Heir to the Kingdom of 1.4 billion people

Chapter 104 The Flower Girl and the Bard
early morning.

Red Fox Castle.

Xia Mingyu slowly woke up from his sleep and saw the morning light shining through the gauze curtains and shining warmly on the quilt.

He silently lifted the quilt, walked to the curtains with his upper body naked, opened the window, and felt the cool breeze gently blowing across his face.

"A beautiful day starts from now on." Xia Mingyu said softly as he looked at the castle below which was already busy.

After enjoying a hearty breakfast, he decided to accept Rosa's suggestion and go to Twilight City to take a stroll and appreciate the beauty of this southern gem.

Instead of riding in the carriage with the Martha family crest, Xia Mingyu left Red Fox Castle on foot with Berg alone.

Sunset Street.

This is the busiest street in the entire Twilight City. The street is crowded with people and the roadside is filled with vendors shouting loudly.

Their stalls are filled with a dazzling array of goods, from fresh fruits, fragrant barbecues, various snacks to exquisite handicrafts and so on.

On both sides of the street, there are many beautifully decorated shops, including jewelry stores, blacksmith shops, clothing stores, and everything else.

“It’s really lively!”

Xia Mingyu, wearing a black top hat, looked at the scene in front of him with great interest.

Although he had the hidden protection of the Spark, he no longer needed to wear the Crown of the Humility.

But his reputation as a sage has more or less spread to Twilight City, so it is not a bad idea to wear a top hat to cover his black hair.

"Master, it seems that Lady Rosa has managed this place really well!" Berg behind him also sighed.

On his way to the street, he had already scanned almost every passerby with his eagle eyes.

The residents of this city are not skinny or pale. Instead, their skin is normal. Although their expressions are not energetic, they still have some smiles on their faces.

For Xia Mingyu, it was okay, as this was just a common scene on the blue planet.

But for a teenager who grew up in a poor village in Berg, it was very shocking.

It turns out that there are so many people in the world who don’t have to worry about food all day and can be happy all day with a smile on their face.

"Master, is your ideal to allow everyone on the continent to live like the residents of Twilight City?"

Berg asked in a low voice. Having been with His Highness for such a long time, he had also heard His Highness mention his ideals.

"Not enough, not enough." Xia Mingyu chuckled and shook his head.

"I want more than this, and it's farther than words can describe to you, but as long as you follow me, you will see it one day."

"It's my pleasure, my lord." The young man knelt on one knee in the busy street, not caring about the surprised looks of passers-by.

"My dear young master, would you like to buy a bouquet of flowers for your sweetheart? It's only one copper coin."

Not long after they walked, a flower girl holding a basket full of flowers plucked up the courage to stand in front of Xia Mingyu and asked cautiously.

His lover Xia Mingyu was stunned. He looked at the girl in front of him who looked no more than eighteen or nineteen years old.

Her long, smooth chestnut hair was casually tied up with a faded ribbon.

Her eyes are clear lake green, and there are light freckles on her cheeks, revealing a sense of innocence and tenacity.

She had a slender figure and wore a long linen dress that had been washed to a pale color. A few small wild flowers were inserted on the hem of the skirt, which gave it a unique beauty.

A poor girl who supports herself, but a little cute, Xia Mingyu silently made a judgment in his heart.

"I'm sorry to bother you."

Seeing that the young man was slow to speak, the flower girl smiled apologetically. She bowed slightly to the young man and turned around to look for the next customer.

"Wait." Xia Mingyu stopped the other party.

"Have you changed your mind?" The flower girl turned around immediately, her pretty face full of anticipation.

"No, I'm not going to buy flowers yet." Xia Mingyu shook his head, then looked at the girl's lost expression and continued:

"I'm in need of a guide. You should be a local of Twilight City, right? Are you interested in being my guide and taking me around Twilight City for a day?"

Wizard?

The flower girl secretly glanced at Xia Mingyu's appearance again.

