Chapter 86: Rumors of Heishi Town
"Careless..."
Heishi Town primarily thrived on mining, with underdeveloped agricultural practices; most of the food was sourced from elsewhere. And with the current ice age, it was impossible to find fertilizer in several shops.
Hua Mi strolled through the town but found no flower shops or the like. What a place lacking in romance.
Initially, he hoped to buy seeds from other realms, yet while walking the streets, he overheard town folks discussing recent interesting incidents.
He chanced upon Sindra's name being mentioned, quite coincidentally. Her reputation as an alchemical maniac had spread throughout Heishi Town.
Rumor had it she'd been shut in her basement, tirelessly experimenting with formulas, which failed to yield results, leaving him dumbfounded.
Seems the unicorn horn powder finally stumped her.
But that was quite normal from his perspective. Even for a genius, the journey wasn't all smooth sailing; there were always setbacks.
The unicorn horn powder held overly complex magical elements, making alchemical concoctions not an easy feat.
Hua Mi also heard that due to her temporary stay with relatives, her alchemical experiments brewed a lot of trouble, leading to discontent among neighbors and relatives.
So, Sindra and her two adventuring companions were planning to set up an alchemy workshop.
Not bad.
Hua Mi hoped she'd stabilize soon. Then he could access abundant mutagenic agents from her.
Moreover, Hua Mi had an idea. Once their alchemy workshop opened, perhaps a collaboration could be considered.
Storing honey at their place for sale.
The Bee Speaker's Cottage was too remote, perhaps rarely visited. While Heishi Town didn't boast much foot traffic now, the exposure was better than in the forest. Once word spread, it would naturally attract people.
Besides, he wasn't from this world after all. Though currently cramming knowledge about this world, dealing in business was somewhat unfamiliar. For small-time ventures, it was alright, but striving to expand was challenging. Handing it over to the locals of this world might be better.
That way, he could focus more on farming and beekeeping.
Of course, these were just initial thoughts.
The die hadn't been cast yet.
Hua Mi roamed the streets, his black robe garnering quite a few sideways glances. Heishi Town, being a small place, attracted fewer outsiders since the Black Forest was downgraded to a two-star adventure site. His foreigner's appearance easily drew attention.
After a while, he stopped in front of a modest-looking bookstore.
The easiest way to understand this world was undoubtedly through its books.
Hua Mi entered the bookstore, intending to peruse through its collection. Novels, geography introductions, history, maps, anything worth reading, he'd buy them all.
He had amassed quite a few gold coins and silver coins by now. Buying a pile of books only cost him less than three silver coins.
He was somewhat affluent in this alien world, relatively speaking.
However, concerning magic and extraordinary realms, this money was insufficient.
Putting the books and the change given by the shopkeeper into his storage ring, Hua Mi left the bookstore.
In this chilly season, there weren't many pedestrians on the streets. Most were wrapped in thick clothes, hastening their steps.
As Hua Mi walked along the street, he suddenly shivered, not due to the cold—wearing a black robe and carrying the protective talisman from Alyss, he could ignore the temperature.
It was because of a gaze coming his way.
A woman, dressed in a brown fur coat with a hood, red shoes, and a scarf covering her mouth and nose, stared straight at Hua Mi, emanating a certain chill.
But she didn't stop walking; her gaze lingered on Hua Mi for a few seconds before she walked past him.
As they brushed shoulders, Hua Mi noticed her body seemed to tremble.
Perhaps she mistook him for a suspicious character, hence the extra scrutiny. His attire clearly didn't belong to an ordinary person, easily connecting him to magic, alchemy, and other mystical domains. It was normal for common folk to regard such fields with awe.
It was merely a matter of seconds, and having faced various gazes throughout, Hua Mi didn't dwell on it.
His attention quickly diverted to a nondescript shop ahead.
He noticed a few men chatting and laughing as they walked in. Pushing the door open, warm air wafted out, and a red-faced man stumbled out, clutching a bottle.
The sign outside indicated it was a small tavern.
"Let's check it out."
This outing was casual anyway, a means to familiarize himself with the surroundings. After all, Heishi Town was quite close to the Black Forest, a place he might frequent in the future.
Besides, taverns like this were prime spots for gathering information and intelligence.
In such settings, men drinking were prone to spill secrets, big or small.
Hua Mi walked briskly, entering the tavern.
A warm boozy scent enveloped him.
Inside, the lighting was dim, and as he entered, the noisy chatter abruptly ceased.
As if frozen in place, the patrons' gazes converged on him.
Hua Mi calmly approached the counter.
Blessed with the serenity cloak, such everyday situations hardly ruffled his demeanor.
Approaching the counter, Hua Mi glanced at the menu on the table.
The drinks were reasonably priced.
Hua Mi casually ordered a beverage called "Eggstraordinary Drink."
The name sounded odd, but it didn't matter; he didn't plan on drinking. Just an excuse to sit here for a while, soak in the local culture, and hopefully catch some useful information.
The price was affordable, 13 copper coins, easily covered by the change from the bookstore owner.
Hua Mi settled onto a high stool near the counter.
As it only accommodated one person, the groups of drinkers didn't opt for this spot.
Seeing the black-robed figure quietly seated, the tavern gradually resumed its liveliness.
Hua Mi pretended to sip the drink while connecting to his reconnaissance bee, attempting to eavesdrop on the patrons' conversations.
But it seemed there wasn't any significant information; mostly boasting and gossip.
"Excuse me... Are you an adventurer?"
The tavern owner suddenly spoke up.
Disconnecting from the reconnaissance bee, Hua Mi nodded, curious about the reason behind the inquiry.
This owner, plump with a small mustache, eyes squinting, had a pleasant demeanor, appearing quite the merchant.
For some reason, Hua Mi felt he exuded the vibe of a game's quest NPC. Very typical.
Just missing the floating question mark over his head.
"Is your destination by any chance the Black Forest? Nowadays, few adventurers come here; the adventurer's guild office in town has fallen into disuse."
The tavern owner sighed before continuing, "To be honest, with the current state of the Black Forest, it's hard to profit. However, maybe you'd be interested in this."
With that, he pushed a yellowed piece of paper over.
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