Lilith considered Prima a burden. Moreover, the mere sight of the girl reminded her of that Felidology class a few days ago, where she had been the laughingstock of the entire room. It made her blood boil just thinking about it.
“Go with them. You can just leave me here in the chair,” Prima whispered into her sister’s ear.
“But… but…”
“Don’t worry. This is right next to the school, and there are housemothers and teachers watching. There won’t be any danger.”
After her sister’s repeated persuasion, Mapeel reluctantly agreed. She carefully settled Prima into an armchair at a fast-food stall and asked the stall owner to keep an eye on her.
“I’ll be back very soon.”
Mapeel pressed a soft kiss to her sister’s forehead. She took a few steps, looked back anxiously, and only hurried to catch up once her roommates were nearly out of sight.
The stall sold smoked sausages, rye bread, and beer. The air was thick with an alluring, savory aroma.
Thick sausages sizzled on the grill, their skins bursting as they were flipped, releasing even more glistening fat. Large wooden casks filled with beer were stacked nearby, the amber liquid inside topped with frothing foam.
There were many customers sitting at long tables under the awning. They devoured sausages, gulped down beer, and bragged loudly. The sudden appearance of the young girls in the marketplace seemed to elevate their desire to show off.
Prima enjoyed the lively atmosphere. She sat happily, her eyes fixed on the large sausages as they split open over the charcoal fire, dripping grease and hissing. They smelled intense and delicious.
The stall owner walked over and asked if she wanted anything. She shook her head. He offered to give her a small grilled sausage for free, but she declined that as well. Seeing she wasn’t interested, he went back to attending to the other customers.
He cleared away some dishes, took the rag from his arm to wipe down food scraps and beer stains from a table, and made room for an old man.
The old man had just come from the barbershop down the street. He looked well-groomed and spirited, wearing a new jacket and polished, hard-toed leather boots. He carried himself with a certain air of dignity.
“Old Berry! Long time no see. The usual sausage platter and dark beer?” the owner asked with a smile.
The old man nodded in confirmation.
Old Berry settled into his chair, his shoulders slumping as he relaxed his body. He looked completely at ease.
“Old Berry, I heard your team opened up a temple in the Violet Zone?” someone asked.
Immediately, several curious gazes shifted toward him.
He shook his head, however. “It was on the edge of the Violet Zone. We didn’t go deep. We know we don’t have the strength for that.”
“I figured as much. You need to reach the ‘Immaculate Rank’ of mental fortitude to handle the psychic pollution of the Violet Zone. Even the ‘Severance Rank’ isn’t safe. Those at the Immaculate Rank are truly big shots. As a fellow explorer, I’m well aware of your team’s capabilities.”
“Indeed. Young lads love to boast, but we old-timers prefer to stick to more cautious descriptions,” Old Berry chuckled.
“By the way, I’m curious—how did you manage it?” the man asked again.
Old Berry fell silent. Normally, such questions went unanswered. You couldn’t just fish for intelligence with words; you had to pay for it.
However, he had made a fortune on this last trip, and the urge to retire was becoming stronger than ever.
Besides, he was getting old. His hair was thinning, and his ambition was waning. He was already planning to leave the Evernight Realm, purchase some land, buy a few fair-skinned little girls, and live out his days as a leisurely man of wealth.
Old Berry hesitated for a second or two before revealing his method.
“We found a river flowing out of the Violet Zone. We followed it upstream, searching for ruins along the banks. If danger struck, we’d jump into the river and let the current carry us out. Even if we lost consciousness, the floats on our bodies would keep us from drowning.”
“A stroke of genius!” the man praised.
“Just good luck,” Old Berry replied, waving a hand modestly.
The mixed sausage platter arrived, its scent filling the air and whetting the appetite.
He reached into a bamboo cylinder to pick out a fork with the least amount of rust. As he reached for the plate, he felt a strange resistance in his joint… no, in the skin of his elbow.
He didn’t pay it much mind. Perhaps the sleeves of the jacket were cut too narrow—new clothes were always a bit tight, and they would loosen up after a while.
