They don't want me to try anymore.

Luvia turned to Richard, a hint of shyness creeping into her expression.

How do I look?

Chapter 84 Shopping with the Girls

"very beautiful!"

Richard honestly gave a thumbs up.

A blush crept across Luvia's face; she was thankful she'd secretly asked the headmaster for help with her dressing up. Zoe, standing beside her, puffed out her cheeks, her eyes darting back and forth between her own and Zoe's chests.

The child's discontent was severely suppressed by the difference in altitude, unable to be expressed...

At that moment, a moderate explosion was heard from the distant street, followed by bursts of laughter.

"Let's go, otherwise we'll miss a lot of interesting things."

Richard waved his hand, and the group walked along the street.

Xianwang Avenue is not the central avenue, nor is it as wide and magnificent, but it is not a slum either.

Instead, the people coming and going here are the citizens of Idaril, represented by doctors, lawyers, engineers, and low-level clerks from companies and the government.

There are no spectacular buildings on either side of the street, but there are a dazzling array of shops—thanks to the cheapness of glass and the development of the advertising industry, shop owners have all learned how to decorate a beautiful shop window.

This kind of outfit is even more spectacular during a holiday.

Richard looked down from the slightly higher ground and saw that the shopkeepers displayed beautiful clothes, exquisite dolls, complex clockwork mechanisms, or strangely colored porcelain inside and outside the glass, and decorated them with ribbons, lights, or some cheap magical props.

Those with more money simply hired performers, including magic shows and science experiments—yes, in an era before compulsory education was widespread, conducting physics and chemistry experiments on the street was a popular activity.

The explosion Richard just heard was caused by a mistake made by one of the lab technicians.

In general, the scene on King's Avenue at this moment was like a temple fair in a past life, a concentrated expression of the civic culture of this era, which interested Richard more than so-called operas and salons.

Wow! You can do that?

At that moment, Zoe was drawn to a small performance by the roadside.

That was a Dark Iron Rank mage hired by the candy store. He first turned countless candies into paper cranes, which flew into the sky and then gathered together to form a fountain. Finally, the splashing water fell into people's hands and turned back into candies, attracting nearby children to scramble for them.

In my opinion, the magic wasn't difficult, and the candy couldn't possibly taste as good as the one in St. Godard's, but the liveliness was something that couldn't be found in a relatively serious school, so it's no wonder it attracted the little girl.

Not only Zoe, but Katyusha was also drawn to a horse race across the street—but the contestants weren't real horses, but toy horses, each about 20 centimeters tall and driven by wind-up mechanisms and gears.

Hmm, it tastes just like the Four-Horse Brothers!

Just as Richard was thinking this, he met Katyusha's eyes. The girl's expression was as usual, except that her pupils revealed a strong desire.

In short: I want to buy it!

Buy and buy!

I never intended for my wallet to leave alive today!

After Richard finished taking out his silver coins, he noticed that a clothing store ahead was holding a minimalist beauty pageant. Basically, interested passersby could choose any clothes to wear and show off to others. If they looked beautiful enough, they could take the clothes for free.

Is it okay for this kind of competition to take place in the street? The empire seems to be more open-minded than it was in the late 18th century of my previous life. And the contestants are all quite good-looking...

"Richard, what are you looking at?"

Luvia suddenly leaned in and whispered softly into the back of Richard's neck.

Richard shuddered: "It's nothing..."

"Ok?"

"Well, it's not entirely nothing. I just think those flesh-colored stockings would look great on you."

"..."

"I want to see you in stockings."

"...Next time."

Luvia turned her head away and didn't say anything more for a moment.

Richard breathed a sigh of relief.

The strategy of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" was a great success!

Next, the four of them walked along the street for two or three kilometers.

You ate delicious food, saw fun things, and bought what you wanted. While the quality couldn't compare to the internal offerings at Saint Goethe, the entertainment value was absolutely satisfying.

"It's almost dinnertime..."

Richard, look at that!

Suddenly caught up in the moment, Zoe clapped her hands and pointed to the center of the group, saying, "It looks like a puppet show!"

Puppet theater?

Oh, you mean that kind of thing where they use a big box as a stage backdrop and manipulate puppets with strings and falsetto to tell stories? It's also called a puppet show? Shouldn't that be pretty common?

Richard looked in the direction of the sound and quickly understood Zoe's excitement.

It was a puppet theater the size of a horse-drawn carriage!

The puppets inside are all 30 centimeters tall, with delicate expressions and exquisite costumes. Knights, mages, wyverns, and demons are all present, engaged in a massive battle! Although they are made of wood, sparks fly when they collide!

It's gotten to this level; it could totally be called a 3D mini-movie!

While Zoe and Katyusha were drawn to the performance, Richard's gaze drifted toward the person controlling the theater from behind the scenes.

It was a short, chubby young man in his twenties with orange-red hair, who was manipulating the silk threads while dubbing a dozen or so characters in a heavily accented Common Language.

And his strength... that's right, it's high-level Bronze.

Richard narrowed his eyes slightly.

Just then, the scene ended, and the young man bowed to the crowd, took off his hat to collect the coins, and also noticed Richard and his group.

He winked at Richard and Luvia, giving them a憨厚 smile:

You two look so well-matched!

Ding dong!

Luvia popped a gold coin into her hat!

"Thank you ma'am!"

Jingle Jingle!

Luvia has a very high drop rate!

stop stop stop!

Richard was both amused and exasperated. Seeing that the man had paused for a moment after circling around, he couldn't help but ask curiously, "With your skills at the high-level of bronze, why are you performing on the street?"

"Wow, you have a really good eye."

The man smiled and said, "But you flatter me. Bronze is nothing in Idaril, the city of ten thousand cities. Besides, I am a newcomer with no livelihood, no friends, and no experience. If I accidentally overspend, my wallet will be empty."

"I happen to really like puppet theaters, and seeing that it's a holiday here, I thought I'd take the opportunity to set up a stall and earn some money for food."

Richard nodded and didn't ask any further questions.

It's true that the glamorous world of Italil can drain many low-level professionals who are new to the area.

At that moment, the aroma of steak wafted from the nearby streets and alleys.

Gurgling.

Richard instinctively glanced at Luvia...

Then he felt a chill on his neck.

Luvia said in a low voice, with a hint of coldness, "It wasn't me."

Okay, okay, quickly tone down the murderous aura!

"Ahaha, sorry."

The chubby young man opposite him awkwardly scratched his forehead: "I've been performing all day, I'm a little hungry... You guys are the same, right?"

Richard did not deny it.

It's almost dinnertime.

The chubby young man then said enthusiastically, "To be honest, I'm from the same hometown as the owner of a restaurant nearby. He promised that if I bring him customers, he can give me a 50% discount on meals..."

Oh no, should we just say it directly? Shouldn't we beat around the bush a bit?

"...You all must be used to eating delicacies all the time, right? Aren't you getting a little tired of them? My hometown, Kuala Mara, may not be a big place, but it's quite famous for its grilled meats and seafood. If you don't mind, you can come and try something different!"

To be honest, after the other party's candor, Richard, who had been eating at Saint Goethe's Restaurant for a year, did become somewhat interested.

Guamara, he had heard of this place before. It was a small island nation located south of the empire and west of Vanderbilt—but larger than Connaught—that had become a vassal state of the empire four or five years ago.

He turned his head and saw that the girls were also very interested, so he agreed.

“Great, please follow me! By the way, my name is Anton, Anton Vallag.”

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Richard..."