Chapter 87: New Commission

Chapter 87: Chapter 87: New Commission

A plump goblin, squeezed into a tight leather vest and a pair of ill-fitting old trousers meant for a human child, piped up and sprang from his chair.

Despite his chubby build, he moved through the crowded tavern like a nimble top, quickly spinning his way over to Belte’s table.

"Oh! My dear old friend, Belte! It’s been a while. What’ll it be?"

The goblin, Pachy, handed over a wooden plank with the menu written on it.

"Haha, Pachy, still scared of your wife, I see." Belte didn’t take the menu Pachy offered, instead pushing it in front of Hesia. "Give it to my brother here, the rising star of Rose Town, the Mage Galen!"

"Bring us the specials! Goblin Foot Ale and Flame-roasted Wild Chicken with Berry Sauce!"

"And the Iron Skewer Giant Strength Barbecue... one, two, three, four, five... let’s start with five skewers!"

"WOOF!"

"Oh, right! Make that six skewers!"

Only then did he turn to Hesia. "Brother Galen, see what else you want. Don’t hold back!"

Hesia took the wooden plank that passed for a menu:

[Oak Tavern Specialty Ales]

• Oak Barrel-Aged Ale (20 copper nails/mug)—Pachy’s pride, a Dwarf’s favorite!

• Fireplace Black Beer (15 copper nails/mug)—As heavy as an anvil, as heartwarming as a furnace!

• Goblin Foot Ale (10 copper nails/mug)—Don’t be scared by the name, it’s much cleaner than our boss Pachy’s feet!

[Signature Hearty Dishes]

• Flame-roasted Wild Chicken with Berry Sauce (90 copper nails/each)—A whole chicken roasted in flames, not just delicious, but fun too! (Friendly reminder: Please protect your beard and eyebrows when it’s lit!)

• Iron Skewer Giant Strength Barbecue (1 Silver Scale/skewer)—Note: Please do not use the tableware for brawling. Damaged items must be compensated for at the price of a fine weapon!

• Pachy’s Surprise Pie (40 copper nails/slice)—A true Adventurer needs a bit of adventurous spirit!

• Delicious Creamy Mushroom Soup (5 Silver Scales/serving)—Think it’s expensive? Sorry, limited supply!

Determined to make the late-arriving Belte bleed some coin, Hesia’s eyes were immediately drawn to the most expensive dish on the menu.

"Could we add an order of the Delicious Creamy Mushroom Soup, thank you."

Pachy immediately turned toward the kitchen and bellowed, "Sweetheart! See if we have enough for a mushroom soup?!"

A gruff voice boomed from the kitchen: "Enough for one more serving, boss!"

"Excellent, excellent!" Pachy said, rubbing his hands together. "One Delicious Creamy Mushroom Soup, coming right up! Honored Master Mage, you have a truly discerning eye. It’s our house specialty!"

Belte instinctively clutched the Money Bag at his waist, his smile freezing on his face. After all, Laila hadn’t given him much pocket money, and what he had needed to last until they completed their next job.

"Okay, okay, that’s enough. That should be plenty."

As the proprietor of the Oak Tavern, the cunning Pachy had already figured out that Belte was the one footing the bill.

He deliberately leaned in close to Belte and said in a wheedling tone, "Oh? My dear friend, you so rarely treat everyone, and you’re only ordering this much? Who’s that going to feed? This hardly befits the grandeur of the King of the Oak Tavern!"

Hearing this, Belte’s old vanity flared up. He was just about to say, "In that case, let’s add..."

Before he could finish, Laila shot him a cold glare from the side. "Eat what we have first."

With the boss having spoken, Belte could only shut his mouth sheepishly.

Seeing this, Pachy knew he couldn’t squeeze any more coin out of this one, so he gave up.

However, the other objective of his prodding had been achieved.

It seemed Belte was the one more afraid of his wife after all.

"HAHAHAHA, WOOF!" A burst of stifled laughter erupted from under the table.

Belte cursed at Pachy’s retreating, plump figure. "Damn that Pachy Tip! Looks like I’ll have to tell our new friend here all about your so-called glorious deeds!"

Hesia played along perfectly. "Pachy... Tip?"

Belte seized the opportunity to deflect the conversation away from himself.

"That’s right. Everyone calls him that. You’ll see when it’s time to settle the bill. When that guy’s counting up the money, he’ll ’casually’ round off the total for you, then suggest the remainder can be his tip."

He pointed toward the bar, where an unusually muscular female goblin was polishing mugs:

"See her? That’s his wife, Jin Jia."

"Pachy’s terrified of her. Whenever he’s out front slacking off and joking around with the customers, the moment he hears Jin Jia’s heavy footsteps approaching, he shoots up like his pants are on fire and starts furiously wiping down tables."

"Such long ears, and that’s their only use!"

"And what’s more, you might not know this, but..."

Belte was still trying to prove that Pachy was the more henpecked one, attempting to salvage the pride he had just lost.

Bruce could take no more. He covered his face with his paws. ’Give it a rest, you good-for-nothing. Nobody’s even listening anymore.’

It was true. Hesia had long since tuned out Belte’s stubborn blustering; he and Hulk had already started talking business.

"Captain, are there any new jobs from the Guild?"

"It’s been getting colder lately, so jobs in the Gray Mist Forest are riskier, and there are fewer suitable ones. There’s a new goblin cleanup job posted that’s decent. The rest are all tough nuts to crack that have been on the board for ages."

As he spoke, he pulled a folded piece of parchment from his coat and laid it on the table. "Aside from those, there’s one that specifically requires an Adventurer Squad. This one wasn’t on the public board; Kalin set it aside for me."

"Kalin?"

An image of the professional and capable senior receptionist at the Adventurer Guild immediately flashed through Hesia’s mind.

He never thought their seemingly-upright captain would pull strings.

He wasn’t the only one. Belte and Laila exchanged knowing, gossipy smirks, and even Bruce poked his head out from under the table inquisitively.

Hulk’s weathered face flushed red. He quickly tried to cover his embarrassment with a tactical cough. "Ahem, what are you all looking at me for? Look at the job request!"

Everyone shared a knowing smile and stopped giving the honest, middle-aged man a hard time. They all leaned in to look at the special job request:

Quest Type: Extermination

Details: A nearby cave has been occupied by a pack of noisy and dangerous Kobolds (approx. 20). They pose a grave threat to my safety. I am now recruiting brave and professional Adventurers to accompany me in eradicating this menace.

Note: You may keep all treasures found within the lair, as well as all Kobold remains, with the exception of one specific corpse designated by me.

Reward: 3 Golden Shields.

Client: The Brave Trist