8 「Appraisal」 (2/2)
”I can pay you, reward you, as you'd like.”
Cipher chuckled a little at this, seemingly flattered.
”I don't know what or who you think I am, but I'm just a copper ranked Adventurer.” He wore this sly look on his face which made Gazef lower his arms and just give him this look.
”Surely you jest,” He gave a hardy laugh.
”I have a feeling I'll be in the royal capital within a the month or so,” Cipher informed the man with a matter-a-factly tone. He didn't seem to care all that much for the idea of a reward.
What could this man possibly give him?
Gazef nodded hearing him and took out a piece of folded parchment, ”Sir Cipher, this is a letter of introduction. This will get you an audience with the King. And thank you, again.”
With that the man backed off and climbed onto his horse to rid off towards the nearest Garrison for him and his men to rest.
Cipher turned his gaze towards a nearby Inn, it didn't look too shabby.
He and the crew made his way over and walked in through the front doors. There were a bunch of tough guys seated on one side of the room, while there were some other less intimidating patrons on the other. It was clear which one was either adventurers or workers while the others were more like thugs.
As they bisected the Inn, heading towards the barkeep. He paused and glanced to the side, noting a young woman sitting at a table. It was vacant of food and she had the look of someone who had been working and skipping meals. Hardly a diet though.
While he changed his direction, the others went on to get themselves rooms while he went over and sat across from the woman.
Swaying slightly in the chair, he observed her unkept short red hair and sharp eyes. She had a bit of dirt on her cheek, but she didn't appear bothered by it. She reminded him of wheat bread, or wheat itself. Her skin was like gold. While her hands didn't exactly look soft, they looked trained.
He was sure she was a trained warrior, young at that.
It took her a few seconds, but she finally noticed someone uninvited was sitting at her table. ”Who the heck are you? And what are you looking at?” She tried telling him off little to no hesitation, trying to get him to scram.
”My name is Cipher. You seem hungry,” Cipher planted his elbows on the table and tangled his fingers together. Resting his chin on bridged hands, he squinted slightly. ”Are you hungry?”
”Why aren't you an observant one...” She uttered grumpily. She was currently saving up to buy a health potion. Apparently they cost a great deal and she was skipping meals and working in overdrive.
Her eye rested on the adventurer's copper rank, before looking at his sapphire eyes and handsome high tier clothing. Was he some rich boy who decided to get a spark in his life or something?
”You want a bite?”
She went to open her mouth until the Swords of Darkness walked over.
”We got our rooms sorted. We'll see you tomorrow.” Peter said as he patted the man's shoulder before the four vanished around the corner. They had gotten two rooms. One for Lukrut and Peter, and one for Dyne and Ninya.
Cipher just nodded his head to them, watching them from the corner of his eye as they left. Then he returned his full attention towards Brita. ”So? What do you say?”
Brita smiled slightly, though the right corner of her lip twitched. ”Yeah, sure.”
Smiling to himself, he would reach into his inventory which almost immediately catch Brita's attention as he didn't try to hide it. Howeverh is back was to the other people, so no one was to see what he was doing. He took out a plate with bread, a strangely colored jar of preserves and a butter knife.
”I have yet to try this,” these were all foods made with ingredients from the game. He had never tasted them before and it was making him incredibly curious of what they were like.
Placing them down on an wood plate, he looked over at that iron rank around her neck.
Brita licked her lips seeing the preserves. It looked like high tier ingredients to her.
As he popped the glass jar open and put the metal lid aside, he would use the knife to lather two slices of bread with preserves before handing them over to her.
She gratefully swiped them out of his hand and almost immediately bit into them after stacking them on top of each like a sandwich.
”Auh~”
The sudden moan that escaped her lips caused just about everyone to glance over for a second before going back to what they were doing.
It had actually surprised him to hear this sound escape her. He blinked several times before lathering two pieces of bread for himself and doing the same, biting into them after stacking.
The preserves nipped at his tongue as there were tart berries in it. He closed his eyes and let out a quiet hum-like sound as he'd relax in the chair.
”Where'd you get this?”
”Made it with some expensive berries I bought from a man selling a series of crates filled with specialty items.” He licked his lips as they were getting sticky before taking another bite.
'I think Ninya would like this... Maybe I'll make a basket of food for tomorrow.' Was the one thing was thinking about as he slowly chewed. He had plenty of jars of this stuff. He was a packrat when it came to items and such. 'Food is the way to anyone's heart.'
”Huh... Where was this?”
”Off continent.”
”Off continent?” She blinked several times at this response. ”You can't be serious.”
He nodded, not really caring whether or not she believed him or not.
”So what's your name?”
”I'll tell you my name if you tell me what that trick was?”
”I'll tell you what that trick was, if you tell me why you're not taking care of yourself.”
”What are you, my mother?”
”Very well could be, so what's your name?”
”My mother would know my name.” Brita squinted her eyelids at him in a playful glare. ”And her name sure isn't Cipher.” Her eyes shifted over him once more, ”Brita. My name is Brita.”
”And?”
”I'm trying to afford a healing potion...” Brita explained with a sigh, though she was relieved she had something in her stomach today. And it wasn't just scraps.
Most people in the game world was capable of making their own potions, at least lower level ones. Hearing her having to starve herself made him feel a bit sorry for these people.
”How much does it cost?”
”One gold and ten silver coins,” Brita exhaustedly exclaimed, looking at her calloused hands. ”Why, are you planning on solving my problems?” Her eyes met up with his now, letting her hands rest in her lap.
Cipher just smiled at her, ”Was thinking about it, but it won't be for free.”
Brita tch'ed at the sound of it not being for free. What exactly did he want? Sex? A night on the town? She wasn't going to give him that. No way.
”Information is your currency.”
She wasn't expecting this from a man, asking for information rather than something tangible or sensually interactive. Yet here he was, asking for unspecified information. ”I see...”
In thought she pursed her lips and scanned the surface of the table as if it had something significant on it. She was sifting through any thought that may be important enough to give. ”What kind of things would you like to know?”
Cipher shrugged and leaned back, ”Anything. It could be a series of personal experiences. Names of deadly creatures native to the area. Strange happenings, disappearances, herbs, Illegal organizations, the like...”
Slowly she nodded at the examples he gave and went on to talk about generally anything she knew. She told him about her Adventurer Group, other groups she knew of. The strongest ones out there. While some of her details were vague, she was very informative.
After an hour their conversation had the potential to keep going, but he instead placed a lesser healing potion on the table. Though he quickly noticed her wide eyes.
”What is that?”
”A healing potion, what else would it be?”
”Healing potions are blue...” She reached over and picked up the vial in one hand and exclaimed it with her eyes. She was interested in it, that was for sure. ”Where'd you get it?”
She had the time to ask, and she wanted an answer.
”I made it.”
She stared at him for a few seconds before looking at the item in her hand. ”You make everything you're wearing?”
”The tunic, boots and pants.”
”You a craftsman or something?”
”I could be. I could be a lot of things.”
”So you said your name was Cipher...?”