The Grand Duelist

Chapter 31: Ezreal, the Great Wandering Bard

The journey to the Capital City Reinhardt of the Kingdom of Nether wasn't easy. Joseph underwent several refusals from coachmen before he managed to take a ride from the Beginner Village to the Capital City of the Kingdom of Nether.

But why was this happening when Joseph had high amounts of Reputation Points?

Well, it was because of the Great Wandering Bard.

The Great Wandering Bard introduced himself as Ezreal which reminded Joseph about a particular game. Adding the former's liking of Victory's past mythology. He couldn't help but snicker every time he glanced at Ezreal inciting confusion from the latter.

But that wasn't the reason why they were getting refused.

One of the reasons why they were refused several times by several different coachmen was because of the clothes that Ezreal wore. He was currently wearing the clothes that he wore as the Great Wandering Bard and he thoroughly looked like a homeless hermit.

As for Joseph.

Even though he had a high Reputation. They still refused to offer their services to Joseph for they couldn't believe that someone as weak as him wanted to travel to the Capital City of Reinhardt.

Indeed, this was something strange.

Usually, new players only ventured to the Capital City when they were at Level 50+.

But Joseph was below Level 20. Clearly, the coachmen judged him as someone weak to the extent that he could be easily killed by a wild rabbit wandering the outskirts of the Capital City Reinhardt.

Ezreal was greatly angered by their attitude at Joseph was on the verge of exploding if not for Joseph's intervention saying that they were not worth it.

But their assumptions depressed Joseph who quietly vowed to himself: "I'll make sure to level myself up when I have the chance after this quest." Joseph opened his quest logs for several times already in the past hour. He once again browsed the contents of the quest that he received recently.

[The Grand Duelist's Vestige II(Class-Specific Quest)

Quest Difficulty: ???

You managed to convince the Great Wandering Bard about your identity but the rewards that should belong to you from the Great Wandering Bard were lost and given to others. You were indignant about this change.

You requested something else as a reward and received a piece of vital information for hastening your process of becoming the true Grand Duelist.

The Grand Duelist never blames his tools but there is a particular weapon that thoroughly suits the Grand Duelist.

Only by using that particular weapon, could you possibly show the world the true power of your Mythical Class.

You found out that the one who has the capability of creating the weapon that you desire, the one and only current Legendary Blacksmith within the world of Victory is currently imprisoned within the Underground Penitentiary For Heinous Crimes of the Kingdom of Nether.

Only a few knew about the Legendary Blacksmith's innocence and one of them is you...

Release the Legendary Blacksmith from his prison through any means within seven days, and you will acquire greater rewards than what you have lost from the previous quest!

Note: Once seven days have passed, the one and only current Legendary Blacksmith of Victory will be executed by the Kingdom, vassal to the empire. Once executed, the gods will mourn for a while and you will receive great penalties for not being capable enough of rescuing a legend!

Quest Clear Conditions: Rescue the Legendary Blacksmith, Krid from the Underground Penitentiary for Heinous Crimes within seven days after quest acceptance.

Quest Rewards: ???(Guaranteed)

Quest Failure: Your Divinity Stat will be temporarily locked.

You will be demoted back to Level One.

You will not be able to show the world the true power of the Grand Duelist for no one currently has the ability to make your personal weapon as the Grand Duelist.

Reputation Stat will be temporarily locked, your affinity towards Ezreal will decrease. ]

[This is a Class-Specific Quest and cannot be refused!]

[Quest is automatically accepted!]

"The recommendation letter that I have received is only for the position of a Jail Janitor... Just how can I accomplish this quest within seven days? Not only that, even though I'm a myth. I'm just a new player in the end. Just what are the expectations of those bastards from P.H Works from me?"

"A Legendary Blacksmith like him should be imprisoned at the deepest part of the Underground Penitentiary. How can a Janitor possibly approach such a place, let alone help him escape?"

Joseph felt depressed. Not only were his rewards from the almost impossible quest withheld. He was given another task that looked far more impossible than taking away 10% of the Great Wandering Bard's Health Points. Not only that, if he actually dared on releasing the Legendary Blacksmith...

He would be an enemy to the Kingdom of Nether which served the Empire of Truedawn. In other words, he'd hit two birds in one stone. Offending two mighty powers in one move! This was a really powerful move! Albeit, something detrimental for Joseph.

