I was an apprentice in Ferren

Chapter 199: Hostage
What happened today wasn't too much trouble for Franklin.

It is said that the bard's magic comes from the heart. A kind-hearted bard can bring hope and courage to the unfortunate and use his musical magic to fight against the evil schemes of villains.

When they encounter corrupt local lords, they resist tyranny, skillfully evade capture, and boost the morale of the oppressed masses.

Where there is kindness, there are also those with ill intentions. These bad guys can also play music and produce magical notes, using this superb skill to manipulate people's hearts and deceive listeners to collect 'donations'.

However, some of these techniques were too sophisticated and too profound. As a poet who relied on his looks, Franklin often didn't know whose bed he was sleeping in when he woke up in the morning, nor did he know the name of the beautiful woman in his bed.

All he knew was that he had passed another memorable day, after all, he had accumulated more records.

Of course, sometimes you'll encounter the same thing that happened this morning, and sometimes you might even be confronted by the victim who blocked your door and berated you with sticks.

Bards are not good at violence, let alone committing crimes in their brother-in-law's territory, which is probably more dangerous than seducing noblewomen in Nas City. Fortunately, bards are naturally good at using bewitching spells. Whether it is sleep spells, charm spells, or fear spells, they can give them enough time to escape. Slipping on their feet and feathering spells can make bards calm even in tall castles. They have even prepared spells to heal the bards if they are caught by their aggrieved parties.

Even mages don't know magic, so it can only be said that the ancestor who invented the bard was a true genius and also a master of adultery.

Franklin wouldn't have run into trouble this morning, but he was truly wronged by what happened last night.

He usually lived in Nas City, but he came back to seek refuge because he was being chased by debt collectors. He wanted to rest for a few days and give his body a break. It was bad enough that he was slept with by an old woman in a daze, but the vegetable seller even insisted that he had seduced his wife.

How could my judgment be so bad? This is an insult to my profession!

To punish the guy who mocked his aesthetic sense, Franklin used the Laughter spell on Old Man, hoping he would laugh his fill in front of his servants and wife, but no one expected the spell to fail.

This old man is quite strong and healthy, but I've never heard of him being a professional. How could his magic fail on an ordinary person?
In his panic, Franklin instinctively fled back to his home, but unfortunately, he didn't get a good result, which made him somewhat disappointed in his brother-in-law.

If my older sister were still alive, that wouldn't be right either; she'd probably beat me even harder than that old woman.

However, all the hard work paid off. Looking at the heavy necklace in his hand, Franklin felt that it would definitely sell for 50 gold coins, which should be enough to wipe out his town's previous debts.

As for Nas City's debts, we'll deal with that later. Nobody's come to collect them yet.

However, to his surprise, his good nephew returned and, seeing that he was badly injured, secretly slipped him 300 gold coins.

"Uncle, I received a prize money from the academy this time. We're family, so please take it and spend it."

Franklin weighed the heavy money bag in his hand and listened to the deep yet captivating sound coming from inside. He was first delighted, then startled: "Does your old man know?"

"I know, I even gave him 3000, but he only wanted half of it."

"Autumn Wind's String, do you really give this much in scholarships?" Franklin wiped his sweat, but after thinking for a moment, he shook his head and instead took out the necklace from his waist: "Your uncle is very capable. He can have fine wine and beautiful women wherever he goes. What would he need this money for?"

"Take it and spend it yourself. This is also a gift for you. You haven't been home for a long time. When you come back, buy some good food at the Sandworm Tavern and try it."

Franklin was about to leave, but DuPont wasn't about to go; that would be bad for his next plan. "My scholarship is 5000 gold coins. This is nothing. You took such good care of me when I was little, Uncle. This is nothing."

After a few rounds of pushing and shoving, Franklin asked again before finally accepting the money bag, but only took 100 gold coins.

"Having too much money on you makes you a target for others. I really don't need the rest of the money. You can buy yourself some new clothes. This dark mage robe doesn't look good on you. You need to wear something brighter when you're out to attract girls. These days, young girls like guys with personality."

During their casual conversation, a young man on horseback approached from the roadside and called out Franklin's name. The poet glanced at him, responded, and tossed his money pouch into DuPont's arms: "Remember to be discreet when you have money, or you might really get robbed. I have something to do and can't talk to you anymore."

Franklin said something and turned to leave. DuPont watched the two figures leave and put away his money bag.

My uncle is about 24 years old this year. To put it nicely, he's a playboy; to put it bluntly, he's a scoundrel.

But he doesn't seem like a bad person?

After all, most artists are pretty much like this.

However, for the sake of the bigger plan, it's best if you, Uncle, make a sacrifice.
Franklin, sitting on his horse, chatted with his cronies, Pluto: "Hey, you don't know, Nas City has also built a super long red-light district. Although the quality and servants there are indeed not as high-class as those in the Paradise of Wonders, the entrance fee is cheap. As long as you have silver coins, you can go in and play. It's not a place where you can't even get in the door for 100 gold coins."

