Volume 1 Chapter 3 (1/2)
The Instructor’s Request
Weed first walked to the fountain and filled his canteen ater, and then he headed for the sculpture shop It was Weed’s first trip down the street, and it was crammed with users and NPCs
“We need a cleric at level 17 or above”
“Hey, guy! We’re going to raid on Cave Lasok Anyone want to join us?”
Plenty of users were on the street, but none of theh Wandering around in a traveler’s outfit, deprived of even a breastplate, revealed that he has yet to a the innudom, the sculpture shop holds a special position
Most ordinary adventurers can barely recall where the sculpture shop is located because if was less to them Only an extremely small number of users who learned the Sculpture Art visit periodically But the sculpture shop stands right next to the jewelry store on Central Avenue, and is one of the few frequently visited shops by the noblewomen
Chime
Weed entered the sculpture shop
“Welcoer?”
The shopkeeper was receiving a new custoentle smile, until he saw Weed’s outfit at that point, he suddenly changed the tone of his voice
Weed looked around the shop, only to find that there was no other custorocery store is always full to the limit of occupancy, but the sculpture shop only entertains a few custo daily revenues, however, the sculpture shop does lag behind the blacksmith’s workshop In other words, the sculpture shop sells pretty expensive merchandises
Weed adjusted his collar and asked politely,
“I have come here to find an answer to the question which troubles me so dearly, sir”
“So you want to ask er?”
“Yes, sir If you could spare ht now, please leave”
The shopkeeper rejected hi very annoyed As Weed’s fame was zero, and they were unacquainted, the shopkeeper had every right to chase him out of the shop
“Yes, sir I will see you later”
“Goodbye” said the shopkeeper
Weed was taking his tilance at the statues that were on display
“How grand!”
Weed exclairandeur of this statue fascinates my soul Do you supply this to the Rosenheim Court?”
The shopkeeper could not help but lend an ear to Weed
“Which one are you talking about, stranger?”
“This two-headed eagle uess which master carved this, but I can sense the excellence of his worknified beyond dispute It is so full of life that I al the place This store deserves this class of item They have opened my humble eyes to a heavenly beauty descended to Earth”
Whether or not the shopkeeper realizes, hisa horizontal crescent “Are you interested in sculptural art, traveler?”
“I daresay I aht of outstanding statues, and nificent spirit embodied in theood company to arouse me from boredom”
“Thank you, sir”
“Would you like a cup of tea?”
“Only if you’re kind enough of offer me cold honeyed water I will be satisfied with a cup of cold water”
“Sure! Of course I have it”
Weed drank the honeyed water blended by the shopkeeper, which soothed the exhaustion that he had accumulated over the last three weeks
“Now tellyou so much” The shopkeeper said
“Yes, sir But can you please forgivefor a brief tour of these statues on display before everything else? I have business that de ood look at these masterpieces of art” Weed said
“Youas you wish Isn’t it the raison d’être of fine statues to please those who appreciate their value?” The shopkeeper consented with a content soodwill, one scarcely disturbed by visitors and away from public attention Suppose that you asked to look at various iterocery store—the next second you would be kicked out
Weed relished the statues on display at leisure But he had his own agenda “I doubt sculpture mastery will make a pile of money” The most expensive statue that is currently present is worth 30 silvers The quality statues are made of stones or rare wood, and in spite of the impressive workmanshi+p, the materials the raved stones
Weed knew that there would be antic lion statue or bronze status, but he wasn’t fooled by the possibility that was so far off What kind of nobleman with so much money would order a new statue every year? He needed to reach the top of the ladder in order to do really well as a sculptor Little couaranteed that it wouldn’t need too much effort to become the best in the industry
Still, it was a niche uaranteed way to et other users as potential consu better equip equip users, but statues were valueless to them except in rare instances
“Waste of time, waste of ame was to make money, with a capital M He looked around the display for the last time and passed his verdict on sculpture mastery
“The skill is worth a dime in a dozen” Weed sat down across fro for?” The shopkeeper asked
“I am interested in a past event I was told that soht in the Royal Palace fifty years ago I would like to know if there’s any truth of that event” Weed said
“Oh that event! It is legendary tale that has been passed down a the sculptors I also heard it from some trustworthy patrons fro the end, but the owner of the sculptor shop also knew the ru Hall had claimed to have heard
<tbody>
Quest Complete!
