Lin Gui didn't have to wait outside the guild for long.
Monica soon came out with her team members.
Ada and Old Tom were carrying several bulging sacks, which were filled with the corpses of magical rats.
Lily walked at the very back, a smile still on her face, but her eyes were red as if she had just been crying.
Monica walked up to Lin Gui and took a deep breath.
"We can begin."
Lin Gui nodded, using his staff to support himself as he stood up straight.
Monica raised her staff and began to chant.
The chanting lasted for quite a while—a full five minutes—before a blue, watery light finally emerged from the staff.
The watery-blue light converged at the tip of the staff, and mana fluctuations vibrated through the air.
High Rank healing magic—Water Healing.
A pale blue stream of water flowed from the tip of the staff, coiling around Lin Gui's body.
It was warm and soft, like soaking in tepid water.
Lin Gui could feel the streams of water seeping into his skin, into his muscles, and into his broken bones.
The wounds were itching, and the bones were mending.
But soon, the Water Healing stopped.
Monica lowered her staff, her face pale and her forehead covered in sweat.
Her mana was exhausted.
Lin Gui reached into his storage space, pulled out a mana restoration potion, and handed it to her.
Monica took it, and after a moment of hesitation, she opened it and took a gulp.
That stuff wasn't cheap; for people like Monica and her team, it was considered a high-cost consumable.
She rested for a while and then raised her staff again.
Over the course of the afternoon, Monica cast the spell three times in total.
Each cast didn't last long, and the effect was far inferior to Catriona's healing spells.
Fortunately, Lin Gui's broken left arm and ribs had been reset.
Although it still hurt and he couldn't exert force yet, at least he no longer needed to lean on his staff just to walk.
Completely healing would still take quite some time.
Monica put away her staff and said while panting,
"I will continue to treat you over the next few days."
"Until the seventh day."
Lin Gui nodded.
After the seventh day, she would be leaving with that Gold Rank adventure group.
Lin Gui glanced at Ada and Old Tom behind her.
Both men had smiles on their faces, but beneath those smiles was something indefinable hidden away.
Lily stood at the very back, her head lowered, remaining silent.
Monica was leaving.
Even if she returned after finishing her studies in the Magic City, she would join that Gold Rank adventure group.
The Thousand Towers group wouldn't be around for much longer before they disbanded.
Lin Gui said nothing; he merely nodded, said "thank you," and turned to leave.
Evening gradually approached.
Lin Gui bid farewell to Monica's group and went to look for the most luxurious inn in Dragonbone City, as Elvia had mentioned.
Though called the most luxurious, it was really just decent.
It was a three-story stone building with a gold-plated sign hanging at the entrance that read "Dragonbone Inn."
The steps at the entrance were swept clean, and two magic glowstone lamps emitted a warm yellow light.
Pushing the door open, the interior decoration looked a bit better than the outside.
The floor was covered with a dark red carpet, and several landscape paintings by an unknown artist hung on the walls. An appropriately dressed attendant stood behind the counter.
Seeing Lin Gui enter, the attendant looked him up and down.
His gaze swept over the ragged mage robes and the many injuries.
But he quickly retracted his gaze and put on a professional smile.
"Are you Mr. Lin Gui?"
Clearly, Elvia had instructed him in advance.
Lin Gui nodded.
"Your room is on the top floor. Please follow me."
The attendant led Lin Gui to the third floor, stopped before the room at the very end, and pulled out a key to open the door.
The room wasn't large, but it was kept very clean.
The floor was covered with a thick carpet that felt soft underfoot.
Against the wall was a large bed with pristine white bedding folded neatly.
Two bottles of water and a plate of fruit were placed on the nightstand.
In the corner was a desk with ink and a quill pen.
The window was large, taking up nearly the entire wall. With the curtains pulled back, one could see the streets outside and the distant Dragonbone Mountains.
What surprised Lin Gui the most was that the room had an independent bathroom.
He took a look inside; there was a large wooden tub with a pile of firewood beside it, clearly meant for heating bathwater.
In a small place like Dragonbone City, this was already considered a top-tier setup.
Lin Gui's gaze swept over the room and finally landed on the balcony.
Elvia was sitting there.
She leaned against the back of the chair with her legs crossed, her gaze fixed on the distance.
Moonlight fell upon her, coating her golden hair in a layer of silvery-white light.
She was still wearing that peasant woman's outfit.
The dusty, coarse fabric looked completely out of place in this somewhat exquisitely decorated room.
Yet her expression was quieter than anything else in the room.
She was staring blankly into the distance, looking at Dragonbone City under the moonlight.
A faint trace of melancholy hung on that exquisitely beautiful face.
Lin Gui walked over and sat in the chair beside her.
He glanced at the clothes she was wearing.
"Didn't you say you wanted to change into something else?"
Elvia didn't look back, her voice faint.
"The room fee was too expensive."
Lin Gui was taken aback.
Only then did Elvia turn her head to look at him, a hint of resentment on her face.
"I originally wanted to buy some clothes, but when I asked about the room fee, it turned out to be two gold coins a day."
"I only had those five gold coins in my hand. After paying for two days in advance, I only have one left."
"Where would I get the money for clothes?"
Her tone was full of indignation.
"In the Royal Capital, I wouldn't even spare a glance for a dump like this."
"Two gold coins a day? I'd even find two silver coins too expensive."
Seeing her like that, Lin Gui couldn't help but be amused.
Was this still the Seventh Princess who scattered gold coins like water back in the Royal Capital?
Back then, she wouldn't even blink when spending tens of thousands of gold coins on clothes.
Now, she was this pained over a room fee of two gold coins.
He couldn't help but speak up,
"Your Highness, this disparity really is a bit too vast, isn't it?"
"Before, you spent tens of thousands of gold coins like it was nothing, and now you're heartbroken over two?"
He expected Elvia to snap back at him haughtily like she used to.
She would say something about how life was meant for enjoyment, or how spending more money proved her status was higher.
But Elvia didn't.
She simply leaned against the back of her chair, looked at the distant moonlight, and let out a soft sigh.
"Yeah, the disparity really is huge."
Her voice was very soft, as light as a breeze.
Lin Gui froze for a moment and looked at her.
Moonlight shone upon her face—that exquisitely beautiful face.
There was no haughtiness, no craftiness, and none of that shrewdness she had when plotting something.
She seemed very lonely.
Rate on N.U.
