Chapter 45: "Extraordinary" Druid

Chapter 45: Chapter 45: "Extraordinary" Druid

Anya nodded slightly, then asked to confirm, "How much time do you need to prepare?"

"Pip’s hammer is undergoing enchantment. We’ll need two more days," the short fellow said softly.

"...Enchantment?"

The red-haired mage raised an eyebrow, scarcely able to believe her ears. These two adventurers actually had the money for enchantment?

While magic equipment wasn’t overly expensive for their group—Anya herself had no less than four pieces of it, and although Erin’s own family wasn’t quite as wealthy, her father had still prepared a magic staff and a life-saving magic accessory for her.

But this was enchantment!

It was practically the equivalent of fusing two pieces of magic equipment into one, and it came with a significant chance of failure.

Enchanting materials themselves were also far more rare than magic equipment. Even her father rarely engaged in such a money-burning endeavor.

Where did these two get that kind of money?

Erin’s gaze swept back and forth between Lorin and Pip twice. Ultimately, she said nothing, merely giving a quiet snort as she swallowed her doubts.

"Then I am even more reassured."

Though a bit surprised herself, Anya didn’t mind the minor details. Everyone had their own origins and secrets, and she had never been one to dig to the bottom of things.

She glanced at the sky outside the window. The sun was setting in the west. The final streaks of warm orange light draped gently over the thick, snow-covered roofs. Scattered motes of light danced lightly in her vision, making the entire rooftop look like a rippling lake.

"Then it’s settled."

Anya stood up slowly. Resting her crossed hands over her lower abdomen, she gave a slight bow to Lorin and Pip.

"We plan to make our move at dusk the day after tomorrow. Rock-dwelling Salamanders are most active at twilight, making them easier to bait," she said with a gentle smile. "Until then, please rest well and conserve your energy."

The short fellow slid off his chair, patted his rear, and said cheerfully, "Don’t worry! If there’s one thing Pip is good at, it’s sleeping."

Lorin stood up as well and nodded to Anya.

The two walked out of the reception room. As they closed the door, they could still hear Erin’s low gasp of amazement from behind: "A halfling barbarian... Truly incredible."

They traversed the corridor and pushed open the main doors of the Government Affairs Hall. A cold wind blew directly into their faces. Scattered lights had already been lit along the street, and pine branch wreaths hanging everywhere swayed back and forth in the wind.

Lorin tucked his hands into his sleeves and headed in the direction of the tavern. He glanced back at the Government Affairs Hall and murmured, "The identities of those three are far from simple."

The short fellow followed closely beside him, his two short legs pumping rapidly. He nodded in agreement. "Pip saw it too. That warrior’s armor alone could buy both our lives."

"Nathan mentioned earlier that they were just passing through here. So, was their original destination the nearby Frost Valley City? Or the Mist Forest?" Lorin narrowed his eyes in thought.

"Stop thinking so much. Do you think there’ll be roast leg of lamb tonight? Pip really wants roast leg of lamb."

"Meat and bean stew wouldn’t be bad either..."

The tavern was livelier than usual ahead of the Midwinter Festival.

Many adventurers who had been traveling abroad had returned to their hometowns by this time. However, since the lower classes of this world lacked any real forms of entertainment, they could only gather in the tavern to drink and chat.

Hiv was so busy behind the bar that his feet barely touched the ground. While pouring ale into mugs, he shouted toward the kitchen, "Is the rabbit meat ready yet?!"

The spot at the bar where the two usually sat was occupied by several adventurers. They had no choice but to wave a quick greeting to Hiv and find an empty seat in a corner.

"You’re back?" Hiv walked over carrying two mugs of ale. Curiously, he asked, "Pip mentioned you were going to take on that commission. How did it go? Did you meet the people sent by the Duke?"

"We met them... HISS, this ale is freezing."

Pip took a huge, vicious gulp of his drink, shivering at the cold before gesturing wildly. "Three Official Professionals: a priest, a mage, and a warrior. The priest is named Anya. She’s incredibly nice and polite. The mage is named Erin, and she’s like a fire dragon... What was the other one’s name again?"

"Rain," Lorin supplied.

Hiv gave a cold snort. "Becoming a Professional at such a young age, and being noble descendants to boot, it’s perfectly normal for them to have their noses in the air."

"Two roast legs of lamb, a portion of meat and bean stew, and two loaves of toasted bread," Lorin interjected.

Hiv’s mouth twitched. He yelled the order toward the kitchen, then pointed a finger at him and scolded, "You brat! I’m covering your meals, and you don’t even know how to hold back a little.

"So, what did they say?" he then asked.

Lorin picked up his mug and took a sip. After spending so much time with Hiv, his skin had grown quite thick; he didn’t care about the scolding in the slightest. He promptly gave a brief overview of the hunting plan.

"With a Rock-dwelling Salamander that massive, they want the two of you to secure the retreat route?" Hiv frowned.

"Yes."

Hiv fell silent for a moment. Then, waving a waiter over to take over his duties, he simply plopped down into a chair next to them.

"With your current strength, it’s not entirely impossible for you to block that Rock-dwelling Salamander. Just make absolutely sure to prioritize your safety. If it escapes, let it escape. You’re only doing a job for the coin anyway," he said thoughtfully.

Lorin nodded. Knowing the man was genuinely looking out for them, he promised, "We’ll be careful."

"Heh, I’m not worried about you, kid, but you have to keep a close eye on Pip. He hasn’t fully mastered his Frenzy yet. I’m afraid the rush will go to his head."

Hiv accepted an ale brought by a waiter and downed more than half of it in one breath.

The short fellow chuckled sheepishly, opting not to defend himself.

"Don’t worry, I’ll watch him."

Lorin rubbed his fingers together as he recalled their encounter with Silvia, feeling he ought to let Hiv know about the incident.

"There is one more thing. When we went to the Mist Forest to harvest Fire Oil Grass, we met a female elf who called herself Silvia. She was accompanied by a giant bear."

He then recounted the events exactly as they had happened.

Listening from the side, Pip nodded hastily and added, "That bear was huge! It had red patterns all over its body. It looked terrifying."

"A Flame Patterned Giant Bear... She’s a Druid from the Beast Spirit Faction." Hiv was startled by their experience. He sought to confirm, "What did the flame patterns on that bear look like?"

"What else would flame patterns look like? Like flames, obviously..." Lorin carefully cast his mind back. "But they also glowed in rhythm with its breathing."

Hiv’s gaze instantly grew complicated. He glanced left and right before lowering his voice. "That was a Flame Patterned Giant Bear nearing the Extraordinary Tier. The moment the patterns on its body truly ignite into flame, it will mean the beast has stepped into the Extraordinary.

"And the Silvia you described... is most likely an Extraordinary already."

Lorin’s eyes went wide.

He had known the elf was strong, but he never expected her to be that strong. No wonder his magic couldn’t perceive her emotions; the disparity in their strength was just too vast.

Lorin thought in relief, "Good thing my sword didn’t actually strike her." But a moment later, a deep sense of confusion washed over him.

"Then why did she stop the Flame Patterned Giant Bear from attacking us? And she even gave us the Fire Oil Grass."