The Gourmet!

The Morninglord light shone on the plain.

Soren drove the carriage forward, but the road became much bumpier, and they didn't move very fast.

Vivian sat upright at the long table inside the carriage, her fair legs crossed. A mirror sat before her, Goria was combing her hair from behind. To be honest, Soren wasn't a very good brother; the little girl took care of many things herself, and he didn't have the energy to pay attention to so many trivial matters. Goria's presence seemed to fill this void; she seemed to be playing the role of a mother, a gentle smile on her lips as she carefully styled the little girl's hair into a pretty ponytail.

"It's done."

Goria tied her long hair with a pink ribbon, picked up a mirror, held it in front of Vivian, and smiled, "Very beautiful. Our Vivian looks just like a Little Princess."

A sweet smile appeared on the little girl's lips upon hearing this. She looked at herself in the mirror, gently touched her hair ribbon with affection, and thanked Goria behind her, saying, "Thank you Goria- Elder Sister. You look really beautiful."

After saying that, the little girl's big, bright eyes darted around, and she whispered, "I'd better not be like a princess, or I'll get kidnapped by Dragon." chuckle

Goria couldn't help but laugh, gently stroking her long hair, and said helplessly, "Naughty."

Soren chewed on some jerky, a slight smile playing on his lips as he heard the voice behind him. He glanced back at the two of them before continuing to drive the carriage. Perhaps because of yesterday's events, their relationship had grown much closer. The Northern Witch before him was truly different from anyone Soren had ever seen before; the more he interacted with her, the more he discovered her admirable qualities. She was beautiful, elegant, and refined. Her gentle gaze could captivate anyone who looked at her; she was truly a wonderful woman.

Perhaps the initial arrogance was merely a facade; after all, everyone wears a mask.

Just like Soren, he usually appears cold and aloof to avoid revealing his emotions and thoughts. Or like Vivian, who is mostly seen as a well-behaved girl, but in reality, she's a little mischievous and playful. Even the priestess who was once close to her didn't notice this. Only Soren, who was closest to her, and Goria, could see that the little girl could be quite quirky and clever at times.

This is a good thing. The quirky Vivian is better than the obedient Vivian, because Soren has always worried that she is too docile and lacks adaptability.

If she truly is Godsbane, then her naivety is a fatal flaw.

One can keep one's heart pure, but one must never be naive in thought; a naive person will find it difficult to survive in this dangerous world.

In the distance, a large herd of wild goats can be seen. Many such wild animals roam the wilderness; lacking significant power, they rely solely on their herds for survival and protection. Typically, a small number of fierce alpha goats emerge from these herds, Toughness than the others and possessing CR of three to five. Sometimes, they even dare to confront wolf packs head-on. This is similar to humans, where the strong protect the weak, maintaining their living space.

The lead sheep spotted the wagon in the distance. It let out a deep bleat and nudged the lambs beside it with its thick horns, driving them toward the heart of the plain. The lead sheep grazes on the lushest grasses to ensure its Toughness offspring have the most mates. But in times of danger, they are also responsible for protection. If they cannot withstand the attack, they will find the most efficient escape route, and the rest of the flock will follow them.

They are protected by the druids.

If it's just small-scale hunting for survival, the druids won't interfere. But if it's a large-scale slaughter of sheep, the druids will appear with their wrath, stubbornly maintaining the balance of nature. If the flock becomes too large, they will also mercilessly kill some to ensure the grass isn't completely devoured.

Paladin are annoying, and druids are actually quite annoying too.

Vivian sat inside the carriage; the little girl was more sensible than before.

Vivian was astonished by the speed at which she absorbed knowledge. Goria had already read a third of the Book Collection she carried with her—hundreds of thick, brick-sized books filled with densely packed professional knowledge. Although she had only memorized them so far, given time, she could definitely become a learned Spellcaster. Knowledge was more important to Spellcaster than Spell Slot; the more powerful the Spellcaster, the more extensive their knowledge.

The wilderness is much calmer than before.

Most of the monsters have moved away from this area, and they won't dare to approach it for a long time to come.

