Chapter 2509 Old Porter <TOC> Chapter 2511 Dungeon
Translator: SumTLMan
Upon arriving at the tavern’s front hall, Angel immediately spotted Daus and Aubrey.
Aubrey sat dazed in a corner, while Daus was at the opposite end of the room. The reason for their distance was purely Aubrey’s fear of Daus harming the Crowned Parrot.
At that moment, the front hall of the tavern was bustling.
Daus, having had a few drinks, felt emboldened and initiated a verbal duel with the Crowned Parrot.
Daus was pleased, thinking that without Angel’s protection, the Crowned Parrot would be less confident and possibly lose face.
However, Daus was mistaken. The Crowned Parrot was quick-tempered; a spark could set it off.
Of course, the Crowned Parrot wasn’t rash. It carefully assessed the situation and concluded that Daus wouldn’t dare make a move there, and even if he did, he would restrain himself because of Angel, not wanting to truly endanger its life.
Since it wasn’t at risk of dying, it wasn’t worried.
Initially, Daus was prepared and had scripted insults, which allowed for an exchange. But having a script isn’t enough for a battle of words; you must respond no matter what your opponent throws at you.
No matter what Daus prepared, the Crowned Parrot had a retort and could continue eloquently.
Daus managed to hold his ground for a few minutes but soon started to falter.
Meanwhile, the Crowned Parrot continued relentlessly. It rarely swore; at most, it called someone “foolish” or “stupid.” Yet, its words were incredibly piercing.
Even Daus, a formal wizard, was provoked to rage by them.
That’s why Aubrey sat far away, trembling. Seeing Daus’ face flush with anger, she repeatedly thought about intervening, but each time the Crowned Parrot anticipated this and with a stern glare, made Aubrey sit straight and still.
It wasn’t until Angel appeared that Aubrey quietly sighed in relief. Previously, Angel had stopped Daus from attacking the Crowned Parrot, though it was unclear why Angel held the parrot in such regard.
The Crowned Parrot didn’t care whether Angel was around; as long as he didn’t interfere, it would continue to verbally assail others.
Angel truly didn’t stop the Crowned Parrot from shining; he casually leaned against the door frame by the bar, watching the nearly one-sided battle.
Eventually, Daus couldn’t take it anymore and left a bitter remark akin to “I’ll be back” before quickly approaching Angel.
“You’re out? Great, I’m in a fantastic mood, let’s get down to business. After we return, I’ll battle that parrot again.”
Angel, unaware of where Daus’ newfound confidence came from, lightly said: “A hundred rounds, I believe you could last that.”
Daus’ expression froze slightly, his lips moved, but in the end, he said nothing and dejectedly followed Angel as they left the tavern.
After leaving, they did not head straight for Princess Castle; instead, they leisurely strolled around. Since Princess Castle was located at the very center of Princess Town, occupying a vast area, no matter where they wandered or which street they took, they would inevitably pass by some part of Princess Castle.
So, there was no rush.
Once outside, Daus moved closer to Angel: “Don’t you think there’s something off about Aubrey’s Crowned Parrot?”
Angel dismissively replied: “Lost the verbal battle and now resorting to slander?”
Daus shook his head: “It’s not about losing; I just didn’t perform well. Wait until next time; I’ll show you what it means to be…”
“A loser,” Angel interjected smoothly.
Daus, irritated, responded: “What loser? I’ll definitely win next time. Anyway, that’s not what I’m talking about. I really think there’s something off about the Crowned Parrot. I might not be a summoner, but I’ve fought and studied summoners before, and no other Crowned Parrots are like this one.”
Angel happened to know what Daus was talking about.
A typical Crowned Parrot had the abilities to control wind, mimic speech, and could be possessed by its master to serve as the master’s eyes, similar to Eureka’s owl familiar.
Being able to mimic speech, the Crowned Parrot was one of the few summonings that could talk. If trained properly, communicating with its master was no issue.
But that was merely standard communication.
