The adventurer at the bottom is fantasizing again.

"What do you think professionals are, roadside cabbages?" Haifu shook his head.

"Aunt Martha! Two servings of stewed beans and meat!" Lorraine was starving.

"Okay!"

After ordering, he rubbed the frost off his eyebrows and asked with some confusion:

"No, no, no, what I mean is, since this position is so important, why didn't Grand Duke Caspar send more professionals?"

Haifu handed the two heads and the bag of tail tips to one of his men, gesturing for him to go through the process of collecting the bounty, before continuing:

Many professionals who have already entered the field are pursuing their own "path" and are unwilling to stoop to the status of the aristocracy.

Of course, given Grand Duke Kasper's status and wealth, he would undoubtedly have many professionals at his disposal.

He tapped his fingers on the bar counter and continued:

"But he rules over the entire Northern Territory, hundreds of cities and millions of people. No matter how many professionals come, it won't be enough."

"Hey, what about the local nobles here?" Lorraine asked curiously.

"A local nobleman? Oh, you mean Viscount Herman of Frostvale?" Haif was puzzled for a moment before realizing what he was asking.

Lorraine nodded.

Although it was the first time he had heard of this Viscount Hermann, and he had asked about Shallow Beach Town.

"Viscount Hermann is a rare and good nobleman; he was once just an ordinary commoner."

He later distinguished himself in battle under Count Roderick Plantagenet and became his second-in-command, eventually becoming a viscount.

However, perhaps because it was funded and built by Grand Duke Caspar, he couldn't interfere.

Haifu wasn't quite sure either.

Good nobles?

Lorraine remained noncommittal about the term; he had never had a good impression of so-called nobles, and simply kept his head down, eating the stew that Martha had just served.

"Now that you've resolved it, there's no need for further nonsense. I'll go explain the situation to the mayor."

Haifu raised an eyebrow at him and smiled:

"We must give you a proper celebration this time, heroes of Shallow Beach. The staff has prepared the second-floor rooms you were staying in before, so you can come and stay anytime, free of charge."

He placed the 26 gold coins handed to him by his men on the bar counter, then grabbed the two kobold heads and left the tavern.

"Cough cough—"

Lorraine nearly choked and spat it out.

He was still not used to being called that, and it felt a little strange, but he was still very happy to have a free place to stay.

"Hehe, Piper's going to rest now."

The little guy was delighted to hear someone call him a hero. He quickly finished his stew, took the gold coins Lorraine had given him, and happily went upstairs.

Lorraine stretched and yawned. He had been through a lot these past few days and was ready to get a good night's sleep.

There are still many loot items to process, and the equipment needs to be updated and repaired. He's going to be very busy... he thought to himself.

......

"Bang bang bang—"

Who is it?

Lorraine groggily got out of bed and glanced out the window. The sun had almost completely set, but the town was still brightly lit by many fires.

Is it on fire?

He grabbed the rusty throat that was beside him, carefully opened the door, and found that it was Haifu standing outside.

"What's wrong?" he asked, relieved and puzzled.

Haif said mysteriously, "Come down quickly, the mayor has prepared a gift for you."

"A gift?" Lorraine scratched her head.

He followed Haif downstairs and found that Piper was already waiting in the tavern lobby.

"Come here, Lorraine! You've never seen anything like this before, it's so interesting!" The little guy was overjoyed.

Lorraine walked forward, completely bewildered, and was led by Pipula to the tavern entrance, where she froze in shock.

Night had fallen, and the clouds on the horizon were ablaze with crimson and orange hues. The afterglow, carrying the crispness of winter, cast the last vestiges of warmth onto the frosty eaves.

Outside the tavern, a large pyramid-shaped bonfire had been erected in the open space. Orange-red flames leaped out from the gaps in the woodpile, sputtering sparks that drifted into the sky.

Several long tables were set up to the side, covered with all kinds of roasted meats, bread, cheese, pickles, and several barrels of ale. The aroma of the ale mixed with the smell of meat, making one's mouth water.

A lively crowd gathered around the bonfire, dancing joyfully.

The dockworkers huddled together, drinking with the enthusiastic adventurers; bald blacksmith Horton devoured the meat on the grill; passing merchants stopped to chat...

Old Mo, who had a limp, sat cross-legged on the ground, playing a lute and singing in a melodious voice:

"Frost and snow covered the hills, and the fire in the furnace heated the anvil to a red-hot color."

O traveler, where are you going? Where is your home?

The Blackwater River is flowing, and the boats on the dock are rocking.

Drunkard, where are you going? Where is your wine?

The girl's braids are long, and her mother's bread smells delicious;

Wanderer, where are you going? Where is your heart?

To the north lies frozen wasteland, to the south rise villages with smoke rising from their chimneys;

You walk and walk, but you can't escape her gaze;

The wind and snow buried the footprints, and the years turned the hair white;

"Those who have returned, don't leave again, this is your home."

Lorraine stood at the tavern entrance, Rusty Throat still clutched in his hand, the scabbard tapping softly against the threshold, which suddenly brought him back to his senses.

"Hey—! Isn't that Lorraine? Our great hero!"

Someone shouted, and it was like a pebble thrown into a lake, causing ripples to spread outwards.

The crowd around the bonfire looked over, their hands holding wine glasses froze in mid-air, their mouths still chewing meat, and they quickly shouted in unison:

"Salute to our great hero! —"

Haifu gently patted his shoulder and smiled, "Go on, you deserve it."

Lorraine slowly walked down the steps, a strange emotion welling up in his heart, making his eyes a little moist.

The girl I met at the tavern during the day squeezed out of the crowd. She had changed into a thick wool dress, and her exposed, snow-white collarbone was slightly red from the cold.

Without the constraints of the leather armor, Lorraine realized that her figure was much better than she had imagined.

"Mr. Lorraine, I'm so sorry for misunderstanding you during the day. May I have this dance with you?"

She walked gracefully to Lorraine, extended her hand to him, and asked with a flushed face.

"Uh...I..."

Lorraine had never danced in his life. He opened his mouth, but didn't know how to answer.

Haifu, however, cheered excitedly from behind, "Say yes! Say yes!"

"Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!"

Lorraine turned his head and saw Hef's encouraging gaze. He handed the rusty throat to him and then gently took the girl's hand.

"Oh!—" The crowd erupted in cheers.

The girl blinked her bright eyes, nervously tightened her grip on Lorraine's hand, and whispered:

"My name is Tina."