The old witch observed Ivita's spell from inside the carriage and became perplexed. 'The power and duration of the spell are average.'
'Had the dimwit at the door been a bit tougher mentally, the charm spell might even have failed.'
'Although, being able to successfully use a magic item on the first try is remarkable amongst ordinary wizard apprentices.'
'But this one is royalty.'
'Did the Demon God hold back intentionally?'
The old witch stealthily glanced at Ivita. 'After using the Magic Awakening Ritual involving six divine names, there must be more secrets. I need to continue observing.'
'Looking back at the history of magic that I've read, no one has ever borrowed power using six divine names.'
'I'm also very curious about what will happen.'
When they entered Kari Town, Ivita was sitting in the carriage and saw that the buildings in the town were a blend of wood and stone structures, and he even saw something familiar – streets.
This was the first time Ivita had seen part of urban life in this world.
However, the streets here were rather narrow.
The width of the streets could barely accommodate a horse-drawn carriage.
The narrow streets were filled with shops and stands set up by the houses on both sides.
The people living in the town were mostly workers and small business owners, so the houses here were essentially commercial residences with storefronts.
To allow more residents in the town to use their front and back yards to sell goods, the width of the streets was sacrificed to make as much room as possible for everyone to set up a stall.
Along the way, there were cloth shops, leather workshops, farmers' markets, food stalls, and places selling farming tools.
All of these products are generally produced within the houses.
In other words, the town itself plays an important role as the market center and workshop hub for the nearby villages.
When passing by a small pie stall, Ivita asked Alysia to stop the carriage, and he bought a meat pie as big as a cake with two pennies.
Rayli exclaimed, "Oh, Master, this meat pie could buy ten loaves of black bread."
"If you want to eat, Black Wolf and I can help you hunt a wild rabbit in the mountains, sprinkle some salt on it, and it tastes much better than this meat pie."
He was a bit stingy.
Rayli is usually quite thrifty.
Generally speaking, he only spends about a penny per meal.
That's why he has been able to save so many pounds.
Ivita said to Rayli, "Don't worry about it, I just want to celebrate the first step of our restoration plan."
"Rayli, think of this pie as a gift from the town's inspector to us."
Rayli thought of the twelve shillings and eight pence, a smile flashed in his eyes.
Yes, with the twelve shillings and eight pence gifted by the official, they felt like they were spending someone else's money.
Anyway, it feels really good.
Ivita stepped off the carriage.
Rayli drew his sword and followed. "Master, you are still a target of the Small Brotherhood of Trustworthiness. Please stay alert."
Ivita nodded at him, then turned to the owner of the meat pie stand and said, "Could I borrow your knife for a moment?"
As soon as the meat pie shop owner saw the luxurious adornments on Ivita's right hand that were enough to make anyone feel inferior, he immediately handed him the knife.
Unlike the serfs and boorish drinkers on the plantation, the citizens in the town seem shrewd and competent.
That's the benefit of working for oneself.
If work becomes an unrewarding public duty, people would become like the serfs in the plantation, only doing the bare minimum, with no motivation to work harder.
Ivita held the knife and cut the meat pie into six pieces.
He gave the first piece to Black Wolf, who had been following him from the start.
He gave the second piece to the old witch and the third piece to Rayli.
Then, he ate a piece himself, got out of the carriage, and gave the remaining two pieces to Alysia and her child.
Alysia was a little astonished as she accepted a piece of meat pie. "Thank you, sir," she said.
"The God of All Things will certainly repay your generosity and kindness, allowing all your plans to proceed smoothly. But my child and I only need to eat one piece. If we have more, it would be …"
Ivita ignored her, handing a piece of meat pie to the child hiding behind her. "Alysia, don't refuse the lord's kindness arbitrarily."
"What I say goes, and that's your duty to me."
The child shyly accepted the meat pie. "Thank you...brother..."
Alysia quickly grabbed his shoulder, whispered angrily, "You should call him sir, you need to show respect!"
After returning the knife to the owner of the meat pie stand, Ivita turned around and said to the people in the carriage, "Ladies and gentlemen, now we have just entered a town in Viscount Ambros' country, and all we can share is a meat pie."
"But I believe, by the time we leave Viscount Ambros' country, we will be able to share the wealth of a territory."
Black Wolf and Rayli exchanged knowing smiles, while Alysia felt a warm feeling in her heart.
The old witch, of course, did not fall for the meat pie trick. Her heart sunk, thinking, 'As expected of a Demon God, a real charmer.'
In certain ancient myths and legends with unknown origins, these Demon Gods are said to manipulate the hearts of people, incite rebellion, and plunge kingdoms into war.
Now it seems, the rumors are not unfounded.
Despite her curiosity about Ivita, the old witch still fears being around the Demon God and invites tremendous bad luck.
She spoke up, "Your Highness, we should head to the capital of Viscount Ambrose's Independent Country - Ambros."
"It's a city with tens of thousands of inhabitants."
"It has the most opportunities, and my beloved apprentice will welcome you there."
Ivita looked at her with some confusion.
He didn't know what this witch was scheming, why she kept urging him to go to Ambros.
Black Wolf suddenly spoke. "Before we head to Ambros, why not visit the Adventure Association's branch in the town."
"Firstly, we can earn some money for traveling expenses and the purchase of weapons and supplies."
"Secondly, this town may have some interesting tasks."
"Since we are already here."
Ivita's eyes brightened. "Good idea."
The old witch glared at Black Wolf. "Damn the Demon Hunter."
"Your Highness, what you want are tasks that can get wealth, even territories. What kind of tasks can a small broken-down town like this have?"
Black Wolf said, "Not necessarily. This town is so prosperous because it is the gateway into the Viscount's country. Although the town is not populous, it is strategically important."
Ivita said, "Then let's go to the Adventurer Guild in the town."
The old witch glared at Black Wolf, suddenly feeling an urge to create a voodoo doll of him and jab a few steel needles into it.
She must come up with a new plan to make Ivita go to Ambros as soon as possible so she can meet up with her apprentice.