He was wearing obviously expensive clothes, had fair and smooth skin, and was hiding his protected identity. With a young attendant following closely behind him, it was obvious at first glance that he was a wealthy young master!
"Respected young master, I am indeed a native of Twilight City and have lived here since I was a child. It would be my honor if you could hire me as your guide!"

There was a hint of excitement in the girl's tone, and then she looked at Xia Mingyu eagerly.

"Sir, if you hire me as your guide, it will only cost four copper coins a day." The flower girl said nervously.

She could earn about five copper coins a day from selling flowers, but being a tour guide was undoubtedly much easier than selling flowers, and she could save on bouquets, so it made sense to be a little cheaper.

"If you allow me to sell flowers while I take you shopping, all I need is three copper coins," the flower girl added.

"It's a very reasonable price, so I'll hire you."

Xia Mingyu smiled slightly, struggled to find four copper soles from his purse full of silver coins, and handed them to the girl.

The flower girl looked at the copper sol he handed her with a conflicted expression and did not take it for a long time.

"What? Is it not enough?" Xia Mingyu frowned slightly, his expression showing obvious dismay.

Even if this amount of money is multiplied hundreds of times, it is still a small amount for him now, but he hates the behavior of raising the price at the last minute.

"No, no!" The flower girl waved her hands in panic.

"My dear lord, you have just arrived in Twilight City and may not understand this yet. The copper coins I'm talking about are the currency issued by the city specifically for civilian transactions. It takes a full ten copper coins to exchange for one copper sol issued by the kingdom!"

"You only need to give me half a copper sol," the flower girl explained.

".I can't spend the coin by mixing it in half."

After the misunderstanding was resolved, Xia Mingyu coughed twice and his expression became gentle again.

"Take it. Including this bouquet of flowers, I'll give you a copper sol."

To make up for scaring the girl just now, Xia Mingyu took a bunch of forget-me-nots from the flower basket and put them into the empty quiver behind Berg.

It was clearly forbidden to bring weapons when going out to play, but this kid muttered something about the cultivation of an archer and still chose to go out with a quiver on his back, which was just right for setting off flowers at this moment.

Berg: “.”

"Thank you for your generosity. I will do my best to show you around Twilight City!"

The flower girl took a copper sol from Xia Mingyu's hand and put it into her dress pocket. Her eyes narrowed slightly, like a crescent moon, and anyone could feel her happiness at the moment.

"What's your name?"

"My name is Anna." The girl said obediently.

"Excuse me, sir, is there any place you'd like to visit?"

"Take me to find a delicious snack to try."

Smelling the fragrance of food on the street, Xia Mingyu thought for a while.

"Freshly baked wheat cakes, you must try them if you pass by!"

A middle-aged couple is selling freshly baked wheat cakes. Although there are no spices or jams on the cakes, the golden crust and the aroma of freshly baked wheat still make people unable to resist their appetite.

"Anna, you've worked hard selling flowers. I'll give you a wheat cake."

Seeing the girl with long chestnut hair approaching, the middle-aged man smiled kindly and was about to pick up a wheat cake from the pile and hand it to the girl.

"No need, Uncle Mike. I've already had a full breakfast. This time I'm here to show the guests who hired me as a guide around."

"This guest asked me to find him a delicious snack bar. I think your wheat cakes, Uncle Mike, are the most delicious snack in Twilight City!" Anna praised.

"Haha." Mike squinted his eyes in satisfaction when he heard the girl's compliment.

But soon, he noticed the young man who followed the girl.

Extraordinary clothing and temperament, and a head that does not show any protection!

This is definitely a nobleman, and even a nobleman among nobles.

In just a moment, Mike made a judgment based on his decades of experience living in Twilight City.

"Dear sir, it is my great honor to have you visit my stall. You don't need to pay, just enjoy it."

Mike picked out the largest wheat cake from the pile and respectfully presented it to Xia Mingyu with both hands.

Although in Twilight City, the status between nobles and commoners is not as free to kill and beat as in the territory, after all, all commoners are the property of the Martha family.

