Chapter 60: Act 52 – Romain Cannot Take Such Risks
(By Ramona Darkshine, Year of the Golden Leaf)
Romaine looked up at the wooden sign with her small face, a hint of a cute blush appearing on her pale cheeks due to the coolness of the night. Even though it was early summer, the temperature in the mountainous area was still quite low.
The already rain-soaked wooden sign was blackened and bore the image of a mottled galloping horse. The characters written on it were unfamiliar to her, but Romaine guessed it should be the right place. She placed her hands on her precious leather bag and hesitated for a moment, raising her head and rubbing her round-toed boots against the ground—this should be it, the Inn of the Galloping Horse?
As the distant bells rang, a group of guards passed by her. However, the Merchant Miss was not too frightened; instead, she curiously observed the guards as they moved away. When the bells finally stopped, she took a small breath and turned to enter the inn.
The owner of the Galloping Horse Inn was a dwarf, just as one would expect from a story—his beard was long and the color of ripe wheat, tied in several bunches with brass rings, each inscribed with intricate patterns of Stone Script—the dwarven script. The family name was written above, with notable clans like “Firebeard,” “Stone Mark,” and “Luxurious Jewels” able to use precious and heavy golden rings.
These rings, like the dwarves’ beards, were a source of pride; dwarven families boasted histories of over a thousand years and would proudly walk around wearing these, clinking as they went. However, dwarves were seldom seen in human society. Cognan Barbarossa Rockhall, the owner of the Galloping Horse Inn, skillfully took advantage of this—he deliberately dressed himself up as a prominent figure and paid others to discuss him privately, only to later deny the claims. People were always curious about this mysterious dwarf lord, leading to a steady stream of visitors, thereby expanding Cognan’s business.
Today, Cognan wore a long robe made of silk, and on his fat fingers were three ruby rings, one cat’s eye ring, and one emerald ring. Were it not for his nephew—of course, a human—Cognan likely would not have fared well in human society. As to why a dwarf had a human relative, explaining it in detail could take days and nights, so our focus is on his nephew, who was serving in the White Mane Legion, currently pressing down on his shoulder and instructing him.
“Are you saying that if I see a young girl, no matter what she asks, I must agree first? But why? What if she asks me to give her my entire fortune? No, no, that sounds too foolish,” the dwarf owner shook his head vigorously, muttering.
“Uncle Cognan, listen to me. I’m not saying you should give her your fortune, but prepare a coach for her and don’t let her suspect anything. Then prepare another for us to follow her,” said his nephew.
“Just a coach?” Cognan eyed his nephew suspiciously.
“Of course.”
“Well, will she pay?”
The young man from the White Mane Legion sighed, knowing his uncle’s temperament, quickly said, “Of course she will, but don’t bargain too harshly with her. Don’t scare her away, as long as Uncle Cognan agrees to help, the credit will be mine, understood?”
“Still don’t quite understand, but do you like that girl? In that case, I might consider giving you a 9.95% discount.”
“No, no, that’s not it! The truth is, that girl is actually a spy from Madara. They’ve broken out of the dungeon, and now they must be eager to leave the city. Captain Lukesons sent us to monitor every possible route of their escape—”
“Then why don’t you just capture her directly?” Cognan asked curiously.
Parker slapped his forehead and sighed, “Uncle Cognan, she has many companions. To capture them all at once, we must find a way to lower their guard and quietly follow them! Do you understand?”
“Still don’t quite get it.”
“Well, rest assured, Uncle Cognan, I’ll cover the difference if she underpays.”
“Lowering their guard, meeting her demands, is it? Now I understand,” the dwarf owner finally nodded.
Despite his penny-pinching nature, he was quick to act. In a moment, he summoned a servant and asked, “When will that girl arrive?”
“I don’t know, but I hope she comes here first. I can’t let that Granson fellow look down on me,” the young man sighed, sensing his companion was urgently patting his shoulder. He looked outside, suddenly excited, and pushed the dwarf forward, “It’s her, she’s coming! Quick, Uncle, it’s your turn!”
“Take it easy, young man. Don’t push me forward like a sack of potatoes; I’ve been in business for thirty years and know what to do,” Cognan boasted at the last moment.
As Romaine entered the inn, she couldn’t help but curiously glance around. She had never seen such a heavy use of stone in architectural decoration before, but seeing the stacked stone walls and columns made her feel a sense of familiarity. The future Merchant Miss looked around when she spotted a dwarf whose beard nearly touched the ground standing before her.
“Are you a gnome?” she asked.
“No, I’m a dwarf,” the inn’s owner corrected her sternly.
“Mr. Short, are you the owner here?”
