Arcane splendor begins with the throne

Chapter 10 The Little Duke

Brian used a small sharp dagger to remove the bones from the golden and crispy roast duck, then slowly and methodically cut it into small pieces and placed them on the wooden plate in front of him.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that the satyr opposite had nothing but an empty beer mug.

The poet pretended to be uninterested in food, looking a little dumbfounded at the bottom of the empty wine glass, sitting on a chair and dreaming about the harp.

Brian glanced at him calmly, and quickly figured out why.

In his opinion, the luxuriously dressed bard in front of him is likely to be so poor that he can't even afford breakfast.

Even so, this hedonistic prodigal son did not forget to exchange the little money he had for a glass of cheap stout instead of a few pieces of bread to fill his stomach.

Thinking of this, Brian pushed the remaining smoky barbecue meat on the plate in front of the poet. After successfully attracting the poet's beautiful emerald eyes, he turned his attention to his mug of beer and a cup of beer. Plate bread smeared with honey, and invited with a smile: "If you don't mind, please go ahead, Mario Liangge poet."

After finishing speaking, Brian reached into the salt dish with his thumb and index finger, sprinkled more than half of the meat slices on the wooden plate, stabbed a piece of meat with a dagger, and ate with relish.

He moved his hands and feet like a true aristocrat, and he seemed out of place in this noisy tavern.

"Thank you for your generosity, Mr. Brian." The goat Mario gave him a grateful look, and immediately put the harp, which was regarded as a treasure, on his lap.

The poet first filled his empty wine glass with bubbling stout, then unceremoniously picked up honey bread and a duck leg, and ate it hungrily with the stout.

The appearance of the goat, in Brian's opinion, was very similar to the appearance when he first came to this tavern ten years ago.

So Brian stopped the passing waiter and ordered another plate of bread and dark beer.

The two chatted casually while eating, usually the half-faun Mario asked questions, and he answered as appropriate.

Mario asked him where he came from, where he was going, what news he had on the way, and so on.

He patiently told the answer after careful consideration, but he started to murmur in his heart.

From the conversation between the two, let him know that the poet in front of him who likes to travel and sing in every corner of the world doesn't know him at all.

In his five-year adventure career traveling the mainland, he has been to the five-nation alliance in the southeast of the mainland, Amastacia known as the "Country of Gold", and even Florence, the southernmost city with a prosperous shipping trade. Set foot.

Brian thought that even if he couldn't become a household name, his reputation as a master of swordsmanship, monster hunting, and curse-breaking was still widely spread among the adventurers.

Any wandering warriors, bards, adventurers, and mercenaries with a little seniority, including various business groups, even if they couldn't recognize him when he called out his usual 'Brian of Tigrila', he would at least recognize them. Heard a little.

However, the poet in front of him who claims to have a rich experience is really ignorant of himself.

But Brian can see from the conversation between the two that the young half-goat poet is not the kind of dead house scholar who thinks he has read a lot of books and really knows the whole world.

His amount of knowledge can be said to be quite rich, and there are even a lot of unpopular knowledge that he doesn't know-for example, the most mysterious city of wizards in the Essebra Desert, and the poet in front of him knows a thing or two.

In this regard, Brian can only think that the other party may come from other areas that he has not yet set foot on.

"I also plan to go to Thorn Castle." When the poet learned that Brian's destination was Thorn Castle, he immediately responded.

"What are you doing there? Maybe it's also to join the army." Brian asked casually. Although he said so, he didn't think the other party would really join the army.

There is no doubt that as poets, there is nothing they love more than showing off their voices.

"Duke Silver Griffin, Master Sweet is right there." Mario hiccupped carefully, "He likes to listen to my music the most. Last time he personally invited me to his Duke's mansion, and he also specially prepared for me. I bought a luxurious guest room, and I know his young master, Arthur, like buddies, and I earn so much money that I can’t even move it.”

"Really?" Hearing the poet's light and fluffy words, Brian chuckled meaningfully.

"Uh... It's a pity that when I watched the knight duel in the capital of the Kingdom of West, I bet on the heir of Duke Swift, Master Arthur. You should have guessed it. Lady Luck didn't protect me. In the end In the fateful duel, His Royal Highness Grant of Tigrila won, and I lost everything because of this."

"You know? Apart from not liking singers very much, I hate gamblers the most." Hearing the familiar name, Brian lowered his eyelids, trying to keep his tone as flat as possible: "You should I’m glad I said these words after filling my stomach.”

"So, Goddess of Luck has not completely abandoned me." Mario made an expression that I was honored, and then refused to admit defeat: "When the next knight duel, I will definitely bet all on His Highness Grant On the body, it is a shame."

