Chapter 147 Uncovering Truths: Deception [1]

After finishing my assessment and speaking with the manager, I departed the Adventurer guild with Howkins.

According to that manager, my Adventurer License will be provided by tomorrow after being reviewed by the Adventurer association's higher-ups.

So In the meantime, I decided to wander around the Kingdom and gather information on the abandoned Kingdom.

"Boss, where are we headed now? Should we contact that maid to make arrangements for your stay in this Kingdom?" Howkins asked as he trailed behind me.

"...."

"What use do you have? Go make preparations for my stay here till I return; I'm going to a tavern," I told him as I searched for a nearby tavern on my phone.

!?

"What? Do you want to drink in broad daylight? Don't you think you're too young to drink alcohol?" The dumbass Howkins said.

"Shut the fuck up and do what I told you before I get furious and beat the shit out of you," I stated.

"E-Eh? A-All right I will see what I can do, but please don't overdrink or I'll be bothered if I have to carry you," Howkins stated before departing.

"This bastard," When I heard him, a vein bulged on my forehead and I muttered in an annoyed tone.

I'm not visiting the tavern to consume alcohol or anything else, but rather to gather information.

As I've read in many novels, that tavern staff are like NPCs who supply information, while the people drinking there, gossip and share news about what's going on in the world.

'Well, it's worth a shot to see whether it's true,' I reasoned as I stood in front of a tavern.

The tavern was situated in a large stone building with a thatched roof, and a wooden sign hanging outside with a dragon carved into it.

'In my prior world, this would seem like a Chinese restaurant or something similar.' I thought before looking up the Tavern's information on my phone to see if I am in a right place.

[The Drunken Dragon: A lively tavern located in the bustling city of Kaldor Kingdom, known for its wide selection of exotic drinks and lively atmosphere.

The tavern also features a large fireplace and comfortable seating, making it a popular spot for adventurers and locals alike.

Review: ★★★★☆]

"All right, let's go inside," I mumbled, wearing a black hooded cloak before entering.

As I don't want to draw attention to myself by looking like a kid visiting a tavern.

"There's no need for you to wear that cloak; it would draw more attention; instead, just enter as you are and pretend you're a dwarf if anyone asks," Irethiel said and chuckled.

"...."

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I ignored Irethiel's comments and entered the Drunken Dragon tavern.

The tavern was bustling with activity, as adventurers and normal folks from different races alike gathered to enjoy a drink and share stories of their exploits.

But as I walked in, the tavern's chatter and laughter came to a halt, and all eyes were drawn to me.

"...."

I disregarded them because my attention was focused on the task at hand - gathering information about the abandoned kingdom.

The bartenders, a burly man with a thick beard and a young woman with a cheerful smile, looked up from their duties and their expressions became curious as they saw me.

As I approached the bar counter, the burly bartender spoke up.

"Welcome to the Drunken Dragon tavern, traveler. What can I get you?"

"A pint of your finest Ale and...any information you have about the ancient kingdom, lost to time and overrun by monsters," I asked, my voice grabbing the attention of everyone around me.

When the bartender heard me he just remained silent, while staring at me with a blank face.

'Hmm? Is it not how it works?' I thought inwardly when I saw the bartender's blank expression.

"...I am looking for information on that kingdom and am willing to pay a handsome price for it," I added.

The burly bartender leaned forward, his weathered face wrinkled in thought.

"You speak of Valtora, a once-great kingdom that flourished for centuries. But alas, it fell to a great curse that brought forth hordes of monsters from the gates as if they were connected to the depths of hell.

The king, a mighty warrior, fought to the last breath to protect his people, but in the end, the curse consumed them all," The bartender came to a halt after saying that.

"...I see. And what of the curse? Is it possible to lift it and reclaim the kingdom?" I inquired, intrigued.

The daughter, a young woman with a sharp wit and a sharp tongue, chimed in.

"The curse can only be lifted by a true hero, one who is brave enough to face the monsters that guard the kingdom and strong enough to vanquish the curse-bringer, a powerful sorcerer who seeks to keep the kingdom for himself."

