The adventurer at the bottom is fantasizing again.

Lorraine counted out five gold coins from his pouch with satisfaction and placed them one by one on the table.

This money was absolutely well spent!

Glenn accepted the gold coin with a complicated expression, held it in his hand, turned it over and over, and then looked up at him with a pained expression.

His eyes held a complex mix of emotions, a mixture of admiration and a feeling of being utterly cheated.

He opened his mouth, but only sighed:

"I don't have much more to teach you about consecutive strikes. Just master the sheathing technique, and reaching 'proficiency' will be a piece of cake."

"I remember you mentioned the matter of exerting force before. Can't I learn that again?" Lorraine asked.

"Once you learn how to sheathe your sword, you'll naturally be able to exert force. Just practice more, it's not worth spending another five gold coins."

Glenn sat down in the chair again, picked up the now-cold tea, and waved his hand dismissively at him: "Go on, go on. Don't bite off more than you can chew. First, figure out how to sheathe your sword, then come back to me to learn other combat techniques."

They do have a high level of professional ethics.

"Okay."

Lorraine smiled and responded, putting the iron sword back on the weapon rack, then turned and pushed open the wooden door leading from the inner courtyard to the main hall.

There were many more adventurers in the hall than in the morning, making it quite lively. This profession is never idle, and even during the Midwinter Festival, they still want to find something to do.

He greeted Vanessa and then left the Adventurers' Guild.

A cold wind blew in from the street, making the thin layer of sweat on his body after practicing his swordsmanship feel chilly.

Lorraine took a deep breath, the cool air filling his lungs and clearing his head, which had been throbbing from thinking.

Although his forearms were sore and his hand gripping the sword was aching, he didn't feel tired at all.

The feeling of reaping immediate rewards after putting in effort is simply amazing!

Training requires rest to build muscle, but Glenn taught him and he learned it immediately. Lorraine felt that he must be an instructor with rich experience.

Frost Valley is truly a place where hidden talents abound!

Lorraine entered the Hearthfire Tavern with a joyful heart. It was lunchtime, and several adventurers were sitting around the tables eating.

Gustave was rolling a barrel of new wine from the backyard into the bar when he looked up and saw Lorraine. He gestured with his chin toward the corner of the lobby.

Lorraine turned to look.

Eileen and Piper sat at a table in the corner. There were already many plates on the table, but the contents of them hadn't been touched.

"How's the house hunting going?"

Lorraine walked over and sat down on the bench next to Eileen, reaching into the bread basket on the table and breaking off a piece.

He chewed a piece of bread and took a sip of iced ale. He had just practiced swordsmanship and his physical strength had been greatly depleted. He felt a little better after eating something.

"What are you looking at?"

He saw Eileen resting her chin on her hand, flipping through a small booklet, looking very focused.

"Spellbook, learn second-circle spells."

Eileen answered casually.

Lorraine sniffed, knowing that she was probably upset about her performance, so she didn't dare to ask any more questions.

He looked at the barely touched meat broth bread and pies on the table and asked疑惑地问道, "Why aren't you eating?"

"Our Lord Lorraine is waiting."

"Pipe, dinner's ready!"

The short man immediately picked up the soup bowl, gulped down half of it, and mumbled, "The mahjong parlor has recruited Fang Zi."

"Found a house? What kind?"

Piper put down his empty bowl, stuffed another piece of bread into his mouth, chewed it vigorously, then rubbed his belly contentedly and said:

"It's a standalone shop in the market area, with a small courtyard and a kitchen inside."

The landlady was a half-paralyzed old lady, and Piper chatted with her all morning. She really, really liked Piper!

She said Piper was like her nephew back home before she married into the North when she was young, willing to accept only one gold coin a month and also cover the repairs of doors and windows.

A detached house like this only costs one gold coin a month? That seems pretty cheap.

Things are really different now.

He remembered how he was worried about rent in the slums just a few months ago, but now that rent has increased dozens of times, he doesn't feel anything.

"Pip thinks the market area is more suitable, as it's convenient for buying and selling things and is also closer to the guild."

Eileen took a small bite of the pie, glancing at the spellbook in her hand as she said, "Hmm, it's better to live in the temple than in the upper city. The suburbs are too far and inconvenient."

"Oh, right."

She reached into the inner pocket of her mage's robe and took out a neatly folded letter, stamped with a blue eagle emblem.

Eileen pushed the envelope in front of the short man: "There's one more thing. Anya said Piper's instructor has been found. Take a look for yourself."

"Found it? Found it!?"

Piper opened his mouth wide, dropping the pie he was just biting into onto the plate. He picked up the letter as if it were a precious treasure.

"Yes, Anya used her connections to find you a dwarf instructor. He's willing to guide you in controlling your berserk state and maintaining your sanity in battle."

Eileen took a sip of ale to suppress the upturned corners of her mouth, then thought for a moment and, feeling that dwarves and barbarians seemed unlikely to remain rational, quickly added:

"Maintaining rationality...maybe."

Lorraine smiled as she looked at the somewhat bewildered little boy, genuinely happy for her companion:

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go after we finish eating."

"Pipe, go now!"

The short man excitedly stuffed the envelope into his pocket, picked up the bowl and gulped down the rest of the soup in one go, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve, jumped off the chair, and said:

"Pipe's full! Piper's gone!"

He turned and ran towards the door, but after a few steps he turned back, grabbed a piece of bread from the table, and then finally ran out of the tavern.

Eileen watched the short boy run off, and chuckled softly, a rare occurrence for her. Seeing Lorraine's gaze drift towards her, she glared at him again, and said reproachfully:

"Hurry up and eat, we still need to go shopping for clothes later."

"Now?"

Lorraine paused for a moment.

"Otherwise what? You have something to do this afternoon? You've made plans to go on a date with Lily?" Eileen looked at him expressionlessly.

Lorraine feigned surprise and said:

"How did you know!?"

After quickly dispatching him, Eileen walked out of the tavern with an icy expression, followed by Lorraine, whose forehead was slightly flushed.

The streets of Frostvale were much busier in the afternoon than in the morning, with families strolling around during the holiday, and many vendors pushing food carts.

The aromas of various foods mingled with the chill of melting snow, creating a wonderful flavor that could only be smelled on a sunny winter day, which ironically brought a sense of warmth.

Looking at the increasingly luxurious buildings lining both sides of the street, Lorraine was momentarily at a loss, unsure whether to feel a headache or heartache.

More than seventy gold coins hung heavily on his waist, but he always felt that they were getting lighter at a visible rate.

He thought with a hint of regret, "I should have known better than to agree to go shopping with this woman."