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Okles hates not carrying weapons in strange places, but he thinks it's too early to start violating local customs. He put his sword and shield in the doorway, out of sight. Then, with great interest, he watched as the boys followed his example, unfastening their slings and placing them next to the other cargo.

"I'm guessing you want to eat." Agunn said.

"I guess you do that a lot here. The boys eat like sacks with holes. ”

"Once everybody comes back from the field, the beer is passed freely around the field and you can take a big sip. All travelers have guests – until we think you're grinding and kicking you out. If you want more than what we pass on, the woman in the ring can be exchanged. Do you need anything else?"

"Thank you for taking care of you, Master Argern. I don't have anything else on my head. The boys looked at the center of town with obvious curiosity. Maybe they want to play with other children. "Oh, there's one thing. Are there hot springs or baths nearby? Please tell me there is, and it's warm. ”

Agner replied, "It so happens that there is, and that's good because you smell like a guy pulling a cart for a week." A short walk west is a hot shower. You go out through the north gate and go around the walls and you'll find the way. Men go through the red door, women go through the green door. Don't mess it up. ”

"If your woman sees me naked, I don't have to pull the cart. They all want to go with me, and they can do it. Antaxus said mischievously.

Aguna smiled and replied, "Our women are very good at hiding knives, strangers. You have to be careful about what you want to put in it. By the way, if you want to find a prostitute, it is illegal here. It is illegal to expose the baby, and the illegitimate child will be eaten. If you need a backup, you're out of luck, so plan for it. ”

Andrx was almost humiliated. Even a military man would make such a joke, but a woman would make such a joke in public? To hell with dignity, he couldn't help but laugh wildly, and he laughed loudly and long. When he regained his breath, he said, "I'll follow the rules."

She nodded twice, and without saying a word, she walked towards the city center. What a strange person.

As soon as she was gone, Andex said, "Hey, kids, are you hungry?" Or shall we go take a shower first?"

"I'm hungry," Pepper said.

"Me too," added Flor, and they went to find supper.

The peasants returned from their fields, and the center of the village came alive. Androcles guessed that the whole village was more or less like the farms of the nobles of the Glorious Age—everyone worked, everything was shared, and then some nobleman came and took all that was left and became richer. Older women and young girls are selling baskets of herbs and autumn flowers, and a few men are selling rows of woolen clothes. There was no blacksmith here, Androx noted curiously. There must be one somewhere, though. Perhaps he sold the goods from the blacksmith's shop instead of putting them out at night.

By listening to their conversation, Androx learns that they are indeed trading, only not coins or commodities, but something called a "share". That's probably what Aguna meant when she asked the guard Komon to count her vegetables.

Komon himself was standing near the altar in the center of the venue, making it hard to miss. He was busy using a roll of brown paper he had used before to record the trading of stocks. He looked overworked but friendly to the people in line. Androx decided to wait until he seemed less busy and ask him why he didn't use coins.

Suddenly, Hana screamed and grabbed Anjax's robe. A

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Okles turned around and glared at the sight of two old women reaching for flowers' ears. "What are you doing?" He asked blandly.

"Oh? For good luck," one person replied.

"What do you mean?"

"A white animal represents good luck," another said. "If you touch them, you'll have good luck."

"He's not an animal. Orcs belong to the human family. He's mine. If you want to touch him, ask for his permission first. Andrx said he didn't know how harsh he would dare to behave in this situation. One should not disrespect the elderly. However, the jerseys are still his, and if he is going to ignore his property, it will be damned.

One of the old women snorted and walked away. The other smiled half-heartedly and asked in a condescending tone, "May I touch your slave's ear and pray for good luck?"

"Not me. Ask him. ”

"Boy? She asked, reaching out to touch his ear.

Hana nodded shyly, then leaned her head against her. She stroked one of his ears lightly, then nodded contentedly and quietly walked away. Several others also mustered up courage under her example, and soon a small line of enthusiastic villagers formed who chatted happily with each other and waited for their turn. Andlox tried not to appear impatient, but he was both grateful and confused at the same time as they lined up instead of grabbing that toolbox together. Pepper was next to her, nervous and protective of her, holding Flower's hand and glaring at others. Flor, however, endured this unpleasant attention with an air that bordered on nobility.

When dozens of villagers had secured their good fortune, they dispersed. Soon after, everyone began to pass food baskets and take what they wanted. Andlocks can't say exactly if this is counted or if the food is free, but he thinks it's free. When the basket came to him, he took out some pickles, bread and cheese to share with the children, and no one stopped him. Noticing that Flauer tried not to attract attention, hiding more or less behind him at every opportunity, he took the children away from the crowd and sat down to eat quietly.

As Agnn said, it didn't take long for a barrel of a drink to arrive. He laughed from ear to ear when he found out that it was the real beer and not the horrible watery cider he had drunk at the hotel a few days earlier. It's viscous, foamy, golden, and delicious. Also strong, very strong. He only took a few sips before he could feel the touch of the god of wine. The nobles of the Legion of Honor often looked down on beer as a barbarian drink, but everyone who served in the army knew better: the Legion of Honor did not have all the best things in the world. Most of them are.

