Wind Moon City, Western District.
Night had just fallen. Dim magic street lamps flickered to life along the roads.
Ailiya wore her iconic black-and-white maid uniform, walking at a steady pace down the slightly noisy street.
After passing through two lively alleys, a two-story wooden building appeared ahead. An oil lamp hung from a heavy oak signboard, flickering, with four characters carved into it—Wind Moon Tavern.
Ailiya pushed open the door.
A wave of hot air mixed with cheap ale, roasted meat spices, and pungent sweat hit her. Her sensitive nose wrinkled slightly, and her silver-white wolf ear twitched impatiently.
The tavern was as smoky and chaotic as ever. Mercenaries loudly boasted about their adventures. In the corner, a few drunks shoved each other over a trivial matter.
Jingle!
The crisp sound of the doorbell drew the attention of several drunks near the entrance.
A few regulars paused, then burst into cheers.
“Yo! Isn’t this our little Ailiya? Miss Ailiya is back?!”
“I told you Sise, the owner, couldn’t bear to let go of her cash cow! Quick, Ailiya, give me three mugs of iced ale!”
“Wait… what is she wearing?”
“That outfit… something’s off…”
A sharp-eyed mercenary suddenly widened his eyes.
“That’s… the head maid uniform of the Kastian Estate?!”
The noise stopped abruptly, replaced by a chorus of sighs.
“Ah! My heart is broken!”
“What a shame! I thought she quit to become an adventurer. Instead, she got seduced by some young noble’s gold and became a caged bird!”
“Damn nobles, give us back our tavern mascot!”
Faced with the drunks’ wailing and regret, Ailiya didn’t even raise an eyelid.
She walked straight through the noisy hall, passed under the resentful gazes of those drunks, climbed the wooden stairs with practiced ease, and headed to the second floor.
At the end of the second-floor corridor was the study of Sise, the tavern owner.
Ailiya raised her hand and knocked.
“Knock, knock.”
“Come in.” A lazy, slightly seductive female voice came from inside.
She pushed open the door. A faint mix of incense and tobacco wafted out.
Sise was wearing a wine-red dress, holding a long pipe, legs crossed as she leaned back in her large desk chair.
When she saw it was Ailiya, her eyes lit up, and then her face broke into that extremely enthusiastic trademark smile.
“My, my, isn’t this our little maid who has risen in the world?”
Sise put down her pipe, stood up, and sashayed over. Her gaze boldly roamed over Ailiya’s maid uniform, her tone dripping with undisguised mockery.
“What’s wrong? Not feeling comfortable in the Marchioness’s estate? Decided to come back and throw yourself into sister’s arms? I knew it—too many rules there, nowhere near as free as our tavern. Come, let sister see if you’ve starved!”
As she spoke, Sise reached out a hand, trying to pinch Ailiya’s cheek as she used to.
“Owner, please restrain yourself.”
Ailiya’s expression was blank. She took half a step back, perfectly dodging the hand, her tone as if she were reading an official document.
“I am working very happily at the Kastian Estate. The salary is stable, and it includes room and board.”
“Ah, how cold.”
Sise’s hand missed, but she wasn’t embarrassed. She sighed with slight disappointment and complained.
“And here I was, hoping you’d come back all this time. Without you pouring drinks, the rough men in the tavern have lost all their energy.”
“So, did you come all the way back today just to show off your new uniform to me?”
“Of course not.”
Ailiya took off her cloak and hood, getting straight to the point.
“Today I am representing the Kastian Estate. I have a formal commission to discuss.”
Hearing the word “commission,” Sise’s lazy and teasing expression instantly vanished, replaced by a keen, sharp gaze.
“Commission? The Kastian Estate?” Sise turned back and sat behind the desk, gesturing for her to continue. “Tell me.”
“A simple escort mission.”
Ailiya walked to the desk, her tone as flat as if she were selling cabbages.
“The estate’s Young Master Leo needs to go out for some low-level practical training. Lady Elsa hopes to hire an experienced, trustworthy team to lead him in safe areas near the city and ensure the young master’s absolute safety.”
Sise frowned, took a disinterested puff of smoke, and blew a ring.
“Little Ailiya, you know our Wind Moon Adventurer Team picks up jobs without being picky, but this kind of babysitting, thankless job… Balke and the others usually hate it. ‘Escorting the young master on training’? Isn’t that just a high-class nanny?”
“Fifty gold coins. Half the deposit upfront, settled daily. You decide the training location. Just make sure it’s safe.”
Ailiya tossed out the terms with practiced ease, not even blinking, as if she were saying fifty copper coins.
“Cough, cough!”
Sise didn’t even manage to exhale her smoke; it went straight into her throat, causing violent coughing.
Fifty gold coins?! Just to take some brat for a stroll outside the city?! That price would be more than enough to wipe out a medium-sized goblin tribe!
“Are you serious?” Sise immediately sat up straight, eyes gleaming.
Ailiya pulled a heavy money pouch from her sleeve and placed it on the table.
“I’ve brought the deposit.”
Just then, the study door was pushed open.
The bearded, bear-sized Storm Swordsman Balke leaned lazily against the doorframe, holding a half-empty bottle of spirits.
“Heard those drunks downstairs say you were back. Didn’t think it was true.”
Balke took a swig from the bottle, grinned, showing white teeth.
Then his gaze landed on the bulging money pouch on the table, and his eyes immediately lit up.
“Yo, boss, got a big job?”
Sise immediately switched to her shrewd tavern owner expression, pointing at the pouch.
“Balke, a babysitting job from the Kastian Estate. Escort their young master on a training trip. Fifty gold. You in?”
“With that much gold thrown at me, even if I have to give him a bath, I’ll take it.”
Balke laughed loudly, strode in cheerfully, and patted the money pouch.
“Besides, how could I let our once-lovely little maid leave disappointed? After all, you brought a lot of customers to the tavern before.”
The negotiation went even smoother than expected. That was the power of money.
“Deal.” Ailiya nodded.
“Eight o’clock tomorrow morning. Bring your people to the side gate of the Kastian Estate to pick him up.”
Ailiya stated the time and place in a flat tone, wasting no words, and turned to leave.
She had no intention of staying long.
“Going already? Not staying for a drink to catch up?” Sise called after her.
“No. I have other work.” Ailiya didn’t even look back.
Watching the door close again, Sise shook her head helplessly and relit her pipe.
“That girl, still so guarded.”
Sise blew out a smoke ring and looked at Balke.
“Since you took the job, you’d better do it well. No drinking—it might mess things up. Don’t be careless. The Kastian family’s money isn’t that easy to get.”
“Don’t worry, boss.”
Balke tucked the money pouch into his chest and grinned.
“Easy money.”