Vol 1 Chapter 2 (1/2)
Chapter 2: Light and Shadow Part 2 – translated by raylight
The next ht of stairs Downstairs, it wasn’t very crowded or noisy The price range of the inn was considered above average, so ordinary adventurers would not stay there Rather, those staying at this inn were mostly merchants Compared to adventurers who liked to shout in loud voices, merchants were usually more low-key and wouldn’t voluntarily cause trouble Moreover, they were less likely to pay special attention to someone who liked to wear a red cloak, and they wouldn’t stubbornly want to lift that person’s cloak to see as underneath it
This was precisely the h an adventurer, had chosen to stay at this inn
He sat down in front of an eht downstairs, he pondered over what he should do first He had already used up what h time he did some missions to earn money Otherwise, if he were to travel far in the future, he wouldn’t have enough money to buy rations and basic equipment On the other hand…
He suddenly stopped conte to what the people sitting at the table beside hi Threethemselves in hushed tones Their expressions were extre They soon started exchanging information
“Isn’t the tax for entering this city a bit too high? Last year, we only needed to pay twenty silver ducats to enter the city with a cart of cargo, right? Now, the cost has actually increased to one gold ducat! E-even the tax for entering the capital isn’t this expensive If it were cheaper ht with one gold ducat”
“I think that I won’t be coain I would rather hasten my journey a little more, and then rest at the next city”
“Quit drea I just came over from the next city, and the tax there has also just increased For one cart of goods, you need to pay eighty silver ducats”
“What?”
All of the lances One of therumble in a low voice, “Looks like the lords of the cities around this area are actually pretty united!”
Another roup, quickly whispered, “Don’t talk about it anymore Compared to before, at least we can now live our days co!”
The other two im” However, after saying that, the threelost thein a hurry and then left to go about their own business
At thishis rations once ht to do first, but rather over this whole country – the Kingdoht
The Holy King… His true naht to have been called King Lancel or King Ornister However, in order to express their reverence toward hi
King Lancel officially established the country in the first year of his reign during the first year of the Sacred Calendar However, it was only in the third year of the Sacred Calendar that he finally ed to unify the entire continent Now, the twelfth year of the Sacred Calendar was not even over, yet there were already corrupt city lords appearing?
Or perhaps it was Red Cloak as asking for too much?
This place was really very far froovernancewithin the country Not to mention, within those nine years, there had been an invasion froht a war that lasted for one year and eight months
After ending a long era of chaos, he has only been in power for nine years and even fought a two-year ithin that timeframe Despite all that, he was still able to let the citizens live comfortably No matter how you said it, this is a truly incredible feat, and as such the citizens hold the Holy King in high esteem
“You… The one wearing the red cloak!”
Hearing that, Red Cloak turned his head As expected, he saw the bard, as the only acquaintance of his as around The bard alking down the stairs
Eh? Red Cloak sized up the bard Yesterday, the bard’s face was so swollen that it reseone down byon his forehead and a few bruises here and there
“Your wounds sure recovered quickly” He was a little astonished
Hearing these words, the bard proudly said, “Well? I don’t look like a piece of bread anyht?”
“That is true” Red Cloak said indifferently
“Do you knohy I can recover this quickly? You don’t know, right?” The bard started s a secret that Red Cloak knew nothing about was an unprecedented victory
However, Red Cloak gave no reply He only silently chewed on his own rations He indeed found it strange, but he had no intention of asking about it Every adventurer had his own secret, and knowing fewer of others’ secretsThis was coe that every experienced adventurer knew
Though the bard looked conflicted, he continued chattering non-stop, “Want me to tell you? This is a secret, but since you treatyou would rateful to my benefactor… If you really want to know, then I can tell you! Do you want to know? You want to, right?”
This guy, would not talking kill hirowled at hi rubbish and I’ll help you revert back to the way you looked yesterday!”
Despite hearing that, not only was the bard undaunted, he even revealed an extremely satisfied expression Touched, he said, “I just knew that you really wanted to know this secret!”
This guy is beyond hope! Red Cloak used his hand to support his forehead, feeling aabout this fellow He should have let hi himself peace and quiet
The bard s from God, would you believe it?”
“God?”
Red Cloak’s tone showed that he found it extre that he was surprised because he had heard the word “God” it wasa rando an explanation A little impatient, he asked, “When you say God, what exactly do you mean?”
The bard said with absolute certainty, “God is of course that kind of soft and squishy s that can be kneaded into different shapes and bounces around everywhere”
Red Cloak fell silent for a while before he indifferently said, “Sounds more like a sort of mushy creature called a slime that crawls around in the forest Not God”
“Oh!” The bard seemed at a loss and said, “Now that you say that, they really are siolden colored! Who knows… He ht be the God of slimes?”
Saying it like this, don’t tell me you are a slime!
“Even if your injuries have healed, don’t run around ais will not turn out well for you”
Red Cloak tried his best to suppress the urge to send this idiotic bard flying with a punch, and diverted the topic away fro about it, he really would violently beat the bard to a pulp, even if he didn’t like roughing up those without any fighting ability
Instead, the bard revealed a troubled expression Sobbing, he said, “Err… Nonetheless, I cannot do as you say! I still have to sing the Ballad of the Warrior Queen for one o out”
Red Cloak furrowed his brows, ree rule that the bard had previouslythe Ballad of the Warrior Queen for three days every time he arrived at a new place He didn’t ask for the reason, but only asked indifferently, “You can’t even miss one day?”
The bard could only helplessly say, “I don’t have a choice My teacher said that if I wanted hiree to one condition That is, once I became a proper bard, every ti the Ballad of the Warrior Queen for three days This rule is very strict, but my teacher he… really is a superb bard!”
Seems like even if I don’t ask hi the bard’s eager eyes filled with anticipation and the “even if you don’t say anything, I will still talk about it” look on his face, Red Cloak felt another headache co on He could only do as the bard wished and ask him, “Who is your teacher?”
Hearing that, the bard’s anticipation-filled eyes i loudly a few times, and then lifted his chin In an extremely proud manner, he announced the answer, “Lorenzo Louis”
“The bard nicknamed LL?”
Hearing this nahed, and then with a hint of disbelief, said, “LL is the i”
“Used to be However, when the Warrior Queen , he left the Holy City,” added the bard immediately, just to clarify
There seemed to be a shadow of a smile on Red Cloak’s face as he said, “The imperial bard’s student has been reduced to a state where he would be beaten up by the city patrol until he looks like a pig head? Do you think that I would believe you?”
The bard quietly pulled an insignia fronia was old and white threads, and was shaped like a white rose In the golden portion at the center of the rose, there was a lute The lute was even specially arranged into an L-shape
As everyone knew, the white rose was the e All the people who had a white rose insignia were direct subordinates of the Holy King Also, just looking at the object that was crafted into the center of the rose, one could deduce what the subordinate’s profession was