The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 85 I Allow You to Want More (4k)

【Love Ring:】
I cherish it very much.

The two people wearing these rings will unconsciously feel closer and perceive each other's place and feelings.

"You seem a little flustered? Why?"

Tang Qi quickly took off the ring from his neck and returned it to its original owner:

“I’m sorry, the situation was urgent earlier, so I took a ring from you. It’s actually a magical item, and it can only be used to cast the [Protection] spell on you if both of us are wearing it.”

The girl wasn't angry that her belongings had been taken; instead, she finally understood the source of the light emanating from her body when the zombies surrounded her:
"So the reason I've been able to sense your feelings is because of this ring?"

"Always?"

Tang Qi couldn't help but gasp in surprise.
So, wouldn't all his thoughts since meeting her be completely known to him?
"Always."

Catherine answered confidently.

“I could actually sense it when you came to my tent…”

You are very passionate towards me.

Like a traveler who has been thirsty in the desert for a long time, suddenly discovering an oasis.

Tang Qi realized that he seemed to be dead:

"Could you please not describe it so vividly next time? I still have some self-respect..."

"It's okay, I understand."

Catherine took the ring, but then reached for his leather jacket, making Don Qi bend down so she could put the "Love Ring" back around his neck.
"I don't dislike you, I'm just a little unaccustomed to it—"

So, are you disappointed?

Although it was in the form of a pendant, it was still considered wearing it. Tang Qi couldn't lie, so he could only sigh.

"Okay, I admit there are some."

He couldn't quite explain what this feeling was—

Having only known each other for a few days, it's impossible to say we're 'in love' at all.

But people always harbor a desire to possess the beauty that is right in front of them.

To put it bluntly...

It means lust at first sight.

"Is this so?"

"..."

Tang Qi had never felt the night so quiet.

He could almost hear his own inner voice.

"Thump, thump—"

It was like panic, or perhaps a flutter of the heart.

So he tried to calm himself down and ease his tense nerves—

"and many more?"

He suddenly realized something was amiss.

It seems like it's not just my own heartbeat that's racing.

"You said we're helping each other out, right? Considering you've invested in [Golden Oak], I should give you a dividend at the end of the year."

“Of course.” Tang Qi nodded.

"So we are all in this together, sharing both prosperity and adversity?"

"Yes."

"What if the tavern encounters trouble that neither Master Merad nor we can handle?"

Tang Qi had considered solutions:

"Perhaps I can help you escape. With Chenxi around, most people really can't stop us."

Moving to a different city, or perhaps opening a travel-themed bar wouldn't be bad either?

"Can I trust you?"

"Of course. You should be able to sense my feelings."

"Then I won't marry anyone."

Although Catherine answered calmly, she knew that Don Qi could sense her thoughts.

It was as if I could feel his heartbeat.

"Thump, thump—"

"Actually, I didn't want to marry Merad either. Those aristocratic formalities were no different from shackles to me."

They will package me as a facade, bringing me into all sorts of complicated social occasions, and perhaps one day when they no longer need me, they will hand me over to someone else...

I'd rather open a travel tavern than be a rich housewife like that.

Of course, it would be best if this [Golden Oak] could take root, sprout, and grow...

I want to earn more money, I want a free life where I don't have to depend on others; I want Anbi to be able to study in peace; and ideally, I want this tavern and Star Plum Wine to bring joy to everyone.

"I promise you."

"Really? How long will you agree?"

The girl didn't loosen her grip on his collar; instead, she moved even closer, her smile carrying a hint of mockery.

Tang Qi was almost breathing right up to her nose:
"I can't say for sure."

Lies are meaningless in the face of the [Ring of Love]; he can only answer honestly.
"But I will do my best."

"But people's thoughts change, right? Your current thoughts don't represent your future thoughts. Verbal promises don't count."

Catherine often felt that she lacked a certain romance.

Perhaps it's an occupational hazard that makes her overly shrewd, always preferring to look at problems more realistically, which ironically makes her seem petty and calculating in many things.

"You're right," Tang Qi didn't deny it.

"That means I'm still not that important."

"what……"

Damn it, why have your lips suddenly become so dull?

Where's my witty banter?!

