Chapter 15 (2/2)

The waitress was not exactly beautiful, but she was young and lovely, with freckles on the sides of her nose. Her eyes were big and blue, and her smile was sweet and comforting.

“I recommend honey bread.” The waitress was also wearing linen clothes, except that hers were cleaner and more fas.h.i.+onable. “I know you are the hero who saved three kids. I would’ve sold honey bread to you at half-price if I were the owner of this tavern.”

“A piece of honey bread it is, then.”

“All right, please wait a moment.” The waitress went to the kitchen and soon returned with a plate that had a piece of long bread covered in golden honey. “This is the bread you ordered. Two coppers.”

The honey bread looked pretty huge. Two coppers was a fair price, at least for Roland. He handed over two coppers. Then, the waitress stared at his hands in a strange way.

Roland looked at his own hands, only to discover a couple of huge, appalling blisters there. He pressed them but felt no pain although they seemed scary. It must be because the feeling of pain had been reduced to one-tenth.

It was the result of mining, but it didn’t matter since it was not too painful. He could continue digging and making money tomorrow morning.

Roland had a bite of the bread. Then, his expression changed subtly. The honey was good, and the bread was also good, but the honey bread was not exactly tasteful. It was too hard and even had an inexplicable smell.

No wonder Falken said that the food in this tavern might not agree with him.

The waitress could tell what was going on from his subtle expression. She smiled. “It’s not delicious? But our bread is the best in this town, although it may be shabby for big shots like you.”

“Big shots? He’s just a brat.”

One of the few men who were drinking turned around and shouted, flus.h.i.+ng, “He has no advantages except for his pretty face. It was only because of luck that he saved those kids. I could’ve done the same. Why do you think so highly of him?”

Roland knew that he was probably famous in the town, but he did not know that he was very famous. Children were the future of a family, a town, and a country. Offspring always mattered most in every place.

Saving a child could earn more grat.i.tude than saving an adult on many occasions.

Of course, while some people admired heroes and extraordinary figures, some people did not see eye to eye with them. Most of the time, their hostility boiled down to one simple reason: jealousy.

Roland looked at the three drunkards, only to discover that there was nothing worth mentioning about them. They were all middle-aged men without any attractive qualities.

Have I triggered a certain quest? Roland thought for a moment. In the spirit of experimentation, he said provocatively, “Cut the c.r.a.p. Do you want to fight outside?”

The few men tossed their cups to the floor, splas.h.i.+ng bright yellow ale everywhere. While the waitress screamed, they flipped over the table and walked toward Roland aggressively.