Chapter 138
“Not many customers here, huh?” (Melt)
“Shh… Melt-chan, you shouldn’t say that.” (Rikka)
“Isn’t it just because it’s still early? A tavern probably gets more people later at night, right?” (Kash)
“Hmm…”
The tavern we arrived at…the tavern filled with Shizuma and Melt-chan’s memories…had only one person at the counter and a single group at a table. Even considering the early hour, it still felt far too empty.
Is the aftermath of the turf war in the den reaching this far…?
“Hey, waiter, waiter! Smoked fish… Five smoked Bull Trouts, please! Ah, everyone’s eating, right? They’re super tasty!” (Melt)
“Yes, that’s fine.” (Rikka)
“Yeah, I’ll eat.” (Kash)
“Right. Master, could we also get something warm to drink?” (Grant) When Melt-chan placed the order, the male waiter looked almost overly relieved…like he was genuinely happy.
“If that’s the case, I recommend the hot wine. Ours is famous for being delicious. It’s a bit sweet, though…is that okay?”
“Oh, then I want some too.” (Rikka)
“Sweet? Then I’d like to try it as well.” (Melt)
“I don’t mind. Kash, you’re drinking too, right?” (Grant)
“Yeah. Ji-san will drink too, won’t he?” (Kash)
“Mm, I shall partake.” (Rue)
They continued ordering. However…
“Ah, just so you know… we didn’t get much fish today. There’s still enough for a refill or two, but keep in mind you might want to pick another snack. All we’ve got left is the vegetable platter and the salami-and-cheese platter. Sorry.”
“No, no, that’s fine. Then we’ll take those two along with the smoked fish. Everyone, tonight is my treat… Eat as much as you like.” (Rue)
“R-Really?” (Rikka)
“Ji-san, you’re generous! I’ll take the treat!” (Kash)
“Sonrou , are you sure about this?” (Grant)
“I don’t mind. Think of it as celebrating our meeting today. And don’t call me something so stiff like ‘Sonrou,’ Grant-kun. My name is Rue…call me something friendlier, like Rue-ji.” (Rue)
“T-That’s…too much of an honor for me. Then, Rue-dono.” (Grant)
“Mm… well, I suppose that’s fine. Hoho, the wine has already arrived.” (Rue)
All four servings were brought at once…one large ceramic decanter and four cups.
Mixed with the wine’s aroma were notes of cinnamon, ginger, and honey rising from the container.
It certainly smelled delicious. And warming.
“Well then, shall we start with a toast?” (Rue)
“Yeah! I’ll pour, Ji-san.” (Kash)
“What’s a toast?” (Melt)
“It’s like… a greeting before drinking alcohol or juice. When something good happens or you’re celebrating something, you make a toast.” (Rikka)
“Heeh! Then today we’re celebrating meeting oji-chan and everyone?” (Melt)
“Umu, exactly-ja.” (Rue)
They lightly tapped cups together…clink.
Each raised the wine to their lips with the call for the toast.
A blissful time began to flow.
Even if the snacks hadn’t arrived yet, it was a moment of absolute delight.
“What a good night…indeed.” (Rue)
—————–
“Can I get a dwarf-ale eggnog, please?” (Grant)
“Sure thing! Drink lots, alright? Sales have been down lately.”
“Yeah… Quite a bit of time has passed, but no one else has come in, huh?” (Melt)
“With drinks and food this good, why? Did something happen?” (Kash)
“…Well…”
A bit later, while they were ordering more fish, drinks, and snacks, Melt, confused by the persistent lack of customers, asked the waiter.
But he hesitated to answer. It looked like he was holding something back.
“…Food supplies in the den have been delayed lately. A lot of places can only open for a short time. And also…”
Just as he was about to continue, the entrance bell rang for the first time since we arrived.
The waiter immediately turned to greet the newcomers with a smile…but that smile vanished in an instant.
…Oh?
“Wel…come…”
“Oi, we’re here. Bring fish and nuts. No booze…we’ve got our own.”
The ones who entered weren’t mercenary or adventurer-like, but they had solid, rough-built bodies, the kind that looked used to violence…a somewhat thuggish group.
Judging from their appearance, they weren’t doing honest business.
Bodyguards? Or just plain thugs?
“Uh… We don’t allow bringing in outside alcohol…”
“Hah!? One of our guys got sick from your booze last time! You didn’t forget, did you? That’s why business is dead, right? Hardly any customers today either.”
