novelnext Chapter 31 The Bard's House, Mithril Bees
Chapter 31 The Bard's House, Mithril Bees
Woody whispered in Xia Lin's ear, "That receptionist seems to have a bit of a thing for you."
Xia Lin was speechless: "I didn't expect you to be such a gossip besides being a charlatan."
Compared to love, Xia Lin preferred bread, at least the latter wouldn't leave her hungry.
The sign for the "House of the Bards" inn swayed gently on the street corner.
Looking up at the sign, Xia Lin confirmed that this was the residence the halfling had mentioned before.
He, the elf, and the halfling had agreed to go to the dwarf Jiang Bao to redeem the secret sauce recipe, which was a reward the three of them won by drinking together at the welcoming ceremony in the dwarf tavern.
He'd been so busy these past few days he almost forgot. Finally having some free time, he went to find the halfling Ezio at the address.
Pushing open the door, I found several bards sitting in the hall, their zithers plucked lightly, their flutes playing melodious tunes, reciting some great ancient epic.
It's somewhat similar to the resident bar performers of my past life.
Bards typically play a support role in adventurer parties.
They would also come to taverns or town squares to sing poetry and earn some extra income. In Xia Lin's opinion, their work was much more comfortable and enjoyable than her own.
I wonder if it's easy to get started as a bard?
If possible, he could find a place to buy a second-hand lute, compose some poems of gratitude, and take on a side job at the square. That way, his income would...
Sigh, Xia Lin stopped daydreaming.
What kind of era is this? Still clinging to the mentality of a genius from a past life? Involution is not advisable!
Ezio once mentioned that he lived here to collect story material to facilitate his future creations, but Xia Lin doesn't know if that's true or not.
After asking the front desk for her room number, Xia Lin went upstairs.
After knocking, a familiar halfling voice came from inside: "Who is it?"
"I am Xia Lin."
The door creaked open a crack.
Ezio peeked out, his face slightly hurried. Through the crack, Xia Lin keenly noticed that there seemed to be more than one person inside the room.
It turns out that "collecting materials" was only one of the purposes.
The halfling coughed twice: "Xia Lin, go downstairs and wait for me. I'll come down after I've finished talking to my friend inside."
It would be impolite to disturb them at such a crucial moment.
Xia Lin nodded and returned to the lobby, asked for a free glass of water, and waited patiently for the battle upstairs to end.
Not long after, four mature women of different races emerged from Ezio's room and gracefully departed.
"This little guy is really strong," Woody commented.
"Master level." Xia Lin nodded, silently classifying the halflings and dwarf Sindar in his mind as the same kind.
One relied on superb skills, while the other relied on some more mysterious "talent".
Regardless of the type, Xia Lin still has a long way to go in her studies.
A moment later, Ezio, who had returned victorious, came downstairs to meet him.
The halfling glanced at the raven perched on Xia Lin's shoulder: "Where did you get this big bird?"
Sure enough, Woody is just too attractive.
"What big bird? I have a name," Woody complained.
"It can talk?!" Ezio's eyes widened, just like Xia Lin and Woody's expressions when they saw the various ladies.
"My new partner, communication is one of its abilities," Xia Lin explained.
"My Niffler is still the most useful," the halfling muttered. "Although it can't talk, it can scout the terrain and is much cuter."
Individual aesthetics cannot be unified in any world, and the two wisely refrained from further discussion on this matter.
The two men and the crow walked towards the bard's house inn.
Recalling what had just happened, Xia Lin casually asked, "Who were those ladies in the room just now...?"
"My angel investors," Ezio said without batting an eye, "will need their help with publishing the book later on."
The name "Half-Dumas" flashed through Xia Lin's mind, and she continued, "Are all you half-humans so fond of 'collecting materials,' or is it just you?"
"The halfling race is roughly divided into two factions," Ezio said with light steps. "One faction prefers stability and wealth, staying in their homeland; the other faction, like me, loves to travel, meet all sorts of friends, and record the exciting and interesting stories along the way."
Xia Lin nodded; Ezio had done an excellent job in this regard.
Ezio's eyes lit up: "I know a halfling warrior who once led a group of dwarves and mages to the elven kingdom and participated in the great war against the orcs. He is a legend among the entire halfling race, my idol."
Xia Lin raised an eyebrow.
Are there more experts?
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
The Tree Hole Inn is hidden among several ancient trees, and most of the guests are pointy-eared elves, creating a tranquil atmosphere.
Xia Lin and Ezio waited for a while before the elf Lia slowly descended from upstairs.
Her hair was slightly damp, and she carried the fresh scent of a bath, like dewdrops on leaves in a forest at dawn, which made Xia Lin want to smell her again and again.
Lia's gaze fell on the raven perched on Xia Lin's shoulder: "Your magical pet?"
"Yes." Xia Lin gave a brief introduction to Woody.
"Good morning, beautiful fairy lady," Woody said.
Leah was taken aback, clearly also surprised by the gentlemanly Woody before her, and then nodded slightly: "...Hello."
Xia Lin felt like she had opened a rare card; Woody did have some use in certain situations.
The three of them were together, but Ezio still stood reluctantly beside a golden-haired elf not far away.
He only jogged over when Leah raised her voice to urge him.
"I promised to have dinner with this beautiful elf lady tonight," the halfling said, patting his clothes casually. "Let's get down to business."
Xia Lin exchanged a glance with Woody on her shoulder.
This efficiency is simply too high.
Xia Lin glanced worriedly at the halfling's small frame; after so many battles, he wondered if the halfling could handle it.
Leah pursed her lips, clearly already used to it.
"Could the little guy actually be a succubus?" Woody couldn't help but ask.
Ezio smiled modestly:
"It's all thanks to personal charm."
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
Inside the dwarf tavern, Sauce Explosion's thick, muscular hands rested on the oak counter, his knuckles tapping together.
"Uh, well... I'm really sorry." The dwarf scratched his long beard. "I was supposed to teach you the ingredients right here, but now we're missing a key ingredient. Without it, the sauce tastes far worse."
"What's missing? Do you know where it is?" Leah asked.
As the team's ranger and "treasurer," she must ensure the expenditure on daily consumables.
Ezio chimed in, "Yes, if we know the place, we'll get it for you!"
He simply enjoys it.
"It's honey from mithril bees." Sauce Explosion's eyes lit up, as if he had seen a savior. "I know a nest of them, in the Deadwood Forest near Loran Forest."
"Mistyr Bee?" *3
"Yes." Jiang Bao lowered his voice, "Their honey is like flowing mithril, so sweet that it can make you forget your troubles, and it also has a unique aftertaste, which is the soul of my secret sauce."
"But it's not just because honey is precious..."