Chapter 47: Processing the Trophies (Two-in-One)

The lodging conditions of the tavern, though far inferior to the star-rated hotels of his past life, were undoubtedly a massive step up from sleeping exposed to the elements in the wild. At the very least, he didn’t have to worry about being shaken awake in the middle of the night by a companion on watch duty, only to fight off an ambush of magical beasts with a disheveled appearance and bleary eyes.

Xia Nan enjoyed a good night’s sleep for the first time in a long while.

However, he didn’t indulge in oversleeping.

Early the next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, he forced himself out of his cozy blanket relying strictly on willpower. As an adventurer, the first day following the conclusion of a mission was invariably the busiest. Turning in missions, disposing of trophies, repairing equipment… countless matters in urgent need of handling stacked up and lined his mind like a checklist. Even if it required spending an entire day to resolve these affairs, he was perfectly willing. Because only in this manner, after a grueling day had ended, could he clutch a bulging coin purse, carry a heart brimming with accomplishment, and enjoy his hard-earned “vacation” entirely free of burden.

After a brief wash, he left the tavern. Bearing the somewhat heavy backpack on his back, Xia Nan arrived at Riverbend Town’s Adventurer’s Association.

It was still that treehouse-style building heavily exuding the atmosphere of the “Mist Forest,” and it was just as busy. Despite waking up as early as possible, by the time his boots stepped onto the dark-brown oak floorboards at the association’s entrance, his field of vision was already packed with all manner of adventurers.

Some were just like him, bearing a bulging bundle on their backs as they arrived early to hand in missions; others gathered in groups of three to five beneath the mission board, leaning close to converse in hushed tones from time to time.

Xia Nan even spotted an exceptionally burly half-orc standing over two meters tall, casually strolling over from the distant street while dangling the grotesque head of a magical beast in his hand. Visible traces of combat clung to his dust-caked body, and blood still dripped from the severed neck of the head in his grip. He had clearly just concluded a fierce battle. The thick stench of blood radiating from him, combined with the foul odor of not bathing for many days in the wild, caused the passing adventurers to furrow their brows and dodge out of the way.

Yet, according to Xia Nan’s observations, faced with the repulsed reactions of the crowd around him, not a single trace of anger manifested on the half-orc’s face. On the contrary, his expression was filled with absolute leisure and enjoyment. That calm and unhurried posture made him look exactly like an old angler who had finally caught a massive fish, wishing nothing more than to take a detour through a dozen extra streets on his way home just to make sure the entire town knew about it. Xia Nan even suspected that if someone were to approach the half-orc right now and ask for the name of the magical beast or details about the combat process, the half-orc would smile so wide his protruding fangs might slip right back into his mouth.

Ultimately, the half-orc didn’t manage to enter the Adventurer’s Association. Just as he reached the entrance, he was “politely” escorted out by staff members who had caught wind of his arrival, telling him to clean himself up before returning. Yet, he still bore a thoroughly delighted expression, having clearly achieved his objective.

Withdrawing his gaze, Xia Nan felt the heavy, slightly suppressed mood that had built up from staying inside the Mist Forest for so long ease considerably upon witnessing this comical spectacle.

Ding-ling.

A crisp chime brought him back to reality. Seeing that the adventurer who had originally been queued in front of him had already clutched his money pouch and departed the counter, he composed his thoughts and stepped up to the front desk.

It was still that same short-haired girl who looked utterly listless, her head drooping as if she might fall asleep in the very next second.

“Mission number?” A powerless voice drifted from the girl’s mouth.

“387H, Glow-Garlic Vine harvesting mission.”

Silence.

The girl offered no response, her hands merely operating something beneath the counter for a couple of seconds. Only then did she slowly speak again:

“Number: 387H. The mission has expired. The poster did not choose to extend the bounty, so it has already been taken down.”

As expected…

Although Xia Nan was mentally prepared for this, a faint sense of disappointment still welled up within him. Under normal circumstances, a duration of three days was more than sufficient for him to make a round trip between Riverbend Town and the outer perimeter of the Mist Forest; the mission timeframe was highly generous. But who could have predicted that he would cross paths with a half-elf squad during his adventure, and subsequently accept their commission to delve even deeper into the forest. Although he had obtained a reward of 100 gold and a bounty of trophies because of it, his initial mission to harvest Glow-Garlic Vines had ended up expiring. He had rushed back to the town through the night precisely with the intention of seizing the time to hand in the mission, but by the time he arrived, the association had already closed, forcing him to come back now instead.

“Understood. Thank you.”

Xia Nan offered a slight nod to the girl before him and prepared to turn and leave. To his surprise, she raised her brows to cast a glance at him, actually adding:

“I heard that Madam Edwina’s new style of anti-venom potion yields excellent results, and she’s preparing to manufacture the second batch.”

“You can head over to her shop to ask around. Perhaps you still have a chance.”

