Chapter 13 13. The first trial
What is more peaceful than falling asleep to the sound of rain?
Thankfully, Martin did not snore, so Annan spent a peaceful rainy night.
When I woke up early in the morning, the rain had stopped. The sunshine passed through the broken clouds. The wet bluestone slabs that accumulated water reflected the pedestrians. The cool air carried the fragrance after the rain.
The night rain that heralded the arrival of summer made it difficult to cut down the wet trees, but they sold quickly - although it was still 20 copper coins.
In the afternoon, Annan and Martin came to the Dawn Tavern a little earlier than usual.
Evelin, who lives near the pub, came earlier and was calculating yesterday's accounts at the counter. I didn’t see the female dwarf Soruman Bronzebeard. And for some reason, the bard who always came with the guests at the opening came earlier than them and sat with Mr. Fast.
"...a glass of wine, six glasses of rye, a glass of juice, a barbecue steak and two pounds of bread..."
Hearing Evelin calculating yesterday's bill for the third time, Annan When passing the counter, she said: "3 silver coins and 56 copper coins."
Evelin opened her eyes cutely: "How do you know?"
"It's just an ordinary calculation."
Evelin's reaction reminded Annan of Aunt Susan. At that time, he casually calculated the family's monthly expenses and Aunt Susan praised him for the whole day. Originally, he thought it was just because of her love. But now Annan realizes that the knowledge that he considers more "common sense" than the bard's story is not universal here -
For example, there is no school in the town, only one library, and the illiterate The townspeople certainly never set foot.
Knowledge is usually monopolized in the middle or upper levels. Annan once asked a similar question to a knowledgeable bard, and he could only add or subtract no more than two digits.
What makes Annan ashamed is that when he realizes this, his first thought is to rely on this knowledge to make money...
Not far away, the bard patted Fast on the shoulder with a look like "Did you see that!?"
"This doesn't mean anything."
It just makes Annan go from being relatively special to being somewhat special.
"When will the person you called arrive?" the bard urged.
"Should..." Fast looked at the shadow leaning into the tavern at the door, "It's already here."
Annan raised his head and glanced at the figure walking into the tavern. He was stuck on it and couldn't pull it off.
He didn't even stare at the Wine Lady and Tasia with this kind of gaze!
The guest who came in was wearing a loose gray robe, holding a magic wand in his right hand. His long curly hair grabbed half of his face, and the other half had a tired face. The gray-robed mage walked into the tavern and sat directly at the wine table next to Fast and the bard. He put his magic wand against the table: "I need the strongest wine!"
This is different from the imaginary mage. Too similar... Annan thought, put down the rag and walked towards the counter.
“This is not the same as promised.” The bard also stared at the guy suspiciously.
He was carrying his staff like a big sword, looking unkempt, and there was no magic ring on the finger placed on the table.
“As long as it can do things.”
Under the gaze of the two guys, Annan Get distilled wine from Martin and deliver it to the gray-robed mage's wine table.
Still hesitating how to talk to him, the gray-robed mage picked up the wine glass and asked proactively: "Boy, you seem to be very curious about me?"
"Are you a mage?"
"Gudong...burp..."
Putting the empty wine glass on the table, the gray-robed mage lowered his head, and the curly hair he lifted revealed a hideous scar on his forehead, "I am."
Yan The bard watched Annan's eyes light up. This guy could deceive Annan, but he couldn't deceive him. This kind of scar appeared on the mage's body. "You wouldn't find a mercenary to pretend to be a mage, would you?"
"Want to know... hiccup... Why am I in such a mess?”
The gray-robed mage was obviously drunk as he burped heavily. Annan didn't want to know, but nodded cooperatively.
It was an old-fashioned story that Annan could understand half of and guess half of. The gray-robed mage once served as an apprentice in the mage tower in Breeze City. He was very competitive with another apprentice, but no matter he was selected by the mage, he still became a mage. , that person left him behind, and what was even more ridiculous was that that person didn't even know he existed.
So the gray-robed mage decided to run outside to practice, and finally became a level 3 mage before going back - and found that the man was about to become an elite mage.
The gray-robed mage, who confessed his feelings under the influence of alcohol, leaned on his chair dejectedly: "Boy, you said, if you can't do your best, why should you work hard?"
"Because Working hard not for the best, but for yourself?”
The gray-robed mage just shook his head like a spring doll.
Annan added: "There are strong and weak gods, but I have never heard of a god who died because he was not as powerful as other gods."
This also did not convince the gray-robed mage. , he sneered and turned around: "Fast, where did you get the priest preparation?"
"He just wanted to comfort you."
Fast, who had been watching for a long time, sat down beside. As a boss, if you don't come here, your secret will be exposed.
The bard also came over, but he didn't tell stories or play the lute today.
"Effort is meaningless in the face of talent." The gray-robed mage said. "Just like a person without magic affinity cannot become a spell caster no matter how hard he tries."
"Annan, say something else." Fast reminded.
“Let me do it?”
“Otherwise, I, a rude warrior, should persuade you?”
"Okay... Sir, your purpose of becoming a mage is just to compete with that person, instead of embarking on the mysterious journey of a mage?" Annan hoped that he would remember his original intention. After all, it was the magic he longed for. "There is a saying: 'It's the time you spent on the rose that made the rose important'"
In the bard's cry of "Oh my God, I'm going to fucking write this down", the gray wizard. fell into silence.
Other guests began to walk into the tavern, and Martin ran to help, allowing Annan to continue talking to the gray-robed mage.
“Do you want to become a mage?”
A sudden surprise enveloped Annan: “Can you!”
"Do you have money?"
Then a basin of cold water was poured on him.
"If the waiter at the Dawn Tavern becomes a mage apprentice, I think as the boss I should sponsor part of it." Mr. Fast said at this time. "Annan, you are very smart, you can have a more glorious future."
"What about me, Mr. Fast?" Martin squeezed in and asked.
"You are different, you are too stupid."
The gray-robed mage glanced at Fast. Fast and Annan understood what he meant and said, "A guest is coming. Boy, you go and deliver the wine first."
When Annan turned around, the gray-robed mage Suddenly he stretched out his hand towards his back and recited the spell: "Arcane Missile."
Anan, who had his back to the gray-robed mage, walked to the counter without noticing because he didn't understand at all.
“This thing is much easier to use than your shabby heuristic.”
The drunken gray-robed mage put down his hand and said to the startled Fast and Bard. ：
"He didn't react at all. Either he has a deeper understanding of the city than the old people in Breeze City, or he really doesn't understand Common Language."
(End of Chapter)