The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 8 Beastman

Tang Qi opened his sleepy eyes and vaguely saw dust swirling in the air.

In addition to the smell of hay from the haystacks under the bed, there was also the fragrance of rain-soaked grass.

The stench was mixed with the smell of horse manure on the path.

There's no question of joy or sorrow.

He pushed open the window and saw the blazing sun overhead, realizing it was definitely not early morning.

Shaking his groggy head, he put on dry clothes, grabbed the razor Ambly had given him the night before, and headed toward the backyard of the Golden Oak.

This place has hotel-like facilities and is open for business during the day.

There were hardly any people along the way; it was much quieter than last night.

Using the rainwater collected in the wooden bucket, and being careful not to cut yourself with the blade, you shaved your thick beard clean.

"You woke up very late, poet."

Looking in the direction of the sound, he saw that Catherine had just closed the cellar door.

A warm breeze gently swept by.

Let the golden color cover the oak tree in the center of the courtyard, which is bathed in sunlight.

Its branches sway in the wind, and its leaves reveal translucent pulses, dancing in the brilliance.

Her hair, too, was tinged with golden yellow, and tinged with a fiery crimson.

Tang Qi considers himself outstanding among ordinary people.

But she's still quite a distance from someone as strikingly beautiful as Catherine, who stands out in a crowd.

"Perhaps it's because of the girl I dreamt about that I'm reluctant to wake up?"

Tang Qi handed the razor back.

“I don’t want you to say you dreamed about me next—nobody here needs this, so it’s yours.” She was quite generous.

If nobody needs it, why would it exist?
Tang Qi dared not think too much about where this knife had been used in the past.

But there might be a reason for being 'stingy'.

Only during a moment of free time should I make my request:
"I want to work at a bar later..."

"This is not urgent."

Catherine shook her head; she clearly had more important things to do.

"You have nothing to do right now, right?"

Could you please help me find Anbi, the child from yesterday?

Early in the morning, she said she was returning something a guest had left behind, but she hasn't come back for a long time, and I'm a little worried about her.

"Maybe they went somewhere to have fun and forgot the time?"

"Will not."

Catherine gritted her teeth, as if she had something to say but couldn't bring herself to say it.

"She...won't wander around town for long, and she doesn't have any friends."

"I thought she wouldn't be very withdrawn."

"Anyway, can you help me out? I have to prepare for the harvest festival later and can't get away—I'll treat you to a meal."

"I don't seem to have any reason to refuse."

This wasn't really a mission, and Tang Qi planned to stay here temporarily, which would be a good opportunity to get to know the town.

He quickly washed his face:

Which way did she go?

“Walk straight along the path in front of the tavern, and you’ll reach the church at the end. Father Lynn usually lives there.”

Tang Qi raised an eyebrow: "Do priests drink alcohol?"

"The town's specialties are star plums and wine, and Gragas will bless every drop of the wine, so that joy may last forever."

The college's textbooks record this deity.

His footprints were once recorded, but now only his name and emblem remain.

As far as I can remember, miracles are rare on the mainland now; it's as if the gods have forgotten about this place.

But the faith passed down orally continues to sustain people's lives.

History books may fade, but words can still be passed down intermittently, even if they occasionally change.

As a result, some beliefs have not completely disappeared yet.

The Terran Empire funded the Academy of Poets in the hope of perpetuating the Empire's glory through similar means.

“I bet He has a big belly.” “Father Lynn? Not really. He runs around town for an hour after he sobers up so that he can taste as much wine as he can in his lifetime.”

"Then I'll go and look for it first."

"If anything happens, please let me know immediately."

It's clear that Catherine seems to be deliberately hiding something, which makes her overly worried about Ambly's situation.

If they don't bring it up, it means they don't want to talk about it, and Tang Qi doesn't need to pry.

After quickly filling my stomach in the kitchen, I decided to walk to the end of the road.

The rain from last night hasn't completely evaporated yet, and the weather is humid and slightly cool.

Stepping on the potholes of the country dirt road, mud splattered and quickly covered my boots.

The houses on both sides of the road are of varying sizes, but each has its own small courtyard.

The fence was close to the berry bushes, and Tang Qi saw many families carrying fruit baskets, picking plums one by one from the branches.

In the shadows, the berries still faintly shimmered with starlight.

After asking them, I suddenly realized that the lights I saw last night were all thanks to these "star plums".

The summer harvest festival belongs exclusively to Xingmei Town.

Before the festival, residents would harvest the year's crops, squeeze out the juice, dye cloth with it, and hang it in front of their doors along with the fruit pulp.

Anyone can use it freely. If they like the taste, they can draw a mark on the cloth, eventually creating a unique pattern.

Whoever has the most elaborate designs and the most styles will become the "shining star" of the year.

This title doesn't mean anything, because every year the [Radiant Star] is Lord Mel—

After all, his orchard has the most outstanding geological environment.

They even hired an artist who would travel with the caravan to the town every year to paint his portrait so that the title would not change hands.

Nobles valued these things most highly.

Other farmers didn't bother to voice their complaints.

It's just for good luck and to celebrate, why make it so serious?

Tang Qi enjoyed the festive atmosphere and thought that he might write a travelogue later, if it wouldn't be defined as 'history'.

Most bards died on their journeys because they were weak, so there are very few travelogues that describe the local customs and culture.

But with that journal as a tool, and the power he gained, perhaps he was qualified to be a bit unconventional.

However, if 'recording the story' means requiring actual participation, then I'm afraid I'll have to voluntarily put myself in danger afterwards...

As he was thinking this, he had unknowingly walked to the center of the town.

Xingmei Town is a village with about 300 people, and it doesn't take long to walk around the entire town.

Several small paths converge at the center, forming an open space, which is often the most crowded area.

If someone commits a crime, the village official will usually bring them here and list their crimes so that more people will know about them.

Just like now——

The residents, with their leisure time, gathered around the execution platform, looking at the little girl bound by a long cangue with disgust.

The girl had white hair, a somewhat strange face, sharp eyes, vertical pupils, and a fair complexion that was not typical of children from rural towns.

Its ears, like those of a wolf or fox, were covered in snow-white fur and trembled with fear.

Like a frightened... wolf cub?
Standing next to her was someone Tang Qi knew.

A mercenary with a mustache, known as "Jackal," clad in chainmail.

He held the longsword in his hand, loudly listing the girl's sins while constantly brandishing the blade, as if showing off his power:
"This person not only destroyed David's family's star plum, but also ruined the fruits of their hard work throughout the year."

They even harbored evil thoughts, using their cursed hands to steal the lord's fruits!
With the harvest festival approaching, the caravan from Longjin City is about to arrive, but the number of plums has decreased by a full fifth compared to previous years!

How wicked you are! You clearly intend to ruin the festive atmosphere and make the lord hold us accountable!

Tell me the address where you hid the stolen goods, and I might treat you leniently!

The girl tried to struggle, but was firmly fixed in place by the long shackles.

Feeling deeply humiliated by the intense gaze, she nearly broke down in tears.
"I did not steal!"

Tang Qi recognized the owner of the voice.

No wonder Ambi covered herself up so thoroughly.

No wonder she said nobody liked her.

No wonder she hasn't been able to go home yet.

Her appearance should be considered...

Beast-like human?
(End of this chapter)