Painter looked helplessly at the two in front of him.
"Cursed Players" was indeed the best explanation. Considering they couldn't disguise themselves as real animals—there shouldn't be such mini "dragons" in the world, nor such standard cats.
No need to mention Nol, who looked exactly like a miniaturized young dragon with round, gleaming eyes. Mr. Demon King looked so upright, lacking much of a dragon's majesty. Paired with his smooth, flawless scales, it wasn't an exaggeration to say he was a companion summoned beast.
It was only upon closer inspection that Painter noticed. Not only was there a small leather pouch tied to Teest's collar, but Nol also carried a small backpack. This item was very concealed and had a small capacity, only holding a book at most… and a candle stub.
A teardrop of wax squeezed out from the gap in the backpack, symbolically shaking at him.
Awesome, Painter thought, the three mighty beings in front of him, each with their own oddities.
White Cat Teest should have been the most ordinary, but unfortunately, even his appearance wasn't natural. Even a noblewoman's pet cat couldn't achieve Teest's level of cleanliness.
The Mad Monk clearly had no interest in licking himself clean. He must have used a cleansing spell, as his fur was neat and smooth, dust-free, and his upright tail stood up like a fluffy white duster.
These two's actions were becoming more erratic. It would be better for him to go on vacation to the Lost Tower sooner. Painter sighed helplessly.
"Mentor of 'Hermitage' should be with the Golden Sword. Improvise on the spot," the former Pope said with a wave of his hand. "I wish you both smooth sailing."
Nol nodded, gripped the soft cat, and flew towards the direction of the hunter's cabin.
During the flight, Nol couldn't help but lower his head to look at Teest. His silver-white long hair turned into silver-white long fur, equally clean and soft, feeling wonderful to the touch.
A warm touch came from the paw, and Teest allowed himself to be held obediently for once. Occasionally brushing against branches, those pointed ears would instinctively flutter. If it weren't for the fact that his aura hadn't weakened at all, Nol would almost forget those bloody nights.
Speaking of which, domestic cats were indeed skilled killers who played with their prey…
"There are indeed two people." Teest cleared his throat and slightly adjusted his voice, pulling Nol back from his reverie. "One should be Golden Sword—strong aura but weak. The other incredibly weak… that 'Mentor'?"
"I'll contact the Tower later. Have someone figure out how to take Mentor away."
They were both like this, so there was no need for a face-to-face meeting. Lynn knew how to treat guests, and if there was a need to discuss, they could easily contact her remotely. The priority was to pick up Golden Sword without anyone noticing.
The hunter's cabin was close by and brightly lit. The originally gloomy and rotten wood was warmed by the orange glow of the fire, making it somewhat cozy. The exorcism magic left by Painter was still effective, with no monster cries nearby.
The door had several not too big, not too small cracks, from which drifted… the scent of instant noodles?
50% of the allure of instant noodles was provided by the sense of smell. Suddenly smelling something familiar in a strange world, Nol was filled with emotions. He hovered at the door, politely knocking.
"Ah, come in," a gentle voice said as footsteps gradually approached the door.
"Sir, that might be the enemy," Golden Sword Billy warned. Nol immediately recognized his voice. Compared to their last encounter, Billy's voice had weakened significantly.
The gentle voice chuckled. "That wooden door can't stop anyone. If it really were an enemy, we're doomed to die here anyway. There's not much difference in these few seconds."
Nol: "…"
That makes sense, but is it really okay to be so direct?
Sure enough, Golden Sword fell silent.
With a creaking sound, the door slowly opened. Nol saw the elegant "Mentor" with kind features in front of him. Mentor also surveyed… uh, the oddly shaped dragon and cat, his gaze sweeping over their Player earrings.
"What cute guests," he exclaimed, gracefully making way at the door.
Nol lowered his body, placing Teest back on the ground. The next second, the white cat gracefully leaped, landing on the room's rotten bowl rack, claiming the high ground. He looked down at Billy, half-lying on the bed with his tail straight up, motionless. Billy looked at the cat with a bit of surprise. There was confusion in his eyes but not much caution—perhaps this was the privilege of small animals, Nol thought.
"Hello, we'd like to stay for the night. It's too dangerous outside."
Nol also changed his voice, trying to sound more like a mascot.
"Of course, no problem." Mentor went back to his pot, continuing to cook noodles. He hummed a tune, and his Player earrings swung openly.
Nol quickly looked around.
A ball of magic fire hovered in the fireplace without wood, burning a small crucible above it, the pot bubbling with the familiar smell of braised beef instant noodles. Mentor even added greens and an egg, seemingly quite well-stocked. On the only table in the room lay an open book. Near Billy's side was a white mug, emitting a rich medicinal scent. Before Nol could approach, the big cat Teest lightly jumped onto the table, boldly sniffing the cup's contents.