"That's great?" Pluto was intrigued. Playing with just silver coins was incredibly exciting. With that kind of spending, he could probably play there for many days after he got paid. "What kind of girls are there?"

"They have all kinds of races, and I even heard that if you pay a premium membership of 1,000 gold coins, you can enjoy a succubus 'song and dance' performance." Franklin raised his eyebrows and gave a knowing look. "It's a pity that I was hired as a musician, but that idiot manager said I had bad credit and wouldn't let me take the job. Otherwise, I probably would have known more inside information."

"I see. But is the succubus really going to play?" Pluto was a little skeptical. As the second-generation rich kids of Huangsha Town, they didn't have much money, but they were still knowledgeable: "It's said that a kiss can make a professional drop in rank, and an ordinary person can have their life drained by just a kiss. If they have that ability, even if you gag them, it won't work, right?"

"You're being a amateur, aren't you?" Franklin pulled out his haul from this morning: "You know about magical items, right? As long as you find a specific magical item, you can stop a succubus from draining your life essence. The red-light district is so natural, it's bound to be prepared for this. With that item, you can do whatever you want, right?"

“You’re right!” The man suddenly realized, “No wonder I heard that even those physically weak mages can play with succubi. It turns out they have protection. But where are we going to get 1000 gold coins? I’m afraid even selling my house wouldn’t be enough to cover it.”

"You really dare to think that way." Franklin couldn't help but laugh. "Just listen to it. Although succubi are about the same height as humans, they are pure sluts in the abyss who can mate with demons."

"People usually play this game, what's so fun about this? It's clearly being played."

"That doesn't matter, as long as I'm satisfied, it's fine. Anyway, I won't be the one providing the service in the future."

Franklin scoffed, “I think that’s why you keep getting dumped. Women are emotional creatures. You need to provide them with enough emotional support, and then they’ll come back to you whenever they encounter something sad or unpleasant. You can even borrow money from them without any problem. You’ll benefit immensely.”

“And you’ll benefit endlessly?” Pluto chuckled. “I think it’ll be more like endless troubles. I heard this morning that you were chased naked for three blocks and got whipped several times to get your clothes back on. Is that what you call a benefit?”

"This matter is a bit strange, let me think about it... By the way, how's your fiancée Freya?" Franklin frowned, remembering this. He had witnessed that woman's flirtatious nature firsthand, but he couldn't say it directly: "Are you really getting engaged?"

"There's nothing I can do. Both families' fathers have already agreed. What can I do? At worst, we can each go our own way after the wedding." Pruto's expression was also somewhat depressed. The town wasn't big, and even if the other party didn't mention it, how could they not find out about the other party's reputation?

But then he remembered something and took out a few gold coins: "Hey, you know a lot of people, could you find a young and talented man to take this woman in? It would be a good help for me."

"A promising young talent?" Upon hearing this, Franklin's first thought was of his good nephew, but after thinking about it, he immediately gave up. How could he let his own family wear such a worn-out shoe? They would probably laugh their heads off. "Among the guys in Huangsha Town with a bit of looks, who doesn't know her background? Where are we going to find someone to wear this worn-out shoe?" "You often go to Nas City, why not just find someone from out of town?"

“Out-of-towners, huh? It seems there really are some.” Franklin thought for a moment. “I knew a poet before. Although he wasn’t a great singer, his works were all bestsellers, and he was an honest man. He even bought a house in Nas City on his own. But he wasn’t just an apprentice bard. Would Freya even look at him?”

Pluto's eyes lit up upon hearing this: "Hey, you don't know her? Besides her looks, all she cares about is money. I wonder if that poet you mentioned would be interested in her?"

Franklin snatched the gold coins from his friend's hand: "That's none of my business, but I'll definitely help you with the introduction. If Freya is smart, she'll probably agree. After all, Nas City is a big city, and the girls in the town are proud to marry there. Even if they're not nobles, they're still professionals. Isn't that better than staying here?"

Pluto was thrilled upon hearing this, and once they arrived at the tavern, he couldn't resist showing off: "I'll buy all the rye wine until 8 p.m. tonight!"

Although rye wine is the cheapest alcoholic beverage, it's a different story when someone treats you to a free meal. Listening to the cheers wishing young Master Pruto good health, Franklin couldn't help but feel fortunate for his mischievous friend.

Fortunately, I'm not planning to get married, and most of my family members have passed away, so I don't have the worry of being pressured to get married.

Thinking about this, Franklin felt somewhat disheartened, but also excited.

Even if no one is pressuring you to get married, you can pressure others to get married.

The eldest sister of Wanleyuan once promised her 1000 gold coins if she could help Wanleyuan find her brother-in-law.

Although it would be a bit unfair to his deceased sister, his brother-in-law had been taking care of two children and handling political affairs for so many years, and he was extremely busy. It would be so pitiful if there was no woman to take care of the family.

Even his sister, who is already enjoying bliss in the divine realm, probably doesn't want to see him so lonely.

Thinking about this, Franklin couldn't sit still any longer. He went out to sell the stolen goods and settle the accounts, and reluctantly bought a potion to temporarily increase his charm. He only had 13 gold coins left in his pocket.

