The Water Magician

The next day.

Ryo and Abel left the Dragon Spring Residence, saying they were going to speak with Captain Myun from the public ship office.

However, they were caught just outside the gate.

A figure had been waiting for them.

"Hello. You must be Mr. Abel and Ryo-san. I am Wana Shee, the Bard."

At that moment, the two of them froze.

However, they couldn't just remain silent.

Their names were already known.

"Uh, yeah, I'm Abel."

"Ah, yes, I'm Ryo."

What they managed to say were just their names.

Moreover, they both looked suspicious at first glance.

Their gazes were wandering.

However, it seemed that Bard Wana Shee felt that his "ambush" had made them wary.

"I apologize for the sudden approach, but I saw the two of you in the dining hall last night while I was performing."

"I-I see."

"Mr. Abel looks like someone from a foreign land, and Ryo-san, your hair is a typical black found in the eastern region, but your robe suggests you are not from Darwei. I also heard that both of you are adventurers, so I was hoping to hear some interesting stories from your experiences, which is why I was waiting here."

Wana Shee explained politely.

Realizing that it wasn't known that they were from some noble family, both of them felt a bit relieved.

With that, they began to fumble with their words.

"W-Well, we haven't had any major adventures..."

"Y-Yeah, it's just an ordinary, very ordinary life."

"It's just a cycle of eating and sleeping. Ahahaha..."

Both Abel and Ryo had perfect eye contact!

"Excuse me, but which country do you hail from?"

"Uh..."

With just that single word bomb, the two of them froze.

As expected, he was a professional at weaving words, a bard.

"W-Well, if I say a country, you probably wouldn’t know..."

"Y-Yeah, it’s probably a country you don’t know..."

"You see, as a bard, I know quite a bit. Not just about the eastern region, but also the Central Nations, Western Nations, and even the dark continent."

Abel and Ryo's defenses were easily broken down by Wana Shee's smile and the words he spoke.

"The Central Nations..."

"We're from the Naitorei Kingdom..."

"Eh!"

Giving up, Abel and Ryo answered.

That answer seemed to be unexpected for Wana Shee.

His eyes widened, and he was speechless.

"The Naitorei Kingdom... the song I sang yesterday is the song of the Naitorei Kingdom!"

"I-I see."

"How amazing that your homeland has become a song."

Wana Shee's words left both Ryo and Abel flustered.

Furthermore...

"By the way, Mr. Abel, your name is the same as King Abel. Is it a common name over there?"

"Y-Yeah, it’s a common name..."

"How wonderful! This must be the guidance of the god of song! I’d love to hear your story... no, I would like to conduct an in-depth interview over a few days..."

"That’s a bit..."

Abel felt overwhelmed by Wana Shee's enthusiasm.

However, he was a bard who traversed the world with just a harp and his voice, making him a tough negotiating opponent.

"I heard that the two of you are working for the imprisoned Earl Matan. Although I am a bard, I am sometimes summoned to the Darwei Imperial Palace. Darwei is a country that appreciates the arts quite well. I believe I could be of help in that aspect."

Both of them exchanged glances at Wana Shee's proposal.

Then, they discussed quietly a bit behind.

"What should we do, Abel?"

"If we play our cards right, this could be a powerful intelligence-gathering tool, right?"

"Yeah, indeed. As for our plans today, we’re just supposed to hear from Captain Myun at the public ship office, and then Captain Li Chuu will bring us information from the Censorate... other than that, we might need some extra help in gathering information."

"That’s true."

Thus, Bard Wana Shee was granted permission to follow Abel and Ryo from behind.

At the public ship office near the port.

Wana Shee was allowed to come along, but he couldn’t listen in on the conversation.

That was because he hadn’t obtained permission from Captain Myun.

Captain Myun wouldn’t be violating any laws, but he was expected to convey information he didn’t want to be shared too openly, so only Ryo and Abel were led to the captain's office.