Volume 1 Chapter 84 The Tavern In The Distant Town
On a dark night in Metis, inside a bustling tavern, a young girl sat alone at a four-seater table. She wore a brown apron dress and thick leather boots, which made her look like a typical village girl. Occasionally, she moved the animal ears on top of her head, as if waiting for something. She appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen years old, with soft brown hair neatly cut to shoulder length, giving her a slightly childish look. Her youthful face still retained a hint of innocence, with bright yellow eyes shining.
"Here you go, enjoy your meal."
A middle-aged man emerged from behind the counter and placed the food on the table. The beast girl's eyes sparkled with excitement. On the table, there was a spicy red soup with meat, commonly eaten in Metis, along with warm bread cut into easy-to-eat pieces and sautéed vegetables.
"Today, I added a little extra for you. You're so cute, and you've been coming to my place quite often lately."
As the man said, there is more meat and more slices of bread than when the girl ordered the same menu before.
"Wow, thank you so much!"
The girl shows the man an innocent smile. The man returns a friendly smile.
"Have you recently come to Metis?"
"Yes. It's only been about a month, but I really like it here!"
"Hahaha! That's great. This town may lack some glamour compared to others, but it accepts anyone. By the way, what kind of work do you do?"
This girl always comes to the shop late at night. It's a time long past dusk, so the man was curious. Judging by her appearance, she doesn't seem to be an adventurer. Even if she were, there have been recent reports of drakes gathering near Metis. It's hard to believe that she would have the ability to escape from such a situation if she happened to encounter them while doing simple tasks.
"What kind of work? Um, well..."
Seeing the girl whose cheeks suddenly turned red with embarrassment, the man's breath became heavy. Unlike before, he seemed oddly satisfied. It was as if he had expected her answer.
"Oi! We're interrupting!"
A loud voice came from the entrance. Three men entered. One was wearing steel armor, while the other two were lightly dressed in leather chest plates. They all looked strong and could easily be imagined as adventurers or fighters.
The men rudely took seats at an empty table and called the waiter. Their behavior clearly showed their lack of manners.
"W-welcome..."
"I want the good stuff, liquor. And bring some snacks too."
"Y-yes, please wait a moment."
The middle-aged man, who had spoken timidly until now, quickly grabbed a bottle of liquor and glasses from behind the counter and brought them to the table. The three men immediately poured the liquor and started chatting loudly.
"Phew... Good grief."
The middle-aged man entered the kitchen behind the counter and gave instructions to the staff. Then, as he returned, he clicked his tongue while looking at the figure of a beast girl who was silently continuing her meal.
It wasn't unusual for troublemakers like them to come to the shop in Metis. As the man explained to the girl earlier, this town accepts anyone. It's not a particularly important place in the Cretia Kingdom, and although there are soldiers around, the man had never seen them doing their job properly. In fact, they just let incidents pass by as if nothing happened. It's inevitable for the public safety to worsen.
The beast girl, carefully and slowly, drank the soup without making a sound with her spoon. It must be really delicious because her face would light up every time she took a sip.
Before long, dishes were brought to the table for three people, and they drank some liquor to accompany it. The man at the shop decided to simply wait for them to leave without causing any trouble.
However, something happened after a while. The men suddenly leaned in close and whispered something in a low voice, then stood up with their mugs still in hand. And then, they surrounded the seat where the beast girl was sitting and took a seat on the chairs.
"Hey, miss. Let's talk for a bit."
"Huh?"
Surrounded by men all of a sudden, the girl let out a strange voice. She then stopped eating and looked at the men with frightened eyes.
"Um, no... I mean..."
"Hehehe! Well, don't say that!"
The girl grimaced as a man in armor grabbed her arm.
"I...I'm in trouble... Please stop..."
"Don't be so scared. We just said we wanted to talk for a bit. It's a rare opportunity to talk to an A-rank adventurer, so I want you to feel honored."