But no commoner would dare to look down on aristocrats. Xia Mingyu took the wheat cake, the crust still slightly hot. He took a bite and could taste the graininess and fragrance of the wheat grains, mixed with a slight sweetness and the aroma of flour.

“It’s really delicious.”

Xia Mingyu nodded slightly to show his approval.

He put a copper sol on the stall, picked up a wheat cake and handed it to Berg, then left with satisfaction.

"Anna, it looks like your guest is a rare and kind nobleman!"

Looking at the copper sol on the stall, Mike sighed and gave a reminder.

"You must seize the opportunity, maybe you can charm this noble young man."

"What are you talking about, Uncle Mike? How could that gentleman possibly be interested in a flower girl like me?"

After stepping on the middle-aged man, the girl followed him angrily.

".Even being a maid would be fine. After all, the grain tax exemption won't last long."

Looking at the girl's departing back, Mike lowered his head and whispered, but soon he started shouting again with a smile on his face.

Afterwards, Anna took Xia Mingyu and the others to visit various stalls on the street.

What was surprising was that every time she went to a stall, the vendors there would always greet Anna warmly and want to give her something, whether it was a snack, fruit, or a small bracelet.

"Why does everyone here know you?" Berg asked the question that was on Xia Mingyu's mind.

"I grew up on this street. My parents died early, so I was raised by everyone on the street," Anna replied.

"Also, from what the uncles and the others said, my parents were a pair of good-for-nothings. During the worst of the famine, they didn't even have enough food themselves, yet they shared it with everyone. In the end, they starved to death before Lord Crimson Flame could request an exemption from the food tax."

Anna held her chin and thought for a moment before answering.

During a famine, he shared his food with others, but left his young daughter to starve to death?

Xia Mingyu was stunned, feeling that something was wrong.

But looking at the bright smile on the girl's face, he chose to shut his mouth, because it was fine like this now.

Afterwards, Anna took them to visit various attractions in the city-state, and finally came to the city square in the central location.

The afterglow of the setting sun shines on the white stone slabs, and there are towering stone pillars at the four corners.

The square was crowded with people. A bard with a white poet's apprentice's protection on his head was playing the lyre passionately by the fountain. The pleasant sound did not attract anyone but a flock of pigeons, which snatched away his straw hat.

In the center of the square stands a huge statue of a knight.

The statue is more than ten meters tall and is cast in bronze. After years of baptism, its surface is covered with a layer of dark green copper and iron, which makes it more solemn and majestic.

The knight is wearing armor and holding a long sword with the tip of the sword pointing to the sky, as if guarding the peace of the city.

However, unlike the solemn expressions on ordinary sculptures, the knight on this statue has a sunny smile.

Under the statue, many people are praying devoutly, some with their hands folded, and some offering a bouquet of blooming violets.

"My lord, look! That is the sculpture of the greatest knight the Southland has ever known, the Crimson Flame!"

Anna pointed at the statue and said with a hint of excitement in her tone.

"I know." Xia Mingyu nodded slightly, thinking to himself, I watched that kid grow up, how could I not recognize what he looks like.

"Sir, could you allow me to leave for a moment and pray under the statue of Lord Crimson Fire?" Anna begged carefully.

"go Go."

Xia Mingyu waved his hand, and Anna put the flower basket on the ground, then took out a bunch of violets and ran towards the statue with a series of silver bell-like laughter.

"Your Highness, can I also go and worship the Crimson Fire?" Berg requested.

"Lord Crimson Fire requested the king to exempt the grain tax in the southern border. My father and I have benefited from his blessing. So since I have the honor of seeing the statue of that lord, I also want to go and pay my respects," he explained.

After getting Xia Mingyu's permission, Berg also walked towards the statue, and before leaving, he did not forget to pull out a violet from the flower basket on the ground.

"Leo, if you saw everything you left behind in Twilight City today, would you be happy?"

Xia Mingyu looked at the smiling face of the statue above and murmured.

"Alas." At this time, the bard who had lost his straw hat and did not make any money passed by dejectedly.

