Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 53 Nancy
When Zhang Yuan pushed open the door, he saw a woman with slightly disheveled hair using a wooden washing mallet to pound the clothes being rinsed, occasionally turning the clothes over or scrubbing them.

The environment here was really not pleasant. The hot water used for soaking clothes kept steaming up white mist, which mixed with the dirty clothes and the smell of soap powder. It went straight into someone's nose, making him cough.

"Hello, madam, does Ms. Nancy reside here?"

The woman raised her head, and the wrinkles on her forehead became more pronounced as she looked up. Her skin was also somewhat rough due to the heat and the washings. Only her large, though dim, eyes and the contours of her features revealed her former beauty.

"I am Nancy. What do you want with old Nancy?"

Although he had a bad feeling, Zhang Yuan still couldn't quite believe it when the woman in front of him revealed her identity.

Even if ten years have passed, Nancy, who was still young back then, would be at most around forty years old today. But look at the person in front of you, her appearance has not diminished, but her spirit is like that of an old woman who is exhausted from hard work, and there are even a few strands of gray hair in her hair.

Looking at the other person, Zhang Yuan was unsure how to begin explaining his purpose to this former thorny rose.

"Sir, if you have nothing else to do, could you please not keep Nancy from getting back to work?"

Seeing the uninvited guest standing there speechless, Nancy began to ask him to leave.

Knowing he had to speak up, the man asked, "Excuse me, were you Lady Hidalgo's maid back then?"

Just as the other party's expression changed drastically, he quickly continued, "I am a member of the Flame Fist, and I want to find the whereabouts of that child from back then for the Grand Duke."

Nancy across from him had already stood up, her once large eyes now narrowed into slits: "Which child are you talking about? Where did you learn about these things?"

"You don't need to know that, I just need your help." Zhang Yuan felt it was best not to involve Ska unless necessary.

“Oh, okay, come here, I’ll tell you.” Nancy’s words were deliberate and almost clenched, and she gripped the washing pestle tightly in her hand.

Feeling a bit uneasy, Zhang Yuan really didn't want to go to Nancy's side. He had a feeling that the other side wouldn't treat him well, but he couldn't avoid it. The only way to break the deadlock was through the woman in front of him.

"Calm down first. I'm here to help you make up for the regrets of the past. I mean you no harm." As he spoke, he cautiously and slowly approached the other person.

With three meters between them, under Zhang Yuan's wary gaze, the other person suddenly twisted their ankle, leaned forward, and stomped their left leg, covering the three-meter distance in one step, closing the distance in the blink of an eye.

Having already prepared, Zhang Yuan quickly sidestepped the opponent's attack, and without drawing his sword, swung his right fist at the opponent's right shoulder holding the stick.

Unexpectedly, as Zhang Yuan turned to the side, Nancy bent her body to avoid the incoming fist, turned around and swept her leg, tripping Zhang Yuan to the ground.

Charging, dodging, and tripping—the entire movement was executed in one smooth motion, as if it were not improvised but rehearsed beforehand.

Zhang Yuan, who was throwing a punch to the side, was put to the ground before he could adjust his posture. Just as he was about to struggle to get up, a wooden stick was pressed against his throat.

After using the washing mallet to restrain her opponent, Nancy reached out with her left hand and drew Zhang Yuan's longsword, placing it against his neck as well.

"Now, perhaps you can tell me how you know about what happened back then."

Having already given up, Zhang Yuan could only smile wryly. He truly hadn't expected his opponent to still possess such fighting power even in this state. Circumstances forced him to act against his will, and at this point, he had no choice but to reveal his entire plan:
"Captain Ska told me about this. I have found a powerful divination mage. As long as we have enough clues, we will definitely be able to find the whereabouts of the Grand Duke's child."

“Ska? I’ve heard of him over the years, so it’s not surprising that he knows about this.” Nancy’s expression softened slightly as she sheathed her weapon and held it in her hand.

"You, a mere newbie? A so-called master of prophecy? Your boasts are hardly credible." Her tone no longer held excitement or anger, only a hint of disappointment.

"Cough," Zhang Yuanqing cleared his throat, who had just had the washing pestle pressed against his throat, and took two deep breaths: "You want evidence? I really can't produce any. If I did, I would have gone directly to Grand Duke Iltan."

"But don't you want to try? All these years, have you been punishing yourself by treating yourself like a laundry maid? What good will it do if you work yourself to death? Will that child come back if you die?"

“How do you know if I haven’t tried it or not, kid? Don’t be so arrogant.” Nancy tightened her grip on her weapon. “Back when I was following the Grand Duke, Ska was just a greenhorn. What are you?”

"It's okay if you don't trust me. You can come with me to find the seer. Whatever we can do, whatever the outcome, is better than giving up hope and hiding here deceiving ourselves." The person persisted, trying to persuade him.

“With your mouth, even a wandering poet outside could talk better than you. Save your breath.” Nancy sneered, “What bullshit about hard work and hope? You’ve never experienced it firsthand, never paid the price for it, yet you dare to come and lecture me? Grab your sword and get out of here now.”

Having been thoroughly humiliated, the person had no choice but to slink away, inwardly cursing themselves and some anime/manga authors a torrent of abuse:

"This is totally wrong. The script is definitely not like this. Shouldn't I be the one to provoke them, make them angry and hysterical, and then be moved by me and help them with all their might? How did it turn out like this?"

"Which bastard is saying that talk can save the world? Step forward, or I'll beat you to a pulp."

Having truly run out of options, Zhang Yuan had no choice but to return to his camp and explain the situation to Ska. Unexpectedly, Ska laughed:

“I had heard of her reputation before. The name ‘Thorn Rose’ doesn’t just refer to her beauty. Her temperament, personality, and swordsmanship are all just as good as her looks. I was going to make you wait while I went to talk to her, but you insisted on rushing over there and making a fool of yourself.”

So angry that he rolled his eyes, he didn't want to say a word. He left the camp and went to visit Andrei.

As Zhang Yuan walked along the road, he pondered Ska's chances of success while familiarizing himself with the area and finding Andrei.

“Ska didn’t know much either. He only knew that the child was nine years old at the time, a boy, and that his mother, the Grand Duchess, was named Elizabeta Hidalgo, and that he had a maid named Nancy.” Zhang Yuan poured out all the little information he had.

"That's it? Are you kidding me? It would be strange if I could find anyone here." Andrei said, indicating that he had no idea where to start.

"I'm out of options. Could you please try something, even just a small piece of information?"

"Alright, I don't have any customers today anyway, so I'll put this on your tab, Cheng Yi Jin."

As he spoke, Andrei took out a bunch of bottles and jars and began to mix them. Zhang Yuan, watching this scene that resembled a witch brewing poison, was very curious: "What are you doing? Weren't you going to use divination? Why are you doing alchemy? What kind of potion are you making?"

"You ignorant fool, am I mixing potions? Don't you even have basic common sense? I'm preparing spellcasting materials." Seizing the opportunity, Andrei mocked the pseudo-scientist mage mercilessly.

(End of this chapter)