Chapter 591 The True Identity


    ??Upon their arrival in Lorinda, the group did not dwell long for rest or repairs.


    After a brief meal, Antalya led them to a seemingly ordinary two-story wooden house that looked no different from the others.


    She said, "Greg and I will go up and talk to him. You guys can go and buy some other goods in the meantime. Harry is a decent person, but he tends to be overly cautious. Ali and Howard, being new faces, it might not be wise for you to go up rashly. Let''s meet back here in about an hour."


    "Remember to be careful. This ce is not like Breeze City; it''s easy to get cheated here. Moreover, Ali and Howard, you don''t have identity proofs yet, so it''s easy to run into trouble if you''re not careful."


    Vivia, standing by with determined assurance, said, "Don''t worry about going up, Antalya. I''ll keep a good eye on both of them!"


    Antalya shot Vivia a nce, "You, just try not to cause any trouble yourself!"


    "Once we return, I''ll find time to apply for adventurer''s identity proofs for you two. That way, you can freely enter and exit most countries, which should be more convenient," Antalya added.


    Howard remembered signing a document agreeing that adventurers could move freely within the territory of the Oli Kingdom.


    After the conversation, Antalya and Greg dismounted, approached the wooden door, and knocked.


    Soon, a middle-aged woman in cloth attire opened the door.


    She paused for a moment upon seeing Antalya but quickly regained herposure and stepped aside to open the door wider.


    Antalya and Greg proceeded through the gate, with Greg turning back before entering to give Howard a meaningful look, squeezing his eyes in a gesture.


    Unfortunately, given the dwarf''s face was so abundantly hairy, his attempt at an expressive look was lost; his eyebrows nearly covered his eyes, and his beard clumped together, making him resemble a fuzzy ball more than anything.


    It was impossible to discern any specific expression.


    After the pair entered, the middle-aged woman nced at Ali and the others still outside.


    Seeing no intention from them toe in, she promptly shut the door.


    With the door closing behind them, Howard scratched the back of his head, "So... what do we do now?"


    Vivia huffed, "Have you be so dim that you can''t even understand what was told? Obviously, we need to shop for other essentials!"


    She dered this quite proudly, though her nose wrinkled slightly in disdain.


    However, Howard''s next question stopped her cold.


    "Do you even know what we need from the shops?"


    Given that Greg and Antalya usually managed the tavern and Vivia had always been more of a mascot than a manager, she rarely dealt with such matters.


    Howard''s blunt inquiry left her momentarily speechless.


    Breaking the silence, Ali, who was usually reserved, suggested, "Let''s head to the market first. I''ve been to Lorinda a couple of times before I met the shopkeeper. I know where the market is. As for the shopping list, since I''ve always been in the kitchen, I at least know what we need to restock there. In fact, if we''re shopping in Lorinda, it''s mainly about replenishing food supplies."


    "Ah, as expected, Ali is the reliable one," Howard nodded earnestly.


    "Not like some people who just know how to eat and, despite being in the shop for so long, still don''t know anything."


    "Hey, Howard, what do you mean by that?" Vivia snapped back.


    Howard, imitating Vivia''s usual tone, retorted, "Nothing at all."


    Vivia, gritting her teeth, pulled on her horsewhip and shed a "friendly" smile.


    "Well, it seems I need to make a point as well!"


    "Let''s go, Ali! Don''t let that guy catch up!"


    Sensing trouble, Howard nudged Ali''s back, who got the hint and whipped the horses into motion, moving the cart forward.


    Howard, naturally not afraid of a fight, nheless preferred to avoid conflict with women.


    However, their cart stood no chance against the unburdened Vivia on horseback, especially not on crowded streets where it was impossible to sprint at full speed.


    After a symbolic attempt to escape, Vivia easily caught up and lightly whipped Howard a few times on his back.


    In truth, Vivia hadn''t exerted much force, but Howard began to scream dramatically at the touch of the whip, attracting the gaze of passersby.


    Even Ali turned around in surprise.


    Unable to continue her assault without drawing more attention, Vivia begrudgingly took note, vowing to settle scorester in the fall.


    ...


    Antalya and Greg had finally met with Harry.


