Chapter 64: The Black Barley Inn (1)
TL: Potato-tan
Proofreader: Asianpotato
“Russell!”
The group of wizards seemed taken aback as Evelyn suddenly spoke up. Evelyn, who had been mercilessly mauling her companions, quickly ran up to Russell, who was getting off Kry.
“Long time, no see.”
“Indeed! How long has it been? Almost half a year?”
“A little over four months, I believe.”
As Russell stopped, Aellasis and Robin, who had been walking ahead, also stopped. Robin looked bewildered, while Aellasis frowned slightly.
At that moment, the group of wizards slowly approached them. There were about ten of them, and their faces were all young or youthful. Only two of them looked older—a middle-aged woman and an elderly man. Russell glanced at them and said,
“You’re here for the ruins?”
Evelyn nodded.
“Yes. This time, I came to investigate the ruins at the request of Lord Errandis. The lord went inside with his son and some knights, but something unusual happened, so he asked the Magic Tower for help.”
“Something unusual? When?”
“We don’t know yet. We just arrived. But it’s been a month since the dungeon appeared, so it must have been around then.”
A loud cough echoed through the air. It came from the middle-aged woman who had stepped forward from the wizards. She had red hair and eyes similar to Evelyn’s.
“Excuse me. Who is this young man? Did you know my niece?”
“Oh, Auntie. This is Russell, the man I told you about. The dragonslayer. Russell. This is my aunt, Deborah. She’s an elder of the Evantean Magic Tower.”
‘So they were related after all.’ Russell gave Deborah a slight nod. Then another voice chimed in.
“This man is the dragonslayer?”
The last speaker was an elderly man. With his short white hair and beard, he looked stern even at first glance. The deep wrinkles etched into his forehead seemed to indicate how often he had frowned.
Indeed, he narrowed his eyes and looked Russell up and down. It was a rude gesture for a first meeting.
“His height and build are impressive, but I don’t sense any magic power. He doesn’t have any weapons, either. Evelyn, are you mistaken?”
Of course, it would be difficult to detect Russell’s magic power. He was restraining it.
It meant that either Russell was so thorough in concealing his power or that the elderly man was not skilled enough to see through it.
Evelyn said, slightly flustered,
“Elder Runebas and Russell definitely killed a dragon. Didn’t I bring back a dragon scale last time?”
Runebas snorted.
“Ha, a dragon scale without a dragon corpse? What kind of dragonslayer is that? And that scale? It doesn’t emit any magic power, and it’s just an old, large scale. It could be a basilisk or another large dragonkin.”
Evelyn bit her lip at the argument she had already heard several times. The scale she had brought four months ago had not been recognized as a dragon scale.
Even if it was a real dragon’s scale, there was no way to tell. This was partly due to the widespread rumors of a dragon’s appearance and death in Calisden, despite the absence of any corpse or traces. Dragons, after all, were a race that had disappeared long ago.
Wizards were people that would not recognize a tiger unless it was right in front of their eyes.
“What’s wrong? Why aren’t you going?”
Aellasis, who had approached, tugged at Russell’s collar. The wizards were surprised by the white-haired girl’s sudden appearance.
Her blunt speech, despite her childlike appearance, drew them in, followed by her beauty and the pure magic power emanating from her small body.
Evelyn’s mouth fell open slightly.
“. . . . . .What? Is she your daughter?”
Russell shook his head.
“No. She’s just a girl I’m traveling with.”
“But you said you preferred traveling alone last time.”
“. . . . . .You still remember that?”
Deborah and Runebas also looked surprised and bowed slightly at the same time. Their eyes sparkled with magical curiosity.
“What a remarkable child! She possesses a remarkable level of pure magic power at such a young age. Is she from a noble family?”
“No.”
Deborah did not get angry at Aellasis’s rudeness, but rather smiled as if she thought it was cute. Aellasis was indeed cute. Runebas interjected anxiously.
“What is your name?”
Aellasis glanced at Russell. It was a gesture as if asking for permission, and many realized it. Russell nodded.
“Aellasis. What about you?”
“My name is Runebas. Would you like to learn magic?”
Runebas’s question made Russell chuckle. Who would ask a dragon to learn magic?
Of course, Runebas had no idea what he was asking. Aellasis frowned.
“What? No. I don’t need to learn it. I━”
Before her identity could be revealed in broad daylight, Russell covered Aellasis’ mouth. Russell said,
“You’re quite impatient. And rude.”
Runebas straightened his stooped back. He bows to Russell and apologizes. It was a completely different attitude from what he had shown at first.
“I apologize. As I get older, I can’t help but feel excited when I see talented children. Forgive me. Are you the girl’s guardian?”
Guardian. His title had improved drastically. Russell glanced at Aellasis, who was grinding her teeth, and said,
“For now.”
“You don’t seem to be a wizard. Do you know the potential this girl has?”
