Chapter 11. Emerald Heart
With a sword hanging at her waist, Fulan pushed open the door of the Emerald Heart Tavern.
She had just bought that sword from a street stall.
When she examined it earlier, she realized it looked very similar to the one she had seen her future self using during her Astrology vision.
Then she took another look at the stall owner.
Surprisingly, it was the same impoverished noble youth who had sold her the Breathing Method. It seemed he had fallen so low that he was now selling his sword.
She had just earned a fair amount of money, and with all those coincidences aligning, she bought the sword for three silver coins.
The sudden impulse to buy the sword also had something to do with the Emerald Heart Tavern itself.
Among apprentices, the tavern was quite famous, and many rumors surrounded it.
It was said that the tavern had existed for over a hundred years, dating back to the earliest days of the Apprentice Market.
No one had ever seen its owner.
However, the bartenders and security personnel constantly changed. Most of them were apprentices who had failed their evaluations or graduated from the academy.
The tavern also occasionally sold rare items—spells, combat techniques, and similar things.
But if someone simply walked in without knowing the proper approach, they would gain nothing.
There was another rumor as well.
Conflicts often broke out inside the tavern. It was said that several apprentices had even died there.
Yet the tavern continued operating as usual.
From that alone, one could imagine how powerful the forces behind it must be.
Fulan wore a robe that was not particularly convenient for fighting. She wondered if her identity as an apprentice might help her avoid unnecessary attacks.
Unfortunately, she had miscalculated.
When she pushed the door open, no one paid attention to her.
That was, until a drunk suddenly shouted at her.
“From Cuilan Academy?”
She turned her head.
From the man’s clothing, she could tell that he was an apprentice from the neighboring Velos Academy.
Looking around, she finally understood why apprentices could die here without anyone interfering.
Half the people present were wearing apprentice robes.
Among the rest, there were probably very few who were not apprentices themselves.
Naturally, conflicts between apprentices had nothing to do with the tavern.
If the academies investigated, they would simply conclude that it was a dispute between apprentices.
Why would they blame the tavern?
Before she could respond, the drunk began shouting again, making it clear that this situation would not be resolved without a fight.
“I hate people from Cuilan Academy the most! That bastard named Richter killed my younger brother…”
Fulan was certain he was referring to Richter.
Damn it, I am his enemy too. Why are you picking a fight with me?
The surrounding crowd stopped drinking and chatting, clearly eager to watch the spectacle.
Judging by the drunk’s condition, Fulan knew that conversation was pointless.
Fortunately, the tavern clearly stated at the entrance that spells were prohibited.
With her Breathing Method, she was confident she could handle this easily.
The drunk suddenly hurled a wooden mug at her.
Fulan casually stepped aside and avoided the attack.
The mug smashed against the ground with a loud CLATTER.
The surrounding spectators immediately erupted into cheers.
“Fight! Fight!”
Seeing that he had missed, the drunk charged forward, relying on his larger physique.
Fulan decided it was time to end this farce.
She activated the Breathing Method.
Moving as fast as the wind, she sidestepped and planted a kick against the charging man’s side.
The force sent the drunk flying.
He crashed into a wooden pillar, leaving a visible dent.
Fulan slowly stopped using the Breathing Method.
The reason she used it so casually was that her Breathing Method had already advanced to a new stage.
[Swift Wind Breathing Method (Mastered) (Proficiency: 12/1000): You have developed a deep understanding of this Breathing Method and can utilize it effectively.]
Her Constitution had also increased to 1.4 due to the improved level of the Breathing Method.
It had risen by 0.4, reaching the same value as her original Spirit attribute.
[You have skillfully controlled the Swift Wind Breathing Method during combat. Proficiency +10.]
After reaching the Mastered level, she discovered that she could freely activate or deactivate the Breathing Method during combat.
Previously, she had been forced to complete the entire breathing cycle, often leaving her breathless.
Through experimentation, she determined that she could now maintain its enhancement effect for roughly five minutes during battle.
That was only because her Breathing Method was incomplete.
If it were complete, she estimated it could last ten minutes and provide even greater strength.
After knocking the drunk down, she drew her sword and pointed the blade at his throat.
The entire tavern fell silent.
No one spoke.
After holding the sword there for a moment, Fulan lifted the drunk’s chin with the tip of the blade.
Only then did she realize that he had already passed out from the collision.
Not entirely familiar with handling a sword, she withdrew it slightly clumsily, leaving a thin cut on the man’s face.
Fulan sheathed the sword and looked across the room, searching for her target.
Once the sword was lowered, the crowd collectively let out a breath of relief.
Soon, the sounds of drinking and conversation resumed.
The Emerald Heart Tavern was enormous.
The interior was divided into several sections.
After some searching, Fulan finally spotted a feathered hat in a corner.
The man wearing it was dressed elegantly.
His clothes were spotless, and both his hair and cuffs were meticulously arranged.
He sat alone, with only a single glass of unknown liquid in front of him.
“Hello. Are you Elan?”
“Yes. Please sit first. We can discuss your business slowly.”
Fulan sat down casually and spoke directly.
“I heard that you sell spells here. I came to buy one.”
“I see. Would you like a glass of fruit wine? It will not make you drunk.”
“No.”
Fulan was naturally cautious and would not casually drink something offered by a stranger.
Besides, even in her previous life, she had never particularly liked alcohol.
So she refused without hesitation.
Elan pulled a sheet of paper from beneath the table and handed it to her.
“That is unfortunate. I was planning to treat you to that fruit wine…”
Fulan ignored the remark and carefully examined the list of spells.
After reading through it, she discovered that there were indeed many spells available here.
Quite a few of them interested her.
Unfortunately, the prices were rather high.
If she bought more than one, she would not even have money left to purchase alchemy materials.
“Wind Blade… Mage Shield… Telekinetic Hand… Mud Swamp…”
After thinking for a moment, Fulan decided on Wind Blade.
First, it was an offensive spell.
Second, she possessed Wind Element affinity through her trait.
She wanted to see whether the two might produce some kind of synergy.
She rotated the paper and pointed to the line containing Wind Blade.
“Fifty silver coins,” Elan said, raising an eyebrow. “Why would someone who looks like a potential member of the Sword Chant School want a spell like that? Should you not choose Mage Shield or something like Silence instead…?”
Fulan answered with a single sentence that left Elan speechless.
“What is the Sword Chant School?”
She truly had no idea what the Sword Chant School was.
Judging from the name, did it mean using a sword like a magical staff?
Afterward, she handed the money to Elan.
Elan passed the coins to a nearby server.
A few minutes later, the server returned carrying a book.
Elan opened it, pointed to a page, and said,
“The spell is on this page.”
Fulan took the book and prepared to leave.
But Elan called out to her.
“Hey, friend. Do not rush off yet. Would you like to discuss a business opportunity?”