1245: Chapter 31: The Small Tavern in the Business District 1245: Chapter 31: The Small Tavern in the Business District Strolling leisurely along the comrcial district’s streets, Pannis road the pavent, his eyes darting around as if he wanted to etch everything he saw deeply into his mory.
The morning in the City of Knowledge was still a scene brimming with vitality and energy, where the streets, with the freight wagons almost gone, were gradually taken over by an increasing number of passenger carriages, inclusive of both private and public ones.
Aside from the carriages, a growing stream of people walked along the expansive avenues of the comrcial district, raising the temperature of the streets a few degrees compared to just a while earlier, though it was not just the rising heat of the sun or the inner warmth of the passersby that did so.
As always, the shops lining the streets were open for business bright and early, with visitors constantly coming in and out of the store doors, adding to the business of the entire district.
“Phew, no matter how much ti passes, this place still looks as bustling as ever,” Pannis sighed heavily, his hands clasped behind his back as he patrolled the roadside slowly, much like a lord surveying his domain, aimlessly and without destination, simply observing.
However, after wandering for a while, Pannis couldn’t help but express his sentint, “Every ti I stay in the comrcial district a bit longer, I get infected by the surrounding ambiance and feel a bit younger.”
“That’s just an illusion,” a cool voice ca from behind Pannis, where each syllable and every aspect of grammar was impeccably precise, indicating the speaker was the type to be very strict about every detail: “A lively atmosphere won’t make you younger nor turn back ti, everything is rely your own wishful thinking.
Besides, you are just a child to begin with, so what’s there to talk about getting younger.”
“By that logic, Odin is a child too,” Pannis didn’t turn around, and even his forward steps didn’t pause as if he already knew soone was behind him.
He chuckled lazily, “I don’t think he’d agree with that assessnt much.”
“Yet for us, considering age alone, you’re nothing but children,” the person behind him quickened his pace to catch up with Pannis, walking shoulder to shoulder with him: “Why do you have so much free ti today, wandering around the streets in the morning?
I thought you would beco very busy these days.”
“Hm?
You already know about it,” Pannis turned his head, eyeing the old friend next to him, wrapped in a green mage’s robe with energy flas flickering at the spot of his eyes under the hood, shining brightly.
He spoke with a smiling tone: “Seems like Flare has already inford you.”
“What else was I supposed to do?” Antuin, the President of the Mage Guild, leaning on his antique magic staff, continued at Pannis’s leisurely pace, sounding sowhat complaining: “You always do this, never giving anyone ti to prepare.
You suddenly co up with an idea and then want to implent it right away.
If you could give a little heads up, maybe five or even three days in advance, we wouldn’t be in such a rush.
The lord urgently wants the high-level conference to pass your proposal to coordinate with your actions, and asked especially to back her proposal through the Mage Guild to add persuasive power.
And now, because of your sudden idea, I have to change all my plans, tangled up at Neville’s eting place last night and having to rush back today to handle official duties.
This is why I hate unexpected events that aren’t part of the plan the most.
Next ti sothing like this happens, I’ll definitely not care about you.”
“Tsk tsk, besides talking tough, what else do you dare to do?
Besides, it’s not like I can decide to move things forward or delay on a whim, ti waits for no one, my old friend.” Pannis taunted with a curl of his lip but eventually shook his head, saying, “But, you don’t have to worry, after this ti…
there probably won’t be a next ti.
Hmm, shall we go inside and sit down?”
“Hm?” Antuin turned his head to see the spot where Pannis had stopped and realized aloud, “No wonder you wandered all the way here, you were intending to co to this shop.”
“Although I’ve been living in the City of Knowledge for several years, I have been hesitant to co this way, completely unfamiliar with this area.
I originally ca over today just to try my luck, but I didn’t expect this place to still exist, and it seems not much has changed,” Pannis shrugged his shoulders, looking up at the shop in front of him.
This was a very small tavern, which, at a glance, could accommodate only about a dozen custors.
The whole shop seed filled with the aroma of ancient history but was clean enough not to concern anyone.
It wasn’t even ten in the morning, and there wasn’t a single custor in the store, yet the inviting scent of wool wine and food wafted out from the doors, indicating the owner had everything ready and was prepared to welco any sudden visitors.
“This place must have nearly two hundred years of history by now, though I’ve never visited it,” Antuin said, rummaging through his mories: “If I rember correctly, your first eting with her was here, wasn’t it?”
“Sothing that happened so long ago, how could I possibly rember that well?” Pannis shrugged noncommittally but without hesitation, headed to a table in the corner and sat down, instinctively stroking the edge of the table as if greeting an old friend, silent for a mont before speaking: “You’re so busy but you ca to find , it can’t be just to complain.
There must be sothing else you want to discuss, and since I haven’t had breakfast yet, let’s sit down, eat, and talk.”
“Alright, as long as it doesn’t take too long,” Antuin nodded, sat down opposite Pannis, and surveyed the surroundings: “I didn’t expect such a small shop to exist in the comrcial district, hats off to the owner for managing to keep it running.”
“It’s probably not just about managing to keep going, I bet the business is probably pretty good,” Pannis waved at the white-haired owner, calling out loudly, “Prepare two of everything as usual, and give a large mug of wool wine from the third barrel.
As for him, just a glass of water will do.”
The owner was taken aback, then his face brimd with a smile, eagerly saying, “Turns out it’s a long-ti custor, it’s been seven or eight years since anyone specifically asked for wool wine from the third barrel, right, right, just sit tight, I will prepare it for the two of you right away.”
“Seems like you are quite familiar with this place, hardly looking like soone who can’t rember,” Antuin snorted: “What did you order exactly?”
“Food, what else,” Pannis, seeing Antuin’s stern face, replied with a grin: “This place only sells three kinds of food, so that’s why I said to prepare two portions of each.”
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