Ah, if only that boss had taken a liking to me. With such a rich woman supporting me, my poetic path would be much smoother. I wouldn't be like this now, unable to even master the second-tier magic.
When they returned to the tavern, it was already bustling with activity, and several friends of similar status had all arrived.

Thanks to their patron's status, the group got a small private room, but they were too happy to sit there. Instead, they sang loudly in the tavern, dancing and singing to the praise and applause of others. A bold girl from the countryside even gave them a kiss. They were having a great time.

By the time the group finished partying, it was already 9 p.m. When they came out, the stars were shining brightly. Several of the guys vomited outside the bar for a long time, and even the poet, a master of hangovers, was a little drunk and leaned against the wall, dry heaving.

However, he was clearly not the worst off. Pluto was standing against the wall in the alley, holding his belt for convenience. Warm liquid slid down his trouser leg, and he muttered to himself blankly, "I really drank too much today. Even my thing is flattened. I'll have to be more careful next time."

Franklin's friends laughed heartily, but just then a gust of cold wind blew by. Franklin glanced over instinctively and was immediately half-shaken from his drunkenness: it was a group of burly men wearing masks and riding warhorses. The iron clubs in their hands gleamed with a chilling light in the moonlight: "Holy shit!"

Hearing the poet's curses, the group instinctively looked over, but their slow gazes fell on the warhorse as the iron rods were already coming at them.

"Holy crap, enemy attack!"

Two men who were just coasting along in the army shouted out instinctively, but then the ring on the man's hand flashed, and the whole world went silent.

Holy crap, is this a silence spell or a silencing barrier?

Franklin knew things were going badly, so he quickly tried to slip away, at least to get out of there and call for help. But how could his unsteady steps outrun these well-prepared robbers?
In an instant, sacks and wooden sticks flew everywhere, and several spoiled young men were beaten and crawled all over the ground. Some even tried to draw their long swords to resist, but their hands and feet were weak and they were no match for these thugs. They couldn't even beg for mercy.

Fortunately, their suffering finally stopped as they were stuffed into sacks. Franklin felt his body being tied to the horse, and after a shout of "Let me show you that we jackals are not to be trifled with," came endless jolts.

Riding a horse is already a tough job, but being tied up in a sack and carried on a horse's back is practically torture. Fortunately, the young dandies had vomited up most of what they had before they came out, otherwise they would probably be suffocating now.

They didn't know how much time had passed before their nightmare finally ended. Their hoods were removed, only to find themselves in the yellow sand.

Even Pluto, who was the most intoxicated, realized something was wrong, but his temper flared up: "Damn it, I'm a regular second lieutenant from Huangsha Town! If you bastard don't release me, tomorrow will be the day you wipe me out!"

"This really startled me." The man's voice was somewhat distorted, and Franklin felt it must have been altered by a disguise. However, he picked up the stick in his hand again: "Alright, you jackals, let our guest know who the boss is here."

As screams and pleas for mercy echoed across the wilderness, the leader put down the stick he was holding: "Alright, everyone, please sign this. I have a big business deal to discuss with your families. Hey, how considerate we are! You don't even need to bite your fingers until they bleed; just wipe your mouths with your fingers."

"Why talk so much?" someone nearby reminded them, then put away the signed letters. "Very good, our guests have realized the situation. Now please ask them to go into the private room to rest."

The bound men finally breathed a sigh of relief, but little did they know that the private room was not a real place to rest, but rather a series of pre-made coffins.

Franklin was analyzing the situation, and because of his profession, he had already smelled the woman's scent. But when he saw it, he was horrified: "My God, this is a vampire's sleeping coffin! These guys are not simple kidnappers. We're probably going to lose both our money and our people!"

Several spoiled young men rose up in rebellion after hearing this.

Losing 1,800 gold coins to save one's life is acceptable, but who would accept losing money only to have their life killed?

After another beating, they stuffed all the men into the coffin and reinforced it with nails. The robbers exchanged glances and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"I told you this coffin is no good. You might as well just keep it tied up in a sack. What if you suffocate and get recognized later?"

"There's a vent here, we can just burn these things later. Alright, enough talk, take them away, the time has come for us jackals to shock the world!"

On the third day after DuPont returned, even the newspapers in Nash City published a special edition.

"Vicious jackals kidnap five noblemen from Huangsha Town for ransom; Baron Dupont bears inescapable responsibility for the town's lax military discipline."

Baron Dupont was furious and ordered funds to be allocated for a full-scale campaign to suppress the bandits, but due to the town's poor economy and tight budget, he was unable to raise the 20,000 taels of silver needed for the campaign and requested funding from the city of Nass.

Nas City convened a meeting on this matter, but the councilors were unable to reach a consensus quickly.

The nobles of Huangsha Town generously donated, and Ms. Mu Ge, the owner of Wanleyuan, donated 3000 gold coins. Even the townspeople actively donated money, and the Baron was moved to tears by their gratitude.

Baron DuPont launched an operation to eradicate the sand bandits, declaring that he would not stop until the bandits were eliminated!

(End of this chapter)