I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 84 Beer Town

Friday arrived in the blink of an eye. The apprentices and mentors who lived closer to home boarded their carriages to go home, leaving only a few little ones who didn't know where to go to stay in the academy that had suddenly become deserted.

Charles is reportedly going on his honeymoon with his mentor, Ruru. Before leaving, he gave DuPont 13 One-Ring Scrolls to pay for his expenses, with the extra one being a friendly errand fee.

DuPont was clearly not the only company to suddenly become rich.

"With Ruru's private collection, I estimate I can advance to level 4 mage next semester. This progress is incredibly fast and doesn't cost any money. You can even sell the scrolls you copy. Aren't you really interested?"

"Never mind, I have a girlfriend." DuPont found this excuse quite useful for the first time: "I'm going out tomorrow after I hand in my scroll. But you, I feel like you've lost weight in just a few days?"

Charles took out a mirror and looked at himself: "I think I've gotten a bit more handsome. Working out together with a man and a woman always has some effect."

The chubby boy got into the carriage and left. DuPont went to the kitchen, where Judy's tofu had been successfully made and she was now researching how to make soy milk.

"Although tofu needs seasoning, it tastes pretty good on its own. I reckon elves and druids would like it. I checked the recipes today and there's nothing similar. You can register with the Chefs' Association in Whitestone City. You'll get a bonus after you're certified."

"Oh?" DuPont became interested at the mention of Qian: "Approximately how much?"

"The dishes are usually worth a few dozen gold, but inventing new ingredients will be rewarded quite a bit, probably several hundred to a thousand gold." The halfling said, ladling the cooked soy milk into a bowl and tasting it. "Afterwards, these ingredients and recipes will be kept by the Chefs Association. If a chef wants to learn, 7% of the tuition fee will go to you and 3% to the association. It will be settled annually. In the first two years, earning over a thousand gold shouldn't be a problem."

"Oh?" DuPont was genuinely surprised now: "It's that profitable?"

"The dishes are easy to make; anyone can whip one up and see if the judges and the rest of the group approve. But you don't know how difficult it is to invent an ingredient that can be recognized, especially one that can be widely learned by everyone." The halfling tossed pale yellow cane sugar into the bowl, stirred it for a while, and took a sip, his brow relaxing. "But the soy milk is a bit lacking. It doesn't taste good without sugar, and it's a bit of a luxury for ordinary people. It doesn't have the strong fishy smell of milk, though."

"Once it's popularized, people will gradually figure out how to eat it themselves. Who knows, some people might even like to add salt and chili." DuPont scooped the fried dough sticks out of the pot, wondering how they would taste without the toppings: "You can soak these freshly fried dough sticks in soy milk; it has a unique flavor."

"What? Salt can be added to this kind of dessert? What kind of weird fetish is that!"

As they chatted, it grew late. DuPont stared blankly at the messages: "[You have created a second dish that exceeds the imagination and tastes of the masses, but the third must be made from monster ingredients]" and "[Submit to the Chefs Association, and you may gain 1 to 3 Legendary Points]".

This was a profession he had always overlooked, but now he was almost finished with it.

To be honest, he hasn't hunted many monsters. He's killed mostly humans these days, with ghouls being the only exception among the undead.

But you can't eat the heart of a dead person, let alone the heart of a living corpse.

The previous hunting missions in Damai Village involved bear goblins and goblin gangs. Now it seems that neither the potential experience points or the treasure nor the food is worth the trip. It's better to leave this mission to other adventurers.

Sigh, do other adventurers think the same way? That's why some villages lack adventurers to clean up the troubles, while other places have no quests to accept.

Forget it, I'd better hurry up and finish the spell models I have on hand, so I'll have a permanent buff later. After that, I should go listen to the course on Super Magic: Spell Advancement.

[You have 14 days left until the minimum repayment deadline, and your health has recovered.] [You have learned the wisdom of the fox.]

After handing in the scroll and stocking up on two days' worth of food, DuPont traveled by carriage to Ale Town.

According to information obtained from Judy, Beer Town has a permanent population of about 8000, making it a relatively large town.

The city walls here are thick and the defenses are solid. High-level mages are usually stationed here. It is the largest town closest to the front line besides the border fortress. It also bears the pressure of serving as the second line of defense if the fortress falls.

However, the long period of peace has made this place not much different from other places. The main products are ale, weapons and armor. There are also many dwarves living here, making it a city that is suitable for adventurers to stay in for a short time.

In contrast, entertainment facilities here are relatively lacking, much worse than in White Rock City. The only pedestrians are adventurers and trading caravans, with very few outsiders staying here permanently. The prices of food and daily necessities are also quite expensive, no less than in big cities. The locals have a rather indifferent attitude towards outsiders, perhaps because they have lived with dwarves for a long time and lack a sense of service. Even the staff at the local brothels are not very friendly.

Although he didn't know where the halfling experience came from, DuPont believed that the other party wouldn't lie to him.

Upon arriving at their destination, DuPont quickly realized that Judy's words were true.

With his apprentice badge, he entered the city without encountering any problems. However, the people there were indifferent when he asked about business, and would even glare at him if he didn't buy anything, which made DuPont very unhappy.

The blacksmiths weren't much better than the shopkeepers. The dwarf shopkeeper, who was drinking, kept saying he wouldn't accept anything, that what good stuff you adventurers could possibly have was all junk, and that it wasn't even as good as a single hair of our dwarf products.

When DuPont took out the enchanted dagger to sell, the dwarves said they didn't buy enchanted items, that real men used hammers and battle axes, and that this dagger couldn't even pierce their plate armor, so no one would buy it.

DuPont decided to come back after dark and teach these short, drunken people a lesson in manners.

After booking a room at a hotel called Golden Wheat, the owner's expression finally improved when DuPont took out the gold coins. He also told him about the shops there that would buy things at fairer prices and recommended the hotel's specialty, Bergman Dwarf Ale, which he guaranteed would be delicious and wouldn't cause headaches, and that ice would be provided. All the customers who drank it said it was great.

Besides the fact that it costs as much as 2 silver coins a cup.

Out of curiosity, DuPont ordered half a glass of wine and half a glass of ice in the name of the monk. Upon tasting it, he found that it was indeed unique. The rich malt aroma combined with a slight bitterness made for a mellow and smooth taste, and there was even foam rising up, which immediately reminded him of his first year on the construction site.

Back then, time was tight and tasks were heavy. Every day, I had to do a lot of odd jobs that weren't part of my job. What I enjoyed most was drinking a bottle of beer at noon and after get off work to relieve my physical fatigue, and chatting with a few classmates. That was a brief moment of happiness.

However, he didn't have much money back then, and he drank what was commonly known as "big green bottles" of liquor. That stuff was strong and tasted terrible. It was good for nothing except being cool and cheap, but it was the best-selling product on the construction site.

The taste is nowhere near as good as this.

As he was reminiscing, DuPont suddenly heard someone call out his name as if in surprise. He looked in that direction with some astonishment and found that the person was his rumored girlfriend.

That foolish paladin waving at him.

　I think I can manage three updates around noon; let's see how long that lasts.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)