"Flower" and "Little Pepper" weren't sure how they felt about the beer, and they didn't drink much either. Still, they devoured every bit of food Androl had ever eaten, and sat there looking hungry. He sighed, got up, and took more back, and they ate greedily too. At this rate, they could be back to normal in a week at most.

When the villagers start making musical instruments and tuning them, the children's ears are as excited as cats hear birds. They both stood up, as close as they could, so they could see clearly, but not too far away from Anchors so as not to appear disobedient. Using one of the most useful skills he had learned in the army, he drank a jug of beer in one gulp, sighed contentedly, then stood up and said, "Let's go and listen, shall we?"

Their music is on an unfamiliar scale that sounds strange, but the drums maintain an uplifting rhythm and the bagpipes play beautiful harmonies. Their stringed instruments look a lot like the lyre, but they are louder and have only five strings instead of nine. The music continued to play, and men and women gathered behind the altar, holding hands, standing patiently. The crowd began to crowd him and pushed him out. A

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Okles' height allowed him to see above all of them, but the boys couldn't, so he carried them on his shoulders instead of letting them squeeze in front.

Androx couldn't hear the music in any form, but suddenly it stopped. Then, after barely a respite, the choir, drums, and instruments regrouped in a roar. Even when compared to the drama in Glory, it is quite impressive. They seem to be singing several songs at the same time, which makes it difficult to distinguish the lyrics, but it seems to be a hymn dedicated to the gods, or perhaps their only goddess. The song kept on and on, and he began to wonder if they were improvising, but suddenly, the music seemed to calm down, playing the last note clearly, and then falling silent again. All those who did not join the choir began to applaud, and the boys were no exception. Flower, in particular, slapped so hard that he lost his balance and almost fell off Anchors' shoulder. A sharp pinch under the ribs gave it enough encouragement to calm it down.

After walking for a while, the choir began another much slower-paced song that tells the story of a couple of lovers who died in the war. They sang a third song, which seemed to be about a marriage proposal to God, but it was hard to tell what the song was because people kept clapping when they heard the rude jokes. After singing the fourth song about the hero that Androcles had never heard of, the choir and accompanist parted and dispersed in the crowd. However, the music doesn't stop; Instead, singers and musicians tried to isolate themselves so as not to drown out the others, and everyone began to play what they wanted.

Hua gently patted An Keluo's head, pointed to a group of children singing in unison and asked, "Young Master An Keluo, can we go over?" Please?"

In most Dikaia

At the festival, the children's chorus always bored him, but beer was in the process of making him happy, so he chose to indulge the boy.

"Let's go see them!" Why not? He said it was a little louder than he thought.

The children of the village were distraught by his approach, and their songs fell apart. The tallest man they had ever seen, muscular, scarred, dressed in brighter clothes than anyone else, holding two Skythas

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Kits – This will definitely distract them.

He sat down, and Flowers and Pepper jumped down and looked at the children with an eager look on their faces. An older girl, about ten to thirteen years old, with a long brown braid on her back, led the small choir. She said in an authoritative tone, "Let's do it again!" She clapped her hands loudly twice. The children began to sing again under her guidance. It sounds a bit like part of the first song sung by an adult choir, but it's hard to tell. The lyrics are simple,

Mary, the mother, channeled the storms, planted crops, and tamed animals. The most merciful goddess, praise her name!

Flower drew closer and closer to them, as if he hadn't heard enough. When the song ends, he is almost close enough to reach out and touch the older girl. She turned to him and said, "Do you want to try singing with us?"

He nodded, bowed his head shyly to keep him from grinning, and walked over to stand next to a long-haired boy. Andrux noticed that Flower was blushing, but he didn't know if it was because he was too happy, or too nervous, or both. Even without considering the flower's cat ears and tail, its bright red and yellow clothes, white hair, and yellow eyes look incongruous. The boy does look a lot like a flower; It's hard not to laugh. The adults around him pointed and chatted with each other, and from time to time they secretly looked at Androx with curious eyes, but no one came to talk to him.

The girl gestured, and the children began to sing again. The flowers articulated perfectly with them, not missing a beat, not making a single note wrong. Andex wasn't even sure if he could hear him, because the device's voice was so well mixed. After eating, the girl said in a condescending tone peculiar to a child: "Wonderful! You did very well. ”

Xiaohua blushed and said, "Thank you."

She asked, "You know Skyha

D's song? Can you teach us?" I don't know any of them. ”

Hua thought for a moment, then said, "I know a song from 'Glory'. Can I sing this?"

"Of course. You're alone?"

"That's good. I'm used to it. ”

"Okay, let's go." Then she stepped back a little, signaling that he should start.

