Vol 1 Chapter 1 (1/2)
Chapter 1: Light and Shadow Part 1 – translated by Doza
“You really are a good person!”
The wandering bard happily surveyed his room. That’s right! It was a room for him alone. He had not expected that the eccentric Red Cloak would not only take him in, but even help him book another room. Initially, he had felt that even sleeping on the floor would be good enough! Sure enough, his luck today was pretty good.
“… Ramble on any more and I’ll slaughter you with my blade.”
The bard exclaimed in surprise, “Eh? You use blades? Normally everyone wants to use a ‘sword’ to chop me up!”1
Looks like this fellow has frequently angered other people. Red Cloak didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
“Since you have treated me so well, I will sing the Ballad of the Warrior Queen to you once more as a lullaby before you go to sleep!”
“No need…”
However, the bard had already opened his mouth and started softly singing the Ballad of the Warrior Queen which had an extremely mellow melody. “The Warrior Queen, is what she’s called…”
Since he had already started singing, Red Cloak also stopped protesting. He simply sat on the bedside, quietly listening to that song that was as tranquil as still water.
Hee! I knew this person likes the Ballad of the Warrior Queen. Looks like I may have all three meals provided for me for the next three days!The bard sighed delightedly in his heart.
Ah! Sure enough, fate is in my favor at the moment.
There was evidence to confirm that Red Cloak was, as expected, a generous host. Not only did he provide three meals, he didn’t mind even when the bard additionally ordered some expensive wine along with his meal. He seemingly did not have much of a notion about money.
A silver ducat for a gla.s.s of wine. Even some of the lesser n.o.bility could not afford to drink at these prices. However, when the bard asked if he could add on an order of one gla.s.s of wine, Red Cloak merely replied, “Do as you wish.”
He is definitely super rich! And thus the bard decided to latch on to this person till death.
“You really take a mile when given an inch!” Red Cloak glanced at the wine in the bard’s hand, but as usual used an unconcerned tone to say, “I don’t suppose you’ll still want dessert after this?”
“Ah!” The bard sighed over the good wine, and replied very politely, “Actually there’s no need for that. I’m not interested in dessert.”
Red Cloak reclined against the back of the chair and said in a calm tone, “That’s quite strange, I had thought you would like dessert a lot.”
“Why would you think so?” The bard asked curiously.
“Because the impression you give is like a slice of cake.”
The bard smiled sweetly. “Oh, are you saying I’m as sweet and beautiful as a cake?”
Red Cloak let out a quick “Haha” and replied, “You are just like a cake, all show and no substance. Eating an apple is more filling.”
“This is a total misunderstanding. I am indeed showy, but also very dependable.” The bard strongly protested.
Without a trace of politeness, Red Cloak reprimanded, “A guy who spends all his money on hair oil to the point where he has no money for food has absolutely nothing to do with the word ‘dependable’!”
“That…” The bard’s face turned pained, the merciless example rendering him absolutely speechless.
With nothing to say in response, all he could do was rub his nose. In any case he couldn’t do anything to Red Cloak.
The two of them silently bowed their heads and ate the food on their plates. When Red Cloak had almost finished eating, he looked up to ask, “Are you still going to the tavern to sing the Ballad of the Warrior Queen? Is today the second day?”
“That’s right!” The bard nodded his head, and could not help asking out of curiosity, “How about you? What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to the Adventurers’ Guild to see if there are any missions I can accept!” Red Cloak shrugged, saying, “If not, then we might have to starve.”
“… Aren’t you very rich?” The bard froze. How could it be different from what he had a.s.sumed?
Red Cloak casually took out a wallet, turning it upside down and producing just a single clink of ducats.
“One gold ducat and one silver ducat?”
The bard counted again and again. The amount was so straightforward that counting wrongly would really require some talent… Goodness! They hadn’t paid for their food yet, and just now he had even ordered a gla.s.s of wine worth a silver ducat! Furthermore, they had eaten two plates of minced meat noodles, two bowls of thick soup, two rolls of white bread and a plate of beef. None of these dishes come cheap, and they probably add up to almost another silver ducat? If that’s the case…
“We are left with only nine silver ducats?” The bard cried out in alarm.
“It is ‘I’ who am left with only nine silver ducats,” Red Cloak emphasized clearly.
