NOVEL WEB Chapter 27: Chapter 27. Troubadour
After visiting the royal library, Mordred decided to leave the palace and explore the city outside.
Just like the Shirone royal palace, the capital itself was also very… orange and dry.
The buildings were for the most part made from a sand-colored stone, the roads were also of the color of the sand and the city had a more exotic feeling to it compared to the medieval Wyvern, like an Arabic city in the middle of a desert.
There were a good number of dark-skinned and tanned people here, more than in Wyvern. The streets were not as wide and as a result the city seemed more crowded.
Mordred journeyed through the city's central square. His destination was the city's Magicians' Guild; he wanted to inspect it for any interesting Magic Items and Magic Tools.
As he walked, out of the pouch at his waist, an unnaturally large head of a white reptile was peeking out as it took a look at the scenery outside while squinting its eyes.
Mordred certainly attracted attention more than none other, but he didn't care too much. He already had strength to protect himself against Emperor ranked opponents and God ranks were not so common to mobilize them on the fly even if Hitogami got wind of him.
Passing by the central square, Mordred heard a woman sing.
"~A certain maiden Magician… with her swinging braids of blue… Journeys in search of adventure, with a hope both earnest and true…"
'Eh? What the hell is that song?' Mordred stopped his footsteps as his attention was attracted.
The person singing turned out to be a mature woman with a huge chest, wearing an oversized white coat that covered most of her body and face. She played a lute as she sat by the fountain.
"~Far away from her village, far away from her home… She meets three new-made-adventurers who seek fame of their own…"
As Mordred listened, he was dumbstruck. What the hell. That song was clearly about Roxy.
"~This is the story of those adventurers. The tale of a young maiden but twelve of years… who climbed up to A-rank in merely two short years…"
'Twelve years old and two years to reach A-rank, isn't this too exaggerated? Although Roxy was still about ten when she left her village... But just who rhymes years with years?' Mordred thought.
He still listened.
Eventually, the Troubadour soon finished her song and received a round of applause. She bowed down to everyone. "Thank you, thank you, everyone! How about next I'll sing about how the young maiden journeyed into a labyrinth and encountered her first love, as well as her first heart-break? It's a new song of mine!"
She grinned.
'Hehe, songs about Rox are always a hit! She gives me the best inspirations!…' As the woman was thinking this, she noticed someone among the crowd looking at her with a strange expression.
'A boy? Eh, and isn't that a baby dragon?...'
The Troubadour immediately felt that there was something peculiar about that pretty boy and the elderly knight who accompanied him like a bodyguard. These two were not ordinary people for sure.
'Interesting.'
"I'm sorry, but perhaps I'll sing it another day! ~Farewell!"
Seizing the moment, she picked up her pouch from the ground and chased after the boy who had already left.
After noticing the bard surprisingly sing a song about Roxy, Mordred continued on his way. Why is Roxy so popular? Even people in this world sing songs about her…
After he passed just a short distance, a person ran up to him and appeared right in front of his face with a deep smile. "Hello there!"
"Hm?" Mordred saw that it was the female bard.
She waved at him in a greeting with an exaggerated smile, her long sleeves draping over her hands. Why was this woman here? She's so suspicious.
The Troubadour leaned closer, saying, "Oh? Are you perhaps wary of little old me?"
Hector cleared his throat as he stepped forward, making the woman take a small step back.
Troubadour raised her hands high. "There's no need to at all! I'm just a traveling troubadour! I'm not suspicious at all, haha!"
"That's… totally suspicious," replied Mordred.
Troubadour ignored it and just kept smiling.
Mordred turned and began leaving. He told Hector, "Let's pass by the Adventurers' Guild first. Maybe there's something interesting there… Like a request to slay a dragon. But I guess it's impossible, haha."
"Haha… Of course."
Mordred came to a huge building belonging to the Adventurers' Guild.
After he entered, he saw a large number of people gathered at the request board.
"It's still here, that stray dragon request."
"So it's a Blue Dragon. You know, the type that flies all over the world."
"A stray dragon appeared so close to the capital. Shouldn't the crown take care of it?"
"Normally, yes, but it settled too far to the east. It's right at the coastline, near a village of demons who apparently work with the sea folk. There's no need to go save them."
Mordred heard the discussions and was dumbstruck. 'Are you kidding me?'
He hurried over to the mission board.
Without a doubt, at the top of the board there was an S-rank mission requesting to slay a stray Blue Dragon to the east of Ratakia!
"Ooh, are you perhaps planning to slay that dragon?"
Mordred frowned as the Troubadour's face loomed near his again.
"You're following me, huh."
The Troubadour maintained her big smile. "Of course, my dear future income! So do you plan to take that mission, boy?"
Mordred replied, "I'm obviously a child. How could I accept that mission?"
"I don't know. It's you who said you wanted to slay a dragon." The Troubadour shrugged her shoulders.
After her words, everyone in the Adventurer's Guild looked at Mordred.
"What? This kid wants to slay a dragon?"
"Hahaha!"
The adventurers laughed out loud.
Mordred ignored the laughter and looked at the mission request again. 'The east of the city, huh? If it's at the coastline, it wouldn't be that far.'
"By the way, isn't that little guy in your bag also a dragon?" The Troubadour continued, leaning down to stair at Albion.
Albion leaned out his head and threatened to bite off her finger.
"Oh!" The bard pulled back her hand just in time.
