Glen suddenly realized that his deer-drawn cart lacked a rain cover, and he couldn't help but offer a prayer that the rain would not persist for an extended period.

As he passed by a general store, he caught sight of several small books resembling novels. On a whim, he purchased one that the storekeeper highly recommended, being told that it was currently the most popular storybook in the kingdom.

Glen's interest was piqued, and he intended to use it to while away the time when taking shelter from the rain in the tavern.

The rumbling of thunder resounded, and the pedestrians on the road became noticeably hasty in their paces.

Glen first moved his deer-drawn cart to a place where it could be shielded from the rain, and then he entered his tavern. At that moment, the two newly hired employees were seated around with Luther, engaged in a lively conversation, their words flowing freely.

Ravel was idly toying with a quill pen.

The sound of the door being pushed open startled the group. Luther and the two brothers immediately sprang to their feet, much like students who had been caught daydreaming during class.

"Carry on. Pay me no mind," Glen said, waving his hand to signal that they need not be nervous.

However, they did not sit down again. Instead, they began to move about the tavern, as if in search of tasks to undertake.

Glen couldn't be bothered to concern himself with it. He took a seat in a corner adjacent to the wall and opened the book he had just acquired.

Outside, the rain began to pour down in earnest, and the sound of raindrops striking the glass grew steadily more intense.

The book was titled "The Marvelous Adventures of Hankba," which narrated the various escapades of a knight named Hankba across the continent and his numerous amorous encounters with beautiful women.

The book was not overly thick. With the reading speed he had developed from perusing novels in his previous life, Glen was on the verge of finishing it within just a few hours.

This was largely attributable to the fact that the writing was truly unremarkable, following a repetitive and formulaic pattern.

Encountering adversaries, rescuing a damsel in distress, then encountering more adversaries, and once again rescuing a damsel - such scenarios were tolerable to Glen once or twice, but their frequency was excessive.

Moreover, he failed to commit to memory the names of many of the beautiful women he encountered earlier, and yet another would already make an appearance. There were even instances where the subsequent plotlines were identical, with nothing more than a change of character names.

That such a story could be considered the most popular was truly bewildering to Glen.

"This is not even as captivating as a fairy tale..." he murmured, tossing the storybook aside.

He took out the beast's tooth bestowed upon him by the old man and commenced practicing his mastery over elemental perception.

Ravel, who happened to cast a glance in his direction, witnessed this scene. After a moment of hesitation, he finally summoned the courage to approach and said, "Mr. Glen, this..."

He pointed at the storybook that had been discarded to the side.

Glen, being deeply engrossed, merely responded offhandedly, "Help yourself."

The young master with curly hair was overjoyed. He promptly picked up the book and returned to his original seat to delve into it.

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One of his former pastimes had been reading such storybooks. Ever since he was abducted by Glen, he had been deprived of the opportunity to do so.

And this was a book he had originally intended to read but had never gotten around to.

Occasionally, shouts could be heard from outside, as if individuals were conversing through the veil of the rain.

Glen remained undistracted. He seemed to have stumbled upon a bit of a technique.

The elemental power coursing through the beast's tooth was akin to a river composed of countless threads. He sought among them those few threads that differed in color.

In the process of this search, he felt as if he had developed a new faculty, enabling him to exert a subtle influence on these threads.

He was elated by this transformation and became so engrossed that he desired to achieve even more.

Time passed slowly. Glen only ceased his practice when he felt a pang of hunger in his stomach.

He rose to his feet and stretched his slightly numb arms and neck. When he turned to look in Ravel's direction, he observed that the latter was still engrossed in reading that insipid book with evident relish.

Perhaps the entertainment options in this era were so scarce that people could not get enough of such stories... Glen shook his head and directed his gaze outside the window.

Through the somewhat opaque glass, he could discern that the rain had diminished slightly but was still falling.

Glen somewhat regretted not having prepared any rain gear. Now, he would have to brave the rain to go out and procure some food.

However, upon casting a glance around, he noticed that Carter and Cagin appeared to be rather idle. After a moment of deliberation, he called out to them, "Carter, Cagin, come over here for a moment."

Upon hearing their employer's summons, the two immediately approached.

"What can we do for you, Mr. Glen?" Carter inquired.

"After all this time, you must be feeling hungry, right?" Glen asked with a smile.

At this, the two indeed felt a twinge of hunger.

Then they heard Glen continue, "I am willing to pay thirty copper coins. Could you please go and purchase some food? It's raining, so if you're not willing, that's perfectly fine."

Upon learning that Glen was treating them, the two immediately waved their hands. "It's no trouble at all! We actually enjoy being in the rain. Really! Please allow us to go!"

Glen was satisfied. He took out thirty copper coins from his pocket and handed them to the two. They received the money and immediately dashed out the door, displaying great enthusiasm.

The feeling of having someone to run errands for him wasn't half bad... Glen thought to himself, resting his head on his hand and propping his feet up on the table, feeling relaxed.

After a short while, instead of the two brothers returning, a stranger entered the tavern.

The tavern door was roughly thrust open, and a robust woman, with a broad sword strapped to her back, entered, her clothes soaked through.

"What rotten luck! Why did it start raining all of a sudden?" she grumbled as she strode up to the bar.

Ravel set aside his book and regarded this strange, tall woman with a puzzled expression.

"Kindly bring me a bottle of ale and some food. Thank you," the woman said as she seated herself, unstrapping the broad sword and a bulging bag from her back without raising her head.

The young noble, being a minor, was somewhat intimidated by the woman's imposing demeanor. He opened his mouth but found himself at a loss for words.

Noticing the lack of response, the woman finally looked up. "Didn't you hear what I said? Oh? Why is there someone different now? Never mind. I'm starving, so please don't waste my time! I..."

"This is no longer a tavern," Glen's voice interjected at the opportune moment, diverting the woman's attention and allowing Ravel to heave a sigh of relief.

Luther stood to the side, observing this woman, who was almost as tall as he was, with curiosity.

"Not a tavern? It was perfectly fine when I came here last time," the woman said, looking at Glen with a bewildered expression.

"I have purchased this place. I intend to open a butchery," Glen explained.

"Damn it!" the woman cursed. Then she immediately asked, "So, is there any food here? Get me some. I'm really starving, and I'll pay you."

"I'm truly sorry, madam. We're still hungry ourselves. We're awaiting the return of our companions with food," Glen said, idly tossing the beast's tooth in the air and gazing at the ceiling.

Upon hearing this, the woman did not attempt to conceal her disappointment. Then she tentatively inquired, "Well, could I have some when your companions return?"

Glen put away the beast's tooth and looked at her. "Can't you go and buy some yourself?"

The woman made a woeful face. "I'm almost completely exhausted from walking here. I really don't have the energy to move, and it's still raining outside..."

"I'm afraid I can't assist you with that. We'll just have to see if there's any surplus food later," Glen said.

The implication was that if there was sufficient food upon its return, Glen might share some with her.

"Thank you so very much! I'll pay double the price!" The woman's voice was rather husky for a female, yet it did not verge on being masculine, possessing a unique quality.

Glen did not respond. He merely waved his hand and stared blankly at the rain outside, lost in thought.