Chương 25: The Tavern Owner's Gift

"what!"

Instantly, a cut appeared on the goatee's calf, and he screamed as he fell to the ground right in front of the window.

"Don't even think about running away!"

The smoke quickly dissipated, and the rest of the tavern finally saw the fleeing dwarf. They swarmed him, pinned him to the ground, and beat him mercilessly.

For a moment, the scene appeared somewhat cruel.

Richard didn't participate in this final scene, but instead looked at the blonde woman beside him with a hint of curiosity.

If he hasn't admitted his mistake...

That attack just now was the Paladin's exclusive Tier 3 combat skill, Thunder Strike, right?

In Terella, paladins are a very famous extraordinary profession.

They are similar to a combination of warriors and priests, possessing both powerful melee abilities and the ability to use various holy spells.

However, what is most impressive is their steadfast adherence to their beliefs.

Paladins do not necessarily worship a particular god, but they will certainly make some kind of sacred oath, which may include a set of virtues, or the pursuit of glory or the assumption of responsibility.

These oaths give them immense power, and in turn, they will risk their lives to uphold them.

Therefore, the paladins...

Well, at least most paladins are undoubtedly righteous men, the backbone of the good and order faction, and the second most popular protagonists for bards to use in their creations.

Incidentally, my first favorite is the poets themselves.

With this in mind, Richard's curiosity was piqued, and he activated his Eye of Insight.

【Name:??? 】 Race: Human [Class: Paladin lv8] 【property:??? 】 [Standard Skills:???] [Extraordinary Skill (Spell):???] [Extraordinary Skill (Combat Art): Thunder Strike (Tier 3),???] 【talent:??? 】 Specialty:???

【title:??? 】 Good guy!

Is the seemingly fragile, pitiful, and helpless girl actually a paladin, and at a level as high as 8?

Horror!

If I had known you were this good, I should have protected you in front of me instead of behind me.

Across from him, the blonde woman was unaware of Richard's inner thoughts. She simply released his hand, smiled, and nodded at him before standing with another dark-haired woman who appeared to be her companion.

Richard couldn't help but want to say something more to someone.

But just then, the dwarf on the other side spoke up again.

"Stop fighting! I give up! I really give up!"

"Please, please hand me over to the city defense team!"

"I have a three-hundred-year-old mother to support and a thirty-year-old child to raise. How could I possibly deserve to die?"

Hearing this wail, the crowd reluctantly stopped.

The boss, Andy, walked up, squatted down, and said menacingly, "Just seeing the city defense team isn't enough; I also need to have a good talk with those bastards who hired you..."

Although Andy wasn't exactly a big shot, he had managed to run a bar in Phoenix for so many years, so he certainly wasn't without some tricks up his sleeve. That's why he dared to refuse to pay protection money when he was being extorted by thugs.

Now that these thugs are trying to harm him with underhanded tactics, he has no choice but to fight back.

Faced with Andy's request, the dwarf naturally dared not refuse, and quickly said, "Understood, understood, I'll do whatever you say, even kiss the boots, as long as it's not the soles..."

And so, the dwarfs completely gave in.

Andy found a rope and tied them up, then turned to Richard, rubbing his chubby hands together and saying with a big smile:

"Thank you, sir. Thank you and your companion for everything you've done. Without you, my reputation would be completely ruined!"

Richard smiled and replied, "You're welcome. It's just something every righteous person would do."

At this moment, another adventurer who had been watching the spectacle chimed in, asking:

"Hey, poet, how did you know they were plotting something?"

Richard had anticipated this question and had prepared a response, so he calmly answered:

"Of course, it's through observation, reasoning, and a little bit of patience!"

"As a poet, I often observe the people around me and imagine what kind of personality and experiences they might have, which I use as material for my writing."

"So as soon as I entered the tavern, I noticed these two dwarfs. Unlike most of their kind who were happily enjoying their ale, or travelers who were covered in mud and just wanted to rest, they were hiding in a corner, eyeing the waists of every customer."

"This led me to suspect their identities..."

Using the poet's forte of talking nonsense, Richard successfully transformed the credit for the cheat into his own resourcefulness.

There was no such thing as adding points to Dark Blue; it was all my own hard work!

On the other side, the adventurers were stunned and exclaimed in surprise:

"I never imagined bards could be so skilled! They completely outmaneuvered professional thieves!"

"Gathering evidence through observation and solving puzzles through reasoning sounds so interesting!"