Xia Mingyu, whose thoughts were interrupted, glared at the other party with dissatisfaction, then took out two copper sols and handed them to the other party, saying:
"I don't like people sighing here. Can you smile?"

The bard took the coins, and his previous sad face quickly turned into a bright smile. He even wanted to sing a song for his benefactor, but was driven away by the impatient Xia Mingyu.

"Dear sir, my name is Ed. I often play the piano and sing here. If you need anything, please feel free to come to me." The poet left this sentence and hurried away.

After a while, Anna and Berg returned to Xia Mingyu after finishing their prayers.

"Sir, is there any other place you want to visit?" Anna asked softly.

"Take me to the best tavern in this city." Xia Mingyu looked up at the yellow sky and said.

The best tavern in Twilight City is called the Nightingale Tavern.

It is a gorgeous stone building with a simple and elegant appearance. In front of the tavern hangs a wooden sign with a carved nightingale with spread wings and a small sapphire inlaid in the nightingale's eye.

Anna brought Xia Mingyu and the others to the tavern, but she stopped and hesitated to move forward.

"Sir, this tavern usually only entertains nobles, so I will not accompany you."

Anna looked down at the dusty linen shoes on her feet and said with a slightly inferior tone.

"It's okay, you've been tired all day, let me buy you a drink."

After saying that, Xia Mingyu walked straight towards the tavern. The girl stomped her feet and had no choice but to follow him.

"Dear guest, I'm Fike, the bartender of this tavern. On behalf of the Nightingale Tavern, I welcome you. Your presence undoubtedly makes our tavern shine."

When the bartender at the door saw Xia Mingyu, he immediately greeted him respectfully.

Although there was no noble protection displayed on Xia Mingyu's head, his eyesight had not been honed in vain after working in the tavern for many years. This young man wearing a black hat was definitely a nobleman of extraordinary status.

That's why he wouldn't bother with such a trivial matter as displaying the Divine Protection.

But soon his smile froze because he saw Anna following timidly behind Xia Mingyu.

Linen shoes, a dress washed bleached from washing, a basket of flowers slung over her arm. No, no, Nightingale is a high-end tavern, how can we let such a vulgar guest in?
"Dear guest, the rules of our Nightingale usually only allow nobles and their servants to enter. I'm afraid this lady..." Fek said cautiously and embarrassedly.

Xia Mingyu glanced at him and silently took out the emblem that Rosa gave him before leaving Red Fox Castle. It was engraved with a lifelike fox head mark.

The moment he saw the emblem, Feke's expression instantly became extremely terrified.

"You are Martha."

"Shh!" Xia Mingyu made a gesture to keep quiet, and the poor bartender immediately covered his mouth tightly, not daring to make any sound.

"Please come in."

Fei Ke bent his waist as low as possible, opened the door of the tavern with great respect, and welcomed Xia Mingyu and his group in.

Rules? Fuck the rules! In Twilight City, only Martha is the biggest rule!

The interior of the tavern is spacious and bright, with crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling, intricate patterns and murals carved on the exterior walls, and a stone fireplace with a blazing flame.

The air was filled with the warm scent of wine, spices, and bonfires.

In front of wooden tables with leather sofas, there were many guests with noble protection above their heads. However, looking around, one could only see white, and no green.

"cheers!"

Xia Mingyu raised his glass filled with beer and clinked it with Berganna's.

"Cuckoo"

After drinking just one glass of beer, Anna's face turned red at a speed visible to the naked eye.

"Thank you, sir. I never thought that an orphan like me who sells flowers for a living would be able to drink in the most upscale tavern in the city," Anna stammered.

"It's okay. I just think it's a bit boring for two grown men, Berg and I, to drink together." Xia Mingyu said frankly.

Ding ding ding.

At this moment, a beautiful melody suddenly sounded in the tavern.

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw a silver-haired young man concentrating on playing the lyre on the stage in the center of the tavern.

And above the young man’s head, there was a line of emerald green text - Bard.

(End of this chapter)