Chapter 11: Light, A Close Call

"Stand down!"

As the Rogue brought Xia Duo closer, the burly man holding the shield put it away, and the others also stood down one after another. The transport that had originally stopped resumed, and only the white ball of light in mid-air seemed to signify what had just happened here.

"Captain, it's just a Commoner."

Hearing the voice behind him, Xia Duo felt a tightness in his heart, but then the sharp blade that had been pressed against his back moved away. Xia Duo hurriedly turned his head, but found nothing.

"Kid, you were scared stiff by Lade, weren't you! Tell me, what exactly is going on?" Although he seemed to be teasing Xia Duo, Xia Duo could still sense his wariness.

However, being able to converse normally instead of being killed outright was enough of a pleasant surprise for Xia Duo. Taking a deep breath and organizing his thoughts, Xia Duo said:

"This Adventurer sir, I wanted to leave the town. There is a Bard in the Shizi circus outside the town, and he is also from Kara-Tur."

Xia Duo emphasized the word "also," but did not say whether he himself was from Kara-Tur. If these Adventurers knew of Mu Yan or Kara-Turans, they would naturally fill in the blanks, assuming Xia Duo was also a Kara-Turan or some clansman of Mu Yan.

And if they did not know, having a Spellcaster as a shield would at least make the other party wary.

"Wait here!"

The burly Adventurer left this sentence behind and found the manager in the crowd to discuss in a low voice. The Mage whom Xia Duo had noticed earlier also participated in the discussion, and there seemed to be some disagreement, which made Xia Duo's heart jump up and down; he did not know what outcome awaited him.

While waiting, Xia Duo did not dare to walk around at will, fearing it would cause a misunderstanding. He could only observe everything around him from where he stood. The white ball of light in mid-air had not yet disappeared, and Xia Duo noticed that the caravans' carriages were engraved with the 【Eagle】 emblem.

That should not be the Golden Lark Chamber of Commerce. Xia Duo inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief, but even if it was not the Golden Lark Chamber of Commerce, getting through safely would likely not be an easy task.

Just as Xia Duo was letting his imagination run wild, the discussion between the burly Adventurer, the manager, and the Mage reached a conclusion. The burly Adventurer carried his shield to Xia Duo and said:

"You may leave, but you must pay the price for the Mage's Spell."

Hearing the first sentence, Xia Duo felt a surge of joy, but the second sentence made him nervous again. Pay a price? Money, life, or something else?

Xia Duo was silent for a moment. Knowing there was no avoiding it, he gritted his teeth and asked, "What do I need to pay to satisfy that Mage sir?"

"He just cast the 0-level Trick 【Light】. According to custom, you need to pay 5 Gold Coins." Seeming to feel that Xia Duo could not understand, the burly man explained further, "Because of your appearance, you caused trouble for our caravan. Charging only 5 Gold Coins for the Spellcasting is already a fair price."

Xia Duo could understand. If one were to hire a Mage in Savile Town to take action, even a 0-level Trick would cost at least 5 Gold Coins. The higher the Spellcasting Level, the more Gold Coins it would cost, but usually, few Mages would take such business.

But understanding was one thing; Xia Duo was still unwilling to accept it psychologically. If he were a Spellcaster, would he still need to pay these 5 Gold Coins?

The key was that he only had 5 Gold Coins on him, plus a handful of Silver Coins.

"It is indeed fair." Xia Duo took the 5 Gold Coins he kept close to his body from his bosom and handed them to the burly man.

One must bow one's head when under the eaves; it was clear that if he did not pay these 5 Gold Coins, the other party would not let him leave.

What an unprovoked disaster! Being able to pay to avoid disaster was a decent outcome, but just as Xia Duo was preparing to bypass the caravan and walk toward the town gate, the burly man called him back:

"Your Dagger, here it is back."

He did not know when his iron-plate Dagger had ended up in the burly man's hands, and now it was being returned to Xia Duo; it was truly strange.

And that Rogue, who had never appeared in Xia Duo's line of sight from beginning to end, left a deep impression on him.

After putting away the Dagger, Xia Duo left. It was not until he walked out of the town gate and saw the tents of the Shizi circus not far away that Xia Duo truly breathed a sigh of relief.

After this uneventful episode, the sky was already beginning to brighten, and the entire Savile Town seemed to come alive. Even outside the town, Xia Duo could vaguely hear the scolding of women and the crying of children.

Outside the east gate of the small town, a long line of carriages was already leaving. The ponies from the northwestern barbarians chewed on fodder, snorting from time to time, while pulling heavy cargo wagons and slowly driving toward the east.

……

Although the Midsummer Festival had passed, the lingering joy of the festival did not fade so easily. The Shizi circus would stay in Savile Town for a few more days, completely draining the wallets of the town's residents before taking the local specialties purchased in Savile Town to the next place.

This was a different kind of caravan.

At this moment, Xia Duo stood in front of the Bard Mu Yan's stall tent, hesitating, not knowing how to speak. Mu Yan was willing to guide Xia Duo onto the path of a Bard, but Xia Duo had not agreed immediately, and now he had come to seek his protection.

"Come in, don't stand outside."

Mu Yan's voice came from inside the tent, his words carrying a hint of kindness. Xia Duo lifted the curtain and saw Mu Yan writing something at the table. Xia Duo did not ask, just waited silently.

"Find a place to sit, don't be so restrained. Seeing you, a fellow clansman, yesterday, inspiration surged in my mind. I just created a new song, and there are only a few lines left to write." Mu Yan's expression was somewhat exaggerated as he began to recite the lyrics he had written.

This was a poem about the feelings of a wanderer far from home meeting someone from his hometown. Mu Yan recited it twice and asked Xia Duo, "What do you think? Does it have the flavor of a hometown ditty?"

The hometown Mu Yan spoke of was Kara-Tur, but Xia Duo, who came from Earth's Huaxia, could feel the emotions contained within it; after all, Kara-Tur in the original game was designed based on Huaxia.

At this moment, Xia Duo's favor and trust in Mu Yan rose significantly. Perhaps following Mu Yan onto the path of a Bard would not be bad.

"Mr. Mu Yan, I want to learn Magic from you."

"Why, don't you want to become a Mage anymore?" Mu Yan teased. The previous Xia Duo had been determined to join the Mage Tower, and even when he, a Bard with a Spellcasting Level as high as 15, clearly expressed his willingness to be Xia Duo's guide, Xia Duo had been very hesitant.

"Mr. Mu Yan, it is like this—"

Xia Duo did not hide anything. He told him about drifting from his hometown to Faerûn, staying at Lao Neil's inn, and how Lao Neil wanted to turn him into a Slave, even having contacted the Golden Lark Chamber of Commerce. He wanted to gain the power to protect himself as soon as possible.

"Greedy and short-sighted Netherese, do you need me to help you deal with him?" A flash of severity crossed Mu Yan's eyes. He would not allow a Kara-Turan to be enslaved.

Since drifting to Faerûn, Mu Yan had not met many Kara-Turans to date. Among them, there might have been those in difficult situations, but at least none had been enslaved. Hearing Xia Duo's encounter, Mu Yan was displeased.

However, Xia Duo refused repeatedly. It was not that he did not want to take revenge on Lao Neil, but he did not want to leave Mu Yan with the impression that he was someone who sought revenge for the slightest grievance. When one lacks the ability, it is best to keep a low profile.