However, there were still Goblin scattered Kobold. These creatures were basically everywhere, and the White Horse Guard didn't have time to clean up these little things, because at most a new litter would be born next year. In the afternoon, Soren encountered a Traveler, a race that was relatively rare in the southern region, but also a very popular one.

It was a Halfling.

He was small, only about a meter tall, dressed in children's clothes, and wore two short swords at his waist. Although they were swords, they looked more like Dagger to Soren. The Halfling had not much downy hair, especially on his feet and the backs of his hands. He weighed only about thirty or forty pounds. He led two Goblin with a sturdy rope, kicking them occasionally to urge these two little monsters of the wilderness forward.

When he saw the carriage in the distance, he immediately jumped up excitedly, waved at Soren, and shouted, "Hey! Can I get a ride?"

Goria peeked out, then naturally sat back down.

The little girl peered in curiously, gesturing with a grin to show her height, and whispered in Soren's ear, "Brother! Look! He's Halfling! He's really only a tiny bit taller Vivian."

A very small and inconspicuous Halfling.

If it's a place with lots of weeds, you really can't see him unless he jumps up.

"Consider yourselves lucky." The Halfling untied the ropes and kicked the two Goblin, who immediately fled. He put the ropes away and muttered to himself, "They dared to steal my food. They won't be so lucky next time."

Soren slowed the carriage down slightly, and the Halfling jumped aboard with practiced ease. He stroked the horse's back, then used the thin rope to sit beside Soren, chuckling, "Thank you so much. I've been wandering alone in the wilderness for many days. Finally, I can rest."

Halfling are the most skilled Rogue, even more talented in Stealth than Soren. If they didn't wear shoes, they would have a natural Stealth in stealth and would never hear any footsteps.

"Greetings, Your Excellency the Witch."

"Hello, pretty little girl."

The Halfling had excellent eyesight. After greeting him with a grin, he looked at Soren sitting beside him and introduced himself, "Hello fellow traveler, my name is Aladdin, Aladdin -Tobacco- Norodoth. I am a Rogue and a gourmet who has traveled the world."

"It's a pleasure to meet you all."

Soren didn't answer, but his lips twitched when he heard the name.

Vivian was very curious. She walked up to the other person and curiously pinched their baby face. Aladdin wasn't angry and just smiled and let her touch it. Then he blinked and said, "Little girl, is this the first time you've seen Halfling? I look like this, about the same height as you."

Halfling are generally good-natured and are a race that easily produces good people.

They are favored by many Deity and are a race that deeply respects Deity. Even towards the weaker Deity of streams and lakes, Halfling will appropriately express their respect. They are the number one gourmets and the race with the most food connoisseurs. Many curious Halfling aspire to taste the world's delicacies before embarking on their Travel. In most cases, they easily gain the favor of other races, and if they encounter bad people, their skills allow them to escape with ease.

This is a race blessed by Goddess of Fortune.

Of all intelligent beings, Halfling are the only race born with a luck bonus. If Halfling is blessed by the Deity, they will also possess an additional [Heroic Luck] Feat, gaining a 1-point bonus under all circumstances. This race is commonly found in many epic legends; they are the best companions of the epic protagonists and are happy to help those they acknowledge.

However, they are not very strong, and they rely more on their agility in combat.

A significant portion of Halfling don't even have 1 point of strength. The average strength of Halfling is only 8 points, and for most Halfling, 1 point of strength is considered very high.

The number of Halfling is small, and they mostly live in the Shire and Murodo regions, with a population of at most a few hundred thousand. They have not expanded for millions of years.

They are protected by the [Halfling Guardian Goddess], Yondalla, an Ancient Deity of Greater Divinity, under whose protection the Halfling have multiplied for countless years. They have a strong sense of curiosity but no desire for dominance. If left undisturbed, these little creatures are natural optimists, enjoying growing tobacco, brewing spirits, and pursuing gourmet food.

Oh, right.

They also love to brag!

He especially liked to sit down, Pipe on his pipe, take a satisfying drag, and then start bragging to others.

So when Aladdin took out his Pipe and pulled out some special tobacco from his small pocket, Soren knew he was going to brag to Vivian.

He had seen this scene more than once.

...)