Hearing this, Xia Nan couldn’t help but blink in surprise, contemplating silently in his heart. According to his understanding, Glow-Garlic Vines weren’t considered a common plant. Even if the other party no longer required them urgently and the buying price wouldn’t be as high, selling them at standard market value should still fetch a decent sum. The girl’s reminder had given him a second alternative.

He couldn’t help but voice his gratitude: “Thank you for the reminder!”

After a brief thought, he fished out a bright, glittering silver coin from his vest. Covering it with his fingertip, he wordlessly slid it across the surface of the counter.

Swish—

In the blink of an eye, the silver coin vanished from sight.

The girl, who had initially appeared thoroughly listless, suddenly sat bolt upright. Her half-drooped eyelids snapped open, assuming the impeccable form of a dedicated, model employee as she murmured to herself:

“Madam Edwina usually enjoys drinking liquor—the stronger kind. If I bring two bottles over in a few days, maybe she’ll give me a discount when I buy things.”

His eyebrows twitched faintly. Xia Nan nodded silently, turning to depart from the front desk.

Thud.

Thick leather boots landed on the cobblestone pavement of Riverbend Town, producing a somewhat dull footstep.

Xia Nan carried a bottle of “Lava’s Sigh”—a strong liquor he had just spent two silver coins to purchase from the White Chickadee Tavern. Standing amidst the bustling street, he looked toward the herbalist shop before him.

The scale of the shop wasn’t large, only about half the size of “Ironhammer,” but its styling was exceptionally exquisite. It seemed to mimic the association’s architectural style of blending in with the Mist Forest; the small cabin was also constructed from the dark oak found within the forest, yet its perimeter was adorned with a massive volume of vines and green plants. If the association was a gargantuan treehouse, then the shop before his eyes resembled a vast thicket of shrubs commonly seen anywhere within the woods.

A vertical sign stood before the door. Sketched upon it was a slightly tilted small iron cauldron, with a soup spoon stirring the thick green liquid inside. Beside it, written in the Common Tongue, were the words:

The Green Grass Cauldron.

Organizing his words mentally, Xia Nan cleared his throat and pushed the door open to enter.

Ding-dong.

A light, melodious chime echoed by his ears. A dense yet somewhat refreshing scent of herbs rushed into his nasal cavity along with the warm indoor air.

The interior layout was similarly compact and exquisite. A tan wooden counter split the space into two halves, and the shelves on either side were packed with countless bottles and jars. The items offered for sale seemed similar to the alchemist shop within the association, yet the prices were significantly cheaper. There were no healing potions, but there was an abundance of tonics and poultices whose purposes remained unknown.

Behind the counter, a slightly plump woman with curly hair was focusing all her attention on stirring the cauldron before her. From time to time, she pinched an iron spoon to scoop up the potion, seemingly inspecting its color and quality.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, she didn’t rush, speaking in a leisurely, gentle voice: “My apologies, please wait a moment. I’ll be done shortly.”

Xia Nan wasn’t in a hurry either. He merely placed the bottle of “Lava’s Sigh” gently onto the counter surface and waited patiently.

After another two minutes or so, accompanied by the white steam rising from the cauldron becoming increasingly dense, the woman ceased her continuous stirring. She withdrew the soup spoon and carefully covered the pot with its lid. Pulling a handkerchief from her waist to wipe her hands, Edwina turned around, intending to receive her customer.

Immediately, her eyes lit up as she spotted the bottle of strong liquor bearing the label of the White Chickadee Tavern resting on the counter. Her gaze shifted to Xia Nan beside it, her tone becoming a fraction softer as she inquired:

“Welcome to the Green Grass Cauldron. Is there anything you need, customer?”

Having already prepared his script beforehand, Xia Nan opened his mouth to reply:

“It’s like this. A few days ago, I accepted the association’s bounty to harvest Glow-Garlic Vines, but by the time I rushed back to Riverbend Town, I had already exceeded the time limit specified by the mission.”

“I heard from a staff member at the association that you still happen to require Glow-Garlic Vines, so I intended to come over and try my luck.”

As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward the “Lava’s Sigh” before him.

“Last night, I happened to drink a rather excellent cup of fine liquor at the tavern. Having the opportunity today, I brought a bottle over. I’m not sure if it suits your taste.”

“Of course,” Edwina smiled warmly, accepting the bottle. “You are very thoughtful.”

“I do indeed happen to need an extra batch of Glow-Garlic Vines. I had originally intended to head over to the Adventurer’s Association to trouble you all in a couple of days… If you have extra, I can buy them back from you at the bounty price.”

Hearing this, Xia Nan silently breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. He unslung the backpack containing the Glow-Garlic Vines from his back and handed it over to her.

“Hmm… a total of thirty-two clumps of Glow-Garlic Vines. That comes to a total of thirty-two gold coins. Please take care of it.”