"...A powerful sorcerer?" I muttered as I was reminded of a dream I had a few days ago.

'So the countless gates that formed in that kingdom were not natural, but were the result of a curse? ...Which means there's someone out there who can summon the gates using some kind of sorcery?' I pondered.

"Do you know the identity of that sorcerer?" I inquired, my voice interested.

"No, it is only known that the sorcerer was someone young, but no one has ever seen their face," the burly bartender explained.

"...I see," I mumbled, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a small pouch stuffed full of gold coins.

"Thank you for providing this information. This should take care of your troubles," I said as I set the gold pouch on the table and stood up, prepared to leave the Tavern leaving the drink I ordered alone because I don't really drink and also I don't think I can obtain any more information from here.

The bartenders nodded, their eyes gleaming as they pocketed the pouch.

"Sir, best wishes on your journey. May you be the Hero Valtora is looking for," said the elderly bartender.

"Haha, A Hero you say? He will indeed come someday to reclaim that Kingdom, but I am not that Hero," I said as I strolled out of the tavern, a grin on my face.

"...I'm assuming you observed what was wrong with that Tavern?" Irethiel inquired as soon as I exited the tavern.

"Yeah, I was really astonished when I saw that, since I never expected I'd ever witness something like that in my life," I said, my eyes shining gold due to my Hawkeye skill.

"...."

"...You are being followed," Irethiel said.

"I know," I answered as I pulled a small pouch of gold from my inventory and carefully placed it in the pocket of my cloak.

Swish!—

And then, as if a gust of wind rushed through me, someone stole the gold pouch from my pocket.

I just remained there watching that person flee as if in slow motion.

***

"Urgg Stop it! Return it to me; it is mine," A boy with rusty brown hair and torn-out clothes was struggling to get his gold pouch from three adult men.

"Hahaha, this money is ours now, boy, get lost before we beat the snot out of you," One of the muscular men stated with an ugly grin, while his two buddies wore identical grins.

"P-Please, please, please return it to me! I don't have much time left, and I need to get the potion before it's too late." The boy sobbed as he sought to retrieve his gold pouch.

"Fuck off!" One of the men said and pushed the boy aside.

"Y-You bastards!" The boy yelled and punched the person who held the gold pouch in his hands in the private parts.

"ARGHH," the man groaned as he knelt down on the ground.

"H-How dare you, you brat!" When the other two men saw their comrade groaning in pain, they exclaimed before slamming the child to the ground.

Thud–Thud–Thud

They continued to bash the boy, and the guy who had his balls punched ultimately got up and began kicking the boy repeatedly, leaving him bleeding from bruises and injuries.

"Take this, you cretin! We did you a favor by letting you live, and you dared to hit me?" As he proceeded to kick the boy, the thug said.

Urgg–Urggg

To avoid being hit anywhere critical, the boy rolled like a caterpillar.

"Alright, that's enough screen time for third-rate villains like you,"

They were startled to hear a voice from the wall's highest point and as they turned to look, they were met by a frail boy with white hair and blue eyes sitting on the top of the small ceiling, smiling at them.

"Who the fuck are you? Do you have a death wish, you brat?" One of the thugs stated.

"Isn't this like a real cliche novel scene, Irethiel? Well, what did I expect I am indeed in a novel," I spoke up while laughing.

Swash!—

"Get down here, you brat—" One of the guys was ready to say something, but he couldn't finish because his head was severed by a shuriken that appeared out of nowhere.

Splurtt—

His blood was gushing like a waterfall.

"H-Huh?" His other two companions were horrified to witness their friend's head flying in the air after being beheaded in slow motion, but their responses were short-lived because their fate was the same as his as their heads were detached at the same time.

—Swash

"Argghh"

Everything happened in a fraction of seconds, and the boy who was recently getting beaten by the thugs, had his eyes widened in amazement when he witnessed their heads fall to the ground with a thud after being decapitated, and there was blood all around him, including some drops on his face.

—Thud—Thud–Thud

"Eh?"