"That's too biased." Tilan smiled and blinked, lightly taking Ores' hand and placing it on the axe.
"Feel it carefully, get used to its weight."
"Although it's not as nimble as a sword, the heaviness of the axe is where its power lies."
Despite feeling a bit of resistance, Ores decided to give it a try under Tilan's persuasion. She slowly grasped the axe handle and raised it in front of her. As she noticed everyone smiling brightly at her, she felt embarrassed and then put it down again.
Sensing Ores' shift in mood, Tilan walked behind her and helped her again, their four hands combined to lift the axe together.
"Don't worry; everyone is just curious, not mocking you. You are the perfect Ice Spirit noble lady, the princess in everyone's eyes. Sothing like this won't change that. Besides, when Ores holds a weapon like this, doesn't it feel heroic? Like a scene from ancient legends."
"At the nation's mont of peril, the once elegant and refined princess is forced to take up a weapon and head to the battlefield. She rides atop a tall white steed, her silvery long hair and cape fluttering in the wind. The warhorse neighs, the gleaming weapon is raised high, and behind her are countless knights marching in unison. Many banners with swallowtail pennants are raised high, a golden field spread wide, the setting sun blood-red..."
The girl narrated softly, weaving a distant tale. Her voice and the lody of the seven-stringed zither resonated through the quiet tavern, akin to a poetic serenade that transported everyone to a fantastical and beautiful world.
Ores sat by the table, her gaze fixated on the silver axe blade in her hands. The mirror-like surface reflected the flickering candlelight, shimring gently, revealing her face and the faintly furrowed brows. It was as if she was looking at another version of herself, in another realm.
Thus, the noble lady of the Ice Spirits finally let go of her inner conflict and agreed to wield the weapon earnestly.
...
Much later, when the auntie brought out the freshly prepared dinner, everyone snapped out of the poetic story.
Blanchi carefully touched the steaming baked potato with her hand, quickly rolling it a few tis to adjust to the heat. She then cautiously peeled off the skin and started eating slowly.
"So egg sandwich is just placing a fried egg between sliced pieces of bread." Audrey glanced at the two slices of bread and fried egg in her hand.
"Though it's simple, the crispy edges and warmth of the freshly fried egg, along with the grains of salt, paired with the bread, make the flavor remarkable."
"Acid berries are really sour!" Prin exclaid after eating one, her eyes squeezing shut.
"They're ant to cut through the richness of the main dish, so of course, you're not supposed to eat them whole~ Just squeeze a bit of juice out."
"Did people in ancient tis eat like this?"
"In ancient tis? Probably not this kind of fine bread and fried egg. It's not that they didn't have it; it's just that for most households, eating this every day would have been quite extravagant."
"I'd guess black bread was the staple for most farrs. What we're eating now would probably be considered pri-quality white bread."
The group enjoyed the sowhat novel dinner as they chatted about various quirks of the classical era. After dinner, it was ti for a rest.
The tavern's second floor had guest rooms, two people per room. The furniture and decor had a distinctly dieval aesthetic, with bare stone brick walls, simple yet rugged.
"Should we sleep now, or?" After all, it was not yet 9 p.m. People these days rarely went to bed this early.
"Sleep, I'm a bit tired."
They had indeed gone through a lot today, so everyone dispersed back to their respective rooms, preparing to soak in a warm bath before settling down for an early night.
During the room allocation discussion, they debated since familiarity posed so issues. Ores couldn't share a room with Shui Yanqing, Prin, or Audrey, and similar issues existed between Prin and Audrey.
"In other words, Tilan can pretty much room with anyone, since she's not only our shared classmate and companion but also Prin's hotown friend and Audrey's old acquaintance."
"Ahem, while that's true, phrasing it that way makes sound like so kind of flirtatious heartbreaker." Tilan covered her head in mock sha.
"Tilan is such a heartthrob~" Shui Yanqing teased with a laugh.
"In that case, I won't fight over Tilan; I'll room with Blanchi." Shui Yanqing offered proactively, and Blanchi nodded in agreent. Although Blanchi was quite fond of Tilan, she wasn't excessively attached. To her, both Shui Yanqing and Tilan were excellent friends who always cared for her.
Among the remaining four, Audrey glanced at both Tilan and Prin before making a tough decision, "I'll share a room with Prin."
Though their relationship wasn't particularly close due to so academic rivalry, they weren't strangers either. Back in their freshman year, as the only two new Songstresses, they often attended classes together. If she chose Tilan, then Ores would end up in a room with complete unfamiliarity with Prin, which would be quite awkward.
"I have no objections." Prin nodded. She didn't care much about such arrangents—it was just a night's sleep after all. It wasn't as if they were sharing one bed, given the shared naps they'd had over the past days.
Finally, it was Tilan and Ores who ended up together. The two made their way to a room in the corner of the second floor, Ores placing the double-bladed axe against the wall.
The room had a small washroom equipped with a wooden tub for bathing and a brass showerhead that sprayed warm water.
"Though it mimics the dieval aesthetic, this place still has traces of modernity." Tilan remarked as she looked at the sink and showerhead.
"If it were truly dieval, we'd have to haul water upstairs to bathe." She shook her head at the thought—that would've been torturous, especially since they weren't genuinely living in that era.
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