Chapter 430: Chapter 427 – Afternoon in Silvermist and Final Preparations
After the rather impressive little incident at the Hunters Guild, Sylvia, Stacia, and Alicia walked back to the Silver Moon Inn with calm, confident steps. The midday sun was still high in the sky, bathing the stone-paved streets of Silvermist in blindingly bright light. The mountain air, usually cool, now felt sowhat stuffy, mixed with the scent of hot earth, road dust, and the aroma of food from roadside stalls. Occasionally, a breeze blew in from the north, carrying a hint of freshness from the pine forest on the mountain slopes, but not enough to dispel the heat clinging to their skin.
So people who had witnessed the event at the guild glanced at them with mixed looks of admiration, fear, curiosity, and even envy. A vegetable vendor on the roadside paused while lifting his basket, his eyes widening at the sight of Alicia with her long, flowing silver hair. Two young adventurers walking on the opposite side of the street whispered while pointing toward Sylvia, who was leading with her black ponytail swaying.
"That black ponytail girl... her movents are like a professional killer," one of them muttered quietly, but Sylvia’s sharp ears still caught it.
"Don’t stare too long, idiot. They’re Rank A. Want to die stupidly?" his friend replied, pulling his companion’s arm.
No one dared approach. The cold aura and faint pressure that always radiated from the three of them made ordinary people instinctively keep their distance. The trio continued their journey in silence, occasionally exchanging slight smiles.
Upon arriving at the Silver Moon Inn, they headed straight to the dining hall on the ground floor. The room was already bustling with guests coming for lunch. The dark brown wooden walls were decorated with dimly lit brass lanterns, creating a warm and cozy atmosphere. Long and round wooden tables were filled with adventurers, rchants, and locals. The aroma of thick venison soup cooked with mountain spices, freshly baked buttered bread, warm vegetable pie filled with carrots, potatoes, and minced at, and the fresh scent of foamy beer filled the entire room. Lively chatter, rough laughter, and the clinking of spoons and forks created a noisy yet non-intrusive backdrop.
They chose a sowhat secluded corner table near the window, offering a view of the street while remaining private. A young waitress in a white apron quickly approached, carrying the day’s nu handwritten on a small board.
"Good afternoon, ladies. Today we have fresh wild mushroom cream soup, grilled venison steak with black spice sauce, warm whole wheat bread, apple pie, and our special drinks: chilled herbal tea or fresh berry juice."
Sylvia ordered the wild mushroom cream soup and steak with herbal tea. Stacia chose the vegetable pie and fruit juice, while Alicia enthusiastically ordered a large portion of steak plus apple pie for dessert.
While waiting for their food, they listened attentively to the conversations around them. At the table to their right, a group of five adventurers spoke loudly and enthusiastically.
"Tomorrow morning at exactly 8 o’clock, we must already be at the front line of the rift. Lord Harlan promised that the first team to bring back an artifact will receive a bonus of one hundred gold coins plus the right to choose weapons from his private warehouse!"
"It’s dangerous, but the risk is worth it. I’ve already bought purple anti-mist potions from the old wizard at the end of town. They say it can neutralize hallucinations for up to six hours."
"What I’m worried about are those shadow creatures. Normal weapons don’t work on them. We need enchanted ones or holy spells. What are you guys bringing?"
At another table, the conversation shifted to sothing lighter but still caught their attention.
"Hey, did you see those three girls who just entered the guild earlier? The one with the black ponytail, the one with the elegant gray bun, and the one with the long silver hair and... well, those extraordinary assets. She’s incredibly beautiful, like a goddess descended to earth."
"Don’t ss with them, you fool. They’re Rank A Hunters. I heard three idiots tried to bother them earlier. In the blink of an eye, a rapier was already at their throats. That bald guy collapsed to the floor, his face pale as a corpse."
The innkeeper, a middle-aged, portly man with a thick beard nad Oldwin, was cleaning glasses behind the counter. He glanced briefly at the table of the three sisters and smiled faintly to himself. He had suspected since yesterday that these three beautiful guests were not ordinary spice rchants, but he wisely chose not to ask. In Silvermist, secrets were the most valuable currency.
Their food arrived. The wild mushroom cream soup was creamy white with fragrant slices of wild mushrooms, the venison steak was tender with a slightly crispy seared exterior and a sweet-spicy black spice sauce, the warm whole wheat bread stead gently, and the chilled berry juice was refreshingly cold. They ate calmly and gracefully, occasionally chatting quietly about tomorrow’s strategy while savoring every bite.
