"Gulp—"
A dwarf gulped down a large mouthful of beer and stared wide-eyed at Lin Gui.
"You're telling me that for only 7 copper coins, we can send letters to Copperhammer and the others?"
Lin Gui nodded. "Yes."
Then, with practiced ease, he pulled out envelopes and a pen from the bag at his waist and asked, "Would you like to write one now?"
Just then—
Woooooo—!!!
A sharp, ear-piercing siren suddenly tore through the clamor within the tavern, booming in from the passage outside!
That sound had a metallic, grinding texture to it.
It repeated in rapid succession, making one's eardrums throb with pain.
Almost the instant the siren sounded, the atmosphere in the tavern underwent a drastic change.
The expressions of shock and curiosity on the dwarves' faces caused by the posters vanished instantly.
In their place was a cold, practiced solemnity.
The dwarves, who had been drinking heartily just moments ago, put down their mugs without hesitation.
They moved with swift, orderly precision, picking up the battleaxes, hammers, and shields leaning against the walls.
They donned their armor with efficient motions.
A dwarf with a face full of thick beard strode up to Lin Gui.
He looked at the human and asked, "The captain said you're a friend of Copperhammer? Is that true?"
"Do you know who he really is?!"
Outside, the siren continued its shrill wail, mixed with the distant sound of clanging metal and faint roars.
The entire Shield City was like a war machine that had been activated in an instant, entering a state of high-efficiency combat readiness.
Lin Gui replied calmly, "I brought news of his brothers in New Covenant City and Caran City to him personally."
"That is why he was quite friendly toward me."
"As for his identity, I am naturally well aware of it."
After a brief pause, Lin Gui glanced at Theia beside him and spoke.
"But what of it?"
"Should one bear the weight of a crime that does not exist simply because of their race?"
"I have always looked upon such thoughts with nothing but contempt."
The dwarf nodded in satisfaction before pressing further, his gaze sharp. "Then, have you shared a drink with Copperhammer?"
Recalling the so-called "private stash" with a bizarre taste that Copperhammer had kicked out from under the bed that night, Lin Gui's expression turned a bit odd.
"I have. But the ale he stashed away... well, it was extremely difficult to drink."
Lin Gui was not much of a drinker, but that ale had been truly foul.
Upon hearing this, the dwarf actually burst into a hearty laugh.
He jumped up forcefully and patted Lin Gui on the shoulder.
"Well said!"
"That fellow might be considered a man when it comes to drinking, but his damn brewing skills are a complete disgrace to the Stoneheart Clan!"
He laughed and gave Lin Gui another heavy pat.
Then his face turned stern as he shouldered his battleaxe and rushed out the door.
The other dwarves also cast brief but friendly glances toward them before turning into a stream of sturdy figures, merging into the torrent of combat preparations flooding through the passage outside.
In the blink of an eye, the rowdy tavern became empty and quiet.
Only the leader Grom, Lin Gui, Theia, and Eve remained.
Theia looked at Grom with curiosity. "Aren't you going?"
Grom sat back down on a bench with a heavy thud. He picked up a mug and swirled it, his tone carrying a hint of laziness.
"Those runts that crawled up from the sea bed try to knock on Shield City's gates almost every single day."
"If I went out to fight every single time, when would I ever get any rest?"
"So you're resting today?" Theia asked.
Grom nodded.
"That's right!"
"It's just as well. I can show that bastard Copperhammer's guests some proper hospitality in his stead!"
As he spoke, he nimbly vaulted over the bar counter and hauled out an exceptionally heavy oak barrel from the back.
The reason he had to get it himself was that the sturdy dwarven female bartender who was originally behind the counter had already rushed out to join the battle, carrying a massive double-edged battleaxe on her shoulder.
Grom placed the barrel on the table with a loud thud, then brought out several large wooden mugs.
He set them down one by one before Lin Gui, Theia, and Eve.
Each mug was roughly as large as four fists put together.
Looking at the giant thing before him, Lin Gui's mouth twitched slightly, and his face took on a bitter expression.
He did not actually enjoy drinking all that much.
Yet, for some reason, almost every male he got along with—whether it was Copperhammer, Grom before him, or those men from the Spark Revolution—seemed to be a drunkard.