“T-That must be some kind of mistake…!”
“Shut up. Bring the fish and nuts.”
…So this is why customers stopped coming.
“I’m sorry, but we’ve run out of fish today. We can prepare salami and cheese, though.”
“Tch… then there’s no point in coming here. Hey, bring that table’s food over here.”
“That’s…not possible…”
“Hah!? Ignore us and ‘divine punishment’ will fall again, you hear?”
“…!”
…So they did something before, hmm?
Landsharks, or just sabotaging the business. Either way, nothing pleasant.
“Everyone, once we finish what we have, let’s leave.” (Rue)
“…Right.” (Grant)
“Tch… Yeah.” (Kash)
“O-Okay.” (Rikka)
The freshly served fish sat untouched…they were clearly hesitant to start eating.
…Except for one person.
“This time I’ll pack extra cheese in it…mmm! No onions is yummy too! This feels so luxurious! And this wine is sweet and tasty! I feel warm and floaty!” (Melt)
Melt-chan happily stuffed cheese between the smoked fish and took a big bite.
She looked adorable and blissfully happy…but in this situation, it was basically a provocation.
“M-Melt-chan!” (Rikka)
“What? What?” (Melt)
“This is bad. They’re coming this way!” (Kash)
Predictably, two men from the group approached our table.
“Quite the fancy table you’ve got here, brats. Hey, old man, you’re their guardian, right? We’ll let it slide this time…hand over the whole table.”
“Huh? Huh? What? Who are you, mister? Were we talking? I didn’t hear anything…! The fish was too yummy…” (Melt)
“Hah? A real beauty, huh. You, beastkin girl…come with us. The rest of you can go home. Old man, you too. Leave the beastkin and get lost.”
“Huh? We’re eating together? But no, everyone’s eating together…so maybe next time?” (Melt)
With the alcohol getting to her, Melt-chan was even more off than usual.
…Well, I suppose it’s time to move.
“Sorry, but I must ask you to give up.” (Rue)
I stood up and spoke gently to the two.
“Hah? You think being an old man gets you mercy? I’ll kill you.”
“Sorry, but I must ask you to give up.” (Rue)
“You senile or what!? Oi, you lot…get over here. Teach this fossil a lesson.”
“Sorry, but I must ask you to give up.” (Rue)
The rest of the group gathered, grinning like they were about to watch something amusing.
“Damn, he’s huge for an old man. We can rough him up, right?”
“Yeah. Brats, wanna join? If you’re not leaving, we’ll ‘educate’ you too.”
“Hey! Enough already! Why the hell do we have to leave!?” (Kash)
Kash-kun lost his patience and snapped…but a fist immediately swung at him.
I catch the fist right before his face.
“Sorry, but I must ask you to give up.” (Rue)
“!?!? Let go…!”
“Sorry, but I must ask you to give up.” (Rue)
I crush the fist. That hand will never open again.
I completely crushed the tendons that moved the fingers.
“Gyah!”
“Melt-chan, could you move the table to the corner?” (Rue)
“Okay! …I’ll keep eating though…” (Melt)
“Ahh… The hot wine really does sneak up on you.” (Rue)
The flushed Melt-chan and the others moved the table.
“So you wanna fight, old man!? Get outside!”
“You’re not getting away. Come here.”
Oh? Are they trying to avoid ruining the snacks? Even though we cleared space inside, they wanted to fight outside.
Hmm… I wanted to test things in peak condition, but I’m already a bit tipsy. Maybe wine in this world is fortified? Delicious, but strong. Especially this tavern’s hot wine.
…Still, being drunk puts me in a good mood.
Outside, six men surrounded me.
I unfortunately left my weapon by the chair.
But it didn’t matter.
“My hand…it won’t work! Just kill him already! I’m actually pissed now!”
“Sorry, old man…looks like your short remaining life ends today.”
Healing magic likely wouldn’t fix that hand…the tendons were crushed and displaced between bones.
It wouldn’t return to normal.
“Sorry, but I must ask you to give up.” (Rue)
—————–
There were no flashy moves, no powerful techniques, no speed.
He simply walked, dodged, and reached out.
The den was quiet at this hour, but even so, six thugs surrounding an old man drew attention.
However, the sight was bizarre.
It looked as if the old man only walked and avoided attacks with unbelievable skill.
