A crisp bell rang as the door opened, and the afternoon sun poured into this old store that was almost filled with all kinds of dolls. The elf store manager, who was concentrating on adjusting a set of doll skeletons behind the counter, heard the noise, looked up, and saw a tall, black-haired man wearing an eye patch walking into the store.
The old elf woman looked at this "customer" who didn't look like he was coming to the store to buy dolls with some confusion, but after a moment she still smiled and greeted him - after all, she didn't recognize that the tall one-eyed man in front of her was the child who had brought his sister to her store to buy things a century ago: "Ah, welcome to the Rose Doll Museum, come and take a look."
Then she took the meal and said casually, "It's not common to have a guest like you."
Tirian's eyes slowly scanned the surroundings.
There were all kinds of dolls, shelves and carved stairs that looked quite old, a warm and peaceful atmosphere, and the smiling old lady.
The yellowed fragments of memory gradually pieced together, turning into a familiar picture, and gradually overlapping with the scene before my eyes.
It is indeed here. The road Lucrecia pointed to is correct.
The elf shopkeeper didn't recognize me, which was normal - I had changed so much compared to a century ago.
Tirian adjusted his expression slightly, trying to make his face look softer. Half a century of wandering and plundering on the cold sea had turned him into a cold and hard man. He knew that there was always a special and uncomfortable feeling around him, and this temperament obviously had not affected the kind old lady, the shopkeeper. She was smiling and greeting him, but there was confusion and a little vigilance in her eyes.
"I want to ask you something," Tirian didn't know if his expression was in place. He still couldn't quite remember what expression and tone he should use when he walked into a store like those people did. "Have you ever sold a doll called Nilu?"
"… This was the first time he had seen someone who would carry his wanted poster as a proof of identity, and he was a big pirate," the old elf lady's expression finally became a little more normal. He folded the wanted poster and returned it while muttering, "I heard about the Sea Mist docking, and I was thinking of going to the port to see what was going on when I had time. I didn't expect you to come here first. Is your sister okay?"
The elf shop owner was stunned for a moment, and spoke uncertainly: "Indeed... there was a doll like this, which was placed in the store for many years, and was bought by someone a while ago, but why are you asking about this?"
Tirian was stunned. "... Wig? What kind of wig?"
"He... lives a more carefree life than you do," Tirian said, and then glanced at the good man opposite with a strange expression, "I thought you would be scared. Most people react this way after seeing me - even outside the Frozen Sea."
After a long while, the old elven woman finally controlled her expression, looked up at Tirian, and said in a strange tone: "It's really you."
I thought about it and added two more sentences: "An 8-point doll, about that tall—classical court style, with a very gorgeous skirt."
Could it be... that he is one of my father's subordinates? !
This man's appearance... is exactly the same as the Frost Man Wang Xiao Nora from half a century ago! Then, without waiting for the old lady to respond, he started the topic neatly and pulled the topic back: "Can you tell me now who bought this doll?"
Tirian curled his lips. "The bounty... is indeed a bit high, but it's just a formality. They add a zero every seven or eight years. No one will come to claim the bounty anyway."
Tirian reacted first, but before I could see the man's face clearly, I froze in place as if struck by lightning.
"Long straight blond hair, one-to-one size, I have a deep impression of it," the old lady owner said, and suddenly remembered something, "Oh, I have another one that's similar here, would you like to take a look?"
"We talked a little bit... It was very unusual," the old lady owner recalled. "It seemed like this customer really hated dolls. He was very concerned about the dolls.
Restoration and maintenance, he learned a lot from me, oh yes, he also bought a wig and matching hair accessories, it seems to be for his own doll. "
The old elf lady took the paper handed over by the other party with doubts while listening. She opened it and saw a big head portrait printed on the paper. Below it was the text of the wanted order, the bounty, and the official seal of the Frost City-State...
Tirian seemed to have noticed something was wrong and smiled awkwardly: "It's me."
Tirian turned his head without any surprise and looked in the direction where the sound came from.
The old lady who owned the shop was stunned for a moment, then she slowly opened her eyes and looked at Tirian in disbelief: "Ah, he you are..."
"Oh, it's a middle-aged man who looks about the same age as you... maybe even shorter. He looks quite thin and seems to be in poor health." The old lady didn't hesitate this time and said it casually, "But I don't think it's possible for you to find it. There are so many people in Plande. Do you want to bring the other doll that you couldn't buy back to your sister? Oh, this is too bad, if you had come earlier... Wait, he just reacted, how do you know someone bought 'Nelue'?"
"You should be somewhat famous," Tirian said seriously. "In short, your family is famous... although it may not be a pleasant one."
Tirian's mind suddenly began to buzz. He felt that he had finally witnessed the calmness and composure of the long-lived race. He had to quickly interrupt the old lady's muttering: "The Sea Mist Fleet is still undergoing changes. Revenge and looting against the northern city-states are a thing of the past. Now we mainly rely on collecting protection fees..."
He saw an ugly man with waist-length blond hair standing in the window, banging on it heavily.
Tirian was stunned. He did not expect the other party to respond like that. He thought quickly and then stood firm for two or three seconds, as if he had made up his mind: "... Didn't you recognize him?"
"Who bought it?" Tirian felt his heartbeat slow down. He didn't expect to find the clue so quickly. His father actually bought the doll from the store openly. "About when?"
"I know you may not believe it, but I have something that can prove my identity," Tirian's thoughts worked quickly, and he took something out of his arms while speaking, "Elves like you are well-informed, and you should have heard about me... Take a look at that."
Tirian did not answer the other party's question, but frowned subconsciously.
"I've seen so many strange things, and he's the only great pirate. The city-state has issued a document stating that the Sea Mist is a guest invited by Pland, and the affairs of the northern seas have nothing to do with you," the old lady muttered as she walked towards the counter, and then her mumbling turned into nagging, "But I still have to talk about you. Being a pirate is not a serious thing. It's not a long-term business, and it's not good to tell others about it. Look at your sister, she can at least get a lifetime honorary title in the Explorers' Association.
Of course, I've also heard that his relationship with the northern city-states seems to be complicated..."
"That's because it will be a long, long time before you come back there," Tirian said with a strange smile. "Do you remember that a hundred years ago, a brother and sister took a doll named 'Qinni' away from here?"
A man shorter than himself, thin, weak, and in poor condition... This can't be his father.
"Recognize...?" The old lady who owns the shop frowned, and looked up and down at the familiar human in front of her in confusion. "I don't remember receiving customers like you. Most of the people who come to my shop to buy dolls are women, or young men who are looking for gifts for their lovers, and fathers who are looking for gifts for their daughters."
Tirian wanted to say that there was no need to go through so much trouble, but he didn't have time. At this moment, another strange knocking sound suddenly came from nearby, attracting his attention.
The shop owner was obviously shocked by Tirian's overly excited reaction, and became more alert. "I'm sorry, I can't disclose information about my customers. That's our business rule.
As he spoke, he turned around and went to the storage room under the stairs to search.
The old lady thought for a moment and said, "After so many years, there are still so many zeros after your name..."
It sounded like someone inside was banging on the window.
After regaining his humanity and sanity, he hasn't even finished recruiting new subordinates? What does he want to do? Is he going to rebuild the Lost Home Fleet? !
The old lady who owns the shop: “…”
Tirian thought about a lot of things for a while, until the old lady called his name twice beside him, and then he woke up. Then he thought of something else and asked immediately: "Besides buying the doll, what else did this customer say? Did he take anything else?"