Chapter 30: The Bard

A four-star elite unit, a Dryad?!

Wang Xi’s pupils constricted. This was the most powerful entity he had encountered in the fairy-tale otherworld thus far.

However… why did this dryad look like an old man?

‘It must be some kind of magical disguise,’ Wang Xi speculated. He was unsure of the dryad’s intentions, but he could confirm that the entity likely held no malice. The pale green status tag also indicated a friendly alignment.

“Are you a bard, sir?”

At this moment, Steward White stepped forward, speaking with a mix of caution and probing.

“Indeed.” The old man in the red robe and green cloak smiled, walking toward them. As he approached, he unslung the small lute from his waist and began to sing a melody with an ancient cadence:

“My name is Bedy, from the Southern lands I roam. War I have witnessed, heroes I have followed. The gnomes and dragons have not remained hidden. The siren’s sweet voice, only I have heard…”

His voice was melodious yet deep and hoarse, keeping time with the lute strings, thick with the weariness of the road and tales of old. The song was sung in Old Bairn. Since the common language of the Stag Kingdom was derived from this tongue, those present could roughly grasp the meaning of the ballad—this elderly bard named Bedy had come from the south, witnessing wars and heroic deeds along the way, as well as various monsters and legendary creatures.

The latter part of the song recounted his travels to this region, where he had happened to hear of the impending royal wedding of the Stag Kingdom’s queen and wished to head to the capital, Daphneer, to witness the event.

As the lute music faded, the old man’s singing came to an abrupt halt.

“So, it is Mr. Bedy.” Steward White pressed his hand to his chest and bowed.

Bards held a significant status in this era. They were well-informed, possessed incredible experience from traveling far and wide, and were essentially walking chronicles. Moreover, they were generally skilled in combat, serving as key conduits for lords and dignitaries to spread their fame. Generally, no one would offend them without cause.

“I am White Evans, steward of the Spinning Wheel Merchant Guild. Our caravan was unfortunately attacked while passing through here, but fortunately, Lord Gai, who was traveling with us, stepped in to help…”

After a brief introduction, White gave a rough account of what had occurred. His reason for doing so was to use the bard’s mouth to spread the news. Even if most of the old man’s song had been self-aggrandizement, he was clearly experienced and a skilled performer. This would help propagate the reputation of the Spinning Wheel Merchant Guild and, incidentally, let the guild’s top brass know that he, White, had served with complete devotion in transporting this cargo.

“Oh?”

Hearing White’s account, the white-haired old man looked surprised and turned to size up Wang Xi.

“I did not expect Lord Gai to be such an outstanding wizard at such a young age! I shall weave this legendary experience into a ballad and sing it wherever I go!”

“I appreciate it, Mr. Bedy.” Steward White hurried forward, offering a leather pouch filled with gold coins. Although Gai was the protagonist, as long as the Spinning Wheel Merchant Guild was mentioned during the performance, his goal would be achieved.

Seeing this, the old bard frowned.

“There is no need for this, sir. I merely hunt for interesting stories and admire heroes… To witness such a young wizard’s oath-keeping feat while passing through here is already a great joy.”

White held the pouch awkwardly. Fortunately, the old man eventually took the money, sighing:

“Since Mr. White is so insistent, I shall accept it. I will also make sure the people of Daphneer know of the injustice your caravan has suffered.”

“Thank you, Mr. Bedy!” White secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

At this point, the old man ignored the others, stepped past White, and walked toward the black-haired youth with a smile.

“Lord Gai, could we speak in private? I would like to know some more detailed aspects of the process.”

Wang Xi looked at the old man, seemingly wanting to find out what this dryad was actually after, so he smiled slightly and said, “Of course.”

The two walked in tacit agreement toward the nearby woods. Once they were dozens of meters away from the caravan, the old bard stopped and turned around, smiling:

“Lord Gai, I am curious—how did you fool those people?”

“Hm?” Wang Xi looked puzzled.

“You possess no magic.”

The old man shook his head. Wang Xi lowered his gaze, understanding dawned on him. He had been posing as a wizard using a laser pistol; neither the caravan members nor the "Finger Society" ambushers had been able to tell. But the dryad before him was a powerful being who had mastered magic and naturally saw through his ruse at a glance.

“That is my secret,” Wang Xi replied, shaking his head.

“Everyone has secrets, and heroes are no exception.” The old bard did not press further, instead nodding. “But external objects do not truly belong to you, Lord Gai. You must be careful…”

“Thank you for the reminder.” Wang Xi responded politely.

The atmosphere fell into a brief silence before the old bard suddenly remarked with emotion:

“Has your curse not been lifted yet, Lord Gai?”

Wang Xi raised an eyebrow.

The old man smiled and waved a hand over his face; the wrinkled skin transformed into that of a middle-aged man.

“We have met before, on the outskirts of Randor. You were very small back then…”

“So it was you!” Wang Xi was surprised. Although he had no memory of this middle-aged face, Godalier had told him that they had met a bard when they were children, and it was that person who had identified his "Ice Heart Curse" and warned him. He had not expected that the bard from back then was disguised as this dryad.