How could he not know? He was the one who had breathed magic power into her and helped her hatch, and he had fought her parents himself. It would be strange if he didn’t know. Russell nodded, and Runebas’s expression turned eager.
“I know.”
“Then━”
“It’s not your business. Aella will decide what she wants to do, and I do not wish to influence it. And we must be going now.”
On the other side, Robin was pacing anxiously. Only then did the wizards realize that they had been holding Russell up for too long on the street.
Although the street was wide, it was so crowded that they had blocked one side of it.
The passersby were not hiding their expressions of annoyance at what they were doing here, but they were not complaining openly because the wizards were wearing robes.
“O, Oh, I’m sorry.”
Deborah and Runebas stepped aside. Russell nodded once and passed them. Evelyn said,
“Where are you staying? When I finish, I’ll come find you.
“The Black Barley Inn.”
She smiled and nodded.
“Got it. It was nice to see you. I’ll see you later.”
Russell smiled back faintly and walked on with Aellasis. Robin, who had been waiting, breathed a sigh of relief and took the lead again. He appeared to be concerned that Russell and his group might follow the wizards.
The wizards also started walking. Their first destination was the Magic Tower, in Errandis territory. As they walked, Evelyn said to Deborah,
“Auntie, was that Aellasis girl really that amazing?”
“Yes. There’s no trace of the impurities that all humans have. That means her body is very clean, and her magic circuits are well-developed.”
Deborah twirled a lock of her hair around her finger and said,
“And strangely, the magic power around her heart is very strong and pure. I don’t know how well she can combine and memorize spells until I teach her directly, but usually those who are talented in magic are also intelligent. She might become a great wizard.”
“This is the first time I’ve heard you praise someone like that. She’s amazing.”
Runebas, who was standing next to her, muttered.
“Amazing. It’s a waste for her to be with a man like that.”
An unknown light flashed in Runebas’s eyes for a moment before disappearing.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
The streets, which were just about to reach noon, were still crowded with people. There were more lightly armed people than civilians who lived in the territory. It seemed to be because of the rumors about the dungeon and the ruins.
It was unknown how many of them would be able to enter, but whenever a dungeon or hidden ruins appeared, monsters would inevitably gather nearby.
It was not unusual for mercenaries to hunt those monsters and earn extra money.
The Black Barley Inn was situated in one of the inn district’s side alleys.
The foundation was solid, and the sturdy stone pillars and brick walls were well-finished. The building’s exterior exuded style and strength, as if crafted by a skilled craftsman.
The building, which seemed to be about four stories high, had a large sign with the name of the inn written neatly on it. The diagonal drawing of a barley stalk on the left and right added a distinctive touch.
Russell, who was riding slowly on Kry, spotted the sign from afar and said,
“The sign is nice.”
“Eh? Could you see the sign from here?”
When Robin looked surprised, Russell nodded.
“I have good eyesight. The writing is neat, so it’s nice.”
“Hehe, right? My grandfather wrote it himself. He’s a good craftsman. He’s also written many of the signs nearby. He sometimes helps with repairs, and he makes good beer too. Especially the stout(dark beer).”
Robin smiled proudly. Russell chuckled, and suddenly his expression hardened. Amidst the noisy street, he heard something like a small scream.
However, there were so many people passing by that it was difficult to pinpoint exactly where it came from. Russell, who had been concentrating on his hearing while walking, soon figured out where the scream had come from.
From the Black Barley Inn, which was getting closer, came an untimely scream and the sound of breaking dishes.
Among the screams was also a girl’s sharp voice. Robin, who had been humming, gradually hardened his expression and shouted when he heard the girl’s scream.
“Sister!”
Robin dropped the reins and ran into the inn. Russell, who had covered Aellasis mouth earlier and made it pout, stared at the boy running away with surprised eyes.
“What is it?”
Russell slowly walked toward the inn, which was now clearly making a racket. He faintly heard a voice saying, “What! Why are you here already? I paid last month!”
He stopped, stroked Kry’s mane, and handed the reins to Aellasis.
“Stay here for a moment. I’ll go and check it out.”
“I want to see it too.”
“Stay here.”
“Tch. Fine.”
Aellasis didn’t argue. She prided herself on knowing when to come out and when to shut up.
“Don’t get hurt! If you get hurt, you die!”
Russell waved his hand and entered the inn.
The first floor was in chaos. People knocked over tables and chairs, scattering plates with food.
Footprints had trampled food onto the messy floor. Russell slowly looked around the first floor.
There were various races there.
The orc was muscular, with a shaved head and a long ponytail at the back, resembling a northern nomad. Russell thought the orc’s skin color was brown. A city orc.
Orcs opted to reside in human cities instead of forests and grasslands. They were not very close to their green-skinned counterparts, and they were a race that adapted to society almost as much as humans.
