CLINKING glasses...
When he woke up again, it was morning, as expected.
Clutching his aching head, he pushed himself up from the wooden table.
Those guys.
'Can't they just not force a kid to drink?!'
'What do they mean "it's fine as long as Kumironi is here"?' He turned his head to see Chi Cheng snoring away next to him, a snot bubble inflating and deflating with each breath.
And in front of him...
...was Kumironi, a helpless smile on her face. "I heard about what happened last night. I figured you'd be waking up around now."
Kumironi moved behind Lu Cang, and a gentle Life Force flowed through his body.
The hangover and dizziness quickly subsided.
"Kumironi... is he always like this?"
"Mm... more or less."
"He meant well, really."
Lu Cang let out a soft sigh.
As a former office worker from before his transmigration, he could actually understand Chi Cheng's intentions.
It was just...
'My wallet!'
Lu Cang stared at his completely empty money pouch.
Last night's expenses came out to exactly 2 gold and 26 silver coins.
Not a single coin more, not a single coin less.
It had completely drained the savings he had just earned.
Kumironi covered her mouth.
She seemed to be hiding a laugh.
In the end, she quietly reached out and placed her hand over Lu Cang's.
When she pulled her hand away, two shiny gold coins lay in Lu Cang's palm.
Kumironi whispered, "Let's just say it was my treat."
"Kumironi..."
Lu Cang pushed the gold coins back toward her. "Forget it."
"This is actually something I wanted to do, too."
"Oh my... It seems Little Lu Cang is quite mature for his age~"
"But it's alright."
"Consider this compensation for Iz not protecting you properly."
"As a hired bodyguard, letting his employer return on the brink of death is a dereliction of his duty."
"In a situation like this, not only can he not accept payment, but he should also compensate his employer."
"Think of these 2 gold coins as proof of you and Iz making up."
Lu Cang couldn't win the argument against Kumironi.
He put the 2 gold coins into his pocket.
After a night of being hungover, yesterday's suspicions, distrust, and unpleasantness had all begun to fade away.
Perhaps this was just Chi Cheng's way of handling things.
Kumironi smiled. "Iz and the others aren't awake yet. Let me take you for a walk. You haven't seen Raine Town in the morning, have you?"
Lu Cang nodded lightly. "Okay."
This was actually what he had wanted to do last night, but Chi Cheng's sudden appearance had forcibly turned it into a victory party.
He left the Adventurer's Guild with Kumironi.
It was just dawn.
'Heh... I have to say, I thought my sleep schedule had gotten all messed up again from passing out.'
'But this hangover actually managed to set it right again, like a double negative making a positive.'
"Hmm... Let me introduce them one by one."
"This is the Adventurer's Guild of Raine Town. It's where Adventurers accept commissions and also where they usually gather."
"Over there is the Raine Town library..."
Lu Cang followed Kumironi, strolling slowly through the morning streets of Raine Town.
This was the first time Lu Cang had the leisure to appreciate this world.
Most of the buildings were wooden houses, with the occasional oddly shaped structure made of some unknown material.
Places like the library, for instance, were a bit more special.
Besides the library, Raine Town actually had a dedicated Training Ground.
This was where Adventurers usually practiced their Combat Skills and Magic.
Lu Cang's act of casting Magic in his room...
...was actually strictly forbidden.
Only after Kumironi mentioned it did Lu Cang learn that on the day he practiced Magic in his room, Iz had already set up an absorption barrier within a certain range.
His Magic hadn't been seen by anyone else, and of course, it hadn't affected anyone either.
Aside from the Training Ground...
...there was also the Life Hall.
Here, one could receive free treatment for most illnesses, get some Low Level Curses removed, or have minor wounds healed.
However, for more serious injuries, a fee would be charged.
Lu Cang could understand.
'The Life Hall is just a hospital...'
In some corners of the town, there were also Blank Altars.
Kumironi emphasized that Raine Town had no churches and no dedicated divine altars.
If the faithful wished to worship, they could only go to a Blank Altar.
But even with freedom of belief, there were still some gods whose worship was forbidden, even at the Blank Altars.
One was the "White of Death and Destruction," and the other was "Bani of War and Fire."
Both of these gods were omens of misfortune.
In particular, the "White of Death and Destruction" was forbidden from having churches established—and its worship was even banned—not just in Raine Town but in most regions of the world.
Anyone discovered would be dealt with as a Cultist according to local law.
For more serious cases, the possibility of a death sentence was high.
'Eh...'
'The White of Death and Destruction, huh?'
'It certainly sounds ominous. Better to stay far away from it. I have a feeling getting involved would be a huge pain...'
'No, it's not like I could run into something like that just because I wanted to.'
'It is a god, after all.'
There wasn't much else to note about faith, especially since Kumironi learned Lu Cang was an unbeliever. There was even less for him to worry about.
Having no faith meant having no burdens.
As the High Priest of the Divine Hall of Life, Kumironi occasionally had to take charge of the Life Church's processions, blessings, and other duties.
Besides matters of faith, Kumironi also took Lu Cang to see the weapon, armor, potion, and grocery shops along the way.
Lu Cang got a basic understanding of the prices in this world.
A person's food expenses for a day, as long as they weren't eating a feast, were around 10 copper coins.
1 gold coin = 10,000 copper coins
'Wait a minute... Those people ate 2 gold and 26 silver coins' worth of my money yesterday!'
'Is that equivalent to 2,260 days of food expenses?'
'Days! Not meals!'
'There were only about a hundred people at the Adventurer's Guild yesterday.'
Lu Cang did the math over and over, gradually feeling that treating a hundred people should have cost 50 silver coins at most.
'These Adventurers really didn't hold back!'
'Wait, what was it that Chi Cheng said yesterday?'
'Bring out the best wine here?'
As this fuzzy memory from before he passed out surfaced, a vein couldn't help but throb on Lu Cang's temple.
He almost let slip a curse word, which would have been completely out of character for a child.
HUUUUH—
'Patience, patience, stay calm—'
Lu Cang forced himself to calm down...
'Just think of it as paying a tax. A transmigration tax.'
By the time they had visited all the significant places in Raine Town, it was already afternoon.
Kumironi counted on her fingers. "Raine Town... I think that's about all the main spots."
"I don't think I've missed anything."
'Alright.'
'Kumironi, I get the feeling you're way more reliable than those other two.'
"Thank you, Sister Kumironi."
Kumironi said, "Oh, I promised Granny Sangxi I'd help her with the harvest this afternoon."
"So I probably won't have time to help you get more familiar with Raine Town."
Lu Cang grinned. "It's okay, Sister Kumironi. I was planning to wander around a bit on my own."
A hint of worry appeared on Kumironi's face.
But she quickly remembered that Lu Cang was a Mage who could solo a Tier Two Dungeon. Raine Town, at least, was a very safe place, so she didn't need to worry too much about him.
"Alright, I'll be going then."
"You know the way back to the inn, right?"
Lu Cang nodded. "Yep, I know."
Kumironi bent down, patted Lu Cang's head, then waved goodbye and left.