009

"Finally here?"

Rod lifted the cover of the carriage and peered outside.

A bustling town full of people appeared before him.

The wide streets were paved with countless stones. Though a bit uneven, they were far better than the muddy, waste-ridden paths of the countryside.

On both sides of the street stood rows of two-story buildings with pointed rooftops, perfectly symmetrical, in a typical medieval architectural style. Hanging in front of each doorway were two oil lamps, while small, independent gardens were planted with a variety of flowers and plants.

Taverns, inns, shops, markets—

"Not bad. No wonder it's the largest commercial town in the area," Rod commented as he jumped down from the carriage, stretching with satisfaction.

Despite some twists and turns along the way, he had finally arrived at his destination.

"Thank you, Hero, for protecting us along the journey. We still need to sell the goods from the cart, so we'll take our leave now," the leader of the merchant caravan said with a grateful expression.

"It was a fair exchange," Rod waved his hand dismissively, watching as the caravan's carriages slowly disappeared around a corner.

"So, where to now?"

Originally, he had come to Mushroom Town purely out of curiosity, and to take care of the wolves and earn a bit of gold along the way.

Now, with the wolves dealt with and plenty of gold in his pocket, he found himself at a loss for what to do next.

After wandering around for a bit, Rod entered a rather upscale-looking tavern.

Inside, the atmosphere was lively, filled with the clinking of glasses and the noisy chatter of adventurers, their faces flushed from drinking.

"I remember the time when I ventured alone into the Forest of Death. There, I encountered a ferocious dragon! I fought it off with nothing but a dagger, and this scar on my face? Yeah, that's from the dragon itself," boasted an adventurer, his tongue slurring from the drink as he pointed proudly at his face.

"Theodore, didn't you say last time that the scar was from an ogre?" another adventurer laughed, poking fun at him.

"Bah, what do you know? That ogre's name was Dragon!"

Amid the laughter, another adventurer suddenly chimed in, "Did you all see that massive slash outside town?"

"Who didn't? The whole of Mushroom Town knows about it after that commotion."

"Word is, it was left behind by some legendary warrior when they slew a powerful magical beast in the forest."

Sitting in the corner, Rod sipped his drink quietly. Hearing them boast about his own actions was a bit... awkward.

As the conversation carried on, the adventurers' chatter naturally shifted to another popular topic: women.

"Have you heard? Count Aether is planning to find a husband for his daughter in a few months."

"Count Aether? The ruler of Aetherburg? You mean the father of the fabled Snow White, the one as beautiful as the snow itself?"

"Yeah, that's the one—Snow White's father!"

Rod rubbed his chin, a hint of interest sparking within him.

In this world, a noble's strength was largely determined by their rank.

The noble hierarchy roughly went: Emperor, Elector, Prince, Grand Duke, Duke, Marquis, Count, Viscount, Baron, Knight-Bachelor, Knight—

[T/N: Electors, or prince-electors, were a group of princes in the Holy Roman Empire who had the right to elect the emperor or German king:]

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