That's right, that's what adventure is like!

The room was very quiet.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, its rays piercing the fence and scattering across the ground into tiny squares, where dust motes floated like dancing fish.

The black dagger lay beside the pillow; its cool touch when gripped gave a strange sense of security.

Aletta lay on her side in bed, quietly watching all of this.

A whole day had passed since she left the cemetery, but the flames, the carnage, and the battles still lingered in her memory, giving her strange feelings.

So this is how powerful people live their lives.

Or perhaps, it's much more than that.

She stood up and changed into the new clothes that Ramona had prepared.

A thick, gray, coarse cloth coat. Although the sleeves were a bit long, it was very warm and comfortable to wear.

Aletta felt a little uncomfortable touching the neat stitches, but she still walked forward, tiptoeing across the dappled sunlight in the corridor.

Voices could be heard coming from under the door.

The female slave trader was sitting in a chair, legs crossed, talking to the adventurer who was only a few years older than her.

"...How are those blood cores?" Roland asked.

"What else can happen?" Ramona squinted in the sun and replied lazily, "The Church of the Sun has taken over. They have their own procedures that will give that neighborhood a new lease on life."

Roland nodded and said nothing more.

Ramona turned around and glanced in Aleta's direction.

"Come out if you're awake, what are you doing hiding there?"

Aletta paused for a moment, not understanding how she had been discovered, but still pushed open the door and went out.

The sunlight was a bit dazzling, and there was almost no cold wind. Such good weather was rare in Duanyan Town during winter, which made her feel slightly uncomfortable.

She squinted for a while before finally realizing that besides the three of them, there was something else in the yard.

In the corner of the yard, a large creature was chained up.

Its dirty, brownish-red fur was knotted, stained with dark blood and dirt, and a rag was stuffed in its mouth. Its whole body was tied to a pillar, making a whimpering sound. Occasionally it would struggle, and the chains would rattle.

Aletta walked over curiously, stood in front of it, and looked at its broad chest and strong arms.

She had never seen this monster before, nor had she heard the tavern's bards describe its appearance.

So she asked softly, "What is this?"

"Bear goblin," Ramona glanced at Roland, her tone tinged with displeasure, "this thing took me a lot of effort to get, so I'll deduct 5 silver coins from your fee."

Roland nodded.

Aletta continued to look at the goblin bear, and saw a familiar light flashing in its eyes—anger, fear, and resentment.

She suddenly thought of the young people in the mine, whose eyes often shone with that same light, but after being beaten time and time again, they gradually became numb.

"This monster..." She wanted to ask something, but didn't know how to start.

"He's a useful asset," Ramona said. "I've decided to rent him out. Anyway, he's bound by a contract, so he won't cause any trouble."

Roland agreed with this idea; it wasn't imprisonment, but rather a kind of domestication, and also an atonement for the adventurers it had once swallowed.

Aletta remained silent for a while, without saying anything.

So Roland asked, "Are you hungry?"

After a moment's hesitation, the girl nodded.

The two walked out of the shop and back into the bustling street, leaving behind only the whimpering of the goblin and Ramona's impatient scolding.

……

……

Duanyan Town remains the same as always.

The streets were bustling with people: fully armed adventurers, gloomy-faced guards, and mostly laborers pushing carts and carrying sacks.

Most people would linger on Aletta's vertical pupils for a moment before looking away with slight disgust.

Half-dragons are not popular in the eyes of humans.

In contrast, some orcs smiled at her, perhaps because of a similar racial origin, but their numbers were not many.

Aletta was familiar with this situation; she consciously kept a half-step distance from Roland to avoid him being affected by the stones some of the childish children were throwing at her.

But no one dared to offend an adventurer who looked well-equipped, especially since the javelin behind him still bore traces of congealed blood.

"Gulp."

A rich aroma wafted into Aleta's nostrils, making her involuntarily swallow.

Roland stopped in his tracks.

It was a street corner stall with sizzling sausages grilling on a griddle, and freshly baked bread next to them, emitting a wheaty aroma.

He led Aleta over, gestured for her to sit on the bench, spoke a few words to the plump female stall owner, and tossed her a silver coin.

