Why are all your skill bars full of weird moves?

The Silver Thorn Squad arrived at a place called "Pine Stone Ridge," a village within Maple Leaf City's territory that is about to be transformed into a town.

After settling the three of them in the tavern, Gauss took Tilia and headed towards the livestock market on the east side of the village.

Buying oxen wasn't complicated, but Gauss was worried about leaving Tilia at the tavern.

It wasn't parental thinking, but rather a concern that Gauss would have to clean up the mess Tilia caused.

Walking on the dirt road in the village, Gauss would sometimes step on solid ground and sometimes sink into the half-hollowed ruts. Underneath the loose mud layer were dried excrement.

Fortunately, Maple Leaf City has strict sanitation regulations, so villagers dare not urinate or defecate indiscriminately, and the only smell in the air is a mixture of horse manure and cooking smoke.

Gauss also noticed that from the moment he entered the village, he encountered all sorts of faces along the way.

There were orc merchants dressed in coarse fur clothing, and dwarves pushing small carts loaded with armor, making a clanging sound.

After all, the village is located at the western end of Maple Leaf City.

Gauss had a clear understanding of the administrative divisions of this area. Maple Leaf City, as a strategic city, was under the jurisdiction of two villages, two towns, and one pass.

The so-called pass is the Rift Pass to the west of Maple Leaf City, nestled among the mountains, guarding the passage between the western border and the orc kingdom of Mogul.

Orcs brought animal hides and magical beast bones from the pass in exchange for anything from humans, with grain, cloth, and fruit wine being the most sought-after.

The only items subject to embargo were strategic materials such as iron ore, armor, and horses.

Gauss snapped out of his thoughts and turned his gaze to Tilia.

Her delicate face should have made her a perfect mature woman, but her actions showed no trace of aloofness.

Just like...

She was squatting in front of the dwarf's stall, poking a hamster in a cage with her finger. The hamster squeaked and tried to shrink into the corner of the cage. Tilia tilted her head and poked it from a different angle.

"Gauss," Tilia looked up, "Why is it afraid of me?"

"Have you forgotten about the oxen so quickly?" Gauss grabbed her by the back of her cloak and lifted her up. "Don't touch them, or that hamster's heart will explode."

Tilia wasn't annoyed when she was lifted up. She straightened up, patted the dirt off her knees, and was then drawn to the dried sausages on the stall next to her. She reached out to touch them.

The stall owner was a middle-aged man. When he saw Tilia appear, his eyes glazed over instantly, like a naive college student.

Gauss stepped forward and pulled Tilia away, speaking solemnly:

"Can we go take care of our business first?"

Tilia was somewhat reluctant to leave. She turned around, and the hem of her long cloak fluttered up, revealing her slender white legs before slowly falling back down, filling the air with the fragrance of her roses.

"It's so lively here, just like in the book."

Gauss didn't reply and continued walking towards the livestock market.

Tilia jogged a couple of steps to catch up, then suddenly said, "Gauss, I want to drink."

"I read in a book that adventurers gather around a campfire to drink, sing, and tell adventure stories. I've always wanted to experience that."

"You've lived for three hundred years, and you've never drunk alcohol?"

"Where I live, there is only blood, no wine."

Upon hearing this, Gauss thought about it carefully. Tilia had never drunk alcohol, and all she talked about was her mother and books. What about the other family members?

Given her mental state, Gauss now seriously suspects that Tilia was imprisoned for three hundred years, rather than having lived for three hundred years.

Gauss snapped out of his reverie and quickened his pace.

"Let's buy the cow first, and we'll talk about it when we get back to the tavern."

When the two arrived at the livestock market, Gauss spent half an hour choosing a three-year-old ox, which was plump, strong, and had even teeth.

The livestock dealer asked for twelve gold coins, but Gauss bargained down to ten and the deal was made.

Of course, the matter of paying the money must be handled by the rich second generation.

As soon as Gauss led the bull out of the fence, Tilia couldn't wait to ask:

"Why do I have to spend money? Can't I move when I transform into a cow?"

"If you bring this up again, I'll just leave you here in this village."

"……OK."

Gauss led the oxen through the residential area before finally finding out the farmer's house.

Upon arriving at his destination, Gauss looked around and saw mud-brick houses, fenced yards, and coarse linen drying in the yards.

The farmer was sitting on the doorstep, clutching his tattered straw hat, when he saw Gauss leading the ox over, and he quickly got up and went over to him.

"I...I thought you were lying to me..."

"I won't go back on my word," Gauss said, shoving the reins into the farmer's hand. "I've already written the cattle deed for you; no one will cause any trouble."

