Chapter 65: 65 Is the Rotten Willow Tavern Gone?

Inside the rebuilt Golden Sunwood Tavern.

"Let me tell you!

At that time, that big black mushroom man, just like this, one punch! One punch!

Smashed a hole that bi—g in the ground!

Knocked all of us over."

The green-clad adventurer, to make others understand, even struggled to spread his arms wide, gesturing the width of that huge hole.

But obviously not everyone bought his story; a bearded adventurer sneered and questioned:

"A big black mushroom is one thing; after all, there are indeed a bunch of strange walking mushrooms down there now, so it's not impossible that one really existed.

But you say the sixth floor?

Who doesn't know walking mushrooms only go up to the fifth floor?

Not to mention the power you described clearly exceeds the scope of sixth-floor monsters.

Even a tenth-floor monster would have a hard time making the kind of commotion you're talking about.

Can't you tone down the bragging a bit?

Going too far just makes people see through it at once."

The green-clad adventurer, flustered and red-faced by the rebuttal, stepped one foot onto the table and cried out:

"Everything I said is true; you can ask my teammates.

If you go to the sixth floor right now, you can still see that hole!

Do you dare to bet with me..."

Dylann dug his ear, feeling that the big black mushroom described at the next table sounded somewhat familiar.

Could it be the one he was thinking of?

Never mind, why bother so much.

Smacking his lips, he drank the cup of mellow, rich-tasting fine wine in his hand; the flavor was who knows how many times better than that cheap wine in the Rotten Willow Tavern.

But... he really wasn't quite used to drinking it yet.

Dylann also felt he was acting a bit too cheap, but this was something he couldn't control.

It was already his third day up here.

And the reason he was sitting in the Golden Sunwood Tavern now, rather than the Rotten Willow Tavern, was because—

That idiot Kol actually capsized in a ditch!

Someone reported him for stealing equipment from dead adventurers.

Now the man has been taken away, and the shop has been sealed.

Although everyone despised Kol's behavior, if we were to say who was happiest, it should be the owner of the Golden Sunwood Tavern.

Dylann even wondered if he might be the one who reported it.

Although the Rotten Willow Tavern was sealed, not everyone could afford to consume there long-term at the Golden Sunwood Tavern.

For a moment, the bottom-tier adventurers with nowhere to go complained loudly, putting considerable pressure on those above.

It seemed they were going to send someone from the Guild to continue managing the Rotten Willow Tavern.

However, no one really trusted the Guild's people to run a tavern well.

In fact, right now in Silent Wind Town, the Guild's reputation had almost plummeted to rock bottom.

Last time they concealed the resonance, causing heavy casualties among adventurers.

Although they provided generous compensation afterward, it still failed to regain the adventurers' trust.

Not to mention that the person now in charge of managing the Silent Wind Town branch was actually the very instigator—Oberon!

Many people didn't understand what those my lords in the Main Guild were thinking.

Not only did they not lock this guy up, but they also restored him to his former position?

For a moment, various rumors spread among the adventurers.

That Oberon had a huge network of interests behind him that protected him.

Or that Oberon gave a large S-rank magic crystal to those above to escape disaster.

And among these rumors, the most absurd yet most widely spread was:

Oberon continuously sold his ass to the my lords of the Main Guild for ten days, relying on his extraordinary skills to win back his seat as branch head.

From the rumors, one could see how much the adventurers disliked this branch head.

Dylann didn't care about the goings-on above; he only knew that this time, he was probably forced to compromise and buy wine from the Golden Sunwood Tavern.

After all, having something was better than nothing, and he wasn't short on money right now anyway.

The Boss's letter and the S-rank magic crystal had already been sent out through the letter network provided by the Guild.

He used the highest-specification red letter; just sending such a letter cost 3 gold coins.

Correspondingly, if the letter failed to reach the recipient, the Guild would take full responsibility.

After completing the Boss's request, Dylann went to find an information broker.

He paid a 10 silver deposit, requesting the other party to inquire about Bella's whereabouts.

Since the Boss paid a high salary and gave bonuses frequently, he was now almost saving up 100 gold again.

It was also time to send this money, which he didn't use much, to his beloved daughter.

Before, he had only inquired once, confirming that his daughter had already recovered.

Afterwards, he never found a chance to learn about his daughter's recent situation; this time coming up, he would handle these matters on the side.

Taking advantage of the fact that no one around was paying attention, he quietly took a sip of a mana potion.

Dylann only hoped those information brokers would move faster.

——

The reconstruction of the Adventurers' Guild in Mute Wind Town is a massive undertaking.

Even though the Demon Tide has passed for some time, the Guild is only half rebuilt.

And included in the half that is finished is the Branch Master's office.

The office door was gently knocked upon.

"Enter—" Oberon's slurred voice sounded as if his entire throat had been soaked in a vat of wine.

Mirabel frowned, looking at the Branch Master who was drunk even in broad daylight.

Oberon's body, corroded by the Three-Headed Snake's venom, had long since fully recovered under the effect of the Regeneration Potion.

It was just that the newly grown skin had a distinct color difference from the old skin, looking very strange.

People had already begun to privately call him the Two-Faced Man.

"Master, this is the latest report on dungeon changes."

Mirabel fulfilled her duties as always.

Oberon glanced over, burping with alcohol as he asked, "W-what... what... changes?"

"A report on the ecological changes caused by the Pujis appearing in the first five floors."

"A-again... again Pujis, got it! Y-you... go."

Seeing Oberon's state, Mirabel knew that if she left now, the report would have been written for nothing.

"Master," she deliberately emphasized the pronunciation of these two words, "do you intend to remain so decadent? Shouldn't you be achieving results to prove yourself again now?"

Mirabel thought this would persuade Oberon to pull himself together, but clearly she did not know enough.

Oberon, as if struck in a sore spot, began to complain hysterically:

"Prove myself?

Do you... do you think they let me return to this position because they still value me?

Thinking... I still have a chance to... make a comeback?

Wrong!

I'm just here to be a target!

All the resentment during the reconstruction is pushed onto me; once order is restored here, I'll be kicked out immediately!

Haha... hahaha...

Most likely, I'll be thrown over to the Archipelago...

Who knows, maybe one day I'll die in the Mist.

I'm done... my life is already over..."

Having said this, Oberon was too lazy to pay any more attention to Mirabel beside him.

He gulped down strong liquor in large mouthfuls, numbing his nerves.

Mirabel looked at him; he truly looked like a lost cause.

She could only leave with her dissatisfaction.

As for that report?

Oberon never picked it up to look at it once from start to finish.

He no longer cared at all about what would happen to Mute Wind Town or the Amethyst Dungeon.

He only wanted to get drunk and indulge in a life of pleasure before he was exiled to the Archipelago.

(End of Chapter)