Vittoria clearly didn't take things too seriously. Folding her arms, she scoffed, "What's so bad about this? It's not like I rely on my looks to make a living. If it weren't illegal to undergo genetic enhancement surgery, I'd have done it long ago. The Tsar Federation are way more open-minded about this stuff."
Yeah right, just looking at you already makes me feel the rugged wilderness of Siberia. Damn that cursed Soviet aesthetic—it's corrupted the taste of the whole world!
Aldric silently roared in his heart, but in front of this two-meter-tall female powerhouse, he wisely decided to keep his comments to himself.
"The game allows adjustments that big?" Aldric asked, pretending to sound serious and analytical.
"Oh, that. I picked a talent that lets me exchange two points from an existing stat for one point in any other stat I want. I traded some Charisma for Strength. When Strength increases, your maximum physique limit goes up too." Vittoria made a face that said what use is charm anyway? "What about you? What's your situation? Got attacked in the city?"
"I was ambushed by a bunch of people. One of them was a real pain—probably an Assassin-type class. Fortunately, I managed to get away." Aldric still felt lucky to be alive.
Whatever that assassin's profession was, they'd been stealthy and ruthless beyond belief. Facing a professional player's overwhelming power, Aldric had only glanced at his own level—Level 2—and muttered to himself: Play it safe, don't take risks, slow and steady wins the game.
"I accepted a quest. My mentor's waiting for me at the Boar's Head Tavern. Do you know how to get there?" Aldric decided it was safer to regroup with his teacher first. Unfortunately, he was broke, so his gaze inevitably shifted toward Vittoria. "By the way… do you have any money on you?"
"Hahaha!" Vittoria burst out laughing, clutching her head as she let out a drunken hiccup. "Had some before… but now, well…"
"I see… Do you know anywhere I can exchange these for money? Gems, I mean." Aldric took out a small pouch from his chest and showed her the gemstones inside.
The war-loving Vittoria Gabriella glanced at the colorful gems and shrugged. "I know a place that'll buy loot for cash, but that greedy bastard ripped me off yesterday. You'd better wait until tomorrow and sell those at a proper jewelry shop."
"My master and squire are waiting for me to bring back the money. We just came back from the wilds—don't even have a single coin." Aldric sighed, thinking of Sir Gonz sneaking sips from his liquor flask. The bill he'd face later was sure to be painful.
Vittoria slapped her broad chest confidently. "No problem! Leave it to me!"
With the ease of someone who knew every corner of the city, the towering woman led Aldric through the streets and alleys until they arrived at the Boar's Head Tavern. Though the game had been live for less than a week, there wasn't a single tavern in Port Anthony that Vittoria hadn't visited. From upper-class salons for minor nobles to filthy dives filled with gamblers and drunks, she had boldly declared—there isn't a drink I haven't tried!
She pushed open the door with her usual carefree energy, and a wave of foul, humid air hit them immediately. Thanks to Aldric's impressive 16 points in Perception, every smell in the room—the sour reek of alcohol, the greasy scent of food, and the stench of sweat—was sharply distinguished in his mind. No wonder elves with high perception hated dealing with humans.
The moment Vittoria stepped inside, all the drunks scattered around the tavern froze for a beat—then cheered loudly:
"Our Queen has arrived!"
Wooden mugs slammed rhythmically against the tables as more and more people joined in the chant, the beat growing louder and more synchronized.
"Vittoria! Hero of the drink! Conqueror of Port Anthony! The Queen of Strength has come!"
Dozens of voices roared together as the patrons raised their mugs to toast her. Even the tavern owner behind the counter lifted his delicate glass in salute. Vittoria, clearly used to the scene, waved to everyone, then threw an arm around Aldric's shoulders.
"My friend—Aldric! The man who defeated me!"
"To you, great man!" the crowd echoed, raising their cups again before downing their drinks in unison.
Aldric felt his face burning with embarrassment. This whole scene went against every principle of Cathay modesty.
Meanwhile, Vittoria grabbed a drunk who had collapsed on his chair, hurled him straight out the door, then raised a massive mug of beer high above her head. "You bunch of weaklings! Cheers to you!"
At that point, Aldric finally spotted his teacher—a white-haired man sitting alone in the far corner of the tavern. Several empty bottles of ale stood on the table. Sir Gonz lifted his eyes briefly to glance at Aldric, then casually looked away, pretending not to see him. None of their other companions, Terry or the white wolf, were anywhere nearby.
Slipping free from Vittoria's arm, Aldric ducked through the crowd of boisterous drinkers and made his way toward his mentor. Behind him, Vittoria was already in the middle of another brawl—this time arm-wrestling three burly men one after another. The crowd cheered and whistled, turning the entire tavern into a roaring pit of excitement.
As Aldric passed the bar, the tavern owner called out cheerfully, "You're the Queen's friend! Drinks are on the house tonight—enjoy yourself!"
Aldric forced a stiff smile and nodded politely before taking a seat across from his teacher.
The monster hunter pretended to study the fire in the nearby hearth, though his low voice drifted over casually. "Your friend? Hah… impressive. She's got ogre blood in her, maybe?"
Aldric ignored the jab and decided to change the topic. "Teacher, I was attacked—someone's after us."
He lifted part of his armor to show his injuries. Sir Gonz sat up straighter, examining the marks carefully. He didn't continue his teasing this time. "There's a shadowy scent here… done by a Shadow Assassin. Those jackals always work for coin. Someone paid them to come after us?"
"Probably. Someone must've recognized you when we entered the city together and wanted to test your reaction—to figure out why we came here." Aldric used the chance to discreetly share his quest hint.
The Witcher smiled faintly, muttering to himself, "What kind of idiot would risk angering a witcher just to test his intentions? …I can smell chaos in the air. Someone's afraid of me coming here. I'll find you, heretic."
Seeing that his mentor had understood the hidden message, Aldric relaxed and asked about his companions. "Teacher, where's Terry? I didn't see him with you. Isn't it dangerous for him to act alone?"
Sir Gonz drained his cup in one gulp. "I ran into an old friend—a priest from the Church. I left your follower with him. Don't worry, it's safe there. He'll even get some proper healing. It's just that—"
Before he could finish, the demon hunter suddenly stood up. "Your friend's coming over. You two chat; I'm heading back to rest. Sildo's fine, don't worry. I'll look for a way to meet the local lord tomorrow. Stay cautious these next few days."
And with that, he slipped away, leaving his bewildered student behind.
Vittoria, triumphant after defeating every challenger, plopped herself down in Sir Gonz's vacated seat, clutching a massive mug of ale and grinning. "Come on! Let's have another round!"
Master… seriously? You ditched me!
(End of Chapter)