The moment Arelion stepped inside the tavern, he felt it.
The noise.
The tension.
And right at the center of it—
A girl.
Small frame. Short stature. Wearing a thick cloak that looked far too casual for a place like this. Pale blue hair cut unevenly, as if she'd done it herself with a knife and bad intentions.
She stood on top of a table.
"…I said give me the best beer you have!"
The bartender looked like he was reconsidering every life choice that led him here.
"We don't serve alcohol to children."
"I'm not a child!"
"Yes you are."
"I'm an adult!"
"No you are not."
Arelion blinked slowly.
"…Is this the tavern tutorial boss?"
Sir Elayne scanned the room, hand resting near her sword. "She is the cause of the disturbance."
People nearby whispered.
"That brat's been yelling for ten minutes."
"She froze a mug earlier."
"Don't provoke her."
Froze a mug?
Arelion stepped closer. "Uh… excuse me. What's going on?"
Several patrons turned to him immediately.
"She's trying to drink beer."
"She says she's an adult."
"She's clearly not."
The girl snapped her head toward him.
"You—tall guy. Say something."
Arelion looked at her.
Really looked.
And without warning—
Something clicked.
The world shifted.
His vision sharpened.
Symbols bloomed into existence like faint reflections on glass.
—Crown of Valuation—
A thin, translucent crown appeared above his head.
…What?
Golden lines traced the air. Numbers. Concepts. Fragments of value layered over reality itself.
Above the girl—
Values spiked.
Combat potential: abnormalMana density: compressedThreat assessment: high
Arelion stiffened.
Inner thought:
Oh.So this is not a tutorial NPC.
He forced himself to stay calm.
…This is actually kind of cool.
Value Sight flowed naturally, showing more than he expected.
Not just strength.
Reputation.
Risk.
Potential return.
She was loud.
Rude.
A walking disaster.
And extremely worth it.
The girl continued yelling. "I've lived longer than all of you combined! I've fought monsters you only read about!"
Arelion nodded slowly.
"…Yeah. That checks out."
Sir Elayne glanced at him. "Arelion?"
He waved her off slightly.
Still processing.
So this is how it works.Not power.Not level.
Value.
Interesting.
The girl narrowed her eyes. "Why are you staring like that?"
Arelion smiled.
"I was thinking," he said casually, "you seem useful."
The tavern went quiet.
"…What?"
"How about joining us?" Arelion continued. "We're planning to defeat the Demon King."
A beat.
Then laughter.
Loud. Sharp. Mocking.
"Hah! You?" she scoffed. "You look rich, not strong."
Inner thought:
She noticed the money first.Dangerous.
She crossed her arms. "No beer, no deal."
Arelion sighed.
"…Fine. Best beer in the house."
Her eyes lit up immediately.
"Two mugs."
"…One."
"Three."
"Two."
"Deal."
He ordered drinks.
One for himself.
One for her.
And one—
He glanced at Elayne.
"…For her too."
Sir Elayne frowned. "I do not—"
The mugs arrived.
The girl grabbed hers immediately and drank like she'd been waiting centuries.
"Ahhh," she sighed. "That's the good stuff."
She slammed the mug down.
"I'm Iris," she said proudly. "Ice magic specialist. Very strong. Very famous. You should be honored."
Arelion nodded solemnly.
"I am deeply honored."
Inner thought:
She's worse than Frieren before breakfast.
As he thought, something moved in the corner of his vision.
Iris casually reached over—
—and took Elayne's mug.
Sir Elayne froze.
"…That was mine."
Iris drank it anyway.
Background chaos.
Arelion didn't even notice.
He was busy smiling.
Because for the first time—
His journey wasn't just beginning.
It was getting interesting.