Chapter 10 Grand Opening

"Here, no hyenas, only beauties."

At the entrance of a tavern in the city of Dehumi, a charming woman held up a sign with the aforementioned words, fluttering it enticingly, occasionally casting a helpless glance at the giggling young boy beside the bar. Meanwhile, pedestrians passing by in the afternoon were drawn to the scene, gathering at the tavern's entrance and discussing fervently:

"No more hyenas?"

"Really? Beauties instead..."

"Changed owners?"

"Indeed, it seems like it closed a few days ago and reopened."

In the past, these people had been intimidated by the two fierce and ferocious hyenas in front of the tavern, often hesitating to approach this area of the street. Although hyenas in Seir were not uncommon, few dared to drink where they stood guard.

The town wasn't large, and news of the tavern's closure yesterday had already piqued the curiosity of many. Today, some came to see for themselves, only to find a beautiful woman and a new sign, sparking surprise all around.

"Don't worry, the hyenas have indeed departed." Seeing a considerable crowd, Panny judged it was time to act, so he stepped out with a beaming smile, waving his arms. "Under new management, the tavern reopens today! All drinks are on the house. Come one, come all!"

"Really?" The crowd exclaimed in delight.

"Of course, it's true." Panny nodded with a smile. After a few seconds, two burly men were the first to stride into the tavern. Seeing this, the others hesitated no more. Since it was free, they rushed into the tavern, almost causing it to collapse. A throng of people surrounded the bartender, nearly overwhelming him.

Humans always loved a good bargain, regardless of the world they inhabited.

"Boss, are we really not charging?" Damon quietly approached the door, asking Panny incredulously.

"Let them swarm the bar and grab whatever they want. It doesn't matter; we're already operating at a loss, so a few more days won't hurt. If we run out of drinks, just fetch some from the storeroom. It's all going to expire soon anyway." Panny noticed Damon's lingering confusion and continued, "Before we rush to make money, let's first figure out how to make the customers see this place as somewhere they can sit down and enjoy a drink."

Damon, with a puzzled expression, heard the alluring woman whom Panny had pulled over to hold the sign. A hint of intrigue flashed in her eyes.

"Hey lad, where's the food to go with the drinks?" someone shouted.

"Boss, there's no chef, and no food prepared," Damon added, seeing Panny's expression bordering on collapse. "Because nobody used to come here."

"What do we have to eat?" Panny forced himself to stay calm.

"There's a cow and three sheep in the backyard," Damon replied.

"Get them slaughtered," Panny waved his hand. "You go cook the meat."

Problem solved.

As the sizzling meat was served on the tables, the atmosphere in the tavern grew livelier. A few patrons, having had a few too many drinks, approached the door to taunt the "deceptive" sign brought by Panny. "Miss, are you free tonight?" they joked.

"Sir, there are certain questions one should not ask a lady who hasn't drunk," Panny interjected calmly, positioning himself between the alluring woman and the drunken men.

"What questions?" the tipsy man asked, his expression turning embarrassed, while the woman covered her mouth, unable to contain her amusement.

"First, you shouldn't ask a lady about her age."

"Hmm?" The man nodded, thinking this was reasonable.

"Second, you shouldn't inquire about a lady's relationship status."

The tipsy man's face was now visibly embarrassed, while the woman couldn't help but giggle.

"Third, you shouldn't ask a lady if she's free tonight."

Laughter erupted in the tavern.

"That rascal!" Realizing Panny's subtly mocking tone, the man felt a bit offended. But seeing Panny stride to the center of the tavern, he exclaimed, "Let me show you some magic tricks, folks!"

Panny cast the cantrip "Sleight of Hand," enveloping himself in a radiant magical aura. All the patrons' attention was drawn to him, forgetting about the woman. The tipsy men were momentarily bewildered, too intoxicated to pursue the matter further. Panny knew he had to captivate their attention to prevent any disturbances, so he employed various magical tricks to entertain the patrons.

In the midst of the bustling crowd, Hierocles descended from the upper floor. Observing the multitude below, her countenance appeared less than favorable. Amidst the crescendo of cheers, at the pinnacle of exuberance, Panny conjured forth a horse out of thin air, only to vanish thereafter, eliciting a fervent uproar. Seeing Panny bathed in the radiant glow at the tavern's forefront, she coldly snorted to herself, "He resembles a mere simian."

