Chapter 731: You Who Never Look Back

The Bard known as "Felicis the Chanter" clearly had a knack for living up to that nickname.

At this moment, the Bard, having walked to the center of the newly arranged stage, had changed into a spirited, form-fitting outfit. His clean face was carefully shaven of all beard, and his golden hair—whether natural or dyed, it was hard to tell—was combed into a dashing style. His upper body was clad in a tight, moon-white sleeveless blended-fabric vest, and his bare, sturdy arms were adorned with bracers made of the same moon-white cloth, each edge of which was extravagantly hung with clusters of bright silver ornaments.

Matching his upper body were trousers of the same tight-fitting moon-white, upon which were sewn a few short phrases written vertically in High Noble Language, their content unclear but exuding a strong sense of high-class sophistication.

A golden cloth belt, fitting for the status of the Merchants present today, was wrapped around his waist in a simple yet crisp and dashing manner, with a moon-white flute tucked casually into it.

The Bard wore a pair of white leather sandals and walked to the center of the stage with a steady gait. With a smile on his face, he first bowed to the seat of honor at the banquet, then to the ladies who were smiling at him, and finally to the expressionless Merchant men.

Clearly, the vast majority of the middle-aged men present felt that, in terms of charm, they had been severely suppressed by this pretty boy.

That was why not a single one of them gave the Bard a pleasant look.

But the Bard, accustomed to such scenes, showed no fear. With a dashing motion, he drew the flute from his waist; he did not play it, but instead waved it simply like a conductor's baton.

"Lads, let us begin."

He said this in a crisp, playful tone; clearly, judging by the music that followed immediately after, these words were meant for the band.

The band struck up a low, lingering melody. Upon first hearing, it felt as if one had arrived at a vast, boundless grassland; the sky was azure and seemed as wide as the horizon, and just as wide, it seemed, was everyone's soul.

"I composed this last year while gathering inspiration in the Western Province, feeling pity for a young girl because she encountered the amorous me."

"This piece, 'You Who Never Look Back,' is dedicated to everyone who has ever loved."

The Bard waved the flute in his hand, and the musicians, seeing the gesture, shifted the music and formally entered the performance. A confident and gentle voice rose as he sang:

"In the lush summer, after the new rain."

"A leaping heart, in the bustling crowd."

"Like a lamb just born, following kin on a long journey."

"People, we are a migrating herd; when gathered in one place, you and I are so alike."

"Ah—falling to the ground in the pushing, yet palms are held tight, and our gazes lock."

"Exchanging names is like exchanging lives. I come from the earth, you come from afar."

"You call my name aloud, and with every sound, my heart beats hard."

"The kin who came searching no longer show their old intimacy."

"They only scold, but at this moment, smiles are needed."

"Because you are by my side."

"Felicis."

"Oh, Felicis—"

"I call your name, and you respond."

"Bravely reaching out a hand, and you grasp it tight."

"Riding the same horse, visiting the same festival, singing the same song, sharing the same food."

"No worries, only happiness; time pauses, the warm breeze slows."

"When the moonlight rises, the insects show off their voices."

"The campfire rises, and I dance."

"This dance, I dance for you."

"Felicis."

"Oh, Felicis—"

"Please call my name, please embrace me."

"I call your name aloud, I run toward you."

"This is the child of the wind, the girl on horseback, showing you her passion."

"The night is so long, yet so short."

"In your sleep, you murmur beautiful names one after another."

"The sad thing is, there are so many names."

"Should I wake you?"

"Felicis."

"Oh, Felicis—"

"Good days are so short, parting comes."

"I invite you to gallop across the earth with me."

"But you say that beyond the distant mountains is where your home lies."

"I know, you are missing every name you whispered in your dreams, those beautiful names."

"I raise my horsewhip, looking at you fiercely, but you only smile."

"Bidding me farewell, singing a melodious song."

"Praising the earth, the grassland, the wind."

"And my name."

"That is you, who never looks back."