Weren't you just so eloquent?
"Then maybe I can make myself more important."

The girl ignored his silence, and slowly stood up, stepping into the icy stream, yet she felt no cold at all.

She felt her ears burning terribly.

I can no longer tell whose heartbeat I'm hearing.

Or perhaps there was no difference at all.

However, Tang Qi understood that if some things went down the wrong path from the beginning, then everything that followed would become a mess.

He forced himself to calm down, and even if it was futile, he slowly took a step back:
"But I may not be a faithful person."

Catherine, however, grasped his wrist, feeling his body temperature, which was nearly as hot as her own, and almost pulled him into the water as well:
"It's okay, I just don't dislike you for now."

Compared to others, I'm more inclined to choose you—

You are unique enough, more interesting, and more reliable than anyone I've ever met.

Catherine was also very candid.

Since it's an exchange, Tang Qi, Melard, and even the others are essentially no different.

Compared to Tang Qi, she simply preferred him:
"If my pragmatism made you uncomfortable, I apologize for that."

But we've only known each other for a few days. If I suddenly say I've developed feelings for you, I'd be lying to you, wouldn't I?

I don't want to lie to you.

And I hope you understand that I'm saying this because I cherish you—I've never thought of using you, not even for a moment.

Her answer actually relieved Tang Qi.

He doesn't care whether he's being used or not.

However, there are some viewpoints he doesn't agree with:
"But your body is never your only value."

Her fiery red eyes widened slightly, and her delicate red lips trembled involuntarily.

After catching her breath for a long while, she finally managed a smile:

"Do you want more? Isn't that a bit too greedy?"

Tang Qi's fingers touched her shoulder, hooking the thin strap of her camisole:
“‘Humans are cunning and greedy,’ that’s what Gravel always says.”

"Okay, actually I'm the same way. I'm a greedy woman—I want money, stability, and freedom."

"Dear poet, can you satisfy my greed?" "At least I can promise you absolute freedom."

If it weren't for those restless inner voices lingering incessantly, perhaps no one could see through the panic beneath the girl's calm.

She tilted her swan-like neck back and said:
"Then I'll allow you to be greedy for even more—"

If you can do it.

Tang Qi couldn't help but laugh and said, "What kind of competition is this?"

"It's just a matter of who gives up first, isn't it?"

"Then I think it must be you, at least today."

"why?"

"Because you're shaking."

"I... I just haven't tried it yet."

Wait, how come you're so skilled—um.

The moonlight quietly spilled onto the riverbank, blending into the folds of the gray-white nightgown on the fern leaves.

Reflected in the clear prism, even the milky white blue chalcedony appears tinged with a touch of crimson.

……

"Strange, when did the quill pen get stained with red ink?"

Goya, who had just sat down at her desk, examined the quill pen in her hand that looked like it was stained with blood, and scratched her head in confusion.

The evening breeze blew in through the open window, carrying the summer heat, and enveloped her breath.

A strange smell lingered, making her pinch her pert nose and mutter under her breath, frowning:

"So the professor shouldn't have allowed them to plant large swaths of sappanwood trees downstairs in the dormitory..."

Although this flower is delicate and white, it has a certain ornamental value.

It can also absorb some harmful gases, thus purifying the air.

However, in the summer, the pervasive smell can still cause some discomfort.

But this is the only option we have.

After all, the academy doesn't regulate the behavior of every poet.

Indulgence and decadence are also part of the unconventional nature of bards—

Just look at Pluto and you'll know.

This means that even if you don't plant Sedum aizoon, the air will always be filled with a beautiful fragrance during the restless summer season.

Dean Ulasang could only tacitly allow the planting of these air-purifying flowers.

When the noble lords come to inspect, they can still fool them by saying, "It's all the scent of the flowers..."

Goya sighed, closed the open window tightly, picked up a brand new quill pen, and recorded everything she had seen from the stone tablet that night—

[June 14, 1000 of the Lost Calendar, Dawn Forest, overcast.]

The fourth day after leaving Xingmei Town.

I didn't criticize Melard today.

But I thoroughly enjoyed hurling insults at the dwarves and necromancers...

"Is the Lords' Alliance of the Eastern Continent really that interesting...? Why does he always encounter these strange things?"

