Chapter 385: The Lady In the Pub
I Hate Systems
Dlon City; in a certain pub, people flocked over during the evening, filling their bellies with food and alcohol.
âBeauty, some alcohol here!â One of the customers shouted, grinning as he ogled the lady that poured him alcohol.
Upon seeing her leaving after pouring his fill, the red-necked man extended her hand, grabbing hold of the ladyâs hand as he said, âBeauty, why wonât you accompany us? Alcohol tastes the best in the company of a beauty.â
âWe donât give that service here.â The lady said calmly before pointing at the bar on the opposite side, âBut, the establishment on the other side of the road has that. We can give you a discount coupon there.â
âIâm not interested in the used bitches there.â The red-necked man snorted before pulling the girl into his embrace, or at least, that was what he had tried to do so when a large man grabbed hold of his hand firmly, preventing him from exerting strength in it.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
âWho the fuck are you?â The red-necked man shouted in anger, âYou have a death wish?â
âYeah, so what?â The large man said as he placed a hand on the red-necked manâs shoulder, exerting force to cause him to be seated instantly, shocking him.
âThisâ¦bastard!â The red-necked manâs face too reddened in anger and humiliation as he tried to get up but was unable to, incapable of going against the pressure the large man was exerting on him.
âHahaha, another idiot that challenges the Boar!â The drunkards from the surrounding tables laughed raucously, jeering at the red-necked man, âForget her, dumbass. Sheâs out of your reach.â
âDrink, and leave.â The large man glared at the red-necked man from close up and then walked away. But for some reason, the red-necked man didnât say anything else and continued to calmly drink his alcohol.
âBeauty, some alcohol here too. Get me your cheapest one.â An old man that resembled a beggar arrived at a table, raising his hand to shout.
âHah!â The lady sighed as she placed a large jug full of alcohol, âYouâre the only one that orders this, old man. Itâll be better if you drink water instead. Thereâs no difference.â
âHaha, at least, the feeling counts.â The old man laughed, âThis alcohol still gets me tipsy, and thatâs all that matters haha.â
âDonât waste your money, old man.â The lady couldnât help but say in concern, âYouâre already having a hard time getting by these days. Why waste your money?â
âHeh, a youngâun like you wouldnât know.â The old man sniffed the alcohol, gasping like it was vintage as he took a careful sip, saying, âI might drop dead any day now. So why should I worry about anything? I should just enjoy my final days and alcohol is what gives me that.â
âThen, you should at least buy the general alcohol. Donât buy this water.â The lady snorted before leaving.
âHey, this might be the cheapest alcohol, but you donât need to call it water you know.â The old man protested before continuing to drink happily.
âThis old fart came today too.â A customer commented.
âIâm surprised heâs still alive considering how much he drinks daily.â A fellow customer joined the discussion.
âThat alcohol is no different from water. So of course, he would still be alive.â A drunkard said, âThough, even if youâre old, a man should tackle a strong liquor like me.â
âWhen I was your age, the liquor I drank was pretty much poison.â The old man boasted, âAs compared to that, the liquor youâre drinking is no different to my water here.â
âDonât speak nonsense, old man. You canât compare liquor to a freaking poison.â The drunkard retorted.
âIdiot, if it doesnât kill you, both are the same. They get you tipsy.â The old man retorted.
âThe old manâs making sense though.â Another drunkard contemplated his words, acting enlightened, âAs long as it doesnât kill you, even poison is alcohol.â
The customers continued to come in one after another throughout the night. Of course, things became rowdy from time to time, but the large man was there to suppress everything.
Eventually, it was almost dawn as most of the customers had left.
The old man was barely able to stand as he looked through his pockets, noticing that he was short of change, âDear, can I pay tomorrow?â
âNot againâ¦â The lady sighed, âOld man, youâre making it a habit now. These days, even water has a price.â
The old man surfed through his rags before taking out a tattered scroll, âDear, I picked this from the roaâ¦I bought this at a premium price from a merchant. It contains important information. Iâm sure itâs worth more than my alcohol.â
âIâll have to check the contents first.â The lady said as she opened the scroll, frowning as she looked for a moment before closing it, sighing as she gazed at the old man, âThis isnât much, but Iâll clear your tab. Youâll still have to bring enough money to drink tomorrow, you know.â
âYesâ¦yesâ¦â The old man continued to hiccup as he crawled out of the pub, drunk until he had become stupid.
âBeautyâ¦here tooâ¦â Another drunkard took out an item, handing it over as he said, âThis is worth more than what I had drunkâ¦â
The lady calmly appraised it, shaking her head, âSorry, itâs not enough.â
âFineâ¦â The man said before taking out a ring, âThis is my family heirloomâ¦â
The lady observed the ring as her brows subtly furrowed as she pocketed it, âAlright, thatâll do. These two items are enough to pay your tab.â
As the customers left, some paid in cash while some bartered their items. The lady calmly accepted it while the large man stood nearby to intervene if necessary.
Finally, at dawn, they closed the pub as the large man was no longer able to hold back his curiosity, asking the lady, âMadam, weâll make a loss if we continue to accept items instead of money.â
âAre you the owner or me?â The lady glared, causing the large man to flinch, shaking his head meekly.
âRemember that I only spared your life because I thought you would be useful. Donât stretch your boundaries.â The lady said, snorting as she motioned for him to carry all the items inside.
She then opened the damaged scroll, gazing at the picture on it, âSo, youâre in the Gaider Realm, Compass Carburettor.â
âThatâs good.â