The singing gradually ceased, and the music grew low; the Bard bowed with tears in his eyes, but the people watching had very different expressions.

The men looked at each other with some regret, then revealed knowing smiles. The ladies, however, had dangerous expressions; Jier saw more than one middle-aged lady in fine dress clenching her teeth, while the young girls were full of shyness, looking at the Bard with deep affection, as if they hadn't thought that much into it.

The extremely quiet scene was broken by the sound of applause from the banquet's seat of honor; then, scattered applause followed, and the girls clapped excitedly.

Only then did the middle-aged ladies in fine dress reluctantly join in the applause.

Jier and Mr. Scott exchanged a glance and both clapped, while Mr. "Shriveled Aolier" on the left, with a wink and a grimace, used the cover of the applause to whisper quietly to Jier and the other person sitting to his right.

"Haha, this shameless, handsome guy Felicis—when he went to the Western Province for inspiration last year, he was actually kidnapped by horse bandits. As his friend, I spent quite a bit of money to have him ransomed. The Shop Assistant who handled the ransom said that in the half-year he was held captive, this guy actually managed to win over several of the young girls among the horse bandits."

Shaking his head, he said helplessly: "The horse bandits wouldn't let him go easily. This guy actually spent that time teaching the brutal horse bandits how to write poetry. He called himself, uh, called himself something like a free child of the wind."

Jier laughed out loud after hearing this, but Mr. "Shriveled Aolier" quickly held a finger to his lips to stop Jier from making a mocking sound. Mr. Scott next to them, however, did not care; not only did he laugh, he also said he would leak this news to the middle-aged ladies below who were eating sour grapes.

To cause some trouble for that handsome Bard.

But after much persuasion, Mr. "Shriveled Aolier" still managed to make Mr. Scott drop this idea.

Subsequently, amidst a round of applause, this Bard named Felicis walked off the stage and sat down on a soft stool specially cleared for him nearby.

The next moment, several women crowded over from the left and right; some began to praise the Bard, while others coldly questioned who the girl in the song was.

At this time, soothing music sounded again, and a new wave of dishes was brought up.

This time it was freshly roasted poultry from the fire pit, with several different types of poultry roasted until their skin was golden brown and fragrant. According to custom, one bird could only be finished by three or five people, but Jier was served two at once.

The young chef even came over specifically to ask Jier which of the several different flavored poultry he would choose.

Jier took a look and chose two types of poultry he did not recognize, intending to have a taste.

Facing the two large platters of roasted poultry delivered before him, Jier first reached out to take their succulent leg meat to taste, swallowing the soft, salty, and delicious leg meat in just a few bites.

Mr. Scott next to him suggested Jier try the delicious stuffing inside the poultry.

Jier used his table knife to cut open the poultry's belly, only to discover it was stuffed with several pieces of tender, fresh fish, along with fruit bits of various sizes.

"Knight Jier, have a taste. These aren't the stinking fish from the river outside town; they are all delicious fish raised separately in a pond in the courtyard, all carnivorous fish fed fresh meat daily. This taste is the best."

Jier wanted to use a dinner fork to spear one to eat, but Mr. Scott recommended using a silver spoon to scoop it up, because the meat was too soft and tender, falling apart at the slightest touch, so it had to be eaten with a spoon.

Jier tried it using his method, and it was indeed extremely delicious, far better than the poultry meat wrapping them.

Once the meat of the small carnivorous fish entered his mouth, it turned into even smaller granular bits under the pressure of his tongue, and accompanied by its own natural Grease, the texture was very marvelous. Especially after its meat turned into fine granules, it would not become any more fragmented, and the granular fish meat even had a certain elasticity.

The others at the main table next to them mostly only ate half a bird, and Mr. Autosfiten even only ate two small tender fish, then continued to ask Mr. Bantuolisa about the details of the Lady of Winter story.

At the banquet below, everyone also simply took some poultry; the ladies preferred the small fish wrapped inside the poultry, while the men didn't care and just ate it all.