"Aghhh Fuck... Why are you doing this to me, P.H Wooorrrkkksss!!!" Joseph cried out loud, startling the coachman and Ezreal who awakened from his nap.

"What's wrong, master?! Did an enemy attack?!" Ezreal hurriedly took his ukulele and readied a stance.

The coachman who was guiding the carriage turned to look at them and cursed.

"Shut the hell up! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"I'm sorry..." Joseph bowed his head in apology.

Ezreal glared at the coachman who merely shrugged his head, and continued on guiding the carriage:

"What's wrong, master? Are you okay? Why did you suddenly scream?" Ezreal had a look of concern on his face and Joseph couldn't help but feel touched upon seeing such a scene.

He explained everything to Ezreal, but when he finished his explanation.

Ezreal coldly snorted and said: "How dare that bastard Fausto give such a fraudulent Recommendation Letter to master!"

"If only this one could still fly then I would've already snagged that bastard back at the Village and bring him over here to ask for an explanation!" Ezreal boasted and Joseph caught the hidden meaning in his words as he asked.

"Wait, Ezreal... If only you could still fly? You can fly?"

Ezreal froze for a moment before he sheepishly smiled in embarrassment: "Yes, I could fly. But that is a thing of the past master. After all, I am someone that is abandoned by my hometown just for the sake of spreading the word of the myths..."

Ezreal deeply sighed and Joseph felt touched towards Ezreal once again.

He never expected that Ezreal was actually serious when he said that he deeply loved and admired those mentioned as myths.

He thought that Ezreal had some kind of an ulterior motive when he lured Joseph out from hiding back then, but now...

His suspicions disappeared.

In fact, he was the one that felt sorry. He suspected a kind person of being evil.

Now, that's something that could be called as wrongfully accusing someone innocent.

Joseph felt guilty about this so, he apologized: "Ezreal, I thought that you had ulterior motives when you lured me out on saving those bandits. But it turns out that you were sincere after all... I apologize."

Ezreal was taken aback when he heard Joseph's apology.

This was the first time that Ezreal received an apology from someone else.

He didn't know where to look nor where to put his hands as he just awkwardly waved them in the air.

"What is master, saying? You shouldn't apologize regarding what I did master. I must suffer the consequences of my actions."

Joseph nodded his head and a system notification appeared in front of him.

[Your affinity towards Ezreal has increased by 10 points.]

"But there's something strange about what you said to me Ezreal. Why would your hometown abandon you for something that's so trivial such as spreading how mighty those of the myths were?"

Joseph frowned when he asked this question to Ezreal, who then replied with a bitter smile on his face.

"I see, so Master doesn't know about what the myths did back then when my hometown was just a small hamlet..."

"It was about three thousand years ago but some elders still remember what happened back then as clear as daylight. In fact, one of us even had the fortune, or I should say. Misfortune of witnessing the bloody battle that happened that day..."

Joseph's expression turned serious: 'I should really read more about the lore of Victory when I have the free time. But for now, I'll just listen to the accounts of Ezreal about what happened back then.'

He stared at Ezreal as if hinting that he wanted him to continue, but Ezreal merely smiled and shrugged it off before saying.

"Someday, master will definitely learn the truth. But I think it's still too early for master to know about what exactly happened between my hometown and the myths three thousand years ago..."

"I mean, master is still using a sword in battle, even a crude one at that. In that case, it is safe for me to assume that master has just recently inherited the legacy of the Grand Duelist... Am I right, master?"

Joseph nodded his head, and he didn't deny what Ezzreal said. He thought for a moment before replying: "Now that you know that I am weak, will you leave me just because I am weak?"

Ezreal froze for a moment before he lightly chuckled and replied: "No way! Master is still at his early stage as the Grand Duelist, but once you reached the peak, it would be much harder for me to build connections with you at that time and sow some favors..."

"But since Master is still too weak, right now. Wouldn't I have an easier time right now when it comes to gaining your favor, master?"

"Hahaha, yeah right." Joseph chuckled when he heard Ezreal's reply.

"Did you think about such a scheme before you lured me out on saving those bandits, or did you make that scheme on the spot?"

