Chapter 374

Chapter 374: Spending the Night at the Inn

Even the usually composed Magic Rainbow couldn’t conceal her surprise.

Though the dishes at that restaurant had been pricey, they’d only cost slightly over three small gold coins. Yet this single garment carried a three gold coin price tag? Nearly ten times more expensive!

Such exorbitant pricing would be considered outrageous even within the inner city’s standards.

“Not pricey at all! Not in the slightest!”

Unexpectedly, the woman hastily waved her hands. With practiced fingers, she peeled off the original price tag to reveal a different label beneath.

The displayed amount now read three silver coins.

“That’s so affordable!”

The price had plummeted to a mere hundredth of its original value…

Lin Yu couldn’t suppress her startled exclamation.

The maiden’s dulcet tones ignited fervor in the shopkeeper’s heart. Abandoning subtlety, the woman began caressing the girl’s pale, delicate hand with deliberate strokes.

“Ordinary customers pay standard rates, but for those sharing special connections…” Her voice softened conspiratorially. “Three silver coins? For true kindred spirits, I’d gift garments freely.”

The silver-haired girl abruptly withdrew her hand with a frown, having noticed the lingering touch.

“What are you doing?”

Her wary gaze fixed on the shopkeeper.

“‘Tis an ancestral tradition from my homeland,” the woman smoothly lied, expression unperturbed. “Palm lines reveal destined connections between souls.”

*Ahem* “Have our honored guests settled on ready-made designs? Or might custom tailoring interest you? Terms are flexible!”

Lin Yu exchanged glances with Magic Rainbow.

Their earlier inspection confirmed Simon’s claims – the shop’s garments displayed exceptional craftsmanship.

“We require custom work, but will provide materials ourselves.”

“Oh?” The woman’s initial delight at “custom” shifted to puzzlement. “What materials do you possess?”

Magic Rainbow considered their inevitable course – whether through persuasion or coercion, this artisan would accompany them to Foggy Castle. From her Magic Backpack, she produced a compact bundle of Snow Silkworm silk.

“My!”

The woman’s eyes gleamed as she accepted the material.

“This thread… such exquisite texture! Perfect for premium garments. Yet…” Her brow furrowed. “How have I never encountered such silk?”

“This material presents unique challenges in tailoring,” Magic Rainbow interjected.

“Why?”

“You can try cutting them.”

The woman, puzzled, fetched a pair of scissors and snipped at one end of the silken thread.

But how could she, a mere ordinary woman, sever the silk that even Army Lady and her companions had to focus their efforts to break?

From initial astonishment to stubborn disbelief, the woman eventually set down the scissors, exhaustion and incredulity etched across her face.

“Phew! What sorcery is this? It’s impossibly resilient…”

She then turned to the two girls.

“Wherever did you unearth this thread? Even if we can’t cut it, garments could still be fashioned—though clumsily. Perfection would remain beyond reach.”

“No need for concern,” Magic Rainbow interjected smoothly. “We’ll handle the cutting, and rest assured, compensation won’t be lacking.”

Money posed the least concern for the Ant tribe.

Long ago, they’d sold a fraction of the three-year hoard of monster materials from their nests to human merchants. That modest transaction alone had formed a small, glimmering mountain of gold—enough not merely for silk garments, but to purchase the entire boutique and its proprietress outright.

“You can truly cut this silk?” The woman eyed their delicate hands skeptically.

“All will be clear tomorrow morning when we collect you,” Magic Rainbow replied, gathering the silk into her Magic Backpack.

“Collect me? Where?”

“To our home.”

“Your home? That’s… improper.” Despite her words, avarice burned in the woman’s gaze.

“Improper? Our residence is rather spacious, with rooms to spare. Accommodating you will prove effortless.”

Magic Rainbow chuckled lightly. “Until tomorrow then. Come, Lin Yu.”

The white-haired maiden clasped her companion’s hand, departing beneath the proprietress’s covetous stare.

The shop’s dismal business became understandable—exorbitant prices for plain patrons, sweetheart deals for beauties. An eccentric strategy, yet the establishment endured through Lord Simon’s lavish patronage, its owner indifferent to empty shelves.

…

Their town affairs settled, the pair dismissed their carriage and meandered through bustling streets. Half-masks veiling their striking white-haired features, they paused at fragrant food carts and lingered over curiosities spread across market stalls.

As twilight gilded the sky and Lin Yu’s stomach murmured, they found themselves before the noon-time restaurant. Under the proprietress’s beaming regard, they ordered another dozen dishes—revisiting favored delicacies while sampling new ones—before retreating to their customary private chamber.

Sated and dusk-drunk, Magic Rainbow surveyed the darkening horizon, excitement simmering beneath feigned composure. Guiding Lin Yu through lantern-lit avenues, she halted before a garish pink facade crowned with a sign: *Night Song*.

“Isn’t this the brothel Mother and Sister Lvzi once observed?” The white-haired girl tilted her head toward her companion.

“…Uncertain.” Lin Yu’s ears flushed. “Months have passed—I’ve forgotten! Besides, why would we…”

Magic Rainbow merely studied the Brothel’s human traffic before steering them to an adjacent inn.

…

Freshly bathed and abed, the two girls exchanged bashful glances as wanton murmurs seeped through the walls. Lin Yu shifted slightly, realizing the lingering ache in her waist had mostly faded these past days.