That bard is such a charmer!

Chapter 44 Actions Abound

Richard readily accepted Levin's invitation.

then……

They were then taken to the sleeping tree spirit.

Well, there are only a handful of good pubs in Phoenix, aren't there?

As soon as the group sat down at the table, Richard, disguised as David, was recognized by the boss, Andy.

The latter warmly welcomed him and announced on the spot that his drinks would be on the house.

Upon hearing this, the dwarf Ironhammer immediately ordered ten cups of ale, his earlier stammering and seemingly unsure how to apologize completely changed. He then looked at Richard with utmost respect and said:

"Oh, David, you're the most exciting poet I've ever met!"

And you, you are the easiest dwarf I have ever met to be bribed.

Richard smiled slightly and raised his hand to clink glasses with the other person.

The one who was supposed to be the good cop got drunk and turned into the bad cop, so what happened next was only natural.

Richard and his companion chatted and drank with the Forest Arrows team, quickly becoming acquainted.

During this time, Richard also asked Mendel, "What was that magic you just used? I've heard of druids who can control plants, but I've never seen a pea that big before."

Mendel was clearly not a heavy drinker; his face was flushed and he was swaying. But when Richard brought up the topic, he suddenly perked up and his eyes lit up.

"That's a special demonic seed I carefully cultivated!"

"I call it the Peashooter!"

"Do you want to know how it was grown? Hehe, I'll tell you, it was through hybridization! Peas also have sexes, so when they flower, I grab their organs, do this and that, and then hehehe..."

Richard's eyes widened in disbelief.

Holy crap, a breeding master from some magical world?

So your name wasn't given for nothing...

Beside him, Levin, slightly tipsy, couldn't stand it anymore and slapped Mendel on the forehead, saying:

"Alright, alright, stop looking so smug. Aren't you afraid you might lose control one day and repeat the mistake you made at the camp?"

Grace, who hadn't been saying much, became curious and asked, "What mistake?"

Levin said slowly:

"Anyway, this guy will let it slip sooner or later, so there's no point in hiding it... He originally belonged to a druid camp nearby, but was expelled two years ago for drugging a unicorn and trying to get it to have an impure relationship with a donkey."

"How is it impure!" Mendel tilted his head back, like a husky whose anus had been licked by a husky: "I was studying the inheritance patterns of the unicorn trait!"

"Okay, go on, I'm listening."

"You don't understand! This is academic research, a matter for scholars. How can that be called making a mistake?"

"If you enjoy researching so much, why don't you go be a mage on Twin Islands?"

"I pollinate with my pistil (Druidic swear word)!"

Mendel and Levin started chattering away, and soon they couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed drunk on the table, snoring loudly, which made Hammer laugh out loud.

Richard and Grace exchanged a glance, knowing that they had the same idea:

This forest-piercing arrow squad is really interesting!

That being the case...

Richard cleared his throat and extended his hand to Levin.

"I think we could be great partners, what do you think?"

"Buddy, how could I possibly refuse you now?"

Levin smiled and shook Richard's hand.

This concludes the test phase.

An hour later, Richard and Grace parted ways with the Forest Arrows and returned to Cinderella's house.

At that moment, Mary, who was in excellent health, was out shopping. Only Elsa was at home. As soon as she heard voices, she skipped over to them...

"Brother David, Sister Grace, welcome back... Ugh, you smell awful."

...Then, less than a second later, he pinched his nose and retreated, turning to the kitchen and saying, "I'll make you some sage tea right now."

In Tirella, sage boiled in water is believed to clear the mind, refresh the spirit, and relieve nausea after drinking.

Looking at the little girl's busy figure, Li felt inexplicably relaxed.

It feels like being carefully taken care of by my mother.

Ugh, Elsa's only ten years old! How could I have such a shameful thought!

He chuckled self-deprecatingly and went into the kitchen to help.

At the same time, he brought up the system and opened the gift bag that the belt had sent.

You have gained 1 point of power.

You have gained the perk: Tidal Wave - You can push your limits for a short period of time to cast spells or fight at double the speed, but be careful, this move is very easy to bite your tongue or cause muscle strain, and it is not recommended to use it continuously without rest.

Remarks:

"As long as you pay me enough, I can strike six times in one second!" — A dedicated old mercenary

I thought it would be a strength-based combat skill, but it turned out to be an acceleration-based specialty.

It wasn't for nothing that I whipped him so fast he was spinning like a top.

Richard smiled and shut down the system, then knelt down to add firewood to the fire for Elsa...

The next day arrived.

As agreed upon when they left yesterday, Richard and Grace, fully equipped, arrived at the east gate of Phoenix.

The Forest Arrow Squad was already waiting here.

In addition to the original dwarf spirits, there was also a brown-haired hunting dog that was almost as tall as a person when it stood up.

"Its name is Big Cat, and it's my animal companion," Levin explained. "Relax, it's very well-behaved and loves to be petted."

As expected of a wandering knight, he even has a pet.

But why call it Big Cat?

Richard reached out and patted the dog's head, somewhat puzzled.

The dog happily meowed, "Meow!"

Richard: "..."

Got it, got it.

This dog has mislearned its mother tongue!

"It was raised by an old cat at my friend's house, and this is how it ended up."

Levin shrugged at Richard and continued:

"Now that everyone is here, let's set off. According to the intelligence provided by the Flying Axe Guild, the snake-man tribe is active in the small mountains to the northeast. They have angered the church by frequently robbing passing caravans."

"That place is about half a day's drive from here. If things go smoothly, we might be able to get back to the city for the night."

"Oh, right, the intelligence also mentioned snake-people spellcasters. While they aren't as exaggerated as mind flayers, they do possess some troublesome mental abilities, so I've prepared some extra mechanized mind potions..."

Mechanized Mind Potion, as the name suggests, can suppress a creature's emotions for a short period of time, making its consciousness as organized as a machine, thereby preventing the influence of mind magic to the greatest extent.

The fact that Levin would prepare this undoubtedly shows that he is a qualified captain.

This reassured Richard somewhat.

However, he didn't need any potions or anything like that. After all, he had the title of a fearless person, and Grace, who had maxed out her spell resistance, was by his side, so he wasn't too worried about his mind being affected.

soon……

The group followed the path and climbed to the nearby hilltop.

Looking back from here, you can vaguely see a small part of Phoenix and its bustling harbor.

The gray-white breakwater, like the arm of a giant, encircles a bay of azure water. Within its embrace, masts stand like a forest, sails and flags intertwine, and seagulls dot the horizon, giving one the illusion of admiring an oil painting.

Unfortunately, no one has time to appreciate the beautiful scenery now.

"Meow! Meow!"

As the big cat meowed, Levin frowned and said in a deep voice:

"We've discovered traces of the snake people..."