The bard fantasized again.

Chapter 93: Commoner Hero (4.2k views, please subscribe)
The mere mention of orcs instantly put Tang Qi awake.

This was, after all, the fundamental reason why the entire town fled.

So he took out a gold coin, flicked it into Chuck's hand, and instead of revealing his identity, he tentatively asked as they walked:

"Aren't the orcs kept out of the Southern Wall, who knows how far away they are? Why would Dragongold City declare martial law?"

Chuck was pleasantly surprised by the man's 'skill,' which made him even more motivated.

Leading the way and providing more detailed explanations:

"The news came from the city. It is said that half a month ago, the 'Star Plum Tycoon' [Mel Barry] informed the [Dragon Government] of the news that his territory had been attacked by orcs."

This gentleman was one of the few nobles in the city who truly owned land and amassed wealth from it.

Although it was said that the gentlemen in the aristocratic circles felt that he smelled of farm manure, no one would mention it openly.

After all, the wealth he earned each year from selling plum wine and fruit pulp was enough to easily buy the estates of some impoverished nobles.

Moreover, he was never stingy with his gold coins, and would hold balls at his mansion every week, inviting nobles to the banquet.

People are speculating that he wants to secure a seat as a "Masked Lord."

Tang Qi glanced back at Merard and noticed a sudden surge of confidence emanating from the little white pig.

Hey, people are calling your family country bumpkins and saying you like to throw money around, and you're acting all proud of it?

He continued to probe:

"So the orcs destroyed his territory? Didn't Dragon Gold City send troops to stop them? Why is it still under martial law after half a month?"

"Our public lord, [Leon Lionheart], immediately dispatched an army deep into the Dusk Forest, but just a week ago, it ended in a crushing defeat."

I still remember how they looked when they left Longjincheng—the more confident they were then, the more dejected they were when they returned.

"If it weren't for the fact that the orcs occupy that territory and currently have no desire to expand outwards, Lord, you would probably have tried deploying the [Dragon Riders]."

A crushing defeat?

Tang Qi began to reflect on whether he had underestimated that orc tribe.

However, considering the complex terrain and elusive fog of the Dusk Forest, if the orcs received advance warning and laid an ambush, their two hundred strong warriors could easily defeat the advance force used for probing...

"So the lord doesn't intend to take back the territory?" Tang Qi asked again.

"No, not at all. It's said he's regrouping to ensure victory on his second expedition into the Dawn Forest, minimizing the losses in Dragongold City."

Chuck stopped where he was, beckoned to Tang Qi, signaling him to lean down and listen, and whispered his reply.
"That's true, but I suspect this lord hopes to take advantage of this rare opportunity to collect some 'spear tax'—"

That was the cost of recruiting mercenaries during a special period. They had to collect two silver coins from each household every ten days.

Although these taxes are nominally distributed to mercenaries, no one would believe that they wouldn't keep a portion for themselves.

"How long will this drag on? Can tycoon Mel accept this outcome?"

"He probably hasn't been in the mood to care about any of this for a long time, has he?"

Chuck shrugged and took small steps again.
"The soldiers not only brought back news of the defeat, but also news of the death of his eldest son—"

I heard that this old man wept bitterly and was preparing to hold a grand funeral for the young master in the "Land of Burial Bones."

"A land of burial bones?"

"Long Jincheng's cemetery is located on a low slope bordering the Morning Dusk Forest to the east. It is a quiet and peaceful place and the largest park in the city."

"No, we need to get into the city right away!" Merad shouted.

Tang Qi couldn't hold back his smile:
"Of course, young master. Shall we hurry to your funeral?"

"No, no! If my death is confirmed, the 'Brothers Club' will definitely cancel my membership, and then I'll have to start accumulating credit points all over again!"

What consequences will this bring?

"I won't be able to get my hands on that hottest male model!"

"Damn, I thought it was that important? Just replace it with another one!"

The gravel couldn't help but purse its lips.
“‘A fair-skinned duck is always praised as a swan.’ It’s because of people like you who are foolish and rich that they drive up prices, making their hooks more valuable than gold.”

Chuck overheard these words and immediately realized what they meant:
"Wait, normally there aren't that many people arriving at Dragon Tail Pass together."

"Could it be... that you are residents of Star Plum Town!?"

"almost."

