Chapter 96: 95 The Rotten Willow Tavern Reopens

The Demon Tide has long passed, and Silent Wind Town seems to have regained its former prosperity, though many faces are no longer the ones from before.

If one were to ask the adventurers wandering the streets, where lies the proof of the town's revival?

The answer is not in the rebuilt Adventurer's Guild hall, nor is it the new branch master arriving in two months; the answer is right here, right now!

Because,

today,

on this night illuminated by the March sun,

the Rotten Willow Tavern has reopened!

Adventurers, arms slung over each other's shoulders, cheered loudly as they surged into the already extremely crowded tavern, and impatiently made their way to the counter to order a cup of the inferior wine they remembered.

If there was anyone untouched by this joyful atmosphere, it was probably only the owner of the Golden Sun Wood Tavern.

Today, he was so idle he could stand with arms crossed outside his own tavern's door, coldly counting the heads surging toward the opposite street.

Inside the Rotten Willow Tavern, even the window sills were packed with people today.

Everything was just like before.

The wooden door that creaked when opened, the dirty floor stained with spilled wine, and the sour smell of inferior wine in the air.

If one had to say what was different, it was probably that the owner had changed from a dirty, fat middle-aged man into a stunning beauty in a uniform that was pure temptation.

This brought a different kind of fun to everyone.

Who knows what the Guild was thinking, sending such a delicate, pretty woman to manage a low-class tavern filled with vulgar adventurers.

No wonder they had to pair her with a one-ninety-meter-tall Tiger Man as a waiter...

At the bar, a woman named Mary, wearing a pristine white priest robe, stood with the high collar fitting snugly against her snowy neck.

She wore a sweet smile as she handed a wooden wine cup to a lecherous patron standing before her, then skillfully withdrew her hand in time to avoid being touched.

The patron seemed unwilling to give up, holding the cup close to start a conversation: "Mistress, are you a priest of the God of Light? This uniform really suits you!"

"It's just a personal preference to dress this way," Mary replied with a beaming smile, as if she hadn't heard the lewdness in his words.

The patron seemed unsatisfied with just talking nonsense and extended a hairy, greasy hand toward Mary.

But halfway there, it was grabbed by a much hairier hand.

"Y-you... what are you doing?"

The patron seemed to want to blather on, but the Tiger Man was too lazy to waste words on him; grabbing his arm, he dragged him outside, unmoved by the man's exaggerated screams along the way, and soon threw him out—this was already the thirteenth one tonight.

In a corner of the tavern, Norris was diligently grilling the snake steaks in front of him.

He had arrived early enough to secure an empty wine barrel to place his plates on.

Recently, he had inexplicably struck it lucky; the noble-looking man he met in the dungeon last time had actually kept his promise, found him, and given him a gold coin.

Later he learned that the man was named Edin, a Diamond-rank adventurer.

Even the crumbs of meat that fell from the fingertips of such powerful beings were windfalls for someone like him.

With this gold coin, plus the one gold and twenty silver he had saved from mining, the debt due in the third round this year was settled; he could even, like this, occasionally join the festivities and reward himself with a good meal instead of drinking mushroom soup every day.

Just as Norris was immersed in his small happiness, an adventurer squeezed through the crowd and kicked over the wooden tray holding half a plate of honey-glazed grilled snake steaks.

The snake meat rolled onto the black-footed wooden floor, and Norris seemed to hear the whimpering of his own stomach.

That was a delicacy that had cost him a full thirty copper coins...

"Ah—so dirty!"

The adventurer who kicked over the tray disgustedly brushed at his pant legs, his boot heel grinding into the still-steaming snake steak.

"If you're going to eat shit, at least find a decent place," the adventurer, wearing a Silver-rank badge, muttered as he left, as if not beating up Norris, who had dirtied his pant legs, was already showing mercy.

Norris did not stand up to argue, nor even mutter a low curse; he just shrank back timidly, too afraid to meet the eyes of the people around him.

He was just a level 21 adventurer, the lowest rank who had just crossed the Copper threshold, weak and alone, unable to provoke anyone.

Being a coward was better than being dragged into an alley and beaten half to death.

I should have known not to come and join the fun at the Rotten Willow Tavern...

Someone nearby noticed this little commotion, but it only sparked a round of laughter mixed with the smell of tobacco.

Adventurers believe in strength and courage; no one would stand up for a Copper-rank coward.

Except...

"Stop!" Feiling stepped sideways to block the Silver-rank adventurer's path, her slender finger almost poking his nose, "You knocked over someone's things and want to leave? No apology, no compensation?"

Behind her was Feiyin, who failed to hold her back, and Vera, with a helpless expression.

"Move!" The adventurer suddenly slapped Feiling's hand away, glaring at the girl who was a head shorter than him, and reached out to push her aside.

Clang—

Even in such a crowded environment, Vera's curved blade precisely pressed against the adventurer's palm; if he pushed forward just a bit more, his hand would be pierced through—between Silver-ranks, strength still varies.

"W-what are you doing? This is a tavern!"

With inferior strength and a knife pointed at him, the adventurer panicked a bit.

Although this was in the city, taverns were the last place lacking in fools who would throw their lives away on a whim; he didn't want to gamble.

"I'll pay, I'll pay! Don't point that knife at me!"

The adventurer stepped back two paces, turned around, and intended to remember well the person who had made him lose face.

He dared not retaliate against Vera, who was stronger than him, but that softy who hadn't dared to make a sound when his tray was kicked over could be used as a punching bag later.

But only after he turned around did he realize that the person who had been by the wine barrel was already gone, leaving only the half-eaten, trampled snake meat on the ground.

A tall figure squeezed through the crowd and stood before the four who had caused the trouble.

Feiyin, with her keen sense of smell, even detected a hint of the distinct body odor unique to felines.

The Tiger Man stood with arms crossed, looking at the four, and jerked his head toward the door.

The meaning was clear: do you roll out yourselves, or does he help you roll out?

"What rotten luck!" The adventurer who had been kicked out muttered a curse and quickly walked away from Vera and the other two.

"A bully who picks on the weak!" Phelin glared at the adventurer's retreating back, still looking furious.

Vera merely sighed; he had just ordered the special sauce-covered noodles and hadn't even taken a single bite before being thrown out...

"Let's find another place to eat; I'm still hungry."

The three quickly found an open restaurant, but only after sitting down did they notice a fellow at the next table, head bowed, slurping a bowl of glowing mushroom soup.

"It's you!"

Phelin immediately recognized the fellow she had voluntarily helped, yet who had fled before her.

Norris, his mouth still glowing faintly, instinctively shrank his neck back, his eyes darting around in panic, even though he didn't know what he was afraid of in the other person.

Perhaps the aura of the young girl before him was simply too strong...

(End of this chapter)