"Since you like to gamble so much, why don't you go to Tigrila or Niluskan, where people value force most." Brian suggested to the poet.

"I'm not going." The poet Mario curled his lips. "Northern people focus on honor and strength, while southerners focus on enjoying life. Except for the Duke of Swift, most nobles only like to hear howling tigers and wolves. Rolling on the ground, how can I know what kind of music. The most important thing is that there is ice and snow flying all over the sky, and I have to be tightly wrapped when I go out.”

Brian nodded in agreement, thinking that what Mario said made a lot of sense.

"Why do you have two horns on your head? Can you be a knight in this way?" Suddenly, a silent and childish voice joined the chat between the two.

Hearing the familiar voice, even without looking back, Brian could guess that it was the little slug he met yesterday.

"Little guy, my ancestors came from the unrestrained wilderness of the upper plane. We belong to the fey race in the astral world, and we naturally have two horns on our heads." The poet Mario didn't care whether the little slug could listen or not. Understood, pointing to the two black horns on his forehead that were bent backwards, he patiently explained to him.

"You're a goat, can you bleat? I've seen kobolds, and their barks are the same as my little black." The little slug walked up to the goat, sniffed, and said innocently:
"Did you know? Uncle Oga has a beautiful sheep at home, and he also said that this hard-working sheep is his beautiful wife. I guess you must have come here as well."

Seeing the serious look on the little boy's face, Brian on the side couldn't help but smile.

"Of course not, cute little friend. You have to understand that I am not only an astral race, but also an intelligent race just like elves. I am not what you imagined."

The poet Mario gently helped the little boy straighten the velvet cap that was about to cover his eyes, and warned with a serious face: "Remember, God damn Uncle Oga, you must stay away from him, he is a A demon."

"My dad is a knight of King Wester, so I'm not afraid of him. Can you astral races also be knights?" The little slug stared curiously at the sky-blue eyes.

"Of course, but I don't like fighting, killing, dancing with knives and guns. I am a bard, and the most worth showing off is my voice." Mario plucked a cheerful note on the strings, He asked back: "Lovely child, you will definitely be a great knight when you grow up."

"My dad is a knight, but I don't like being a knight." The little boy wiped his nose, walked up to Brian and said:
"I want to be a wizard. I saw a beautiful flame on your finger yesterday. It was blue and white. Are you a wizard?"

"That's right." Brian replied perfunctorily.

"I've seen a wizard. He wore a pointed hat and held a staff in his hand. With a single finger, he released crackling lightning. It was so powerful that it knocked down a small tree in one fell swoop."

Hearing Brian's answer, the little boy excitedly told him what he had seen and heard, as if he was the protagonist of the story.

"But..." After finishing speaking, the little boy's big blue eyes showed very obvious disappointment.

"You don't have a staff or a hat, and your sword isn't as big as my father's. You look like a half-knight and half-wizard. You certainly don't know how to release lightning, otherwise, I will definitely take you as my teacher and let You taught me spells."

"I'm very sorry to disappoint you." Brian smiled and patted the little boy's shoulder.

Immediately afterwards, he felt the arcane fire in his body tremble, and immediately understood that the little guy in front of him might have the magic source to become a warlock.

However, he didn't ask too much, with a calm expression as if nothing happened.

"Lovely child, you said your father is a knight, and the knight master must be very rich, so why have you stayed here alone all this time, where is your father?" said the half-goat Mario.

"My father is a knight. He is going to Thorn Castle and will pass by the house. He sent the little crow to inform me to wait for him in this tavern." The little boy looked outside the door and replied: "He will come soon gone."

After finishing speaking, the little guy ignored the two of them and happily walked towards the door.

Brian, who was full of food and drink, was about to get up and leave when he suddenly saw a group of people walking in from the door, which made him stop in his tracks.

The door burst open, and a group of people stepped in, rain pouring down their armor and helmets.

Outside the door, the dark rain hit the stone houses of the small town heavily.

"Boss!" A well-dressed voice came from the door, "Arrange someone to help us feed the horses, and serve our Lord Switt the most sumptuous food. The speed must be fast, and we have to hurry to Thorn Castle."

The dwarf boss Hasson Steelhammer hastily put down the lynx skin wine bag that he never left his hand, walked out from the counter and greeted him. The little boy guarding the door also opened his arms excitedly and rushed towards a bearded knight.

"Your close buddy, the young Duke Artus Swift, is here, why don't you go say hello?" Brian saw the noble youth headed by a group of people, and teased Mario with a smile.

The half-faun Mario didn't even look at the door, and responded to Brian's smile with an embarrassed face.

(End of this chapter)