Chapter 829: 22. Strange Currency
The tavern fell into another kind of silence.
The creaking of a bed being turned over ca from the next room, while downstairs the hall echoed with the sound of moving tables and chairs, chaotic footsteps, and the clinking of cups.
Katerina used a cloth she always carried to cover her mouth. It was just ordinary hemp, exuding a sour stench that indicated it had been used many tis.
Its only use was to remind Katerina “not to speak.”
When Katerina tried to hand a spare cloth to Lu Li, she was refused. Lu Li had experienced the most terrifying Silent Monts and knew what to do, and he still had the straw doll in his pocket.
However, he couldn’t be sure if the straw doll still worked after 24 years.
Silent Monts limited communication and what people could do. Katerina lay down on the squeaking single bed, taking a mont to rest.
Lu Li pulled a wooden chair and sat by the window, gazing at the distant dark wilderness and the ring of lava.
Katerina occasionally woke up, finding it hard to sleep with Lu Li nearby. Sotis she would lie on her side, admiring Lu Li’s profile, and if the Silent Monts hadn’t enshrouded the town, she might have asked why he kept staring outside.
As ti passed, Katerina, wearing leather armor, also entered light sleep. It wasn’t until the tavern hall’s clock downstairs struck ten tis that morning arrived.
Katerina woke to the sound of the clock, looking at the sky, which was slightly brighter than at night—
The ring of lava still hung high on the do but had beco more vivid. The rock walls lurking in the darkness beca clearer with the increased brightness, their uneven surfaces and shadows existed in the sky with a sense of three-dinsionality and reality.
As if they were real.
That’s why Katerina would say that so went mad because of the sky.
Soon after, the church bells rang throughout the town, announcing the end of Silent Monts.
Katerina removed the cloth and stuffed it back into her leather armor: “It’s over.”
“Is this dayti?” Lu Li asked.
The brightness didn’t increase, maintaining only enough to see.
“This is dayti, or rather, dusk,” Katerina said.
In the Weird Tis, there was no morning, only two tis.
Dusk and midnight.
From ten to fifteen was dusk; after that, it was all night.
Before departure, Mole approached them proactively, still coveting Lu Li’s Strange Currency. Of course, the matte stone was now with Katerina.
Mole’s coveting made Katerina believe that the value of the Strange Currency was not so simple.
“Mole, tell the truth, what’s it used for?” Katerina tossed the Strange Currency, and the coarse, short Mole across from her followed it with his dozen or so eyes, explaining distractedly: “To trade with neutral and friendly oddities. They don’t take our currency, only this. I’m an Information Hunter, this is a great opportunity to expand my business.”
Katerina didn’t fully believe him—she hadn’t seen Mole so eager for sothing.
“Just that?” Katerina stopped tossing. “If you speak the truth, we might consider giving it to you.”
Katerina thought Mole would back down, but he was more eager for the currency than she imagined: “That’s what you said, Bee Sting.”
Before Katerina returned, Mole quickly said in a lowered voice: “If you encounter communicable oddities, you can use the Strange Currency to trade for your life.”
“Why didn’t I know this?” Katerina had never heard of it.
Mole’s reply was simple: “Because you don’t have Strange Currency.”
Katerina wasn’t thinking about embarrassing things; she regretted it, thinking about how to retract her decision to keep the Strange Currency.
“Do you know the rchants?” Lu Li then asked, briefly describing them.
“rchants…” Mole rolled his eyes, thinking. “I only know so… I can tell you everything, but you must sell the Strange Currency in return.”
He noticed that Katerina wanted to retract her agreent.
“Alright,” Lu Li nodded in agreent.
Katerina wanted to stop him, but it was Lu Li’s item, not hers.
Mole recalled, “In the city, you can inquire about the kind of rchants you ntioned.”
“Is that information?” Katerina tried to stop the transaction.
Mole realized this as well, his eyes flickering for a few seconds before decisively handing Lu Li a tal piece: “This represents the friendship of the Earth Dwellers… take it to the Earth Dwellers’ Guild, they know about your inquiry.”
Katerina closed her mouth.
Obviously, Mole’s need for the Strange Currency wasn’t just about its value.
Lu Li wasn’t satisfied with the answer but still picked up the tal piece, accepting the deal.
“Earth Dwellers’ Guild?”
Lu Li examined the tal piece; it wasn’t an emblem, as its shape was irregular, with a pickaxe outline hollow-carved in the center.
“One of the largest rchant organizations in the Barren Lands,” Katerina explained in a low voice, eyeing the coarse, short Mole: “I didn’t expect you to be a mber, congratulations, Mole.”
The tone carried envy; with the backing of the Mole, one was no longer an easily ignored, bullied little Hunter.
“Just an intern peripheral mber,” Mole said, staring intently at the Strange Currency in Katerina’s hand.
“Give it to him,” Lu Li turned his head and said.
“The transaction was pleasant, see you next ti.” Mole put away the Strange Currency, counted out 230 Shillings to Lu Li, and left the tavern with a backpack nearly as large as himself.
After Mole left, feeling regretful, Katerina complained, “The coin’s value is greater.”
“The rchant holds a significant sum of my money,” Lu Li replied.
“…How much?” Katerina paused her complaints.
“A lot,” Lu Li could only say.
The Strange Currency seed valuable, but compared to Lu Li’s wealth with the rchants, it was worthless.
Provided the rchants still existed.
And if Katerina retracted her actions, she’d lose Mole’s trust.
As Katerina had previously stated, trust was essential above ground.
“We should head out too.”
Katerina secured her leather armor, gathered her route map, and checked out of the Wanderer’s Tavern.
Lu Li continued watching the pedestrians on the street; although he wouldn’t linger on any figure for too long, it still brought trouble.
It was a figure with an unusual silhouette. The man stood over two and a half ters tall, raising an arm to touch the eaves. He seed to dislike being stared at, glaring ferociously at Lu Li as he approached.
A slender figure blocked in front of Lu Li, Katerina’s eyes flashing black as she threatened, “Don’t cause trouble, big guy.”
Size wasn’t the only standard for asuring strength.
Unless necessary, Hunters wouldn’t fight each other, unless they could do so covertly and finish the battle without injury.
Injuries were equated with death for them.
The burly man stared at Katerina for a mont, leaving without a word, his exposed lizard tail angrily whipping the air side to side.
“Don’t casually look at others; this isn’t the sa as back then.” The relaxed Katerina reminded Lu Li. “You’re lucky you encountered ; of course, I feel lucky too.”
Continuing toward the edge of town, Katerina said, “If it were other Hunters, they’d have killed you before finding out your identity. Then taken your wealth and yourself.”
As she said this, she looked over Lu Li’s body, indicating that “yourself” had another aning.
For instance, as food.
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