018 Tip_1

Lanya rubbed her slightly red and swollen eyes, whimpering softly.

"Don't worry too much about it, those Gold Coins can't even be used in my world," Lin Ge comforted her.

"But, but... *sob*, not only did I fail to beat the spiders outside the city, I couldn't even take care of such a small thing as keeping your Gold Coins safe." Lanya still couldn't hold back her tears.

Lin Ge expressed his surprise, "You went to the spiders' cave outside the city?"

Lanya nodded, "I knew you didn't want to fight, so I wanted to resolve the registration commission on my own, but there were too many spiders. Even after killing one, I couldn't collect its venom fangs."

Lin Ge asked again, "When did you realize the Gold Coins were missing?"

"At breakfast."

"Did you encounter any strange people after you left this morning?"

Lanya thought about it and answered no.

"Aside from paying the bill, did you take off your hat at any other time?"

Again, Lanya shook her head.

"How about last night when you were sleeping?"

"No, I was meditating all night."

Lin Ge mused, "So it seems that the thief made their move yesterday. After we parted ways, where did you go? Did you encounter any strange people? Or anything unusual?"

Lanya had a thoughtful look on her face and spoke softly, "After I separated from you yesterday, I went to eat at the Magic Restaurant in the West City. That was when I took out my purse once, and then I headed out to the spider cave..."

"Right, you might have been targeted at that time. Did you feel like someone was following you when you left the city?"

"No..."

"Did you take off your hat after leaving the city?"

Suddenly remembering something, Lanya said, "I remember now, my hat was knocked off by spider webs when I was escaping from the spider cave yesterday. Maybe that's when it fell out."

Lanya's expression fell, "If that's the case, it might have already been picked up by someone. I promised to keep your Gold Coins safe, but I lost them in just one day, I..."

Lanya suddenly lifted her head, her tear-filled eyes showing a resolute light.

"I promise you, I'll take responsibility. I'll work hard to earn money and pay you back all the Gold Coins, but it might take a long time. Please trust me and give me some time."

Lin Ge said, "Actually, you don't need to..."

But Lanya was unwavering, "No, I must pay it back."

Seeing her resolve, Lin Ge could only agree, "Alright, I believe you. But you don't need to rush, just pay it back slowly. I won't charge you any interest."

After deciding to repay the debt, Lanya's emotions clearly stabilized a lot. Lin Ge then mixed another glass of "Mimosa" for her.

This beverage only required champagne and fresh orange juice, making it quite quick to prepare. Even without champagne, other sparkling wines could be substituted, or even soda water for a non-alcoholic version.

The rich bubbles diluted the sweetness of the orange juice and added enjoyment to the drinking experience. Sipping this should cheer her up a bit.

Looking at the tender yellow beverage before her, its gentle color and the bubbles inside piqued Lanya's interest.

She carefully took a sip and the sweet, refreshing taste immediately captured her heart. Also, the bubbles in the drink relentlessly burst against her soft tongue and mouth, bringing a different kind of pleasure and making her temporarily forget all the unpleasantness.

She looked up, her light purple eyes shimmering with an appealing luster.

"Thank you, Lin Ge, this is really good. Put it on my tab, and I'll pay it back to you later."

Iris's teasing voice came from the side, "With your skills, who knows when you'll be able to earn 1000+ Gold Coins. You might as well settle the debt with your body, with your looks, you could charge him a high price~"

Lanya's face immediately flushed red, "What nonsense are you talking about, how could I possibly do such a thing!"

Lin Ge frowned and said, "Iris, don't make such excessive jokes. How could I possibly do such a thing to a little girl? Do you think I'm a pervert?"

"You are a pervert," said Iris, "and besides, Castalon is not Earth. Here, girls can marry at fourteen. You don't know how many nobles in the city have young wives. Anyway, she's at least fourteen, right?"

Lanya argued with a red face, "Who are you calling a little girl? I am already eighteen years old!"

As she spoke, she even puffed out her chest deliberately, as if trying to prove something, but her underdeveloped bust had little persuasive power.

Lin Ge stared at her in surprise, "You're eighteen?"

She looked much younger than eighteen, no matter how one looked at it. Could it be due to long-term malnutrition? Or was she lying about her age?

Lanya became even more indignant under Lin Ge's gaze.

"What about me doesn't look it?"

Everything doesn't look it, alright.

For whatever reason, Lin Ge found it hard to believe she was really eighteen.

Just then, an elderly voice came from the direction of the dining table, "What a delicious wine, smooth and moist with a taste that lingers, bringing back many memories. Worthy of the name 'Contemplation'."

It turned out to be the grey-robed old man who had entered the tavern earlier. After drinking the 'Contemplation' mixed by Lin Ge, he couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

The old man turned his head, scrutinizing the barman Lin Ge with deep, mysterious eyes.

"Young man, where did you learn such an incredible mixing technique given your age? Could you be an alchemist?"

"Alchemy?" Lin Ge laughed, "I don't know about that. I only do bartending."

The old man chuckled, "If you knew alchemy, perhaps the wine you mix would be even more delicious."

The old man stood up, picked up his Magic Wand, and looked around the tavern.

"This is a fine tavern. I'll come again next time."

He tapped the end of his Magic Wand on the floor, and with the sound of the tap, a cascade of Gold Coins mixed with a blue gemstone fell before Lin Ge, colliding with the countertop and producing a crisp ringing sound.

"For the wine and a tip."

After leaving these words behind, the old man slowly walked out of the bar.

Lin Ge picked up the blue gemstone from among the Gold Coins. It was shaped like a small shield, no more than 4 centimeters long and about 2 centimeters thick, with smooth lines, a beautiful hue, and a stable, tranquil elegance. It seemed to harbor some mysterious power.

That was the tip the man had left behind.

"Lanya, how much can we sell this gemstone for?"

Lanya stared at the gemstone in his hand, astonished, "I don't know, but I can feel a great amount of Magic Power in it. Jewellery stores don't deal with such things, and even the magical gemstones in Magic Artifact Shops don't possess such immense magic power."

"Doesn't that make it very valuable?"

Lanya blankly nodded, "Yes, but weren't you wanting to become a Mage? With the support of the magic power of this gemstone, you could skip the step of accumulating magic power and easily use magic. So, I suggest keeping it. With it, perhaps we'll be able to complete the registration trial task."

Toward the end, Lanya's eyes couldn't help but light up, seemingly seeing hope for completing the task.

At that point, Iris walked over, glanced at the gemstone in Lin Ge's hand, and said, "What a cunning old man. He's left his psychic imprint on the gemstone. As long as you have it with you, he can sense your location. I wonder what his intention is."