005: Wow, our hero has returned!
If Li Cha were still playing a game, his journey would have begun with grinding to level 10 in the novice village, then advancing to first rank in St. Anne or a similar small town, joining the Adventurers' Guild, and continuing to grind away.
Unfortunately, he had been transported to the continent of Loren.
No one assigned him any beginner quests.
Thus, Li Cha faced a second dilemma: how should he proceed from here?
A level 2 little Karamy couldn’t make a name for himself in St. Anne City.
Relying on nightly dealings with Madame Mary was no different.
The madam claimed she had tacit approval.
The game, originally called “Goddess Contract,” had a rather rugged local culture, which could explain some things.
Trying this every night!
Even if Old Shock didn’t make trouble for Li Cha, surely someone would harbor resentment against him.
So, after leaving the Adventurers' Guild, Li Cha did not immediately return to Old Shock’s Tavern.
He took another stroll along the streets of the outer district.
St. Anne was close to the port, situated on a plain, with prosperous trade.
One could tell from the presence of dwarves, gnomes, and half-elves among the humans in the city.
“Perhaps I can learn a craft before hitting level 10.”
At the moment, Li Cha had nearly two hundred copper coins saved, enough to live in St. Anne for a month or two, if he spent frugally.
The key was finding a way to level up.
Li Cha didn’t want to have to weigh whether he could defeat every beggar he encountered.
“Make this a backup plan, note it down.”
“Finding a guarantor won’t be easy, but I have to find one.”
He glanced toward Old Shock’s Tavern.
Madame Mary, fond of wildness.
If all else failed, it would have to be a win-win deal.
...
By noon,
Li Cha ordered a meat dish.
After eating plain bread twice in a row, he splurged five copper coins for the meat.
During mealtime, he tried to find a quest to secure a guarantor.
As expected, no success.
Two neighboring tables—one outright rejected him for being a stranger.
The other immediately demanded 500 copper coins for a signature.
What a joke.
Two signatures cost one silver coin.
With that money, Li Cha could’ve directly commissioned the Adventurers' Guild to hire ten people to level up with him.
In the afternoon, he continued wandering, focusing on the blacksmith’s and general stores.
Jobs in St. Anne were both easy and hard to find.
Because of the bustling trade, if one was willing to work hard as a porter, earning wages for twenty days a month was no problem.
But for those without special skills, finding a respectable job was a matter of luck.
Competition, competition, competition was everywhere.
...
Thus, a whole day passed.
Li Cha’s only gain was a significantly better grasp of St. Anne City’s layout.
Closing his map, he saw Old Shock’s Tavern sign again before nightfall.
Before entering, he heard laughter from within.
“Hahaha, I told you, you’re no good! I was the village’s strongest man at ten years old!”
“Get lost, you cheat! I don’t accept that!”
“Doesn’t matter if you don’t accept it. You lost, kid. Hand over your stuff.”
...
“Wendy, Wendy, bring more drinks!”
“Miss Wendy’s dress is really beautiful today.”
“I’ve decided—I’m going to dance with Miss Wendy!”
...
The tavern was a place to unwind; everyone joked and drank freely.
However,
The serving girl, Wendy, showed no kindness, scanning the room and saying curtly: “Pay up.”
The nearest burly bearded man whistled suavely, pulling out a handful of copper coins.
“Oh, beautiful lady, don’t be mad. Harden here has enough money today.”
Wendy pocketed the coins. “Good, that’s for today. What about yesterday?”
The burly man named Harden fell silent.
At that moment, the wind chimes at the tavern door jingled.
Wendy instinctively said, “Welcome.”
Li Cha had returned.
The tavern fell silent.
For a full ten seconds, the quiet was broken by Harden’s hearty laughter: “Hahaha, our hero is back!”
Many puzzled looks arose inside.
Harden said, “Don’t you know? Brother Li Cha defeated the madam last night!”
“Wow!~~~”
Just those words instantly raised the atmosphere to new heights.
“No way, someone actually beat the madam?”
“Brother, you’re amazing! I, Falken, salute you with a drink!”
Before Li Cha could react, he was pulled into the fray, downing two large mugs of beer within a minute.
“Come on, brother, teach me your moves. Did you use the stick, the poke? Surely not the backdoor trick!”
Everyone here was a seasoned veteran; a few jests and a solo performance had them laughing heartily again.
Li Cha wiped his mouth: the hospitality at Old Shock’s Tavern was beyond expectations.
Well...
At least it wasn’t a bad thing.
“Defeating the madam is no easy feat,” Li Cha said.
...
“Wow, such a cocky kid, but I like it. Cheers!”
“Cheers!”
Elsewhere,
Wendy rolled her eyes at Li Cha again.
She knew these people’s standards too well; this newcomer was sure to be harshly taught a lesson tonight.
“Serves him right.”
Wendy left.
...
Li Cha knew well that joining the drinking game recklessly wouldn’t end well.
But compared to the vastness of St. Anne City, this small tavern was much easier to blend into.
Within half an hour, Li Cha learned that over eighty percent of the twenty-plus people present were adventurers.
The rest mostly had stable jobs, with only a few temporary workers freeloading drinks.
An hour later,
Li Cha secured two signed guarantor endorsements by buying drinks for everyone.
Old Shock’s brew cost two copper coins a cup.
He spent almost half a silver coin.
Then he crashed.
He collapsed onto the table.
Harden patted his back. “Hey, Li Cha, the party's just getting started. That’s the behavior of a coward!”
Li Cha didn’t respond.
A dwarf at the next table clicked his tongue. “With that little tolerance, I don’t know how he beat the madam.”
At that moment,
A low, ominous voice sounded behind them: “Who dares badmouth me?”
Madam Mary stood there, hands on hips, eyes fierce.
She helped Li Cha up and turned to head upstairs.
Seeing his head resting comfortably on her broad chest, the crowd was green with envy.
“Madam, we didn’t bully him. You’re too biased!”
Mary said, “He lives here.”
“I live here too!”
Mary replied, “Fine, after I deal with him, I’ll come for you.”
The man was left speechless.
It had to be said, Madam Mary had a large frame and bold features. Usually plain-faced, but once made up, her presence was striking.
Like now.
The madam went upstairs.
Sounds of clanging and crashing came from above.
She never came back down.