"A legend about a girl? There's no better bedtime story than that." Old Will's cheerful tone came from the hazy darkness. "If I were a hundred and fifty years younger, no, just a hundred years younger, maybe I would be excited and sleepless because of this legend."
Bartlett didn't know why the middle-aged-looking old mage didn't sit by the campfire but instead sat a little further away by a fir tree. However, he didn't express any doubt about it, and our Norde Barbarian managed to keep his curiosity in check.
"Pig Bay has never been short of all sorts of strange legends and rumors, and 'Eyeless Nora' is just one of them." Bartlett said, "In the legend, Nora is a charming girl in the Thorn Tent within Pig Bay."
"Why do you guys call a *** a 'charming girl'?" the half-elf wondered, "Out of politeness?"
"Politeness? Ha, I have to say that's a good joke!" Bartlett actually laughed, unconsciously. This was the first time he'd heard someone say that people in Pig Bay would have such a thing as 'politeness'.
"A despicable swindler may be polite, a filthy beggar might be polite, even the lowly Goblins might say 'please' in their half-baked Common Language, but adventurers from Pig Bay never will. When they talk to you, not mentioning your female relatives is considered a sign of respect towards you." Bartlett said, "Of course, they will behave in front of a mage, but don't expect them to be courteous to a ***."
This didn't include me, the Barbarian thought. He considered himself a polite person, being so to everyone.
"Adventurers, eh? That's quite normal." The half-elf wasn't surprised by this. "Then why do you use that term?"
"Calling a *** a 'charming girl' is a tradition in Pig Bay. There's also an interesting story about the origin of this tradition. It's a true story, not a legend. Are you sure you want to listen to..." Bartlett suddenly paused and then continued, "this first?"
He suddenly realized that he seemed to be more talkative than before, as he didn't have the mood to talk about these irrelevant, off-topical things during his adventures, let alone chat casually like this.
He would focus on the surrounding environment, communicate with other adventurers about the upcoming route and plan, teach newcomers some skills and experiences, and even a rich harvest wouldn't distract him because the way back was more dangerous.
But the people in 'Vulgar Novel' were not ordinary adventurers, as Bartlett could see. The Dwarf's perception was even stronger than his, the Ogre was like a moving fortress, and there was a mage sitting in the team as well, which made Bartlett's nerves that had been tense during his adventures somewhat relaxed.
Although Old Will was a Wandering Mage and did not have a level badge like the mages of the Magic Association, he had also studied in the Magic Association, and his strength should be unquestionable.
People have their own aspirations, not all mages like to stay under the restrictions of the Magic Association.
"Let's start with 'Eyeless Nora'." The half-elf said. "The night is still long, we can all tell one."
Bartlett looked at the bonfire and recounted the legend, "About Nora, in the legend, the girl lost her sight in both eyes due to an accident when she was very young. Her father was a drunkard, who often beat and scolded Nora and her mother when he was drunk. Eventually, Nora's mother left alone, unable to bear it anymore, leaving Nora alone with her alcoholic father. But this didn't make the girl resentful. She was a cheerful and kind girl." Bartlett said slowly, "But life will not favor kind people any more."
"Especially with a drunkard father." The half-elf chimed in. "The drunkards in stories always have the look of villains, always, never an exception! Sorry, please continue..."
Bartlett glanced at Estelle unhappily, "A merchant, a price-gouging merchant, bought Nora from her father for a barrel of wheat beer, a price not even worth half a gold coin. If the merchant had wanted Nora to be his wife, the legend would not have been passed down among adventurers. As expected, although the merchant treated Nora fairly well, he only saw her as a piece of merchandise. The merchant took her on a carriage to Pig Bay. Nora, finding her way on the carriage, stuck her head out the window, letting her golden hair dance in the wind as she hummed a soft song, in a gentle and sad tone:
'I want to weave a beautiful woolen carpet;
Its color should be even bluer than a clear sky;
Gentle lambs, please grow up quickly,
Only when the carpet is woven can I confide my inner thoughts;
People should be wary and know the world's baseness,
But before my eyes, there is only thick darkness.;
The rose bushes tore at my broken heart,
A little sad, yet a little joyful;
If there really is an afterlife,
I wish to be a glowworm,
In the lightless darkness,
Bringing myself a bit of brightness...'"
"With that song, the merchant brought Nora into Pig Bay's Thorn Tent," Bartlett continued, "Weak creatures sometimes arouse one's protective instincts, but at other times, they can awaken the cruelty in one's heart. The merchant was clever; he used Nora's blindness as a novelty, allowing adventurers to release their inner devils upon her..."
He hesitated at this point, "There are several versions of the story at this point. Everyone recollecting the scenes of Nora being violated may have different details. But in fact, it's because of these details that the story is passed down."
"If you don't know how to tell it, we can skip this part." Old Will's voice came from the darkness.
Bartlett coughed, easing the awkward atmosphere and continued, "Over time, Nora earned the merchant hundreds of times the price she was originally sold for, but she herself, after enduring constant violation, was at the brink of death. The merchant's investments paid off handsomely, so he left with a fortune in gold coins, leaving Nora alone in the gray tent, to be cared for by other girls..."
"Death is sometimes a release. At the verge of death, Nora suddenly walked out of the Thorn Tent alone. Thorns tore her pale skin, and scarlet blood flowed ceaselessly. She stumbled through Pig Bay; everyone watched in amazement, but no one wanted to approach and help her. Be it guilt or shame, no one could say for sure."
"Until Nora met a high-ranking mage who happened to visit Pig Bay," Bartlett continued after a pause, seemingly recalling, "The original version of the story said that Nora encountered a legendary mage, but later it was changed because people thought it was not possible for a powerful, noble mage to come to Pig Bay. In any case, she met a mage."
"The mage asked Nora, 'What do you want? To take revenge on your father, that merchant, or those who have hurt and violated you in the past?'..."
"Wait, how did he know about those things, I mean that mage? Did he find out beforehand?" the Half-Elven asked.
"I don't know; that's what the story says." Bartlett spread his hands, indicating indifference to whether they cared to listen. He disliked the feeling of being interrupted repeatedly during storytelling.
The Half-Elven shrugged, giving an apologetic expression.
"The mage's words shocked the adventurers at Pig Bay, but none dared to step forward and object," Bartlett continued, "Nora gazed into the void with a weak and calm voice. She whispered to the mage, 'Sometimes, those people would tell me things about their lives. There seemed to be a place called the Foggy Forest that devoured their friends, families, and even themselves. Those soulless people would vent their frustrations and cry, both sad and lost. I used to think of how wonderful it would be without that foggy forest...'."
The Barbarian touched his newly-sprouted buzz-cut hair and sighed, "From then on, the Foggy Forest gained a creature with a golden head, dark grey shell, but without eyes..."
After the story concluded, silence followed.
After a while, Estelle elegantly curled her lips, "If it wasn't passed down among adventurers, there would probably be another ending to the story."
A vengeful ending? Bartlett thought to himself but did not say it aloud.
He saw the dwarf place the beetle back on the ground, letting her grope her way into the darkness.
...