As soon as Don Quixote returned to his temporary room at Windsor's Lodge, he couldn't wait to get started.
[Employer: Lady Wylla]
[Quest: Maintain order in the Iron Axe Tavern daily (This quest is settled daily; rewards are random)]
[Reward: Knight's Basic Breathing Technique (Claimable)]
"Finally, some good luck."
Don Quixote stared intently at the random reward for the day's quest, unable to suppress a sigh of relief.
"Claim!"
Don Quixote recited the command in his mind.
In an instant, a strange and mysterious stream of information surfaced out of nowhere in his mind.
It then naturally integrated into his memory.
[Knight's Basic Breathing Technique: A secret art of physical and mental training originating from the Age of Heroes.]
[By precisely controlling the rhythm of one's breathing, one can break through the limits of human physical ability.]
[This is one of the supernatural arts of Westeros that was lost ages ago!]
[It is also the embodiment of chivalry:]
[To control one's breath is to control oneself; only by controlling oneself can one protect others.]
In silence.
Guided by that faint, mysterious information, Don Quixote began to adjust his breathing rhythm to achieve a preliminary resonance with the flow of his blood, the optimization of his muscles, and the accumulation of his spirit.
---
"I'm starving."
Early the next morning, Don Quixote was woken up by intense hunger pangs attacking his stomach.
After a hasty wash, he rushed to the Iron Axe Tavern.
"Ronan! Peppered boar, roasted bison leg with leeks, honey-roasted chicken, barley beef stew—one of each! No, make that two of each!
"And give me five black sausages and a pot of sparkling wine!"
Don Quixote shouted as soon as he stepped into the tavern.
...He was simply too hungry!
Last night, he had stumbled through three cycles of the Breathing Technique.
Of course, he was only able to improve so quickly thanks to the faint guidance of that mysterious information stream.
After three cycles, the hidden effect of the information stream had dissipated.
However, he had essentially mastered the basics of the Knight's Basic Breathing Technique, meaning he could now practice it on his own.
At this hour, there were no customers in the tavern yet.
Ronan, who had arrived earlier than Don Quixote as usual, was tidying up the counter.
"Don Quixote, are you sure you want two of each?"
Hearing Don Quixote's urgent shouting, he looked up in astonishment:
"That's enough food to stuff three grown men!"
Over the past month, Don Quixote's outstanding performance on several occasions meant Ronan no longer dared to look down on him.
Moreover, Lady Wylla seemed to trust Don Quixote immensely.
She even let Don Quixote audit the tavern's ledgers for her.
The dissatisfaction in Ronan's heart had long since vanished.
He knew he couldn't afford to provoke Don Quixote.
He wanted to keep working at the tavern.
"Ronan, you talk too much!"
Don Quixote impatiently ran straight to the back kitchen and shouted:
"Madam Nadine, please help me..."
The old woman, Nadine, smiled warmly while quickly preparing the pots:
"My Lord, I heard your voice. I've already started preparing the food for you."
The runner boy, Cole, was Nadine's grandson.
She knew Don Quixote often looked out for Cole.
So, compared to others, she respected and was more grateful to Don Quixote.
"Madam Nadine treats me the best," Don Quixote blinked and smiled.
"Hey, make the portions a little bigger for me."
"Don't worry, My Lord!" Madam Nadine promised with a smile.
Don Quixote turned his head to look at Cole, who was also in the kitchen, and ordered:
"Kid, help your grandmother properly. Don't think about slacking off!"
"Yes, Lord Don Quixote!" Cole shouted hurriedly.
"I'll never slack off!"
He often ate and drank with Don Quixote.
And Don Quixote had shielded him from the unreasonable demands of many difficult customers.
His complexion and spirit were much better than when Don Quixote first met him.
Returning to the bar, Don Quixote looked at Ronan and asked:
"Ronan, how much?"
"A total of 2 silver stags and 5 coppers. That's the discounted price," Ronan said hurriedly, having already calculated the total.
Don Quixote nodded.
He took out some coins and handed them to Ronan:
"Here's 2 silver stags and 8 coppers. The extra 3 coppers are for a cup of ale. My treat."
"Thank you, Lord Don Quixote!"
Ronan smiled respectfully and added:
"My Lord, a cup of ale is only 2.5 coppers for us staff."
The cost of Don Quixote's daily feasting exceeded what most people around Castle Cerwyn could afford.
In Ronan's eyes, this added another layer of mystery to him.
Don Quixote waved his hand, not caring:
"Just charge the customer price."
With that, he turned and walked to his usual seat.
Before long, the food was brought to the table dish by dish.
Don Quixote looked at Cole, who was faintly expecting something, and said:
"Kid, take two black sausages and eat."
"Thank you, My Lord!"
Cole didn't stand on ceremony; he respectfully took two black sausages made of pork blood and grains.
...Truly a training method involving supernatural power. The effect after just one night is incredible.
Eating meat in big mouthfuls and drinking wine in big gulps, Don Quixote was soon full. He slumped in his seat and looked at his stats panel.
[Name: Don Quixote]
[Identity: Knight]
[Spirit: 1.86]
[Vitality: 1.49]
In one night, his Spirit increased by 0.01 and his Vitality by 0.02.
That was comparable to the full effect of half a Blood Apple.
"Work won't be boring from now on."
Don Quixote decided to use his time guarding the tavern during the day to practice the Knight's Basic Breathing Technique.
It worked out perfectly—when he got hungry from training, he could just order a meat dish to replenish his energy.
---
Night fell.
Don Quixote lay in the misty hot water pool, enjoying the service of a pair of gentle hands.
...So comfortable.
Closing his eyes, Don Quixote suddenly asked:
"Adele, how did the matter I asked you to inquire about go?"
Adele, massaging him firmly, lowered her voice and smiled respectfully:
"My Lord, Lady Jonelle seems to be about twenty-seven years old this year."
Jonelle Cerwyn. She would be about thirty-two during the late stages of the War of the Five Kings.
The current Lord, Medger Cerwyn, would die early in the War of the Five Kings. Then, his heir, Cley Cerwyn, would be killed by Ramsay Bolton.
Finally, Jonelle Cerwyn would become the ruling Lady of House Cerwyn during that period.
That is to say, an unmarried Countess of Castle Cerwyn!
...There are still three or four years before the War of the Five Kings. Good, good. That's enough time for me to grow stronger.
Don Quixote recalled some memorable plot points from the original books in his past life and felt relieved.
"My Lord, why are you asking about Lady Jonelle?" Adele poked Don Quixote's back with her finger and asked curiously.
"Hehe, do you fancy Lady Jonelle?"
...Plump, plain-looking. Although a maiden, she has a matronly richness to her figure. Her temperament is more homely than the delicate air of a typical noblewoman.
Don Quixote recalled the description of Jonelle Cerwyn from Bran's perspective in the original books.
...How could a little brat like Bran appreciate the wonders of a woman?
Don Quixote looked forward to seeing Jonelle's true appearance even more.
Thinking about it, Don Quixote suddenly stood up, facing the girl in the misty steam.
"Adele, help me."
"My Lord~"
The water in the pool didn't even reach half of Don Quixote's height.
He stood quietly, grandly equipped.
The girl knelt at the edge of the pool.
Gasping for air, breathing with difficulty.
(Sound of silence)
...