“The r-room…” The bard was panicking so much that he stuttered.
“Relax, I paid for a week of the room’s fee in advance,” Red Cloak replied very understandingly.
The bard heaved a sigh of relief, pleased with the additional wealth as he patted his chest. “Then having nine silver ducats is enough. I’ll sing the Ballad of the Warrior Queen for two more days, and then I can start earning money.”
He shot a glance at Red Cloak and could not resist commenting, “But then again, you are also too careless about money. Since you only have one gold and one silver ducat left, why did you still let me order that gla.s.s of expensive wine? Ahhh! Don’t tell me you booked two rooms for the entire week?”
After receiving Red Cloak’s nod of confirmation, the bard tossed both hands in the air with a sage-like expression of lamentation on his face. Then he bowed his head and continued mumbling to himself, “There was absolutely no need to book an extra room. It would have been fine for two people to cram together a bit, right? It’s really such an excessive waste of money. Now I don’t know whether the innkeeper is even willing to give us a refund. Probably not… Did you know, a gold ducat is actually enough for a family to comfortably live for more than half a year? If it is a thrifty family, it could be enough to last even eight or nine months. How can you spend it all just like that? If you were very rich, then it wouldn’t matter, but you already have no money, so how can you still be so extravagant?! Even though it is hard to live frugally after being accustomed to luxury, since you’re already out of funds, you still have to learn to be thrifty…”
“Why don’t you order another gla.s.s of wine?” Red Cloak calmly asked.
“No way, how can I still drink wine? We’re going to run out of money soon!” The bard was very anxious. There was only a gold ducat and silver ducat left on the table… No, it was actually nine silver ducats!
“Don’t say that. We got acquainted for better or for worse, so it’s a must to give a gla.s.s of farewell wine.”
“Farewell?” Stunned, the bard asked blankly, “Ah, but I’m not leaving? Don’t tell me that you are leaving?”
“I know you are not leaving, and I am also not leaving.” Red Cloak finished speaking collectedly, then suddenly grabbed the bard’s collar, and fiercely growled, “But if you start complaining again, then I’m afraid I’ll be unable to resist hacking you to death with one strike of my blade, sending you to the netherworld!”
The bard obediently closed his mouth. “I won’t complain anymore, so let’s eat!”
Red Cloak didn’t respond at all.
“Will you come to listen to the song?” The bard still couldn’t resist asking another question. Having a person who liked to listen to the Ballad of the Warrior Queen sitting in the audience was always better than having the whole place filled with booing, though as a rather cold fellow, Red Cloak probably wouldn’t applaud.
“I’ll see if I can go later.” Red Cloak looked outside the door, saying, “Besides going to the guild, I still have some other business to take care of.”
The bard didn’t dare ask Red Cloak what he was going to do, because when Red Cloak had spoken, his voice had dropped several pitches. He thought it definitely couldn’t be anything that would make the listener happy.
“Since you aren’t leaving, I’m going to go first.”
As Red Cloak spoke, he seemed to have shot a glance at the bard’s wine. The wine gla.s.s was still one-third full, but he had no intention of waiting for the bard to slowly finish it. He pushed away the plate in front of him, left his seat, and headed for the door of the inn.
“See you later!” After loudly bidding Red Cloak goodbye, the bard continued to drink his wine, but when he looked down he saw two s.h.i.+ny ducats on the table. He hastily stood up and yelled, “Wait, you didn’t take your money!”
Red Cloak didn’t even look back and just replied nonchalantly, “Keep it for your lunch money!”
“Then what… about you?”
The bard’s voice grew softer and softer as he spoke, as Red Cloak had already walked out. Even if he were to call out again, Red Cloak wouldn’t be able to hear him.
Why is he being so nice to me? Is it really just for a performance of the Ballad of the Warrior Queen? The bard pondered over Red Cloak’s every action, but still could not reach a verdict.
“Maybe it’s not so much that he’s being nice to me than the fact that his character is simply rather casual?”
Believing that he had already figured it out, the bard beckoned a waitress over to finish settling the bill and then inquired about taverns in the vicinity where he could perform the Ballad of the Warrior Queen.
The night was dark, and the moon had risen up high. Red Cloak returned quite late and went to his own room unaccompanied, having no intention of greeting the bard in the neighboring room.