Chapter 16: Apprenticeship
"It's been a long time since I've seen a night sky like this!" Phoebe held a wine bottle and looked up at the starry sky, leaning half-leaning on the pillar, occasionally pouring into the mouth of the bottle.
The people of Bourbour-Harrow have not seen a pure sky since the snowstorm, and the gray clouds have become a lingering shadow in their hearts. Even now that it's over, the shadow is like a beast hiding in the shadows, and it doesn't know when it will jump out and bring fear again.
"Hiccup! Looks like I still have a lot to do! With a hiccup, Captain Phoebe blushed and withdrew his gaze from the stars.
In the palace, the lights were bright, due to the reduction of servants, many commoners also came to help in the preparation of the banquet, and the once cold hall was once again filled with laughter, and everyone's eyes revealed hope for the future.
"Captain! The feast is about to begin! It's time to go back. "One of the guards ran to the entrance of the palace hall to greet Phoebe, who had injured an arm in the battle with the pirates today, and was bandaged and hung on his chest.
In a trance, Phoebe seems to have returned to the prosperous time of the kingdom, when he would drink and enjoy the flowers under the stars and lights at night before each banquet, but he was already drunk at the beginning of the banquet, and was always ridiculed by the old king and his brothers.
"Haha! Captain, you really haven't changed at all. ”
The laughter of the team pulls Phoebe back to reality, tears flashing in the corners of her eyes, and Captain Phoebe smiles heartily: "Haha! It hasn't gotten better! Let's go back to drinking! ”
Holding the shoulders of the team members, the two returned to the banquet together.
The traces of the battle damage in the main hall have been repaired, and even the roof that is close to collapse has been temporarily blocked with some material, and a lamp hangs on the pillar, illuminating the dark night.
The empty hall was filled with tables at this time, sumptuous dishes were presented by the service staff, several guards who knew a little about music sang and danced happily in the open space in the middle, and the musicians who had not played for a long time brought out their favorite musical instruments to accompaniment, and the atmosphere of the banquet was intoxicating.
At the top of the hall, the little king and Hareda sat at a round table, with two empty seats beside them.
"Phoebe, you're too slow!" The little king, who glanced left and right, saw Phoebe walking slowly with a wine bottle and complained, "What a bad habit it is every time you are so slow." ”
Unstabbing the sword from his waist and setting it aside, Phoebe slumped into her chair, he was always the most relaxed one at a banquet.
With her eyelids drooping, Phoebe saw the empty seat: "Your Majesty, where has Mr. Lei gone?" ”
The little king ignored the rude Phoebe with the eyes of a dead fish, and continued his wait, while the equally drunken Hareda answered his question, "Thunder, hiccup!" He said that when he perceived, he found a pirate ship moored on the other side of the island, and there were still a few trash fish left on it, and then he went out to clean it up, and he hasn't come back yet! ”
After taking a sip of wine, Phoebe burped again: "Hiccup! Really, how will the banquet be held if he doesn't come back? ”
The little king turned his head speechlessly when he heard the conversation between the two and rolled his eyes, "You also know that the banquet has not officially started yet!" Looking at the way you two looked, I didn't know it and thought it was over! ”
Suddenly, the door of the main hall was opened a little crack, and the cold wind was slow, and Thunder came in through the door.
"Yo! It's so lively! Gaping his mouth wide open, Ray made a pompous look of surprise.
The lively hall cooled down at the last moment, and everyone turned their heads to look at Lei's figure, and Lei's strong psychological quality was also a little dazed.
"Uh..., what's wrong?" Ray was a little confused, he just went out for a trip, why was it so weird when he suddenly came back.
"Our hero is back! The party begins! I don't know who shouted, and the atmosphere was like a powder keg that had been ignited, and it exploded in an instant.
Cheers, music, and clinking glasses rang out at the same time, and the world of the palace changed from silence to noise.
"Mr. Lei, you're finally back! Has everything been settled? The little king greeted Thunder, who was sitting in front of him, and his face turned red.
"Goo-dong!" "Hmmm! Then there's nothing to do, and I can finish the task and say goodbye. Ray took a sip of the juice on the table, moistening his thirsty throat.
Hearing Thunder's words, the little king's face suddenly turned white, and he stumbled and said, "You, are you leaving?" But we're not back to normal here! Why don't you stay a few more days? ”
Scratching his cheek with his index finger, Lei looked at the little king's face and hesitated but refused: "The rest of the things can be done by Grandpa Hara, they are more experienced in dealing with this kind of incident than me, and I have to hurry back to hand over the task." ”
When Harada heard his name called, he immediately patted his chest and promised: "Don't worry, we have dealt with this kind of thing a lot, and we will be able to help you adjust the climate soon." ”
"Then, can I worship Mr. Ray as your teacher?" The little king asked with a twist on the corner of his clothes, and at the same time lowered his head and did not dare to look at Lei's expression, for fear that Lei would refuse him.
Sticking his head forward, Ray looked at the little king strangely and asked, "Why do you want to worship me as a teacher?" I can......" Lei Gang wanted to say that he had no experience in teaching students, but suddenly remembered that he had taught Smoker the use of his abilities and changed his words: "I don't have time to teach you here!" ”
Hearing that Lei did not immediately reject himself, the little king's eyes lit up, and he looked up into Lei's eyes: "Because I want to become as smart and powerful as you, Mr. Lei, and Marin Fando is not far from here, I can go to you to learn when I have time." ”
Feeling the expectation and sincerity in the little king's eyes, Lei nodded with a headache: "Okay! First of all, I don't have time! Don't blame me then. ”
Phoebe, who drank with a big tongue, didn't know that the little king had been worshipping Lei as a teacher in the time he had broken, and if he knew, he would definitely ......, uh, he still couldn't stop it.
But after all, the re-establishment of the country requires a lot of energy and time from the little king, and even if Ray agrees to this matter, the little king will not have time to go to him for a few years to learn.
With Ray's consent, the little king seemed very happy, he only admired Ray, the navy who saved his kingdom, although he didn't drink, but he was dizzy as if he was drunk, plus Phoebe and Harda, who had been drunk on the side, only Ray was left with a sober person left at the table.
"It's really not worrying." Gently holding his forehead, the corners of Lei's mouth turned up slightly.
The banquet lasted until late at night, and with the joy of the rebirth of the country and its destiny, almost everyone fell asleep on the table.
Outside the window, the moon still shines on the silvery white earth.