When buying the cattle, Gauss also had the livestock dealer help him with the paperwork from the village chief, which cost him two extra silver coins but saved him from further trouble.

Gauss knew that if a farmer possessed oxen of dubious origin, the sheriff had the right to confiscate them.

The farmer took the reins, his hands trembling, and after a long pause, he finally spoke:

"There are so few kind-hearted adventurers like you."

"Three adventurers entered the village earlier, not only desecrating the missionary saintess but also killing three and injuring seven of the village guards..."

"So when I first met you all, I really didn't dare..."

As the farmer spoke, tears welled in his eyes, and his knees sank a few inches, as if he were about to kneel down again.

Gauss quickly reached out to support him and patted him on the shoulder.

"Alright, no need to kneel."

"I don't have much to repay you with," the farmer said, rubbing his hands together. Suddenly remembering something, he lowered his voice and said, "But there's something... that might interest you."

"What is it?"

The farmer looked around and pulled Gauss to a corner of the yard.

"Last month I went up the mountain to chop firewood, and it started raining. In a panic, I looked for a place to take shelter. I came to a ravine and found that the crevices in the rocks were covered with vines. The place was unfamiliar, and I thought there might be rare medicinal herbs, so I parted the weeds to go in and take a look, but I didn't expect..."

"What didn't you think of?"

The farmer turned around mysteriously to look around again, and after confirming that no one was around, he whispered in Gauss's ear, "I found a stone door with crooked writing on it that I don't recognize."

"Stone Gate?"

"Yes, it's very dark in color and looks a bit old." The farmer gestured with his hand. "It's about the height of two people. I don't recognize the words on it, but it looks like there's a dragon drawn on it."

Gauss frowned, wondering if it was about Shadow Dragon.

If this is true, it's too much of a coincidence.

"Have you been inside?"

"No, no," the farmer waved his hands repeatedly. "The door wouldn't open, and the place was a bit eerie. I was afraid there were monsters, so I ran away quickly."

"Have you mentioned this to anyone?"

"You're the second person to know."

Seeing that Gauss seemed interested, the farmer added:

"If you want to come, you can come to my house tomorrow when the sun rises."

Gauss nodded, feeling that he needed to go back and discuss this with his teammates.

After all, it's unclear whether there are any clues about the Shadow Dragon inside, let alone the terrifying monsters that might exist behind the stone gate.

"Thanks, I'm going there tomorrow, I'll come see you beforehand."

"No problem, no problem."

After leaving the farmer's house, Gauss and Tilia headed towards the tavern.

In a hurry, the two arrived at the door of a tavern called "Red Stone".

Gauss looked around and saw several fat horses tied up at the door. The door was open, and he could vaguely hear the chaotic voices of people inside and the clinking of wooden cups.

As soon as Gauss entered, the sweet aroma of fruit wine wafted towards him.

The tavern was small, made entirely of wood, with about twenty wooden tables crammed into the dimly lit hall.

Mia and Ula sat facing each other in a corner against the wall, with food on the table that looked like local specialties.

In the most bustling area in the center of the hall, Gauss spotted Balk at a glance.

The kobold was shirtless, raising a glass in a drinking contest with lightly armored dwarves and orc mercenaries.

Balk's dog face was already red and purple, and he was still barking incoherently.

"Again! Whoever falls first, Jill is smaller than a dwarf!"

"Damn dog! You think you're so great?"

The dwarf opposite raised his wooden cup, spilling fruit wine all over the ground, and made a move to slap the dog's head.

This is a tavern in another world. After drinking a few cups of horse urine, you'll forget who you are.

Gauss walked around the crowd and sat down in a corner. Tilia, on the other hand, stood still, her mouth agape as she surveyed her surroundings.

"Wow... is this the tavern?"

Gauss was unaware of Tilia's reaction, but instead gestured with his chin toward Balk.

"When did he start?"

Ula put down the spoon in her hand, her tone filled with helplessness.

"This guy hadn't been in there long when he saw this group of mercenaries, so he took out his cup and went over to them."

"First, you exaggerated the battle at Bullhorn, then you talked about how you wiped out the Darkborn..."

Ula shrugged as he finished speaking.

"The more they talked, the more excited they got, and the more they drank. Now they're almost about to fight."

Gauss's temples twitched twice. He thought to himself that if a fight broke out, he definitely couldn't run away. How much would he have to pay in policing fees afterward?

If that's the case, families that are already struggling financially will face even greater hardship.

"Gauss, there's something strange I don't know if you've noticed."