Tang Qi felt that this might be a good opportunity to make a name for himself.
"The day before the orcs arrived in Starplum Town, we led the entire town out of town. After 24 days, we finally arrived in Dragongold City to take refuge, crossing the Dawn and Dusk Forest."

"My goodness, that must be a really exciting story!"

The halfling was always clever and immediately realized the meaning behind Tang Qi's emphasis, and then began to flatter him.

Unlike the rugged dwarfs and humorous gnomes, this race, which is almost a scaled-down version of human figures, always manages to keep the conversation at a comfortable level for all of them.

They are adept at blending into any racial community.

So much so that their traces can be found in every corner of the world.

"Why don't you come and rest at my inn for a while? I'm sure my children would love to hear about your experiences."

He was so friendly that Tang Qi and his group were completely unaware that he had been leading them to his own inn from the very beginning.

It was a three-story house built of bluestone and tall trees, with the roof decorated with lush green leaves and a sign that read "Friendly Home". It certainly made people want to stay there.

But Tang Qi still refused, both amused and exasperated.

"Why don't you try selling to that red-haired girl in our group? If the price is fair, she'll be happy to settle the townspeople in."

"It's ok."

Chuck pinched his nose and even hummed with a hint of pride.

"Actually, I've already asked my daughters to take charge."

"But we still need to go into the city."

“I really didn’t lie to you, sir. Even if you told the guards the identity of this young nobleman, they wouldn’t let you into the city.”

Chuck sighed deeply and still advised,
"The captain of the guards at the city gate was very rigid; his mind was as hard as a rock!"
Just a few days ago, he refused entry to a noblewoman—

"Do you know who I am? I am Wendy from the Silver Shield family, and my father is the commander of the Dragoons!"

The halfling first imitated a woman's voice in a high-pitched tone, then coughed twice, and then directed and acted out his own performance in a deep voice.

“‘I know, Miss. But no matter who it is, they need the lord’s permission to enter Dragon Gold City.’”

'Yes, that's why I'm going to find my father and get the permission to show you!'
'Then please go find Mr. Silver Shield.'

But my father is in Longjin City!
'Entering the city requires the lord's permission.'

"Enough! Do you believe I'll get my father to fire you?"
'I'm sorry, even Mr. Silver Shield has no right to do this.'

'Why'?
"Because we belong to the City Guard, and we're not part of the Dragon Cavalry."

Chuck's imitation was spot-on; he even styled his short brown hair into two little buns, which at least let Tang Qi know that the young lady of the Silver Shield family had pigtails.

At the same time, he also noticed some key words:

"So it was that open lord who directly issued the martial law decree?"

"Yes. But that's not really important. What's important is that the captain's [City Guard] is mostly composed of civilians from the lower district of Dragon Gold City."

These people would not openly mock the nobles, but they would never openly criticize them.

If it weren't for the prestigious reputation of the Silver Shield family, he probably would have already imprisoned that young lady.

Therefore, even if this 'generous' young master reveals his identity, he probably won't be able to change the captain's stubbornness..." Thinking of the various taunts and suppressions he had received from the group of people in the team these past few days.

Now, even a simple polite remark is enough to move Melard:
"You're the first person to see my kind and generous nature at a glance!"

"Is it possible that he meant 'wide' or 'thick' literally?" Shatterstone teased, hands on his hips.

"No, I'm talking about personality, of course."

Chuck wouldn't reveal what was on his mind.

This indeed earned Melard's approval:

I like you, little guy!

Just as the halfling was feeling proud of his rhetoric, he was suddenly reminded by Tang Qi:
"Perhaps it's necessary to tell you that his 'like' isn't just liking in the literal sense..."

Chuck's face stiffened, then he remembered Merad shouting "male model" earlier.

So much so that he quickly changed his tune:
"Okay, I mean it literally."

Melard wept bitterly:
"What did I do wrong to deserve this treatment of me like a dwarf?!"

"Screw you!"

The stone instinctively wanted to kick his butt.

But as soon as he lifted his leg, he remembered the special significance of the hook to the little white pig.

This made him quickly stop what he was doing, and he cursed under his breath:
"I'm fucking afraid you'll get pleasure from it."

Tang Qi then looked at Chuck: "You said the guards are civilians, right?"

The halfling nodded blankly: "Yes."

