Chapter 42: Strange Potential
“Cough, cough, cough!” Ron squatted on the ground, choked by an unknown substance.
No, he wasn’t even sure if what choked him inside the portal was water. Anyway, in any case, he decided to retrieve the items first before figuring it out. After all, if this substance was toxic, he might die right here. By then, he would be the “first-time traveler to die because of a portal.”
“I’ll help you wipe.” Fortunately, Lilian was very considerate, using a handkerchief to clean Ron’s mouth.
That would have been even better if the dragonmaid had used her tail to wipe his mouth. Lilian stood one meter away from Ron, her tail skillfully holding the handkerchief.
While the effect was similar to using her hand, the distance made Ron’s mood quite subtle.
“Welcome, Mr. Ron.” At this moment, a voice interrupted Ron’s thoughts.
The lady who spoke earlier, Lady Mercury, appeared sitting on a chair, looking at Ron with interest. “I didn’t expect you to visit me without an appointment today.”
Usually, an appointment was required in advance if someone wanted to see the Duke. However, this time, Lilian directly brought Ron to Lady Mercury’s residence through the portal without any appointment. If the visitor weren’t Ron, Lady Mercury probably would have already had this impolite person thrown out.
“So, you need an appointment?” Ron, recovering, said helplessly. “What should we do now?”
“Normally, that’s true,” Lady Mercury said calmly. “But for you, I’m willing to grant a privilege.”
“Well, thank you very much then,” Ron shrugged.
“So, can you tell me why you and Lilian brought so many things over?” Lady Mercury gestured to the assortment of items nearby.
“Just for selling,” Ron explained. “Isn’t it because we thought, Lady Mercury, that your collection seemed lacking, so we decided to send some over?”
Lilian suggested selling these items here because, besides Lady Mercury, no one else would probably be willing to collect these things from Ron. After all, Lady Mercury was a duke, so having a penchant for collecting was quite normal. Especially since Lady Mercury was also a dragon, her penchant for collecting was even more pronounced.
It was time to dig deep into Lady Mercury’s small treasury and take out some money.
“I see.” Lady Mercury glanced at the pile of items. “There are indeed some rare pieces in there.”
While Ron was coughing up water earlier, Lilian had already sorted and arranged the items. Even the dust on them was magically cleaned away—a professional maid wouldn’t allow any flaws.
“But coming to me for such a transaction, could it be that your territory really needs money?” Lady Mercury inquired.
Ron chuckled emotionlessly. “Haha.”
This Lady Mercury was clearly asking a question she already knew the answer to. Ron didn’t believe Lady Mercury was unaware of the situation in the Wind Veil Basin. After all, it was a place she personally handed over to someone else. Did she really think there was suddenly a mine in the Wind Veil Basin?
“It seems like you’re not having a good time in your territory,” Lady Mercury smiled.
Ron looked disheveled and appeared to haven’t eaten well in a long time, suggesting he had faced some hardships in the Wind Veil Basin.
This didn’t align with Lady Mercury’s original intention of appointing Ron as the lord.
“It’s okay, I’ve become the mayor,” Ron casually mentioned.
He didn’t think he was having such a tough time in the Wind Veil Basin. After all, he had a place to stay now.
Hearing Ron’s words, Lady Mercury couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. The Lady Mercury originally intended to provide a place for travelers to reside, but it seemed her purpose wasn’t fulfilled.
“Lady Mercury, by the way, Mr. Ron has already eliminated three local bandit groups,” Lilian raised her hand, introducing Ron’s achievements.
“If that’s indeed the case, it’s quite an achievement,” the Lady Mercury said, “I’ll make sure to inform His Majesty about this matter.”
Ron felt that none of these things mattered anymore. After all, he hadn’t even had a good day in the Wind Veil Basin, so he had no time to consider these things.
“So, Lady Mercury, is there anything you fancy?” Ron sighed.
Instead of discussing achievements, he was more interested in Lady Mercury buying some items since the money in Wind Bird Town had already been spent.
The Lady Mercury smiled helplessly, finding Ron a bit short-sighted.
“If that’s the case, I fancy everything here. Later, I’ll have my steward give you the money,” she said.
“I express gratitude on behalf of Mr. Ron for your generosity,” Lilian bowed to Lady Mercury.
“There’s no need for formality between us,” Lady Mercury said gently.
After saying that, she carefully observed Ron. It had been some time since she last saw this time traveler. As the guide for travelers, she could barely discern their potential. Now, she discovered something surprising.
“Two possibilities?” The Lady Mercury squinted her eyes, murmuring with a voice only she could hear.
Having two possibilities in the early stages for a time traveler was an extremely rare occurrence, to the point where you could count them on one hand.
Ron happened to be one of them, which made Lady Mercury have some expectations for him. Because it had been a hundred years since the last time a time traveler with two possibilities appeared.