Accompanied by a good while of clinking wine glasses and conversation, the dance troupe of Duoen Town took the stage.

While everyone was eating, the waiters had already expanded the previous stage, turning the original square, low wooden stage into a long T-shaped stage.

Nine beautiful young girls wearing long dresses walked up holding flower bouquets.

Each of their outfits was different, and Jier, with his sharp eyes, easily saw that each person's attire matched the different flower bouquets in their own hands.

The girl holding bright red flowers naturally wore clothes that were equally fiery and vibrant, while the one holding pure white flowers naturally wore a white long dress, moving lightly with fluid dance steps.

As soon as these young dancers took the stage, they began to dance accompanied by the now upbeat music, forcing everyone to put down their wine glasses and cutlery. The leading, youngest, and most dazzlingly delicate girl was naturally the young daughter of Mr. "Shriveled Aolier".

That girl even blinked at her father and took a hurried glance at Jier, who was about her age, a look of surprise appearing on her face; clearly, she did not understand how someone of Jier's age could be sitting together with her father and his uncles.

Even if he was a Knight.

Seeing his daughter distracted, Mr. "Shriveled Aolier" darkened his face, scaring his young daughter into hurriedly regaining her focus and performing properly as the leader.

The dance was not just purely dancing; among the nine people, when the first few were performing spinning and jumping movements, the little girls in the back were naturally not idle, often singing a short phrase in their young voices. These immature voices were naturally incomparable to the professional Bard from before.

This performance naturally did not pique the interest of the ladies, who at most would quietly judge the attire and figure of a certain dancer. But the men watched with bright eyes.

But Jier felt it was so boring; after all, in his previous life, through the internet, what kind of dance hadn't he seen? Although this other world was all young girls singing and dancing, the clothing was complex and tight, the movements were very reserved, and there was little variation. The singing was even just amateur level.

It could only be called a small place, and the dancing girls were just a tool for class advancement for daughters of wealthy families to climb upward for their clans.

The only thing worth praising was the attire and the jewelry decorating these dancers. The outfits were all tailored to fit each person's figure and personality, made by tailors or by themselves. And the shiny jewelry on them was also the real deal, unlike his previous life where the decorations on dancers were all fakes.

What was pinned in their hair was real gold, truly heavy, and truly bright. Especially under the surrounding lamplight and candlelight, the gold shone even more brilliantly.

And the pearls decorating their foreheads, the smallest one was the size of a pinky fingernail; the one on the forehead of Mr. "Shriveled Aolier"'s young daughter was a milky white pearl the size of an eyeball, and this thing was probably worth dozens of Gold Coins.

The dancers' earrings were also all different, and with the different colors of their clothing and the flower bouquets held in their hands, the Gems inlaid on them were also different.

The polishing of the Gems was slightly rough, but the sparkle in the light clearly showed they were also the real deal.

The gorgeous bracelets on their slender wrists also used a special technique to create small, movable silver rods; as the wrists turned, the slender silver rods would collide with each other, emitting a crisp sound.

It could be seen that as this set of dance movements had only been formally performed twice, they were still somewhat inexperienced. However, the people enjoying the dance didn't really care.

After a while, as the music gradually stopped, loud applause broke out; the enthusiastic applause, far exceeding that of the Bard before, made the little girls excitedly gather together, holding hands and bowing to the main banquet table in thanks.

Everyone at the main banquet table, including Jier, clapped very hard, clearly all giving Mr. "Shriveled Aolier" some face. Even Mr. Autosfiten, who was not very interested in these things, tried his best to clap hard, expressing encouragement to the dancers who had presented a dance as vibrant and enthusiastic as spring.

Interestingly, as soon as the dance ended, these young dancers did not leave the stage, but each walked off the stage to sit with their male and female friends and relatives, whispering excitedly.

Mr. "Shriveled Aolier"'s young daughter also ran over with a wave of fragrance; as she circled the banquet seats, she was even opportunistically patted on the bottom by Mr. Scott.

