The Bard of Hogwarts

Chapter 112 Merchant Town

On an open space next to the town.

After looking around, Ino walked toward the bakery.

Of course, if he were already an adult, he would definitely go to the tavern to find out the basic information there.

Although he has grown to about 1.6 meters tall since the beginning of this year, his youthful face still tells the story of his real age.

In such a crowded place, it is not a wise choice for a teenager to go to a pub.

at the same time.

On the other side of town.

Bakery owner Pan En was also busy with his day's work.

First, the coarse wheat flour mixed with sand was poured into an old and yellowed wooden basin, and then some murky water was scooped from a bucket in the corner and added in.

Finally, he began mechanically kneading the dough.

Although he was working, Pan's eyes were never idle. He kept looking at the passing caravans and the unfamiliar travelers.

But today, he discovered something new early in the morning: a strange traveler had come to the town.

Of course, many strangers come here every day, but what caught his attention today was the age and clothing of this stranger, as well as the beautiful accordion behind him.

The gray robe didn't seem special at first glance, but he knew very well that the finely woven fabric was not something that ordinary people could afford.

Even the wealthiest tavern owner here, Sophia, owns only one such finely woven printed dress.

She only wears this dress during the annual harvest festival, which shows how much she cherishes it.

"I'm going to make another fortune!" Pan thought to himself.

To own his own bakery at less than twenty years old, he relied on his shrewd mind and keen observation skills.

He knew very well that honestly selling bread would only keep him from starving. If he wanted to make money and open a bakery in the city, he had to cater to these well-dressed, wealthy people.

When Pan saw the target walking towards him, his mind raced, and he also recalled the various things that had happened recently.

After all, these wealthy people come to the extremely poor merchant town, where the only valuable things it can offer them are various interesting stories and novelties.

……

Ino slowly walked towards the bakery.

The small shop had only one young man in his early twenties working busily, and interestingly, he saw in this young man a shrewdness similar to that of Flint.

That's good. A shrewd, calculating, and profit-driven person is often better than someone who is all talk and no action.

"Excuse me! I'm sorry to bother you." Ino walked up to the young man and said slowly, "How much are your breads? They look very tempting!"

During their first conversation, he could only lie and praise the black bread, which had a pitted surface and was even mixed with unidentified hairs.

"Hey! Sir, they're worthless, and I don't think you could stomach them."

Pan spread his hands, his expression somewhat strange. He could assure the goddess of harvest that if this young man could eat a single bite of bread, he would forgo his entire year's income.

"If you're really hungry, I suggest you go to the tavern across the street. The proprietress, Ms. Sophia, makes a famous and delicious grilled steak in Merchant Town."

"Really? This is my first time in Merchant Town too. I've heard it's a very interesting place! And I'm just a wandering bard." Ino said casually after hearing the name of the place.

"Bards?" Paine was somewhat disappointed; in his mind, these people were usually not wealthy. But he quickly realized there was another way to make a profit, and immediately said:

"Would you like to hear the story of Merchant Town? That way you can tell it to others later. But, one story costs two copper coins!"

"Alright! Let's begin your story!"

Ino pulled two copper coins from his pocket and placed them on the bread table. Although Old John had run out of gold coins, he still had some silver and copper coins.

……

Half an hour later.

After paying 12 copper coins, Ino gained a certain understanding of the place.

First of all, this is a vast world, a boundless land with countless cities and kingdoms, a world full of stories.

Forest spirits, wilderness demons, old witches in ruined towers, mermaid legends by the sea, and so on—the list goes on and on.

After leaving the bakery.

Ino then walked straight to the open space where the carriages were parked.

In such a vast world, if you don't encounter the stories unfolding around you, you can't expect to leave anytime soon. Living there for a month or two, or even half a year, is quite common.

Since that's the case, he decided to return to his old ways, not only to find something to do, but also to fill his pockets. After all, the few silver coins he had left probably wouldn't even cover a few days' rent at the tavern.

An open space where horse-drawn carriages are parked.

Under the curious gazes of many merchants, Ino slowly began to play the accordion.

This is a way to attract guests. Of course, bards have all sorts of methods. Some draw pictures on the ground by scattering sand, some tap bamboo clappers, and some even perform some acrobatics.

The sole purpose is to attract attention.

After all, only by attracting enough attention can one profit from the story to be told; otherwise, if only one or two people are listening, losing even one of them would be a huge loss.

A few minutes later, the song ended.

Ino looked at the twenty or so people gathered around him and slowly began to speak:

"In the distant, misty mountains, nestled among the peaks, lies a hidden kingdom. Within its capital lies a vast treasure trove, overflowing with gold coins and jewels. This boundless wealth has finally attracted the covetous eyes of a wicked dragon..."

By stating the theme at the beginning and then using a flashback, this approach can attract more listeners to continue listening.

"...That evil dragon was called Smaug, and he seized the wealth of the dwarves. The brave dwarf prince Thorin, after gathering many dwarf warriors, embarked together on a great journey to slay the dragon and reclaim their homeland."

As time went by, the story unfolded slowly, and more and more people gradually gathered around.

When talking about the dwarves entering Lonely Mountain Castle and about to face the demons, Ino paused, stood up, bowed slowly to those around him, and then spread a square piece of linen on the ground.

As merchants who had traveled all over the country, they knew exactly what this meant. Those who wanted to hear it generously opened their wallets and threw a few copper coins onto the linen; similarly, those who wanted to leave would leave silently, and everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

"Ding! Ding ding!"

A crisp and melodious sound rang out, and a glittering gold coin suddenly appeared on the linen. Ino looked up in surprise.

The person paying was a mature-looking young man wearing thick glasses. Perhaps noticing Ino's questioning look, the young man spoke:

"I really like your story, but I feel you've omitted a lot, so I'm paying in the hope that you'll have time to tell me the whole story separately. I want to buy it and include it in my storybook."

"Oh, by the way! Let me introduce myself. My name is William Green! I'm an adventurer and novelist."

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(End of this chapter)