Chapter 189: Visit to a Tavern
Chapter 189: Visit to a Tavern
Jin entered an inn alongside the Wizard and Kai. Eyes immediately landed on Jin as soon as he entered the rather spacious building unbiddenly. But he did not feel uncomfortable at all. Eyes keping to its apathetic slits, he followed the cheerful, marching Wizard and Kai to a wooden table.
“Have a seat, Jin,” The Wizard gestured him to sit, “they say a hungry man sits at a table without having to be told.”
Jin pulled a chair, and sat down at the table. He sighed on his way down until his behind touched the hot wooden chair. Why was it hot? Perhaps a man had recently left it. Either way, Jin couldn’t care less about such trivial matters.
He brought up his system screen by merely thinking of the action.
[HP: 38/72]
His Health did not go up further than that. It was stuck there for quite some time now. This bothered Jin. He clenched his teeth without even knowing it, his stomach growling at him.
Now that he was in a tavern around drinking and eating and murmuring people who only continued to number, he got to intake the scents of alcohol, and perhaps piss, but mainly the roasted meats and the grilled cheesed that rested on tables all around him.
His stomach growled louder.
A new system screen appeared, and so he looked at it.
[Consume sufficient sustenance]
[Reward: 3 Exp]
He clenched his teeth again.
Kai peered at him with a nuance on his face. This wasn’t the first time he had seen one staring at the air like this. He pulled a chair and sat down. What were these people always looking at?
Jin placed a hand on his stomach. “What’s on the menu? I’m starving.”
The Wizard sat down opposite Jin, pulling a chair and then plopping down on it. The wood cracked, but somehow still managed to not fall asunder. He had this strong smirk on his face as if he was a happy man. That he was not, and he knew this better than everyone. But times of grief couldn’t stop him from wearing smiles and smirks.
He clapped his hand. Once, twice. Suddenly, a man appeared tended to their table. No, he teleported to their table. He looked down at them. “How can I help—” he paused, “Ah!” His blinked thrice at the Wizard. “It’s you, sir! What brings you here in this lowly place?”
The Wizard narrowed his eyes at the man. “Why, I’m here for lowly food.” His head found the innkeeper again, who teleported behind Jin’s chair and looked down at him. “Oh, him? He’s the new guy around these parts.” The Wizard’s smile fell. “He also abuses his teleportation ability,” he scoffed, “such a abilities … you just gotta hate ’em.”
“So you’ve brought the new guy about whom every one is gossiping,” the innkeeper teleported next to the Wizard again. “And,” he nodded at Kai, to which Kai thrust a thumb foreward, wearing a smile, “The village’s warm hero, Kai.” Getting visits from Kai was a usual thing.
Kai peered at the innkeeper. He visited this tavern every day. He and his sister did not own a kitchen. All of the their food was bought from the inn and carried home, where they feasted upon it. The innkeeper had offered him a place to sleep in the inn, but not for free. Kai couldn’t afford anything else but free, not when he owed a huge secret debt only he and the person to which he was indebted knew about. His sister, Kaylie, spent her money elsewhere.
“Let’s get you all a huge feast,” the innkeeper said, smiling with partially opened eyes. He then looked at Jin. “I know a hungry man when I see one.”
“Make a wild guess,” the Wizard stocked back in his chair, and folded his arms.
“Well,” the innkeeper clapsed his hands behind his back, “since you asked. You,” he looked down at him, still smiking, ” … want a few glasses of alcohol, and your must-have apple pie,” he then looked at Kai, “Kai wants something simple and small since he’s eaten voraciously here at this inn this morning. But after a long hour,” his eyes went down the tattered clothes of Kai’s, “I’d say you want a medium sized order.”
The innkeeper looked at Jin. “As for you, young man. I suppose you just want food. But do look like you can eat a whole cow right now—so a larg sized order. Got it,” he bowed.
The bald Wizard smirked. “Impressive. New ability? Telepathy?”
“Nah,” the innkeeper waved a hand in the air, “I have one ability and that ability is teleportation.”
“Only the most underrated ability there is,” Jin added, his hand lingering on his stomach.
“Precisely,” the innkeeper immediately agreed. He looked down at Jin’s abdomen. “I will now bring your orders one after the other. Be prepared.” The Innkeeper vanished with a loud whooshing sound.
