226 Chapter 226: Banter

Once both Caesar and Joe exited the palace, they boarded the already prepared carriage. The stallions which were well-fed and hydrated didn't hesitate to pull them along, back to where the tavern was located. The moon was hung high in the sky; faintly illuminated the surroundings with its beautiful luminescence.

The night was quiet, and not many pedestrians were out and about. Not a single carriage, nor noble was in sight, only the stone roads. Most of the royal guards were busy at the palace or catering to the departing nobles so that no mishaps occurred on their journey.

On the other hand, the citizens were fearful of catching the eye of the rich and influential, so they stayed cooped up in their homes for the night. The difference in power between the royals and commoners was like heaven and earth. There was no competition.

Thinking to here, Caesar pulled the reigns of his horse and glanced at the quiet Joe. The dwarf carried a strange expression on his face, one of agony and depression. Caesar figured it was due to him agreeing to war, so he opened his thin lips, "don't worry Joe, if you don't want to, I won't force you to fight with me."

His words took Joe out of his daze. He looked up, staring at Caesar incredulously, "I'm not worried about the inevitable battles. I'm thinking an entirely different matter,"he paused, wistfully looking up at the moon, "I think I'm in love, Caesar."

A small smile formed on Caesar's lips as he patted the silly dwarf on the back, "if so, then why haven't you chased her yet?" he asked after a chuckle. With their current position, it was doubtful that Joe could be with the dwarven lass, that is if he didn't pursue her.

However, to Caesar's surprise, Joe wasn't too worried about it. In fact, he actually managed to chuckle in such a situation. "I need to better myself so that I am worthy of her," he replied, "I've decided to start following you into battle instead of running away, I want to make you a king, but I want to become a noble as repayment."

Before Caesar could reply, Joe continued in a heavy voice, "I want my children and their subsequent children to benefit off of my merits. To live a life without worry, a peaceful life inside of Rahvin kingdom with enough food to waste and throw away for two lifetimes."

Determination sparkled within Joe's eyes as if he had just created a new life goal. Perhaps, it was due to his fated meeting, or maybe, it was something that he had been thinking about for a long while. Either way, it was a pleasant change, and Caesar couldn't help but smile broadly.

The ride back to the tavern was relatively silent after Joe's declaration; they merely spoke about the taste of wine and the beautiful women at the party. Joe's idea of beauty was slightly weird, and he thought that stout and thick women were the best aspects a woman could possess. In contrast, Caesar was quite the opposite.

This banter continued for a few minutes, until finally, they arrived at the rowdy tavern. The light flickered on and off, and the drunkards could be heard singing, gambling, and eating. Caesar tied the reigns around a thick stake and hopped off the carriage, helping Joe down while he was at it.

They were both tired from continuously talking and drinking, so they headed straight for their rooms, not greeting the innkeeper, nor the drunkards. Their suits were immediately stripped once they entered their room, falling into a neat pile of clothes that required cleaning. The comfortable beds seemed to be enchanting as they crawled into them, quickly drifting off to sleep.

Joe continuously giggled in his sleep, thinking about the new love of his life. In contrast, Caesar wanted to quickly return to Rahvin kingdom, so that he could make the necessary preparations for the future. Both of them were contemplating about entirely different subjects, but they gradually fell asleep at the same time.

…

The next morning, loud chirping and the smell of breakfast woke both Caesar and Joe up. Their enjoyable slumber was cut short, and the blankets were naturally pushed off of the bed. Caesar's drowsy eyes repeatedly blinked as he stood up, dressing himself in some light clothes.

He adorned a relatively bland button-up shirt with rolled up sleeves, a pair black trousers, and tied his hair up into a fashional ponytail. He wore his black, pointed shoes, and lazily stretched his limbs once he was ready.

Other than the meeting with Requiem, there wasn't much left to do in Limbo kingdom. If the three hooligans did as they promised, then another meeting would take place at the abandoned chapel, one day from now. The main difference, however, would be the presence of their boss.

Like this, Caesar and Joe decided to head down the stairs and order breakfast from the innkeeper. Most of it consisted of chunks of meat and potatoes, to which Joe quickly scruffed down. Caesar, on the other hand, didn't have much of an appetite, so he only ate a few pieces of the meat.

They treated the innkeeper's strange gaze as passing wind and swiftly finished breakfast, heading out of the tavern before noon. The blinding sun rays illuminated their figures as they walked along the bustling streets.

"So, Caesar, what are we going to be doing today?" Joe asked from the side, yawning into his hand. They hadn't really spent much time together on the trip, besides bantering and going to the ball, so they decided to have some fun today.

Caesar stroked his chin, "I suppose we can go and find some cat food, and perhaps, go to the bar?" he said after a few moments of contemplation. Unlike Earth, there weren't many fun things to do in the world.

Joe energetically nodded his head, increasing his pace as well. He had a new goal to achieve, so he was in an exceptionally good mood today. If he wanted to bed the noble dwarven woman, then he just had to become a noble too! Or so he thought.