And there were two men with leather and chainmail armor and swords at their waists who seemed to be the orc’s companions. They were distinct from humans due to their unique ear shapes.
One had the ears of a mouse, and the other had the ears of a cat. The mouse beastkin had a narrow and shallow face, while the cat beastkin had a scar on one side of his cheek.
The vermin were in the food chain with each other, but these two seemed to be working together. It was strange.
Other than them, there was a woman holding a large sackcloth bag like a spear, Robin standing next to her, and an old dwarf leaning on a worn-out axe and panting.
Behind them, middle-aged men and women who appeared to be servants hid behind tables, trembling. Of course, it would be difficult to say that they were very good defenses against the orcs and beastkin.
Russell chuckled at the fact that there were more non-human races than humans. ‘What is this situation?’ It would have been better than this, even five minutes before the chaos started.
Then, an orc with a wig head spotted Russell entering the first floor of the inn. The orc spoke with his protruding canines bared.
“What? You? Are you a guest?”
Russell nodded. For the time being, he was in the position of a guest. The orc grinned and looked around at his companions.
“Hey, you can even attract guests here. That’s good business. But why can’t you pay? Huh?”
The orc kicked a nearby chair with his foot. Under his massive body’s weight, the chair shattered without much resistance. The mouse and cat snickered.
“Who brought you here? Laura? Was it you?”
“No, it could be that kid, Robin. It’s okay, guest. We understand all that.”
Robin glared at them with teary eyes and shouted angrily.
“You bad guys! How much money do we already give you? If you tell us to pay more, what are we supposed to do? What are we supposed to eat and live on!”
The orc scratched his head.
“I’m sorry, but do I also have to figure that out? You have to figure out how to eat and live. Isn’t that what you call life?”
“Eek!”
Robin, furious, snatched the axe from the dwarf, who had been sucking in his breath. The dwarf exclaimed in surprise.
“Hey, kid! Put that down! Koolug, koolug!”
Robin lifted the axe with a grunt. He almost fell over a few times under the weight, but the boy was finally able to hold the axe with the handle over his shoulder.
The orc looked on with amusement.
“Hey, Robin. When did you get so strong? Are you a man now? You can even hold a woman.”
“Uwaaaa!”
Robin screamed and ran. However, the orc’s large, dark brown hand easily caught the axe the boy swung.
“Oops. I caught it.”
The orc lifted the axe as it was. Naturally, the orc hung Robin, who was holding the handle, upside down. The orc’s hand tossed the axe aside and grabbed Robin’s throat.
“Ack!”
As Robin gasped for breath, Laura, who was holding the sackcloth, screamed.
“Robin!”
“Let the kid go, you damn bastard! Gulp!”
The old dwarf straightened his back with difficulty but soon coughed again. The large footprint on his chest suggested that the orc had kicked him.
The orc shook his head.
“Old man, didn’t you see this kid just throw an axe at me? He almost killed me. If you’re prepared to die, be prepared to die. Isn’t that right, Robin?”
The orc applied a little force, and Robin’s face turned blue. Robin’s short arms and legs hit him wildly, but they had no more effect on his rock-hard muscles than a massage.
The orc, who had been watching the situation, figured that was enough. He had scared Robin a little too much, but he didn’t really intend to kill him. He thought that if he just got the money early this time and deducted it next time, it would be easy to get over it.
After all, they hadn’t known each other for a day or two, so he could afford to be lenient about things like charging at him with an axe. That was all he thought about.
“Hey. Tough guy.”
At that moment, a quiet voice echoed through the first floor of the inn. Everyone turned their heads to look at the voice owner. They had forgotten Russell’s in their minds. He said,
“Don’t show off your strength against a child. Let him go. Unless you want to get hit.”
The people looked at Russell with stunned faces. Laura, the old dwarf, the mouse and cat beastkin, and even the orc stared at Russell with blinking eyes. Then the orc laughed out loud. An emotion of irritation and anger, unique to his race, began to rise.
“Ha, this slick bastard is crazy. . . . . . Hey. Don’t you get the situation? If you just stay still, it’ll pass. What? Let him go? Unless you want to get hit?”
The brown-skinned orc walked over heavy footsteps. The orc’s eye level was similar to Russell’s. The orc’s exposed muscles also looked more numerous.
“Hit me. Hit me, bastard. Huh? I said hit me.”
The orc lowered his head and hit Russell’s chest. Then, without stopping, he began to rub Russell’s chest.
Russell’s brow furrowed. It smelled bad. ‘This bastard didn’t wash his hair.’
“Can’t you hit me? Try it, you little shit!”
The end of the orc’s words turned into something like a crow’s cry. Russell’s fist shot up from below and blew away the orc’s large jaw.
The orc’s huge body floated up by more than 10 centimeters. A broken canine tooth spun around in the air.
Everyone, human and non-human alike, had their mouths wide open.
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