"Five gold coins isn't a small sum. Are you really treating?" the impoverished, dispirited artist muttered.
"It's nothing. It's about the price of a single Silver Scale Mail."
"What quality of breastplate is that? Even armor only costs around five or six gold pieces. Hey, slow down, wait for me!" Wiles, who had also gone hungry all day, quickly gathered his belongings and jogged after him.
Zhang Yuan stopped and started as he made his way to the entrance of the same bakery as before. He said to the woman frying meat patties, "Three meat-filled buns." "Certainly, sir."
"Wait, make that four. I want two as well." Wiles brazenly added to the order.
He must have been starving. The monkey-like painter was already salivating.
"Fine, four meat-filled buns, then." Zhang Yuan took the four buns and pulled out a gold coin to pay.
The surprised woman took the coin and examined it carefully for a while before putting it into her money pouch. Then she took out a handful of coins and counted them one by one.
"Here are your nine silver coins and two copper coins. Please take them." As Zhang Yuan accepted his change, he also gained a general idea of the Sword Coast's prices and the purchasing power of gold coins.
After leaving the bakery, Zhang Yuan did not let Wiles go either. Since he was unfamiliar with the place, having a guide was always a good thing. Besides, he had already paid the guide fee, hadn't he?
With a clear conscience, he pulled Wiles along and asked about the general situation in Baldur's Gate.
The questioning did not go particularly smoothly. It was not that Wiles deliberately refused to tell him anything; rather, he was busy dealing with the bun in his hands and simply had no spare time to act as a free guide for some outsider.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuan simply began sampling the otherworldly fast food he had just bought as well. The freshly baked buns had crisp exteriors but were wonderfully fluffy inside. The freshly fried meat patties nestled within were golden brown, and their tempting aroma mingled with the steam and drilled into his nose, stirring the cravings in his stomach.
Paired with fresh, crisp green leaves and pleasantly tangy yogurt sauce, the bite Zhang Yuan took left him with no desire to speak either.
After devouring two buns like a whirlwind, his throat grew somewhat dry. He simply suggested that they go to a tavern for a drink. "Are there any reasonably priced inns or taverns nearby?"
Hearing that there would be alcohol, Wiles perked up as well. "I know this area. A short walk north will take us to Three Old Barrels. It's diagonally across from my uncle's wizard tower."
The two of them continued forward, and before they had gone very far, they spotted a building that resembled one of the multistory pagodas of ancient Huaxia.
"That's Ramasith's wizard tower, the most eye-catching building in the entire city." Wiles pointed at the tower and turned to speak to Zhang Yuan, who was following him.
"What an impressive place. I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to visit."
"Forget it. I've only been inside that tower twice. If you went in, you'd probably be sent there as experimental material." Wiles spoke with obvious irritation.
Zhang Yuan treated it as though he had merely mentioned it in passing and laughed it off, looking around at the cityscape.
Before long, the two arrived in front of a three-story building. Seeing the three enormous, person-height barrels displayed at the entrance, Zhang Yuan knew without explanation that they had reached their destination.
He followed Wiles through the door, and a wave of heat carrying a "fragrant" stench rushed straight into his face.
The smell—a blend of alcohol, sweat, foot odor, vomit, and all sorts of other delightful scents—instantly changed Zhang Yuan's expression. Suppressing his nausea, he put his mask back on and approached the bar.
Wiles slapped the counter without hesitation. "Two glasses of Ximen Ruby Wine!"
The bartender clearly knew Wiles and said in surprise, "Were you kissed by Waukeen today? Are you sure you want Ruby Wine?"
Hearing that something was wrong, Zhang Yuan quickly stopped him. "Give us two glasses of whatever you sell the most. I'm treating this bastard today."
Understanding what had happened, the bartender did not mind. He said with a chuckle, "I recommend our Dragon Brand Beer. It's brewed from fresh malt, refreshing, and not expensive." As he spoke, he patted the wooden sign hanging beside the bar.
Zhang Yuan took a close look and discovered that it was a price list for the drinks. Dragon Brand Beer cost two copper coins a glass, while the cheapest Shadow Ale cost only one copper coin. Ximen Ruby Wine, meanwhile, cost a shocking eight!
"Two glasses of Dragon Brand Beer, please. Thank you!" Zhang Yuan answered the bartender, but his eyes remained fixed on Wiles. Under his unwavering stare, Wiles grew somewhat embarrassed and said sheepishly, "Sorry. I just wanted to taste it. I haven't had any in a long time."
Zhang Yuan did not press the matter. He picked up the two beers, found a secluded corner with few people, and sat down. Then he slid one glass across the table to Wiles. "Yours."
Watching Wiles take the beer and gulp down two mouthfuls, Zhang Yuan, who had studied at Hans's home, also eagerly tasted the beer of this world.
The Dragon Brand Beer was not as heavy and bitter as a stout, nor did it have the dense foam of a wheat beer. Yet beneath its fresh flavor was a charred fragrance like something smoked over charcoal.
As he drank, Zhang Yuan continued their earlier conversation. While chatting with Wiles about local customs and conditions, he considered how to bring up the subject of wizards and magical items.
After ordering two more glasses of beer from the bartender, Zhang Yuan waited until Wiles's face had turned bright red before casually asking, "Your uncle is already an Archmage. Haven't you ever thought about becoming a wizard apprentice?"
Wiles slumped against the back of his chair, his speech already somewhat slurred. "How could I not have thought about it? But after working so hard for so long, I still couldn't sense the Weave. R-Ramasith, that old~ bastard, threw me out."
"I don't even care about becoming that old bastard's apprentice!" The alcohol went to Wiles's head, and he grew agitated. "You, you don't know. Being that old geezer's apprentice is the same as being a slave. That~ hic~, there's no difference at all. If only I'd gone to try my luck with old Delrin back then. Maybe I would have, would have—"
With that, Wiles pitched forward and collapsed onto the table, motionless. Looking at Wiles, who had begun spouting incomprehensible nonsense, Zhang Yuan felt a headache coming on. He still had not managed to pry out the information he most wanted.
Where exactly could he find proper spellcaster training? As he pondered the question, he dragged Wiles's dead weight over to the bartender. After renting the cheapest room, he took the wooden room marker and headed toward the room he had booked.
Once inside, Zhang Yuan tossed Wiles directly onto the floor. He covered him with a blanket, which was the most humane thing he could do.
Damn, I didn't expect that my first night in another world wouldn't just be without a beauty for company—I'd also have to spend it with this drunk.
After fetching hot water from the cook to wash his face and feet, Zhang Yuan lay on the wooden bed, tossing and turning without the slightest hint of sleepiness.
The excitement of arriving in another world, the fear of being in an unfamiliar place, and the uncertainty over where his future lay all tangled together in his mind, leaving him overwhelmed with complicated emotions.
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