Chapter 48 [Ducwato sent Lex...]
"Hey, long time no see, you've grown taller!"
Early in the morning, an old acquaintance arrived at the cabin.
Ducwato waved to Lex and greeted him warmly.
However, Lex merely glanced at him indifferently, placed the last plate of muffins on the table, and then sat down to begin his meal.
"Long time no see, Ducwato. You haven't changed at all, just like before."
Mela wiped the sauce that had accidentally gotten on her lips with a napkin and continued cutting the fried eggs on her plate, showing no intention of getting up to welcome Ducwato.
"Hey, I'm so old, how much can I change? On the contrary, young guys like Lex change every day. The last time I saw him, he was only about shoulder height, wasn't he?"
Ducwato gestured as he walked to the empty chair and sat down as if he were at home.
What he said was true.
Whether you're a man or a woman, once you're over twenty, the only things that tend to increase year by year are weight and wrinkles.
Of course, if you take good care of yourself, you'll look like him, still looking energetic even in your thirties, with a tall and imposing physique that looks like you could kill a bull with a single punch.
“Isn’t that normal? The last time you saw him was more than half a year ago.” Mela had a good memory and accurately recalled that Ducwato last came to the cabin in April.
Back then, it could be described as springtime, with flowers blooming everywhere and a vibrant scene of life.
Who could have imagined that by the end of May, the situation would take a sharp turn for the worse, with the heat becoming unbearable for both people and animals, and even causing many plants to wither.
“However, you don’t look much different. Does the witch have a potion or spell to keep you young?” Dukwat stroked his chin, looking Mela up and down. He noticed that she looked exactly the same as she did seven or eight years ago and couldn’t help but wonder.
"Guess?" Mela gave an ambiguous smile, neither confirming nor denying.
"It seems there aren't any left," Ducwato said regretfully.
After so many years together, he had figured it out: if Mela deliberately showed such an ambiguous attitude, there was definitely something wrong.
If such a potion or spell truly existed, Mela would simply blurt it out and then smugly enjoy Ducwato's astonished gaze.
"Alright, tell me why you came this time? I haven't asked you to run errands for me lately." Mela finished her fried egg and then put a pancake in her mouth.
“I can’t do anything if you want me to run errands for you. A few months ago, there were people starving to death everywhere because they couldn’t afford food. For safety reasons, all the doors were locked, and you couldn’t see a soul on the street,” Ducwato complained, half-jokingly.
How can I buy things when I can't see anyone?
This was the first time Ducwato had ever seen such a desolate and bleak scene since he moved to the town.
“Unlike you guys, you eat so well. I was practically eating tree bark the other day,” Ducwato joked.
As he spoke, he stood up, strolled to the table, took a pancake from the plate, and ate it in a few bites.
The way they were eating really did give off a ravenous vibe.
However, Mela knew very well that with Ducwato's abilities, he wouldn't really fall to such a miserable state, but others might be in a different situation.
She also noticed that Ducwato had said "can't afford" rather than "can't buy".
"Were food prices very high recently? How high were they?"
“The price that used to buy a donkey can now only buy three bags of broad beans and a bag of peas.” Ducwato held up his hand to show Mela the number, and was pleased to see her furrowed brow.
"So if you don't want to starve to death, going to become a lord's slave with your family is a good option," Ducwato added.
He chuckled twice with a hint of sarcasm. "These past few months, quite a few houses in town have become vacant, but the lord's manor is almost overflowing with people."
"And now?"
Lex suddenly spoke up, looking up at Ducwato, "Has this terrible situation really not changed at all?"
“Yes,” Ducwato shrugged. “I heard that last month, the Marquis of Furhorst in the east specially summoned a lot of grain merchants, and soon a batch of low-priced grain was transported to the surrounding area. With cheap grain available, who would want to spend money to buy expensive grain? Now other grain merchants have no choice but to follow suit and lower their prices, so the situation is much better now.”
