Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence-Chapter 58: Lord Moonlight
Upon entering Giant Stone City, they found wide streets paved with flat stone slabs, spacious enough to accommodate several carriages traveling side-by-side.
The streets were lined with an abundance of shops, their signs a dazzling variety of styles. Taverns, blacksmiths, general stores, clothiers... they had everything one could imagine.
Pedestrians thronged the streets, and the air filled with the endless sounds of vendors’ cries, cheerful chatter, and clopping hooves—a stark contrast to the desolate state of Black Stone Territory.
The Knights’ eyes shone with amazement and longing. ’This is what a real city should look like.’
The Knight leading the way brought them to an inn called the Golden Griffin Inn.
The inn was a full five stories tall with an imposing facade. A magnificent, lifelike statue of a golden griffin stood by the entrance, radiating an awe-inspiring presence.
It was clear that this was one of the finest inns in Giant Stone City.
"Lord Baron, this is the Golden Griffin Inn, one of the finest in the city. Your room has been prepared. Please get some rest."
the Knight Captain said respectfully.
Raylo nodded in thanks, and his party entered the inn.
The moment he stepped into the inn’s main hall, Raylo’s gaze was caught by a large notice posted on the wall.
The notice was written on high-quality parchment in a flamboyant, cursive script. Its contents made his heart skip a beat:
"Paying high prices for Dragon Scales! Premium offered for scales of superior quality! Will also trade Dragon Scales for my specially-crafted ’Earth Knight’s Breakthrough Potion’! —Barnaby Grey. Serious inquiries only!"
Below the notice was an exaggerated drawing of a potion bottle, signed "Master Barnaby."
’An Earth Knight’s Breakthrough Potion!’
Raylo’s pupils constricted.
He instinctively glanced down at Moonlight by his feet.
Moonlight, looking utterly bored, was pawing at the tassels on the carpet, seemingly uninterested in the notice.
Ed saw the notice too and whispered to Raylo, "Sir, if this Master Barnaby wants to buy Dragon Scales, why would he come to a border city like Giant Stone City instead of visiting the Duke in Thunder Dragon City? Isn’t that going out of his way?"
Raylo remained noncommittal, but a plan was already taking shape in his mind.
He instructed Ed to arrange for the Knights’ food and lodging, then took Moonlight back to the suite assigned to him.
The suite was spacious, comfortable, and elegantly furnished.
Raylo closed the door, making sure they wouldn’t be disturbed, then crouched down to look at Moonlight.
Moonlight had already leaped onto the soft bed and curled into a ball. It swept its tail tip lazily across the sheet, its pale golden eyes half-closed.
It projected a clear "I’m very sleepy, don’t bother me" attitude.
"Moonlight..."
Raylo rubbed his hands together and put on what he considered to be his most charming and friendly smile.
"You saw that notice by the entrance, didn’t you?"
Moonlight didn’t even lift an eyelid, merely snorting softly to show it had heard.
"That... Earth Knight’s Breakthrough Potion... it’s really important to me."
Raylo did his best to sound sincere.
"You know, if I get stronger, that’s good for you too, right? I’ll be able to get you even more tasty food, like... hmm, fragrant, juicy, honey-glazed wild boar legs, a plump, glistening, whole-roasted lamb..."
Moonlight’s ears twitched, and its tail began to sweep the sheet a little faster.
Seeing an opening, Raylo pressed his advantage.
"I heard there’s a famous place in Giant Stone City, the Seven Mile Fragrance Tavern? They say their roasted goose has crispy skin and tender meat, and a single bite fills your mouth with juices. If you just help me with this little favor, I’ll treat you to... hmm, three! No, five roasted geese!"
At the mention of "roasted goose," Moonlight finally opened its eyes. It stared at Raylo, its pale golden eyes filled with a hint of suspicion.
It slowly licked its paw, as if carefully weighing the proposal’s value.
Raylo rejoiced inwardly, knowing the little glutton was tempted.
He continued to coax it gently. "Look, Dragon Scales can’t be that rare for you, right? A few of them just fall off, and you can trade them for a Potion I’ve been dreaming of, plus you get to feast to your heart’s content. It’s killing two birds with one stone! No, it’s a huge return on a tiny investment!"
Moonlight tilted its head.
Raylo gave an awkward little laugh.
"Er, that’s not what I meant. What I mean is, as you grow, don’t you... occasionally... have a scale or two that falls off naturally? There’s no use in keeping them, so why not trade them for some real benefits?"
He chose his words carefully, afraid of offending his little master.
Moonlight stared at Raylo for a long moment, making him feel a bit unnerved.
Just as Raylo thought the negotiations were about to collapse and was preparing to up the ante with a few more roasted geese, Moonlight suddenly opened its little mouth and yawned.
Then, to Raylo’s surprise, it stretched out a forepaw and rummaged around on its stomach.
As it moved, several silver scales, shimmering with a cool, moon-like radiance, slid out silently and fell onto the soft sheets with a faint tinkle.
There were exactly five of them—no more, no less.
Each scale was about the size of a baby’s palm, with smooth, rounded edges. Their surfaces were covered in fine, arcane patterns, making them look like the most exquisite works of art. They even radiated a faint pulse of Magic Power.
Raylo’s eyes went wide.
"These... These are..."
He was overcome with shock and delight.
Moonlight shot him a glance, licked its paw lazily, and then eyed him with its pale golden irises. Its gaze clearly said, ’Roasted geese. Five of them. Don’t forget.’
Raylo carefully picked up a Dragon Scale. It felt cool and tough in his hand, and the pure energy contained within sent a thrill through him.
He was ecstatic. He never thought Moonlight would so easily...
No, so "generously" produce five Dragon Scales.
And they were naturally shed, which made him feel much better about the whole affair.
"Moonlight, you’re an absolute treasure!"
Overcome with excitement, Raylo reached out to hug Moonlight, but it deftly dodged with a tilt of its head.
Moonlight tapped the scales on the sheet with the tip of its tail, then rubbed its chin against Raylo’s hand and let out a contented purr, as if urging him to hurry up and trade them for the roasted geese.
Raylo laughed and tucked the five Dragon Scales away safely.
’That little guy Moonlight is full of secrets.’
’It must have mastered some kind of spatial storage Magic. Who knows how many treasures it has hidden in that Magic Space Bag on its stomach.’
’Forgetting everything else, who knows how many shed Dragon Scales it’s already stockpiled.’
’Otherwise, knowing Moonlight’s disposition, there’s no way the going rate would be as low as five roasted geese for five Dragon Scales.’
「Dinnertime.」
A beaming waiter from the Seven Mile Fragrance Tavern delivered five roasted geese, glistening with grease and smelling absolutely divine.
At the suite’s dining table, Moonlight had its face buried in one of the roasted geese, grease dripping from its mouth as a contented rumble emanated from its throat.
It would occasionally lift its head to cast a wary eye on the other four intact geese, as if afraid they might sprout legs and run away.
Raylo found the sight amusing. ’This little one will toss its principles aside for a good meal.’
He ate a simple meal himself, his mind already preoccupied with Master Barnaby.
Seeing that Moonlight’s battle with the roasted geese had reached a fever pitch and that it wouldn’t be paying attention to anything else for a good while, Raylo quietly stood up, carefully secured the five Dragon Scales on his person, and left the suite.
The inn’s main hall wasn’t too noisy. The firelight from the hearth danced and flickered, illuminating the faces of the travelers coming and going.
Raylo walked up to the front desk and asked the attendant, "Excuse me, which room is Master Barnaby staying in?"