“It’s dwarf, not short person. Young girl, do you understand?—Of course, I’m the owner here.”
“But I would like to rent a coach. Do you rent out coaches?”
“Of course, what do you think I’m doing here?”
“Do I need to pay?”
“Of course, the principle of business is money for goods. We charge based on the number of days rented; however, in principle, the Galloping Horse Inn generally doesn’t provide rentals that exceed one day outside the city. Moreover, if the coach is damaged due to the customer’s fault, we will demand compensation. In fact, our coachman has the right to refuse any orders that could threaten his life, of course, this clause is void if it conflicts with the previous one…” Once it came to business, Cognan could go on endlessly.
“How much for renting half a day?”
“Thirty tor.”
Romaine took out a blue-gray pouch and shook it in her hand, letting two or three coins fall out. She looked up, a flawless expression on her face, and asked, “But I only have this much money; can I rent it?”
“You can rent one wheel…” Cognan originally intended to respond thus, but suddenly remembering his nephew’s words, he changed his answer: “Alright, though it’s a bit short—young girl, when do you plan to need the coach?”
“I need it right away; how can I find my coach?”
“The coach is parked in the back; here’s your token. You can find your coach with it. By the way, do you want me to take you there?” He reluctantly handed over a copper tag, recalling that it had been years since he had last done a losing business deal.
“No need, I still have some friends outside; I must consult their opinions. Can we settle the payment first?”
“Of course, settling accounts is my favorite thing.” Cognan wiped his forehead, feeling that this business truly betrayed his principles. However, considering his nephew’s face—and mainly the prospect of receiving compensation—he reluctantly agreed to do it just this once.
Meanwhile, Parker, the dwarf’s nephew, and his partner were hiding in the kitchen, watching as Romaine walked out of the inn, looking quite satisfied with herself. They rushed out together and grabbed their uncle, asking, “So, did you get it?”
“Of course, you should see who your uncle Cognan is. I’ve previously done business with greedy ogres,” the dwarf couldn’t help but recount the details again. However, as soon as Parker heard it, he slapped his forehead and exclaimed, “By Martha, Uncle Cognan, what have you done? She must know we’re here! She won’t ride your coach anymore; Uncle Cognan, we’ve messed up!”
“What’s wrong?”
“What merchant would do business without calculating the consequences? A tenth of the price? Uncle Cognan, you’ve been too kind! I didn’t expect that woman to be so clever; she must have suspected from the very beginning. What else did she say?” The young man was frustrated, not anticipating that his uncle’s good intentions would backfire.
“She said she would go ask her companions’ opinions.”
“Companions?” Parker exchanged glances with his partner, and they immediately dashed out. Leaving the dwarf owner behind, shouting, “Wait, you two little rascals, what about the money you promised me!”
He huffed angrily, “Today’s youth have no respect for their elders.” Turning back, he noticed his servant rushing over, bowing to him and saying, “Boss, the coach you arranged has already left.”
“The coach I arranged? What coach have I arranged?” Cognan felt confused and looked at his servant in disbelief.
“The one you said to meet all her demands.”
“Speaking of which, that young lady is truly beautiful, with a good character. Is she Master Parker’s lover?” The servant even complimented her.
“What!” The dwarf looked at him with a predatory gaze.
……
“Miss, where are we going?”
The coach rolled forward with the sound of wheels clattering, and the scenery outside the window flew back quickly, everything making the young girl feel novel. However, quickly a question came from outside the carriage—
“I love to see the scenery. Let’s go to the south gate first, and then circle around to the north gate. Is there any scenery along the way?”
“Of course, we should pass the mansion of Knight Everton.”
“Everton? Who is that?”
“Knight Everton, he’s a famous hero…”
Brendel and Charles climbed to the top of the spire of Yusong Castle, peering down and couldn’t help but gasp. Outside, a swarm of noble private soldiers nearly surrounded the castle tightly; those miscellaneous mercenaries holding torches caused the scattered lights to form a blend, looking like a fire dragon winding around the moat of Yusong Castle.
The noble private soldiers had already breached the gate and entered the outer courtyard, and were soon to invade the castle. The previous loud bang from the wind-guided magic had alerted these nobles, and they began preparing for a strong assault.
Brendel and his young wizard retainer observed the scene below, their expressions not good. Breaking out now seemed nearly miraculous—although they had gargoyles to rely on, they couldn’t fly very high with two people.
Brendel held his breath, feeling uncertainly tense; he pointed to another fire dragon in the distance and said, “Did you see that? The White Mane Legion is here too—”
“I’d rather not see it, my lord.”
“Well, that too.”
……
(PS. My tickets can’t possibly be that many!)
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