Chapter 30: Minstrel
Chapter 30: Chapter 30: Minstrel
A Four-Star Elite Unit, a Woodland Fairy?!
Wang Xi’s pupils constricted.
This was the most powerful being he had encountered so far in the Fairy Tale Otherworld.
However...
Why did this Fairy look like a decrepit old man?
’It must be some kind of magical disguise.’
Wang Xi guessed.
He didn’t know what the Woodland Fairy’s purpose was, but he could confirm that the being likely meant no harm.
The light green tag also indicated a friendly status.
"Are you a Minstrel, sir?"
Steward White stepped forward, his question cautious and wary.
"Of course," the old man in the red clothes and green cape said with a grin as he walked toward the group. As he moved, he took the Small Lute from his waist and began to sing an ancient-sounding ballad:
"My name is Bedi, from the Southern Country I came. I have weathered war, and walked with Heroes of fame. Dwarves and dragons, I’ve seen in the open light. The Sea Siren’s sweet song, I’ve heard in the night..."
His voice was melodic yet low and raspy, and following the rhythm of the lute, it was filled with hardship and stories.
The song was sung in the Ancient Bane Language.
The common tongue of the Stag Kingdom was derived from this language, so everyone present could roughly understand the ballad’s meaning—
The elderly Minstrel was named Bedi. He came from the south, had witnessed wars and heroic deeds, and had encountered various Demons and legendary creatures.
The latter half of the ballad told of how he had traveled to this land, having heard that the Queen of the Stag Kingdom’s wedding was imminent, and he wanted to go to the Royal Capital Daphne to witness it.
When the lute’s music ceased, the old man’s singing came to an abrupt halt.
"So, you are Master Bedi."
Steward White placed a hand on his chest and bowed to the old man.
Minstrels held a respectable status in this era. They were well-informed, incredibly well-traveled, and were practically walking encyclopedias of news and stories. Furthermore, most were skilled in martial arts, making them a key medium for Lords and nobles to spread their renown.
Generally speaking, no one would offend them without reason.
"I am the Steward of the Spinning Wheel Commerce, White Evans. Our caravan was unfortunately ambushed while passing through here, but thankfully, Lord Gai, who is traveling with us, came to our aid..."
After a brief introduction, White gave a rough account of what had happened.
He did this in the hopes of using the Minstrel’s voice to spread the story.
Even if the old man’s previous ballad was mostly boastful, he was clearly experienced, and his singing and playing skills were superb. This would be beneficial for spreading the Spinning Wheel Commerce’s reputation, and it would also let the company’s higher-ups know that he, White, had dedicated himself completely to transporting this important cargo, loyal to the very end.
"Oh?"
After hearing White’s tale, the white-haired old man showed a look of surprise and turned to size up Wang Xi.
"I never would have thought Lord Gai was so young, yet already such an outstanding Wizard! I will weave this legendary experience into a ballad and sing it wherever I go!"
"We’re in your debt, Master Bedi."
Steward White quickly stepped forward and offered a leather pouch filled with Gold Coins.
Although Gai would be the protagonist of the song, as long as the Spinning Wheel Commerce got a mention, his goal would be achieved.
Seeing this, however, the old Minstrel frowned.
"There’s no need for that, sir. I am merely seeking interesting tales and admiring Heroes... To pass by here and witness the oath-keeping feat of such a young Warlock is already a great joy."
White held the leather pouch, feeling a bit awkward.
Fortunately, the old man took the money with a sigh.
"Since Master White is so sincere, I will accept it. I will also make sure the people of Daphne know of the injustice your caravan has suffered."
"Thank you, Master Bedi!"
White sighed in relief.
At that moment, the old man ignored everyone else, walked past White, and approached the black-haired young man with a grin.
"Lord Gai, might we speak alone? I’d like to know some of the finer details of what happened."
Wang Xi looked at the old man. He also seemed to want to know what this Woodland Fairy was up to, so he smiled faintly and said,
"Of course."
The two walked off in tacit agreement, entering the nearby woods.
Once they were several dozen meters away from the caravan, the old Minstrel stopped and turned around with a smile.
"Lord Gai, I’m very curious. How did you manage to deceive those people?"
"Hm?" Wang Xi looked puzzled.
"You don’t possess any Magic Power."
The old man shook his head.
Wang Xi lowered his gaze, understanding dawning on him.
’He had used a Laser Pistol to pose as a Wizard. Neither the caravan members nor the ambushers from the Finger Association could see through his ruse.’
’But the Woodland Fairy before him was a powerful being who had mastered Magic. Naturally, he saw through the deception at a glance.’
"That is my secret."
Wang Xi said, shaking his head.
"Everyone has their secrets, and Heroes are no exception."
The old Minstrel didn’t press the matter, but simply nodded.
"But external objects are not truly your own. Lord Gai, you must be careful..."
"Thank you for the warning."
Wang Xi replied politely.
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. Then, the old Minstrel suddenly sighed emotionally.
"Has your curse not been lifted yet, Lord Gai?"
"..."
Wang Xi raised an eyebrow.
The old man just smiled, waved a hand over his face, and his wrinkle-covered visage transformed into that of a middle-aged man.
"We’ve met before, on the outskirts of Randall. You were very young then..."
"So it was you!"
Wang Xi was rather surprised.
Although he didn’t recognize this middle-aged face, he had heard from Goddalir that they had met a Minstrel in their childhood. It was that person who had seen that he carried the Ice Heart Curse and had spoken up to warn them.
