Bear Two's Happy Time

After the attendant left, Frank laughed heartily. "It seems your teacher is a high-grade alchemist, young friend!"

Seeing that the old man was still probing him, Xiao Heng chuckled as well. "My teacher's alchemy is naturally beyond anything I can compare to. I still have much to learn."

Frank was indeed far more skilled at socializing than Otto. This was obvious enough—after Frank entered, Otto rarely spoke, only chiming in now and then with a few brief remarks...

Otto said, "By the way, young friend, are you planning to leave within the next few days?"

Frank was startled inwardly. This kid was leaving already? No, he had to build a good relationship with him quickly, or he would not have the nerve to make his request later.

Xiao Heng nodded. "Yes. I came out to travel and gain experience, so naturally I can't stay here for too long. I may leave tomorrow!"

The moment Frank heard that, he thought anxiously, No! He's leaving tomorrow—how am I supposed to get closer to him? Still, he had been an old fox for many years, and an idea soon came to him. "Why the rush, young friend? There is actually quite a bit of scenery in this city. You could stay and enjoy yourself for a few more days. Besides, the medicinal ingredients you need may take several days to prepare. Why not wait until they have mostly been gathered before leaving? It would be troublesome to search for medicinal ingredients outside as well!"

Otto naturally knew what his old friend was thinking and had no intention of undermining him. He agreed, "That's right! Young friend, why not stay a few more days and leave once you have bought most of the medicinal ingredients? Black Rock City truly does have some sights worth seeing. If you're interested, I can find someone to show you around properly."

Xiao Heng considered it. Staying a few more days did not seem like a problem. As for sightseeing, would he really believe the nonsense of these two old fellows? He could more or less guess why they were being so enthusiastic toward him, but they would likely be disappointed. He had no interest in showing off. Otherwise, he would not have only tested for Second-grade Alchemist certification today.

"Then this Kid will stay a few more days and leave after the medicinal ingredients are gathered. As for sightseeing, there's no need. I was tired from traveling before, so I'll take these days to rest."

The two old foxes felt relieved upon hearing Xiao Heng's words. It did not matter if he did not enjoy having fun; what mattered was that he did not leave. As long as he remained here, there would naturally be chances to speak with him. Both men nodded inwardly, determined to seize this opportunity.

Frank nodded. "Then I'll have to trouble you to wait a few days, young friend."

"There's no need to be so polite, Senior. I'm the one who needs the medicinal ingredients, so I'm the one troubling you." Since they were extending goodwill, Xiao Heng naturally would not refuse it. Having one more friend was always better than having one more enemy.

Frank grinned. "Not a problem, not a problem! I'm delighted to have such an outstanding talent as you join us!"

Xiao Heng nodded. Though he knew what the two men had in mind, he was unlikely to agree. He had no interest whatsoever in the Alchemist Grand Meeting. He might go watch when the time came, but participating himself was highly unlikely.

He cupped his hands in thanks. "Then I'll thank you in advance, Senior."

Otto stroked his beard with satisfaction. This was how relationships were built, through give and take! Once there was interaction, things would naturally improve afterward.

Xiao Heng looked at the sky outside. The sun was already close to setting, so he smiled. "Then I shall take my leave first. Once those medicinal ingredients have been found, please send someone to notify me. If there isn't enough money, I still have some here."

"Mm! Very well. Then go back and rest first, young friend. Once the medicinal ingredients are ready, I will naturally notify you."

Frank also knew it was impossible to draw too close in a single meeting, or the other party might think he had ulterior motives. Besides, this was enough for now. As the guild president, he could not lower himself further to keep Xiao Heng from leaving. After the three exchanged farewells, Xiao Heng turned and walked out through the doors of the Alchemist Guild.

"Otto, what do you think this Kid's background is? At his age, he's already become a Second-grade Alchemist."

"How would I know? This Kid didn't let a single thing slip. What, was I supposed to force him?" At that, Otto sighed in disappointment. "I had originally thought of taking him as my disciple. What a pity! Judging by the situation, the teacher behind him is definitely a high-grade alchemist as well. What a shame!"

Frank chuckled. "It's not like there's no chance! Over the next two days, send your precious disciple over. Maybe there'll be an opportunity!"

"Ah, I'd like to! But judging from that young man, he may seem calm and reserved on the surface, but he's probably an extremely proud person inside. I'm afraid he might look down on that little girl. Otherwise, I'd be more than happy to do it!"

Frank had only meant to joke with Otto, but he had not expected him to seriously consider it. Still, just as his old friend had said, this Kid was probably very proud. He might not think much of Otto's disciple. If the disciple ended up taking a liking to him, only for him to leave afterward, that would be troublesome. Forget it—better not use such a rotten idea. It would be bad if it ended up hurting his young disciple.

"By the way, tell me in detail again about this Kid's performance while refining pills."

Afterward, Otto described Xiao Heng's performance during alchemy in detail to Frank. As for Xiao Heng, he naturally returned to the inn, only to discover a shocking sight—or at least, one that would have been shocking to ordinary people.

