Chapter 12: Water Bag and Empty Scabbard

As soon as the wooden door was pushed open a crack, a wave of warm steam mixed with the scent of soap pods rushed out, forming a sharp contrast with the biting autumn night wind outside.

The bathhouse's front hall wasn't particularly spacious, but it was kept in perfect order. The rough stone floor featured specially added raised patterns to prevent guests from slipping.

At this moment, several young Adventurers with fresh faces were gathered around the counter, listening with rapt attention.

The bathhouse boss, "Water Bag Fizz," a middle-aged man with a bulging belly and a stiff-bristled brush pinned to his leather apron, leaned against the counter. Saliva flew from his mouth as he recounted his glorious deeds.

His wrinkled face flushed red, and his loosely clenched hand gestured back and forth in mid-air as if he were holding an invisible Magic Staff.

"…So, boys, at critical moments, you can't rely solely on muscles and swords!" Fitz struck the pose of a seasoned expert. Looking extremely talkative, he said with dancing eyebrows, "Take the fire at the Blacksmith's Shop last month, for example. You guys must know about that, right?

"That Fire Demon was baring its fangs and brandishing its claws, billowing with black smoke. Old Kent was so anxious he was about to cry, and his proud, bushy beard was covered in sparks!

"Do you know how critical the situation was? Let me tell you, that scorching Fire Element was about to devour everything!"

He paused deliberately, basking in the awe and admiration of the Newbie Adventurers, before lowering his voice and feigning mystery.

"At that crucial juncture, it was I! I mobilized the pure Power of Nature within my body and gathered the water vapor between heaven and earth! You should have seen it—a brilliant blue pillar of water descended from the sky and accurately extinguished the fiercest flames!

"Just like that, I forcefully saved the Blacksmith's Shop from the Fire Demon's jaws! Now, whenever Old Kent sees me—yes, that Old Blacksmith who's as stubborn as an Earth Dragon—even he has to respectfully address me as Master Fitz!"

Before his voice could fade, a teasing, gruff voice drifted over from a nearby bench. "Give it a rest, Water Bag. I can't even bear to listen anymore!"

The speaker was a middle-aged Adventurer with a scar across his face, who was leisurely wiping his sword scabbard.

The scarred Adventurer was known as "Empty Sword Scabbard Jason." His nickname originated from his youth when, during an adventure, he had been so frightened that he lost his sword and fled back with only an empty scabbard.

The nicknames of Bottom-level Adventurers were mostly ironic. Mocking each other in their spare time was one of their few forms of entertainment.

Without looking up, Jason sneered, "I was at the tavern across the street that day. It was clearly you carrying a broken wooden bucket, mumbling that lousy Spell while frantically splashing water onto the roof.

"You threw a good dozen buckets before finally putting out those little sparks. 'Fire Demon,' my foot! If you had actually seen a real Fire Demon, your pants would have been soaked through by now."

Roars of laughter instantly erupted among the several Veteran Adventurers nearby.

Fitz's face instantly flushed crimson. Coughing awkwardly a couple of times, he argued, "What do you know? I was draining its elemental origin!"

Then, Fitz's eyes landed on the old scabbard in Jason's hands. As if finding a weapon to counterattack, he immediately raised his voice.

"You're just jealous of my talent! What about you? Back in the day, you ran so fast that you practically gifted your sword to that den of Kobold whelps as a trophy!"

As soon as these words came out, the laughter shifted toward Empty Sword Scabbard.

"I was being merciful, leaving those Kobold whelps a little souvenir. Otherwise, what would they use to dig up potatoes now?" Jason was clearly used to Fitz exposing his past. Unhurried and unflustered, he flicked his wrist. With a loud CLANG, he sheathed his Longsword in a smooth, dashing motion. "At least I still have a sword in my hand, while you only have a massive belly left."

This time, even the Newbie Adventurers joined in the roaring laughter.

