Dragons’ Melancholic Song (Part 24)
The doors to the pub swung open. Cold, fresh air blew into the stinky, dark pub, drawing the attention of the customers. Next, the door slammed into the wall with a heavy bang. The swinging door almost put the flames in the building out, thereby dimming the interior.
Four individuals donning thick, heavy cloaks stood in the centre of the pub and looked around. The pub was the same as many other rundown pubs. There were filthy drinkers sitting at the tables. One could pull off botches of the thick layer of oil stains on the tables. The smell of liquor from the dark wooden cups filled the air inside. All of the drinkers had red faces. There were a few people playing cards together and being rowdy.
The owner of the bar was a man with a big beard. He wore a slightly tattered vest on his hunched back. He had a cigarette dangling from his mouth. The holes in his vest were most likely from his cigarettes burning it. When he heard the door open, he didn’t look up. Instead, he continued wiping the cup in his hand. However, the cloth in his hand was dirtier than the cup he was wiping.
The four individuals removed their hoods. The appearances illuminated the pub and plunged it into an abrupt dead silence. Everybody looked at the four individuals and spaced out. The few people with cups in their hands stopped midway and forgot to drink, thereby leading to the wine pouring down onto their body. Even the owner, who initially deemed their rowdy entrance annoying, froze. The cigarette dangling from his mouth dropped down and burnt his beard. He cried out and then quickly discarded his cigarette. He threw it to the ground and violently stomped on it a few times. He then angrily looked up at the four as if they were the ones who threw the cigarette at his beard.
The four were women. More precisely, remarkably pretty women. The four of them didn’t fit in with the place. They shouldn’t have been there. How was it possible for four such beautiful women to appear at a rundown pub? The rundown pub had been in business for ages, but never had there been women of their calibre dropping in. It’s impossible for beautiful women with such smooth skin to exist in the harsh cold and windy conditions. But there they were.
Vyvyan looked at the people around with a smile. Her blue eyes stopped on the spilling liquor. She softly giggled and, in a soft voice, remarked to Elizabeth, “You can tell they’re drunkards with one glance.”
“We aren’t at home. What sort of luxurious treatment were you hoping for? During wartime, having enough to eat and drink to stay alive is adequate.”
Elizabeth whipped her long black hair and then walked over to the counter with big strides. Vyvyan softly chuckled. She looked at one of the shocked young men, narrowed her eyes and, in a teasing manner, held a finger up to her lips to signal for him not to make a sound. However, her enchanting appearance and mannerisms caused the young man to judder. With a flush unlike that induced by liquor, he laid himself down on the table.
Nier coldly watched her Empress go up to the counter. Elizabeth leaned onto the counter and said to the owner, “Bring out your best thirst-quenching liquor. We want four cups. While I’m at it, I want to ask you something.”
The owner’s mind totally blanked out at the sight of Elizabeth’s beautiful, yet aloof, face. Elizabeth firmly knocked on the counter and frowned: “What are you doing? Hurry and bring out your drinks.”
“Oh, yes, drinks.”
The owner reacted as if he just recalled something. He took out four cups from below and poured four drinks. The liquor wasn’t as clear as red wine. The four of them stood in front of the counter instead of finding a table. Nier picked up a cup to have a swig before handing it to Elizabeth. Only then did Elizabeth have a small sip.
The drink was refreshing, but not intense. Furthermore, there seemed to be pieces of something remaining in the drink. It was enough to satisfy what Elizabeth wanted.
Elizabeth handed a cup to Nier. The surprise honour overwhelmed Nier, so she took it with both hands and then had a toast with Elizabeth. Under usual circumstances, Nier would never have the chance to clink cups with Elizabeth, for she was a bodyguard, a mere Valkyrie. Elizabeth would never clink cups with Nier, let alone share a table with her. Nevertheless, Nier was no longer a mere Valkyrie to Elizabeth, but her son’s wife, while she was Nier’s beloved Empress and mother. Therefore, Elizabeth considered Nier family, allowing Nier to clink cups with herself.
“Your Highness, I wish you good health.” On the other side, Lucia raised her cup with a smile.
Vyvyan responded by clinking cups with Lucia while wearing a smile. Elves weren’t so particular – about hierarchal particulars. The two had a drink and then let out breaths of relief.