"Yeah, we came back from the dungeon today and we're tired."
"Thanks to us defeating dangerous monsters, this town is protected. It's only right to show our gratitude, right?"
"Please...someone, help..."
Trembling, the beast girl looked around the silent tavern, as if seeking help.
But the customers continued to drink their liquor as if she didn't exist. The male employee also retreated to the back of the kitchen, pretending not to see.
When it comes to adventurers, there are only a few humans with the power to defeat the troublesome Drake that has been bothering Metis recently. Not only are the townspeople here no match for him, but it would also be a problem if he got upset and left town. To protect the town, people have to turn a blind eye to some unfair things. That's why everyone kept their mouths shut.
"Well then, since there's nothing here, let's go somewhere else!"
"N-No way!"
As the man grabbed the girl's arm, he stood up from his chair. The girl couldn't resist and was forced to stand up with him.
──At that moment.
The man suddenly felt a chill. An unknown fear... the source was right in front of him.
Somehow, a tremendously large man with white hair, a beard, and thick, pitch-black armor appeared in the tavern, glaring at the adventurer. He was an old man wearing green dragon scale armor and carrying a spear behind him. In addition, there was a man wearing a crimson cloak with the hood pulled over his head standing beside him.
"Ah... Ahh..."
The man's body trembled with an overwhelming sense of intimidation he had never experienced before.
──If he moved now, he would die here.
His hands naturally lost their strength and he let go of the girl's arm next to him. The girl just looked up at the face of the man who had appeared.
"It's Balzark..."
One of the customers in the silent tavern said. In an instant, everyone's faces turned pale.
──That's Balzark, the S-Rank adventurer...
Immediately after, Balzark's fist struck the man's abdomen. The man's body floated in the air. The armor was heavily dented in the shape of Balzark's gauntlet.
"Blarghhh!!"
The adventurer collapsed while vomiting vigorously, spewing out whatever he had been eating and drinking.
The tavern floor was covered in vomit.
"Uh... Aah..."
With just one blow, and without even having a weapon, the A-Rank adventurer was defeated. The remaining two got up from their chairs. The blood on their faces shows that they are gripped by fear.
"Hey, abducting a woman by force is a serious crime. As a fellow adventurer, I have to report this to the guild."
A man wearing dragon scale armor laughed as he pointed the tip of his spear at one of the men's necks. Even he was so surprised by his speed that he missed when he moved the spear.
"H-help me...please..."
"No, no, we're not trying to stir things up either. Ah, that's right. By the way, could you lend me some money?"
The men frantically nodded their heads and took out bulging leather bags from their pockets and held them out.
"Oh, that's too bad. Don't worry about anything. I'll get back to you the next time I see you. Then nothing happened here."
When he opened the leather bag he received, there were many gold coins, silver coins, and jewelry. The man returned his spear to his hand and began examining it, stirring it with his hands.
The tavern customers were just stunned. All they can do is watch as things unfold. They are also in the position of being judged.
"Wow, you guys are in big trouble. I can't believe you messed with a girl like this."
"Huh?"
Not understanding what was being said, the two of them looked at each other.
"Hey, Io?"
"Nya?"
The cat girl, who until then had been left to the adventurers' mercy, tilted her head in confusion.
"No way... I-Io, the archer..."
Finally realizing who she really was, one of the men looked at the girl's face──
"──!!"
He let out a voiceless scream.
The girl, who should have been terrified, smirked as she looked at the man. Her mouth lifted in a big, twisted smile...
The word "prey" floated through the men's minds. They had fallen into a trap, these villains...
"I don't really understand what Lyle is saying."
"Well, whatever... Huh? Is this a necklace?"
The man with the spear, called Lyle, took out a necklace from a leather bag. Io didn't miss the fact that it was a women's necklace.
Io walked up to the men and then smiled softly.
"Remember to eat all your food, okay?"
The girl pointed at the dirty floor, and the tavern was filled with despair.
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