piratefiction Chapter 151 Carnival
Chapter 151 Carnival
Chapter 151 Carnival
The midday sun bathed the town in a dazzling golden-red hue, and the air was filled with fervor and anticipation.
In the square of Chifang Town, crowds thronged, eagerly awaiting the return of their hero. The fear and oppression of the past few days had been building up in their chests, and they were waiting to turn that feeling into cheers.
wait.
wait.
A small shadow appeared on the horizon.
"They're back! They're back!"
A sharp scream pierced the sky, followed by deafening cheers.
Surrounded by the townspeople, several weary warhorses slowly entered the square, carrying several slightly disheveled yet proudly upright figures. Leading them was the Rose Knight, her silver armor stained with dried blood and dust, yet even so, it could not conceal her sharp and heroic spirit.
Her left shoulder was simply bandaged with rough bandages, the seeping blood staining the area red, but she still straightened her back and her gaze swept resolutely across the boiling crowd.
"It's the Rose Knight! It's Lord Dove!"
The crowd spontaneously parted to make way for the heroes. Flowers, ribbons, and simple wicker wreaths poured down from the windows and rooftops, landing on the swordswoman and her companions. Children stared wide-eyed at the female knight, as if she were a legendary saint.
In the center of the square, a simple bonfire had been lit, its flames burning brightly and illuminating every excited face.
Among the crowd welcoming the Rose Knights back, the plump, white-haired lord's son, Alphonse, looked at the victorious crowd and snorted unhappily, "It seems our great hero has returned victorious." Alphonse said with a hint of disdain.
Father Usa, standing beside him, tried his best to maintain a solemn expression, but could not suppress his inner excitement. He said with a slight tremor, "By Obak—it's true, she really is the champion blessed by the Holy Rose—"
"Champion? Father Usa, you don't really believe it—" Alphonse wanted to be sarcastic, but seeing that the priest's attention was completely off him, he felt it was pointless and walked away.
The plump, white-haired lord's son ordered his men to part the crowd and slowly walked up to the swordswoman. He glanced at Sheriff Matthew, but the knight avoided the acting lord's gaze.
Alphonse turned his gaze back to Dove.
"Rose Knight! You are the savior of Red Pavilion Town!"
The fat man suddenly flashed a bright smile and shouted to the crowd—completely masking the disdain on his face just moments before.
"People will remember your deeds—people will remember your sacred journey, which began in Chifang Town," the fat man continued. "Please accept the gift from the Roger family! You are the Lord's vanguard, and the champion of Chifang! When future bards sing of your appearance, they will not forget that dazzling Chifang red!"
Alphonse waved his hand, and his servant brought over a bright red cloak from the side.
Dove hesitated for a moment, then dismounted, knelt on one knee, and bowed his head to accept the nobleman's gift.
The chubby man personally put the cloak on the female knight. Doffin thanked the acting lord, then stood up to receive the townspeople's admiration.
At first, she was not used to being the center of attention and felt uncomfortable. However, it didn't take long for her to be infected by the enthusiasm of the crowd. Her face turned red and she couldn't help but smile.
"Let the celebration begin! Long live Obak! May His glory shine upon the entire continent!"
"Long live!!"
A cheer erupted from the crowd!
Geb wasn't very interested in human celebrations; he cared more about what really mattered: money!
As the crowd began to celebrate, Gebu secretly slipped away and ran to the caravan's tent, only to find that Dulin had already arrived at Lady Stoneheart's place. The fellow had disappeared as soon as he entered the city; apparently, he had come here to report for duty.
"Gebu, please come in." Lady Stoneheart saw Gebu, invited him in, and poured a cup of tea for the halfling.
Geb, Dulin, and Stoneheart sat around the table. Steam rose from the teacups, warming the entire tent.
"So, you really did what you promised," Shi Xin said calmly. "I must say, you've left a very deep impression on me, Gebu."
"Of course, the Gebu family always keeps their word," Gebu said proudly.
"That's the Zinkraut family motto, isn't it? — But I haven't had a chance to properly thank you, Brother Geb." Dulin paused, looked into Geb's eyes, and said seriously, "Thank you, half-human Geb."
"You're welcome, Dwarf Dulin." Geb returned the greeting solemnly, then immediately resumed his usual sly expression. "Speaking of thanks, I'd be very happy if you could give me the letter of recommendation you promised."
"Of course, I'll write it right away," Dulin replied immediately, then got up to find paper and pen.
Geb turned his attention to Mrs. Stoneheart, took the letter written by the priest from the bag, and handed it to her.
"This is Father Usa's letter of recommendation, plus Dulin's, so we're only missing one more," Geb said. "I'll ask Alphonse for the third one, of course, after the celebration."
"Aren't you going to the celebration?" the dwarf asked.
"Uh, I think it's best not to get too carried away." Gebu recalled being caught drunk by the knife woman and couldn't help but feel a little scared. He didn't want to mix with the revelers. There were too many people and too many eyes. If he was exposed, he would be finished.
Let the swordswoman enjoy her victory—she's worked hard too.
"I didn't expect you to be so young, yet possess wisdom beyond your years." Shi Xin's eyebrows curved into a smile as he slowly said, "Don't worry, Gebu, I won't renege on your bounty. I'll help you ask Alphonse for the extra 2000 gold coins. He's not a fool; this incident will make the entire kingdom remember Chifang Town, and the boost it will bring to the local commerce will be worth far more than a few thousand gold coins."
"I just saw that he's already linked 'Red Akabo' with the name of the Rose Knight," Gebu said. "I didn't expect this nobleman, who looks so bloated, to be so good at business."
"I think you're the best at business," Shi Xin smiled at the halfling. "Since you've fulfilled my requirements, I hereby formally accept you into the Salt and Iron Merchant Guild's Fourth Caravan."
Oh my! It worked?!
Geb was overjoyed. He had originally intended to pretend, but his goblin nature kicked in, and he couldn't help but grin with a wide, toothy smile.
"Thank you so much!"
The halfling spun around in place several times, his ADHD kicking in. He picked up a teacup to drink from, but was scalded by the hot tea and quickly put the cup down.
"Hot! Hot! Hot!"
"Pfft—Hahaha—"
Lady Stoneheart laughed unexpectedly; the death of the manticore had removed a huge weight from her heart. The composed dwarf finally spoke her mind, letting out a laugh that had pent up her frustrations for days.
"Hahaha—hahaha." Gebu laughed along with the dwarf, ignoring the fact that his tongue was burning red.
After laughing for a while, the dwarf regained her composure, looked at Gebu, and nodded slightly to him.
"Thank you, Geb. I hope our cooperation will be as solid and lasting as Mother Rock."
"Of course. Now, if you have a little time, I have a business idea I'd like to discuss with you—" Seeing that the dwarf was in a good mood, Geb seized the opportunity to bring up his cocktail business plan and get the caravan leader's permission.
"I always have time for you."
Lady Stoneheart smiled at Geb, but then changed the subject.
"But before that, let me ask you a question, and I hope you will answer it honestly."
"Are you a wizard?"