The intelligence of a Crowned Parrot, a low-level summoning similar to a Heart Eater, was limited.
However, the Crowned Parrot summoned by Aubrey was quick-witted; its speech was not only unimpeded, but its words could even serve as weapons, overpowering Daus, a wandering wizard accustomed to rowdiness.
“Moreover, this Crowned Parrot isn’t just sharp-tongued; during our verbal duel, it referenced many classics of the Wizarding World, some I knew and others were secrets I hadn’t even heard of. It seems to understand the Wizarding World even better than I do,” Daus summarized the so-called anomalies: “Keen insight, arrogant demeanor, prefers to call its summoner a servant, and deeply knowledgeable about the nuances of the Wizarding World…”
Angel mentally added: It also understands magic well. At least previously, when Angel used a Fear Spell on it, the Crowned Parrot definitely sensed something was wrong.
Daus concluded: “All these combined, it feels strangely familiar.”
Following Daus’ line of thought, Angel speculated: “Since you find it familiar, perhaps its previous master was quite famous.”
Undoubtedly, this Crowned Parrot must have had a previous master; otherwise, how could it know so much about the affairs of the Wizarding World?
Daus nodded: “That should be right, maybe a famous wizard from before, and the previous master of this summoned creature. Who could it be?”
Daus pondered all the way but couldn’t figure it out.
“I have limited access to information outside, you should have more, do you know?” Daus looked at Angel.
Without hesitation, Angel replied: “I don’t know.”
He had only been practicing for a few years and was still accumulating basic knowledge; he didn’t have much time to pay attention to these extraordinary tales.
Daus looked at Angel, as if he had thought of something, and muttered something under his breath before shaking his head: “Can’t remember, maybe it’s just my imagination.”
After that, Daus didn’t extend the conversation about the Crowned Parrot any further and remained silent throughout the journey.
As they were about to reach the Princess Town Castle, Daus hesitated for a moment before asking Angel: “Are you, are you really that Pat?”
“Which Pat?” Angel asked.
“The one Aubrey mentioned. Are there other Pats in the Savage Grottoes?”
“As far as I know, I’m the only Pat in the Savage Grottoes.”
“So, you really are that… Music Box Magician?”
Music Box Magician, Next Stop Mysterious, Lion Hearted Thorn, and Master of Illusions were all titles various magazines had placed on Angel’s head.
After Angel himself adopted “Super Dimensional Wizard,” these wild nicknames dwindled.
Somehow, Angel missed these old titles that he once found annoying.
“Although I think Music Box Magician sounds quite nice, I still prefer to be called the Super Dimensional Wizard,” Angel expressed.
“Yes, yes, Super Dimensional Wizard. I just heard about your music boxes from a friend and misspoke subconsciously,” Daus admitted.
Through that music box, Daus experienced an unmatched illusion, his first encounter with such an addictive, meaningful void filled with implications, especially the remnants on the floating island, it was like seeing history.
That experience was very valuable for Daus and even influenced some of his thoughts.
Of course, it wasn’t the power of the music box itself, but rather the space for interpretation it offered. Everyone sees it differently, just like reading a book; people have their own interpretations. These thoughts can lead some to enlightenment while others may become increasingly obsessed.
For Daus, it changed some of his thoughts, but his insights were enlightened.
Because of this, his memory of the music box was too vivid, so vivid that he even mixed up Angel’s formal title.
“Do you like it?”
Daus was taken aback, not understanding what Angel meant.
“How do you feel about the music box after listening to it?” Angel rarely asked for customer feedback.
“It’s good, or rather, very good.” Daus didn’t want to admit that the music box had changed some of his thoughts, but he didn’t want to betray his true feelings either. Thus, he emphasized the word “very” to express his genuine appreciation for the music box.
“The music box, huh? I haven’t crafted one in a long time,” Angel’s gaze drifted; “The ones sold at auctions were made during my apprenticeship.”
“Since you like it, I can find time to make another one for you,” Angel offered.
