Superhumans of the Dome City-Chapter 1339 - 7: A Day in the Life of a Lone Hunter (Part 1)
Shiyu Ling lazily said, "You know, not all those knight lords are exactly noble and righteous. The Wild Hunt faces a lot of resistance, and sometimes, getting help from inside is inefficient and delayed. The intel you need for missions is often better when you rely on yourself."
"Orianna will be furious knowing the details."
"Not really, there are indeed many hunters who aren’t trustworthy." Shiyu Ling said, "Like me, still a fugitive."
"Here you go again, ha."
Shiyu Ling wrapped his arms around his waist again, resting his head on his shoulder.
They strolled through several streets frequented by hunters, with Shiyu Ling explaining the purpose of each place: bars for gathering information, trading points for exchanging goods, training grounds for mock battles... The world hunters live in became rich in detail through his explanations. He learned that many hunters with minor injuries wouldn’t go to the Knight Order for treatment, fearing being looked down upon by important folks; hunters’ clothing is often custom-made to suit each one’s fighting style and to hide little secrets; those impressive-looking magic pets are basically money pits meant to trap rookies, most of them are bio-animals from Cangdu and the United States. In terms of actual combat ability, they can’t compare to the knights’ standard-issue warhorses...
Gongsun Ce felt he had a good grasp of the hunters now, and an afternoon had swiftly passed by as the hunters’ gathering place faded behind him.
"I guess hunters rarely cook at home, right?"
"Who’s got the time for pots and pans?" Shiyu Ling scoffed, "Turn left at the next two blocks, I’ll take you to the big sister’s hidden store."
Shiyu Ling’s recommendation was an exotic little tavern, serving northeast dishes from the United States with homemade brews. Their dinner was a fried egg pancake with potato pieces, topped with slices of premium ham, its near-transparent fat glistening enticingly. Gongsun Ce took a bite and praised it highly, while the well-prepared Miss Shiyu had already secured half a pancake on her plate, defending it vigilantly.
"Told you my recommended places are good, right?" Shiyu Ling crowed proudly, holding up a fork, "I love this place because it’s a tavern that stays open till late at night, so you can fill your belly after finishing a task before heading home."
"I thought you’d take me to the recommended restaurants in the travel guides."
"Total rip-offs! Cheap places have queues to eternity, and truly delicious places are the kind you can’t afford, high-end stuff." Shiyu Ling lamented, "In my first month here in the capital, I tried out a bunch and felt so cheated, then I tried the colleagues’ recommendations of ’local spots only locals frequent’... "
Gongsun Ce extended his finger: "You’ll find them worse than the recommended restaurants! All are dark culinary experiences only understandable to people of the Country!"
"Exactly! All those ’wonderfully tasty fish fry shops’ and ’awesome kidney pie shops’ but actually they taste no different from cafeteria food, all equally awful!" Shiyu Ling agreed emphatically, "If you want to balance cost-effectiveness and flavor, you have to hunt down shop after shop yourself... Then your dining circle gets limited to the two or three streets around your home, practically a foodie quagmire." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢
Gongsun Ce imagined the hunter lady trying out the capital’s food shop by shop after work, as if she were a personal travel blogger laboriously creating a Blue Church district food guide. Perhaps given more time, she could really make something like that, with tourists coming to the capital finding the recent popular ’Alice Adar’s Food Adventures’ online...
He couldn’t help but laugh, earning a glare from Shiyu Ling: "What’s so funny?"
"Nothing, just think you’re an interesting woman." Gongsun Ce glanced at the bill, "Hey, isn’t this price a bit over budget? Doesn’t seem related to cost-effectiveness, right?"
This dinner cost enough for three ordinary meals at an average joint, and as Shiyu Ling paid the bill, she casually commented, "When payday comes, you gotta splurge a bit, earn money to make yourself happy."
"Wow, so every time you earn money, you enjoy first and worry later..."
"Not like I’m throwing money around, just moderate spending." Shiyu Ling propped her face with her hand, scanning the diverse crowd in the tavern, "I’ve never ordered the expensive items like steak or lobster from the menu, thinking to save some money for future plans. Someday when I’m rich, I could indulge till I’m sick... Yet now, having money doesn’t interest me, still find joy in eating the familiar old stuff."
"On one hand, living for the moment with wine and revelry, on the other, planning meticulously for the future, isn’t that contradictory?"
"Hunters are like that, they can’t consider things far into the future, they’re grateful just to take care of the present." Shiyu Ling raised her glass, clinking it lightly with his, "Cheers."