Her aversion to the arcane arts had become deeply ingrained, her disdain palpable to the core. Though Panny had managed to slightly ameliorate her sentiment with his morning feat, it did not equate to affection towards the man.

When Panny noticed Hierocles, she had already departed. Pausing momentarily in his conjurations, he sensed an unusual premonition emanating from the maiden's life force. This premonition, neither wholly positive nor negative, bore an uncanny quality. Such extrasensory perception had accompanied him for fourteen years, thus he was keenly aware of the peculiar occurrences unfolding within the maiden. However, by the time he reacted, Hierocles had already distanced herself. Hence, he inquired of the breathless Damon nearby, "Where has she gone?"

"She ventures out every night and returns in the morning, but nobody knows her whereabouts," the bartender replied.

"Do none of you care?" Panny furrowed his brow.

"We are employees, not caretakers, sir," Damon Solle replied helplessly. "Besides, the miss harbors a strong aversion towards us, as you have witnessed."

Panny sighed, deciding to set the matter aside. She was simply the rebellious maiden of this alternate realm, and the premonition exhibited no overt signs of fortune or misfortune, thus the likelihood of trouble arising was slim.

Tomorrow would be a better time to inquire... Panny pondered thus, reluctant to contemplate any misfortune befalling Mr. Jankowski's daughter, lest it lead to dire consequences.

The fact that this tavern owner had to double as a caretaker left a bitter taste in Panny's mouth.

"Young lad! Another round!" The revelers underground, already inebriated, clamored for Panny to perform magic tricks. However, Panny had exhausted his repertoire of tricks, leaving no novelty to be found. Suddenly, his eyes fell upon a violin beside the bar.

In his previous life, while studying medicine, Panny had struggled with poor coordination, making precision with a surgical blade quite challenging. To remedy this, he had employed various methods to enhance his coordination, one of which was experimenting with musical instruments. Once he set his mind to something, he easily became engrossed. Thus, he had dabbled in various instruments from the band, albeit without achieving a high level of proficiency. Nonetheless, he could make do with most of them.

Lifting the violin, Panny captured the attention of all the patrons, including the maiden at the entrance. Could this youth possess the skills of a troubadour in addition to his magical prowess?

Panny tested the tone, took a deep breath, and began a bright prelude. Soon, a powerful and vigorous series of notes erupted from the instrument, instantly silencing the raucous tavern.

The sound resembled crashing waves, with the melody rising and falling like billowing sails. The figure at the center of the tavern seemed to draw all the radiance within, erupting with an intensity that sent waves of excitement rippling through the atmosphere. Yet, just as it reached its most exhilarating crescendo, it abruptly ceased, dissipating like a mirage in the air. Setting down the violin, the young man at the heart of the tavern raised his glass. "Let us toast to the reopening of the Celine Tavern. Farewell, fiendish wolves!"

"Farewell, fiendish wolves!" The crowd, swept up in the atmosphere, raised their glasses in unison, chanting this inexplicable slogan as they drank themselves into oblivion.

The maiden gazed discreetly at the youth, whose cheeks were flushed, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

As closing time approached swiftly, a group of weary barkeepers staggered about, though the drinks were offered free of charge, a jar of robust Lo Shan Stout was found tucked away in a corner, with a glint of gold in it. Panny paid no heed, casually retrieving five gleaming gold belens, handing them to the mature beauty who smiled at him by the door. "Sister, here are your belens."

The beauty smiled brightly, tucking the belens into her pocket and patting Panny's head. "Tell me, what was the name of the tune you played just now?"

"He's a pirate," Panny answered truthfully. It had been a while since he had been in such a lively atmosphere, yet he had performed exceptionally well, flawlessly playing the tune in one breath. It was also a stroke of luck.

"I didn't realize you still had a wild heart," the beauty said, leaning in to plant a kiss on Panny's delicate cheek. Panny blushed, suddenly remembering he hadn't even asked the name of this beauty he had recruited for odd jobs.

"I'm Vika, from the Black Horse and Crescent Moon Inn just down the street. Feel free to come and visit me when you have the chance to play with me, dear brother," Vika smiled and turned away gracefully.

Sighing, Panny rubbed his kissed cheek, feeling a bit down that he hadn't had further interaction with the stunning beauty. As he looked back at the closing inn, the late night air was silent, and the vast, empty land seemed truly pristine.