Once Qin Jun finally carried the little girl over that high mountain, the wind and snow hit them head-on. Luckily, she kept clothes for all four seasons in her storage space, so she wasn’t afraid of the cold.

Even in heavy layers, the wind on her face still stung. She buried her whole face into Qin Jun’s fur. Honestly, it felt really comfortable.

After another kilometer or so, they finally saw the three big characters for Snowstorm City. The blizzard was fierce, yet soldiers still held the gate. Their clothes were thinner than Nora’s, so locals clearly adapted to this climate.

Many people, like Nora, couldn’t stand it. They were merchants here to trade. Carriages passed inspection one by one and entered Snowstorm City.

Each carriage was draped in layers of black cloth. You couldn’t see the cargo. Now and then, a beast roar came from inside. No need to guess—there were Monstrous Beasts among them.

When Nora led Qin Jun up to the gate, the soldiers were a bit curious, but didn’t make a fuss. They were used to it.

They checked Nora’s Adventurer badge and waved them through.

Behind them, someone said, “That little girl’s contracted Monstrous Beast must be high level.”

Another soldier snorted, “Probably some rich miss out training. Family sent a guard beast. Unlike us, stuck watching this gate.”

A leader cut in, “Say one more stupid word and I’ll dock your pay.”

The grunts shut up at once.

That leader actually envied the girl with the bear Monstrous Beast. He’d likely spend his life as a small gate officer. His talent wasn’t great—low sixties in level, and he was over forty. No hope left.

Nora didn’t bother with their sentiment. This time she didn’t look for a restaurant first. She asked for directions. She wanted the Adventurers’ Guild to find the kind of job she needed.

The Guild was easy to find. After asking a few people for the location, the girl led Qin Jun there. She drew stares along the way. A contracted beast that big wasn’t something you saw every day, even in a big city.

Nora kept a low profile. Seeing so many eyes on her, she quickened her pace.

At the Adventurers’ Guild, she finally let out a light breath and looked inside.

It was like any other Guild. Adventurers drank, tore into meat, and browsed the job boards.

People glanced at Nora and Qin Jun, then went back to their own business.

Nora took a deep breath of air. This was her place—adventure, take jobs, make money.

She headed straight for the counter. The receptionist was a pretty girl. She saw Nora and smiled. “Adventurer, how can I help you?”

Nora didn’t beat around the bush. “Do you have any escort missions? No matter how hard, I’ll take it.”

The receptionist smiled slightly. “One moment. I’ll check.”

Nora wasn’t in a rush. After a minute, the receptionist laid out a few missions. “This one’s doable at level thirty. It’s simple but pays low—one gold crystal coin. Risk’s very low.”

“This one’s a bit tougher, a level-fifty job. Escort a batch of valuables to the Windfrost Empire. Ten gold crystal coins. Risk isn’t high, but it’s a long road.”

“Lastly, escort the City Lord of Snowstorm City’s gift to the Imperial Academy. Originally his own people would take it, but the annual grand ceremony is near. He needs his guards here to watch Snowstorm City, so he’s hiring adventurers. Pay’s generous—fifty gold crystal coins.”

“The Mercenary Association has been eyeing it for ages, but the City Lord doesn’t think much of them.”

She couldn’t resist shading the Mercenary Association.

Nora thought for a moment and chose the last mission.

The receptionist smiled. “Going with that one? You’ll need to prove your strength.”

The girl produced her level-fifty badge and handed it over.

The receptionist checked it and returned it. “Barely acceptable. Wait here for two days. When it’s time, we’ll notify you to escort with your team.”

Nora frowned a little. “I have teammates?”

The betrayal a few days ago was still fresh. Hearing “teammates” made her uneasy.

“Of course. The City Lord wouldn’t entrust the gift to just one person. You’re one of them—and the lowest level in this squad. The highest are over level seventy.”

Nora thought it through and let it be. She decided to keep conversation to a minimum unless necessary, to avoid unnecessary betrayal.

“I understand. And when it’s time to depart, how will you notify me?”

The receptionist smiled. “Don’t worry. We have our ways.”

Nora knew there was no need for them to lie. She turned to another problem—food. The Guild’s meals were cheaper than outside.

She planned to splurge a little, but still bought just a roast chicken and ate it with steamed buns. She couldn’t bring herself to spend more.

Qin Jun had seen her coin stash when she paid. She had plenty, yet she wouldn’t spend it. He wondered what debt weighed on her, that even her meal money had to be squeezed.

He took the drumstick she handed him with his mouth and chewed slowly. He didn’t even spit the bone. His bite strength made bones feel like tofu.

While they ate, a decent-looking man walked over. Qin Jun glanced at him. Level sixty. Around thirty. Not worth caring about.

Nora was happily eating and didn’t notice. When he sat down beside her, she startled and reached for her sword, thinking he meant trouble. It was hard to believe anyone would try that inside the Guild. The rule was clear—no behavior that sullies the Guild’s image, or punishment follows.

It wasn’t some melodramatic scene. The man wasn’t bad. He carried two dishes, set them by her, and spoke lazily, “Don’t move, miss. I just can’t bear seeing you eat only that. It’s a small token.”

Hearing that, Nora put away her Colossal Sword. She looked a bit embarrassed. “Thank you. I feel bad about it.”

She didn’t refuse. She did want to eat.

Qin Jun thought, If I ever become this girl’s husband, will a single meal trick her away? I’d lose big.

Whether she’d remember the favor was another matter. For now, in her book, not taking a freebie makes you a fool.

The man smiled. “No worries. I’m Elfa. Treat it like a gift from a friend.”

Nora gave a shy smile. She didn’t offer a return gift, just said, “Thanks.”

He waved and left.

She ate the dishes he gave. They were pretty tasty. She picked a few pieces for Qin Jun. He ate them all. Indeed good, and likely not poisoned. So there were idle folks like him in this world too.

At night, the girl found an inn. It wasn’t expensive, but it was the bottom tier. The inn had a rule: no pet monsters inside.

In truth, they could allow them. It was obviously about the fee. The girl didn’t want to pay more, so Qin Jun stayed in the stables. There weren’t even any horses. The inn seemed short on guests.

That was fine. Qin Jun finally had a little space to himself. Time to live as a human for a bit. He planned to tend to human needs.

He waited until the girl fell asleep, then changed back into human form. He switched into a sharp outfit and looked quite dashing.

He didn’t go straight to the brothel. He stopped at the inn first, found the landlady, and gave her money. He asked her to prepare a lavish breakfast tomorrow and to say it was from someone to Nora. If she did well, he’d add more crystal coins.

The landlady agreed at once and took the money with a grin.

She asked, “Anything else you need? With the right pay, anything’s fine.”

The hint was obvious—even herself.

Qin Jun wasn’t that desperate. With the landlady’s plump build, he had no interest. He handed her a few more gold crystal coins, told her to stick to the plan, and left without looking back. The landlady watched him longingly. “Such a handsome kid. I’d even give him a discount for one night.”

Hearing that, Qin Jun shuddered again. He’d done all this so the girl could live a little better, not grind herself down. He could take hardship. He couldn’t watch someone he cared about suffer.

After that, he went to the brothel. This time he didn’t plan to sleep with the girls. He just wanted to listen to music for a while.

Who says that doesn’t count as tending to his needs? He had a lot to think through.