The little girl let out a mournful cry, then fiercely threw her flower bouquet at her Uncle Scott.

Scott caught the bouquet with his face and pretended to amusingly take a deep breath of the bouquet, shaking his head: "Ah, little Konina is truly fragrant. I saw the Bard staring at you just now."

Being told this, Konina, who had pounced behind her father, blinked her big eyes and excitedly asked: "Is it true? Did Mr. Felicis really stare at me?"

Mr. "Shriveled Aolier" said huffily: "Where is that? I remember he was getting along famously with the two ladies sitting to his left and right; he had no time to look at you."

"Hmph~!"

This was the little girl's angry, coquettish huff.

"But Father watched Konina's dance well; compared to last time, you've improved a lot! I'll reward you well when we go back!"

Mr. "Shriveled Aolier" looked doting, and the little girl naturally took advantage of the situation, coquettishly clamoring for a lady's Magic headpiece that could emit a charming glow.

Facing this request, Mr. "Shriveled Aolier" looked embarrassed and begged his young daughter to change to something else, as this was something he truly could not manage.

It wasn't that he didn't have the money to buy a Magic headpiece, but that he didn't have the qualifications and connections.

Mages rarely had direct contact with Merchants; it wasn't that Mages didn't know Merchants had a wider variety of resources in their hands, they simply looked down on the Merchant class. They would more often establish mutually reliable trade with local Nobles through the stable and long-term channel of the Noble Council.

After all, Mages had long lifespans; if nothing went wrong, even Magic Apprentices who were not Mages could live to be over a hundred years old if they found a way.

Like Merchants who had to sleep in the open on the Shanglu to conduct trade, most of them looked quite old by their forties or fifties, and many died before they reached seventy.

And in the world of Merchants, the power of wealth rose and fell constantly, making it difficult for Mages to establish long-term, stable friendship and trade trust with a specific Merchant or Merchant Guild.

Fortunately, Mr. "Shriveled Aolier" cleverly used the matter of introducing Knight Jier to his young daughter to divert the topic.

"This is Knight Qiao-Jier. His age looks about the same as yours, so you must put more effort into your dance practice so that you can achieve something as soon as possible."

Jier chuckled, not expecting that he would one day become the "child of someone else's family."

The little girl was not very interested in the burly Jier; after all, Jier's pair of calloused palms were simply twice as big as her hands. Not to mention his sturdy arms and neck, any one of which was thicker than her waist.

It looks a bit scary.

Jier did not shamelessly crowd over either, but instead whispered to ask Mr. Scott beside him what the deal was with the music the band would play next.

"Oh, this, when the band is playing, we are quite casual here; everyone can open the terrace doors to enjoy the tranquil night and the blooming sea of spring flowers. Or, you can sit in your own seat, eating, drinking, and chatting with friends. If you still have the energy, you can also invite a lady who catches your eye to have a magnificent dance amidst the beautiful music. Haha, I imagine our Bard and little Konina will surely be the most popular man and woman then. Don't you agree, little Konina?"

Being asked about herself, and not knowing what she was thinking of, the little girl leaning on the back of her father's chair blushed, giggling as she covered her face.

"Oh, thinking of something good? Tell everyone about it."

The little girl said shyly: "Do you think Mr. Felicis will invite me to dance? Woo-woo—! Should I agree? Is it not good to agree too quickly? Will it seem a bit unreserved?"

Mr. 'Gaunt Aolier' said crossly: "Konina, your activities for tonight are over; go downstairs with the Maid and take your sedan chair home! Our Mr. Bard, he will surely be busy here all night, if he can even manage it."

Hearing this, the others all rolled their eyes directly; everyone understood what this father meant, as he was clearly showing disdain for his daughter associating and getting to know an irresponsible Bard.

If it were a Noble Heir instead, this successful middle-aged Merchant's attitude would surely be quite different, right?