Neutral City, Sinielle.
Sinielle, it was a city established by a Sword Saint from a fallen country.
Although it was located in the middle of a desert, because it had been built atop an oasis, the city was entirely self-sufficient. Even if something was lacking, it could be supplemented through trade with Jinas and Reiburg, so life here never felt inconvenient or deprived.
However, Sinielle was not a wonderful city.
Since it belonged neither to Jinas nor to Reiburg, but was wedged between the two great countries, and surrounded on all sides by desert forming a natural barrier, many who could not survive in Jinas or Reiburg ended up here, especially fugitives who had become notorious criminals in either country.
If not for the fact that the city lord of Sinielle was a Sword Saint who always maintained order and suppressed the chaos brought by petty criminals, Sinielle would likely have become a lawless zone long ago.
Even so, due to the influx of fugitives, Sinielle, while not lawless, still seemed somewhat chaotic.
Here, there were mercenary groups who made their living by hunting monsters in the desert, and there were also underground organizations running illegal businesses.
From time to time, there would be people taking desperate risks, committing robbery, breaking into homes, murder, or trading in dangerous contraband.
In other words, Sinielle was a city with a neutral stance and a neutral internal order.
Good things and wicked deeds each occupied half of life here—good people and bad people were equally balanced, creating a very delicate equilibrium.
In such a city, there stood a tavern known as the Sunset Tavern that was quite famous in Sinielle.
Why?
It was because the tavern served as a very special intermediary.
Rumor had it that the master behind the tavern had some connection to the city lord, so the city authorities would entrust certain commissions to the tavern, which would then pass them on to mercenary groups, letting them hunt dangerous monsters in the city’s vicinity.
It was also said that the master behind the tavern had personal connections in the underworld, so the tavern covertly brokered some illegal business for others as well.
In short, this was a place that thrived in both the legal and illegal worlds.
As a result, mercenaries and criminals from the underworld often gathered here.
Even though none of them were simple characters, not one dared to cause trouble in this place.
In the evening, as usual, the Sunset Tavern was filled with heavily armed mercenaries and dangerous figures cloaked in black robes. Some drank and chatted, while others went into the back rooms to conduct their business.
Thanks to this, the inside of the tavern was lively and loud, with the thick scent of alcohol masking the traces of dust and blood in the air.
At some point, the tavern’s main door was pushed open.
From outside, two travel-worn figures stepped in.
They were both wrapped in dust-covered cloaks, clearly just having come from outside the city.
One was tall and large.
One was short and small.
From the outlines beneath their cloaks, it was clear they were a man and a woman, but with their hoods drawn up, their faces were completely hidden, leaving no one able to see their looks or guess their origins.
Inside the tavern, many people shot them a subtle glance before quickly looking away as if nothing had happened.
It was not for any other reason, but simply because there were too many people dressed like them in a place like this, so the two did not stand out enough for anyone to pay special attention to them.
Only a few young and vigorous brutes could not help but turn their eyes toward the petite, cloaked woman. Even a loose cloak could not completely hide her alluring figure, which caused a trace of filthy desire to flicker in their eyes.
However, this caused the cloaked woman to seem somewhat nervous and uncomfortable, her walk looking a bit stiff.
As for the cloaked man leading her, he entered unhurriedly and calmly.
At his waist, beneath his cloak, the hilt and scabbard of a long sword occasionally flashed into view as he walked, causing more than a few gazes to sharpen and suppress whatever unsavory thoughts they had.
Soon after, the two sat down in a corner, and before long, a middle-aged man who looked rather slack and casual also walked over to them.
"What do you want?"
Asking in a slow, mechanical manner, as if simply going through the motions, the middle-aged man seemed to be a staff member of this tavern, yet his attitude was not polite at all.
"Dining? Lodging? Or are you here to take a commission?"
Since this was a tavern, of course, it ran the usual tavern business, or else there would not have been so many people drinking and chatting here.
However, the main business here was still that of a middleman, and everything was laid out openly for people to choose from, just like ordering from a menu.
"Let’s eat first."
Not caring about the staff member’s attitude, the cloaked man, who was obviously the dominant one between the two, replied calmly.
"Bring us some water and some food."
Upon hearing this, the staff member raised an eyebrow and half-smiled.
"You’re not short on money, huh? In that case, I’ll serve you the most expensive dish in the house. As for water, we don’t have any here—only wine, and it’s a hundred gold coins a cup for Serpent’s Blood Wine. How about it?"
As soon as these words fell, the attention of a few nearby tables instantly turned toward them, making the patrons glance over.
