Entering Megalith City, the wide streets were paved with smooth stone slabs, spacious enough for several carriages to pass abreast. The streets were lined with shops sporting a bewildering variety of signs: taverns, blacksmiths, general stores, drapers... everything one could imagine. The crowds were shoulder-to-shoulder, and the sounds of hawking, laughter, and clopping hooves were constant, forming a stark contrast to the desolate scenes of the Blackstone Territory.
The knights' eyes betrayed a hint of wonder and yearning; this was what a great city was supposed to look like. The guiding knight led them to an establishment called the "Golden Griffin Inn." Standing five stories tall with a grand facade, it featured a lifelike golden griffin statue at the entrance, looking mighty and imposing. It was clear that this was one of the premier inns in Megalith City.
"Baron, this is the Golden Griffin Inn, one of the finest in the city. Your rooms are ready; please take your rest," the knight captain said respectfully.
Leylo nodded in thanks, and the group entered the inn. As soon as he stepped into the lobby, Leylo's gaze was drawn to a large notice posted on the wall. It was written on high-quality parchment in a flamboyant hand, and its content made his heart skip a beat:
"Buying dragon scales at high prices! Top quality earns top coin! Dragon scales can also be traded for my specially crafted 'Earth Knight Breakthrough Potion'! Barnaby Gray—buying with sincerity, serious inquiries only!"
Below the notice was an exaggerated drawing of a potion bottle, signed "Master Barnaby" next to it.
Earth Knight Breakthrough Potion!
Leylo's pupils constricted slightly. He reflexively glanced at Moonlight at his feet. Moonlight was boredly batting at the tassels of a rug with its paws, seemingly uninterested in the notice.
Ed also saw the notice and whispered to Leylo, "My Lord, if this Master Barnaby is seeking dragon scales, why did he come all the way to the frontier of Megalith City instead of visiting the Duke in Thunder Dragon City? Isn't that taking the long way around?"
Leylo remained noncommittal, but his mind was already working. He instructed Ed to arrange food and lodging for the knights while he took Moonlight back to the suite assigned to him.
The suite was spacious and comfortable, elegantly furnished. Leylo closed the door to ensure no one would disturb them, then crouched down to look at Moonlight. Moonlight had already jumped onto the soft bed, curled into a ball, and was lazily flicking its tail tip against the sheets with its pale gold eyes half-closed. It had the look of "I'm sleepy, don't bother me."
"Moonlight," Leylo rubbed his hands together, wearing what he thought was his most amiable smile. "You saw that notice at the door just now, right?"
Moonlight didn't even lift an eyelid; it merely gave a soft huff from its nose to show it heard him.
"That... Earth Knight Breakthrough Potion is very important to me," Leylo tried to make his tone sound as sincere as possible. "You know, if my strength improves, it's good for you too, right? I'll be able to get you more delicious things in the future, like... well, juicy honey-roasted wild boar legs, or fat, golden roasted whole sheep..."
Moonlight's ears twitched, and its tail flicked slightly faster. Seeing an opening, Leylo pressed on.
"I heard there's a famous 'Seven-Mile Fragrance Tavern' in Megalith City. I hear their roasted goose is crispy-skinned and tender-fleshed—one bite and your mouth is full of savory oil. If you do me this small favor, I'll treat you to... well, three geese! No, five roasted geese!"
At the mention of "roasted goose," Moonlight finally opened its eyes. Its pale gold orbs fixed on Leylo with a hint of suspicion. It slowly licked its paw, seemingly considering the cost-performance ratio of this proposal.
Leylo was secretly delighted; he knew this little foodie was tempted. He continued his coaxing: "Look, dragon scales shouldn't be anything rare to you, right? Just dropping a few would get me the potion I dream of and let you have a feast—it's killing two birds with one stone. No, it's a bargain of a lifetime!"
Moonlight tilted its head. Leylo gave a slightly sheepish laugh.
"Er, I didn't mean it that way. I mean, while you're growing up, maybe... maybe once in a while a scale or two falls off naturally? They're useless to keep, so why not trade them for some practical benefits?" He phrased his words carefully, afraid of annoying this little lord.
Moonlight stared at Leylo for a long time, making Leylo feel a bit nervous. Just as he thought the negotiation was about to collapse and was ready to add a few more geese to the deal, Moonlight suddenly opened its mouth and yawned.
Then, to Leylo's astonishment, it reached out a front paw and rummaged around its belly. Following its movement, several silver scales shimmering with a cold, moonlight-like radiance slid out silently, clinking as they fell onto the soft sheets.
Exactly five scales. Each was about the size of an infant's palm, rounded at the edges, with surfaces covered in fine, arcane patterns like exquisite works of art, emitting a faint magical fluctuation.
Leylo's eyes went wide. "This... this is..." He was a mixture of surprise and joy.
Moonlight shot him a glance, lazily licked its paw, and flicked its pale gold eyes toward him. The look clearly said: "Five geese. Remember it."
Leylo cautiously picked up a scale. It was cool to the touch and tough in texture; the pure energy contained within made his spirit stir. He was overjoyed—he hadn't expected Moonlight to give them up so easily... no, so "generously." And since they were naturally shed scales, he felt much more at ease.
"Moonlight, you really are my greatest treasure!" Leylo excitedly tried to hug Moonlight, but the cat deftly tilted its head to dodge him.
Moonlight patted the scales on the sheet with the tip of its tail, then rubbed its chin against Leylo's hand with a satisfied purr, as if urging him to go trade them for geese immediately.
Leylo laughed and tucked the five scales into his robe. This little guy, Moonlight, had so many secrets. It definitely mastered some kind of spatial storage magic; who knew how many treasures were hidden in the magical space bag on its belly. At the very least, it probably had a stockpile of shed scales. Otherwise, given Moonlight's personality, the price wouldn't be as low as five geese for five scales.
By dinner time, a waiter from the Seven-Mile Fragrance Tavern arrived, beaming as he delivered five glistening, aromatic roasted geese.
At the dining table in the suite, Moonlight was currently buried in a roasted goose, eating until its face was covered in grease, emitting muffled purrs of satisfaction from its throat. From time to time, it would look up warily at the other four whole geese, as if afraid they might grow legs and run away.
Leylo found it amusing. This little guy could temporarily set aside its principles for the sake of food. He had a simple meal himself, his thoughts already flying toward Master Barnaby.
Seeing that the battle between Moonlight and the geese had entered its peak and the cat wouldn't be bothered with anything else for a while, Leylo stood up quietly, carefully tucked the five scales close to his body, and left the suite.
The lobby of the inn wasn't too noisy. The fire in the hearth danced, reflecting off the faces of travelers coming and going. Leylo walked to the counter and asked the attendant, "Excuse me, which room is Master Barnaby staying in?"