Volume 2, Chapter 9 – The Tavern in the Outer District

As dusk fell, the sun sinking into the horizon painted the sky in hues of orange and red, stretching people’s shadows into long, slender forms. When these shadows fell upon the low brick walls, they twisted into eerie, ghostly patterns.

A bald man with a cigarette dangling from his lips walked ahead. His broad chest, muscular arms, and expressionless face gave the impression that he might lash out and throw a punch at any moment.

After turning a corner, the tall man took the cigarette from his mouth, clicked his tongue, and spoke bluntly without regard for Yisi and Camilla standing behind him.

“Nix, the people you introduced this time have terrible judgment.”

“…Miss Yisi and Miss Camilla saved my life, Darc. If you keep talking like that, I won’t bring you any more business in the future.”

“Heh, I see. I was wondering why a sly fox like you would be so respectful to two kids.” Moving at a slightly brisk pace through the maze of narrow alleys, the man turned his head to glance at Yisi behind Nix. “Let me make this clear—I’ve already warned you. If you want to open a shop in this area, you’ll need both the capital and good relations with the patrols. And don’t expect a refund if you regret it later.”

“Miss Yisi is someone who can drive off an entire pack of ice wolves and leave over a dozen of their corpses behind. If those beastmen try to cause trouble for her, they’ll only bring suffering upon themselves.”

Clearly old friends who shared a comfortable rapport, Nix urged the bald man forward without hesitation.

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“I’m only giving them this warning out of respect for you. Sure, this Yisi girl looks young, but the other one—her looks and figure? Tsk. She’d get hit on at least ten times just stepping outside. If she fell into the hands of slave traders, she’d easily fetch dozens of gold coins.”

“Just lead the way and stop yapping so much.”

Nix shoved the bald man forward, and the group’s pace quickened.

This suited Yisi just fine. The alley was littered with piles of long-accumulated garbage, and foul-smelling sewage flowed freely underfoot. One misstep would land her in a puddle, splashing dirty water onto her skirt. If not for the presence of the others, she would have already covered her nose and mouth with a handkerchief.

“Miss Yisi, are you really planning to stay here tonight? I think it’d be better to rest at an inn and discuss things tomorrow. Even an ordinary tavern would take half a day to clean, excluding the attic and basement. The place Darc mentioned has been abandoned for half a year—the dust inside will be so thick it’ll take several people to clean it properly.”

“No need to worry, Nix. Not only am I a magic caster, but Camilla is one as well. And she knows cleansing magic, which I don’t. Dust won’t be a problem—it’ll only take a few minutes.”

“Uh…”

Nix awkwardly averted his gaze. The conditions to become a magic caster were extremely demanding, and even a novice was someone ordinary people looked up to.

Take Celtic City, for example. With a population of nearly forty thousand, the number of magic casters didn’t even reach triple digits. So when Yisi mentioned that Camilla was also a magic caster, Nix—who had assumed Camilla was a warrior—couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. The status of warriors paled in comparison to magic casters, and mistaking a magic caster for a warrior was considered highly disrespectful on the continent.

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Unaware of Nix’s discomfort, the group turned another corner, and the cramped alley suddenly opened into a street wide enough for a carriage to pass through. Directly across from the alley stood a rather old-looking three-story building that was unmistakably a former tavern.

“This is the place. The owner’s asking price is 50 gold coins, plus my introduction fee—51 in total. Nix, don’t give me that look. This is already a discounted price.” The bald man sighed, fishing out a keyring from his pocket and flipping through it under the dim sunlight.

“You can take a look inside before deciding. I’ve got three taverns in the Outer District. If this one doesn’t suit you, there are others. But I’ll say this—this is the best location. It’s close to the Inner District and gets more foot traffic.”

“Let’s take a look inside first.”

The long-neglected wooden door let out a shrill creak as the group stepped inside. A musty, damp smell rushed into their noses, and the vibration from opening the door sent a thin layer of dust raining down from the wooden ceiling, sending everyone into a coughing fit.

Cough, cough. “Darc, could you not slam the door open like that?”

“I’m used to it. The torch should be around here… Huh? Damn it, did those beastmen steal it again?”

The bald man’s curses echoed in Yisi’s ears. This seemed to happen often, but she paid it no mind. The moment he mentioned the price of 51 gold coins for the tavern, she had already decided to buy it.

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In this world, one gold coin from the Ymir Theocracy was enough to cover a month’s expenses for a family of three. The coins the man referred to were the slightly less valuable gold coins of the Hels Kingdom. Yisi had assumed a tavern would cost at least 500 gold coins—51 was practically a steal.

Seeing that the man couldn’t find a torch, Yisi snapped her fingers, conjuring a golden light in her palm that illuminated the room.

The interior was much larger than it appeared from the outside, easily over a hundred square meters. To the right stood a well-preserved wooden counter about half a person’s height, while to the left lay overturned, rotting tables and chairs. At the far end was a staircase leading to the second floor, its corners flickering ominously as the light was blocked by the building’s support beams, casting eerie, swaying shadows.

This would be perfect for a summer test of courage.

The thought popped into Yisi’s head, an ill-timed joke. If she were living here alone, she’d probably move out the very next day.

The bald man squinted, clicking his tongue in what might have been envy or resignation.

“Magic sure is convenient.”

“It’s just a small trick.”

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Yisi’s modest reply made the man’s eyes widen.

“A small trick? How is this a small trick? Even a magic caster who only knows basic utility spells earns two gold coins a month in the military, let alone light magic like this that can illuminate an entire room. In the wilderness, where it’s easy to get lost, a party with a magic caster who can provide light has a much higher survival rate than those relying on torches. I don’t get why a magic caster would want to run a tavern.”

“Onee-sama, there’s blood here.”

While the man muttered his envious remarks, Camilla—who had already ventured deeper into the tavern—knelt down, pointing at a patch of dark red stain on the floor. The spot was relatively free of dust, as if someone had been there not long ago.

Camilla’s words only made the bald man shrug.

“Nothing to worry about. Probably just some beastmen without a place to stay crashed here for a while. That bloodstain’s been there for ages. You’ll get used to it—whenever a place is empty, those beastmen find a way to sneak in.”

Thud, thud, thud.

The moment the man finished speaking, a series of footsteps echoed from the ceiling, followed by the sound of something crashing outside—alongside the pained cry of a boy.