Chapter 117 Agreeing on a date

“Yes, I’m already planning to go back.”

Jace agreed calmly, but emotionally it had surged into waves.

“I need to take one of my students on a trip to Dalaran at the end of the year.” Dushan said, “Attending an orcish language exchange organized by Kenrito, I think the issues that might be discussed at that time are quite relevant to the topic you’ve chosen.”

I’m sure that’s what happened, but was it because of my own choice of topic?

For some reason, Jace suddenly felt as if there was nothing to get excited about, and that getting this opportunity was just because of luck?

He realized he wasn’t even happy about saving a few dozen silver coins, he had thought he had beaten the other students who had been learning orcish for who knows how long with their hard work and talent.

“I’ve only been learning orcish for less than two months, Master.” Jace almost blurted out.

Damn it, he cursed inwardly.

Why don’t you say yes? Do you want to give up your money for the sake of your dignity?

Dushan nodded, looked at his notepad, and said, “But your level is undoubtedly the best in this class, Jace Sesso, and I feel sure that a trip to Dalaran for you would prove the study of the Orcish language in our Stormwind Kingdom …… Wouldn’t you like to go?”

“Willing.” Jace said, “Of course I’m willing to go, Master.” Best in the class? Jace snickered inwardly, I should have told you I was so strong or not.

“Then I’m going to have to put your name in the paper.” Duchamp said, “When do you plan to return to Lordaeron? The exchange takes place just before the Winterfell Festival, and I’m getting word that it’s around December 10th and 11th. You know how long it takes to get from Stormwind Harbor to Southsea Town.”

“About half a month.” Jess said.

Dushan nodded and said, “Yes, about half a month, Jace. So you’ll be leaving within the last 10 days, which will give you a bit more time, after all, there’s still a ways to go from Southsea Town to Dalaran.”

“I need to ask my friend I’m going back with to set a time.” Jace said.

“How many friends?”

“One.”

Dushan stroked his rough chin and said, “Let me know as soon as possible if it’s discussed, it’s not good that I can fight for you to get two positions from Master Andromas! Anyway, it’s travel expenses to Dalaran, that much in total, don’t use it for nothing. Remember to ask your friend to give me his information, it’s best to just give me a piece of paper, name ah …… race, if your friend is not human.”

“Thank you so much, Sensei.”

“Don’t thank me, thank our Master Andromas more.” Dushan laughed, “After all, he’s the one who helped me get the money for my trip too na!”

“Master Duchamp, are you coming with us?” Jess asked.

“No.” Duchamp said, “I’m filing my grades tomorrow, and I’m leaving in three days, and I’ve scheduled my trip early. As I need to make a trip to Dunhold Castle first, I’m going to stay there for a while. We’ll just meet up in Dalaran then.”

After his afternoon exams, he raced all the way to the Dwarf Quarter in a light rain, came to Grid’s door, thumped and knocked, no one was there, and scurried straight to the Pig and Whistle Inn again.

Entering the door and lifting his hood, he was seeing Grider indeed sitting in the corner drinking.

He sat his ass over and tapped the table and said, “Hey, guess what, Grid.”

“You’re marrying an elf?” Grid asked with a grimace.

“Where’s the elf.” Jace said, “Guess again.”

“You killed a red dragon with one punch?”

“Gee, where’s the dragon? Guess again!”

“You’re going to inherit the title?”

“You’re so boring, Grid.”

“You’re the one who asked me to guess.” Grid gave a grin and said, “Say, what did you want to come to me to show off again?”

“Never mind.” Jace said as he stood up, “I would have thought you would have thanked me for getting you a free boat ticket.”

“Hey!” Grid suddenly jumped across the table to grab Jace in a hug. “Don’t go …… my seventeen year old big brother, need, I need this free boat ticket badly! I’m very grateful.”

“That’s more like it.” Jace said, “Order me a jug of wine! We’ll discuss when to leave.”

Grid greeted the wine waiter, sat down and leaned in close to Jace and whispered, “Did you pass that orcish test of yours?”

“Sure.” Jess said, “I’m a native speaker who has communicated with native speakers, so much better than those who can only write and not speak.”

“Don’t mention that native speaker.” Grid shook his head and said, “But what a surprise, the Wizard Sanctuary people are really rich!”

“You inquired? How much does a boat ticket cost?” Jess asked.

“Fifty-eight silver coins a man to book that great Baradin Conqueror for the 17th.” Grid said, “That was a wartime troop carrier, bought by the Hot Sands Consortium and refurbished for a while, now it’s a merchant ship, probably slower than the one we came in on.”

“The great Palatine Conqueror, that sounds big.” Jace said.

Grider said, “It is very large, but old and worn. If the sea is good, we should reach Southsea Town the first to third day of December.”

“I have to be in Dalaran by December 10th.” Jace said, “When do we go to Cintron?”

“There’s no rush to discuss this now, Jace.” Grid said, “The Winterfest lasts for many days, I don’t need to show up at Eagle’s Nest Mountain on the first day and make it look like I can’t get away from them.”

“Good.” Jace said, “So are there any other options, for the ship I mean.”

“It’s a better time for just this one ship that’s willing to carry passengers.” Grid said helplessly, “The others are either too late, too expensive, or fully booked, and you know too many people want to go back now that it’s Winterfest.”

“So many people want to go back for such an expensive boat ticket?” Jace skimmed his lips and said, “There are enough rich people in this Stormwind City.”

“A lot of people work top boat tickets on boats.” Grider said, “I was going to ask if there was such an opportunity, but others don’t leave me that opportunity. Hey, I hadn’t considered anything like going home before, and it’s too much of a loss to ask for the first time this year with no experience at all. If you didn’t have a way to get free tickets, we’d be hemorrhaging money on this trip, and we’d probably have to sell some of our belongings or work our asses off to afford the tickets. Speaking of which, the other day, I wanted to go kill that jackal head.”

When Grid said that, Jace remembered what Marin had said about another mercenary flipping out at Hogg’s.

“There’s plenty of opportunity for that later.”

“Any chance of what?” The dwarf asked.

“Kill that jackal!”

Grid glared and said, “I’m just saying, you’re for real.”

Jace said, “When we come back from Dalaran, maybe the bounty fee will be raised again, then you call a few brothers from the Warrior Guild, I don’t believe that we can’t kill that guy.”

Grid took a sip of his drink and slowly nodded, “Having had a go at that tall monster the other day, it really doesn’t feel like it’s impossible to take him down, I think the biggest trouble is actually his followers.”

Jace said, “When you get to Dalaran, you might be able to find a cure for your aftereffects. When you return, you’ll be able to fight them at full strength.”

Grid stared at the rim of his half-ended glass and said, “Hopefully.”