Firefly Journey

Lin Yuanran, who had made a fortune, possessed the common trait of humans, no, all living beings: the evil quality called laziness.

For three days in a row, he did not go into the mountains to collect herbs. Instead, he tried to subtly inquire about the extraordinary people from Fengling. Unfortunately, he could only meet this girl who did not like to go out when they were eating, and the information he obtained was very limited.

But it wasn't entirely fruitless. Through fragmented conversations, I learned that she came from Saint Louis Academy in Ibiza, a religious institution funded and maintained by the duchy.

The Holy See of Light is responsible for providing the resources, including tutors, teaching materials, and curriculum. Their main task is to recruit talents from all walks of life, guide them onto the path of extraordinary achievement, and, upon graduation, supply the Duchy and the Holy See with talent.

Of course, such a top university that countless people dream of is not just a matter of talent; you also need money. The enrollment fee is astronomical. After all, if you don't have money, what are you going to study for? You might as well go home and raise pigs.

“One crystal coin…” Lin Yuanran muttered, “Although it’s a one-time payment, and the academy will cover all expenses from food and drink until graduation, it’s too expensive. I’d better not even think about it.”

Lin Yuanran admired his own wild imagination; he was truly arrogant to even come up with such a thought.

Carrying a bamboo basket, Lin Yuanran walked briskly to the street lined with vegetable vendors. Both sides of the street were lined with houses, each owner running a shop selling vegetables and meat.

Lin Yuanran never needed to buy vegetables; the land in front of his house was perfectly self-sufficient. What he needed to buy, of course, was meat, because it would be too meager to entertain guests who had come from afar with only vegetables.

"Little Ario, you're here again today?" Uncle Gawain Johnson, the fishmonger, said with a smile. This kid was quite lovable.

“Uncle Gao Wen, didn’t I tell you before? You can’t figure out what rich people are thinking. They actually have their eyes on my little plot of land. I can’t afford not to serve them well.”

As Lin Yuanran spoke, he put a large yellow croaker on the scale.

“21 copper coins, I’ll round it down to 20,” said Gao Wen Johnson.

Lin Yuanran took out copper coins to pay the bill, repeatedly expressing his gratitude: "Thank you, Uncle Gao Wen. May the light be with you."

Gawain Johnson chuckled. He was indeed a follower of Julius the Sun God, but this little guy was not. He was reciting the prayer, clearly just to make himself happy. He couldn't help but like the child even more.

Gawain Johnson opened his right hand into a palm and placed it over his heart, saying gently, "May the light be with you."

“In the future, when you want to say a prayer, you should accompany it with standard gestures, otherwise you will be regarded as an amateur or even a heretic.”

"I'm leaving now!" Lin Yuanran said sheepishly as he ran off.

Back home, Lin Yuanran started cooking. In his original world, Lin Yuanran knew absolutely nothing about cooking; his mother ran the kitchen, so he never needed to do anything. In this new world, however, the original owner lived alone. Although he mostly ate black bread, he could still cook occasionally, and his skills weren't bad.

As in the past few days, the boy and girl sat facing each other. One ate slowly and deliberately, seemingly oblivious to the world around him. The other, looking furtive and unsure how to get information out of them, appeared somewhat sleazy.

"Don't prepare my portion for dinner tonight, I won't be back until very late." Fengling wiped her lips with a tissue she carried with her.

Lin Yuanran blurted out, "Where to?"

"What business is it of yours where they go!" Lin Yuanran regretted saying that as soon as he finished speaking and could only give an awkward laugh.

Wind Chime replied earnestly, "I'm going to find my companions; there are some things I need to discuss."

“Oh, come back soon,” he said dryly.

Fengling pushed back her chair without saying a word and went back to her room.

Lin Yuanran quickly finished eating, washed the pots and pans, and since he didn't need to prepare dinner, he had time to go out and have some fun. The Andre Tavern was always packed; it was a gathering paradise for superhumans from elsewhere. He figured he could easily glean some information by visiting there, perhaps even about other Ancestral God Churches?

With so many groups of outsiders, their influence must be complex and intertwined. Understanding and clarifying this will be very beneficial for the future.

As the sun began to set, Lin Yuanran, dressed appropriately, headed towards the tavern.

“But I haven’t seen you for several days, little Ario!” Worstin called out enthusiastically.

Lin Yuanran familiarly ordered a glass of pear wine, sat down at the table of acquaintances, and looked around. The usually sparsely populated tavern was now full of people, all of whom were unfamiliar faces.

"I should have come sooner..." Lin Yuanran thought to himself, keeping an eye on the tenants was clearly an inefficient thing to do.

“I heard you’ve got some people moving into your place too. How’s it going? You must be paying them a lot,” Worstin said. “The ones staying at my place are incredibly generous. They pay me 50 copper coins a day, which is about a week’s salary.”

Lin Yuanran chimed in, "Outsiders are just rich."

Only then did Lin Yuanran realize how extraordinary Feng Ling's move was, and how he had gotten a great deal.

"By the way, who are the people living in your house?" Lin Yuanran asked, seizing the opportunity.

Worstin waved his strong arm and said, “They’re all giants. In fact, we’re the same race, but the difference is too great. They’re rich and powerful, while I can only do manual labor.”

Lin Yuanran complained, "Looking at the whole town, you're the only giant. Since they're your kind, the other guesthouses seem too small..."

“Yes, indeed.” Worstin laughed heartily, raising his large glass. “Cheers!”

Lin Yuanran touched it and took a small sip without making a sound.

Directly in front of him, and behind Worthine, sat two orcs. One was a lizard with a green tail, and the other was a crocodile with a thick gold chain around its neck, which anyone with a discerning eye could tell was fake; it's basic common sense not to flaunt wealth.

Their voices were extremely loud, and Lin Yuanran could hear them clearly in the noisy tavern.

“Brother, do you think we’ll make a good profit this time?” the lizardman said.

The crocodile man said, "You're asking me? Who should I ask? Damn it! That despicable guy tricked me out of 1 gold coin with some common-sense information! If I ever run into that conman again, I'll chop him up with my axe!"

As he spoke, the crocodile man slammed the axe he was carrying on his back onto the table with a loud crack.

Lin Yuanran found it amusing; it's often said that orcs are all brawn and no brains, and there's actually some scientific basis to that.

An even more wronged victim was coming downstairs at that moment. Upon hearing their words, his face immediately turned ashen.

Jonathan felt a burning pain on his face.

1 gold coin? Isn't it 1 crystal coin? The news isn't selling and it's being discounted to 90%?

Suppressing his frustration, Jonathan ordered a glass of wine. Seeing that there were no seats available, he had no choice but to sit down in front of the two orcs.

“Gentlemen, we’re all orcs, and there’s no room anywhere. Would you mind if I shared a table with you?” Jonathan said politely.

The crocodile man, who had been swindled by the con artist, was furious and found fault with everyone, even his own kind, and took the opportunity to throw a tantrum.

What if I mind?