[Healing potion, high-quality. Ordinary potion makers can't produce this quality,] Teest telepathically said. [This "Mentor" is an alchemist.]
Nol wasn't surprised. He had already recognized the Magic Clay Crucible that only a high-level alchemist could handle. In the setting of "Tahe", alchemists were a very versatile support profession—from concocting special potions, enhancing magical equipment to customizing proprietary items and weapons with additional enchantments, alchemists could achieve a high standard, the pinnacle of a support profession.
Of course, playing as an alchemist also came with a price.
Alchemists' skills demanded high requirements for the site, rituals, and attire. They were basically unable to appear on the battlefield, nor did they have the extra energy and money to take up a combat profession, destined to stay far behind the front lines.
A high-level alchemist leader was indeed suitable for Hermitage, focused on research with no interest in combat. With Mentor around, at least they didn't have to worry extra about Golden Sword's treatment. The current problem was, how could they send Mentor to the Lost Tower alone?
Nol had a good impression of Golden Sword, but unfortunately, only Players could ensure they "can't be domesticated". He really couldn't direct Billy to the Lost Tower.
Teest seemed to be pondering something similar, his pair of golden eyes staring unblinkingly at Billy. The room was dim, and his pupils were nearly perfect circles.
As they pondered, Mentor cheerfully served two bowls of noodles, and in front of Golden Sword, took out two portions of fragrant stewed meat from the system item bar. He divided them in half and placed them on the other side of the table with leaves. After doing this, he poured two plates of clear water in front of them.
"Please, have some." He politely indicated, pushing the bowl of noodles towards Billy. "I'm sorry, Mr. Billy. You're weak. It's better not to eat too greasy."
"Thank you for your concern." Billy leaned back against the headboard, taking a long breath.
Teest looked disdainfully at the stewed meat, remaining as immovable as his tail. Nol moved closer, amiably eating a few bites. It didn't taste bad, but indeed fell short of Teest's culinary skills.
Billy struggled to get up, nibbling on the food little by little—the renowned Golden Sword seemed not to have much appetite, but a patient always needed energy. The room was filled with the warm and fragrant aroma of boiling instant noodles, accompanied by the hissing sound of magical fire burning, making the atmosphere inside warm and harmonious.
No one shouted at the two talking animals. Perhaps this was the benefit of dealing with a high-EQ middle-aged person.
"Thank you. Are you two together?" Nol knowingly asked. He folded his wings and sat down at the table obediently.
Mentor poured himself a cup of tea. "It was just a chance encounter. I needed a place to rest, and this gentleman needed a helping hand. Just, I didn't expect tonight to be so…"
He paused for a moment, glancing again at Teest and Nol's Player earrings. "Lively."
There it was, hinting for them to introduce themselves.
"My friend and I were originally adventuring in the Black Forest, but unfortunately we were cursed by a Swamp Witch." Nol discovered, to his surprise, that he could now lie calmly. "The witch ran into the depths of the forest, and we couldn't chase her. We could only head out to look for a way to break the curse."
"The curse of a Swamp Witch?" Mentor stroked his chin, the firelight bouncing off his round glasses.
"They enjoy turning victims into annoying small animals or filthy livestock and poultry. Your appearances are quite unique." His tone was so academic that Nol couldn't tell if he was being sarcastically skeptical or just genuinely curious.
"I almost turned into a lizard. Transforming into this cost me a rare item. As for my friend, he was initially hairless, and his current form is also the result of effort to recover." Nol had anticipated this.
Teest looked at Nol silently for several seconds, ultimately keeping his silence.
At the table, Mr. Billy finished his noodles. He cleaned his hands and looked several times at the soft cat with its back to him. Eventually, he couldn't resist and tentatively reached out his hand.
Honestly, it was a bit impolite, but Nol thoroughly understood his feelings. After all, Mr. Mad Monk was just too fluffy—when you've been deliriously feverish for hours and there was a warm furball rimmed with flame at your side, it was really hard not to touch.
Teest seemed to have eyes on his back as he seemingly turned liquid. No matter how Billy tried to touch him, he always managed to squat in place, maintaining a two-centimeter distance from Billy's palm.
Billy could only sulkily withdraw his hand, taking another sip of hot soup.
"Ah, I see. Would you mind if I take a look? I have some research into breaking curses," Mentor said with a smile, decisively ignoring the skirmish at the table.
"Please." Nol agreed readily. "Let my friend go first."
After hearing this, Teest turned around and jumped in front of Mentor. He held his head high, which caused the fur on his chest to puff out. Mentor happily extended his hand and spread his fingers wide, stopping a punch's distance from the cat's head.
Nol wasn't worried.
Their Swamp Witch wasn't vegetarian—although she was holding a sauce-flavored pancake while casting the spell and seemed quite out of it. But after all, she had been brought up through the ranks by Paradise, standing at the pinnacle of her species.
