Chapter 398: Bagpipes and Lyres
“Wow, is this a swimsuit?”
After picking out clothes for daily wear and formal occasions, Lily finally noticed several swimsuits tucked away in a corner.
“Are there only so few?” They asked, looking at each other.
The shopkeeper approached and explained, “These are just samples. Few people buy swimsuits, and they are quite private. It’s not suitable for people to try them on casually, so we don’t have many here.”
“If you like any style, I can bring more out from the wardrobe in the back. But once you decide on these clothes, you can only buy them directly. We don’t accept returns.”
“But if there’s a size issue, I can adjust them for you,” she added, then walked towards the back.
“That makes sense. I don’t want to wear something others have worn,” Letis said, raising her arm and placing her finger on her chin.
Following the requests of the young ladies, the shopkeeper brought out different options for them to choose from.
(For specific details, I will write a small side story and post it in the subscription group tomorrow.)
After selecting their swimsuits, they tried them on in the changing room and had the sizes adjusted before leaving satisfied.
“Haha, I didn’t expect Lolan to be so shy. That was unexpected,” Alena teased, while Lolan Hill leaned against Keti and walked at the end of the group.
Sighing inwardly, Lolan Hill’s ears turned slightly red. She avoided her companions’ gazes and walked slowly.
After everyone bought their clothes, it was nearly noon. They returned to their lodgings to put things down, ate something, and then took a brief rest.
“Where shall we go in the afternoon?”
“Ahhh,” Ye Ling yawned, saying she wanted to sleep in her room and didn’t want to go anywhere. Keti seemed similarly tired.
“I’ll stay too,” Vimya spoke up.
In the end, the group split into three. Vimya, Ye Ling, and Keti stayed at the inn to rest, while the others went out to continue shopping in the afternoon.
Letis, Nia, and Bumansa formed one group, while Lolan Hill, Alena, and Lily formed another.
“We’ll go eastward, and the other group will head westward. Let’s meet at the harbor by the sea before sunset.”
After agreeing, the two groups headed off in different directions.
A melody drifted from the street.
“This seems interesting,” Lily pointed to the four performers on the street. They played special instruments and wore unique costumes, attracting many passing travelers.
The four wore deep burgundy leather skirts. Three of them were bare-chested, showing blue tattoos on their arms and chests. One wore a black leather vest with a row of worn copper buttons.
They all had strong physiques, with visible healed scars. One beat a leather drum, another blew a black wooden instrument shaped like a horn. Another played a short flute, and the last carried a peculiar instrument on his shoulder and chest.
This instrument was rare, with a black leather pouch in the middle. Three horn-like tubes were inserted into the pouch, and a tube for blowing air was also attached. These four tubes faced different directions: front, side, and rear. The player blew into one of the tubes, while pressing fingers on the tubes of one of the horns.
It was worth noting that the three horn-like tubes were hollowed out from some animal’s horn, giving a primitive and rugged feel.
As the black wooden horn sounded, the others began to play, creating a distant and ancient tune, reminiscent of the twilight of tribal times or the wandering reindeer in the forest, wild and untamed.
“How nice, what kind of instrument is this?” Lily asked.
“It seems to be a bone horn bagpipe,” Alena guessed. She had traveled with her father and had seen such instruments before.
“It should be a characteristic instrument from the northern mountainous area of Vergha. There are tribes living in the forests and wilderness there,” Alena recalled slowly.
“Looks like they’re doing some promotion,” Lolan Hill observed the newly opened shop behind them. The sign made of wood read ‘Black Forest Instruments’. The letters were painted green and still wet.
“Let’s take a look. I haven’t seen this kind of instrument in a long time,” Alena suggested excitedly.
“Okay,” the young girl nodded, and the three of them entered the shop.
Inside, the wooden decor filled the view: wooden tables, benches, cabinets, instruments, shields, decorations, etc., dazzling the eyes.
The style of this shop was very distinct. Lolan Hill marveled and looked around.
There weren’t many people inside; most came out of curiosity, but few actually bought anything. This was normal, as most people liked music but few could actually play.
“Boss, boss, do you still have those bone horn bagpipes outside?” Alena asked after circling the shop and not finding what she wanted.
“Yes, yes, but they’re quite large, so we usually don’t display them,” the bearded boss with a beer belly stepped out from behind the counter and pulled out a wooden box, revealing a bagpipe packed in straw.
“This is interesting,” Alena picked up the large bagpipe under the surprised gaze of the boss, cleaned the mouthpiece, and attempted to play it, but it wasn’t in tune.
“Huhu, Alena, stop playing, it’s embarrassing,” Lily covered her mouth and laughed.
“Mind your own business,” Alena rolled her eyes at her friend and tried again.
Lolan Hill slowly squatted down to look at an instrument on the counter. Its design was familiar—it was a lyre.
The lyre and harp had a deep connection, often mistaken for the same thing. However, there were many types of harps, some standing upright and played sitting down, others small enough to be held like a short bow. This type was widely known in the young girl’s memory—whether in constellations like the Lyra constellation or the famous Harpist Alliance in D&D, this image was used.
Thus, bards and lyres became almost synonymous, appearing in various games.
She picked it up and gently plucked a string, and a gentle and moving melody sounded.
“What’s this?” the young girl raised it and asked.
“Oh, that’s a seven-stringed lyre. Does the young lady want it?” the boss replied, looking at the instrument in Lolan Hill’s hand.
“Yes,” the young girl nodded.
After Lolan Hill picked up an instrument, Lily also found something interesting—a small flute, similar to a whistle, with a light and lively sound.
“How much, boss? Give us a discount,” Alena started negotiating prices after they had decided.
“I’m afraid I can’t lower it further. We only sell one or two a day, and we need to cover the rent. Can’t save on that,” the boss chuckled.
“Well, okay,” Alena wasn’t one to haggle, so she cheerfully paid with a few gold coins.
The group temporarily left the instruments at the shop to pick up later, as it was close to their lodgings. Then, the three continued walking westward.
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Note: For later chapters, you can skip the parts about traveling to the southern region as they aren’t written well.
(End of Chapter)