After lunch, Stacia let out a small yawn, gracefully covering her mouth. "I’m going straight to my room. It’s too hot outside; I don’t want to go out. I still have so Chapters left in the novel I bought yesterday. You two be careful."
Sylvia nodded. "Rest well. The two of us will go out for a bit to buy spare supplies."
Stacia went up to the second floor with light steps, her neatly tied gray bun looking professional. Sylvia and Alicia left the inn while the sun was still quite high. The midday heat made the streets sowhat quiet, but weapon shops, apothecaries, and adventurer supply stores remained open.
They stopped by "Iron Fang Armory," a fairly well-known weapon shop. The sll of iron and weapon oil greeted them imdiately. Sylvia bought two spare mid-quality rapiers with flexible blades, several perfectly balanced throwing knives, and thin leather gloves. Alicia chose a sturdy spare wooden staff with a small hidden crystal core and a few simply engraved daggers. They deliberately chose ordinary-looking weapons so as not to stand out.
Next, they visited the apothecary "Moon Herb & Potion." The air was filled with the scent of dried herbs and strong potions. Sylvia bought several bottles of mid-grade healing potions, mana potions, and antidotes. Although their bodies’ regeneration was far superior, these items were just for show to appear as ordinary adventurers.
"That’s enough," Sylvia said after paying with silver coins. "Let’s find a cooler place."
Because the midday heat was too intense, the two of them walked toward the park located not far from the main square. The city park was quite large and beautiful, with tall, shady oak and pine trees, neatly maintained green grass, colorful wildflower bushes, and a small clear lake in the center whose water was as transparent as glass. Several wooden benches were placed under the shade of trees, and small birds sang cheerfully on the branches.
Sylvia imdiately chose a wooden bench by the lake. She took out a simple fishing rod from the small storage space she always carried. Fishing was one of her rare hobbies that she enjoyed to calm her mind. Despite her very mature, cold, and deadly appearance, in monts like this, her hidden childish side could be seen clearly.
Alicia shook her head with a smile. "You... you look so mature and terrifying, but you still enjoy fishing like a little kid."
Sylvia only smiled faintly without answering. She cast her bait into the calm lake. The fishing line curved beautifully through the air before landing with a small ripple on the water’s surface.
Alicia sat under a large shady oak tree, closing her eyes for a mont while enjoying the cool breeze blowing from the lake. Her long silver hair swayed gently like silk. After feeling refreshed, she took out colorful fine threads and a silver needle from her small bag. Her fingers moved nimbly, weaving simple bracelets, small moon-shaped pendants, and hair ties with intricate patterns characteristic of the spirit tribe.
The two of them spent the afternoon peacefully. Sylvia occasionally cast her line, the fishing rod curving beautifully through the air before landing with a small ripple. She managed to catch several small fish, which she imdiately released back into the water with a faint smile. Alicia continued weaving, occasionally chatting lightly.
"We have to be really careful tomorrow," Sylvia said softly while gazing at the lake surface sparkling under the afternoon sun. "Even though our strength is far above average, that dinsional rift is full of surprises. Purple mist, mind runes, shadow creatures... don’t let your guard down for even a mont."
Alicia nodded while continuing her weaving. "I’ll always watch from the spirit side. Stacia must have prepared her best analysis and protection spells too. The three of us are already very coordinated. The important thing is to stay wary of other humans. Humans are often more dangerous than monsters."
The cool breeze continued to blow, the leaves swayed gently, and the sound of the lake water created a soothing rhythm. The afternoon sunlight began to turn golden, touching Alicia’s silver hair and making it look like a crown of light.
When the sun started to dip westward and the air grew cooler, the two of them returned to the inn. Stacia had already woken from her nap and was reading a novel in the downstairs lounge while drinking tea. The three of them then had dinner together, this ti with a lighter nu: grilled fish, fresh salad, and clear soup.
That night, in their comfortable room, the three of them ticulously checked all their belongings again. Spare weapons were sharpened until razor-sharp, display potions neatly arranged, protection spells and hidden artifacts double-checked, spare maps and fake identities confird. They also discussed worst-case scenarios and ergency signals between them.
Sylvia stood by the window, gazing at the star-filled night sky of Silvermist. "Tomorrow at 8 o’clock. We’ll enter as Rank A adventurers, but we must remain vigilant. Our main goal isn’t just the rewards, but information about this rift."
Stacia and Alicia nodded in unison.
The night grew late. In the increasingly quiet Silver Moon Inn, the three sisters rested peacefully, ready to face whatever awaited them at the northern dinsional rift the next morning.
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