If Nol remembered correctly, that neighbor had evolved into a "Deep Fog Great Witch" last month, so her curse wasn't so easily dealt with.
As expected, Mentor's frown deepened. Eventually, he shook his head. "This is tricky. The curse wasn't cast by an ordinary Swamp Witch. You've encountered a bigshot."
"Do you have any suggestions?" Nol flew next to Teest, squatting in a row with him, feeling the warm fur.
He deliberately asked clearly.
"If your people can't break it, then you'll have to look for curse-breaking items." Mentor withdrew his hand, his gaze shifting away from the cat. "Tears of Pure Goodness, Tishili's Prayer, fragments of holy texts… such high-level curse-breaking items should be useful."
True to the leader of Hermitage, his answer was indeed precise.
The three major Player guilds would definitely have these items. But one thing was certain, they wouldn't use such precious curse-breaking items on two unlucky fellows who trespassed into the Black Forest.
That meant…
"It looks like we'll have to try our luck with the Alva Merchant Group," Nol said. "This state is too troublesome. We can't operate freely."
Teest remained silent throughout, but Nol could feel that the Mad Monk's attention was quietly focused on Billy. The cat's whiskers moved attentively as he intently observed.
Good, let them keep this tacit understanding.
He would start talking to Mentor, closing the distance and naturally seeking an opportunity for a private conversation. Teest was a genius at distracting, so was better suited to fooling the troublesome Golden Sword.
Mentor gave a reserved frown. "The Alva Merchant Group is a good choice, as other small consortiums can't get these items."
Nol: "I hope it's not too expensive, haa. If we knew, we both would have joined a larger guild…"
"How about we form an alliance temporarily? I also happen to be looking for the Alva Merchant Group." Mentor put down his noodle bowl and smiled. His glasses had fogged up a little.
Nol: "…Huh?"
Wait, aren't you here to find Paradise?
"As you see, I am an alchemist. I'm looking for the fourth section of the cave leopard's tailbone, and can't find it anywhere—this time too, I hired two young people to help, but they didn't show up at the agreed time."
Mentor spoke in a gentle voice. "I was a bit frustrated, so I came out to the outer circle. Maybe it's time to give up. Buying is a better choice."
Looking for materials?
A complete lie. Did this guy notice something?
"We've turned into this, so our ability to help is limited." Teest finally spoke up, his pupils slightly constricted. Nol involuntarily glanced at Teest's claws, noticing he had extended them a bit—fortunately, his claws were large enough to be completely covered by the fur.
"How could that be!"
Mentor laughed. "You dared to explore the depths of the Black Forest on your own, faced the Deep Fog Great Witch and retreated unscathed, and one of you even possesses magical items related to dragons. You must be quite powerful, capable people who always have resources at their disposal."
"And me? I'm just a frail scholar. An alchemist with his magic pet. No one would be wary of us, saving a lot of trouble. You need a human to communicate with outsiders; I need two reliable companions. It's a win-win."
It was indeed a win-win, but this script wasn't prepared for him. Nol was speechless.
They had originally wanted to propose this plan to cooperate with Billy.
"About the two young people you hired before—" Nol was a bit bewildered in his reply.
"They won't be in trouble. I believe they'll find their own way out." Mentor sipped his tea. Above the rim of the cup, Mentor's purple eyes were full of smiles.
[This guy definitely knows.] Teest suddenly communicated. [He knows we're from Paradise, and he knows our target is the Alva Merchant Group. This guy wants to get involved, though it's hard to tell what his purpose is…]
[What about Golden Sword?] Nol frowned.
[Hard to say how much he knows. I don't have much interaction with that guy.] Teest licked the fur around his mouth. [Fortunately, 'Mentor' hasn't disrupted our plans. At this point, Golden Sword won't stay silent for long.]
[Among us, he is the one who needs 'companions' the most. As long as he's not out of his mind, he will definitely choose Players over mercenaries.]
Nol glanced over at the corner of his eye. Golden Sword Billy was quietly leaning against the headboard, seemingly in thought.
Just then, a long-absent popup suddenly appeared. Nol, Teest, and Mentor froze simultaneously for a moment.
[You have triggered a special NPC quest: Lost Memories.]
[Condition: Infiltrate the Alva Merchant Group, assist Enbillick Alva in clarifying the "memory loss event", and ensure Enbillick Alva's survival.]
[Mission reward: A large amount of money; Tears of Pure Goodness, Tishili's Prayer, fragments of holy texts (choose 2 from 3); the friendship of Enbillick Alva]
[※It is recommended to accept this quest.]
The author has something to say:
Cat Teest is not to be touched by anyone (other than Nol), and the well-behaved Dragon Nol.
Too bad the dragon's touch is somewhat hard…
Mentor: (The expression when looking at a young person's thesis project)