“Oh, this is hilarious! One of you is bold enough to pick someone up, and the other is bold enough to follow!”
The gray-haired man clutched his stomach, unable to stop laughing as his gaze shifted back and forth between Andre and Aurelia.
“Are you finished?”
Andre shot him a glance and said flatly, “Mr. Ragnar, your tab is doubled tonight, along with the 3 days you already owe. If you don’t pay it back, I’ll make sure you walk in on your own two feet and leave on a stretcher.”
Aurelia looked at the gray-haired man and took a few steps back, retreating to Andre’s side.
“Wait, wait!”
Ragnar snapped upright, ignoring the dull ache in his nose.
He stared at Andre with wide eyes, his voice rising.
“Doubled? That’s nearly 1 gold coin! You’re trying to kill me!”
“How much is your life even worth?”
Andre took a white apron off the wall and handed it to Aurelia.
“Or do you think your current state is still fit for Gold Rank missions?”
‘What? Gold Rank?!’
Aurelia was startled, and her gaze toward the man instinctively carried a hint of awe.
As a Bronze Grade warrior, Laurence’s level of strength was at least an order of magnitude higher than that of the Black Iron Rank, who could snap iron swords with ease.
Gold Rank…
That was far beyond the Silver Rank.
Such individuals were treated as honored guests in small cities, possessed certain privileges, and were capable of independently handling high-level threats.
From what she knew, warriors of that level possessed terrifying strength capable of shattering mountains and splitting stones.
Their physical defense was so robust that ordinary swords could not leave even a scratch.
When their Blood Qi was fully unleashed, it was powerful enough to overturn an entire small village.
This lazy-looking man who seemed like a street-smart rogue had actually been someone capable of reaching the Gold Rank?
He might even be a Gold Rank himself.
She recalled the moment she bumped into him—his exceptionally steady footing and his instinctive reaction to reach for his waist.
Now that she thought about it, those were definitely not the movements of an ordinary person.
“Tsk, why bring up the past? Now, I’m just an old guy waiting to die, occasionally keeping an eye on things for an old friend and trading some info for wine money. Gold Rank? That was just something from my youth when I didn’t know any better and thought life was too long.”
He waved his hand, seemingly indifferent to such an honor.
“Now,” he said, his gaze shifting back to Aurelia, “I can peacefully have a drink and some good food. And now I’ll have the chance to see such a beautiful young lady every day. Life couldn’t be more comfortable!”
His words were light and casual, the typical teasing of a street-wise veteran toward a young girl.
Aurelia felt her cheeks warm slightly.
She subconsciously tightened her grip on the white apron and lowered her head, avoiding the man’s direct gaze.
“You’re… you’re joking, sir…”
“Ragnar,” Andre’s voice rang out again.
He held an empty wooden cup and was slowly wiping it with a clean, soft cloth.
“This is my tavern, not some dark alley brothel in the Dock District.”
Andre’s voice was steady and calm, but his words were blunt to the point of being biting.
“If you want to stay here and enjoy the food and wine, watch your mouth. Or do you really have such poor taste that you’d harass an underage girl?”
“Uh…”
The playful grin on Ragnar’s face vanished instantly.
He rubbed his nose, a flash of embarrassment and reflection crossing his eyes.
He looked at the calm but steady Andre, then glanced at Aurelia, who was looking down and clutching her apron.
He curled his lips awkwardly.
“Cough… It was just a joke to lighten the mood…”
His voice trailed off, his confidence clearly shaken as he realized his behavior had crossed a line.
He scratched his neatly combed gray hair, sighed, and turned to Aurelia with a much more sincere and serious tone.
“Um… Liya, I’m sorry. I have a big mouth and didn’t mean anything by it. I just thought you were pretty and said so. Don’t take it to heart. I apologize.”
As he spoke, he bowed slightly and reached into the inner pocket of his vest, pulling out something that glinted with a silver light.
It was a brand-new Silver Coin with sharp edges.
He placed it on the rough wooden tabletop with a crisp *clink*.
“Here, this is for you. Consider it my apology and a tip to congratulate you on your new job.”
Ragnar pushed the Silver Coin toward Aurelia, his expression a bit awkward, as if he wasn’t used to acting so serious.
“Take it. Buy some candy, a new hair ribbon, or a dress you like.”
He seemed to be trying to make the atmosphere more relaxed, but his skills at communicating properly with the opposite sex were clearly inferior to his teasing.
Aurelia stood stunned for a moment.
She looked at Andre, then at the gray-haired man.
Finally, she stepped forward cautiously and placed her hand over the Silver Coin.
“…Thank you, sir,” Aurelia said softly, but clearly.
She didn’t act overly excited or frightened, nor did she pretentiously refuse.
Instead, she gripped it in her palm and lowered her head, continuing in an embarrassed and grateful tone.
“I… I will put it to good use. Thank you for the apology and the tip.”
