The Cornflower Witch Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Girl Under the Moon

The iron bells hanging from the carriage swayed, accompanied by crisp sounds, as the caravan slowly moved along the road on the hillside.

“That must be Burntstone City,” Hylial said, looking out the window at the city built into the mountainside. Just like its name, the stone bricks on it had many charred marks, as if it had been through a great fire.

“Exactly, we’ll be in Burntstone City soon,” said Van der Heath, the merchant, riding his horse past Hylial’s carriage. “After we arrive in Burntstone City, we’ll rest for a longer period, replenish our goods, and sell the acquired items to the city’s merchant guilds.”

“Mr. Van der Heath doesn’t sell directly to the city’s residents?” Hylial asked, somewhat surprised.

“It’s not like in the village,” he shook his head. “Market fees in the city are not cheap, and secondly, it would take a long time to dispose of so many goods, which isn’t cost-effective at all.”

“Finally, the city’s merchant guilds are powerful. A traveling merchant like me can’t compete with them. To avoid conflict, selling the goods directly to them is the best option.”

“I see.”

As they talked, the caravan gradually reached the city gate, where they were inspected by guards.

The process didn’t take long. The guards simply recorded the number of carriages and general goods, and quickly let them through. As for Hylial’s carriage, they didn’t even glance at it.

“Go.” The coachman shook the reins, urging the draft horses forward.

Entering the cobblestone streets of the city, the carriage became smoother, and Hylial observed the scenery of the streets through the cracks in the window.

The city was quite lively, with many villagers and peddlers from the surrounding area walking along the streets, selling daily necessities and local foods.

At this time, Hylial also noticed several special individuals. They wore short capes and carried weapons on their shoulders, including double-edged axes, broadswords, long spears, and some with bows and arrows. Compared to ordinary passersby, they were clearly more confident and showy, and they were also very generous when buying things.

“Those are adventurers,” Talil said, seeing Hylial’s gaze on some of them. “Grandpa used to be an adventurer. They accept quests issued by local guilds and complete them to earn rewards.”

“How strong are these people?” Hylial blinked, her Identification skill telling her that although these individuals hadn’t yet reached Tier 1, their strength was much greater than that of ordinary guards. One of them had even reached the second stage of breathing techniques.

“Adventurers’ strengths vary. The powerful ones can reach Tier 1, but those who are even stronger are rare,” Talil replied. “But my grandpa used to be a Tier 2 adventurer, very strong.” No wonder the old man had a big temper, and Friein didn’t dare to contradict him.

Having Tier 2 strength in his youth was rare in this region, and it was only natural that he was on good terms with the former Baron Holin.

Arriving at a large inn in the city, Van der Heath communicated with the owner for a while, then the carriages drove into the backyard to park. At this point, Talil and Hylial also got out of the carriage.

The stable was filled with a mixture of damp hay, animal droppings, and animal odors. Fortunately, it was open-air, so the smell wasn’t too heavy. After Hylial got out of the carriage, she covered her nose with her sleeve, then her eyes under the hood looked around curiously.

As soon as they walked out of the backyard and into the inn’s lobby, a member of the caravan approached them.

“Miss Lia, Mr. Van der Heath invites you to dinner.”

“Where is it?” From the tone of the speaker, it seemed they weren’t dining at the inn.

“At Grelia Restaurant in the city. I’ll escort you there,” the man said with a bow and gesture.

Hylial and Talil then followed him along the street. After about two minutes, they arrived at a restaurant.

It had arched windows decorated with stained glass, and the door was made of glass and curtains, giving it a very elegant appearance.

Upon entering, several waitresses at the door guided Hylial to a private booth on the second floor. Here, several window tables were separated by curtains, creating a quiet atmosphere, while Talil and the young caravan member stayed to dine on the first floor.

Entering one of the private rooms, Van der Heath was already seated. He had removed his felt hat and placed it aside, leaning back in his chair with the rare sense of relaxation of a grizzly bear.

“Miss Lia is here,” he half-rose to greet her, then sat back down.

After spending these days together, he and Hylial had become somewhat familiar, no longer as reserved and fawning as they were at first.

“Sit down, the food here is very delicious, it won’t disappoint you,” he guaranteed.

“Then I’ll have to look forward to it,” Hylial smiled and bowed her head slightly in thanks.

Seeing the silver-haired girl across from him smile, Van der Heath paused for a few seconds, then shook his head.

“Miss Lia’s beauty is truly irresistible,” he sighed.

In truth, he wasn’t sure if she was truly a noble, but her temperament and appearance were probably unmatched even by some great noble heirs. This was why he was willing to invest in friendship with this young girl.

“Thank you for the compliment.” Hylial had heard compliments about her appearance countless times these past few days. Even with psychological preparation, she still felt a little shy each time she heard them.

Speaking of which, being beautiful was indeed a blessing, but it could occasionally cause some trouble. She was already considering whether she should wear a veil when going out in the future.

The two chatted briefly about their experiences over the past few days. Van der Heath said he would stay in the city for a while, and he knew that Hylial, having just arrived in Burntstone City, would definitely need a lot of help.

“What are your plans for the future, Miss Lia?”

“Me? I’ll probably find a place to live in the city first, then look for a job, and also learn some knowledge, and then plan my future.” Who could say for sure about the future?

Hearing this, Van der Heath didn’t immediately offer advice, but instead stroked his beard and thought for a moment.

“I’m a merchant, and I don’t have much power in the city, but I can arrange a place for Miss Lia to stay. It’s a place I used to use, but I rarely stay in Burntstone City, so it’s always been vacant.”

“That’s really too kind of you. I’ll remember this kindness.” Even knowing that the other party was investing out of self-interest, Hylial still felt a surge of gratitude. Otherwise, given her current situation, it would be very difficult for her to settle down in the city on her own.

“Hahaha, these are all…”