The table was piled high with all kinds of dishes, and the customer was actually a bear. Though the table was already overflowing, dishes continued to be carried out from the kitchen. The huge bear picked up a plate, opened its enormous mouth, and dumped all the food into it in one go. After chewing a few times, it grabbed another plate and poured that into its mouth as well. Its eating speed was simply outrageous. The innkeeper stood beside it, staring in a daze. But when he turned and saw the bag of Gold Coins on the table, he suddenly found the bear rather adorable.

As for the other customers—sorry, what other customers? The moment they saw the bear, they had all fled in terror.

"Boss, that bear can really eat! Is its stomach bottomless?"

The innkeeper flicked his abacus beads and replied irritably, "How would I know? Hurry up and serve more food! Can't you see the dishes on the table are almost gone?"

The waiter was somewhat frightened too, but he had no choice. This was the job that fed his family. He could only brace himself and bring more dishes to Bear Two.

Swallowing an entire roast chicken in one bite, Bear Two smacked his lips. "Boss, three more roast chickens!"

When Xiao Heng returned to the inn, he saw this very scene. Shaking his head helplessly, he walked over and sat beside Bear Two.

Being able to come out was truly wonderful. Back in the Monster Mountain Range, he had only eaten medicinal herbs! The other magical beasts did not have much flavor, and some were even bitter. How could they compare to this? These humans could make a single chicken taste more than ten different ways. There was not much energy in it, but it tasted delicious! Bear Two was eating with great relish when he suddenly sensed someone sitting beside him.

He was still holding a plate of fish in his bear paw. Turning his head, he said happily, "Xiao Heng, you're back! Hurry and try these. They're all delicious."

Xiao Heng smiled faintly and answered, "All right." He picked up a pair of chopsticks, not minding the mess covering the table, and began eating with Bear Two.

"Xiao Heng, try this chicken. It's especially good. And this fish too! Oh, and this one..."

The new dishes were soon served. Bear Two eagerly pushed everything he found tasty in front of Xiao Heng, then looked at him expectantly.

Xiao Heng's table manners were not particularly refined, but compared to Bear Two's, they were infinitely better. He sampled the dishes one bite at a time, praising them as he ate. "They really are quite good."

Hearing Xiao Heng acknowledge his taste, Bear Two chuckled and resumed stuffing himself. One man and one bear ate like this for an entire hour. They only stopped when the innkeeper said that the inn truly had no ingredients left. Bear Two had done most of the eating, of course. Xiao Heng had eaten quite a lot himself, but compared to Bear Two, it was nothing at all.

Bear Two patted his now-round belly in satisfaction and leaned back contentedly in his chair. "Burp...!"

Xiao Heng picked up his teacup and took a light sip of its bitterness. He had not cared much for tea before; when he drank it, it was mostly for appearances. But after seeing more of the world, he had somehow begun to taste a hint of sweetness within that bitterness.

"Are you full?"

Bear Two nodded, then suddenly said somewhat wistfully, "It would be nice if Bear One could eat all this delicious food too."

Xiao Heng laughed despite himself. He had wondered what the bear was thinking about, but it turned out to be this. Still, it was only natural. So he said, "What's so difficult about that? We can bring some back for Bear One when we return."

Bear Two's eyes widened as he stared at Xiao Heng. "That's right! We can bring some back for Bear One. Boss, bring out everything from earlier all over again!"

The innkeeper looked at Xiao Heng awkwardly, as though asking him for help. Xiao Heng said helplessly, "The boss already said there's no food left. Besides, there's no need to rush bringing food to Bear One. We may not return for quite some time. We can bring it back when we're ready to leave. If we bring it now, it will probably spoil before we even get back to Bear One."

Only then did Bear Two realize that food could spoil. A Fifth-tier Magical Beast possessed intelligence comparable to that of a human. Bear Two was not lacking in intelligence, but compared to humans, he still lacked a great deal of common sense.

"Oh! All right, then. We'll bring some back for Bear One when we return!" After that, he contentedly slumped back into his chair again, thinking, This stuff is so delicious. And this thing called a chair is so comfortable too! I'll bring one back for Bear One as well.

Xiao Heng naturally had no idea what Bear Two was thinking. By then, night had already fallen some time ago. Outside the window, the streets were brightly lit, with quite a few people still walking about. Xiao Heng quietly watched it all, taking an occasional sip of tea as his fingers slowly traced the surface of the cup.

Bear Two opened his eyes and noticed the bustle outside again. Excited, he said, "Xiao Heng, Xiao Heng, let's go down and have a look! It's so lively outside!"

Although Xiao Heng was not particularly fond of strolling through the streets, for Bear Two, this was indeed an exceptionally lively scene.

"Alright!" Xiao Heng replied with a smile...

Over the next two days, Bear Two still ran around everywhere every day, as though he wanted to see all the splendor of the human world within those brief two days. To Xiao Heng, such things did not seem all that important, but Bear Two had lived in the Monster Mountain Range ever since he was born. His only playmate had been Bear One, yet Bear One rarely played with him, so he could only entertain himself. Now that he had come to the human world, he naturally enjoyed its bustling prosperity.

Of course, there were also a few minor conflicts. Some mercenaries set their sights on Bear Two, but they were frightened off by the Alchemist robe Xiao Heng wore.