Cornflower Witch

Chapter 152 Beg Town Tavern

'Fir Black Forest'

Passing through the shaded pond under the big trees, Hiltiya walked down the hillside along the clear path. Soon, after turning a bend in the mountain road, a small town with wisps of smoke rising from its chimneys came into view. Scattered houses were nestled on the hillside, connected by stone-paved paths.

Compared to the 'Golden Plains' located in the heart of the region, the Fir Black Forest has a small permanent population of only 2000, scattered across various areas. In contrast, 'Beg Town', the center of the settlement, has a permanent population of nearly 800.

Along the way, Hiltiya occasionally saw young students passing by. Judging from their badges, most of them were between rank 1 and 2. As for those above rank 3, she only saw one, who was probably the resident apothecary of this town. He was wearing an emerald green robe embroidered with intricate floral and leaf patterns.

"Dean, you're back." An old woman drying herbs in a roadside shop greeted the young man as he walked by.

"I'm back, Aunt Herlin." With that, the young man carrying the broadsword walked over, exchanged a few more words with her, and then left.

"Rosa, you're here too. Did you just come from the teacher's herb hut?"

After walking a few steps, Hilti heard another sound. The young man named Dean was waving to a passing young woman.

"Yes, I've been busy all day to prepare the base for the Maglarin potion that the teacher needs." She said, yawning as she spoke.

"All I want to do right now is sit in the tavern, have something to eat, and then go to sleep."

"Hehe, things will get better after this busy period. Next time we go to the 'Stone River Beach,' do you want to come along?"

"Oh, there? Sure, but you'd better protect me well, I don't have much fighting power." After saying that, the two chatted for a few more minutes before parting ways.

Along the way, Hirutiya's keen hearing detected several more similar cases, indicating that the residents of this town, whether students or permanent residents, were very familiar with each other.

That makes sense. There are only 800 people in the town, and over time, you'll definitely be able to name the people you see often.

There are two organizations stationed in this town: 'Orchid Fragrance Secret Medicine' and 'Deer Horn'. The former is mainly composed of apothecaries, while the latter is composed of rangers, war dancers, and beastmen, all of whom are professions adapted to the forest environment.

Upon arriving at the town's tavern, Hilti stopped. This must be the largest building in town, a three-story wooden and stone structure under a tall triangular roof, with lively and bustling sounds emanating from the open doors and windows.

Of the town's 800-plus residents, about 200 had gathered here. Some were drinking and eating, some were chatting and laughing together, and others were handling business at the counter on the side of the hall.

Seeing the situation at the counter, Hiltiya finally understood why there were so many people here. It turned out that this tavern was owned by the 'Forestry Association', and even their local offices were located inside the tavern, which was extremely convenient.

The spacious hall can easily accommodate hundreds of people, and even when it's noisy, it's not too crowded. Hiltiya can still see quite a few empty tables.

The tables and chairs here are mostly made of pine wood, and beehive candles hang around the supporting pillars of the hall, their faint fragrance spreading with the candlelight.

I sat down at a small table in the corner of the hall, and soon a friendly waitress came over. She was hopping around and had a raised tail behind her back, making her look like a feline demi-human.

"What would you like?" She placed a wooden menu on the table, on which lines of writing were crookedly made.

"Any recommendations that are also quite delicious?"

Hiltiya looked at the recipe above, and the main ingredients were all common in the forest.

“This must be your first time here, so I recommend the mushroom pie, paired with refreshing blueberry juice. That’s the best way to enjoy it.” She suggested dinner for Siltia.

“This one then.” Hilti chose. “Okay~ Please wait a moment, baking the pie crust and cooking the filling will take some time.” The cat-tailed girl picked up the menu, waved to Hilti, and skipped away again.

This girl should be of the 'Tier 1 Beast Fang' type,' Shiltiya observed as she watched her departing figure.

She couldn't help but be curious. Although the prices of the dishes in this tavern were higher than outside, they weren't outrageous. How could they afford to support such staff? Was she also a trainee, carrying out some kind of duty or mission?

The girl's gaze then shifted to the other side, where the association's counter was located, next to which was a bulletin board with signs of various sizes hanging on it, displaying bounties and announcements.

"Looking to buy Pranli flowers, one gold coin per plant." There was also a sketch of the flower next to it.

"We require snake molts of level two or higher. If they are complete, we will purchase them for 20 gold coins each."

"Selling a serpentine sword, quality 'Tier 2 - Excellent', price 50 gold coins." A detailed description follows: this sword has the effects of (Sharpness +2, Bleeding +1).

"Seeking a dedicated 'purifier' who can reduce the distortion and erosion effect by more than 40%. Each expedition will be rewarded with an additional 10 gold coins, and the spoils will be split equally."

……

Purifier? This was the first time Silti had ever heard of this profession. Judging from the description, it seemed to have the ability to slow down the erosion of the 'distorted' aspect.

About 20 minutes later, the mushroom savory pie ordered by Hiruti was finally ready and served piping hot, along with a glass of chilled blueberry juice.

"Two silver coins in total." The price is about 8 to 10 times that outside, but it's acceptable in the woods.

The crispy pie crust is topped with sautéed mushrooms, onions, garlic slices, and cheese, emitting a steaming aroma. Hirutia cuts off a small piece and puts it in her mouth. It's slightly warm, followed by a savory taste. The mushrooms are quite refreshing, balancing the richness of the cheese, while the onions and garlic slices add even more flavor.

After finishing the mushroom savory pie, Hirutia drank half a glass of blueberry juice, then sat for a while, slowly finishing the sweet and sour blueberry juice before getting up and going to the counter.

"Hello, I'd like to inquire about exploring deep in the forest," she asked the association staff.

"Oh, you're new here, aren't you?" She hadn't seen Siltia before.

"If you want to go to the secret realm to find some resources, I suggest starting from the small river in the south, going down the river, and then heading towards the valley. You might find something there."

"The monsters and strange phenomena that appear on this road are not very dangerous, making it suitable for beginners."

"If you want to earn more and find some rarer resources, you'll probably need to form a team and plan your route. It's best not to stay in the secret realm for more than five days."

"Over time, accidents are likely to happen, and the secret realm will gradually become distorted and eroded, requiring timely exit for recuperation."

“Each time we travel through the gray and white shadow world, it brings a slight erosion. This is not obvious at first, but once the erosion of the Destiny Card exceeds 30%, it becomes extremely difficult to deal with. Therefore, exploration teams usually return as soon as the erosion reaches 20%.”

"Is there really such a thing?" The girl couldn't help but recall the time she accidentally entered the world of shadows. She traveled through that black and white world and did feel uncomfortable, needing to consume her own sexual energy, but she didn't suffer any erosion.

Perhaps it was because the place she went to that time was relatively shallow and not dangerous.

(End of this chapter)