CHAPTER 363: CHAPTER 15: SCENIC VIEWS AND HIDDEN WORRIES (2)

On the second day, Andrew woke up early as usual. When he pushed open the door, he saw Christina squatting by the stove, with soot smudged on her face, looking dirty and disheveled.

"You... you wait a bit longer. I’m trying to light the fire without using dragon form. It’s quite difficult."

Andrew sighed helplessly and smiled, "No need to rush, take your time. We won’t go to the adventurer guild this morning. I have some other matters to attend to."

"So... should I go alone? Or should I stay home alone?"

"You can come with me to handle the business."

"Really?" Christina was overjoyed, her expression so delighted that Andrew was somewhat taken aback.

Sometimes, Andrew actually felt quite sympathetic towards Christina. Before meeting him, how much suffering had this lost dragon gone through? *If he left, she might return to her original life.*

Sometimes, Andrew was very envious of Christina. *She could always find joy in trivial things, her joys and sorrows were written all over her face. She was like a transparent person, so straightforward, so free.*

*Yes, free. That’s the word to use. Though he seemed freer than her, seemingly able to handle everything independently, it wasn’t truly the case. Her heart was free. Compared to her, Andrew’s heart was weighed down by many things, bearing heavy burdens, so much that every decision needed careful consideration.*

*She was a person running in the open fields, not knowing where she would go, but every step was on solid ground.*

*Andrew was a person walking on a narrow bridge, one misstep would lead to shattering into pieces. Such pressure is unimaginable for those who haven’t experienced it.*

"Why not use magic? Dragons should be able to use fire magic, right?" Andrew asked while tidying his clothes and craning his neck forward.

"I can’t control it well, I might blow up the house." Christina answered softly.

"Uh...how old are you? I mean your age, I’ve never asked you before."

Lowering her head, Christina answered softly, "Twenty-three..."

A dragon only twenty-three years old? And she’s been here for six years already... So she came here when she was just seventeen?

Andrew was stunned, he couldn’t help but glance at Christina again.

Immortal creatures, each one has a different maturation cycle.

For example, the Blood Clan typically matures at a hundred and sixty years old. From zero to a hundred and sixty years old, their appearance is similar to humans from zero to sixteen years old, with a growth cycle expanded tenfold.

For example, a Lich, you can’t judge from their appearance since they master the magic of altering their form. But generally, a thousand-year-old Lich is considered mature, having accumulated enough powerful magic.

As for dragons...this was the first time Andrew had seen a young dragon, so he wasn’t very clear. But if he remembered correctly, dragons officially leave their parents and become independent at the age of one hundred, right? Though dragons grow quickly, by over twenty years old their physique is essentially mature, looking no different from adult dragons. However, the official adulthood should be at a hundred years old. Dragons have a coming-of-age ceremony specifically for those who turn one hundred. Only dragons over one hundred years old have complete combat and livelihood capabilities, almost omnipotent as described in various tales from across the continent.

Dragons under twenty years old are essentially baby dragons...

*A runaway dragon?* Andrew silently pondered. Of course, he didn’t voice his thought.

After struggling for quite a while, Christina still couldn’t light the fire, so Andrew had to step in to help. However, he couldn’t light it either, as he had never done it before. In the end, he just cast a Fireball Technique to settle it.

After breakfast, they headed out together.

"Where are we going?" Christina asked excitedly.

Andrew casually replied, "To buy some things. We’ve been earning money, we should spend it too, right?"

"Spending money?" Christina was astonished.

"Otherwise, why are we earning money?"

Christina stared blankly at Andrew.

"Well, maybe dragons earn money just for the sake of earning money." Andrew sighed helplessly, "Spend my share, today’s expenses are all on me. You can buy whatever you want."

"Okay!" Christina tilted her head and smiled sweetly.

...

Compared to the south, the northern part of the Keltos Continent was relatively poorer, and Linlopes was no exception. The main issue was the output of the land.

However, it bizarrely had a prosperous commercial scene. If one had to pinpoint a reason, it was probably because of the abundance of mercenaries. Living on the edge, mercenaries never knew if they had a tomorrow, hence they were never stingy with spending money. Crucially, they had a large amount of incidental income. Thus, creating Linlopes’s thriving commercial scene, which in turn led to many disputes, consequently nurturing the mercenary industry.

Looking around, Linlopes’s commercial street was lined with shops filled with assorted goods, mostly frequented by mercenaries. Even the guards for each store were mercenaries.

"I want that hat!" Christina exclaimed with joy.

Andrew didn’t even look and said casually, "Buy it."