Annan, the half-tauren slave, appeared in this world like a blank sheet of paper.
The miserable life in the first three days was stained with mud-like gray-brown, and then covered with many warm colors by Aunt Susan's family and the Dawn Tavern. But there is no doubt that the bard's story was stained with even more vibrant and brighter colors.
Perhaps, in the foreseeable future, this piece of white paper will become a colorful black due to the overlapping of colors. But at least for now, Annan still holds a beautiful fantasy about the extraordinary power of this world.
A wizard wields a staff to cast spells and summon elemental creatures. A warlock explores bloodlines to use various mysterious powers. Wields a great sword and a giant shield, fights bloody battles, and becomes a warrior with the strongest spear or the hardest shield. Holding a longbow and a dagger, dances among enemies like an elf dancer. It is also a good idea to hide in the shadows like an assassin.
The druids who protect the forest, the coveted succubus, the barbarians with muscle heads, the undead with scary looks but kind hearts, and the auxiliary professionals who cannot master extraordinary powers but are the best companions in the bard's stories.
But apart from the magic he saw that night, Annan had never seen any other supernatural powers.
The next day, Annan and Martin came to the market in the afternoon carrying firewood. He wandered the streets as usual, like a cat familiar with its territory, expanding its territory day by day.
Annan could chat with everyone, and when he saw a vendor, he would always stop and say a few words like "How are you? I'm fine," or "How much is this item?" but he never bought anything.
The locals at the market gradually became familiar with this black-haired boy with a strange accent whom they had never seen before.
As Annan expanded his territory, he soon arrived at a deep part of the market he had never been to before, where animals such as cattle and sheep were sold... including slaves.
In the cage stained with blood and rust was a huddled, sturdy figure, with two horns growing from the top of his head, one of which was already broken.
Perhaps Annan was too close to observe, so the man in dirty leather armor beside the cage warned him, "Hey, stay away. I might get hurt."
"Is he a minotaur?"
"Minotaur? It's just a bastard." The man raised his iron sword and hit the cage, making a harsh noise.
The half-minotaur raised his head, and Annan's horizontal pupils reflected only tranquility: "You don't look like a local."
"Um… yes."
Annan was not surprised that it could actually speak. The bard's story had raised his threshold of acceptance. However, this half-minotaur, who was similar to a human but very different from him, closed his eyes and ignored the outside world.
Annan stood aside, and soon someone became interested in the half-tauren slave.
"50 silver coins," the man in leather armor offered.
"It's too expensive. It's not a minotaur."
"You want 50 silver coins for the real minotaur?"
"I'm only willing to pay 30 silver coins."
"Then I might as well sell it to the haunted gold mine."
The inquiry ended in a bad mood. Some people came to ask the price one after another, but no one bought it.
Annan could only listen, his entire fortune consisting of only two silver coins.
"I can't help you..."
Annan looked at the life trapped in the cage and whispered, then turned and left. The closed eyes opened at this moment, looking at his receding back.
Back at the outskirts of the market, Martin had just sold the firewood, and Annan walked over to him and asked, "How much did you sell it for?"
"20 copper coins."
This was the minimum price Aunt Susan asked to sell at, and Martin always sold at this price.
So Martin had been selling very quickly.
On the way back, he needed to buy 5 pounds of black bread. Annan volunteered and bought 5.5 pounds of black bread from a bakery near the Dawn Tavern with 15 copper coins. He used charm and words to get an extra half pound. Then he returned to Aunt Susan's house holding the paper bag.
…
"Gold mine? Little Annan can't even lift a pickaxe."
There was a faint sound of an argument coming from the yard. Before Annan could hear it clearly, he saw an iron pick leaning against the wall. He picked it up and pushed open the gate. "Aunt Susan, is this iron pick ours?"
"I brought it back. Please put it on the firewood pile for me." Aunt Susan's expression changed quickly and she said gently.
"Good."
Then he continued to argue with Uncle Huo Lin: "Little Annan is so thin and weak, how can he swing the pickaxe?"
Duo——
Annan knocked the pickaxe on the pile of wood.
"Aunt Susan, what are you talking about?"
Uncle Huo Lin told Annan with a wry smile that an old friend of his who had moved to Breeze City invited him to work as a miner in a gold mine outside Pinglin Town. The salary was generous, so he wanted to take Martin and Annan with him.
"How much is the salary?"
"30 copper coins per day."
It sounds like only 10 copper coins more than chopping wood every day, but Martin and Annan could get the same pay.
"Will Uncle Hollin and Martin go too?" Out of trust in Aunt Susan's family and a desire for money, Annan agreed, "I'll go too."
"Little Annan, working in a mine is not suitable for you. You should take a break and think about your future," Aunt Susan advised. This woman with a rough appearance unexpectedly has a delicate heart.
Annan believed that his future lay in becoming a magician. To become a magician, he needed to test his qualifications. To test his qualifications, he needed to have a gold nar. To have a gold nar, he needed to make money...
As for asking Aunt Susan... Annan knew that Aunt Susan's family didn't have much money.
Well, 30 copper coins a day is not much. Annan convinced himself that he could sell the pajamas. Rather than leaving it to gather dust or collecting it, it would be more beneficial to use this modern-crafted clothing to attract the interest of those nobles or magicians.
The prerequisite is that he could communicate normally and not be fooled by a few incomprehensible words.
Aunt Susan convinced Annan, and Uncle Hollin survived.
The next morning, Uncle Hollin and Martin finished the leftover food from the night before and set out for the haunted gold mine outside the town with their pickaxes.
They set out happily and returned dejected in the evening.
"What's going on...Martin!" Aunt Susan's angry shout silenced the barking of dogs in the distance.
"Uncle Holin's foot was accidentally hit by ore," Martin said as he supported Uncle Holin.
Although the injury was not serious and he would recover after a few days of rest, there would be one less person to do the job.
"I'll go for Uncle Huo Lin." Annan, who had been tossing and turning last night, said hurriedly, and explained to the anxious Aunt Susan: "I've made up my mind, Aunt Susan, I need money now..."
Aunt Susan, who doted on Annan, couldn't refuse, but Uncle Hollin and Martin were unlucky. At dinner time, they were uneasy under Aunt Susan's coercion, and only Annan was eating black bread and broth quietly, as if it had nothing to do with him.
At night, Annan and Martin lay on separate beds.
Annan asked about the situation in Martin's gold mine. It had been a long time since the quarrel between Aunt Susan and Uncle Hollin from next door was heard.
Thump—
There was a dull thump of something heavy falling in the yard, followed by silence.
"What's that noise?"
Annan thought there was a thief, and Martin scratched his butt as usual: "Aunt Susan is throwing away clothes."
"Why do clothes make so much noise?"
"Uncle Hollin is in the clothes too."