Chapter 16

‘The Goblin King is so cunning, it’s hard to catch… but in this top-tier condition….’

Lloyd looked at Ariel with a face full of disbelief.

Even though it was a Troll, the Goblin King’s corpse wasn’t something easy to obtain either.

If they traded, they could make even more profit than with the Troll.

“I’ll take all of this.”

Lloyd decided to buy all of Ariel’s monster corpses.

Even excluding the Troll and Goblin King, the other corpses were in good condition and worth buying.

High-quality monster corpses have many uses, so they’ll be in demand anywhere.

“Hmm, but I can’t handle this on my own. Wait a moment. I’ll call the person in charge.”

Lloyd didn’t have enough funds to buy all of Ariel’s monster corpses.

He’d have to use the guild’s funds.

This would reduce Lloyd’s personal profit, but it would definitely boost the guild’s achievements.

A short while later, Lloyd brought the guild’s manager, who also looked shocked upon seeing Ariel’s monster corpses.

“Wow… this is incredible….”

The guild Lloyd belonged to valued trust and integrity.

They never undercut prices, no matter the situation.

Thanks to that, they’ve built their current reputation and became one of the most respected guilds in the Empire.

The manager Lloyd brought offered Ariel a fair price.

“How about this amount?”

“Sure.”

Ariel agreed immediately.

Ariel couldn’t tell if the amount was fair, but it didn’t matter to her anyway.

Monster corpses could be obtained anytime.

“Here you go.”

Guild employees placed a large, heavy box in front of Ariel.

The box was filled to the brim with gold coins.

“Wow, sis, you’re rich now!”

Roo cheered happily beside her, and Ariel stored the box of gold coins in her Inventory.

“You’re not going to count it?”

Ariel nodded at Lloyd’s question.

If the guild valued trust and integrity, Ariel valued clean and cool transactions.

“Yeah, no need to count. We’re thorough in these matters.”

Lloyd laughed heartily.

“By the way, Ariel, have you decided on a place to stay?”

“Not yet.”

“How about staying at our guild’s lodging? It’s a free VIP-only accommodation with excellent facilities. There are even rooms with courtyards, so you can keep your wolf with you.”

If Ariel stayed elsewhere, Ghost would be a problem.

You can’t bring a giant wolf into a regular room, so she’d have to stay in the stables.

Ariel didn’t want that either.

“Please.”

And so, Ariel headed to the high-end lodging reserved for the guild’s VIPs.

*

The lodging Lloyd guided her to was far more splendid than expected.

It was spacious, with a courtyard, so Ghost could relax comfortably.

“Ariel, I don’t know how long you’ll stay in the city, but feel free to stay as long as you like. The guild will cover all lodging expenses.”

“Thank you.”

“Haha, I should be thanking you. If we have more business in the future, let’s work together again.”

Lloyd was grinning from ear to ear.

The guild was in an uproar because of the deal with Ariel.

It was the biggest deal they’d made recently, and the profits would be enormous.

“Thanks to you, the guild has achieved a lot. I’ll treat you to a meal later.”

“Okay.”

“See you later, Ariel. If you need anything, just let me know.”

As Lloyd left, Ariel prepared to go out.

Since she was in the city, she planned to go out and look around, maybe buy some things.

Unfortunately, she decided to leave Ghost behind.

Taking Ghost to crowded places might cause problems.

Besides, Ghost would probably prefer resting in the courtyard over wandering around crowded areas.

“I’ll bring back something tasty.”

Ariel patted Ghost’s chin and left the lodging.

*

The city of Sierra was bustling with festivals everywhere.

With Princess Illiana’s birthday approaching, many high-ranking nobles were passing through Sierra on their way to the capital.

There were more street vendors than usual, and events like plays and concerts were frequently held.

Naturally, the city’s atmosphere was lively, and the streets were crowded with people.

Ariel and Roo walked through the bustling crowd.

They bought several sets of clothes at a clothing store, meat for Ghost, and wine for Roo, but even that was exhausting.

Ariel turned her steps back to the lodging. She had seen enough and wanted to return and rest as soon as possible.

But she stopped abruptly in front of a shop.

“Ooh, it smells so sweet, sis.”

