Chapter - 4
An old brown mule pulled a cart slowly along the dirt road, and Leo lay on a pile of hay at the back of the cart, his arms resting over the edge, as he watched the lush greenery of the Dawnspire Forest slowly fade away.
"Comfortable back there, boiy?" a hoarse voice called out from the front.
Leo turned his gaze towards the old hunched man with a straw hat over his head driving the cart in the front.
The old man's name was Grendel, and he talked more than Leo's entire Eldora Online chat group combined could.
"Yeah, can't complain, old man," Leo replied with a grin, "It's way better than walking fifteen miles with blisters on my feet."
Grendel let out a wheezy chuckle, "Hahahaha! You new boys and your soft feet. Back in my day, we walked ten miles just to get water from the river… And doing that, we had to beat off goblins with damn sticks! We didn't even need swords for that."
"Sounds like a workout," Leo smirked.
"You bet it was!"
"Let me tell you boiy! These Goblin bastards are horny little shits,"
"If they smell a woman, that woman can never think about leaving safely. She will be ravaged by those fucking Goblins. And mind it boiy, those fucking green scums always hunt in groups."
"And why just the women? If those green bastards are in heat, not even the men… are not safe… Hahaha Those perverted beasts. If I catch one alive, I am going to roast them and feed it to my Hilda," As if hitting the Goblins, the old man whipped his stick and hit the mule, pulling the cart.
Leo chuckled, shaking his head. The man was something else.
"So, you are headed to Auravale, huh?" Grendel glanced over his shoulder.
"Yeah. Heard it's a lively place." Leo told the old man. It was a good chance for him to actually gather some information.
"Lively? Oh, it's more than lively, boiy. It was a dead town not too long ago."
"But right now it is a hot pie everyone wants a slice of."
"And it is all thanks to the Temple of light. It has changed a lot of things in the town."
Leo looked intrigued, "Temple of Light? What's that?"
"Aye, that's a big shiny place at the centre of town. It is full of Priests, nuns, sermons, holy relics, and the magic they brought to the city."
"The Temple of Light church goes around throwing blessings left, right and centre, and people just flock around it like moths to flame."
"But one must have to give the Temple of Light credit. Since they have arrived, our fields are greener than ever, our storages are full, diseases don't take lives no more, and everyone is happy."
"Most folks in town go there for every evening to offer their prayers, or to take blessings before every minor or major event in their lives." The old man told Leo, but then he showed his teeth, as he grinned lecherously.
"And some would just go to stare at the High Priestess. Heheheh… Gorgeous woman, that one. Supple voice and… ahem… blessed by the Temple God in… in more ways than one, if you know what I mean."
Hearing him, Leo let out a short knowing laugh, "Didn't know holiness came with curves. I am tempted to take her blessings."
Grendel snorted, "You wish! You won't get to admire her. After setting up the church affairs, she had long left the town."
They hit a small bump and Leo adjusted himself on the hay, leaning forward, "Ohho! Such bad luck! I missed the holy blessings."
"But I believe in fate. I am sure I will cross paths with her some day."
"Hmphhh… Keep dreaming, boiy."
"So apart from the Temple, who runs the town? Any big shot nobles or lords I need to know about?" Leo asked the old man.
The old man's face twisted in uncanny amusement when he heard Leo, "Oh, you will love this. The man running the town is Lord Caelum Dargan or as we like to call him, The Bastard Lord."
"Bastard Lord?" Leo blinked in confusion.
Grendel nodded vigorously, "Aye. It is 'cause of his birth, and well… 'cause also he is a real piece of work."
"Our Bastard Lord isn't actually the legitimate son of the previous lord."
"He was born to a servant in the service of the previous ord. He would have been thrown on the streets if it was someone else. But our magnanimous former lord raised him as a 'favour'."
"And the bastard son did not disappoint. Despite his low-born mother, our lord is clever, I will give him that."
"Ever since the old lord died and he took care of every other competition he had in the Dargan household, he had kept the town in one piece."