"Serpent’s Blood Wine? What kind of wine is that?"
From his tone, the cloaked man sounded a bit curious, which made the half-smile on the staff member’s face grow even more obvious.
"You don’t even know about Serpent’s Blood Wine? You must be a rookie who just arrived in Sinielle, right?"
"It’s a strong liquor brewed from the blood of the notorious twin-tailed serpent monster from the desert. It’s a specialty magical wine that you can only find in this city. Just one cup can knock out even a Sword Master, and a physically weak magician couldn’t even handle a single sip."
"Forcing it down might even burn your throat."
Hearing the staff member’s explanation, the cloaked man became even more curious.
"Oh? Is it really that strong?"
"It’s the favorite drink of strong warriors, but very few of them are actually willing to buy a cup. Regardless, it’s a magical wine personally brewed by a magician skilled in Structure Magic. If you can handle it, it can slowly nourish your body and gradually strengthen your physical abilities."
"Really?"
Only then did the cloaked man nod in understanding.
"No wonder it’s so expensive."
"Well, you can’t buy this wine anywhere else, either. Even here in Sinielle, it’s a special offering. Usually, it’s only sold to the city lord. Otherwise, it’s sent off to the royal capital of Jinas as tribute to the royal palace, or delivered to the military in Reiburg as a reward for brave warriors. It’s always in short supply."
At this point, the staff member suddenly chuckled.
"Just so happens, our tavern received a fresh crate of Serpent’s Blood Wine yesterday. You can still order it now, but in a few days, my master will be using those to entertain important guests."
Upon hearing this, the cloaked man pondered for a moment, then nodded.
"In that case, I’ll have a cup. By the way, get my companion a glass of fruit wine."
At this, a strange look flickered in the staff member’s eyes for a moment, but then he nodded.
"Uh-huh, no problem. Your order is set. Is there anything else you’d like, sir?"
"Yes, there is..."
Calmly gazing at the staff member, the cloaked man paused, tapping his finger on the table a few times before continuing.
"Actually, there’s something I’d like to ask about... Could you help clear something up for me?"
"Well, that depends on what you wanna know."
As he replied, the staff member’s expression did not change at all.
"However, if it’s something that can’t be openly discussed, then I’d suggest you go to one of the private rooms in the back. We offer information for sale there."
"If it’s nothing too serious, and I actually know the answer, I don’t mind sharing a little info, but..."
Even though the rest of the staff member’s words were left unsaid, the look beneath the cloaked man’s hood shifted into a faint smile, clearly understanding the staff member’s meaning.
"Will this do?"
With a casual gesture, the cloaked man tossed a few gold coins to the staff member.
"Of course."
Seeing the gold coins, the staff member caught them in a flash, and his smile finally seemed a bit more genuine.
"So, what would you like to know, sir?"
Casually propping his chin with his hand, the cloaked man spoke offhandedly.
"I’ve heard that an ancient ruin was unearthed near Sinielle. I’d like to know about that ruin."
However, as soon as the words left the cloaked man’s mouth, something strange happened in the tavern.
The smile on the staff member’s face froze.
The people who had been eavesdropping around them also fell silent.
The whole tavern, which had been quite noisy a moment ago, suddenly fell quiet, so silent that one could hear a pin drop.
Everyone present, without exception, stared at the cloaked man—their faces and eyes carrying an especially odd, complex, and heavy look.
"Umm..."
Beside the cloaked man, the cloaked woman, who had remained silent all this time, seemed startled by the sudden change and could not help but clutch tightly at the weapon she always carried under her cloak.
Realizing the sudden change, the cloaked man swept his gaze around before calmly turning back to the staff member.
By now, the staff member’s smile had completely vanished, replaced by a dark, twisted expression.
"...I don’t know what you’re talking about."
As he spoke, the staff member’s voice was stiff, his tone icy as he tossed the gold coins back at the cloaked man.
"Sorry, you’ve got the wrong person. And forget about the back room—this place will never sell that kind of information to you."
"If there’s nothing else, I’m leaving."
With that, the staff member turned on his heel and left at once, looking as if he could not wait to escape from here.
Meanwhile, the other patrons continued to stare at the two in the corner with strange, complicated, and heavy expressions, whispering among themselves.
"...Who are those two?"
"How dare they ask about something like that here?"
"Are they trying to mess with that taboo?"
"Hmph, they must have a death wish."
As these whispers reached his ears, a faint glimmer flickered in the cloaked man’s eyes beneath his hood.
After a moment, he muttered to himself.
"Looks like this isn’t going to be so easy..."
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[A bonus Chapter for every 500 Power Stones.]
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