Mordred glanced at her. "So what if it is?"
"Ooh, how come you partnered up with a little albino dragon? Is there maybe an interesting story behind it? Please do tell me!" The Troubadour looked very interested.
Mordred slightly frowned, but still replied, "It's nothing too exciting. I summoned him. You know, with Summoning Magic."
After saying his piece, Mordred approached the guild's clerk.
He was getting bored. Since he had some time while he stayed in Shirone, he might as well go and slay that dragon.
He had slain dragons before, but each dragon had different abilities. He wanted to see what it's like to fight a Blue Dragon.
Blue Dragons would appear all over the world randomly and only once every 10 years return to a mountain range in the Milis Continent to lay eggs. If not for now, it would be difficult for him to have a chance to fight another one in the near future.
He was also very interested in the Sea Race, which was completely shrouded in mystery in Mushoku Tensei yet inhabited and controlled the entire Ringus Sea.
Subjugating that dragon was something that should have happened eventually anyway, if he wanted an excuse to take action.
At the clerk's desk, Mordred said, "I want details on that S-rank quest to slay the Blue Dragon."
The pretty woman behind the clerk's formed a wry smile and replied, "I'm sorry, but this mission is only available for A-rank and S-rank teams."
"Here."
Mordred placed a card on the table.
Not surprising Mordred, the Troubadour continued following him and Hector with a big grin on her face. She then leaned over and read:
Name: Mordred
Race: Human
Age: 8
Rank: S
It was a legitimate S-rank Adventurer Guild Card that apparently belonged to an eight year old, there were no problems with it…
Except that at the bottom it had a note: Only functional in the country of origin - Kingdragon Realm.
The Troubadour saw it and her grin intensified. 'It's a provisional license. I knew this! He's a little prince! But what is that? Kingdragon Kingdom?...'
Mordred ignored the female bard and focused on the clerk.
The Shirone Kingdom was under the jurisdiction of the Kingdragon Kingdom. After he had shown his provisional S-rank guild card issued by the crown, the clerk had no choice and told him the details of the mission.
After getting the details, Mordred left the building.
The Troubadour came out after him.
Mordred stopped, then asked her, "Are you going to follow me all the way to that quest?"
The Troubadour grinned. "Why not? I'll write a nice song about you, I promise! A song about a Magician boy and his little dragon companion on an epic quest to slay an evil dragon! This kind of song would do well!"
"I see. It's too bad because I'm about to take off."
"Take off?" The woman tilted her head.
"To the skies." Mordred pointed his finger up.
The Troubadour was still confused.
Mordred smiled and said, "Are you Intermediate rank at least? If yes, then I can carry you."
He asked this, but in truth he'd only have to slow down otherwise.
"What do you mean carry? And why are you asking?"
"It's important," said Mordred.
"I am." The Troubadour nodded.
Mordred faintly smiled and looked at Hector. "Teacher, I'll be back after slaying that dragon. You can return to the palace."
He knew it when he saw a plot flag and an important character, and this was one of those times. He had to grasp it!
He was getting bored with all the training done holed up in the palace. Why not do something a little crazy for once? You only live once!
Although he did not plan to die of old age or not at all, the idea stood.
"Your Highness…" Hector formed a wry smile. With Mordred's strength there was hardly anything in this world that could threaten him, but it was still his job to protect him.
But Mordred already ignored him and approached the female bard. He hooked his arms under her and lifted her up in a princess carry.
"Aaaah!" The woman let out an exaggerated yelp.
From the outside it surely looked like quite a comedic scene because… That woman was basically twice his size!
In the meantime, Mordred already activated a Zero Gravity field in a small area around him. After that he put strength into his legs and leaped off with force.
"Oooh!"
With a single leap, Mordred jumped up tens of meters into the sky with the Troubadour helplessly swinging her legs in his arms.
Ending up high over the roofs of all nearby buildings, the Troubadour looked out as they continued flying up, her eyes wide open in shock. "Ah… Really…"
Mordred then activated Mana Burst, suddenly shooting out a burst of red electricity that made them change direction, changing into a red arrow that began to shoot through the skies.
As the two began to disappear behind the horizon, the female bard shouted through the capital, "Aaah! Oh, no! You're being too rough! It's my first tiiiime!"
***
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Name: Mordred Kingdragon
Titles/nicknames: 16th Prince of Kingdragon, Miko, Magic prodigy, Youngest Sword Saint
Age: 8 years and 1 month
Strength: D
Endurance: C*
Agility: D* (C*)
Mana: A-
…
Fire, Water, Wind and Earth Magic: King
Healing Magic: Saint
Detoxification Magic: Advanced-Saint
Barrier Magic: Elementary (chantless), Saint (Magic Circles)
Summoning Magic (beasts): Intermediate
Divine Strike Magic: Elementary
Enchantment Magic (creating Magic Tools): Elementary-Advanced
Sword God Style: Sword Saint (officially)
Water God Style: Advanced rank
North God Style: Intermediate rank
[Instinct B]
[Mana Burst B-]
[Magic Resistance C]
[Riding E]
Demon Sword - Ascalon
A-rank staff - Ashen Sage
Magic Barrier Ring (Saint rank)
Magic Pouch
Self-Filling Quill
…
AN: Chapter ends here for pacing, so I uploaded a status update as a reminder. Before I see again that the chapter was too short, let me tell you something: there will be another one tomorrow. For free (the daily chapter).