Yet one attacker after another suddenly collapsed to the ground.
As if they forgot how to use their legs. Like infants who couldn’t stand.
“What the hell did you do!?”
Three were already down, yet another tried to punch him.
He had a knife hidden, planning to slash from the opposite side the moment the punch was dodged.
But even though it was aimed at his blind spot…the old man avoided it with ease.
No, the slash stopped midway.
He struck the man once with his thumb as he dodged.
A blow too strong to be called acupressure, delivered in a blink, into the joint between shoulder and collarbone, and into the upper arm.
“Guh!”
“Sorry.” (Rue)
The man dropped the knife and his right arm went limp as if dead.
“Give up.” (Rue)
Drawing closer, Rue gives a finishing blow with a swift strike against the man who was coming at him with his remaining healthy left arm.
A sharp kokyack, a clean sound that mixes both a dry crack and something wet, echoes from the man loudly enough for the surroundings to hear.
In that instant, the man’s neck bends to the right far past its normal range, and he staggers like he’s lost his sense of balance, his powerless right arm swaying as he takes a few steps along the street.
Before long…he goes completely silent and collapses, not moving again.
“Hiih! What the hell is with this old man!? What did he just do!? Magic!?”
“Forget it! Leave the ones who fell!”
Rue doesn’t give chase. He simply takes the fallen men and ties them up, using their own clothes to bind and restrain them.
“…I can see their movements perfectly. At this rate, my attacks…are already lethal even without using any skills.” (Rue)
Rue mutters softly, as if he has come to some realization.
And then, perhaps someone reported the incident, patrol knights came rushing in.
—————–
Having driven off the lawless bunch and handed the remaining ones over to the knights, I head back into the shop, intending to resume my evening drink.
But it seems Grant-kun and Kash-kun had been planning to rush in and help; they’re standing there with weapons in hand, ready to jump out at any moment.
“It’s already over. Now, now, let’s continue-ja.” (Rue)
“Wha… We were about to bring your weapon to you, Rue-san.” (Grant)
“I carelessly forgot. But in the end this was better. With weapons, it would’ve been hard to hold back. Hm… The wine’s gone cold now. The fish is… oh… Melt-chan, did she eat my portion too?” (Rue)
“Yeah, looks like it. And the alcohol hit her completely and she fell asleep… How about we call it a night for today?” (Rikka)
True, the inside of the shop didn’t get messed up, but the commotion might’ve gotten too big to keep running business tonight.
And there’s also the possibility of retaliation… I suppose.
“…Alright, I’ll take you three home. It’ll be bad if something happens. Melt-chan is…” (Rue)
I lift Melt-chan, who has completely slumped over the table and is sleeping peacefully, onto my back.
She’s warm. Seems the alcohol heated up her body quite a bit.
“Sorry, Ji-san… We couldn’t help you at all.” (Kash)
“Hmm, those guys would’ve been too tough for you right now, Kash-kun. Your feelings alone are enough-ja yo.” (Rue)
“True… They definitely weren’t amateurs. Maybe some failed mercenaries…?” (Grant)
“Most likely so. Now then… shopkeeper-san, sorry for the trouble. I’ll pay a bit extra, so forgive us.” (Rue)
I flick a large gold coin toward the shopkeeper and pay him.
“C-Customer…”
“Think of it as a nuisance fee.” (Rue)
“No, um… the young lady on your back ordered several refills of wine, so…that’s not enough…”
“What!?” (Rue)
Ping! I send another large gold coin flying perfectly into the shopkeeper’s palm.
There, that should be enough!
“A large gold coin again!? I really can’t accept this!”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. Just to be safe, close the shop for tonight. Better to keep away from the place for a while. Think of this as compensation for that-ja.” (Rue)
“I see… That makes sense. Understood.”
Well…hopefully I’m not mistaken for being a pick-up wolf**.
“Alright, you three, let’s go. First the residential district, right?” (Rue)
“Y-Yeah. We’ll leave it to you, Ji-san.” (Kash)
“Please.” (Rikka)
“I’m staying at an inn on the way. Thank you.” (Grant)
But seriously, what were those guys trying to achieve by causing such blatant trouble?
Aren’t they worried about how the country will move?
Or… is there some reason the country can’t act strongly?
“Well…all of that ends tonight.” (Rue)
…Forgive me…
Abandon the idea of living to see tomorrow…
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