Roadside Inn

He nodded and continued to press: "What about the [Labeling Spell]?"

"[Labeling Spell]," Annis's expression turned a bit strange, "was also created by Lord Bornhard.

It's said to be an accidental product when he was modifying the [Labeling Spell].

Although it can't appraise items, it can... put a 'label' on appraised items."

She seemed to recall something amusing and suppressed a smile as she said, "Legend has it that when the old mage gave his granddaughter a new staff, he wanted to leave a message on it, so he added a label. It seemed to say, 'Grandpa's love is the greatest love in this world!' As a result, his granddaughter found it too embarrassing and refused to take it out with her... Hahaha!"

As she spoke, she suddenly extended her slender finger and pointed to the dagger at He Xi's waist, which he had obtained from the package given by Tun.

"For example, the dagger on your waist. It has a label on it that says--"

Annis cleared her throat and recited in a mournful tone:

"[If there is an afterlife, I swear I will never provoke that damned bear again—left by a unlucky fellow]"

He Xi: "..."

Amazing.

This was practically an item message board, anti-counterfeit label, and even a last will recorder from another world.

Could there really be such a convenient spell in existence? And it sounded like there was no learning threshold?

"Master Bornhard, truly a master."

He Xi's interest was immediately piqued.

He put on a fawning smile:

"Respected Miss Anise, with your vast knowledge, you must have mastered this practical spell, right?"

The implication was clear—he wanted it for free.

Annis enjoyed this feeling of being asked for advice. She proudly snorted, lifting her chin higher: "Of course."

"Then may I ask... if I could seek your advice on the learning experience?"

However, reality soon doused him with a bucket of cold water.

"Although I'd be happy to teach you," Annis spread her hands, showing a helpless expression, "it's a pity that the method for learning this type of spell has not been made public. To learn it, you must use a special Skill Scroll."

"Skill Scroll?"

He Xi was no stranger to this concept.

In this world, the skill systems for various professions were intricate, but the learning process was extremely difficult.

For commonly used low-level skills, most mentors had teaching methods.

But high-level or undisclosed skills usually could only be learned through Skill Scrolls.

The former was because ordinary teaching methods couldn't convey the essence of the skill, while the latter was purely for monopoly and profit.

These scrolls were made by specialized scribes, capable of directly imprinting the essence of a skill, greatly lowering the learning threshold.

But the production process was extremely tedious, making each Skill Scroll extremely precious and usually usable only once.

Although his plan to get it for free had failed, considering the practicality of these two spells, He Xi decided to purchase them immediately upon arriving at Rose Town.

"Then what's the approximate price for these two scrolls?" he asked again.

Annis held up three fingers: "[Appraisal Spell] costs 3 Gold Shields," then she retracted one finger, "[Labeling Spell] is a bit cheaper, you can get it for less than 2 Gold Shields."

The smile on He Xi's face instantly froze.

Who said there was no threshold?

Isn't this a threshold?

He calculated his entire fortune: the fifty Silver Scales he had just received, plus the one Gold Shield Annis was about to pay him.

This amount of money wasn't even enough to buy one [Labeling Spell] scroll, let alone cover food and lodging.

And this was from a lucky windfall; where else could he find such a good deal on a normal commission?

Annis looked at his instantly deflated face and kindly added, "Oh, right. Remember to buy the genuine ones at a shop authorized by the Tidal Trade Union.

The pirated versions on the black market are cheaper, but there's a high chance you'll fail to learn them.

Even though it's not valuable, you'll waste your learning time."

He Xi faintly replied "Mm," not taking it to heart at all.

He couldn't afford it anyway.

The carriage continued forward, and by evening, they finally saw a place to stay.

"Roadside Inn."

He Xi pushed open the creaking wooden door, and a wave of heat mixed with sweat, cheap ale, damp leather, and low-quality tobacco hit him.

Just like its name, the interior decoration was also very casual.

But as one of the few resting places on this road, even with inflated prices and a poor environment, business was still booming.

Annis's delicate, finely arched brows furrowed slightly as she instinctively fanned her hand in front of her nose.

The inn's lobby was dimly lit, with visible dust motes dancing in the air.

Dozens of people were crammed into the not-so-spacious room, their clamor threatening to shake the roof off.

Most of the weathered faces bore the fatigue of travel and the exhilaration of alcohol.

Their attire was a motley assortment, ranging from mud-caked leather armor to gleaming, polished chainmail, with various weapons hanging from their waists and backs.

"...I'm telling you, the pincers on that Two-tailed Scorpion were this big!" a one-eyed warrior-like middle-aged man was enthusiastically gesturing to his companion, spattering saliva. "If I hadn't reacted fast enough, I'd be in its stomach right now instead of drinking here!"

"Ha! Give it a rest, Buck," his Dwarf companion downed a large gulp of ale, letting out a resounding burp. "Last time you said you took on a Petrified Lizard single-handedly!"

At a table not far from them, a few hooded figures were playing cards, a small pile of Copper Nails stacked on the table.

"Damn it, Rupert! Armor team again! Where did you get so many Northern Territories cards!"

"Another round, this time for 5 Silver Scales! If I win, the first thing I'm doing in Rose Town is finding a Nightingale and lying in her arms for a few days."

"Don't dream, Dimi, can your card skills beat Rupert's?"

And in the noisiest corner of the entire lobby, a table of Dwarves were keeping time by banging on the table.

Foamy ale soaked their beards.

One Dwarf, his face flushed red from drinking, had even taken off a boot and was attempting to use it as a drinking cup.

A small, nimble halfling waitress, balancing a tray on her head, weaved through the crowded tables and chairs, dodging the hands and feet that drunken patrons might lash out at any moment. She kept shouting, "Careful! Freshly roasted wild boar leg! No responsibility for burns!"

"Little Cui Di, stop working for your stingy boss and come have a couple of drinks with us." A Dwarf nearby called out, seizing the opportunity to try and swipe some grease from the boar leg.

"Get away from me, Kalin!"

He Xi observed it all with amusement.

At times like this, a bartender telling him to find a seat and make himself comfortable would have been fitting.

Annis followed carefully behind him, doing her best to avoid her skirt brushing against the sticky, unidentifiable liquid on the edge of a table.

The two arrived at the greasy, mirror-like bar counter.

Annis suppressed her discomfort and said, "Your best rooms, three of them."

Behind the bar, a middle-aged woman with a cigarette dangling from her lips glanced at her lazily. "We don't have a 'best'. They're all the same. 5 Silver Scales a night."

"5 Silver Scales? That cheap?" Annis frowned. "What kind of rooms are they? Can we bathe?"