"It's too expensive," Aletta said quietly, sitting awkwardly on the stool. "It's not worth the price."

She almost never eats breakfast outside because these stalls are basically for adventurers or merchants and are ridiculously expensive.

Of course, there are cheaper places, but she prefers to eat a couple of bites of leftover dark bread from yesterday at home and save up to buy something more useful.

Roland didn't speak, he just waved his hand.

He hardly ever carries copper coins when he goes out anymore, and he knows that although these stalls seem to charge high fees, most of the money ends up in the guards' pockets.

It can be considered a kind of alternative industry consensus.

A moment later, the female stall owner came over with two plates containing several grilled sausages, a large piece of white bread, and a small bowl of sauerkraut.

The aroma was so enticing that Aleta couldn't help but swallow again.

But she didn't rush to eat it. Instead, she waited until Roland said "eat" before picking up the white bread and taking a small bite.

It's hot and very soft.

She chewed slowly until she swallowed it all, then took another bite.

By this time, Roland had finished a whole grilled sausage and was putting another one into his mouth. He ate quickly, but not in a hurry, but at his own pace.

Aletta watched him eat and suddenly felt a little unfamiliar with him.

She had never eaten like this before.

There are plates, and you can sit on a stool. You don't have to fight, hide, or strain your ears to hear if someone is coming.

She took a bite of the sausage and chewed for a long time.

The meal lasted a full half hour, until Roland watched Aleta swallow the last of the sauerkraut on her plate before getting up again.

The streets are getting more and more crowded.

The bluestone pavement began to scorch under the sun, and more and more stalls appeared, displaying a wide variety of goods, with various smells filling the air.

A vendor selling sweet soup passed by, the ice in his wooden bucket gleaming softly. Several children surrounded the bucket, clutching a few copper coins, their eyes sparkling.

Roland bought her a cup.

Sweet, cool, with a lemony tartness.

Aleta held the cup of sugar water as she walked and looked around.

In the center of the street, a wandering sorcerer uses magic to control paper birds cut out of colored paper, making them circle around and change formations before finally popping up into the sky and exploding into a dazzling firework.

Aleta looked up as the fireworks faded into the sky.

She had no idea there were fireworks during the day.

A woman in a tattered robe squatted in a corner, with a ceramic jar in front of her filled with colorful liquids, some glowing, some smoking, and some sparking. Several adventurers stood there picking and choosing, haggling over the price.

Aleta stopped and took a second look.

She found it very novel.

In the past, when she walked down this street, she would just keep her head down, afraid of being noticed by others. Now, following behind Roland, she finally had the leisure to look at this street.

A seven or eight-year-old girl ran past her, chasing the puppy, her laughter clear and pleasant, while her parents watched from behind.

The sun shone on them, making them feel warm and cozy.

Aleta didn't look away until they disappeared around the street corner.

Roland stopped a short distance away, waiting for her.

The two continued walking forward.

I passed a bustling pub, a now-defunct brothel, a bookstore I once longed for, and a homeless man huddled in a corner.

The old man raised his head, his gaze lingered on Roland for a moment, then shifted to Aletta, revealing his yellowed teeth.

"Child, are you full?"

Aletta stood frozen in place, remembering the dead man who often squatted at the entrance of the tunnel.

She didn't know how to answer.

The old man had already lowered his head, waiting for the next passerby who might give him a few copper coins.

Aletta looked at his wrinkled arms, his tattered robes, and the old, blackened tobacco pouch in his hand.

After a while, she continued walking forward.

The streets were still bustling, with all sorts of people walking around, creating a noisy atmosphere with a mix of smells.

She followed Roland through these familiar streets and alleyways.

She discovered that those she had once feared would make way for Roland, and then reunite with him after they had passed.

On those people's faces was both wariness and respect.

Aletta suddenly understood something.

She looked down at her deep blue scales, a barely perceptible longing flashing in her eyes.

So she grabbed Roland's sleeve and said the words she had been thinking about for a long time.

"I want to become stronger."

"Like you."

Roland turned around, looked at her for a long time, and finally nodded gently.

"Can."