"Shoo, shoo! Go take your baths and don't block the other guests." Seeing Raine walking over, Fitz seemed to have found an out. He waved off the giggling young Adventurers.

Then, he enthusiastically welcomed the newcomer. "Young man, just got back from the woods? A hot bath is the perfect way to wash away the bad luck. The water here carries the blessing of nature!"

He lowered his voice and feigned mystery. "After all, this was created by a Druid's Divine Art and carefully blended with a Secret Technique. It contains Life Energy!"

Before his voice could fade, Empty Sword Scabbard Jason, who had already picked up his bags and was about to stride away, specifically stopped beside the two. Nudging Raine gently with his elbow, he whispered, "Kid, don't listen to his nonsense. That 'Secret Technique' blending of his is just diluting the Magic Water with more well water. Otherwise, with the meager Magic Power he has, how could there be enough for so many people to bathe in?"

With that said, without waiting for Fitz to retort, Jason patted Raine lightly on the shoulder and left with a hearty laugh.

He recognized Raine as the young man who had been the subject of the town's gossip lately. However, since his own reputation back in the day hadn't been much better, he actually felt a sense of camaraderie and mutual sympathy toward the latter.

"You old bastard, isn't that obvious? I'm just a Druid Apprentice! An apprentice! Not one of those Casting Masters with so much Magic Power they have nowhere to use it!" Fitz shook his fist at Jason's back, but the latter had already disappeared out the door.

He turned back, enthusiastically accepting Raine's 1 Silver Lion, and handed over a large pouch containing 90 Copper Deer in change, along with a clean cloth towel.

"Kid, don't listen to that old bastard. You can feel a truly good bath the moment you soak in it!

"Take last year, for example. An Arcane Mage who had just graduated from the Solan Royal Academy came here. He was a bona fide Professional! Word has it that he was also the second son of a Count—a true noble! He bathed here for three days straight..."

Seeing that the man was about to talk his ear off again, Raine decisively offered a polite smile and interrupted, "Boss, is this the entrance to the bathhouse?"

Guided by Fitz, Raine soon entered the men's bathing area.

Steam rose from the spacious, stone-built pools, filling the entire room with mist.

He submerged himself in the warm water, splashed some on his face, and let out a sigh of relief.

His exhaustion and filth seemed to melt away in the water, quickly dissipating into nothingness.

The reflection on the water's surface rippled slightly, revealing his young but somewhat weathered face.

His short black hair clung wetly to his forehead, and water droplets slid down his sharply defined jawline, falling into the pool—DRIP DROP.

Prolonged malnutrition made him look somewhat gaunt, but his underlying facial features were quite handsome. In particular, his Obsidian-like eyes exuded a steadiness that belied his age.

In the Solan Kingdom, black hair and black eyes were rare, which often drew curious stares toward his predecessor's body. But for Raine, they were colors engraved within his very soul.

While relaxing, he gathered his focus slightly and opened the [Attributes Chapter] in his mind.

[Name: Raine]

[Power: 6]

[Agility: 7]

[Physique: 5]

[Intelligence: 5]

[Perception: 5]

[Charm: 5]

[Skills]

[Eagle Vision Lv1 (8/10)]

[Stealth Step Lv1 (9/10)]

[Basic Archery Lv1 (8/10)]

[Basic Swordsmanship Lv1 (2/10)]

Raine carefully examined his Attributes, deep in thought.

Along the way, aside from the time he killed the Goblin Archer, he had only occasionally used his Short Sword to hack through thorny vines blocking the path. It wasn't surprising that its proficiency had only increased by a single point.

He had been constantly alternating his use of Stealth Step, so its proficiency rising to nine points was within expectations.

However, as for Eagle Vision and Basic Archery, he had fired no more than eight or nine arrows in total. For both of their proficiencies to skyrocket to eight points was completely beyond his expectations.

Originally, he had thought they would increase to four or five points at most.

He pondered for a moment, and soon something dawned on him, an expression of sudden enlightenment washing over his face.