8 It's Such A Nice Place

Verhund had safely found an inn to pass the night, it was ominously close to the havoc left behind by the dino-like monster from the recent incident.

The place was focused on servicing small peddling merchants and other people who wouldn't stay in the city for more than a week.

'The Living's Rest' was a strange inn, apparently cheaper and bigger than its competitors, it also sported a more quiet environment that could potentially be misunderstood for a grim mood.

This atmosphere has already caused some problems in acquiring customers in the past, but the owners ultimately crawled through the hurdle and started receiving dedicated customers before long.

Verhund found it a pity that the middle-aged elf woman attendant was so quiet, refusing to speak for long and not speaking at all whenever it wasn't related to work.

He still paid for his room and went to sleep though, not dwelling in it for longer than a second.

Next early morning, Verhund went to visit the Maiden's Paradise for a quick breakfast and a nice talk with his best chatting buddy, Cinthia.

"Shit! Put these flames out!"

"Shut your trap and sit down, man! You're lucky that psycho only burnt your clothes!"

And the place seemed really lively, Verhund was just inwardly questioning the burning man's aesthetics that favored a smoked out style that resembled black power when he looked inside the pub.

People were either laughing at the leaving customers or otherwise ignoring the occurrence as something common enough.

He entered the place with an odd smile before seeing Cinthia behind the counter confidently posing while staring at the entrance with a winning smile, she had to stay on top of a stool in order to be visible.

They looked at each other and instantly showed animated faces, they waved at each other and fist bumped.

"It seems you are doing well, friend! What would you like today?"

"And you are doing even better. I remember seeing some soup? One with pasta, meat, and cooked potatoes and carrots."

"Just some casual soup then? Right away!"

She happily skipped towards the kitchen behind the counter, almost toppling the stool under her after jumping out.

Then some angry shouting was heard before a poor small Cinthia was thrown out of the kitchen while holding her head and muttering something inaudible to others.

She stood soon enough, though, and faced Verhund with a smile and a thumbs up.

"You see, I've faced the demon for you, it would be good if my best friend were to give me a little present one of these days. Say, for example, there is this super good food for two in the menu that is really pricy-"

"After I become rich, I think I may be able to buy you some chocolate! My generosity is off the charts, isn't it?"

"Your generosity is as petty as grandma's pockets! Coudn't yo-"

A kitchen ladle came flying out of the kitchen and hit Cinthia in the head, stars were summoned from the void to float right above her and in place of her eyes were Xs while her tongue was sticking out from the side of her mouth.

Of course, this was all a comic illusion generated by the excessive movements made by the girl, from her level of strength, a ladle would break before causing harm, probably.

Before Cinthia could lose her footing, though, a tall, green-haired woman came out from the kitchen and scooped her up.

"Great work Cinthia, you can now work in the kitchen, washing plates.

The slim elf carried the petite girl away, and by the time Cinthia came back from her stupor, she could do little more than let out a dramatic and dragged out 'no' before entering the dark side beyond, the workplace.

Meanwhile, Verhund was bored waiting for his soup and awaited, humming randomly while looking at the adventurers around.

Most of them were eating food and drinking either water or juice, not a drop of alcohol. It seemed like they would leave for some mini- err, adventuring right after eating, just like himself.

Right about when he thought it was time for his food to be ready, a pretty teenager with a ponytail came out with the soup and an orange juice.

She didn't return to the kitchen, however, and stood at the counter, looking at the pub's entrance.

Verhund soon turned his sight to watch there too, just in time to see a familiar red-haired boy with white-gray eyes entering the place and heading towards the counter.

The boy had some bandages peeking out of his clothes but didn't seem too bothered with whatever injuries he had, he sat beside Verhund and amiably greeted the waitress, who seemed to have been waiting for him.

Meanwhile, Verhund casually continued to eat his soup. Although he felt like he's seen the boy before, Verhund was sure he did not know him, so they must have passed by each other in the streets, nothing more.

The two strangers started talking soon after the food was requested, Verhund was forced to discover that the boy had been one of the injured sleeping on the second floor yesterday, the other was seemingly occupied with something and couldn't come.

He was finishing with his soup - which was mostly a broth by now - when the tall elf came back from the kitchen to share some words with the boy, even though they didn't seem too close to each other.

He finished eating and requested for the bill, attracting the elf's attention. She gave him an annoyed stare, and Verhund was sure it had nothing to do with her talk to the boy.

"You're a bad influence for Cinthia, you two just talked for a day and she's already creating trouble with adventurers."

"...You're saying that while living in this city and letting her work here at night when everyone's a drunkard talking through their ass?"

Her gaze became sharp, and Verhund's 'death sense' blared for an instant, before silencing itself like nothing ever happened.

She took the money and just kept looking at him, face still frowning from her stare.

"Besides, you don't look like the best of influences either?"

It didn't take long for him to receive a kitchen ladle to the head, giving him a taste of just how Cinthia felt before.

He left the pub while stumbling, stars on his head. He regretted nothing, however, and happily made his way for the dungeon when the stun effect wore over.

"What kind of weirdo has that kind of skill? Take the 'granny' out though, and this pub is such a nice place."

Said the guy who only spoke to a single waitress.