He never imagined that the Minstrel from back then was actually this Woodland Fairy in disguise.
"It seems you remember me."
With another wave of his hand, the Minstrel’s middle-aged face reverted to its elderly state. He smiled and added,
"Don’t overthink it. I mean you no harm, and my warning back then was indeed well-intentioned."
"Thank you, Master Bedi. It’s all thanks to your warning back then. I’ve come to the Royal Capital this time precisely to find a way to break the curse..."
Wang Xi said in a serious tone.
The old man nodded, glanced at him a few times, and then said with an air of realization,
"It seems your Ice Heart Curse has flared up recently... Many people don’t know that this kind of innate curse is actually a double-edged sword."
"A double-edged sword?" Wang Xi asked humbly, "Please enlighten me, Master Bedi."
The old man nodded and answered,
"Legend has it that the ’Ice and Snow Queen’ Isabella on the snow mountain knows how to break such a curse... But in reality, she herself is one of the ’Ice Heart People.’"
The Ice and Snow Queen has the Ice Heart Curse too?!
Wang Xi’s gaze sharpened.
The old man continued,
"It’s not just her. I have seen many powerful individuals in my life, and almost all of them were ’Ice Heart People.’"
Hearing this, Wang Xi couldn’t help but recall the parable on the title page he had read in the Gospel of Eilos.
It mentioned that the chronic Ice Heart Curse was a test from God given to a few fortunate souls. Once passed, one could embark on the pilgrimage to Heaven.
’Does this mean the curse itself contains an opportunity?’
"Your decision to go to Daphne is the right one, Lord Gai. Although the ’Ice and Snow Queen’ doesn’t meddle in worldly affairs and lives as a recluse on the snow mountain, she is said to be a rather benevolent being..."
The old man paused for a moment, then added,
"However, I’ve heard she hasn’t made an appearance in a long time, and the path to the snow mountain has been sealed off by Queen Sianna to prevent busybodies from going to disturb her."
"So, it likely won’t be easy for you to seek the ’Ice and Snow Queen’s’ help, Lord Gai."
"Thank you for telling me, Master Bedi. I will find a way... After all, my life depends on it."
Wang Xi bowed in thanks.
The old man looked at his chest and said,
"You have about a year left. If you haven’t resolved the curse a year from now, you will rapidly lose all human emotion and eventually turn into an ice sculpture and die."
"I understand."
Wang Xi took a deep breath, suppressing the rising sense of urgency in his heart, and spoke in a low voice.
The old man was silent for a while.
He then changed the subject.
"I remember the girl traveling with you is named Goddalir, correct?"
"That’s right," Wang Xi nodded. He understood now; this Woodland Fairy had likely seen something special in Goddalir. "I’m surprised you still remember her, Master Bedi."
"She didn’t catch my attention when she was young. I just thought of her as a cute child I happened to meet."
The old man shook his head and sighed in admiration.
"But I just noticed that she’s completely different now that she’s grown up... She’s excellent material for a Witch."
"A Witch?"
Wang Xi raised an eyebrow.
The old man lifted his gaze and smiled.
"Indeed. On this journey of mine, I intend to take on some students and teach them Magic."
He held his smile and raised a finger.
"Like this."
SWOOSH—
A gust of wind blew, sweeping up the fallen leaves on the ground and lifting Wang Xi’s entire body into the air, leaving him hovering in mid-air.
This was different from the face-changing trick from before, which could have been explained as some kind of sleight of hand. But this Levitation Skill was clearly within the realm of Magic.
Wang Xi slowly descended and said to the old man with feigned surprise,
"You truly are a real Wizard. Otherwise, you wouldn’t have seen through my disguise... So, you intend to take Goddalir as your student?"
"That’s right," the old man nodded. "Do you agree to let her follow me and learn Magic, Lord Gai?"
"That will depend on her own wishes."
Wang Xi said, shaking his head.
The old man gave him a strange look, as if he had misunderstood something, and said,
"Very well, then. I will ask her myself in a moment."
At that point, Wang Xi had another thought. ’In for a penny, in for a pound. Taking on one more student shouldn’t be a problem, right?’ And so, he brazenly asked.
Unexpectedly, the old man shook his head regretfully and stated tactfully,
"You are not quite suitable, Lord Gai. Besides, my abilities are limited. I’m afraid I would be unable to teach you."
That put an end to Wang Xi’s hopes.
’Fine, if he won’t teach me, he won’t teach me.’
’I can still use my Cards anyway.’
In any case, he had at least managed to convince himself.
After they finished talking and walked out of the woods, the old man went to find Goddalir. The girl shot Wang Xi a questioning look and received a nod in response.
And so, filled with a mixture of anxiety and confusion, Goddalir followed the old man to one side.
「A moment later.」
Goddalir and the old man returned.
Her small, restless hands clutched the hem of her skirt. She paced over to Wang Xi, her face full of bewilderment, and whispered,
"Gai... can I really learn Magic?"
"Why not?" Wang Xi said.
"But..."
Goddalir bit her lip, still looking hesitant.
She was born just an ordinary girl from the lower class and had never thought there was anything special about her. Compared to the dazzling Gai, she felt more like a speck of dust next to a golden artifact.
Seeing the girl’s lost expression, Wang Xi sighed inwardly.
Goddalir had low self-esteem and was also very dependent on him, which was not a good thing.
Wang Xi had no choice but to harden his heart and say,
"Goddalir, I can’t protect you forever... You have to learn to protect yourself, to become strong. That’s the only way you can survive in this world."
Hearing this, the girl froze.