Chapter 150: Tequila

Norway Town lay little more than thirty kilometers from the Mercenary City of Como. With a population of fewer than five thousand, it was a remote and isolated settlement in the mountains. Yet the region was rich in magical beasts, and Como was not far away, so mercenaries often stopped here to rest. Over time, the town’s inns had multiplied, and Viel’s group happened to stop here as well.

Viel had ordered a bottle of tequila, but after an entire day, he had not taken a single sip. The small dishes on his table had already been replaced several times. Oh, and there was one more thing: the men who had eaten with Viel had also changed several times over.

“Hey! How did it go?”

Pepero came in from outside and spotted Viel at once. She dropped unceremoniously into the seat across from him and snatched the tequila from his hand. After glancing at it and seeing that the bottle was still completely full, she relaxed and took a hearty swallow.

“This liquor isn’t bad…”

Pepero let out a breath. She looked at Viel, then narrowed her eyes with a smile.

“Viel, can it be that you don’t know how to drink?”

“I’m not very good at it, actually.”

Viel answered quite honestly. He glanced at Pepero and asked calmly, “How are things outside?”

“Not very good. There are all kinds of rumors. After all, this is the Mercenary City, and several major powers have been alarmed.”

As she spoke, Pepero took another swallow of tequila. Then she suddenly remembered that although Viel had never drunk any of it, when she had left that morning, she had indeed seen him touch the corners of his mouth to the bottle several times.

I’ve really suffered a loss!

Pepero screamed inwardly. The corner of her eye twitched twice. She slowly lowered the bottle, then discreetly freed one hand and wiped her mouth.

“What’s wrong?”

Seeing the unnatural expression on Pepero’s face, Viel shifted his gaze to the bottle on the table and immediately understood. A trace of amusement appeared at the corner of his mouth.

“Nothing. I got a bit of sand in my mouth.”

Pepero coughed awkwardly. To change the subject, she hurriedly asked, “What about you? Did you hear anything?”

“Yes.”

Viel looked at her and said, “It’s just as you said. There are all kinds of rumors. But I did manage to learn a few pieces of information that seem reliable.”

“First, the Mercenary Guild has not yet removed the Rotwolf Mercenary Corps from its rolls. Second, not a single rumor concerning what happened to the Rotwolf Mercenary Corps is true. Third, the tariffs at Como City’s gates are three coppers higher today than they were yesterday.”

“Three coppers higher than yesterday?”

Pepero’s expression darkened. She could not immediately determine what it meant, but she had an ominous feeling about it.

“The Rotwolf Mercenary Corps has not been expelled. That means the Mercenary Guild intends to preserve all of its rights within the guild—or at least protect its interests. Not a single rumor is true, which means someone has concealed all information about the Rotwolves. No, ‘sealed off’ would be more accurate. Yes, sealed off. The major powers in the city have completely blocked all news about the Rotwolves. And the increased tariffs…”

Pepero bit her lower lip. Her tightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed, and she slammed her palm onto the table.

“They’re investigating! They’re investigating what happened to the Rotwolves!”

“Very clever. This proves they have no intention of letting the matter go. After all, this is their territory. A B-rank mercenary corps was wiped out right beneath their noses—that is no different from slapping them across the face.”

Viel smiled faintly, took the tequila from in front of Pepero, and tasted it lightly.

“Didn’t you say you weren’t very good at drinking?”

“I said I wasn’t very good at it. I never said I didn’t drink.”

Pepero’s expression turned unpleasant. Her beautiful eyes glared fiercely at Viel. He paid no attention. Not content merely to drink, he deliberately licked his lips, then cast her a provocative glance.

“Not bad.”

Not bad? Was he talking about the taste of the liquor, or the taste of something else?

Pepero’s eyes were filled with anger, but something else—something she had never felt before—had also appeared within them. Viel stopped while he was ahead and slowly rose to his feet.

“All right. Go ask your leader what we should do next.”

……………………….

The Inn

Viel sat in the chair closest to the window with his eyes closed, seemingly resting. The other people in the room, however, wore grave expressions. From the information Viel had gathered, it was clear that the people in the Mercenary City would not let the matter pass so easily.

“Rodin? Tell us what you think.”

Rosdi glanced at Rodin and asked slowly.

“What can I say?”

Rodin gave a bitter smile. “To put it plainly, none of this was our fault from the beginning. But now the situation has developed into what it is. What can I say? I suspect… our Moonslaughter has already been marked.”

“Rodin, can you stop saying useless things?”

Pepero frowned. Although Rodin was telling the truth, she still did not want to hear it. She turned her gaze toward Graeme and opened her mouth, yet she did not know what she wanted to ask.

“Boss?”

Everyone’s eyes focused on Graeme. At that moment, he finally opened his eyes.

“Rodin is right. We can’t return to Como now…”

Graeme’s voice was slightly hoarse yet magnetic. His short, pale-golden hair swept backward, and combined with the shape of his face, it made him resemble a fierce leopard. He possessed an imposing presence.

With Viel’s help, most of the injuries on his body had already healed, except for his leg.

Everyone fell silent, but Graeme did not seem to mind. He turned to Viel and smiled with genuine sincerity.

“Mr. Viel, thank you for your help this time.”

“You’re too kind. We merely needed one another and helped each other.”

Viel smiled faintly. He glanced at Graeme’s leg and asked, “Then, Mr. Graeme, what do you plan to do next?”

“What do I plan to do next?”

Graeme raised his head and stared at the ceiling.

“It’s almost laughable. I’m their leader, yet I still haven’t decided how we’re supposed to walk the road ahead. We can’t stay in Como, but as for other places… Forget it.”

Graeme shook his head. He looked at Viel and continued, “I seem to remember that you wanted to entrust us with something.”

“Yes…”

Pepero was about to speak, but Viel stopped her. After a brief pause, he said, “I want to return to the Imperial Capital. But you know the road isn’t exactly safe, so…”

“You want us to serve as your guards and escort you safely back to the Imperial Capital?”

Graeme stated Viel’s intentions directly. He thought it over carefully, then nodded.

“All right. We accept.”

“Rodin, go make the arrangements with Rosdi. And Pepero, you go as well…”

Graeme waved the three of them away. They nodded in perfect understanding and soon left the room.