Benjo the Great? (3)
1402 Words
Of course, he sees what I'm seeing, despite his obvious invisibility status.
But he prefers not to say a word and prods me to move on to the target milk tea shop.
And here we are.
Snow Sprite Milk Tea Shop.
This establishment is quite homely, with a simple, down-to-earth signage and furniture.
But the quality of the milk tea, as I can see it, is quite top-notch.
The sign says “Milk tea made from the finest ingredients in the kingdom. Only 100 guintos a glass.”
And I can also see a large glass keg, clearly showing the nice beige-colored iced milk tea, as well as the black tapioca pearls mixed with it.
The pretty shopkeeper greets me.
“Welcome to the Snow Sprite Milk Tea Shop! How many glasses of milk tea will you buy?”
“I'll take two.”
“Seems like you're quite the thirsty traveler, eh? OK then, that'll be 200 guintos.”
I'm usually no spendthrift; and if in the cases I have to be one, it's because I have to invest in the best armor and healing items money can buy, while setting aside leftover moolah for emergency situations.
But since this drink doesn't cost a lot when compared to, say, alcohol, I'll indulge in this drink I've never seen before.
Less than a minute later, and she serves me two earthenware glasses, each containing the enticing milk tea with the floating black pearls.
Hold on a sec.
Since I know he wants to enjoy his milk tea in peace, without being spotted at all, I need to devise something.
Let's see here...
The milk tea shop contains some tables and chairs; the milk tea keg; the earthenware glasses, both already used and ready-to-be-used; and...
What do I see here?
“Excuse me, miss.”
I ask the shopkeeper.
“Where does this door over there lead to?”
“The storage room. Why?”
“I... need to arrange my equipment for a long walk. Plus, I'll also be drinking the milk tea in the process.”
“OK, Mr. Thirsty Adventurer. I'm giving you five minutes to arrange what you're supposed to arrange. And please return the glasses once you're done.”
“Thanks.”
I accompany Benjo to the storage room, who remains invisible.
Once we lock the storage room's door, I give the other glass to him, and we both enjoy the milk tea in peace.
As we chug on the drink, I ask him in a whispering manner...
“Why your fascination with milk tea?”
“Those detractors always insinuate that I get paid 100 guintos for every essay I write in defense of the mayor. Which, as you should know, is the typical price of milk tea. But no! I'm proud that I get paid much more than that. 1000 guintos a day, that's my wage! So to make their insult backfire at them, I tried the fabled milk tea myself, and gradually grew fond of it, always visiting this place at least once a week. That's all.”
“I see.”
And before we know it, the glasses we hold are now empty.
Man, milk tea tastes actually great.
A perfect blend of herbal tea, the highest-quality cow's milk, and exotic tapioca pearls...
Looks like I'll have to tell His Highness about that awesome drink someday.
“Alright then, Walter. Now that I've had my fill, let's go back to the shelter.”
I nod.
But once we get out of the storage room...
I can hear a commotion going on outside the milk tea shop.
It looks like somebody's being stabbed, with matching writhing cries of pain.
“Who's crying now, dotard mayor supporter? You pretend to be neutral, but we've now exposed your true colors! And now, you deserve to die along with that scumbag mayor! DIE! DIE! DIE! AHAHAHAHA!!!”
The cries of pain get fainter and fainter as the stabs get bloodier and bloodier.
As I peek through the window, I see the two armored Anti-troll Warriors again.
The victim they've just stabbed now lies lifeless and bloody on the ground, and they've even put a placard on top of his corpse.
The placard even says, “Exlayns Resfor – Propagandist Shill. Never Emulate Him.”
“My friend! NNNNNNNOOOOOOO!!!!”
Swiftly, Benjo takes off his Cloak of Invisible Stealth as he rushes outside the shop to see one of his friends being mercilessly murdered by the two persons he despises the most.
“Wait! You're in danger!”
I exclaim as I follow him.
“Miss! You can get the glasses yourself! There's an emergency outside! Thank you!”
I also don't forget to notify the shopkeeper that we're returning the glasses immediately.
Aaaaand checkmate.
We've been spotted.
Right at the establishment's doorstep.
“Hahahahaha!!! Look who showed up.”
The yellow-armored guy, Linus Gai, declares.
“And he's hired a worthless adventurer using those funds that should go to the people instead!”
The red-armored guy, Deecuz Duae, echoes his buddy's sentiments.
“Don't call me useless!”
I snap back at them.
“If you want me to show you my adventurer credentials, here they are!”
I promptly show my adventurer's identification badge and the information being displayed by its holograph.
The red guy reacts...
“Well, well, well... you're quite the seasoned one, eh? And Benjo, Benjo, Benjo... you really never cease to be such an enigma to us.”
Benjo proudly declaims...
“I'm more than just an enigma. I'm the voice of reason! The reason why our beloved mayor needs to keep his post. Because who's gonna rule our town when he's out of the picture? That widow who bumbles at everything and even has hints she betrayed and left her late husband for dead?”
The yellow guy responds...
“Don't you dare drag the name of Coreleia Cojuaquibredus into this, nimrod! YOU! You and your motley crew of supporters who are in it just for the cash... should be gone from Amitabhilia along with him!”
“You really are the lowest of the low. Kicking my friends while they're down... and are already down and out. I WON'T FORGIVE YOU FOR THIS!”
“Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! Fool! Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!”
The two so-called Anti-troll Knights give off loud, belittling laughs.
The way they humiliate him reminds me of an important lesson His Highness taught me not too long ago, when we were discussing about labeling those on the other side of the so-called political spectrum “monsters.”
“This is why I'm politically centrist-neutral. If you call those batting for the other side 'monsters', and you proclaim yourself to fight and eliminate said monsters, your ego will eventually get to you and you will be no better than the 'monsters' you're supposed to be up against.”
And now, I'm caught in the middle of two opposite representatives of the political spectrum.
As bystanders gather around the four of us to witness the brewing tension, the two armored warriors bring out their knives still stained with fresh blood, ready to deal the same fatality they did to the poor guy, who was given a humiliating “tombstone”, to their arch-nemesis.
“Now pray to your one and only bloodthirsty mayor-god-emperor-wannabe, Benjo the Not-so-great, because you and your good-for-nothing troll-shill friends will join him in hell... FOR GOOD!”
Linus threatens my client with his popping-eyed stare.
I instruct my client...
“Stay back. I'm gonna handle them myself.”
“O-OK.”
“Don't you dare interfere, enabler of evil!”
Deecuz angrily says as he starts to lunge and do a swift charging attack at me.
But I know the counter for this.
“Produ Lakab Kalshag!”
This galdr is an object summoning spell, which I have formulated myself after doing some brief research about materialization magic at the Royal Academy.
The first word, Produ, is a catch-all word for summoning the object.
The second word must contain the specific material the object is made of. Here, Lakab means “steel”.
The third word must contain the specific object itself. Here, Kalshag means “shield”.
In essence, I'm summoning a steel shield, which I immediately equip with my off-hand.
The shield effectively blocks off the lunging stab that would otherwise hit my gut.
- Writer
