The adventurer at the bottom is fantasizing again.

Led by the captain of the guard, Lorraine took a small piece of sulfur crystal from the warehouse and then left the government hall.

It was a pale yellow, transparent crystal, similar to amber, with a slightly slippery feel and a pungent, rotten egg smell.

Nathan also thoughtfully gave him a metal box to store the sulfur crystals in order to prevent them from exploding.

After stuffing his things into his backpack, Lorraine walked along the riverbank toward the tavern.

He walked while recalling the contents of the report.

In the worst-case scenario, a body length of 15 feet is almost the size of a small car.

His spells were effective against smaller enemies, but he was at a loss when facing such a behemoth.

He felt that even if that rock-dwelling salamander stood still, it would take him a lot of effort to defeat it, not to mention that if it couldn't beat him, it would run away.

We still lack powerful attack methods.

Moreover, there was one very important thing that Nathan's report did not mention.

Lorraine stopped and turned her head to look.

Although the flow of the Blackwater River has slowed down due to reduced rainfall in winter, the water is still icy cold, so they certainly cannot go into the water to fight each other.

Therefore, luring the other party ashore is a necessary step.

Since they are carnivores, perhaps they could slaughter some animals somewhere along the river and then set traps nearby to ambush them.

Lorraine suddenly felt that the hunt was somewhat feasible, but there were still many things to be done.

Besides, I've never met those three of Grand Duke Kasper's men. If they're all incompetent, then thinking about it so much is a waste of time.

Let's see what Piper has found first; maybe we can buy fire oil grass from Tom?

"call--"

He exhaled and stopped thinking about it.

The aroma of malt mingled with the winter wind, brushing against Lorraine's face. He looked up and realized that he had unknowingly walked to the tavern.

"squeak--"

Pushing open the tavern door, a cacophony of sounds immediately filled the air; the place was already quite lively with many people there in the afternoon.

Lorraine looked around and quickly spotted Piper sitting at the bar, chatting with Haif while eating grilled fish.

"How do you maintain that beard? How many years have you been growing it?" Piper sat on a high stool (for him), his short legs dangling in the air.

"I don't remember."

"Pip doesn't believe it. You must remember. When Piper's father had a beard, he would look in the mirror every day, and he would show it off to my mother even if it grew half an inch."

"What's so great about that?"

"My father didn't have as much beard as my mother, so he was resentful and insisted on growing it out." The short man chugled a mouthful of ale and calmly uttered these startling words.

"Wh...what?" Haif's eyes widened.

His mother was a dwarf.

Lorraine walked over with a smile. The tavern was very warm. He took off his coat and backpack and hung them on the back of the chair.

"A glass of dwarf-brewed ale, a bowl of stew, and Aunt Martha, could you please add some extra chili powder?"

He suddenly wanted to try what the dwarfs' wine tasted like.

"No wonder." Haif raised an eyebrow, then took a glass and poured a full glass of ale from the barrel behind the bar.

"Thump."

The glass was placed in front of him; the liquid inside was as black as cola, with pale brown bubbles rising to the surface.

"Drink slowly, the dwarven wine is very strong," Hef kindly reminded him.

Lorraine, skeptical, picked up his glass and took a sip. Thick bubbles burst around his lips, and he felt as if he had been punched by ale.

"Cough cough...not bad."

He stubbornly retorted that the wine tasted like Chinese medicine with roasted wheat and carbon dioxide added, but thankfully it was iced; at room temperature, it would probably be even more unpalatable.

"Pip has some good news." The little man clinked glasses with him. "Mr. Tom says there are hot springs in the Misty Forest, and there might be fire oil grass around."

Are there hot springs in the Misty Forest?

That's somewhat possible. Lorraine recalls that some hot springs can even be heated to boiling point by geothermal activity, and areas with lush vegetation have ample water supply, which is very beneficial for plant growth.

However, the problem is that the Misty Forest is shrouded in a thin mist all year round, making it difficult for them to find it by relying on the heat from the hot springs.

Moreover, there are quite a few monsters in the Misty Forest. I was attacked even when I was just passing by the outer perimeter. Who knows what I would encounter if I went deeper in?

Did he specify the exact location?

Lorraine took another sip of the liquor. Once you get used to the bitterness, it's not bad at all, and the aroma of malt is quite mellow.

Piper painstakingly removed the fishbone stuck between his teeth, then nodded, took out a piece of scrap paper, handed it to him, and said:

"Mr. Tom drew a map with the approximate location on it, and he also said he was willing to buy this herb, five gold coins for a fresh one."

"Let me see."

Lorraine took the map and looked at it. All she could see was a huge circle (which seemed to represent the Misty Forest?) and two crosses, one outside the circle and one inside.

He recalled the location of the Misty Forest and roughly understood: one cross represented Shallow Beach Town, and the other was the location of the hot springs.

This map is so amazing!

Fortunately, judging from the map, the hot spring is not located too far into the Misty Forest.

With such a hasty drawing style, Tom probably only had a rough impression.

"That's something we can give it a try."

Lorraine hesitated for two seconds, then told the two the information she had learned from Nathan, and took out the iron box.

Haifu opened the tin box, glanced inside, and quickly closed it again, reminding, "The contents are fine. Be careful when you store it, don't let my tavern catch fire."

"Okay, okay..."

Lorraine carefully placed the box aside.

"What are you thinking?" Haif asked.

"Pap thinks we can go to the Misty Forest to look for them first. After all, those professionals haven't arrived yet. It's not too late to look for them later if we can't find them."

The short man let out a satisfied burp and leaned back comfortably in his chair.

Lorraine's stewed beans and meat had just been served. He scooped a spoonful and put it in his mouth. The flavor became even richer after adding chili powder.

"I think so too," he said vaguely.

Although both directions carry risks, the most important thing is that hunting rock salamanders will almost certainly result in a fight, with unavoidable and unpredictable consequences.

However, venturing into the forest to find herbs is different; some risks can be avoided.

"We still need to make some preparations and see if there are any other herbs we can gather, so that we won't have made a wasted trip if we don't find any," Lorraine added.

Haifu nodded after listening and praised, "A meticulous arrangement."

After having lunch, the two left their belongings in their room on the second floor and then went out again to Tom's grocery store.