“That’s it?”
“Here.”
Kaila’s hand fumbled around beneath her grey cloth robes for a moment.
She opened her fair palm, and three silver coins lay there, shimmering with a metallic luster.
“This is some of the money I earned from commissions just now. I’m giving you half.”
The three Silver Moons glinted coldly under the sunlight, the full moon emblem minted on the front clearly visible.
This amount of money was enough for an ordinary family in Solitude to live on for ten days.
Sophie blanked for a second before her instinct to accept gifts kicked in, and she took the three Silver Moons.
Only then did she snap out of it and ask, “I couldn’t possibly... wait, why are you giving me money?”
“You have no money,” Kaila answered as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
“What do you mean I have no money?” Sophie waved the silver coins in her hand, caught between laughter and tears. “You already gave me three Gold Suns before. Besides, since entering the city, I’ve earned... well, I’ve made a bit of pocket change myself. There’s absolutely no need for you to give me the money you just earned.”
Sophie was already living off her strength.
She didn’t want to live off her wallet too.
A Ritual Master’s earning potential was immense. The skill set included potion brewing and item crafting; basically, any materials that passed through her hands could be resold for several times their original price.
If this world had dungeons that could be farmed infinitely and system shops that bought everything without limit like in her previous life, Sophie would have achieved financial freedom long ago.
One Gold Sun was equal to twenty Silver Moons. To the current Sophie, these three Silver Moons weren't even a fraction of her wealth.
“If we’re going to split things fifty-fifty,” Sophie said, counting on her fingers, “you technically have three Gold Suns and three Silver Moons on you now. If anything, I should be the one giving you money.”
Kaila looked confused at first, but she quickly understood.
“Those initial three Gold Suns weren't meant to be split.” Kaila shook her head, her long blonde hair swaying slightly with the movement.
“Not split?”
“They were all meant for you,” Kaila said.
“Right now, these three Silver Moons are all I have.” Kaila looked down at her empty coin pouch. “But I don't spend much. I don't need magical artifacts, and I earn money quickly. So, they are yours.”
They were all for me?
Sophie’s mouth hung open.
Fine.
Okay.
I admit it, you’ve successfully raised my favorability, woman.
“Since we’ve made some money,” Sophie said, stowing the coins into her inventory and stepping half a pace closer to Kaila, her eyes sparkling as she stared at her, “why don’t we wander the streets for a bit? I know there’s a tailor shop ahead, or we could go to a tavern for a bite?”
Kaila, however, took half a step back, maintaining their distance.
“No, I have to continue doing commissions.”
“Commissions?” Sophie’s eyes widened. “Are commissions more important than me?”
I’m being so proactive with this invitation!
“I need to do what a Hero should do,” Kaila said calmly.
“You can stay busy during the day then,” Sophie immediately shifted her strategy. “But what about the evening? Can we go on a date or something?”
“I have commissions in the evening too. Indoor ones,” Kaila said.
“Then what about the night? At night?” Sophie asked again.
She pointed a finger toward the sky.
“I’ve looked into it. To comply with the regulations, the inns here don't even offer single rooms. Even the thresholds are two-people wide.”
“Why don’t we continue being companions and sleep side-by-side?” Sophie said, looking pitiful. “You wouldn’t want a frail girl like me to just find a random person to sleep with under a bridge, would you?”
Kaila thought about it for a moment.
She stared at Sophie for a while.
Solitude truly did not allow people to act alone at night.
“When it is time to sleep...” Kaila finally spoke.
She nodded.
“I will come find you.”
The Hero is so cold.
Sophie rolled her eyes. “You clearly don’t have anything to do right now...”
“That is why I am standing here,” Kaila said. “If you want to join, you can stand here with me for... about three minutes?”
Does that “that is why” mean Kaila considers standing here as resting?
Why on earth is she standing here?
Sophie was a bit speechless.
“Let’s duel,” Sophie said seriously. “Let’s trade a move.”
“With... with me?” Kaila’s eyes widened.
Sophie nodded.
“Are you angry? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to...” Kaila’s expression turned slightly sad as she whispered.
“No, I’m not angry. I still like you very much, Miss Hero. I just want to spar with you.” Sophie hurriedly interrupted. She pulled out her Oil-paper Umbrella and swung it around casually amidst the strange looks from the surrounding crowd. She began bouncing back and forth in a dueling stance. “I want to see my limits.”
Kaila’s gaze grew even more sorrowful. “Her speed has increased, but... she’s turned into a dummy.”
Rate on N.U.