A Mystery Sculptor who is rumored to have visited the Royal Palace
The rumor that had reached the instructor’s ear really took place A sculptor carved the st the Serebourgians, though it reht
Reward: Return to the instructor to clairinned broadly This was, after all, a simple quest with the lowest difficulty level E At the sa friends with the shopkeeper, it could have turned out tricky
How that he was done with the quest, the nextHall and earn a reward froht moment to say his farewells and leave, the shopkeeper, absorbed in thought, finally spoke out
“I have not heard how he carved the ht”
“Did the patrons from the Royal Court not tell you about it?”
“Hmm, they always omitted it in their tale They refused to tell me about it They said Queen Evane of Rosenheim, O may her soul rest in peace, was involve in the event Can you do ratified?”
<tbody>
The Sculptor’s Past
The rumor has it that Queen Evane was involved in the event when the sculptor presented hiht The shopkeeper of the sculpture shop wondered what link existed between the two of the: If you are found to be investigating the rumor in question, you will be exposed to hostility frohts
</tbody>
Weed’s clenched fists were shaking in excitement “This, it’s a serial quest”
Even when the difficulty level of a quest is awfully low, the level of rewards shoots up in case of serial quests The es you complete, the more difficult the quest becohly difficult for Weed at his current level to solve
The only quests that Weed could co around and gathering information from people
“I am still incompetent I am afraid I may not be worthy of your request” Weed said
“I am certain you are up to this task You prudence shall lead the way to safety” The shopkeeper replied
“If you say so, I will take it willingly” Weed said
<tbody>
You have accepted the quest
</tbody>
“Thank you traveler A bard with knowledge in ancient tales and street gossip is the one whom you should ask about Queen Evane Beware! This matter is very sensitive, so you should not cause trouble that ht lead to any defa down a sudden iht to a pub across the street
“Good afternoon” Returning the greeting from a waitress, Weed looked around in search of a bard There were a few conditions to meet First, he counted the bard users out when he looked for the rightshot that any user had ever heard of an event that had happened in the Royal Palace half a century before Weed would be better off to find a Serabourgian native, possibly an elderly
Whether he could sing ballads favorably or not, an old bard was reliable when it coossip Weed stopped by several pubs until he found a bard who lived up to his expectations It was a ed bard in his forties, experience buy with both char both hands, Weed approached the bard
“Thank you for a fine ballad, sir Forgiveyou, but I want to ask you a few questions… Do you knohat happened fifty years ago in the Royal Court of Rosenheim?”
The bard’s thrust his palesture irave sense of responsibility that he would not waste a penny
“You sure have a char both the lyrics and the music for that ballad Also your skills in the instrument were more than impressive…”
“…”
“I bet you broke the hearts ofray of sunshi+ne at the peak of your career Of course, I do not doubt that you are still stealing ladies’ hearts… For a bard, adventure and ro I also love roo away, and the bard snapped, “I’m sick and tired of cheap coner Show et lost”
Weed was ive up the quest in the middle? Anyway, the quest doesn’t penalize ive me sweet rewards later, and I would hate to miss out on them”
Weed’s hand slipped into his pocket and fished out a coin before he realized his mistake Two silvers! There were two silver coins in his pocket That was everything that the instructor had given hi fee for the previous quest
The bard seized the silver coin from Weed’s palotten to exchange his money into smaller coins in advance
“I can’t believe I made such a silly rief
“Hmph, this is a secret, so you must keep it to yourself” The bard said under his breath “Queen Evan and the sculptor had been on intimate terms since they were children”
“What do you mean by inti else for intimate terms between a man and a woman—they loved each other”
“Point taken” Weed now realized why poking his nose into the rumor had to remain a secret from the Royal Court
Given that the former Queen’s sacred nahts would be willing to silence anyone at any cost to keep her honor intact
The bard glanced around the pub and added cautiously “They were born in the sa each other dearly inornaiven by him when she was a child, with a dream that she would becoirl was chosen to be the Royal Maid and the boy left her But in the end, there was a promise between them”
“What promise, if I may ask?” Weed asked, now curious
“Zahab proirl the uess it was not kept, then The Queen nificent statues in her place”
“No, he kept it Many years later, Zahab presented himself as a quest to the Royal Court It was said that, at the sight of his work, she wasit was the most beautiful creature under heaven”
“Then, what statue, for Freya’s sake, did he present to Queen Evane? A Queen doesn’t easily cherish an ordinary piece”