Salin took the gold coins and changed into the robe prepared for him by Jason. The robe was not tailored to fit him perfectly, and despite his improved diet, Salin was still only twelve years old and not very tall. Even after cutting off the hem, the robe still didn't fit him well.
Now he had six gold coins, which was a considerable amount of money. In the past, he wouldn't have spent this much in a year.
Ceylon City hadn't changed much. The lazy soldiers at the city gate didn't even spare Salin a glance, despite his absence for half a year. They still recognized him as the little beggar. Taxing beggars at the city gates? That would be a laughingstock in other cities.
Salin walked along the main road to a tavern. He wasn't in a hurry to go to the grain shop; there was still plenty of time. When he had no money, he had always wanted to eat here once. Now that he had six gold coins, he could finally fulfill that dream.
The tavern occupied a considerable area, with a courtyard on the right for parking carriages. Although Ceylon City was no longer as prosperous as before, there were still a few nobles and merchants around. Skotinya was a country built on commerce, and the traces of the four major trading houses could be found throughout the Melus Continent. Despite its decline, Ceylon City was still a port city. Even though it was in decline, it was still a thriving place.
This tavern had good business. Most of the wealthy people in Ceylon City chose to dine here.
Salin now knew how to read, so he looked up at the signboard. The sign above the main entrance was inscribed with a line in Melusian: "The Whale of Ceylon."
When Ceylon City was still prosperous, the specialty of this tavern was whale meat. Now that there were fewer fishermen willing to venture out to sea to hunt whales, the tavern had hired a chef from the Qin Empire to keep up appearances. However, the signboard, which had a history of several hundred years, had not been changed. If you were willing to pay enough gold coins, there were still fishermen willing to risk their lives to go far out to sea.
Salin couldn't afford whale meat, but he could still order two dishes on the ground floor for less than two silver coins in total.
He walked into "The Whale of Ceylon" and found an empty seat. Unexpectedly, when the waiter saw him, he hurried over to the table and shouted at him, "Beggar, get out of here! There's nothing for you to eat here."
Salin's anger surged, and his whole face turned red. He used to be a beggar, but now he was a wizard's apprentice. Even though he was only an apprentice, he still had his dignity. He took out a gold coin from his pocket and slapped it on the table with a crisp sound, glancing at the waiter with disdain. "Who's the beggar?"
The waiter was taken aback and immediately put on a smile, nodding and bowing. "Ah, young master, I mistook you for someone else. Yesterday, there was a kid who ate and didn't pay, and it definitely wasn't you. Please don't take offense. Let me bring you the menu."
He was afraid that Salin would say something else, so he turned around and left. Salin's anger hadn't subsided completely, but the waiter had already apologized, and he felt that making a scene further would be tasteless.
At this moment, several people came downstairs. Salin didn't pay attention, but the leader was a fat merchant, accompanied by the servant who had kicked him before, almost taking his life.
When the merchant saw Salin, he was stunned, especially when he saw the gold coins on Salin's table, shining brightly. It was clear that they were genuine Oak Tree gold coins from Skotinya.
The merchant remained calm, left "The Whale of Ceylon," and once outside, he said to his servants, "That kid just now seems to be the unlucky guy from the Metatelin family. How is he still alive?"
"Master, I'm also surprised. According to reason, no one would help him, and he should have starved to death long ago. But just now, I think I saw gold coins."
"Strange. How could a beggar like him have gold coins?"
"Master, I heard there's a gang of thieves in the city who have taken in several children. Could it be..."
"Doesn't matter if it is or isn't. Worm, go to the City Guard and call a few soldiers. Tell them we lost some money and to arrest this kid and deal with him quickly. Take a gold coin with you and tell them that's what the thief stole."
The merchant instructed carefully, then led the other servants back into "The Whale of Ceylon."
Salin still had no idea of the trouble coming his way. He ordered two dishes, both relatively cheap, totaling less than two silver coins together. Being still young, he didn't dare to drink alcohol, so he ordered a pot of tea instead, enjoying it happily. Now he also felt that his attire wasn't quite suitable for "The Whale of Ceylon." The customers within his view were all dressed appropriately, with some even wearing silk clothes tailored in the Qin Empire.
His robe looked like it was picked up from somewhere. No wonder the waiter wanted to kick him out. When he had money, he would definitely buy a decent set of clothes to avoid being looked down upon.
Salin's first dish had just arrived, and he hadn't even picked up his knife and fork yet when four soldiers rushed in from outside, pressing him down and saying nothing, just putting on the chains.
"What are you doing!" Salin was both shocked and angry. He was held down tightly and couldn't resist.
"What are we doing? You're eating here after committing a crime. Come with us!" one of the soldiers growled like a wolf. They were City Guard soldiers responsible for maintaining order in Ceylon City. They hadn't encountered such a profitable business in two years; someone reported a crime, true or not, and they had received a gold coin first, which was a rare occurrence.
"Bullshit!" Salin's face was pressed against the hard table, and his mind was getting fuzzy. He hadn't done anything wrong, but he struggled to resist. One soldier raised his leg and kicked him hard in the ribs.
