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As they walked, Edward continuously inquired about Mengdie's battle with Shasara. The more he asked, the more reluctant Mengdie felt to disclose details. After all, revealing that she had targeted Shasara to prevent the necklace exchange might not be beneficial to anyone. Fortunately, they arrived at the magic jewelry store Xiu mentioned, giving Mengdie an excuse to change the subject.
"This is the place you mentioned, Xiu?" Mengdie pointed at the shop's sign.
"Absolutely! Not only are the goods here of high quality, but they are also reasonably priced. This is a notorious grey area, so there's plenty of smuggled goods too. Now that I’ve brought you here, could you lend me some Sulas? I came this morning just to see you off, so I didn’t bring much money. After buying the boat tickets, I’m broke. It would be sad to leave without buying anything on such a rare visit."
Xiu's request made sense. Mengdie nodded, "No need to lend, you’ve helped us so much, consider this a token of gratitude. Edward, give me the remaining 4100 Sulas I have, and I’ll split it with Xiu."
Xiu extended his hand to Mengdie, who in turn reached out to Edward. Now the question was, who should Edward reach out to?
Edward's expression turned awkward. He frowned, looking panic-stricken at Mengdie’s outstretched hand. His body started to squirm uncomfortably, and his gaze shifted uneasily.
"What’s the matter, Edward?" Mengdie asked, puzzled.
Edward’s frown deepened. After a moment, he clutched his giant sword tightly, his face flushed with embarrassment: "Actually… I didn’t bring any money either…"
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The truth was simple and straightforward. In the rush to escape Garulu Town that morning, Mengdie, Nia, and Edward, focused solely on survival, had not thought to carry any money. This oversight left everyone speechless. They looked at each other, at a loss for words.
After five minutes...
"I’m sorry! It’s my fault! I didn’t bring the Sulas! I’ll go back and get them!"
Edward, stubborn as he was, almost darted back to the dock before Mengdie quickly stopped him, persuading him. Finally, he understood and stood to the side, head hanging low in dejection.
Nia tugged at Mengdie's sleeve, blushing and clutching her stomach: "Sister Mengdie... I’m hungry..."
It wasn’t just Nia; everyone was hungry. Edward, embarrassed, turned aside, his stomach rumbling audibly through his bloodstained, scarred light armor. He wished he could find a hole to crawl into in front of Mengdie.
Xiu, less physically active than Edward, managed to keep his stomach quiet, though his expression suggested he missed last night’s dinner too.
Indeed, since morning, none of them had eaten anything.
Mengdie looked at the sun, then checked her pocket watch. It was past noon. After some thought, she patted Nia's head, smiling as she walked back.
"Miss Mengdie? How... how should we get food?" Xiu asked, following her as she turned towards the dock.
Mengdie turned back, puzzled, looking at Xiu and Edward, who was hesitantly approaching: "What? You don’t know how to get food?"
After a brief conversation, Mengdie learned the facts. Edward, accustomed to palace life, never needed to worry about food and shelter despite his diligent sword practice. Xiu, from a middle-class background, also lacked wilderness survival skills, having lived in urban areas.
"Alright, in that case, you two just sit on the ship for a while."
Mengdie gestured towards the cargo hold they had stayed in, directing Xiu and Edward there with a resigned wave.
"What about me, Sister Mengdie?" Nia pointed at herself.
"You...” Mengdie looked around, then patted Nia's head, smiling, “can you go and get the pot from the front cabin? And after that, ask those two guys in the cabin to start a fire and boil water. But make sure they don’t set the boat on fire."
Nia, thrilled at the prospect of commanding the two men in the cabin, eagerly ran off. It was only after her excitement subsided that she realized what Mengdie was planning.
"Sister Mengdie, what are we going to eat for lunch?"
Mengdie walked to the edge of the boat, took off her shoes, and asked Nia for her silver moon dagger, smiling. Then, like a mythical mermaid, she leaped backward into the water. With a splash, she disappeared completely, leaving only ripples on the lake's surface...
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