I Have a Task Log

Ale wore a long, silvery-white dress of a rather conservative design.

Sunlight from the setting sun streamed through the hallway window, casting a pale blue, sea-like sheen on the fabric. At the same time, faint golden specks shimmered on its surface like distant stars.

Golden threads embroidered the surface of the dress with leaf patterns characteristic of the Elves, complementing the gold trim of the hem. The overall effect was exquisite and harmonious.

The Half-Elf had her platinum-blonde hair pinned up, making her pretty, little face look even more delicate.

After spending some time at the Silver Star Court, Colin no longer attributed this sort of beauty to her Elven blood. After all, few of the Elves at the Silver Star Court were more beautiful than Ale.

Ale blinked in confusion. "Colin? It’s time for us to go."

"Hm? Oh." Colin glanced at the hem of her dress. "Let’s take a carriage this time. My treat."

Ale tilted her head in confusion but didn’t say anything in the end.

The two of them left the apartment and went out to the street. Upon seeing a carriage for hire pass by, Colin waved it down.

The carriages for hire in Thousand Masts City were pale blue, two-wheeled vehicles, somewhat similar in structure to a rickshaw, only larger.

To ensure the passengers had a clear view, the driver’s seat was at the rear of the carriage. As a result, the reins were very long, and even the driver’s whip was attached to a long pole.

After the carriage came to a steady stop, Colin asked, "How much to the Golden Mast Mansion?"

"Three Silver Coins, sir. It’s a bargain," the driver said.

’Three Silver Coins is a bargain? Damn this private transportation system.’

Muttering inwardly, Colin helped Ale into the carriage.

Though the price was steep, he had to admit the cushions inside the carriage were indeed very soft, making the experience quite pleasant.

"To be honest, I don’t really like banquets like this," Ale said quietly, staring straight ahead. "Every word spoken at these events is about Gold Coins. I much prefer it when it’s just a few of us eating together. That’s what a real feast feels like."

"You don’t have to force yourself, you know. We won’t be fighting any monsters this time. I can go alone," Colin said.

Ale replied, "I’m not forcing myself. Aren’t you going with me this time? That’s enough for me. I want to go."

"Good," Colin said.

With a continuous series of bumps and jolts, the carriage slowly made its way toward their destination.

Along the way, no one came up to greet him. It was just as Colin had thought; the drawing in the newspaper had been so crude that few people could probably recognize him without his suit of muscle armor.

After a while, the carriage arrived at the Marine District.

Most of the buildings in this district were large, newly constructed mansions. Their walls were carved with patterns of merchant ships, Gold Coins, and the like. In the words of the traditional nobility, it was "all too tacky."

After passing through a few streets, they could see a particularly lively mansion in the distance.

A few Wandering Poets holding Lutes sang in loud voices, while several jugglers from the Dock District, dressed as clowns, performed tricks like tossing Torches.

Nobles in formal attire chatted in the courtyard in groups of three and five.

The driver shouted a couple of commands from the rear, and the horse up front slowly came to a halt.

The driver called out from behind, "We’re here, Mr. Big and Lady Good."

As he helped Ale out of the carriage, the Half-Elf produced one Silver Coin and five Copper Coins from somewhere and pressed them into Colin’s hand.

Colin froze for a moment, then took the other half of the fare from his pocket and handed it to the driver.

The driver winked at him and whispered, "Sir, if you want to court a lady, you have to be more proactive. I can tell that one fancies you!"

"Er... maybe."

Colin glanced back at Ale in embarrassment, then hurried toward the mansion.

The two of them reached the entrance.

A servant standing there came forward and asked, "And you two are...?"

"Colin." "Alessandra Golden Flame Orellion."

"You’re the Dragon Slayer?" the servant said in surprise, then called out loudly toward the courtyard, "Lord Dragon Slayer Colin, and Lady Alessandra Golden Flame Orellion!"

The words had barely left his mouth when Sela, clad in a red formal dress, emerged from the crowd. Hiking up her skirt, she hurried toward the entrance.

Colin and Ale entered the mansion’s courtyard and went to meet her.

"You really came! Thank you so much! I feel like I’m dreaming." Sela looked at Ale, who was standing behind Colin, and faltered for a second. "Is this beautiful lady a member of your party?"

"It’s just a banquet, nothing difficult," Colin said with a nod. "This is the Caster in my party, a Dragon Vein Mage."

Sela exclaimed, "My heavens, I’ve never seen such a beauty in my entire life."

"Thank you for the compliment." Ale lifted her skirt and performed a proper curtsy.

"If I could look like you, my father would go mad with joy, Miss Orellion."

"Please, just call me Ale."

"In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony, Ale," Sela said with a smile. "Right now is the reception period. Everyone’s gathering in the front courtyard to watch the performances and have some snacks. The banquet proper won’t start for another half hour. Let me take you two to get something to eat."

With that, Sela led the two of them to a table laden with snacks and stemmed glasses. On the table sat a decanter of red wine.

In the most conspicuous spot on the decanter was a label indicating its origin and price... A single bottle actually cost ten Gold Coins.

Colin picked up the decanter and began to pour himself some red wine.

At the same time, he turned his head to survey his surroundings.

The people in the courtyard were gathered in small groups, all of them dressed in formal wear.

From this, he could tell that the banquet was of a reasonably high standard. Though not everyone was a noble, they were certainly all merchants of considerable means.

Just as Colin was looking around, a somewhat familiar figure approached him.

"I didn’t expect to run into you while stepping out for some fresh air. How have you been lately, Your Lordship?"

"I’ve been doing quite well recently."

As he spoke, Colin turned his head and saw that the person who had approached was an old man in formal wear and a soft cap.

The old man smiled and gave a slight nod. "I am the butler for the Weston Family in Thousand Masts City. I am attending this banquet today in place of my masters. It is an honor to see you again, Dragon Slayer."

"It’s good to see you, too," Colin said with an awkward smile, too embarrassed to mention that he hadn’t recognized the man.

’Then again, families who send their butlers are usually of a higher status than the nobles here, right?’ Colin thought. ’If that weren’t the case, it would be considered quite rude.’

Just then, two more old men walked over.