Roger Hunter - Faraway Stars

’Is this, the thousand-year capital of the continent, the City of Clouds?

Shaking his head invisibly, Felix closed his eyes. No one noticed the wry, bitter smile on his lips.

“Livia, Clean up that table with the beer stains. It’s for tomorrow’s business.” Waving the glass, the fat boss wiped the foam from his mouth and shouted at Livia. His voice echoed through the empty tavern and seemed extra loud.

“En, I’ll do it right away.” Not daring to slack off for a moment, Livia hurried past the crowded minstrel and wiped the table. The boss is a bit old and has a bad temper. The sight of the last drunken guest being punched out of the shop by the boss still made her shudder at the thought of it. The old man wouldn’t have done that to herself, but if he had kicked her out, the livelihood of herself and his brother will be in jeopardy.

After polishing the table as brightly as a mirror, Livia added more water to the old wooden table and wiped it again. It was not until every grain of wood seemed to shine from within that she stopped, straightened up, and surveyed her work with satisfaction. No one asked her to do this, but when she did these little things seriously, an unspeakable warmth filled her heart, giving her a sense of a down-to-earth life. This feeling, in the past many years, has been forgotten by her own.

She looked up and the boss’s figure was gone. He’s supposed to be home. Wiping the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, Livia smiled in satisfaction. She turned and headed for the bar, ready to get one last tidy up so she could go back to cooking. The vegetables that Yoshi had gone to buy would be delivered later, and if she didn’t hurry to boil the water, it would surely be too late to cook.

However, the afterglow caught from her eyes made her slightly stunned.

The way that person looks, so lonely…….

On the wall opposite the tavern was leaning against a young man with his eyes half closed. Although he wasn’t the kind of handsome male who would make a girl scream at the sight, his white, clean face gives an involuntary feeling of closeness. His long hair, dark as the night sky, was casually tied in a ponytail and draped loosely over his shoulders, adding a touch of spontaneity and desolation to him. He was dressed in a long blue robe of coarse cloth, shabby but neat, and did not show the sense of dejection which was so common among wanderers. And the lyre in his arms was an accurate description of his identity.

Judging from the way he looks, he’s been sitting there all day. She was so busy with her work that she never noticed him.

“But isn’t that person supposed to be the singer who brings joy to others? Why, then, did I feel that loneliness in him so strongly? Especially the moment of that glimpse just now, as if he was the only one left in heaven and earth. That boundless darkness and sadness that had completely overwhelmed her heart almost in an instant. What is it that makes a man so deeply sad?”

The man seemed to notice something as Livia stared at him. . He turned his head, opened his eyes and gave her a slight smile. There was no special action, but the sadness of that emotion, under the gaze of those lavender eyes, faded away in a flash of the vanishes. It was like a harsh winter’s day that turned into spring. It almost made her think that the feeling she had just had was nothing more than her own illusion. The transition between the two senses was so fast it’s hard to imagine it coming from the same person.

“What a man he really is!”

Just as her amazed gaze met, the mysterious minstrel had straightened up. He patted the dust off his body gracefully and picked up his hat and walked towards the tavern. Before Livia could react, he was already in the door of the shop and sat down at the table she had just wiped down.

“A glass of Ronnie, please, will you?” With a faint smile, Felix popped a copper coin - a third of his current possessions, to be exact - and landed steadily in Livia’s hand. Just now, he had been noticing that someone was sneaking up on him, and thought it was some official who was going to embarrass him. It turned out to be just such an ordinary maiden. It seemed that he was being over-conscious.. But then again, if he hadn’t been so careful, he would have been a decomposing corpse in some nameless gutter on an unknown street many years ago…. In order to show his apology, Felix decided to spend his money at this small shop… More importantly, of course, to take care of his poor stomach. Not everyone can bear the experience of not eating for a whole day.

“Huh? Oh, ummmmm, coming right up.” A little flustered, the girl hurried to the bar. Although the hotel was offically closed, she found it difficult to say no in the presence of this man.

“Add two quick ices, no sugar!” Raising her voice a little, Felix called out to her back. Ronnie is a mild, astringent drink made from a small domestic fruit not far from here. It’s a rather plebeian drink that the aristocrats barely drink, but it fits in well with Kevlar’s laid-back personality. However, although the wine is light, it varies greatly because of the different methods of making it, which makes almost every shop have their own taste. The difference is great. Some are excellent, others are almost impossible to access. It is one of the most representative beverages of the hotel.

“Yes, sir. Right away.” She was more or less panic, but a few years of exercise still allowed Livia to develop reflexive bartending skills. Just a few minutes later, a glass of crystalline Ronnie was placed in front of Felix. Raising the cup, the young minstrel smiled slightly and took a shallow sip while the maiden who stood beside him with full of expectant eyes. Then his slender eyebrows rose, and a look of surprise appeared in his lavender eyes.

It’s not a simple glass of wine.

No expensive ingredients were used, but a few slices of just the right amount of mint had all the astringency of the wine down. A few rhododendrons of raw juice and many other juices were added to the liquid, bringing its light and palatable character to the extreme; together with the chilling effect of the ice, this cheap drink, which sold for only one copper coin, was comparable to the popular tens of silver coins for a glass among princes and nobles. Each part is not complicated, but getting it “just right” is definitely not that simple.

Noticing that the guest was staring at the wine glass with interest, Livia was a little more uneasy. Somehow, in the face of the drunken villains who were all fearless, she looked as rusty as a little girl on her first job when confronted with the plaintive minstrel.

“En, monsieur, may I ask if this glass of wine is to your taste?” Asked Livia softly and cautiously.

“Very good, thank you.” Found the side of the young girl’s small mind, Felix’s lips emerged a faint smile. He has been traveling around the world for many years.How could he not see such a little girl’s mind? Unfortunately, he will always have to play the third-rate role of the “tramp who takes away a girl’s dream”. After all, he was not qualified to live like normal people ah… In this case, staying here is obviously not a good option.

“Thank you for the wine, beautiful lady.” Putingt down the glass, the minstrel smiled faintly and got up to walk towards the door. “May the Most High God Antanis bless you.”

“You…… Won’t you sit a little longer?” As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Livia noticed her own lapse and her face flushed. What happened to me today? Unexpectedly will speak to retain a strange guest. Well, no more imagination. When Felix did not pay attention, she shook her head desperately, as if to drive all these strange thoughts out of her mind.