In the northern part of the empire, in the territory of the Maiden.

Next to the Mason lumber yard.

Ten years ago, the lumber yard was called Ansel's Lumber Yard until Mr. Mason from Sunflame bought it. Mr. Mason was a minor nobleman and a very clever businessman; He expanded the lumberyard and hired many craftsmen to build a medium-sized furniture workshop that produced high-end furniture and all sorts of interesting wood ornaments. Every week, caravans use the wood and furniture it produces, and even the surrounding territories occasionally see gadgets from the Mason lumberyards. Last year, Mason also gave Lord Hywell a wood carving that he had carved by hand.

It's the busiest season for the lumberyards, and the whole lumberyard is busy. In addition to room and board, full-time lumberjacks each received one silver coin per month, or a salary of fifty copper coins, while carpenters received at least two silver coins. In general, the work at the lumberyard is enviable. There are even many people from the town of Ansel who come to the lumberyard to help at this time of year in order to make a little money. Mr. Mason often provided low-cost building materials and furniture to the town, and had an excellent reputation.

Next to the dormitory where the lumberjacks and craftsmen lived, there was a small tavern called "Barrel". When they're done with work, many people choose to have a little fun here. Sometimes caravans come to the lumberyard to visit here.

It was still working hours, and there were not many customers in the tavern, except for two or three merchants passing by, a few resting workers—even in the busiest of Novembers, Mr. Mason granted the workers a half-day off of their choosing, and remained in the corner, without saying a word, as if they were an old man and a young woman of a traveler. The barkeeper — who was just an employee of Mr. Mason, though he was called boss, lay on the wooden bar counter and snored like thunder.

"Huh?" Several workers drinking ale jerked their heads up. The door to the tavern creaked open, and two figures walked into the room.

In an instant—the air in the tavern was agitated.

It was two young girls—two beautiful women that many lumberjacks don't necessarily see all year round. The one who walked in front, with long bright blonde hair, a heroic face, a clean and neat red warrior costume, and a delicate long sword pinned to his waist, just the gorgeous fancy hilt, it was breathtaking.

The latter one, who looked fifteen or sixteen years old at most, had an otherworldly temperament - short dark blonde hair, turquoise eyes like autumn lakes, spotless white dress and stockings, and a chic parasol in her hand, as if she were not from this world.

The girl's short hair was changed with a hair ornament given by Goth.

For a moment, everyone's attention in the tavern was attracted by the new duo, and even the tavern owner, who was sleeping on the bar, woke up at some point, staring at the two strange guests. Compared to this ordinary little tavern, these two guests are too eye-catching......

[I think that just by appearing, you will have a sensational effect......] In the girl's consciousness world, Xiaowei complained. This first "public" appearance, the girl insisted on doing it herself.

The girl bowed slightly to everyone, just like a real lady. The lumberjacks were stunned: a young worker's wooden glass slipped from his fingers, and he didn't realize it when it was full of ale spilled on his trousers.

"Everyone," Lin Na is more familiar with, she is playing the role of the girl's personal guard at the moment, "My eldest lady rarely goes out, she is not very sensible, she is a little presumptuous, please don't worry." According to the girl's instructions in advance, she spoke more elegantly.

It was a helpless move for the two to "assign roles" in this way. The girl held a parasol in her hand "Bright World", and wore a white dress with a pure route, and it was difficult to say that she was not the eldest lady; As for Lin Na, the female soldier is dressed and carries weapons, so she can only pretend to be a guard. Originally, Xiaowei was quite reluctant to let Her Royal Highness the princess be her bodyguard, but seeing that Lin Na herself didn't mind, she couldn't say anything.

"Ah......" Seeing that the two of them were so polite, the bar owner with a mustache was a little confused for a while, and wiped the chair in front of the bar with the rags on the bar, "Sit, please sit." ”

The girl sighed. I didn't expect that just one appearance made these people so scared.

"We're from the city," Lin Na said in a loud voice, "and we don't want anyone to know our whereabouts." I hope you don't spread the word that we've been here. ”

"I see."

"Understood, understood."

"Oh......"

Immediately, the tavern resounded with the sound of harmony. These lumberjacks and traders are not stupid...... Hearing Lin Na's words, they all guessed that the girl had run away from home. But there are individual lumberjacks who are thinking about who the girl's father is, and if he turns his head and reports the news of the two to Yang Yancheng, will he be rewarded.

The girl sat at the bar, didn't ask for wine, just took a glass of white water, and sat quietly to drink. Lin Na ordered a pot of local fruit wine and sat next to her.

