Chapter 238: Chapter 237 Salt and Fire Tavern Chapter 238: Chapter 237 Salt and Fire Tavern In a blink, over an hour had passed.
Richard and Gro left the White Stone Tower Academy and appeared in a tavern in White Stone City.
The tavern, called “Salt and Fire,” was quite ordinary within the city—neither big nor small in size, the food neither good nor bad, and the service neither great nor terrible; everything was just average. The main reason Richard and Gro chose it was its proximity to the White Stone Tower Academy, sparing them a long walk. After all, the two only planned to rest a bit and grab lunch.
Due to daylight, the tavern’s main hall was not very crowded, with only about thirty percent of the seats occupied. Most people sat scattered around, quietly eating their food. In a corner, a group of people filled a long table and were loudly talking and drinking, providing the only lively spot in the place.
In the center of the hall, there was a stage. A woman in her thirties, dressed in erald clothes with an ordinary face, sat there. She was playing a harp and softly singing sothing with a gentle rhythm that was relaxing to hear but nothing more.
Compared to professional perforrs in large taverns, the woman’s playing and singing seed old-fashioned and, due to her lack of practice, she often hit the wrong notes. Fortunately, most in the tavern were not connoisseurs, and no one booed.
In the corner, Richard and Gro sat at a square table while Richard listened to the woman’s music and reflected on recent discussions.
It had to be said, the information gathered from talking to Baki was quite a lot to digest.
First was about the girl Rose’s identity. According to Baki, she was a true princess who had never been wronged or worked hard in her life, which explained why she was so terrible at cleaning her room by herself.
Her holand was a Wizard Country, so her purpose for coming to White Stone Tower Academy was likely not to beco a wizard, but instead to broaden her horizons and understand more about the Wizard World.
She was also extrely wealthy, to the extent of lending money which couldn’t be repaid and had to be compensated with personal servitude—probably owning at least tens of thousands of Gold Coins, or perhaps hundreds of High-grade Crystal Coins. Compared to Gro, a prince himself, who exhausted his savings of less than ten thousand Gold Coins while in Cuijin City, he seed like a fake.
Then there was the country Rose ca from.
According to Baki, her wealth was because her country was a remnant of a fallen empire, which was indeed true.
From the past few days of researching in the library, the East Coast had indeed housed several Wizard Empires rging wizards, royalty, and the Church, which had ruled with an iron fist for many years.
A series of accidents later lead to the fragntation of these empires, turning the East Coast into a region with many small countries and dense wizard organizations.
Thus, powerful wizard organizations like the White Stone Tower were vigilant towards any kingdom with the potential to develop into a new empire, fearing the return of such dark rule. Macbeth’s assassination of the king in Pu Aiji was a clear example of this.
It remained unknown which forr empire Rose’s country was part of, though records ntioned the oldest might be called the “Barrenton Empire” while the most recent was referred to as the “Black Spirit Empire.”
Additionally, this morning in the library, the Ancient Ring growing hot was also a matter to be taken seriously.
The anomaly with the Ancient Ring could likely be related to the secrets of the White Stone Tower as ntioned by Mallen, but what exactly were the secrets of the White Stone Tower?
As Richard pondered this, the tavern server finished attending to the previous table and ca over, handing nus to both Richard and Gro.
Richard snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the nu.
Gro spoke up to order, “I’ll have a plain loaf, a bowl of at soup, fried mushrooms, lettuce, and a slice of pri beef… ah, that’s a bit expensive, just the first few items then.”
“Yes,” the server nodded, slightly dismissive, and then turned to Richard.
Richard spoke up, albeit more simply than Gro, “A white bread, a small dish of jam, and a bowl of mushroom soup.”
The waiter’s gaze unintentionally grew more disdainful, thinking he might have encountered two paupers.
Richard paid no heed, handed back the nu, and placed a silver coin on the table, “A tip.”
The waiter’s eyes lit up instantly, his disdain turning to respect. After all, the one who gives tips is the master. As long as the tip was generous, even a cup of water could be served with great care.
Richard, of course, didn’t tip for no reason, making his demands, “I want fresh bread, not overnight, don’t adulterate the jam, and don’t bring the mushroom soup when it’s cold. Understand?”
“Understood!” The waiter nodded vigorously, took the nu and the tip, and quickly left.
Shortly after, the food Richard and Gro had ordered was brought up, Richard began to eat while continuing to ponder the issues he had been thinking about.
Gro, however, started to speak.
“Lord Richard,” Gro looked at Richard and asked, “What do you think about Professor Appley’s ‘Apprentice Introduction’?”
Richard looked up, glanced at Gro, and countered, “What do you think?”
“Well…” Gro voiced, “I think I should take it as an elective. After all, I haven’t even completed ‘Life Remolding’ three tis, just reading the book isn’t enough, and with guidance, perhaps it could be quicker. The course starts next week, so there’s still ti to enroll.”
“If that’s the case, then there’s nothing more to say, go study,” Richard said, “You’ve already made up your mind, haven’t you?”
“Uh… but the money…” Gro hesitated slightly.
“What about the money?” Richard asked, “Isn’t there enough for the elective course fees?”
“No, no.” Gro shook his head, “What I an is, the money I owe you might not be repayable for the ti being.”
“The high-grade crystal coin I paid for your passage on the great ship in Cuijin City?” Richard asked.
“Yes, that’s right.” Gro nodded, “Now, you and I both know, a high-grade crystal coin is nearly a thousand gold coins, and I have just about a thousand gold coins now. If I am to enroll in so high-fee courses, I cannot repay you for now, just have to figure out a slow solution, so…”
“It’s alright.” Richard said indifferently, not really concerned about such matters, “Consider it an early investnt I made in you to help you beco a wizard. If you face any difficulties later, you can still borrow money from , as long as the amount is not too large. You can pay back when you beco a true wizard.”
“Beco a true wizard?” Gro’s eyes twinkled, seeming a bit lost, “It feels so distant, I am not even sure if I can advance to a second-level apprentice within three years.”
“Then you must strive hard.”
“Uh, alright.” Gro said, and began to continue eating his al. At the sa ti, he made up his mind to study diligently. Otherwise, he would be utterly unworthy of the sacrifice he made by forsaking his prince status to endure hardships here, and even more unworthy of Lord Richard’s continued assistance.
Then, he heard what seed like an unusual noise behind him, followed by…
“Poof!”
Gro felt a strong force coming from behind before he could react, Richard had pressed his face into the bowl of at soup in front of him.
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