The Wizard kept his arms folded, but gave his eyes to Kai and then Jin, “Don’t we all just love that guy?”
“He’s cool,” Jin said, “when he actually gives me my food to eat. And this meal better be on you, old man—”
“Middleaged man,” the Wizard said brusquely, “and yes, I will handle all of the expenses.”
“Really?” Kai perked up. He looked Jin. “Don’t we all just love this guy?”
“I will handle all of the expenses,” the Wizard started, “as in Jin’s expenses and mine alone. You, Kai,” he looked at his nails, “will spend from your own wallet. I pay you too goddamn much as a Hunter for you to come now and get your meals paid for out of my money.”
Suddebly, the Innkeeper appeared in front of them, a whooshing sounding. “Do not fear,” he said, placing a tray of glasses of ale on the wooden table top, “all expenses are nonexistent. That is to say, it’s all on the house,” he winked at Kai.
Kai’s eyes sparkled. Then, he looked at the Wizard and pushed his tongue out of his mouth. How childish of him.
The Wizard scoffed, taking a glass jug off of the tray. “Thanks for the free service, Colbert.”
“It’s my job,” the inkeeper then vanished.
Jin couldn’t wait to get his food to eat. At this point, it wasn’t about getting to one hundred percent health, it was about saving himself from starvation Starvation was like bleeding, it slowly ate away your health. But it didn’t such a thing to Jin. The system still showed the same number, no hindrance; but Jin did feel his stomach burning and twisting. He felt as if he was losing his mind.
The Wizard sipped on his jug of alcohol, and then slammed his cup on the wooden table again. “Boy, I just want to inform you that you are officially a hunger from today. It will be announced shortly. And get this,” he peered at him, “you must put her life under the lives of our villagers.”
“Fine,” Jin raised his shoulders in a half shrug, “whatever.”
“You need to get the people to like you,” The Wizard said, “show them you’re a good man even if you’re not deep down. You had better be a good man, boy. I placed my trust in you.”
Jin raised a brow. “Oh yeah? When’d you do that?”
“When I hired you,” the Wizard raised his jug of ale again, “from the very moment I gave you the new role of a Hunter.”
The Innkeeper appeared next to Kai, placing a tray of food. Steak, french fries, and some eggs at the sides. There was also a cup of berry juice on the te tray. Colbert had long learned that Kai didn’t fancy himself alcohol by any means.
“The village is gonna be watching you …” the Wizard said, finally gulping down some more of his first of ten drinks.
The Innkeeper stood straight.
Kai took a fry from the tray, and tossed it into his mouth, chewing slowly. “And you don’t want the village watching you. They called me and my sister witches for months.” He looked up at Colbert and nodded. “Thanks.”
The Innkeeper nodded back.
“If old Wizard didn’t hire me here, I would’ve been in a horrible position by now. Financially, physically—everything.”
The Innkeeper looked at Jin, leaning over. “Ah, sir? Do you drink?”
“I did this one time,” Jin said, now looking up at the Innkeeper, “Tasted like shit, but I had a great time.m, and that’s what matters most, right? I’ll have some grape juice.”
“Kai, you say that like I’ve fixed your life,” The Wizard sipped his drink, “but you honestly look the same. Stronger … yeah? But that’s all the change.”
The Innkeeper nodded, and then suddenly vanished.
Kai placed a hand on his chest. “Well I’m offended now.”
“Man up,” The Wizard pinched a piece of his apple pie, “take the trusty proudly. You damn know well you haven’t changed one bit. Except for when it comes to strength. Other than that one thing, you’re still poor, and depressed and paranoid …”
It was quiet for bit. But then the Wizard looked at Jin. “Jin? Are you working tomorrow? We’ll get you a place to stay here in the Inn or something. If you work tomorrow, you’ll be fighting some other humans. Bad guys. You said you wanted that, didn’t you?”
“Count me in,” Jin said.
The Wizard chortled. “Great! Just don’t teleport too much out there when I’m around, ‘kay? You’re gonna get me cross-eyed.”
The Innkeeper appeared, and placed a tray of food on the wooden table before Jin. It was like peering right at savory heaven.