The gray-haired man seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and scratched his head again.
“Good, good! As long as you accept it! Hahaha!”
Andre intervened at the right time, his characteristic magnetic voice bringing the scene back to order.
“Ragnar, find a seat and get out of the way.”
He gestured vaguely with his chin toward several empty seats in the tavern.
“Fine, fine. You’re the Shopkeeper; you call the shots.”
Ragnar turned immediately and walked with a lazy stride to a corner where he could watch both the door and the kitchen.
He pulled out a chair and sat down familiarly.
He picked up an empty cup on the table to fiddle with, his gaze still lingering on Aurelia.
However, he wasn’t looking at her inappropriately; he was staring at her tense little face, lost in thought.
Andre ignored him and turned to Aurelia, who was still standing there.
His gaze fell on the white apron she hadn’t tied yet and her left hand still clutching the Silver Coin.
“Aurelia.”
“I’m here!”
Aurelia responded immediately.
She tucked the Silver Coin into her pocket, picked up the apron, and hurried to put it on.
Paired with her ankle-length dark dress, Aurelia now looked quite like a professional maid.
The white apron was clean, her black hair was tied into a neat ponytail, and her face held just the right amount of respect and a hint of inexperience.
Both her appearance and her gentle, humble attitude were perfectly on point.
‘Maybe… I’m unexpectedly talented at this?’
The thought flashed through her mind.
Her 20 years of ordinary life in her Predecessor Life might not have given her any special skills, but as a former Logistics Officer for an Order, coordinating, arranging, and remembering details, as well as dealing with various emergencies and personalities, was her specialty.
Playing the role of a diligent tavern maid was, in some ways, even simpler than facing Monsters or handling complex logistics supplies.
At least the goal was clear and the rules were relatively straightforward.
‘Still… thanks to the books the original owner read while wandering, I’m quite comfortable with these things.’
“Aurelia,” Andre called her name again, pulling her back from her brief daze.
He still used her full name and pointed toward the door.
“Remember: smile, greet people, and show them to their seats. Leave the rest to the others. Watch closely and learn.”
“Understood!”
Less than a minute after she took her post, the heavy tavern door opened with a *creak*.
The cool evening air and the faint bustle of the street rushed in together.
The first to enter were three sailors wearing heavy leather coats covered in fish scales and salt.
Their skin was dark and rough, and they laughed loudly, bringing with them the salty scent of the sea breeze and the smell of strong liquor.
“Andre! The usual! Three glasses of your strongest stuff to wet our whistles!”
“I’m starving! What’s for dinner tonight?”
The bearded man in the lead had a booming voice.
As soon as he entered, he shouted toward the counter, his gaze landing on Aurelia standing by the door.
A look of surprise and interest crossed his rugged face.
“Hey? Someone new? Pretty little thing, aren’t you!”
Aurelia suppressed the slight surge of displeasure in her heart and did her best to look gentle, smiling at the three men.
“Good evening, gentlemen. Please, take a seat.”
The bearded sailor grinned and said nothing more, leading his companions toward their usual seats.
Almost simultaneously, a waitress quickly stepped forward, expertly taking over the ordering and greetings.
—
The first night of work passed amidst noise and exhaustion.
Aurelia repeated the simple cycle of guiding, serving, and tidying.
The sharp pain in her right wrist and the aches throughout her body were her constant companions.
When faced with drunken teasing, she responded with a humble smile.
When faced with picky demands, she quickened her pace, which was already slowed by her injury.
She made herself look diligent and ordinary enough—a destitute girl struggling to adapt to a new job for the sake of her livelihood.
When the last customer stumbled out the door, Andre lowered the latch and turned around.
His gaze swept over Aurelia, who was wiping the last table.
Her face looked even paler under the Warm Light, but her back remained straight.
“Remember to open the door at 5:00 PM tomorrow. You have the key,” Andre instructed after a moment’s hesitation.
“Remember to change the dressing on your wrist. There’s some leftover stew and bread in the kitchen; you can eat if you’re hungry. Wages are paid daily—15 Copper Coins a day. Half will be deducted from your advance until it’s paid off.”
’15 Copper Coins.’
This was a relatively fair daily wage for a low-level job, barely enough for a single person to get by.
That bag of advanced money… based on this calculation, she would likely have to work for quite some time to pay it off.
But at least there was a clear standard now, which put her mind at ease.
“Yes, thank you, Mr. Andre. I’ll remember,” she replied softly, asking no further questions.
Andre nodded and said nothing more, turning to begin counting the coins in the cash box behind the counter.
She washed the rag, untied her apron, and folded it carefully.
Entering the kitchen, she filled a wooden bowl with lukewarm stew and finished her dinner with the remaining bread.
Afterward, she pushed open the back door.
The early summer night breeze blew against her sweat-soaked back, and the sticky sensation made her sigh involuntarily.
“Whew… time to go back, take a bath, change, and get some rest…”
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