Kain glanced up at the wooden sign with a red duck spewing fire from its mouth.
"The Flaming Duck? Is this the place you told about? I was expecting sothing more serious..."
"Hah, watch your words. When you taste their ribs, you'll be just like that duck on the sign, red and fire. Hahaha!"
Under joyous laughter, Derek entered the tavern, one of dozens at the Hollow Patch. If anything brought the people here together, it was a shared desire to drink and eat.
As soon as they were seated at the end table, a girl, surprisingly energetic for late at night, ran up to them.
"What do you want to order?"
Tap.
Derek placed a gray crystal in her hands, causing the girl to gasp. In the palm of her hand now lay her weekly paycheck.
"Carry as much as it's worth and keep the change. You always have the kitchen open, don't you?"
"Y-Yes!" she exclaid, almost jumping with happiness.
Pretty soon, their small table was filled to the brim with at, fish, cheese, vegetables, bread, booze, and even one dessert - apple pie.
Kain gulped. He'd finally found sothing good in the Astral Dinsion.
"Derek... Are you sure? It must have cost a lot."
Without hesitation, Derek took the ribs, heavily brushed in hot sauce.
"Well, if it wasn't for you, that wolf wouldn't attack . It felt there was no chance. So, in a way, it's your share. And besides that, be quiet and eat!"
Kain didn't argue with his elder and heeded the wise advice.
One al at the Orlion Tower was not enough to satisfy Kain's hunger caused by poverty.
As Kain's hand reached for the pie, a shadow fell across their table. He slowly turned around, looking at the three n, each larger than him by a factor of two.
"Hey, looks like you had a good hunt," the bald one crunched his knuckles. "You've had quite a feast here. Care to share?"
Kain rolled his eyes. 'Of course. What else would you expect from the Hollow Patch.'
"Yeah, the hunt is actually quite good. I'm afraid I can't offer to join you, there are only two places. But I've never been greedy."
"Rgm?"
Crunch.
In a slight movent, Derek ripped the leg off the chicken. "Here, take it... Although, there are three of you. Fine! Take the whole chicken! Consider yourself lucky."
"You..."
The bald one grunted.
"You mock us?!" he roared with a wave of his hand, tossing the chicken aside.
The still-hot dish fell on the ground while Derek's face quickly turned as dark as night.
"Treating food like that... It's a serious disrespect to farrs, hunters, and cooks. I ant to treat you as a friend, but it seems I made a mistake."
"Argh? You think you can buy us off with one chicken?!"
In a heartbeat, Derek grabbed the rib like a blade, driving the bone into the man's thigh. Before the man could scream, Derek's fist plunged him into the ground.
Kain continued to eat. Even in his village, it wasn't uncommon for sothing like this to happen. He would be surprised if it didn't happen.
Suddenly, two n pulled out pistols, old, powder-slling but working.
That's what made Kain's eyes go wide. 'Damn... I thought this world was deep dieval or sothing, but I guess I was wrong. Although, these guns are far from modern.'
"Stay where you are, you dirty bastard!" one of them shouted like a piglet, holding the hilt with trembling hands.
The runes ran down Derek's arm. "Are you sure about this, kids?"
With pale faces, they dragged their comrade away and ran out of the tavern in sha. The woman behind the counter and several n raised their mugs in silent appreciation.
"These people, it's the sa thing every ti. At least they should make a list," Derek shook his head, continuing to eat.
A few quiet minutes were all they had before a shudder erupted from the side as if a giant was coming.
Expecting trouble, Kain turned around and saw a massive man with a thick beard, blue eyes and slightly curly hair, not fat but not muscular either, in a word a fighter.
"Ghm?"
Derek turned around.
Then, he rushed over to the man, hugging him tightly. "Yerez! It's so good to see you!"
"Hahaha!" the man laughed low, clapping Derek on the back.
Yerez glanced at Kain, who froze with a piece of pie in his hand. "How's that? This pie is my pride!"
"It's delicious..." Kain gulped, "But... Who are you?"
"Hahaha, young man, I have the sa question for you!"
When there was nothing but bones left on the table, the three of them disappeared behind a door in the back of the tavern. The Flaming Duck was not only a place to grab a drink, but also an evaluation station.
Dozens of hides and various parts of beasts tumbled out onto the table under Yerez's watchful gaze.
"Not bad, very good. You've prepared thoroughly this ti," Yerez rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Derek smirked. "You can sell it all in three days? I love the Hollow Patch, but my soul belongs to the woods and hunting."
"In three days? Hah, it'll all be gone by lunchti tomorrow! Maybe even faster!"
"Hmm? How is that possible?"
"You haven't heard, but Old Eye is having a real feast in Fang Tower soon. Because of that, the whole city is working like a beehive! Hahaha! Everyone's buying and selling at an accelerated pace to keep up. I don't know what Old Eye is going to talk about, but it's sothing important."
"I see," Derek glared at Kain as he jerked his head.
Kain nodded, pouring out the stolen jewelry with a nonchalant face. "Can you sell this?"
Yerez's eyes sparkled. He looked at the rings and nodded deeply. "Sure, there are plenty of won willing to give their last for it. In the best tradition of our city, I won't ask where you got it from."
'What a cooperative rchant. Sothing about him reminds of Vorg,' Kain smiled.
"And..."
Derek's low voice abruptly changed the atmosphere.
"Yerez, I'll have one more favor to ask of you. It has to do with Kain."
"Hmm?"
Step.
In a nacing stride, Derek approached Kain and abruptly unbuttoned his shirt, revealing the Red Swirl on his chest.
"You can help with that, can't you? I didn't tell him this, but there's a good chance an escaped Sacrifice will be tracked down sooner or later, isn't there?"
"Oh..." Yerez's throat went dry. "Now I get it... I'll see what I can do."
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