Flower looked at Androx, who nodded reassuringly. The boy then sang:

To be alive is to shine; Don't suffer. Life is short, and time comes at a price. Dance to your heart's content, sing to your heart's content, drink to your heart's content, and eat to your heart's content, because death will come one day.

Andrew had never heard anything like it in his life. The boy's voice was sweeter than the greatest choir he had ever heard. He sings high-pitched, evenly, and clearly, a bit like a woman. His voice is pure, innocent, and absolutely charming. Androx's jaw dropped, and he didn't even care who saw it.

When the song ended, Flower fell silent, and the crowd did not applaud for a few seconds; It was enough time for the poor boy to begin to look unusually uneasy. Then, as if realizing where they were, all who could hear it began to applaud enthusiastically, and some even whistled. Flower just put his hands behind his back and played with his toes in the dirt, looking at the crowd out of the corner of his eye with a relieved smile on his face. He didn't seem to know how to respond to their concerns. The boy sang like a muse, and later became docile and humble. Unbelievable.

Now, Andlox has one more reason to justify his rescue kit. Another reason is that when he finally finds a place for them, it will be painful to give them up.

O gods, he felt that he needed a saint or priest to see if the boy had been touched by a god or a muse. That's almost supernatural.

He turned to Pepper and asked, "Can you sing like that, too?" Is that a thunderbolt thing?"

The toolbox replied, "No, Mr. Andrx. I can't sing at all. My dad used to say I sounded like a frog, but he was joking, not mean. ”

Despite Flower's shy attitude, the audience clapped incessantly, shouting for a few more songs, and Little's demure smile turned into a proud grin. His self-esteem had risen noticeably by a few inches, and he stood up straight and proud, though he seemed a little surprised. He nodded a dozen times, trying to hint that he would sing again, and when the people finally understood what he meant, they fell silent.

He took a deep breath and wanted to start over, but somehow, his smile was gone. Tears welled up in his eyes, and he began to tremble, and Andax wondered if he was going to cry. Sure enough, it didn't take long for him to lose his composure. He sat on the ground, crossed his arms and cried softly. Androx quickly walked over and took his arm, and Pepper followed, leading them back to the unfinished cottage, where they parked their car. He gets a lot of curious glances, but no one stops him.

By the time they reached their destination, Flower had quieted down, sobbing, wiping his smooth, reddened cheeks with his sleeve over and over again. A

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Okles sat down, took the boy in his lap, and hugged him tightly. He realizes that beer has made him too amorous and too happy, but he doesn't care. Hua said, "I'm sorry, Master Andlox. I didn't mean to cry. I'm sorry," he said.

"It doesn't matter. Everybody can see that you're a kid and they're going to do something like that. What makes you cry?"

The kit thought for a moment, then replied, "I'm so happy because no one has ever liked anything I've done before." Dad used to laugh and throw little pebbles while I was singing. But this time everyone likes it, and so do you. Then as soon as I thought about it, I started crying and couldn't stop. He stared at the ground for a moment, looking ashamed, and then meekly asked, "Did I embarrass you?"

"What? No, the gods are above! I've never heard a song like this. It's one of the best things I've ever heard! Why should I be embarrassed by your singing?" A

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Okles knew what the boy meant, but he pretended not to know.

"No, I mean I cried, and you've got to save me again."

"Nobody cares about this. Everyone knows that it's hard for a skinny little thing like you to stand in front of everyone. I'm not embarrassed at all, and you shouldn't be embarrassed either. Next time you'll be stronger. ”

Hua thought for a moment, then said, "I will, Mr. Androx." Did you like this song? That's the song you sang once. ”

"Of course I do. You should sing more. ”

For a moment, Anchors continued to hold the little toolbox, and Pepper gently patted the flower on the head. Pepper looked like he wanted to help, but he wasn't sure what he was fit in. After a while, the dark-haired guy asked, "Can we go and practice the slingshot?" Then, looking at the flowers, "Do you want it?"

Flower nodded, and Anders agreed; It seems much better than letting them sit and wait. Flower unexpectedly kissed him on the cheek, like a son kissing his father. This makes Androx feel both charming and annoying, as he doesn't want them to be too close. Still, it's pretty good. Let him wish for the umpteenth time that he would have a son. Pepper followed Flower's hint and did so.

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Okles rubbed his hair and said, "Don't go far, just go out of the gate." If something happens, like these barbarians have caught you or something, scream as loud as you can. I think I'll grab another jug of beer and come back to you later. ”

The children hesitated, but he urged them to go forward, and they left hand in hand, eagerly picking up the stones as they went, as if there was nothing outside the gate, and glancing back at him every time they took the fourth step. He waved his hand and walked towards the center of the village. The beer was so strong that the path kept rocking from side to side, making him stagger.

He'd love to socialize and his kids will be fine. After all, the soldiers usually fought in the depths of the jar, so if they needed him to cut something, he was fine. It didn't take long for him to find another jar and empty it. Several onlookers watched in amazement as he drank everything up.