RoleplayNovel Chapter 29 Rewards and Bonuses
Chapter 29 Rewards and Bonuses
A week later, as Chen Mo was studying another blurry pattern in Froki's notes at his enchanting table, there was a knock on the door downstairs.
He tucked the notebook into his pocket, went downstairs, and opened the door.
A young servant in a Blue Palace uniform stood outside the door, holding a series of waxed letters.
"Mr. Chen Mo?" the attendant asked.
"it's me."
"Chief Steward Fokker invites you and Professor Benjamin to the Blue House this afternoon." A servant handed him the letter. "Her Majesty the Queen will also be attending."
Chen Mo accepted the letter and thanked him.
After closing the door, he opened the letter and read it.
—The wording was polite but formal, just like Foko Huohu himself, stiff and straightforward, with no nonsense.
He went upstairs and changed into a clean set of clothes—a wool coat and a dark blue cloak, polished his boots, and hung his sword at his waist.
Before leaving, his gaze fell on the back of his right hand.
The red stripe became even clearer in the morning light.
He thought for a moment, then took out the pair of leather gloves, put them on, and covered up the texture.
He first went to the Bards' Academy to find Benjamin.
The old man was dozing off in the hall on the second floor, looking at his thick book of spells.
Hearing footsteps, he looked up and rubbed his eyes.
"Someone from the Blue House has arrived?" Benjamin yawned.
How did you know?
"Just guessing. It's been a week, we should have some news by now." Benjamin stood up, tucked the spellbook under his arm, and said, "Let's go see what they have to say."
The two left the academy, walked up the stone steps, and entered the gates of the Blue Palace.
Foko Huohu was already waiting at the door.
The Imperial Guard Captain, clad in armor, had a blank expression on his face. He simply nodded, signaling them to follow him.
It was the same small room as last time.
The fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, and a dark blue tablecloth covered the long table, with several candles and a jug of wine on it.
Alisifer sat across the table, wearing a dark green dress today. Her golden hair was styled more elaborately than last time, and her eyes were still that same pale blue, clear to the point of being almost transparent.
"Please sit down," Alisher said, his voice still gentle.
Chen Mo and Benjamin sat down. Foco Huohu stood half a step behind Elisif and opened a document in his hand.
"The verification of the wolf skull cave has been completed."
Foko's voice was as hard as his appearance, each word spoken like a military report: "When the investigation team arrived, the cave was deserted. Traces of the ritual site remained—rune arrays, altar remains, fragments of soulstones. Potema's spirit was indeed summoned there. The investigation team found at least six bodies at the scene, three of whom were necromancers, two were skeletal remains, and one was unidentified, possibly a previously missing resident."
He turned a page. "The investigation team continued their pursuit along the passages deep within the cave, capturing two escaped necromancers and a bandit about half a day's walk from the cave. The interrogation is complete. According to their confessions, this organization had been operating in Wolf Skull Cave for at least three months, their aim indeed being to summon Potema's spirit and attempt to enslave her. The necromancer who presided over the ritual—named Severian Mor—fled eastward with his remaining followers after Potema's escape, and his current whereabouts are unknown."
Fo Ke closed the file, looked up, and his gaze fell on Chen Mo and Benjamin.
"All indications suggest that what Mr. Chen Mo and Professor Benjamin saw and heard in the wolf skull cave was true. Portma's spirit was indeed summoned and indeed escaped."
There was a moment of silence in the room. Alisher's fingers curled slightly on the table, then relaxed.
Her expression didn't change much, but Chen Mo noticed that her breathing was a little deeper than before.
"Mr. Chen Mo, Professor Benjamin," Elisabeth said, his voice warmer than before, "Dugu City thanks you for your courage and contributions. What you have done is more important than you imagine."
She glanced at Fo Ke.
Fo Ke nodded, took out two leather bags from his pocket, placed them on the table, and pushed them in front of Chen Mo and Benjamin respectively.
"Mr. Chen Mo, Professor Benjamin, in recognition of your contributions to Solitude, the Blue Palace has decided to award each of you three hundred gold coins," said Fok. "This is a reward from Her Majesty the Queen."
Chen Mo picked up the leather bag and weighed it in his hand.
It was heavy; you could feel the clinking of gold coins through the leather.
He put the leather bag away.
Benjamin didn't stand on ceremony and simply placed the bag behind him, his movements as practiced as if he had done it many times before.
"However," Foko's voice rang out again, "Her Majesty the Queen believes that a reward of gold coins alone is insufficient to express Dugu City's gratitude."
He glanced at Elisifer. Elisifer nodded slightly.
"Therefore," Foko continued, "Her Majesty the Queen would like to ask if you have any requests. As long as they are within the jurisdiction of Solitude, we can do our best to fulfill them."
Chen Mo's heart skipped a beat.
Demands.
This is a real opportunity—
In Skyrim, such opportunities are worth far more than gold coins.
Benjamin spoke first.
"Your Majesty, I have only one request." His tone was much more serious than usual. "The archives in the west wing of the Bard's Academy are in dire need of repair, and many ancient musical scores and epic manuscripts are damp and moldy. I would be extremely grateful if a sum of money could be allocated for their restoration."
Elisifer smiled slightly.
"Professor Benjamin, you've done so much for Dugu City. Three hundred gold coins to repair the archives is not an unreasonable request at all. Captain Fok, write it down."
"Yes."
Then everyone's eyes fell on Chen Mo.
Chen Mo remained silent for a while.
"Your Majesty," he began, his voice more steady than he had expected, "I would like to show you something."
He took the sword from his waist, held it horizontally in both hands, and handed it to Foko.
Buddha took it, drew the blade, and glanced at it.
The blade gleamed with a dull bluish-green luster in the candlelight.
Foco flicked his finger lightly on the blade, producing a crisp hum. His eyebrows twitched slightly.
"This is..." He brought the blade closer, examining the faint patterns on the metal surface. "An enchanted weapon?"
"Yes," Chen Mo said, "Stamina absorption. I enchanted it myself."
The room fell silent.
Alissiere's gaze shifted from the blade to Chen Mo's face.
Something lit up in her eyes.
Benjamin turned to look at him, his mouth slightly open, his old face clearly saying, "When did you learn that, kid?"
"You enchanted it yourself?" Foco's tone carried a hint of undisguised surprise.
He turned the sword over and over again, carefully examining the patterns. "These patterns... are very clear. The energy efficiency is very high."