Ch#92
Inn, 2nd floor corridor.
"That room too?"
Veil, who had come out of his room, asked, and Enzo nodded.
"Yes. And in our room, there was......"
"What?"
"A dead rat under the blanket."
"Crazy."
Veil stuttered.
"Th-that old hag is insane. Running a dump like this and charging 100 gold a night?! Ha!"
The more they checked the room, the harder it was to believe what had happened downstairs just moments ago.
"How could anyone not be senile and try to rent out a room like this for 100 gold?"
Turning his gaze, he saw Basto still cleaning the room for Tie.
Tie was already rolling around on the bed after Basto had dusted it off.
"Is that okay?"
Veil nodded.
"......Basto shook everything out."
Basto, still uneasy, had shaken out the bedsheets, blanket, and pillow, then laid leather over them.
Only after layering two of the mercenary group's blankets on top did he allow Tie on the bed.
But even so, he couldn't shake off his worries.
"The kid's cold won't get worse, right?"
Enzo let out a groan.
Still, Astie's room looked far more comfortable than theirs.
All thanks to Basto's cleaning, of course.
He nodded.
"Yes. That should be fine. And right now, sleeping here is the best option anyway. The weather turned cold so suddenly that staying in the carriage wasn't feasible."
"......Yeah, true."
The two sighed deeply in unison.
They were leaning against the corridor walls with weary expressions when.
"Veil, Enzo. Thinking of heading to the pub?"
Basto, who had finished cleaning his room, asked.
Veil straightened from the wall and furrowed his brow.
"Pub all of a sudden?"
"Ung! It's in the pub!"
Tie's voice came from below.
Looking down, he saw Tie pointing at the plaza outside the window, clutching Basto's hand tightly.
"Tie saw it—five people have gone in already?"
Basto shrugged as if to say, what can we do.
Veil, who had briefly narrowed his eyes, squatted down to meet Tie's gaze.
"Kiddo. You sure you're not sick anymore?"
"Yup! Not even a little!"
Honestly, she didn't look sick at all.
Is this kids' stamina?
"Wouldn't it be better to rest today?"
Even so, just in case, but Tie immediately widened her eyes and pouted.
"You said yesterday and the day before you'd do whatever Tie wanted......"
At a loss for words, Veil sighed helplessly.
"......Fine, let's go then."
A huge grin spread across the child's face.
"Yay! Then can Tie have strawberry juice there too?"
"You too, kiddo?"
"Ung! And toast together!"
"Where are you all headed?"
Just then, Raoul, who had returned after disposing of the rat corpse, chimed in.
Tie waved cheerfully.
"We're all going to the pub!"
"Pub?"
"Yup. A place where you talk and drink beverages together."
Raoul's eyes lit up.
"Then I'll come too!"
Even though it was a rundown inn, perhaps because they'd finally found a place to stay the night?
After unpacking, something cool and refreshing came to mind right on cue.
"Let's go then."
Basto muttered, taking Tie's hand and stepping forward.
Lucarion, dressed in Tie's dress, toddled after them.
"What about Nordics, old man?"
"He said he's not in the mood today."
Veil answered Enzo's question, shaking his head.
Then he headed down the stairs too.
* * *
The way to the pub was uneventful.
It was just crossing the plaza to the building opposite, nothing much,
"Huh......?"
But an incident occurred right in front of the pub.
"Hey, you."
Veil suppressed his anger and called out to the seven- or eight-year-old boy who had just brushed past him.
The boy, with a cap pulled low, turned with hollow eyes and looked up at him.
"What."
His cheeky tone made Veil's blood boil.
But Veil forced a smile.
"Hand it over, nicely."
Basto stared at Veil as if asking why.
But Veil ignored the look and glared at the kid again.
"The thing you just took from me. Bring it back."
At those words, the boy froze.
"What do you mean......"
But the kid, feigning ignorance, soon
"Huh?"
spun around and bolted into a nearby alley.
Seeing the silver necklace dangling from the boy's hand, Veil's eyes darkened.
"You little shit!"
"Veil!"
Veil shot forward at full speed.
And in one dash, he caught up, grabbing the kid by the collar.
"Ugh, damn it! Let go!"
The kid—Jen—immediately twisted violently in resistance.
But Veil yanked his necklace from the boy's hand before releasing the fabric.
Jen fell on his butt and glared murderously at Veil.
"......Tch!"
Then he spat thick phlegm at Veil's feet and scurried into the alley.
Enzo and Raoul ran up.
"Veil! Are you okay?"
Veil sighed, checking the necklace in his hand.
Fortunately, it was intact.
He held his breath briefly, then rubbed his temple.
"I'm fine. It was tucked inside my belt, and he still swiped it."
Returning to the pub entrance with Raoul and Enzo, Basto and Tie were waiting.
Basto looked shocked, and Tie seemed scared, tension in her wide eyes.
Veil patted Tie's head once and stepped into the pub.
"What kind of village is this......"
He muttered in disbelief.
From what he'd seen so far, this pub probably wasn't normal either.
And his hunch was spot on.
"Wow...... Ah."
Tie's exclamation faded as they entered.
Ding-
Apart from the door chime, the pub was dead silent.
Dozens of eyes fixed on them and the group; Tie hesitated and hid behind Basto.
The patrons' eyes were hollow, like bottomless black pits.
Even the skeleton friends Tie had summoned before seemed more lively.
"Veil brooo......"
Tie whispered fearfully, and Veil quietly moved beside her.
He swallowed a groan, scanned around, and pointed to one side.
"Basto. Counter's over there."
Basto nodded and picked up Tie.
As the group moved to the counter, dozens of eyes followed.
"......What's going on here?"
"No idea."
While Raoul and Enzo whispered.
Basto, tense-faced at the counter, pressed the bell there.
A chirping sound rang out as a small bird figure popped up and down.
A few seconds later.
"Oh dear, I must have missed the bell. Sorry about that."
Someone rummaging in a drawer behind the bar stood up.
Neatly pinned-up brown hair.
Tall stature, long pale arms revealed under rolled-up sleeves.
The woman holding five oak mugs stared at them.
"New faces. Travelers?"
Raoul nodded awkwardly.
"......Yeah, something like that."
She set the mugs on the counter and nodded toward the menu board.
"Then I'd recommend the Birch Brew. It's my house brew, the bestseller here. But more importantly......"
Her gaze shifted to Tie and Lucarion in Tie's dress.
"What business do kids have in my pub? I don't serve alcohol to children."
