Can you help extract the Fire Oil Grass? We need three stalks done."

"Extraction costs five Silver Coins a stalk. Factoring that in and deducting the price of the three stalks of Fire Oil Grass you’re keeping, I still owe you twenty-four Gold Coins, seven Silver Coins, and nine copper."

Pip gasped from the side. "Dwarf’s arse! Why is extraction so expensive?!"

"Fire Oil Grass isn’t edible. Compared to standard herbs, it’s more like an Alchemy Material. Without extraction, it’s just a handful of rotten leaves." The Old Gnome slowly stood up from his chair. "Wait here. It’ll just be a moment."

He took the bag of herbs and walked toward the back room of the grocery store. Not long after, the smell of grease wafted out from inside.

After the two stood at the door for a while, Tom walked out carrying a small dark brown clay pot.

The mouth of the clay pot was sealed with several layers of oiled paper, but a thick, oily aroma could still be smelled.

He placed the pot on the counter, took out a bag of coins, and tossed it into Lorin’s arms.

"Alright. Fire oil catches on fire very easily, so remember to store it carefully." The Old Gnome yawned and went back to dozing in his chair.

"Thanks."

Lorin handed his backpack and Roll-up Tent to Pip. He then carefully picked up the clay pot and signaled to Pip. "Go back to the tavern and bring the other materials to the Blacksmith’s shop. We’ll meet up there."

"Okay, I’m on it."

"Mr. Horton, we’ve gathered all the items!"

The two stood waiting at the door of the Blacksmith’s shop, holding several flammable and explosive items. Anyone who didn’t know better might have thought they were here for a robbery.

Hearing the voice, Horton walked out from the back of the Blacksmith’s shop. Seeing what they were holding, he hurriedly said, "Woah... woah, put that down carefully. Whatever you do, don’t break it."

He first carefully picked up the Sulfur Crystal and checked its purity.

After confirming there were no issues, he opened the clay pot and the cloth bag containing the Silver Powder. He nodded and asked, "You didn’t find any refined gold, right?"

The two nodded.

"That’s a shame, but that stuff really is hard to find." Horton shook his bald head in regret, then held out his hand. "What about the money for the Enchantment? Do you have it ready?"

"It’s all right here."

Lorin pulled out a heavy cloth bag.

Inside was Pip’s entire life savings, along with a portion of the money they had earned from gathering herbs.