"Despite the harsh taxes, widespread hunger, unemployment before the Temple came, and a face like a constipated Goblin, he kept the peace. Mostly."
Leo let out a low whistle, "Phewww! Sounds lovely."
"Oh-ho-ho," Grendel leaned back as if he was going to enjoy this, "Save your compliments till I tell you about his wife," Grendel had a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Lady Seraphine Dargan. Uhhhhh!!!" Grendel took in a deep breath.
"What a beauty, boiy! I have only seen her once… But that face of hers, it has been etched in here permanently," Grendal patted his chest lightly, "Even this old man is not immune to her charms."
"Her golden hair. Those long smooth legs… Wait till you catch a glimpse of her big bouncy breasts and a smooth, round ass that can start wars… Aaahhh!" Grendal couldn't help but let out a man as his left hand moved down, rubbing his junior.
Leo coughed out loud, trying to get the old man out of his imagination, "Aren't you getting a bit more vivid there, Gramps."
"Bah, I may be old, but not blind," Grendel said, waving his hand, "And not just Lady Seraphine, their daughter… Ooooo… She is turning out to be a beauty as well."
"But lady Aliana is a different story."
"Why? What's so different about her, pervy Gramps?" Leo was getting more and more interested in this family.
"Lady Aliana, unlike her mother, is a snobby, spoiled and thinks of us commoners as dirt. And more than the commoners, she always has that stuck-up 'I-hate-men' look on her face."
"But she is soon on her way to challenge her mother," The old man grinned lecherously, squeezing imaginary breasts with his hands, "But no matter what some rich bastard is going to take her down, anyway."
"Look, lad," Grendel said, lowering his voice, "There are two kinds of women: the ones whose smile can melt your heart and the ones who look at you like they will gauge out your eyes."
"Yet men are attracted to both. Why?" The old man turned back to look at Leo.
"Why?" Leo asked, playing along with the old man.
'Cause we only care about those big melons in the front and that perky ass at the back."
Leo burst into laughter, "You are a very wise old man."
Grendel sat up straight, puffing his chest, "Of course I am. But now I just tell stories and sell root vegetables."
Leo smiled, genuinely enjoying the old man's company. After years of monotony in his old life, this kind of banter was refreshing. Something real for the first time.
"So what about other things?" Leo asked casually, "Anything I should watch out for in or around Auravale?"
The old man's tone changed, just a little, "Aye, there's always danger. Especially from the Blackfang Bandits."
"Blackfang bandits?" Leo nodded, "They sound like a real deal."
"Of course they are dangerous. They are the most infamous bandit group around here. Scarred faces, black teeth, real ugly bastards."
"But you don't have to worry. They usually ride in at night,"
"But if you ever come across them, hand over everything without trying to act like a hero. They are ruthless. They torch wagons, kill anyone who resists, steal girls, and every other bad shit you can think of."
"But there are not many during daylight, though. During the day they are afraid of the city guards. And my beautiful mule, Hilda."
But just then the system chimed, pulling Leo's attention.
[Warning: Combat Detected Nearby]
[Distance: 320 meters. Multiple Hostile Signals. Weapons Drawn.]
Leo's face frowned, and almost as if on cue, a faint metallic sound echoed from beyond the trees.
Clang!
Clash!
It was unmistakably the sound of weapons clashing with each other.
Grendel straightened, one hand going to the stick lying beside him, "That does not sound good."
"Hurry up, old man. Leave before we get caught in the middle," Leo instructed the old Man.
Then he asked the system, "Aiva, how many are there?"
[Scanning…]
[Estimated Combatants: 11]
[Civilians: 3]
[Hostiles: Blackfang Bandits.]
Meanwhile, Grendel cursed under his breath, "Damn it. I thought they only came at night. Are they someone else?"
Grendel tensed, "Boiy, maybe we should turn around. Hide the cart in the brush. Wait it out."
Leo was about to agree with the old man but just then the system chimed again.
Ding!
[Quest Available]
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