Chapter 75 – The Girl and the Boy

Upon first arriving in Nielan Town, Bilan found its distinctive scenery quite novel. Waving goodbye to the carriage driver who had brought her, she smiled while examining the town’s small buildings—neither tall nor grand, yet exquisitely delicate. In the noble district of Doleiz City, those demanding Nobles would scrub every brick of every wall spotless, creating a rigid, monotonous appearance that left an inescapable sense of oppression. Having rarely left the noble district since childhood, Bilan had long grown tired of it.

But today, she encountered what she considered “unique” architecture in Nielan Town—the moss clinging to the stones, the wildflowers blooming along the roadside… In Bilan’s eyes, the town’s scenery possessed a distinctive charm and an exceptional elegance.

The quaint little houses, though built from the most common shan wood, were constructed with such refined beauty. Moreover, owing to the townsfolk’s appreciation for aesthetics, even the balcony railings and roof ridges were carved with rough yet graceful patterns. The winding paths were paved with scattered but sturdy bluestones. Although Nielan Town’s roads were narrow due to lack of meticulous planning, the lichen peeking through the cracks in the bluestone paths added a touch of understated natural grace.

As a noble-born maiden, she had never witnessed such unassuming beauty—a beauty that refreshingly delighted the senses. The pure and kind-hearted Bilan easily immersed herself in it. The townspeople spoke with gentle kindness, entirely devoid of the impatience and sarcasm common in Doleiz City. Even the merchants and vendors, whom Bilan had always categorized as “profit-seekers,” mostly conversed in calm, melodious tones, their haggling imbued with a simple enthusiasm.

Though as a mage apprentice, Bilan had sensed the abundant, unconcealed magical fluctuations emanating from the direction of the White Tower built by Punk the moment she approached the town, the tranquil atmosphere captivated her, dissuading her from immediately reporting to her “mentor.” She wanted to enter the town more intimately, to further experience this novel ambiance.

Browsing the various handmade decorations in the shops while feeling the gentle breeze caress her face, Bilan arrived in front of a bakery.

Sniffing the wheaty aroma of bread in the air, her delicate nose twitched slightly. Compared to the heavily seasoned “intense” delicacies of noble households, this plainly fermented ordinary bread felt more fragrant and mellow to her.

The beautiful maiden stepped lightly to the front of the bakery, eagerly scanning the limited variety of bread on display. In a clear, melodious voice, she asked:

“Excuse me, baker, how much is this… yamo bread (a common bread unique to Fearun) here?”

The bakery owner was a plump, amiable middle-aged man. Perhaps startled by the sudden appearance of a beautiful woman, the baker stared blankly for several seconds, only snapping out of it when Bilan repeated her question:

“This… this one! Freshly baked yamo bread is seven Dillen copper coins each~ How many would you like, miss?”

“So affordable! Then I’ll take them all!”Ignoring the baker’s surprise, Bilan eagerly declared her “ownership” over the mere seven or eight small bread rolls.

Though her noble family was only a minor one, the vast wealth disparity in the Faerûn Plane meant she still belonged to the absolute wealthy class compared to ordinary commoners. For this trip, she carried over a dozen Gold Coins with her—buying a few bread rolls was utterly trivial.

And moreover…

Bilan’s eyes sparkled as she gazed at the small bread rolls lying in the display case—the crispy golden crust, the soft and fluffy interior, the fragrant aroma… In the young girl’s eyes, these little bread rolls seemed to come alive, incessantly pleading for her to buy them.

What would the bread from Nielan Town taste like? She was so looking forward to it…

“Wait! Save two for me!”

Just as Bilan was lost in the aroma of the bread rolls, a youthful but somewhat untimely voice sounded from nearby.

A young boy in a white robe, clutching a thick book and wearing a flamboyant hat, came running over while shouting.

Hearing the boy’s call, Bilan snapped out of her bread-induced trance. She looked at him somewhat blankly, as if not quite understanding what he was saying.

The young boy ran up to the bakery, panting heavily as he spoke in broken phrases:

“Hey! You… how could you take… take all… all the bread? I… I placed an order… yesterday!”

“Huh? Can bread be pre-ordered?”

Bilan tilted her head and looked at the baker.

“Well… um… I suppose there was something like that?”

The baker put on a thoughtful expression, though he was actually a bit troubled. While this white bread wasn’t particularly rare or precious, it was considered a luxury among the commoners. Not many people came to the bakery to buy bread each day, and most only purchased one or two at a time. This was the first time he’d encountered a situation of “demand outstripping supply.” Though he wanted to sell more bread, he simply didn’t have any more available.

The baker, considering whether to hurry back to the kitchen to bake another batch, hadn’t yet noticed that the young boy’s attention was no longer on the bread.

Dichiduo was a bard who had only recently completed his training. He felt this was the luckiest day of his life because, while trying to buy bread to celebrate his birthday, he had encountered the goddess who utterly captivated him.

Looking at Bilan’s clear, water-like eyes, her elegantly flowing hair, and her pink-white dress adorned with luxurious lace, the young boy felt his cheeks grow warm for the first time. He dared say this was the most beautiful girl he had ever met in his life so far.

As a young bard, he lacked the suave experience of his more worldly counterparts and was still rather innocent and youthful. Dichiduo felt as flustered as he had when first stepping onto the Plaza to recite poetry before a crowd.

“H-Hello… I… I’m Dichiduo, a bard, sixteen years old, gender…”

Stammering through his chaotic “self-introduction,” the flustered Dichiduo mentally berated himself:”Oh heavens, what am I even saying? This isn’t like filling out identity registration at the city hall. I’ve completely embarrassed myself now.”

Just as Dichiduo wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into, Bilan—who had been listening to the youth’s long stream of “mad ramblings”—could no longer contain herself and burst out with a “pfft” of laughter. Having often navigated circles of suave young gentlemen skilled at paying compliments, this was the first time Bilan had encountered a “Little Boy” with such awkward self-introductions. Deep inside, a feeling of amusement and delight welled up within her.

Glancing at the two suns hanging high in the sky, she noted it wasn’t even noon yet. Bilan wasn’t in any hurry to meet the “Formal Mage”—partly due to subconscious procrastination born from fear and anxiety, and partly because she found this “Little Boy” before her utterly fascinating, well worth having a delightful conversation with.

And so, the innocent maiden extended a fair, jade-like hand to the flustered youth, smiling as she gazed into his panicked, at a loss eyes:

“Hello, I’m Bilan.” Very pleased to meet you.”

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Note: These two characters are quite important, especially Bilan. Moreover, the author intends to craft a tragedy entirely orchestrated, propelled, and bossed by Punk—hence these two chapters of buildup. Soon, in the next chapter… the wicked tragedy will begin to unfold………

(End of Chapter)