Elizabeth questioned, “Owner, I have something I need to ask you. Have you seen a man with a white cloak accompanied by a woman? The woman should’ve worn purple clothing. They should’ve been accompanied by a horse with a horn. Did they come here? You’re the only pub in town. Did they come here?”
After a moment of hesitation, the owner replied, “They have, indeed. However, they did not stay. They left after buying a few bottles of liquor.”
Elizabeth vigorously slammed her cup onto the table then pulled the boss over by his chest. She exclaimed, “Are you certain?!
“O-Of… Of course I remember… Of course I do… All else aside… we will never forget that woman and the horse… After all, they are one of a kind…”
Oh, sorry, the owner’s memory needed a small alteration. His response should’ve been, “No woman that beautiful has graced this place before. Not long ago, close to a month ago to be specific, a very beautiful woman also came in. But she was the only beauty unlike you four.”
“So, do you know where they went?’ asked Elizabeth
The owner looked at Elizabeth and desperately shouted in response, “No, I don’t… I only sold wine to them. How would I know where they went…?”
The owner, who initially wore a face showing he wasn’t going to let anybody push him around, was showing his fear through his gaze. Indeed, nobody could bravely face Elizabeth’s fierce gaze. Normally, when the expression surfaced on Elizabeth’s face, it meant that lots of blood was going to be spilt.
“That’s great, then, aaah!!” Nier suddenly shrieked.
Nier’s shriek was immediately accompanied by perverted laughter from behind. Nier swiftly pivoted around. She saw a man who shrugged similarly to a Gallic shrug. He said, “Sorry, Miss. It was a bet, after all. If I didn’t do this, I’d have to lose ten silver coins. So, sorry…”
His smile immediately froze stiff on his face, as a sharp metal sword was already right at his neck. Nier coldly looked at him with an expression exuding murderous intent. She took in a deep breath and exclaimed, “I don’t know why, either, but I’m always the one who gets harassed. There’s another one next to me they could grope, yet I’m always the victim!”
“I have never been so glad before, but if I were you, I wouldn’t spare him,” commented Lucia.
Lucia placed her drink down, while Nier’s gaze shifted back to the man. The man raised his hands in surrender. He was overwhelmed with panic. He gulped and quivered as he pleaded, “Please forgive me… Miss. Please forgive me… W-We really did not mean it… It was just a drunk bet… Please… Please… forgive me. Please forgive me…”
“He wouldn’t forgive you even if I forgave you.”
“Who is ‘he’…?”
“My husband,” responded Nier.
Nier violently thrust her sword through him. His body shuddered, and then he dropped to his knees. His blood sprayed onto the owner’s face and beard. Nier indifferently dragged her sword out. She then swept her gaze over the few men who were so shocked to even scream and walked over to them.
Nier wouldn’t spare them. Not a single one of them. Elizabeth had no intention of stopping her. She even planned to make it her entertainment while she savoured her drink. After all, merely drinking was slightly boring. Vyvyan wouldn’t forgive them, either. They just happened to pick Nier. Had they touched Vyvyan, she would’ve done the exact same thing. In other words, they were just choosing their poison.
The crowd screamed and went to flee. Lucia slammed the timber door shut and guarded the door with her dagger in hand. She observed the panic-stricken crowd and pursed her lips into a smile. She said, “I’m very sorry, gentlemen, but nobody is permitted to leave before this is resolved. Also, don’t rashly move. Nier won’t kill the innocent, but if you act rashly, you might get hurt.”
Nier charged into the crowd. Soon enough, a sequence of cries of rang out for a while before dead silence followed. Lucia softly sighed and asked Nier, “You really are a murderer. Wherever you go, blood is spilt. These people had nothing to do with it. Why did you kill them, as well?!”
Nier wiped her sword on the corpses. Elizabeth had thrown the owner, whose neck she snapped, aside. She then picked up her drink that was now filled with blood and generously knocked it back. She heartily remarked, “Stimulating. Now that’s worth a drink.”
Nier looked at the corpses and blood. She replied, “Sorry. Just a habit.”
“Your habit sure is scary!!” exclaimed Lucia.
“Okay, okay, kids, we don’t need to concern ourselves with these people. What’s most important right now is finding my son as soon as possible!”
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