Edwina slid a coin purse stamped with the emblem of the Green Grass Cauldron into Xia Nan’s hand. Feeling the heavy, solid weight in his palm, the corners of his mouth tilted up slightly due to the satisfaction in his heart.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, Xia Nan fished out a small cloth pouch from his waist, its surface faintly retaining a few green moisture stains.

“This is…”

The rimless spectacles resting on the bridge of Edwina’s nose reflected a faint gleam under the sunlight streaming from the window. A shred of surprise manifested upon her round, plump face.

“A Rust Monster? You went to the Underdark?”

She carefully pinched a deep-purple venom gland, holding it beneath the sunlight to inspect it thoroughly. Faced with the shopkeeper’s confusion, Xia Nan offered no response, merely blinking at her in silence.

“Oh, my apologies.” Realizing her slip of the tongue, Edwina offered an apologetic smile, placing the verified, intact venom gland back into the pouch. “After all, this thing is still rather dangerous for ordinary adventurers, and it isn’t considered common around my shop.”

“I’ll give you the market rate. 6 gold each; twenty-four gold in total for four venom glands. How does that sound?”

“Deal.”

He didn’t know the exact going rate, but since she had phrased it that way, Xia Nan didn’t haggle, agreeing cleanly. His small treasury swelled significantly once more.

By the time the mission dealings were completed, the day had already progressed into the morning. The sunlight was intense.

Xia Nan walked along the street with his backpack, pondering in his heart:

“Next up, I’ll dispose of those miscellaneous bits and bobs like the compasses.”

Before running into the half-elf and the others, he had engaged in a battle with two unfortunate adventurers at the clearing where he discovered the Glow-Garlic Vines. Aside from that coin purse containing 53 gold and 6 silver—which seemingly held the entirety of their accumulated savings—their other weapons and armor were far too heavy, so he naturally hadn’t brought them back. However, there were still some small items that vanished cleanly into his backpack upon being stuffed inside. Those should still fetch enough to cover a few meals.

Unlike the last trip where he had malachite of unrecognized value requiring appraisal, Xia Nan hadn’t obtained any trophies whose specific prices could not be determined during this mission. Therefore, compared to the rigorous and meticulous yet harshly pricing “Fey Wind,” he opted for “Kukunur’s Sundries,” which offered higher cost-effectiveness.

The shop proprietor, “Kukunur,” was a rather cheerful gnome. The moment Xia Nan stepped into the shop, the other party enthusiastically introduced his services. And just as the Adventurer’s Handbook had mentioned, his prices were incredibly fair. Even though it was just a collection of miscellaneous, scattered small items, they actually fetched a total of 3 gold and 7 silver—it was originally 6 silver and 5 copper, but Kukunur rounded it up for him, waiving the loose change.

“No wonder his business acumen is average yet he still gets recorded in the handbook; he truly is honest,” Xia Nan thought to himself.

At this point, across the span of the entire morning, the vast majority of the trophies he needed to sell had been completely processed. His small treasury, which had severely shrunk after his first mission due to purchasing equipment and weapons, had now ballooned to an unprecedented degree.

From the adventurer duo — 57 gold, 3 silver
Glow-Garlic Vines and Rust Monster venom glands — 56 gold
Reward from the half-elf’s commission — 100 gold

Combined with his original savings of over twenty gold, Xia Nan’s total savings had actually reached a staggering:

236 gold, 2 silver, and 7 copper.

Although this amount was still only enough to buy a bit over half a bottle of Radiant Resistance Potion, or roughly one-seventh of a set of heavy plate armor, he was already thoroughly satisfied. After all, this was savings accumulated from a mere two missions. Xia Nan was even considering whether he should purchase another full healing potion to keep as a safeguard for emergencies.

“Right!”

Recalling the information he had gathered from Wood and the half-elf during the previous mission, Xia Nan didn’t depart from the shop immediately after completing the transaction. Instead, bearing a strong sense of purpose, his eyes carefully scanned the shelves inside the sundries shop.

“Customer, is there anything you need?” seeing this, Kukunur couldn’t help but ask enthusiastically.

Xia Nan hesitated slightly, turning his head to cast a glance at the empty doorway. Leaning closer, he opened his mouth with a hint of testing:

“Does your shop… have any ‘Combat Arts’ for sale?”

“Of course!”

The moment those words left his mouth, the gnome—whose height barely reached Xia Nan’s thigh—instantly patted his chest and declared loudly. He suddenly dove beneath the counter, producing the sound of heavy objects being shifted.

And then…

Thud!

A colossal cardboard box, its surface utterly caked in thick dust, was hoisted by Kukunur as he stood on his tiptoes and slammed heavily onto the counter.

“Cough… cough cough…”

Choking on the dust dancing through the air, he coughed while speaking:

“Combat arts… cough… they’re all inside.”

“3 coppers per pound. If you buy 10 pounds, I’ll give you a thirty percent discount.”
(End of Chapter)