[[[CP|W:250|H:301|A:C|U:http://file1.qidian.com/Chapters/201012/27/1784765634290179173011250512327.jpg]]] (Ramona Dark Light’s work, Year of the Golden Leaves——)
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Little Roman looked up at the wooden sign, with a hint of a cute blush on her pale face due to the cool night air. Even in early summer, the temperature in the mountainous areas was still very low.
The wooden sign, already blackened by wind and rain, depicted a mottled running horse. She couldn’t read the words on it, but Roman guessed this must be the place. She placed her hands on her precious leather bag, hesitated for a moment while rubbing the ground with the toe of her round-toed boots—this must be it, right? The Running Horse Inn?
As the distant alarm bell rang out, a squad of guards passed by her. Miss Merchant wasn’t too scared; instead, she curiously observed these guards, watching them walk away. The alarm bell finally stopped, and she let out a small sigh of relief before turning to enter the inn.
The owner of the Running Horse Inn was a dwarf, just as described in stories—he had long, ripened wheat-colored beard, tied into several braids, bound with brass rings. Those rings had a story; they were engraved with ’??????????’ patterns, the stone-written characters of the dwarves. They bore the family names, and each ring represented a lineage. Renowned families like ’Fire Beard’, ’Stone Seal’, and ’Luxurious Jewelry’ could even use precious and heavy golden rings.
These rings, like the dwarves’ beards, were a source of pride. Dwarven families had histories of over a thousand years, and they proudly wore these rings, making a jingling sound as they walked. However, dwarves were not common in human society. The innkeeper, Gunn Barbarossa Rock Hall, made good use of this fact—he deliberately dressed himself up as a big shot, paid people to discuss him in secret, and then personally denied it. People always visited this mysterious dwarven lord out of curiosity, and Gunn’s business naturally boomed.
Gunn wore a silk robe today, with three ruby rings, a cat’s eye ring, and an emerald ring on his chubby fingers. If it weren’t for his nephew—of course, a human. Gunn had some human connections to establish himself in human society. The reason why a dwarf had a human relative could be a long story for another time. Our focus is—his nephew, who served in the White Mane Legion, was pressing his shoulder, giving him some advice. The young man had a companion with him, and it seemed they had been here for a while.
"You’re saying if I see a little girl, I should agree to whatever request she makes? But why? What if she asks for all my property? No, no, this suggestion sounds too stupid." The dwarf boss shook his head vigorously, mumbling.
"Uncle Gunn, listen to me. I’m not asking you to give her all your property, but to prepare a carriage for her without raising her suspicion. Then prepare another to follow her."
"Just a carriage?" Gunn eyed his nephew suspiciously with his small eyes.
"Alright, will she pay?"
The young man from the White Mane Legion sighed, knowing his uncle’s temperament well, and quickly said, "She will, but don’t haggle with her too much. Don’t scare her away. If you help, Uncle Gunn, the credit will be mine, understand?"
"Still don’t quite get it, but do you like that girl? In that case, I might consider giving you a 9.95% discount."
"No, it’s not like that! Actually, it is this way, that girl is a spy from Madara. They broke out of the dungeon and are now eager to leave the city. Captain Luc Besson has ordered us to watch every possible exit route—"
"Then why don’t you just catch her," Gunn asked curiously.
Parker slapped his forehead and sighed, "Uncle Gunn, she has many accomplices. To catch them all in one go, we need to relax their guard and follow them quietly! Do you understand?"
"Still don’t get it."
"Alright, in short, don’t worry, Uncle Gunn. I’ll cover whatever money she falls short of."
"Relax their guard and meet her demands? Now that you put it that way, I get it." The dwarf boss finally nodded.