The next morning, the party broke camp and set out. Skar found Charnem, and the moment they met, he was already smiling. It was a smile as refreshing as a spring breeze, as kind and amiable as could be, and so terrifying that it made one's... heart pound.
Looking at the cheap captain before him, nervous Zhang Yuan somehow thought of the term smiling tiger.
"Charnem, you've been with our squad for quite a while now. What do you think of our team?"
"It feels great, just like I'm at home." The man had no idea what was coming.
"That's good to hear. Why don't you stay with our squad, then?"
Zhang Yuan had just wanted to politely refuse when Skar continued, "You looked pretty convincing as captain yesterday, too. How about I hand the position over to you? What do you say?"
...So he was here to put me in my place. Zhang Yuan hurriedly humbled himself. "I'm just a rookie. How could I possibly take on the position of captain? You'd better find someone more capable."
Seeing that the other man understood the hint, Skar did not press him further. He patted Zhang Yuan on the shoulder, turned around, and continued forward.
After that little farce, the group continued their journey. Three days of hard travel later, the Flaming Fist squad finally arrived once more at Beregost.
Since the mission had temporarily come to an end, the Flaming Fist squad decided to spend a day resting in town rather than rush off immediately.
Feeling a little guilty at the thought of Aginon, Zhang Yuan did not dare go to The Feldt Inn for entertainment again. Instead, he first visited the clothing shop from last time.
After paying the proprietress a small fee to change the pink cloak to black, Zhang Yuan finally dared to wear it outside. His normally unremarkable self actually attracted several curious glances as he walked down the street.
What a shame about those beautiful, seductive dancers at The Feldt Inn!
That was what came to mind instead.
With a rare day of free time, Zhang Yuan felt that it was time to put some of his ideas into practice.
He walked straight toward the town center and followed a high, clear voice until he found a herald energetically reading out a proclamation.
"Hello, esteemed sir. We've traveled here from Baldur's Gate. Might I ask you a few questions?"
As a halfling, the herald's people had always been famous for their warmth and hospitality. "Oh-ho, my polite young gentleman, old Maka never hides anything he knows from others."
"Then, Mr. Maka, are there any powerful mages living near Beregost?"
"Powerful mages? Oh, yes. They're always so mysterious. Their mighty power is as astonishing as my Uncle George's jar of expired pickles—except poor Uncle George was the only one who fainted beside the jar." The enthusiastic halfling rambled on without end. "Yes, I remember now. It's to the west. You'll see it after walking for half a day or so—the ancient castle surrounded by a forest and the undead. The mysterious Lord Tylanthyr lives there."
After enduring the halfling's lengthy nonsense and endless chatter, Zhang Yuan finally managed to obtain information about the mage Tylanthyr and hurriedly slipped away.
For safety's sake, Zhang Yuan did not have the nerve to cross the supposedly undead-infested woods alone in search of the mage tower. He had no choice but to seek out the two troublemakers.
Bard and Minsc were found at the scene of a brawl. The crowd of onlookers had packed the already-small town center even tighter.
Still unaware of what was happening inside, Zhang Yuan spotted Minsc shouting encouragement from the edge of the crowd. It was impossible to miss someone over six feet tall anywhere. He pushed through the crowd and patted Minsc on the back.
"Hey, big guy, what are you watching so intently? Where's Bard?"
Minsc turned around and saw Zhang Yuan. He scratched his head and pointed. "There, look. That's Bard."
It was truly a spectacle that opened one's eyes. Two short, stocky dwarves shaped like barrels were wrestling on the ground. They were not using weapons, just trading blows with their bare hands.
One punched the other, and the other answered with an elbow. They were both thick-skinned, sturdy dwarves, so neither took it seriously. Cursing furiously, they swung their fists at each other.
Seeing that his troublesome teammate was still as lively as ever, Zhang Yuan relaxed and watched the show alongside the big guy. "Who's the other dwarf? Do they know each other? Why are they fighting?"
After habitually scratching his head, Minsc said uncertainly, "I think they know each other. I heard Bard roar, 'You dare mention the name Sweet Mead!'"
What the hell? Sweet Mead? Zhang Yuan asked about the strange name, only to receive an astonished look from Minsc. "You didn't know? Bard's family name is Sweet Mead."
Speechless for a long while, Zhang Yuan could only continue watching the dwarves' wrestling match. But his patience gradually ran out. If this dragged on, he would not have enough time to visit the mage tower.
"Bard, stop wasting time here. You two could fight all day without reaching a conclusion. I'll buy you and the big guy some drinks!"
"Just wait a moment, mage. Just a little while longer. I'll give this disgrace to the Sweet Mead family a good thrashing!"
"You? Those girlish fists of yours couldn't even massage me! Bard, life on the surface has made you soft!" the other dwarf roared.
"Damn you, Kagan! The things you've done stink worse than a rothé's dung. You've disgraced our family crest. Go to hell!"
Kagan? Zhang Yuan suddenly thought of something. Could that dwarven barrel of liquor be the strongest warrior companion recruitable in the Sword Coast region in the game?
At that thought, Zhang Yuan decisively began summoning a chess piece. When the incantation ended, Little Stone, the Stone Golem, appeared once again. "Target: the quarry!"
The sudden appearance of the spell and the Stone Golem startled the onlookers. It was not that they had never seen a mage before, but few had witnessed magic being cast or a magical construct with their own eyes.
The spectators felt that the trip had been worth it. First there was a dwarf wrestling match, then a mage's spectacular disappearing-and-reappearing act. Wonderful! What a performance! They applauded enthusiastically.
Feeling as though he had been turned into a circus monkey, Zhang Yuan blushed furiously. Without saying a word, he pointed at the two dwarves fighting and sent Little Stone forward.
Upon receiving the order, Little Stone went over and wrapped both dwarves in a single embrace, hanging all its weight on them. It was a Stone Golem. Though only five feet tall, its high-density stone body was heavy enough to make the two dwarves struggle to move.
When both men finally stopped and glared at each other over the Stone Golem, Zhang Yuan hurried forward. "The two of you are both shield warriors with tough constitutions and expert defensive skills. Even if I gave you an entire day, you still wouldn't reach a conclusion."
He then pulled the bottle of medical alcohol disinfectant that had crossed over with him from his pocket. The moment he removed the cap, an intense aroma of liquor—unlike anything the people of the Prime Material Plane had ever smelled—drifted out. "I'm heading to the western forest to visit Master Tylanthyr, and I need guards. Whoever performs better will get this bottle of liquor."
Seeing their mage pull out a strange bottle that gave off an aroma even stronger than dwarven spirits after it was opened, Bard complained, "I say, Charnem, you've been carrying such fine liquor on you all this time and never told old Bard?"
Kagan was tempted as well, but as a veteran of countless battles, how could he be swayed by such a childish trick? "Forget it. Who knows what you mages have in your heads? If you anger Master Tylanthyr, don't drag me into it." With that, he turned to leave.
"Excellent! Congratulations, Bard! You won the contest against that coward over there. As your reward for victory, this bottle of liquor belongs to you!"
Putting on a fake award ceremony, Zhang Yuan pompously and slowly handed over the disinfectant.
But before overjoyed Bard could touch the bottle, an angry roar rang out. "Who's the winner? Say that again!"
It was Kagan, charging over like a bull, his bloodshot eyes glaring and white smoke jetting from his nostrils.
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