"I've got an idea! I want to write a novel on this theme, with the protagonist named Watson and a sidekick named Sherlock Holmes..."

On the other hand, Andy looked at Richard with a hint of admiration.

He realized that the poet in front of him was not only warm-hearted, but also had a flexible mind and keen judgment!

He then said, "You've really gone to a lot of trouble, sir. To express my gratitude, I will reimburse your room and board expenses, and additionally..."

Old Andy, to be honest, I prefer your "daughter" to your repayment.

As he looked at the string of words flashing across his retina, a slight smile appeared on his lips.

The Sleeping Treant Tavern has increased your favorability towards you.

You have received a gift pack from the Sleeping Treant Tavern.

[Unpacking the gift package...] You have learned the Bard's exclusive Tier 1 spell: Recreation - Your music can help teammates recover a certain amount of stamina and mana; the higher your charm, the better the effect.

Remarks:

"While reverie doesn't restrict itself to any particular genre, I still wouldn't recommend using heavy metal or rock to express it." — Jim Hans, tutor at Robin Academy You have learned the Bard's exclusive Tier 1 spell: Inspirational Melody - Your music can enhance your teammates' abilities in various aspects and make it easier for them to succeed when they take action. The higher your Charisma, the better the effect.

Remarks:

"Am I the only one who likes to use this in bed?" — Dandelion, the playboy That name sounds so familiar...

Wait, if I remember correctly, this seems to be the hallmark ability of a bard in the eyes of the world?

Ha! Finally, I finally look like a poet!

Richard shut down the system with satisfaction, then interrupted Andy, saying sincerely:

"Boss, you don't need to be so polite. Just waive the room fee. As for the food and drinks... my companion has an amazing appetite, which has resulted in a huge amount of money. If I just waive it, I will feel guilty."

Andy immediately started fuming and glaring.

"How can that be? If word gets out, everyone will say I'm stingy!"

"Then... how about you give me the lute in the hall?"

Richard's intention was simply to suggest something casually to save face for the other party, and incidentally, to get himself a musical instrument—after all, it would be rather unacceptable for a bard not to have one.

Unexpectedly, Andy frowned and hesitated after hearing this.

Richard asked, "Is that violin very valuable?"

Andy shook his head:

"No, it's not valuable, it's just..."

"Alas, it was originally commissioned by me to be given to a young poet who had once sung in my shop, to celebrate his first adventure."

"However, he died in that adventure."

"Honestly, I told that kid a long time ago he wasn't cut out to be an adventurer. He has a ton of flaws, and he still owes me nineteen dollars. He's hardly the type to achieve anything great!"

"he……"

"Well, there's nothing more to say. This is probably just the life of an adventurer."

"In short, sir, that's how this instrument came about. It might be a bit unlucky. Would you like to get another one?"

Richard paused for a moment, then said solemnly:

"No, I want this violin."

"Also, I want to say... Boss Andy, you are truly a kind person, may the gods bless you."

A few minutes later.

The onlookers went back to their rooms to sleep, and Andy took Richard downstairs and handed him the tin-plated lute.

Under Richard's gaze, the violin revealed its soundboard: Name: Iron Horn Lute (Cannot be charmed) Grade: Excellent Review: The materials used in this instrument are not particularly outstanding, but the craftsmanship is extremely fine. Despite the presence of dangerous iron corners, it does not affect the tone of the instrument at all. It is an essential tool for playing wind and string instruments, as well as for murder and silencing witnesses.

What? Isn't this very valuable?

Richard carefully put away his violin, said goodbye to Andy, and returned to the second floor with Grace.

Grace noticed the change in his expression and asked in a gentler tone, "Would you like me to bring you two more drinks?"

Richard chuckled self-deprecatingly:

"There's no need for that."

"I'm not really dead, why should I pretend to be so depressed?"

"I was just thinking that I should get rid of all my enemies as soon as possible, then restore my true identity, and then see Andy again, ask him for the lute, and see what kind of expression he would make."

Grace laughed heartily: "As expected of my little poet!"

The two chatted and laughed as they walked toward the room.

Then Richard discovered that the blonde woman he had tried to talk to but failed to reach was now dressed formally, holding a candlestick, and waiting in the middle of the corridor with her dark-haired companion.

The woman waved and smiled at him:

"Hello, Mr. Poet."

"Please forgive my sudden visit, but your performance tonight was so outstanding that I just couldn't resist the urge to get to know you."