At least people no longer have to struggle with whether to painstakingly maintain their commoner status or bow down to become slaves to lords, and then be slaves for generations to come.
“The Marquis of Furhorst? Who’s that?” Mela asked Lex.
“The kingdom’s former prime minister, Fernandez, is the current Marquis of Furhorst,” Lex replied succinctly.
“Oh, sounds like you and Chelge are old acquaintances,” Ducwato said jokingly.
When Chergo was mentioned, Ducwato finally remembered the purpose of his visit and suddenly brought in a large bottle of wine from outside, slamming it onto the dining table.
“Little Prince, your eighteenth birthday is coming soon, isn’t it? This is a coming-of-age gift I brought you on behalf of Cherk. Although it’s not exactly top-quality wine, it still cost me two gold coins. You and he both owe me a favor,” Ducwato said with a sly grin.
"Wait a minute, is this a gift or a business deal? How come you're even more ruthless than me?" Mela couldn't help but say from the side. This was blatant forced buying and selling.
Lex stared blankly at the wine bottle on the table for a long while. Since sending a sword through Ducwato, Chelge had lost contact with him.
According to Ducwato, Cherge has already left the capital and his whereabouts are a mystery. He doesn't know where he is either, unless Cherge comes to him.
Cherk did this for Lex's own good, both to protect their relationship with Ducwato from being discovered and to divert some attention away from Lex.
Whether you're on Lex's side or Elijah's side, you'd think that if Lex were still alive, he would do everything he could to reunite with Cherk, since Cherk is the only one who remains loyal to him on the surface.
With Cherk by his side, Lex's safety was clearly more assured. Cherk, a mere commoner who rose to the rank of Knight Commander through sheer challenge to his way up, was widely recognized for his formidable fighting prowess.
“Chelco, has he contacted you recently?” Lex asked Ducwato.
"Of course not, how would I know where that kid ran off to?" Ducwato replied with an air of self-righteousness, shrugging his shoulders.
"If you ask me, don't worry about it so much. With his strength, he'll be fine unless he's surrounded by hundreds of people. So, to celebrate this auspicious day, how about we open the bottle early?" Ducwato subconsciously started rubbing his hands together, eager to pry open the cork.
"...This so-called coming-of-age gift is just because you want to drink, isn't it?" Mela, having seen through the truth, took a deep breath, then picked up the bottle and turned to put it in the corner cabinet.
"Kids aren't allowed to drink alcohol. We'll talk about it when Lex actually turns eighteen."
"Hey, hey, Mela, what are you doing? This is a gift I gave to Lex!" Ducwato tried to salvage the situation.
"Hmm, but I'm Lex's master, his things are mine, and if I say he can't drink it, he can't drink it." Mela retorted calmly, one hand on her hip.
Ducwato quickly looked at Lex, secretly praying that he would do better.
However, he was disappointed.
Lex nodded, clearly agreeing with Mela.
"Sigh! You're completely under this shrew's thumb. You do whatever she says without a second thought." Ducwato sighed and waved his hand helplessly, finally suppressing his craving for wine.
It's a bit of a shame that he spent so much money on the wine but didn't even get to taste a single drop. What a loss! He should have just bought a cheap bottle and made do with whatever he could find.
Lex pretended not to hear Ducwato's accusations and silently began clearing the table.
“Alright, I’m leaving now, little prince. How about you see me off? I have a few words to say to you.” Ducwato reverted to his usual irreverent self, grinning as he spoke to Lex.
He didn't hide anything and told Mela frankly that he had something to say to Lex. If Mela wanted to know, she could just ask Lex when she got back, but she shouldn't come after him.
Upon hearing this, Lex did not immediately agree, but instead turned to look at Mela.
Mela waved her hand dismissively. "Go on, go on, hurry up and get him out of here. He's making so much noise in the house, it's like eight hundred Silas are all yelling at the same time."
Silas, who had been inexplicably called out, looked up innocently: "?"
With Mela's approval, Lex put down his cutlery and walked outside the cabin with Ducwato.