"Well, who knows?" Ezreal also chuckled.

"If you don't mind me asking, Ezreal. Just how old are you? You said that there's still someone in your hometown that is a living witness to what the myths back then did to your hometown. In that case, you and your people's lifespan are quite long, right?"

"Hahaha... Since master has already guessed that far then I think there's no use explaining to master about my true origins, right?" Ezreal stared at him and Joseph nodded in return.

Back when Joseph saw Ezreal's true form when he was still fighting him earlier. He already had a pretty good guess about his true identity.

What he's most concerned about was Ezreal's age. If Ezreal replied with an age that was higher, or lower than him he wouldn't know what he should feel.

But unfortunately, Ezreal answered his question with another question.

"Why does it matter for Master to know about my age?"

Joseph faced him and found that Ezreal had a stern expression on his face.

Facing the serious Ezreal, Joseph chuckled and said: "Isn't it bad that a friend wants to know more about his friend? I mean, that's how one could deepen each other's friendship, right?"

"..."

Ezreal turned speechless. He turned serious for a moment for he thought that Joseph would feel different towards him if he heard about his true age.

But now, he was convinced. A friend wouldn't abandon a friend just because of the vast difference that they had on their age.

"But master, I know a different way of deepening friendships." Ezreal looked quite hesitant, yet quite proud when he said these words.

Joseph was intrigued: "Oh? You do know about some other way?"

"Yes, I learned this way when I came across a young woman while traveling the continent. That woman had books with her carved on wooden slabs which she called with a similar name of a particular fruit that's the specialty of the Capital City Reinhardt..."

"Books whose names are similar to that particular fruit that's considered as a specialty of the Capital City Reinhardt?"

Joseph thought for a moment and he vaguely remembered encountering a similar fruit on earth being sold on the streets of Reinhardt by hawkers. But then, the name of the fruit suddenly clicked in his head as he cried out.

"Mangga?!"

"Ah, yes! Manga! But it's not mangga master, but Manga! It's not pronounced with double 'g'."

Ezreal cried out in excitement...

Whenever he had free time, he always took those wooden slabs out and read them out loud. Every time Ezreal took those wooden slabs out of the open. He always admired the talent that carved those images on those slabs.

In fact, he desired to meet that particular woman once more just so he could acquire more Manga made by her.

"You have them with you? Interesting, can I borrow them? I kind of want to see what they look like."

Joseph was interested in how Manga made out of wooden slabs worked. He wanted to borrow one.

But Ezreal unexpectedly refused with a serious expression.

"Master, just because I will obey your instructions doesn't mean that I don't have the right to refuse. How could I possibly let you borrow my mangas when they contain forbidden texts given by that young woman that called herself as an honorable fujoshi..."

"Fujoshi? Are you serious? Did she really say that she's a fujoshi?"

"Yes, master! She said that she's someone who walked on the forbidden path. But even tho- wait! Master! Do you know what the word 'Fujoshi' means?! Can Master tell me more about it?"

Ezreal's excitement reached the peak, while Joseph was speechless before he asked a question with a strange expression on his face: "The method that you have on deepening friendships... What is it?"

Ezreal's excitement turned into glee as he replied with a wide smile:

"Of course, it's the sharing of chocolate starfishes between men, Master!"

"I KNEW IT... FUCK OFF!"

In the end, Joseph forcefully took the wooden slabs containing yaoi from Ezreal, and in the process.

Joseph acquired the determination of setting Ezreal on the straight path.

He felt too excited about the prospects of turning Ezreal into a heartthrob that he completely forgot about his aim of asking Ezreal about his age.

He was too concentrated on spreading the doctrines of the Church of Thighs to Ezreal.

But of course, whether his teachings worked or not...

That was something that could only be answered in the future. For now, the two men were having fun criticizing each other's tastes as they finally arrived at the Capital City Reinhard after about a few hours of travel time.

1. YOU BELONG TO A MUSEUM!
2. [Author's Note: Joseph wants to know more about Ezreal's age since Filipinos have this culture of thoroughly respecting one's elders. If Ezreal revealed that he was far older than Joseph then Joseph would feel quite awkward that he has an elder worshipping and following him.]
3. A female that enjoys shipping two males (even if they're straight)Fujoshi means "rotten girl" in Japanese.