"Ah!" Salin let out an inhuman scream. The kick was too harsh, and his bones had cracked. What was even worse was that the kick reminded him of his days as a beggar. Back then, being kicked and beaten at will, injuries didn't seem like a big deal. But now, Salin felt humiliation. He turned his head and spat fiercely in the face of another soldier.
The phlegm prompted a torrent of punches and kicks in return, and the fierce soldiers promptly used iron chains to gag Salin's mouth. The four soldiers then dragged Salin out, followed by the sneaky merchant. The waiter rushed out, shouting, "Sir, he hasn't paid yet."
The soldiers chuckled, "His money is stolen. Do you want dirty money?"
"No, no," the waiter acquiesced, inwardly cursing his luck. He shouldn't have served that kid who was dressed so oddly. He'd probably have to deduct the cost of the meal from his own salary. Damn it, he thought, wasted half a month's worth of work! He quickly turned around, took the dishes off the table, and ran back to the kitchen, hoping the second course hadn't been prepared yet, so he could save some money.
Salin was taken back to the city guard post without interrogation and thrown into the dungeon. Regaining some strength, Salin pounded on the iron bars, shouting, "Why are you arresting me?"
The four soldiers turned back, smiling, "If you hadn't said anything, I would have forgotten. You have stolen money on you and we haven't searched you yet."
"This money is mine!" Salin protested, but the soldiers confiscated the six gold coins without resistance.
"It's ours now." The soldiers locked the iron door, ignoring Salin's cries. Even though they heard his hoarse voice uttering the crucial words "My teacher is a wizard!", they didn't believe it. A wizard as a teacher? How could such a beggar become a student of a wizard? Even the lord of the city wouldn't have the chance to hire a wizard.
Now Salin was truly starting to feel scared, even a little hopeless. He still didn't know what had happened. Jason often didn't come out for over ten days, and Salin didn't even eat his weekly meal.
Inside the dungeon, darkness enveloped Salin, and his fear grew with every passing moment. Opening his mouth, he didn't even know what to shout anymore. His face was in extreme pain, especially his jaw, possibly fractured. His lips swelled, and Salin felt tears welling up in his eyes, but he held them back firmly.
"I'm already a wizard's apprentice, I can't cry, I won't!" he resolved.
As night fell, Silan City quieted down, the city gates closed. Under the moonlight, a figure approached the city gates at an astonishing speed. Ignoring the patrolling soldiers' shouts, the figure vanished into the streets. Soon, he arrived at the city guard post, where the moonlight illuminated his gray wizard's robe, shrouding him in an aura of mystery. This person was none other than Jason Stanson. He had placed a magical mark on Salin, and when Salin didn't return, Jason knew something was wrong. Following the magical mark's guidance, he arrived in Silan City.
The magical mark could guide the wizard, even if Salin was locked underground, which didn't stop Jason. He raised his hand, a fireball shot out, blasting open the city guard post's gate, and he strode in.
"Who..." one of the guards managed to utter before Jason seized his collar and lifted him up. The body of a level five wizard was exceptionally strong; even an ordinary swordsman would struggle against it.
"Where's the child you captured today? Take me there," Jason's voice was cold, devoid of the kindness he showed Salin.
"What child?" The guard stuttered.
Jason pulled the guard's face close, staring into his eyes. "Take me to where the prisoners are held and gather all your men."
The guard's soul seemed to leave his body; he saw a demon in the middle-aged man's eyes, its tongue wrapping around his neck from the black hole-like eyes, making it hard to breathe. His legs went weak, foam spewed from his mouth, and he collapsed on the ground. Jason frowned; his intimidation was a bit too much. This guard was at most a novice swordsman and couldn't withstand it.
Following the guidance of the magical mark, Jason found his way to the dungeon, casting an illumination spell. The dungeon lit up, and Salin saw Jason suddenly appear. He tightly grasped the iron bars, unable to speak. His throat was almost completely hoarse.
With Jason's intervention, guards had already blocked the exit of the dungeon. One guard shouted, "Daring criminals, how dare you jailbreak! Drop your weapons!"
Before he could say more, another observant guard pointed at the glowing dungeon and stuttered, "Looks like looks like..."
"Magic? Don't joke!"
"It's real, look!"
Ignoring the guards, Jason single-handedly pulled the lock, and it opened by itself. Salin pushed open the iron gate and almost threw himself into Jason's arms. His lips moved a few times, but the sound he made was barely audible even to himself.
"Who arrested my student?" Jason asked expressionlessly.
The guards looked at each other, not daring to answer. Some cursed inwardly, blaming the trouble on that damned fool. Arresting a wizard's student? Were they tired of living?
"If no one knows..." Jason didn't say more, extending his hand, a fireball already floating quietly in his palm. The Fireball spell was only a level one magic, but to hold back from casting it required the strength of a level four wizard at least. But for these ordinary soldiers, they couldn't afford to provoke any level of wizard.
"M-master, please don't be angry, I'll go find out right away," a clever guard dashed out.
With a stern expression, Jason pulled Salin along and left the dungeon, heading straight for the main hall of the city guard post, where he sat down.