"Ah—open your mouth," Penny sat at the dining table, foolishly parting his lips to allow Hikole to spoon-feed him. After a haphazard chewing, he swallowed, while the girl beside him wore a blissful expression. Watching the two, Vica observed with a smile, filling Penny's heart with warmth.

Though still feeling uneasy inside, the atmosphere allowed him to momentarily relax, and the harmonious ambiance persisted even after dinner.

"Penny, the people of Laiserman have never held favorable views towards the people of Sael." After dinner, Penny went to the girl's room, only to find her looking despondent. "You're going on an adventure, but there's nothing I can do to help you. I can only wait here for your return."

Penny lay beside the girl, involuntarily scrutinizing her. After some grooming by the landlady, his eyes seemed even more penetrating. Ordinary clothing could hardly block his gaze. Having not seen Hikole for six months, he now noticed a visible fullness in her figure at this stage of rapid development. Perhaps she had also shed the initial melancholy, as her once gaunt cheeks now appeared plumper, and dimples began to show. He realized that this girl was indeed quite lovely. "Hmm, you don't need to worry. I'll definitely come back."

Hikole's lips quivered, her eyes immediately reddening, as she drew closer to Penny.

Sensing the girl's heartbeat and the familiar embrace, memories of the passionate encounter in the bathroom flooded Penny's mind, along with feelings of guilt. "Hikole, actually... I may not be worthy of your affection."

"Do you dislike me?" Hikole narrowed her eyes, locking her gaze with Penny's.

"Of course not, but I fear that one day you'll grow tired of me." Penny gazed at the ceiling. "I'm not as good as you imagine."

"That is simply not possible," Hikole firmly asserted. "In my heart, you are the epitome of excellence."

"Nothing is beyond the realm of possibility," Penny's emotions suddenly dipped, as he realized the deceit behind his words to the young girl, making him feel even more uncomfortable about his own actions.

"So, will you continue to cherish me until I dislike you?" Hikole sensed Penny's despondency, remained silent for a moment, then lifted her head.

The youth nodded.

"That is sufficient," Hikole enveloped Penny in a hug. "I shall never harbor disdain towards you."

"Penny," after a while, the youth spoke up.

"Yes?"

"If one day you feel weary of me, it's crucial that you communicate it clearly,"

"Rest assured, that day will never come," the girl confidently declared.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

Moved yet inwardly wry, Penny smiled.

At that moment, the door swung open, and a radiant face peeked in. "Penny, I've figured it out. Let's go together."

"Go out?" Penny was surprised, not expecting the landlady to be so efficient.

"Yes," Vica nodded. "We need to make a journey, within the confines of Laiserman."

"Ah," Penny didn't hesitate, following the landlady out of the inn. Outside, a carriage awaited. He glanced back and saw the girl waving at him from the window. With a slight smile, he entered the carriage naturally and took a seat beside Vica.

"Do you truly fancy her?" Noting the gaze from the inn's window, Vica inquired.

"She requires my assistance," Penny observed the fading figure through the carriage window, his gaze softening. "That's all."

"Tsk, such irresponsible remarks and distorted narcissism," Vica sighed. "To say such things so casually in front of me, you must be quite a fickle character. I'm starting to regret it already."

Penny bowed his head, feeling unable to refute such words.

"Well, well," Vica smiled gently. "I did not intend to chastise you."

Penny felt awkward and unsure of what to say, ultimately choosing silence.

Boldly proclaiming his aspirations to pursue the noble cause of public service, he found himself lacking the audacity he thought he possessed. However, he harbored little guilt in his heart; perhaps having experienced death and resurrection once, he no longer placed much importance on ethics.

Suddenly, Vica reached out and firmly tapped Penny's head. "Stop dwelling on those matters. We have about a week's journey to Musantir. Now, I'm going to teach you to speak the Komeer dialect, which may consume most of your time. If you don't want to be scrutinized as a Saelian as soon as you open your mouth there, it's best to be cautious."

Musantir—a mental review of the city's data ran through Penny's mind. It was the southern gateway of Laiserman, historically the prime target when the Saelians advanced northward. It had been besieged by Saelian land and naval forces five times in history, yet it had always stood firm. The people of the city harbored an intense hostility towards the Saelians; anyone even remotely resembling a Saelian would face strict scrutiny.

Penny understood the necessity of learning another dialect for disguise. However, he also noted a detail in Vica's words. "Are you from Komeer?"

"Sort of," Vica pondered for a moment. "Actually, I hail from Westgate."

"Westgate?" Penny furrowed his brow. The Dragon Bay—a place as infamous as the Saelian region, Westgate was known for its saying, "Everything has a price." From this statement, one could glean a glimpse of what kind of city Westgate truly was. Along with the entire Dragon Bay, it was renowned throughout Feren as a haven for smugglers, pirates, and unscrupulous merchants, infamous for its chaotic laws and bloody desires for money.

In fact, compared to certain parts of the Dragon Bay, Sael seemed relatively clean.

"Our family's tradition dictates that to prove oneself worthy, a member must venture out alone and amass a fortune of 30,000 standard gold coins before the age of twenty-two. Otherwise, they must obediently accept the family's arrangements and engage in undesirable tasks," Vica wrinkled her nose, displaying great disdain for such matters. "I detest those arrangements."

"Such as being forced into a marriage with someone you dislike?" Penny suddenly chuckled. "But you 'sold' yourself to me for only five gold coins."

"Because I don't dislike you," Vica laughed. "Now... let's begin our lesson."

"Don't dislike me?" Penny quietly noted the immense figure of 30,000 gold coins he had just heard.

At the same time, he began to grasp that the innkeeper's family must wield considerable power along the Dragon Coast. Thirty thousand standard gold coins equated to thirty thousand Belens, enough in Sael to purchase several dozen respectable taverns or hire hundreds of skilled warriors to serve. Was this colossal sum merely a test? What level of wealth did this family truly possess?

However, his thoughts were quickly engulfed by the intricate dialect of Common Komeer, leaving him bewildered. At least, to the Saelians hundreds of miles away, the Common Komeer dialect seemed somewhat incomprehensible.