Chapter 54: Reward

Luke made his way to the barter hub to hire a horse. He didn’t have much experience riding one, only a few times back at his ranch. Still, he knew he wouldn’t need to ride too fast or navigate complex routes.

On the way, Luke couldn’t help but ask, “Are you hinting that something will happen during this journey? Is that why the gamma points are so high?”

[No, host. This is the first time the host is about to explore the outside world, so the system has added exploration points to the quest as well.]

Luke nodded in understanding. So that was it. It made sense that exploring new places would give rise to a variety of quests.

As he walked, he noticed a shop and paused. “Hey, old man. Aren’t you forgetting something?”

The man responsible for making Luke’s bed slowly raised his head. Unlike before, there was a stiff smile on his face. “Umm, forgive me for that, but things have grown chaotic recently.”

Luke sighed. “You are already two days late.”

The older man nodded urgently before explaining, “Because of the ambush, we haven’t been going outside the village to collect wood. That’s why there has been a delay. But I promise the bed will be delivered in two days.”

Luke hummed. “Well, consider some deduction in the remaining payment.”

The old man’s shoulders sagged, but he didn’t argue.

Luke said nothing further and walked away.

Well, even though he said that, if Luke liked their work…if the bed appeared strong enough to withstand those nightly sessions between the two love birds, then yeah, he would pay in full.

Reaching the barter hub, he found a few people gathered there, most likely receiving their quests.

Luke decided to wait until they finished. He wasn’t eager to go hunting today since he had enough Toras in his account, almost twelve hundred, which was enough to afford him nearly four months of luxurious living.

It took a few minutes before the crowd dispersed, and Luke stepped closer to the window.

“Hey, Gary. Back in business.”

The short man’s eyes lit up when he saw him. “Luke, it is! Ahaha, wait, you rascal. I have a question to ask.”

Luke chuckled and waited until the black-haired man stepped outside the hub and asked, hands on his hips, “Really, man? You didn’t ask anything from the chief when you had the chance? Didn’t you get enough time to think about it?”

Luke shrugged. “Well, I didn’t need anything at that time. But now, there is something I do.”

Gary hummed. “Tell me what it is. I will relay it to the chief.”

Luke had been thinking about it since last night. When they were done making love and were covered in sweat and love juices, Luke realized the need for a private place where they could bathe.

So he said, “A bathroom. I saw the chief’s house has one too. It doesn’t need to be that big, but have it built behind my house. I will give you a rough plan of how big it should be and exactly where I want it.”

Gary groaned. “A useless request, but well, since that’s what you want, I will relay it to the chief. The work will probably begin tomorrow.”

Luke nodded in appreciation before Gary hurried back inside the hub and returned with a pot this time.

“Here, a thousand Toras for your services.”

Luke’s eyes widened slightly. “Isn’t that a little too much?”

“It’s not just because you showed bravery during the crisis. You even killed a criminal to protect the chief’s mate,” Gary explained.

Luke nodded and took the pot from him. “What about Dart? How much did he get?”

Gary grinned. “A little less, around six hundred. But that guy was even rejecting it, saying he didn’t do much.”

Luke sighed. “That guy is too modest.” After a pause, he asked, “Speaking of Dart, can you tell me what the villagers actually think about him? They act a little too weird around him. It can’t be just because he came from a different village, can it?”

The short man crossed his arms. “There is no evidence, but it is rumored that Dart killed four people before escaping from a village. Looking at him though, he doesn’t seem like someone who could do that. Still, people remain cautious around him.”

Luke nodded in understanding. So this was the real situation. He couldn’t have expected Dart to tell him that himself.

Shaking his head, Luke asked, “Hey, can I hire a horse from you?”

Gary shrugged. “Yeah, but with that much money, don’t you want to buy one?”

Luke shook his head lightly. “Nah, it would be a drag to take care of it. I can barely take care of myself, so let me rent a horse for a day. How much?”

Gary grinned. “Consider it a gift from me and take one from the shed. Just try not to overexert it and get it killed, okay?”

Luke gave a small salute before heading to the back of the barter hub, where several horses were grazing on grass.

He had already stored the pot in his inventory once he was out of Gary’s sight.

He chose a strong-looking, dark-skinned horse and began walking back with it by his side.

Softly rubbing its mane, Luke asked the system, ’Can I buy a comfortable saddle for two people?’

[Item: Double Saddle]

[Cost: 10G]

Just imagining having a bumpy ride with his dear sister-in-law, alone in the forest with no one restricting them put a smile on his face.

She had willingly stopped him from taking her. It has slightly wounded his pride. And now, he was going to make sure she came begging for it herself.

With a thin smirk adorning his face, he muttered under his breath, ’Let’s enjoy our little honeymoon to the fullest, Dalia~’

•••••••

A/N:- Thanks for reading. Is the balance between smut and plot good and about discord then I provided the link a few times but it vanished.

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