"Five copper coins." The boss said. But he thought to himself...... This "female guard" is really high-eyed, and she is about to get the best wine here all of a sudden.

Lin Na, who has adventure experience, habitually digs into her own money bag. Then she suddenly realized: she had just come down from the Black Floating City, and she was penniless at all.

“……”

Linna took a deep breath.

"Please wait a minute." The princess of the empire smiled at the boss, and then took the maiden's hand and walked into the corner of the tavern. The boss looked at them in bewilderment.

"What are you doing?" The girl is inexplicable.

"I didn't bring any money," Lin Na blushed, but she didn't expect that it was her side that made a mistake first, "Dad...... Lend me a little of my adoptive father's reward. ”

"Oh...... Good. The girl handed the dimensional bag to Linna.

Linna reached into the dimensional bag. But her expression froze suddenly.

"What's wrong? Isn't it? The girl sensed something was wrong.

"No," Lin Na gave a strange look, "but the four thousand gold coins ......"

Lin Na slowly took out a white metal coin from her bag: "There are no silver and copper coins, but I thought of it." There are only a few dozen of these things. ”

With her back to the tavern counter, Linna pulled out an extremely delicate metal coin from her dimensional pouch. The gleaming pale coin features a valian-looking man's head on the front and intricate text on the reverse.

"This is a platinum coin?"

"No, it's not ......" Lin Na was embarrassed, "this is the head of my father on the front, and the royal eulogy on the back...... It should be 'Meteorite Coins'. ”

"What's that?"

"Exactly...... It's not a common gold coin," Lin Na said slowly...... "A few years ago, a meteorite fell from the Empire, and its core contained a strange metal, like white gold, but it was not suitable for forging weapons...... My father took a part of it and minted it into a 'gold coin' as a commemoration. If I'm not mistaken, one 'Meteorite Coins' in the Empire can now be exchanged for at least a hundred regular Gold Coins. Your father's reward for you was four thousand gold coins, and the dimensional bag contained exactly forty meteorite gold coins—"

"Oh my God—"

[I also remember,] Xiao Wei said, "One hundred gold coins, that's the official exchange rate within the empire. Actually want to sell, only higher than this. In the Okad Federation, a single Meteorite can sell for at least one hundred and twenty gold coins, and I seem to have heard of someone buying one for one for one hundred and fifty gold coins. 】

"How can this be found!"

"Not the problem. Many people don't make fifty gold coins in their lifetime. And this one has a hundred gold coins! Going out with this stuff will cause a riot! Are you sure you didn't bring any other change? Okad and Elrios are done! Lin Na asked eagerly.

"Why do you think I have change?" When Xiaowei ran away from home, she didn't bring a copper plate with her, and Goth didn't think about giving pocket money to a man who had just received a reward of 4,000 gold coins.

"Hey!" The tavern owner in the distance gradually noticed that something was wrong, and his expression gradually turned cold, "You can't be without money, right?" ”

Worst! We've been talking about it for too long! The girl hurriedly hid the gold coin.

And the lumberjacks who had been watching the two also showed surprised expressions. These two people with extraordinary temperaments can't even pay a few copper coins, which is really rare. How did they know that the girl and Lin Na were not without money at all, but on the contrary......

"Haha......" Suddenly, a hearty laugh rang out from the corner.

The crowd turned their heads to look. Since the appearance of the girl and Linna, whether it is the boss, the lumberjack or the trader, almost everyone in the tavern has focused on the two of them, except for the two travelers in the corner, an old man and a young traveler. And it was the old man who laughed at this time.

"We invited the wine of these two distinguished guests. Boss, their expenses are on our account. The old man said. He counted six copper coins from the money pouch on his belt.

"Then thank you, old man." The girl said. She had wanted to get something from Xiaowei's spellcasting kit to offset the bill, and since someone was willing to treat her, it would be great.

"Okay." The boss smiled and took the copper coin from the old man's hand. He doesn't care who pays the bill, it's enough for someone to pay the bill.

And the lumberjacks were in a state of chagrin. Why didn't you speak up first? It's just five copper coins! Just give the opportunity to please this noble lady to others. They didn't dare to beat the girl's idea, but it was good for the girl to turn her head and give them a reward.

And the girl looked at the old man. He looked to be in his seventies, with a white beard and wrinkled face, and a black cloak underneath which he wore armor made of thick leather and a waist knife pinned to his waist. And the girl who sat opposite the old man still didn't say a word, half of her body was hidden in the shadows.