"You've got a good physique." Ducwato patted Lex's shoulder and nodded in satisfaction. "If Cherge saw this, he'd know exactly how worthwhile it was for him to pay me a little money to train you."
While serving as a knight, Cherk was also Lex's martial arts instructor. However, since he couldn't stay by Lex's side to teach him at all times, he had to entrust the task to Ducwato.
Having grown up together, no one knew better than Cherk that Ducwato's skills were no less than his own. However, Ducwato preferred to be a free hunter rather than a knight bound by rules and regulations.
When they run out of money, they hunt some game to exchange for cash.
When they had money, they would go to the tavern and order a large glass of cheap ale, listening to others loudly boast about their recent experiences, gossip about their neighbors, or even join in themselves.
But Cherk was quite at ease letting him coach Lex.
On the contrary, Ducwato, with a blade of grass in his mouth, asked Chelgo in a nonchalant manner, "Aren't you worried that your beloved little master will be led astray by me?"
Cherge smiled and shook his head. "You're not qualified to corrupt His Highness."
Ducwato scoffed dismissively, inwardly regretting not having demanded more gold from Cherncote earlier.
Now all we can do is watch helplessly as they leave with an air of nonchalance, leaving behind a resolute silhouette.
Over the years, Ducwato had at least kept his promise to Cherk and taught Lex everything he knew. But when Lex first twisted his hands behind his back and firmly restrained him, Ducwato quickly stopped him, admitting that Lex no longer needed his instruction.
“From now on, unless Mela asks me for help, I probably won’t come again,” Ducwato said.
Sixteen-year-old Lex nodded, a glistening bead of sweat sliding down his chin.
The match just now was not easy for Lex either.
He even felt that Ducwato might not have lost if he had gone all out from the start.
"Alright, I'm only responsible for teaching you your skills, not for being your punching bag. Why should I use all my strength to fight you? It would be a terrible sight to see you with a bruised and swollen face," Ducwato said disdainfully.
After that, he rarely came to the cabin, and when he did, it was only to run errands for Mela.
Therefore, when he suddenly arrived today, Lex immediately guessed that he must have come at Chern's request.
Lex never expected that Ducwato's purpose was to deliver a gift to him on behalf of Cherk.
“What does Chernobog want you to tell me?” Lex asked.
“Oh, still as smart as ever.” Ducwato was not surprised by Lex’s keenness. He cleared his throat and said seriously, “Chelco asked me to tell you that when it’s time for you to leave, he will find a way to come and pick you up in the Dark Forest.”
“…I understand.” Lex paused for a moment before replying.
"You seem a little reluctant. Could it be that you're reluctant to part with Mela?" Dukwa rested his chin on his hand and gradually moved closer to Lex, trying to observe his expression up close.
Lex raised his hand, blocking Ducwato's approach. "She's been very good to me all these years."
Therefore, it is perfectly normal to feel reluctant to part.
People tend to cherish happy moments.
However, "I will not forget my responsibilities and the revenge I owe. I must go back and reclaim the throne that rightfully belongs to me."
Lex looked up and met Ducwato's gaze. His eyes were deep and hard, like freshly forged iron, still capable of sparking sparks that made people want to back away.
Ducwato gave an indifferent smirk. "Not bad resolve. But you should save those words for Chernobog. I'm not interested in any throne or anything like that. I just hope that when you become king, you won't forget the favor you owe me."
“I want a room full of gold and jewels.” Ducwato raised his index finger, staring intently at Lex.
Unexpectedly, Lex shook his head. "What's mine is what's Mella's. Even if I become king in the future, she should decide how to dispose of the things in the royal treasury."
This means that Ducwato should not approach him for gold and jewels, but rather for Meera.
"I now seriously suspect that Mela gave you some kind of potion that would kill you if you didn't obey her, otherwise how could someone be so obedient to another person?" Ducwato said through gritted teeth.
He was utterly speechless about Lex!
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