Roo sniffed the air and slowly floated up.

Ariel also stopped, catching the sweet scent.

The sweet smell was coming from the shop in front of them.

The shop’s sign read ‘Delight,’ likely a dessert shop.

“Shall we go in?”

Roo gestured to the shop and asked.

Ariel nodded. Come to think of it, she had bought food for Ghost and Roo but not for herself.

The cream bread she brought from Harrington Village was running out, so buying some sweet desserts here seemed like a good idea.

Ding.

The inside of the shop was quite luxurious.

The dessert shop, ‘Delight,’ was a successful pastry shop catering to high-class nobles.

It had its main store in the Imperial Capital and branches in various cities.

The interior was lavish, and most customers were noblewomen or young ladies from noble families.

At a glance, the prices seemed high, but Ariel didn’t care.

Lloyd had told her that the money from selling the monster corpses would last her for years.

Ariel walked briskly to the display case.

A neatly dressed employee smiled at her and said,

“Welcome, miss. What would you like to order?”

Ariel stared intently at the display case.

Inside were various desserts, all looking so delicious that it was hard to choose.

Among them, one caught Ariel’s eye.

“This….”

Ariel pointed to a dessert in the center of the display case.

Strawberry tart.

A round, brown pastry topped with red syrup and strawberries.

“Miss, the strawberry tarts are sold out.”

The employee said with a regretful expression.

“It’s our shop’s most popular item, and it sells out every morning. If you want it, you’ll have to come in the morning.”

“…….”

Ariel bit her lip. The fact that it was a popular item made her crave it even more.

She wanted to smash the display case and taste that strawberry tart right now. Of course, it was just a display.

Ariel hung her head and turned away.

The other desserts looked delicious too, but nothing could replace the strawberry tart.

As they left the shop empty-handed, Roo tried to comfort Ariel.

“Hmm, sis. Let’s come back tomorrow morning.”

“…Okay.”

It seemed she’d have to make do with cream bread for today.

Ariel was about to head back to the lodging.

“Oh.”

Just then, a boy in front of her flinched upon seeing her.

“You, you!!”

A handsome boy with black hair.

It was Kal Kastark, whom she had met in the forest.

Beside Kal was his guard, Shane.

Shane also looked surprised to see Ariel.

Who could have expected to run into her here after parting in the forest?

“Elf! How are you here!”

Kal reacted intensely and approached Ariel.

But Ariel just glanced at him expressionlessly and kept walking.

“…….”

A clear disregard.

Right now, Ariel’s mind was filled only with the strawberry tart. She didn’t even register Kal.

Watching Ariel walk away, Kal didn’t know how to react.

At first, he was embarrassed, then his pride was hurt, and anger surged.

He had tried to act familiar, but Ariel didn’t even acknowledge him.

Just like in the forest.

“Stop!”

Kal shouted loudly, forgetting his dignity.

“Stop, I said! Damn elf!”

“Y-Young master….”

Shane hurriedly tried to calm Kal down.

“There are many nobles here. They’ll recognize you.”

‘The young master of the Northern Duke, Kal Kastark, lost his temper and shouted in the streets.’

If such a story started circulating among the nobles, it would be a disaster.

It would tarnish the Kastark name and might even affect the marriage with the princess.

But Kal had already lost his composure.

He kept chasing after Ariel, shouting.

“Elf! Stop! I order you! Stop!!”

Finally, Ariel stopped and turned to look at Kal.

“?”

Ariel looked puzzled.

Someone kept shouting behind her, so she turned around to see a boy stomping towards her.

With an angry expression, breathing heavily…

Kal walked right up to Ariel, his eyes wide, and said,

“Do you think I’m a joke! Do you know who I am! I am Kal Kastark, heir to the Kastark family, guardians of the Empire’s North….”

“Ah.”

Then Ariel clapped her hands lightly. She finally recognized the boy.

He was the boy who had been with the knight confronting Ghost in the forest.

“Hello.”

Ariel greeted Kal.

After all, thanks to Kal, she had become friends with Ghost, so she felt grateful.

“…….”

Ariel’s sudden greeting made Kal pause.

Unbeknownst to Kal, his face was now as red as a tomato.