After putting pen to paper, Goya could easily foresee how many people would be swept up in a frenzy of fantasy once this journal entry circulated throughout the Poets' Academy.

There's nothing they can do; these poets' daily lives consist of a monotonous routine between the academy, the city, and brothels.

Adventure is in their nature, but due to the pressure of making a living, suppression is also an unavoidable choice.

Who doesn't yearn to travel to every corner of the world?
But once you leave the academy, the first thing you should ensure is whether you can survive your first year.

She still doesn't know how Tang Qi managed to survive across the ocean.

I admit that I was the one who started it.

However, the primary condition for triggering 'verbal abuse' is 'verbal abuse' itself. Wasn't my cursing also to experience the magic and for the sake of the team?

And I've already been very restrained—

At least they didn't offer their sincerest greetings to the parents of the rubble-strewn children, did they?
I was just making some jokes, like 'dwarves like to drink beer because they can't reach the grapevines they're climbing' or something... who knew he'd react so strongly?

So I think I did nothing wrong.

It's a stress reaction from the dwarves.

But it's okay, I choose to forgive him.

This is to prove that my level of attainment is a height that they can never reach in their entire lives.

That's a good line; I'll include it in the "Complete Collection of Jokes" later.

"Cough cough!"

Goya almost choked on her own saliva.

"I've already watched it once, so why can't I resist?"

The hunter's lie was flawless, but Ambi's existence became the biggest flaw in the lie.

At first, I didn't understand why a fourth-circle spellcaster would go to such lengths to try and use a 'transformation spell' to sneak around and act in secret.

After all, a high-level warrior, when facing a spellcaster of the same level, may find it difficult to unleash his full power if he is properly targeted.

It wasn't until the fight started that I fully understood—

It turns out the table of methods used in this comparison was terrible.

"Fourth Ring Spellcaster..."

Just writing these few words made Goya's hands tremble slightly.

As a nation ruled by spellcasters, she knew very well what the [Four Rings] truly represented—

This is a height that most Tyrannical nobles could never reach in their entire lives.

For example, Tang Qi's father, Mr. Weinberg, was only a third-ring spellcaster.

Yet it was enough for them to gain a foothold in the Terran Empire and maintain the balance of income and expenditure of a mediocre family that was neither glorious nor ruined.

Once you reach the fourth ring level, you will have the opportunity to enter the council and participate in imperial decision-making.

This is one of the reasons why those noble lords sow seeds everywhere, just to find a talented child and seek to advance their family's status.

"This kind of existence has already been reduced to 'too rotten' in your words...?"

Goya bit her lip, reflecting on the year they had been apart, and felt like a junior who had undergone a complete transformation.

Thinking about his experiences, his magic, and the height of his vision now.

What can she do besides feel envious?
"Should I also leave the academy and go out into the world?"

But she quickly dismissed the idea.

"Forget it, if I were to run into a necromancer, I'd probably be the one who gets my head taken."

"...But I didn't know beforehand what kind of magic he possessed."

This made me anxious from the very beginning.

In that moment of mental blankness, I did consider backing out and started thinking about how to avoid this conflict...

So much so that he almost blurted it out—

'I actually have a senior who's perfect in every sense of the word. If you go to her, you won't even need to look for another body part.'

Dear Senior Geya, if you ever see this post, please don't blame me for my cowardice.

I hope you won't dwell on my 'betrayal' and will instead focus on the 'perfect senior'.

This is the truth!

"Damn Tang Qi, did you know I was secretly reading your diary and that's why you're trying to annoy me?!"

Goya wrote down the original text verbatim, her grip on the pen tightening slightly.

But what remained in my heart was more doubt:

"Did he really know? Or was it just a lucky accident...?"

But you'll never get an answer by just guessing.

In the end, all she could do was pout and let out a soft hum.

"Fine, since you called me 'perfect'... I'll forgive you for now."

I stopped thinking about trivial matters.

She then began recording the rest of the log entry—

　The original plan was to do it later, but as I wrote, I felt the atmosphere was right, and dragging it out wouldn't be appropriate. After all, the West isn't as reserved as the East; if the feeling is there, then let's start. At worst, we can each do our own thing...

　　
　
(End of this chapter)