Looking at the gold coins in front of him, the middle-aged man did not reach out to take them. Instead, he stared blankly at the long blade.
He had always thought it was a natural curse, but he never expected that the source of the curse was the weapon that had accompanied him for over thirty years.
He didn't doubt the magician's story across from him. After all, some things only need a trigger. When linking the past events together, the truth was already clear.
At sixteen, on his first adventure, he found the long blade in the ruins. The following year, the curse descended—torment by cold and resentment. His thirty years of perseverance seemed like a joke.
Suddenly, the middle-aged man pushed the long blade away.
"Magician, you give money every day for looking at things, you must be quite wealthy, right?"
Faced with the sudden inquiry, Ino was also a bit stunned. Why was he suddenly being asked about his wealth?
Before he could react, the middle-aged man seemed to have made a decision. His demeanor lost its previous sharpness, and he became completely dejected.
"Do you want this magical weapon full of stories? I'll sell it to you for 20,000 gold coins!"
20,000 gold coins? Ino was momentarily speechless. He had been intermittently hunting cat demons in the Thunder Ruins for the past two months, and the claws of hundreds to thousands of cat demons had barely fetched him 1,000 gold coins. The man in front of him was asking for 20,000.
The middle-aged man seemed to notice something, and he rewrapped the weapon in burlap. "I'll wait for you here for a month. During this time, you can try to find out the price of magical weapons. Even though it carries a curse..."
The middle-aged man left, as quietly as he had come, disappearing into the crowd.
"That man was so scary. I felt like he could attack us at any moment," Caitlyn clutched her chest, still frightened.
"Now you know to be scared?" Ino chuckled as he glanced at the tall girl beside him. "Teaching by words doesn't work, but experiencing something once teaches a lesson."
"At most, we'll stay another week, then it's back to Elvenguard to pick wild strawberries!"
"Why do you always mention wild strawberries? They're not even tasty, sour and astringent."
Caitlin did not refute returning to Elven Front this time but curiously asked about the wild strawberries.
"Because wild strawberries also have a sad love story! But now I want to go to the tavern for a drink. I can't keep the beautiful lady Siusha waiting."
As he spoke, Ino began to pack up his things, simultaneously undoing the transformation spell on the small folding stool.
...
Moonlight Tavern.
As one of the most famous taverns in Hendon Myre, its reputation wasn't solely due to the beautiful and charming Siusha. More so, it was the atmosphere and experience within the tavern.
Unlike other taverns that were noisy and bustling, anyone entering Moonlight Tavern would feel a clear and refined air, seemingly isolating the outside clamor and disturbances.
The interior of the tavern was clean and elegant. The white walls were as smooth as mirrors, and the wooden floor shone with a soft glow.
Delicate magical chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a warm light.
In one corner of the tavern, three carefully crafted cocktails were served on a table.
Three, because Caitlyn had also come in, determined not to leave without hearing a story.
In the morning, the tavern wasn't too crowded. After placing the drinks, Siusha elegantly sat beside them, then picked up a glass:
"Apologies for my earlier actions! The story was fascinating!"
"No need to apologize, it was my recklessness. The atmosphere here shouldn't be disturbed." After glancing around, Ino also raised his glass and lightly clinked it with Siusha's.
"I see you've recorded many stories. May I have the honor of reading them? I'll pay you," Sossia asked softly after putting down her glass.
"Of course! I record them to be shared, so that the forgotten stories can be known again."
Saying this, Ino opened his box and took out the bound parchment.
In two months, he had collected over 300 stories. They varied in length but were all deeply moving. Only true emotions could leave hidden stories on objects.
"Geminio!"
Seeing Caitlin's pitiful expression, he waved his wand, made a copy, and handed it to her.
...
In the quiet atmosphere, Ino carefully savored the meticulously mixed cocktail. It lacked the harshness of regular liquor, perhaps due to the added fruit juice, making it overall sweet.
Time passed slowly, about an hour.
"Ordinary people, ordinary objects, ordinary stories! But the emotions behind the stories are far from ordinary—sacrifice, love, rescue..."
Siusha set down the bound parchment, emotionally commenting on the stories within.
However, just as Ino was about to respond, Siusha changed the subject to something unrelated:
"The price of that weapon is not high at 20,000 gold coins. In fact, it's quite cheap. Perhaps he wanted to find a good home for the weapon, someone who understands it."
Although the topic changed abruptly, Ino didn't mind too much and naturally spread his hands, helplessly saying:
"I know it's not expensive, but I don't have the money to buy it."
Not to mention 20,000, he couldn't even muster 2,000. He also sensed that his journey across Arad was nearing its end, and the remaining time wouldn't be enough to gather the money.
"You don't have the money, but I do!" Siusha chuckled. "I really like this book of stories, so I want to publish it. I'll pay 20,000 gold coins for a 50% share of the profits. What do you think?"
"Are you sure? This book might not make much profit because it doesn't match adventurers' tastes. It's... too plain."
Although tempted, Ino didn't agree immediately. Since he had decided to follow his own path, there were some things he needed to clarify.
"There are more ordinary people living in Arad than adventurers," Siusha calmly replied.
"In that case, I agree." Ino decisively nodded.
Since everything was clear and the other party still chose to proceed, refusing would be foolish. After all, it was a one-time journey. Even if she bought all the profits, he would have agreed without hesitation.
On the other side, Caitlyn looked at the two in confusion. How could a drink turn into a 20,000 gold coin deal?
This wasn't two hundred or two thousand, but a whole 20,000 gold coins! If she had that money, she would have already sought out Teacher Kiri to learn mechanical skills. After all, a mechanic wasn't like a wandering gunslinger, carrying two pistols around.
As the most expensive profession, without ample funds, she couldn't even afford a small self-destructing robot.
"Maybe I can collect stories too!"
This thought suddenly flashed in Caitlyn's mind, and her eyes brightened.
---