    Upon reaching the second floor, they found Harry already seated in the living room, evidently having waited for some time.


    Harry appeared to be an utterly ordinary middle-aged man, indistinguishable from themon farmers of Lorinda.


    If there was anything to note, it would be his clothing, which was crafted from finer linen or cotton rather than the cheap, coarse hemp typical of the area.


    Additionally, his slightly portly figure was not something one would expect from the working-ss farmers.


    As a person of authority in a hub like this, improving his family''s diet was hardly a challenge for him.


    "Miss Antalya, it''s been a while! How''s business beentely? I suppose you''ve earned quite a stack of gold coins," Harry greeted her with a warm smile as soon as they met, showing a familiar cordiality.


    "Thanks to your good wishes, the tavern''s business this month has been even better than thest," Antalya responded with a smile.


    "And how about your business, Harry? Is your purse jingling with coins?" she inquired.


    After a brief pause, Harry''s smile widened, "Miss Antalya, you do have a sense of humor. My modest dealings hardlypare to your substantial enterprise. Running a tavern on Left Ridge Street in Breeze City isn''t something just anyone can manage."


    "It''s all down to luck," Antalya maintained her smile.


    "And, of course, your help as well."


    Harry, momentarily taken aback, then chuckled, "Miss Antalya jests. What significant role could my little mushrooms y? I wonder how many you would like this time?"


    After a moment of thought, Antalya extended five fingers: "Five kilos."


    A kilo of Lorinda mushrooms on the market goes for ten gold coins, roughly the expense of a typical family of three for a month and a half.


    And because Lorinda is the only ce that can produce them inrge quantities, Lorinda mushrooms are essentially priceless in Breeze City.


    Purchasing five kilos in one go, amounting to fifty gold coins, would require a significant portion of the working capital for a standard adventurer''s tavern.


    Last time, she had only bought a little over one kilo.


    Had Howard been there, he would have been astonished to see that a tavern could mobilize more funds than many nobles within the kingdom.


    This, in part, was due to some intion in the area.


    Another reason was the depths of the new continent, teeming with powerful beings and valuable goods, naturally driving up prices.


    "Five kilos!" Harry eximed, his face showing a moment of hesitation.


    Although it''s said they''re produced inrge quantities, the quarterly yield of Lorinda mushrooms is only around 150 kilos, with only about forty kilos actually passing through Harry''s hands.


    Thus, a five-kilo order was no small request for Harry.


    Harry sat in silence, pondering, while Antalya picked up a teacup Harry had ced on the table and sipped leisurely, appearingpletely at ease and unworried.


    In truth, she had little concern.


    Her livelihood did not depend on Lorinda mushrooms, and her pursuit of wealth was minimal—sufficiency was her goal.


    Indeed, if she chose to, making money was not a challenge for her at all.


    Time ticked away slowly, and finally, it was Harry who broke the silence.


    "You must have noticed, Lorinda is under martialw." He shifted the conversation away from their deal to focus on Lorinda itself.


    "Is it because of ''Red Eye''?" Antalya asked.


    "Yes, ''Red Eye''," Harry sighed.


    "Half a month ago, Red Eye visited Lorinda. He didn''t do anything; otherwise, you probably wouldn''t be seeing me right now."


    Antalya remained silent, waiting for Harry to continue.


    "But though he didn''t act, it wasn''t without demands. To put it mildly, his appetite is quiterge."


    "He''s demanding we hand over a quarter of our Lorinda mushroom yield, and that''s every quarter!"


    "A bandit now ying the merchant, how amusing," Greg muttered under his breath.


    Red Eye is the name of thergest bandit group in the nearby towns, as well as the nickname of their leader, reputedly because his eyes turn blood red in battle.


    Red Eye''s methods are notoriously brutal.


    Even Lorinda, a significant settlement, has records of being attacked.


    Their strikes are fast, precise, and ruthless, hitting hard and leaving immediately, never lingering, which is why the local lords have never been able to truly catch them.


    Moreover, it''s said that the leader of Red Eye is a genuine magus.


    "Mr. Harry, by telling me this, are you suggesting you want me to do something?" Antalya slowly set down her teacup.


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