The adventurer at the bottom is fantasizing again.

"Little Piper, when did you get such a handsome friend? Aren't you going to introduce him to your big sister?"

Lily poked Piper's shoulder with her index finger.

The little dwarf paused for a moment, then chuckled, reached out and patted Lorraine's shoulder hard, saying:

"That's Lorraine! Piper's best buddy! The kind that's really good at fighting!"

"The kind that's really good at fighting? Seems pretty capable."

Lily made no attempt to hide her admiration for Lorraine, then placed her hands on the table and let out a charming laugh:

"My name is Lily, please come again."

"Lorraine".

He nodded.

"Lorraine..."

Lily repeated his name, as if savoring the taste of those two words.

"I've got it."

She smiled at Lorraine, swayed her hips as she walked towards the kitchen, and her figure quickly disappeared behind the bar.

Piper picked up a pickled cucumber from the table, chewed it, took a sip of ale, then leaned closer to Lorraine and whispered:

"Lily is a really nice person, but she's a bit greedy. Last time, Piper owed her a two-copper tip, and she held a grudge for three whole months!"

"Wait a minute, she didn't ask me for a tip this time!"

Lorraine didn't respond to his words. He lowered his head, took a sip of ale, and secretly glanced at Eileen across from him.

She sat upright in the chair, holding the glass of juice in her hand, staring blankly at the liquid in the glass, as if the juice had suddenly turned into some kind of magical material that needed careful study.

When she noticed him looking at her, Eileen glared at him coldly, her eyes filled with murderous intent.

Is the little girl jealous...?

Lorraine took a sip of the ale in her glass, and the corners of her mouth turned up slightly.

At the bar, a short, fat man dressed in tattered, coarse clothes was slumped over the table, his eyes fixed on the direction where Lily had disappeared.

He had just seen it: the slight sway of Lily's collar as she bent over, and the smile she gave that stranger.

Lily has never smiled at me!

He'd known Lily for two whole years, and every time he tried to talk to her, she'd barely respond, at most just a curt "hmm" in reply. Why should she?

A surge of intense malice suddenly welled up within him, and the short, fat man's face instantly turned a deep liver color.

He downed the drink in his glass in one gulp, then stood up and walked toward that despicable pretty boy.

"Lorraine? Is it Lorraine?"

Lorraine frowned and looked over. A short, stout man who looked somewhat familiar was standing not far away. He tried to recall carefully, and it seemed that he had seen him before when he was moving goods. What was his name again...? He couldn't quite remember.

"It really is you!"

The short, stout man's gaze swept over Lorraine's shimmering breastplate before settling on Eileen beside him, his eyes narrowing as he stared at her magnificent robes and staff.

"Haven't seen you in ages. Did you... find some good work?"

His tone became even more sarcastic, and his gaze swept back and forth between Lorraine's face and Eileen's body.

Lorraine looked at him, somewhat confused, wondering where this man's malice came from. He curled his finger and tapped the table lightly, saying, "Are we that close?"

The short, stout man, unperturbed by the barbed words, rudely took two more steps forward, pretending to lower his voice, but just loud enough for those nearby to hear:

"Wow, bro, you've managed to afford a mage after all this time?"

He glanced at Lily out of the corner of his eye as she emerged from behind the bar again, his Adam's apple bobbing, and his voice growing louder:

"Or...did someone else hire you?"

Lorraine paused, his fingers tapping the table. He shook his head, knowing this guy was doomed.

"What did you say?"

Eileen gripped the glass of juice tightly with her left hand, while her right hand had already touched the staff. Her intense anger filled her pupils with magical power, emitting a faint white light.

The short, stout man was unaware of the danger; his attention was entirely on Lily, who had come out again.

He was secretly delighted, and said with a hint of ambiguity, "Brother, you're really lucky. You used to just carry sacks for people, and now you're being supported by a mage sister, tsk tsk..."

"Thump!—"

He hadn't even finished speaking.

Eileen had already stood up, slamming the end of her staff onto the floor with a loud thud.

A fine dust particle, visible to the naked eye, was stirred up, and a pale blue magical aura spread outwards.

The short, stout man was so frightened that he fell to the ground, taking several steps back and hitting his head on the table behind him, letting out a cry of pain: "Ouch!"

He rubbed his head, and seeing Lily watching him from afar, he knew he couldn't lose face at this moment, so he gritted his teeth and forced himself to speak:

"What? Did I hit the nail on the head? These pretty boys, they just rely on..."

The entire tavern fell silent instantly. The people who had been whispering just moments before all turned to look at them and began exchanging glances.

Eileen bent down, staring at him expressionlessly. Her lips moved slightly as she said:

"Either get out, or die."

The short, fat man was about to say something harsh to salvage his image in front of his beloved, but when he saw the red-haired mage's staff gradually lighting up, he quickly turned around and scrambled towards the door.

Eileen straightened up and coldly glanced at the crowd. The silence that followed vanished instantly, replaced by laughter and the clinking of glasses.

She sat back down in her chair, her right hand still gripping the staff tightly, her fingertips trembling slightly.

"Your social skills used to be pretty bad," she said.

What an unexpected disaster! What an unexpected disaster!!!

Lorraine roared inwardly, but dared not show the slightest disrespect on the surface. He hesitated for a few seconds before explaining:

"We only met once before when we were working together, we can't be considered friends."

Eileen picked up the juice from the table, took a big gulp, wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, and said:

"He said you helped people carry sacks?"

"Uh...yes, I used to work for caravans, and I haven't been an adventurer for very long," Lorraine said honestly.

"Not long ago? Do you think I'm a three-year-old? You dare to lie to me?"

If she can become a formal professional soon, then what is she, a genius magician who has studied magic theory since childhood and only graduated from the Royal Arcane Academy of Oraster at the age of nineteen?

Eileen snorted and ignored him.

The three finished their lunch in silence, after which Lorraine went to the bar and asked about the price of accommodation.

Old bartender Gustav flipped through the register and asked, "Rooms are two silver coins a night. How many rooms do you need?"

"The two rooms are next to each other. I'll book for ten days first." He reluctantly took out two gold coins and placed them on the table.

Although I have saved up quite a bit of money now, it still feels a bit extravagant to spend so much money on accommodation all at once.

He plans to stay here for a few days and then go to the city to see if there are any cheaper houses to rent.

Gustav raised his eyelids and glanced at Lorraine, then at Eileen in the distance, a meaningful smile appearing on his face. He said:

"Young girls are all like that. They may be sharp-tongued, but they don't really mean anything by it. A little coaxing will make them fine."

He took two keys, placed them on the bar, pointed towards the second floor, and said:

"The two rooms are next to each other, then turn left and take the third and fourth rooms."

Lorraine nodded helplessly and thanked him for his kindness.