This stall had been in business for five years, and the sausages were as good as ever—perfectly savory and sweet with a rich flavor. Every time he came to the Quicksand Lowlands, Old Berry would order a plate to satisfy his cravings.
He had only taken two bites when a strange sense of discomfort and exhaustion surged through his body. He couldn’t even process why it was happening because his thoughts were becoming sluggish and blurred at the same time. It felt as if his brain was melting into a turbid liquid; he felt that if he shook his head, he might actually hear it sloshing.
Old Berry heard someone asking him a question. He wanted to answer, but when he opened his mouth, the sound came out as a long, drawn-out groan.
Finally, his eyelids drooped, his mouth hung slightly open, and his hand remained frozen in mid-air. His expression and movements were paralyzed in that single moment.
The diners at the same table didn’t think much of it, assuming the old man had simply been overcome by sleepiness and was nodding off. He’d wake up in a bit.
Not far away, Prima sat in her armchair, listening to the diners talk enthusiastically about their adventures.
These people were explorers, facing all sorts of dangers every day in search of precious treasures.
The rewards were proportional to the risks. They flaunted their shiny gold coins, but they also showed off their hideous scars.
Suddenly, Prima saw a familiar face.
Dorothy was walking over from the end of the street.
Her head was down as she rummaged through a large paper bag, muttering to herself.
“Silver Pine Powder… dried Tail-Dragger Moths… Raccoon-Badger Ointment… I think that’s everything…”
Prima called out to her. Dorothy didn’t notice at first, but when she looked up and saw her, she beamed and ran over.
“Why are you here? Where’s your sister? Do you want something to eat?” Dorothy asked in a rapid-fire sequence.
“I’m not hungry. Lilith needs to rehearse the script, so Mapeel went to get costumes made. She has a few scenes, and she’s doing the narration too.”
“Wow, that’s amazing! Your dorm is putting on a play?” Dorothy’s eyes lit up, her admiration clear.
Prima smiled. “Yes. Lilith said we’ll be setting up a stage for the mid-year festival. I have a role too!”
“Oh? What are you playing?”
“A cauliflower.”
“…”
“Lilith said I could choose between being a tomato or a cauliflower. I chose cauliflower.”
“I’ll definitely be there to cheer for you!” Dorothy said, clenching her fist.
She pulled up a stool and sat next to Prima, placing her large paper bag on the table to count the ingredients for the Body Purifying Potion one by one.
Prima helped her double-check the items, confirming that everything was correct.
Dorothy smiled happily and tied the bag shut. A sense of anticipation rose in her heart—maybe she would even get a compliment from her Master this time!
She bid Prima farewell and headed toward the tea stall they had agreed to meet at. After walking a few paces, she looked back once more to see Prima resting with her eyes closed.
Her gaze inadvertently landed on an old man under the awning.
He was sitting with his head down, his entire body stiff as if he were asleep. There was something odd about the back of his neck. The skin looked like it had separated into layers; the epidermis was coarse and transparent, while the flesh underneath was incredibly tender. The contrast was stark, and there was a localized, eerie wriggling sensation.
Dorothy rubbed her eyes. What is wrong with me today? I keep having hallucinations.
She knit her brows, feeling a flicker of unease.
Dorothy hugged the paper bag and continued forward.
There was something hard in her shoe pressing against her foot—it was a Silver Spike Coin, the “stolen goods” she had embezzled.
Her Master called this behavior “skimming,” but he hadn’t forbidden it, which was essentially tacit permission for her to save up some private pocket money.
Master is so kind.
As she turned onto another street, she ran into several familiar faces from Room 203.
When Lulu’anna saw the little maid, her eyes brightened. She scanned the area and saw that Wang Yue was nowhere to be found, and a fox-like smile instantly spread across her lips.
“Why are you all alone, Dorothy?” She ran over and affectionately grabbed the little maid’s hand.
“I was just running an errand, I’m heading back now…”
“Come on, I’ll treat you to something delicious.”
Without waiting for an answer, Lulu’anna forcefully pulled her in another direction.
Dorothy wanted to refuse, but Lulu’anna gripped her wrist tightly and brooked no argument. Left with no choice, the maid could only follow along.