In this other world where entertainment was scarce, alcohol seemed to have become the default social currency.
He was also well aware of the drinking culture here: once a cup was filled, unless a close relative had passed away, there was absolutely no possibility of leaving the table halfway.
Just as he was worrying about the mug, a fair, slender hand reached over, holding a similarly large ladle.
With great care, the hand refilled the portion of Lin Gui's cup that had emptied as the foam subsided, topping it off until it was brimming.
Lin Gui turned his head in confusion.
Wait, why are you skimming the foam and adding more drink for me?! And why is the one doing this you?
He saw Theia giggling foolishly at him, her eyes shimmering slightly.
"Ahem," she cleared her throat and put on a serious act. "How can this little bit be enough?"
"You... you have to accompany me while I drink!"
After saying that, she poured a thin layer of golden liquid into the mug before her as well.
Then she leaned over past Lin Gui and looked at Eve, who was sitting quietly to the side. "Eve! Would you like a cup too?"
Eve gave a faint smile. Her gaze shifted between the mug and Lin Gui for a moment before she said softly, "I can try. But please pour me only a little; it is my first time drinking."
The addition of the two girls made Grom even more delighted, and he let out a boisterous laugh.
"Good! How refreshing!"
Amidst the rounds of toasts, the atmosphere at the table quickly grew heated.
Grom was already a talkative person, and after a few cups of ale, he really opened up.
He went from the various jokes Copperhammer had made back in the clan to the helplessness of the Stoneheart Clan being forced to leave.
He even patted his chest, expressing understanding and sympathy for Theia's status as a half-demon.
"What does bloodline matter?! A true bloodline must be proven through one's own actions!"
Theia was clearly touched by these words. Her emotions were already high, and now she began gulping down cup after cup, as if trying to use the alcohol to wash away the grievances and loneliness she had kept bottled up in her heart for so long.
She cursed the past she could not bear to look back on, lamenting the various forms of discrimination she had faced and the inexplicable blame she had endured.
As she drank, she did not forget to pour more for Lin Gui. Every time her emotions got heated, she would push him to drink quickly, and then under his resentful gaze, she would fill his cup to the brim again.
Throughout the entire session, Lin Gui spoke the least but was forced to drink the most.
He couldn't help but wonder if it was just his imagination. Compared to Grom's somewhat orderly "one cup for you, one cup for me," Theia seemed... even more intent on getting him drunk than Grom was.
Her frequency and the reasons she gave for toasting made even the alcohol-loving Grom marvel in surprise, before he joined the "fray" even more enthusiastically.
Lin Gui recalled the scene in the Carter Royal Capital where Theia and Elvia had teamed up to use aphrodisiac powder on him, and his mouth could not help but twitch slightly.
Theia was being so proactive in trying to get him drunk... could it be that she was planning to... repeat her old trick?
Not long after this thought flashed through his mind—
Thud!
Lin Gui felt the world before him begin to spin, and his head felt incredibly heavy. Finally, he collapsed onto the cold wooden tabletop with a dull sound.
The rough and crisp interweaving sounds of Grom and Theia playing a drinking game continued to buzz and echo in his ears.
In a daze, he felt himself being picked up by a slender yet strong figure. After a bumpy ride, he was finally placed gently onto a soft and narrow bed.
He maintained steady breathing, pretending to still be fast asleep. Though he had been forced to drink a lot, Lin Gui had actually spilled most of it onto his clothes. Even so, he was quite drunk, though he barely managed to keep his mind clear.
He felt the mattress beside him dip slightly as someone climbed up. A faint and unique girlish fragrance slowly drifted closer, lingering around the tip of his nose.
Lin Gui knew he could not keep pretending any longer. He suddenly snapped open his still-hazy eyes.
He had intended to ask sharply, "Theia, why aren't you sleeping in the middle of the night? Why did you come here?"
However, what entered his sight was not the pair of cunning red eyes as expected, but a pair of deep, mysterious eyes like violet whirlpools.
A face of exquisite, ethereal beauty, carrying an otherworldly smile, was gazing at him from inches away with a beaming expression.
It wasn't Theia.
It was actually...
The Saintess, Eve.
Rate on N.U.