“It seems you still remember me.” The bard waved his hand, and his face reverted to its elderly state. With a smile, he added, “Do not overthink it; I hold no malice toward you, and my warning back then was indeed well-intentioned.”

“Thank you, Mr. Bedy. It is thanks to your warning that I am here. And I have come to the capital specifically to find a way to break the curse…” Wang Xi said in a low, serious voice.

The old man nodded, scrutinized him for a few moments, and realized:

“It seems your Ice Heart Curse has flared up recently… Many do not know that this innate curse is actually a double-edged sword.”

“A double-edged sword?” Wang Xi asked humbly. “Please, Mr. Bedy, enlighten me.”

The old man nodded and replied:

“Legend has it that Isabella, the ‘Snow Queen’ on the snowy mountain, knows how to lift such curses… but in reality, she herself is an ‘Ice Heart person.’”

The Snow Queen also has the Ice Heart Curse?! Wang Xi’s gaze sharpened.

The old man continued:

“Not just her. In my life, I have seen many powerful individuals, and almost all of them were ‘Ice Heart people.’”

Hearing this, Wang Xi couldn’t help but think of the preface fable he had read in *The Gospel of Iros*. It mentioned that the chronic Ice Heart Curse was a trial from God for a lucky few; once passed, one could embark on the pilgrimage to Heaven. Did this imply that the curse itself contained an opportunity?

“Lord Gai’s decision to head to Daphneer is the right one. Although the ‘Snow Queen’ keeps to herself and lives in seclusion on the snowy mountain, it is said that she is a relatively benevolent being…” The old man paused, then added, “However, I hear she hasn’t appeared in a long time, and the road to the snowy mountain has been blocked by Queen Siana to prevent busybodies from disturbing her.”

“So, Lord Gai, seeking the ‘Snow Queen’s’ help will likely not be easy.”

“Thank you for the information, Mr. Bedy. I will find a way… after all, my life depends on it.” Wang Xi bowed in gratitude.

The old man looked at his chest and said:

“You likely have about a year. If you haven’t solved the curse in a year, you will lose your human emotions in the short term and eventually die, turning into a block of ice.”

“I understand.” Wang Xi took a deep breath, suppressing the sense of urgency welling up inside him, and spoke in a firm voice.

The old man was silent for a moment. He then shifted the topic to something else:

“I remember the girl traveling with you—her name is Godalier, correct?”

“That is correct.” Wang Xi nodded. He understood now; the dryad had likely seen something special in Godalier. “I didn’t expect Mr. Bedy to remember her, too.”

“She didn’t catch my attention when she was young; I just thought of her as a cute child I met on the road.” The old man shook his head, sighing with emotion. “But I just discovered that now that she has grown up, she has become completely different… She is an excellent candidate to be a witch.”

“A witch?” Wang Xi raised an eyebrow.

The old man lifted his eyelids and smiled:

“Indeed. My travels this time are specifically for the purpose of taking on some students to teach them magic.”

With a smile, he raised a finger.

*Whoosh—*

A gust of wind blew, sweeping up the fallen leaves on the ground, and it actually lifted Wang Xi into the air, causing him to float. Unlike the face-changing trick from earlier, which could be dismissed as some kind of sleight of hand, this levitation was clearly within the realm of magic.

Wang Xi landed slowly and feigned surprise. “You truly are a real wizard; otherwise, you wouldn’t have seen through my disguise… So, you intend to take Godalier as your student?”

“That is correct.” The old man nodded. “Lord Gai, do you agree to let her follow me to learn magic?”

“That depends on her own wishes,” Wang Xi replied.

The old man looked at him strangely, as if he had misunderstood something, and said:

“Very well, I will ask her myself in a moment.”

At this, Wang Xi thought to himself: if one sheep is being herded, two is the same; surely it wouldn’t hurt to add himself as a student. So he asked with a bit of audacity.

To his surprise, the old man shook his head with regret, saying tactfully:

“Lord Gai, you are not well-suited. Furthermore, my abilities are limited, and I fear I cannot teach you.”

This extinguished Wang Xi’s hopes. Fine, if I can’t learn, so be it. I can still use my cards. Regardless, at least he had convinced himself.

After their conversation, they walked out of the woods, and the old man approached Godalier. The girl looked at Wang Xi for confirmation, and he nodded. Thus, Godalier followed the old man to the side, filled with nervousness and confusion.

A moment later, Godalier and the old man returned. She was fidgeting with her skirt with anxious little hands, pacing over to Wang Xi’s side. With a face full of bewilderment, she whispered:

“Gai… can I really master magic?”

“Why wouldn’t you be able to?” Wang Xi said.

“But…” Godalier bit her lip, still looking hesitant. She had been born a simple, low-born girl and had never thought there was anything special about her. Compared to Gai’s brilliance, she felt more like a speck of dust beside a piece of gold.

Seeing the girl’s dazed expression, Wang Xi sighed inwardly. Godalier had low self-esteem and was extremely dependent on him, which was not a good thing.

Wang Xi hardened his heart and said:

“Godalier, I cannot protect you for your whole life… You must learn to protect yourself and become strong. Only then can you survive well in this world.”

Hearing this, the girl froze.