The baron's daughter had asked before, but to no avail. Xu Feng frankly said it was inconvenient to talk about, and he didn't want to lie, asking Catherine to understand his predicament.
Though curious, Catherine was a reasonable girl. Since he had already said it was inconvenient, she didn't press further. After all, everyone has their own secrets, and she truly appreciated Xu Feng's frankness and honesty.
"Is there something you need my help with？"
Though she was known as the Thorny Rose, that nickname was for dealing with those outside perverts. In truth, Catherine wasn't hard to get along with, and her nature was quite kind. She noticed a hint of hesitation hidden on the young man's face.
"Miss Catherine, thank you for saving me, and for taking care of me these past few days. I want to leave."
"Leave?" The baron's daughter raised her delicate brow. "Go where, or... is it inconvenient to say again?"
"No, I want to go to the imperial capital."
"The imperial capital? Do you have relatives there?"
"No, but I want to go make my way in the world. A real man can't just freeload at your estate forever！"
What you said makes sense, but Catherine still had a doubt in her mind. After hesitating for a moment, she said, "But do you have any money？" Back then, Xu Feng had fainted by the roadside from hunger, and the baron's daughter was well aware that he was stone broke.
"Well..." Xu Feng was speechless. A transmigrator as poor as himself was practically unheard of. He sighed. "No. If it's not too much trouble, miss, could you lend me some？"
There was no helping it. Xu Feng really couldn't think of any way to make money, and in this world, the only person he was familiar with so far was Catherine. Fortunately, she was a baron's daughter from a well-off family, so she must have a lot of savings. He could borrow some from her now, and once he made something of himself, he'd repay the favor.
Of course, he wasn't sure if she'd be willing, but he wouldn't know unless he tried.
"Alright！"
Catherine thought it over briefly, then nodded in agreement, her decisiveness surprising Xu Feng. "Wait a moment, I'll go get you the money."
Watching the girl disappear among the flowers, Xu Feng still hadn't recovered from his shock... It seemed the heavens weren't treating him too badly; his bad luck was gradually fading away.
"So much？"
Staring at the hundred silver coins before him, a look of astonishment crossed the young man's face. By the spending standards of Hailan Star, this was already a huge sum.
"One shouldn't accept a favor without having done anything to deserve it." What was Catherine's intention in doing this？
In truth, the baron's daughter herself didn't quite know. Facing Xu Feng, she felt a strange sensation. Don't get the wrong idea—it wasn't fondness or affection. Rather... she inexplicably felt this man would be remarkable in the future. It was as if a voice somewhere in the void told her she should help him.
Why would she have such a thought? Catherine herself was very confused.
"Take it. The capital is thousands of miles away from here, and you have no family or friends there."
"Thanks！"
Xu Feng took the silver coins without putting on airs; he knew the road ahead was perilous, and if he, like other transmigrators, managed to make it big, he would definitely repay this kind girl.
Watching the young man's figure gradually fade into the distance, a sense of loneliness welled up in the baroness's heart.
Although he planned to head to the imperial capital—after all, the same logic applied as on Earth: bigger cities meant more opportunities, and to make a name for himself, he couldn't just hole up in this tiny border town—it was only after leaving the baron's mansion that Xu Feng remembered a crucial problem: he didn't know the way. What's more, Hailan Star wasn't like Earth. Though it had amazing magic, transportation was terribly backward. No cars, no trains, let alone planes. How was he supposed to get there？
Here, traveling from one city to another wasn't something you could solve by just buying a ticket.
What should he do？
A bit frustrated, but it wasn't an unsolvable problem. Xu Feng quickly came up with an idea. He went to the Chamber of Commerce in Rull City and soon found a suitable target: a caravan heading to the imperial capital, selling the elven specialties they had collected from the Green Sea Forest.
Speaking of elves, Xu Feng, who loved reading fantasy novels before his transmigration, was very interested in them. They revered nature, were graceful and beautiful, with their pointed ears as their hallmark, and had deep attainments in music and art. Of course, the most intriguing part was... elf beauties.
Legend has it that elves were a race favored by the gods. Their appearances seemed carved by an artist's hand. Across the entire race, it was very hard to find an ugly girl among them. Just imagine—a whole race of beauties... what a temptation for men.
Nor could the elves' power be underestimated. They had established the Natural Alliance, standing as three pillars alongside humanity's Tiger Empire and the beastmen's Beastman Kingdom as the three strongest forces on Hailan Star. Though there were many other intelligent beings, they were comparatively weaker.
Elves live in the forest, but they are not cut off from the world. Although thousands of years ago they were indeed self-sufficient, as times evolved, that conservative lifestyle has been abandoned. They also interact, trade, and learn from other intelligent races.
Luer City borders the Green Sea, and it's an important outpost for trading with the elves. Unfortunately, most human merchants enter the forest to exchange goods with the elves. Although Xu Feng had already been in this world for a week, he still hadn't seen the legendary... elf beauties.
However, word has it that in the bustling capital, elves and orcs often appear, and there are even exchange students from these races in the Royal Academy！
Xu Feng was full of anticipation for this. The caravan he had chosen had purchased a large number of elven handicrafts from the Green Sea and planned to transport them to the capital for sale at high prices. Xu Feng intended to persuade the caravan owner to take him along. That way, he wouldn't have to worry about getting lost, and the safety factor would be much higher—bandits often lurked on the road, after all, and the caravan had hired mercenaries.
Everything went smoothly, but there's no such thing as a free lunch. Xu Feng paid five silver coins, and his food and lodging along the way were his own responsibility.
As for the price, how should I put it... it wasn't too expensive. After all, the journey from here to the capital would take over a month. Thinking of this, Xu Feng began to miss Earth again. It was only then that he realized the advantages of developed shipping—if there were planes available, it would be much faster.
But for now, it was all just wishful thinking. Xu Feng shook his head, readjusted his mindset, and focused on the matter at hand. The mercenaries hired by the caravan also piqued his interest.