Daus was surprised: “Really?”
Angel nodded: “Of course, bring Little Gold’s offspring next time, and I’ll hand over the music box to you.”
Daus thought Angel was offering it for free, but it was a reminder not to forget Little Gold’s offspring.
However, even so, Daus was getting a good deal. After all, Little Gold’s offspring was already promised to Angel.
“My Little Gold has entered the breeding phase, and after the energy is sufficient this time, it shouldn’t be long before it gives birth to the young. I’ll pick the best one for you,” Daus promised.
Daus wouldn’t give him anything subpar. This was also an unexpected delight.
Perhaps because Daus expressed his fondness for the music box, their conversation was more casual than before. However, Angel noticed that Daus occasionally looked at him with a complex expression.
Especially when they talked about the deeds of the Guman King.
Angel simply said: “I have studied little about King Guman.”
Daus was momentarily speechless.
His speechlessness wasn’t due to Angel’s ignorance, but because he understood the implications behind the statement… Angel was still a bona fide youth, no, a teenager.
A prodigy whose cultivation speed was unmatched in the Southern Region.
Also, because he had less time to cultivate, he had fewer experiences and knew less gossip.
Daus had previously thought that Angel was at least a millennium-old monster, and now knowing that Angel’s cultivation time was just a fraction of his own, this was the reason for his complicated gaze and emotions.
Although he was also a young generation wizard, only eighty years old, facing Angel made his heart feel old.
Angel didn’t know that Daus had been making up stories in his mind since the Sandworm Market, so he didn’t understand the complexity in Daus’ eyes.
However, Angel didn’t sense any malice from Daus, so he didn’t mind.
By this time, they had also arrived at Princess Castle.
…
Their location was on the right fence of Princess Castle, which, although low, had runes flickering on it, indicating its substantial defensive capabilities.
Through the intricately carved bird fence, they could clearly see the lush forest beyond and the faintly visible castle deep within the woods.
Seeing a forest by Princess Castle might seem odd, but it actually wasn’t; the forest wasn’t the main point. The key aspect was the mythical and magical beasts bred within it.
Angel remarked: “According to the map Old Porter gave us, we are on the right side of Princess Castle, this side is the beast forest; on the corresponding left side, there is an amusement park.”
Daus furrowed his brow: “Do we really have to sneak in from the beast forest side? It seems less likely to be detected from the amusement park side.”
Angel replied: “Either way is the same, but if we go through the amusement park, we might encounter the eldest princess’s daughter. According to Old Porter, she goes there to play from time to time, and moreover, the amusement park is right in front of her bedroom window.”
Angel was not afraid of encountering this so-called princess, but he had made up his mind to only save people and not get involved with the affairs of the Guman Royal Family, so if he could avoid meeting the princess, he would.
This was why he chose to enter through the beast forest.
Seeing Daus still hesitating, Angel said: “Don’t worry, these mythical beasts won’t detect us. Remember, I am a wizard skilled in illusions.”
Daus replied: “I’m not worried about the mythical beasts, I also have concealment abilities, but I’m concerned about how to break through the runes here without being discovered.”
“Oh, the runes? Don’t forget, I’m also an alchemist specialized in enchantments,” Angel repeated in the same format.
It was originally just a straightforward statement of the facts, but it inadvertently hit Daus’ sore spot. Indeed, not only did Angel practice for less time than him, but his skills in illusion and his position as a master alchemist in the Research Institute made him seem very inadequate… Even though Daus had spent much time, why was his efficiency countless times lower than Angel’s?
Daus silently licked his wounded pride; he didn’t feel like talking to Angel at that moment, or even walking with him.
Daus said as much and did just that.
As Angel quietly lifted a bearing corner of the rune, and they walked into the beast forest, Daus indicated that he wanted to go separate ways.
Angel thought about it and didn’t mind.
Daus prepared to watch the exciting scenes on the princess’s side.
And he was going to the dungeon to save people; indeed, they were not on the same path.