"Okay—anyway, thanks for the news, but we still need to go and take a look."

Having obtained the information he wanted, Tang Qi generously flicked out another gold coin, which landed in Chuck's hand. He then pulled the others away.

Chuck quickly followed:

"Really, there's no point in wasting your time. They won't listen to your explanations, and they certainly won't let anyone in or out!"

"They will."

"There was a famous painter who wouldn't let it go. He kept saying he wanted to leave the city to sketch, and he was immediately thrown into jail!"

"I'm different."

"Why can't we wait until martial law is over? I reckon we can wait a few more days, collect a round of 'spear taxes,' and that'll be about it..."

"Because I need to get into the city as soon as possible to rent a property and settle down."

Moreover, the longer this drags on, the worse it will be for the three hundred townspeople behind me.

They're not like me; they can't afford to live here.

Tang Qi walked all the way to the gate of [Dragon Tail Pass].

It was a colossal archway connected to thick, gray walls, about twenty meters high, with stone pillars on either side meticulously carved by craftsmen into fantastical dragons—

Compared to Iu's size, its body appears to be more slender.

The dragon's wings extend from its neck and connect to its tail. If its spine were straightened, it would roughly resemble a sword.

Several guards dressed in chainmail and carrying spears stood guard outside the city gate.

Among them was a human male, distinguishable at a glance by his sword and shield, plate armor, and steel helmet, who sat listlessly on a table and chair.

Upon seeing the group arrive, he couldn't help but spit out a curse:
"Damn Chuck, didn't I tell you to keep everyone outside Dragon Tail Pass? Why have you brought people to the city gate time and time again?"

Give me back all the commission I gave you!

Tang Qi suddenly pointed to the 'captain' and looked at Chuck, who looked embarrassed:

"Is this why you've been blocking us all this time?"

"After all, once you've taken the captain's money, you can only obey his orders—'honesty is the first principle of a businessman.'"

Chuck also felt a little embarrassed, caught between the two, and could only quietly try to dissuade Tang Qi, the outsider.

"Don't you understand? The lord sent them to guard the city gates and impose martial law, deliberately creating the appearance of an 'emergency' so that he could collect the 'spear tax'!"
They will absolutely not budge until the next round of tax payments.

Let's go, let's go, don't get in their way here... This captain doesn't have a good temper.

The prison food in Longjincheng isn't even as good as the food from our hometown, which is good for half-humans!

I don't know why, even though it was the first time the two of them had met.

But Chuck always felt that this 'outsider' had a special kind of affability that made him unconsciously want to radiate kindness.

Tang Qi, however, seemed not to have heard his advice, and loudly explained to the imposing city guard captain approaching from the front:

"My lord, I am not being unreasonable, but the situation is urgent, and I have no choice but to report to you the hardships we have endured along the way so that you may understand the whole story!"

"Sigh, why won't they listen to advice?"

Chuck couldn't help but shake his head and rub his forehead.

He believed he had done his part in dissuading the man, and if the gentleman still insisted on entering the city and was imprisoned for it, then there was nothing more to say.

He really tried his best.

However, the expected angry rebukes and insults did not come as expected.

On the contrary, the clanging sound of the iron boots stepping on the stone pavement gradually slowed down.

Until the captain walked up to Tang Qi and asked calmly but hesitantly:

"Friend, what happened?"

"what!?"

Chuck's eyes, like marbles, almost popped out of their sockets in shock at the captain's attitude.

I should have known better than to tell him so confidently; he would definitely be locked up in jail.

The astonished halfling now only wanted to pull out a red nose and embed it in the bridge of his own nose...

but--

This was definitely not the guard captain he had in mind!

That's a temper that even nobles dare to defy!
Not to mention facing a complete stranger!
But why, why was his attitude so friendly, his tone so gentle...?

It's like meeting a long-lost friend?

Only Tang Qi knew the source of this friendliness—

【Demeanor: A Hero Among the Common People】

To the common people who had never met you, you were surprisingly approachable.

Your words are more likely to convince them, and your singing is more moving to their ears.

Isn't it normal for a hero to be treated differently by a civilian guard captain?
　First update, 4k words.

　　If we get to the part about daily life, I will write as much as possible.

　　There will be another update this afternoon.

　　I humbly beg you gentlemen to continue subscribing!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)