Chess Mage of Faerûn

Chapter 7: A Feast for the Senses! Prices! A Mage Apprentice!

"Hardware is no small amount of money. Are you really going to treat us?" the artist muttered, his spirits dampened by poverty.

"No problem, it's just the price of a silver scale breastplate."

"What quality is that breastplate? Even the armor is only worth 5 or 6 gold. Hey, slow down, wait for me!" Wiles, who had also been starving all day, quickly packed his belongings and jogged after him.

Zhang Yuan walked slowly and stopped before arriving at the bakery he had visited earlier. He said to the woman frying meat patties, "Three meat-filled buns, please." "Yes, sir."

"Wait, let's have four, I'll have two too." Wiles added to his order without hesitation.

The painter must have been starving; he was already drooling with impatience.

"Okay, then four meat-filled buns it is." Zhang Yuan took the four buns and handed over a gold coin.

The somewhat surprised woman took the gold coin, examined it carefully for a while, put it into her money bag, and then took out a handful of coins to count them carefully.

"Here are your nine silver coins and two copper coins. Please keep them safe." As he took the change, Zhang Yuan also gained a general understanding of the prices in Sword Bay and the purchasing power of gold coins.

Zhang Yuan didn't let Wiles leave after leaving the bakery. Since they were in an unfamiliar place, having someone as a guide was always a good thing, especially since the guide fee had already been paid.
Feeling perfectly justified, he pulled Wiles aside and asked him about the general situation of Baldur's Gate.

The inquiry process was not very smooth. It wasn't that Wiles intentionally concealed anything, but rather that he was too busy dealing with the bread in his hand to have any extra time to act as a free tour guide for a stranger.

Seeing this, Zhang Yuan simply started to enjoy the otherworldly fast food he had just bought. The freshly baked bread had a crispy crust but a very fluffy texture, and the fried meat patty inside was golden brown. The tempting aroma of meat mixed with the steam wafted into his nose, whetting his appetite.

Paired with fresh, crisp green leafy vegetables and a tangy, salty yogurt sauce, Zhang Yuan, after taking a bite, lost all desire to speak.

After devouring two loaves of bread in a flash, his throat was a little dry, so he suggested going to a tavern for a drink. "Are there any decent hotels or taverns nearby that are reasonably priced?"

Wiles perked up at the mention of wine and replied, "I know this place well. Just a short walk north are the three old wine barrels, right across from my uncle's mage tower."

So the two continued on their way, and before they had gone far, they saw a building that looked like a multi-tiered pagoda from ancient China.

“That’s Ramasis’s Mage Tower. It’s the most conspicuous building in the whole city,” Wiles said, pointing to the tower and turning to Zhang Yuan who was following him.

"How magnificent! I wonder if I'll ever have the chance to visit it."

"Don't even think about it. I've only been inside that tower twice. If you went in, you'd probably be sent in as experimental material," Wiles said irritably.

Zhang Yuanquan chuckled as if it were just a casual remark, then looked around at the surrounding cityscape.

Before long, the two arrived in front of a three-story house. Seeing the three enormous wine barrels, each as tall as a person, placed at the entrance, Zhang Yuan knew without explanation that they had arrived at their destination.

As he followed Wiles into the doorway, a wave of heat, carrying a "fragrant" aroma, hit his face. The stench of alcohol mixed with sweat, foot odor, vomit, and other pleasant smells immediately made Zhang Yuan's expression change. He forced himself to suppress his nausea, put the mask he had taken off earlier back on, and went to the bar.

Wiles slammed his hand on the table without hesitation, "Two glasses of Simon Ruby!"

The bartender clearly recognized Wiles and said with some surprise, "You were kissed by Wojnarowski today? Are you sure you want Ruby?"

Sensing something was wrong, Zhang Yuan quickly stopped him: "Give us two glasses of your best-selling liquor. It's my treat to this bastard today."

The bartender, having figured out what was going on, didn't seem to mind and said with a smile, "I recommend our Dragon Brand beer. It's brewed with fresh malt, refreshing, and not expensive." At the same time, he patted the wooden sign hanging next to the bar.

Zhang Yuan looked closely and saw that it was a price list for alcoholic beverages. Dragon Brand Beer was two copper coins a glass, the cheapest Shadow Ale was only one copper coin, and the price of Simon Ruby was a whopping eight copper coins!
"Two glasses of Dragon Beer, please!" the bartender replied, his eyes fixed on Wiles. Wiles, feeling a little embarrassed, awkwardly said, "Sorry, I just wanted to try it; it's been a long time since I've had one."

Zhang Yuan didn't press the matter. He picked up two glasses of beer, found a secluded corner to sit down, and slid one glass across the table to Wiles, saying, "Yours."

Watching Wiles take the beer and gulp it down, Zhang Yuan, who was studying at Hans's house, also eagerly began to taste the beer of this world.

The initial taste of Dragon Brand beer is not as heavy and bitter as dark beer, nor does it have the dense foam of wheat beer, but it has a fresh taste with the aroma of charcoal smoking.

While drinking, Zhang Yuan continued the previous topic, chatting with Wiles about local customs and culture while thinking about how to ask him about mages and magical items.

After ordering two more beers from the bartender, and when Wiles' face was already flushed from drinking, Zhang Yuan casually asked, "Your uncle is already a great mage, haven't you ever thought about becoming a mage apprentice?"

Wiles slumped back in his chair, his words already somewhat incoherent: "How could I not have thought of that? But after trying for so long, I still couldn't sense the magic network. La, Lamassis, that old guy, kicked me out."

"I wouldn't even want to be an apprentice to an old man like you!" Wiles, intoxicated, became agitated. "You, you don't understand, being that old geezer's apprentice is no different from being a slave... hiccup... it's practically the same thing. If only I had tried working for old Delin, I might have... I might have..."

After saying that, Wiles lunged forward and collapsed onto the table, motionless. Looking at Wiles, who was now spouting incomprehensible nonsense, Zhang Yuan was also a bit overwhelmed; he still hadn't managed to extract the information he most wanted.

Where exactly could he find formal spellcaster training? With this question in mind, he dragged the limp Wiles toward the bartender, booked the cheapest room, and then took the wooden sign to the room he had reserved.

Once inside the room, Zhang Yuan simply threw Wiles onto the floor and covered him with a blanket, which was more than enough.

Damn, I never thought that on my first night in this other world, I wouldn't have a beautiful woman to keep me company, but I'd also have to spend the night with this drunkard.

After getting hot water from the cook to wash his face and feet, Zhang Yuan lay on the wooden bed, tossing and turning, unable to fall asleep.

The thrill of arriving in another world, the fear of being in unfamiliar territory, and the uncertainty about the future—all these emotions overwhelmed my mind.

(End of this chapter)