Chapter 58: The Tavern is Wholesaling Jealousy

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: The Tavern is Wholesaling Jealousy

"Little Pip, since when did you have such a handsome friend? Aren’t you going to introduce him to me?" Lily poked Pip’s shoulder with her index finger.

The short fellow froze for a moment, then let out a cheeky laugh. He reached out and slapped Lorin hard on the shoulder. "This is Lorin! Pip’s good buddy! The super-tough kind!"

"The super-tough kind? Seems like he’s quite capable, then." Lily didn’t hide her appreciative gaze as she looked Lorin up and down. Leaning both hands on the table, she gave a sultry laugh. "I’m Lily. Come by more often."

"Lorin," he replied with a nod.

"Lorin..." Lily repeated his name, as if savoring the sound of the word. "I’ll remember that."

She flashed him a smile before turning away, her hips swaying slightly as she walked toward the kitchen. Her silhouette soon disappeared behind the bar.

Pip grabbed a pickled cucumber from the table and chomped on it, washing it down with a gulp of ale. Then, he leaned close to Lorin and lowered his voice. "Lily is a great person, just a bit greedy. Last time Pip was short two copper plates for a tip, she remembered it for three whole months! Wait a minute, she actually didn’t ask me for a tip this time!"

Lorin didn’t take the bait. He looked down to take a sip of his ale, stealing a glance at Erin across the table from the corner of his eye.

She sat perfectly straight in her chair, holding her cup of juice. She stared blankly at the liquid inside, as if it had suddenly turned into some Magic Materials that required careful study.

Catching him looking at her, Erin glared back coldly, her eyes brimming with murderous intent.

He wondered, "Is the little girl jealous...?" He took another sip of his ale, the corners of his mouth twitching upward slightly.

Over at the bar, a short, pudgy man in ragged burlap clothes slumped against the counter, his eyes fixed firmly on the direction where Lily had disappeared. He had seen it—the slight sway of her cleavage when she leaned over, and the dazzling smile she had given that strange man.

Lily had never smiled at him like that!

He had known her for two whole years. Every time he tried to strike up a conversation, she would brush him off, at best giving a dismissive grunt in response. Why did this guy get such special treatment?!

A thick surge of malice suddenly welled up in his heart, and the pudgy man’s face instantly flushed a liverish purple. He downed the rest of his drink in one gulp, stood up, and marched toward that detestable pretty boy.

"Lorin? It’s Lorin, isn’t it?"

Lorin frowned and looked over. A vaguely familiar, pudgy man stood a short distance away. He thought back carefully; he seemed to have seen him while moving cargo before. What was his name again? He couldn’t quite remember.

"It really is you!" The pudgy man’s gaze swept over Lorin’s gleaming Chest Armor, then landed on Erin sitting nearby. He narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing her magnificent robes. "Haven’t seen you around in a while. Is this... a new friend?"

The sourness in his tone grew even heavier, his eyes darting back and forth between Lorin’s face and Erin.

Lorin looked at him in bewilderment, wondering where this man’s hostility was coming from. Curling his fingers, he tapped lightly on the table and said, "Do I know you that well?"

Unbothered by the sharp retort, the pudgy man rudely took two steps forward. He pretended to lower his voice, but kept it just loud enough for the bystanders to hear. "Not bad, buddy. It hasn’t been that long, and you’ve already found such a sweet gig?"

Out of the corner of his eye, he stole a glance at Lily, who had just emerged from behind the bar again. His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his voice grew even louder. "Or did she hire you out of her own pocket?"

Lorin’s tapping fingers paused. He shook his head, knowing this guy was dead meat.

"What... did... you... say?" Erin gripped her cup of juice tightly with her left hand, while her right hand had already grasped her Magic Staff. Intense fury caused her pupils to flood with Mana, emitting a faint white glow.

The pudgy man had yet to realize the danger, his attention entirely focused on Lily, who had re-entered the room. Inwardly overjoyed, he wore an ambiguous smirk and said, "Buddy, you sure are lucky. You used to just haul sacks for people, but now you’ve got a sugar momma taking care of you. Tsk, tsk..."

THUD!

He didn’t even get to finish his sentence. Erin had already stood up, slamming the butt of her Magic Staff hard against the floor with a dull, heavy boom. A visible ring of fine dust blasted into the air, and a pale Blue halo of Magic rippled outward in all directions.

The pudgy man fell to the floor in terror and frantically scrambled back several paces. He smacked the back of his head against a table behind him and let out a cry of pain. "Ouch!"

Rubbing his head, he finally registered what the person in front of him was holding. Complete clarity instantly washed over him, and the anger and jealousy on his face melted into pure panic. "I... I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were... a Mage."

The entire tavern immediately fell dead silent. The patrons who had just been whispering amongst themselves turned to look in unison, exchanging nervous glances.

Erin leaned forward, staring at him expressionlessly. Her lips barely moved as she spoke. "Scram, or die."

The pudgy man hurriedly turned and scrambled toward the door, crawling over himself in his haste, completely forgetting about Lily.

Erin straightened up and swept a cold glare over the gawking crowd. Wherever her gaze landed, the silence instantly evaporated, replaced once again by the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses.

She sat back down in her chair, her right hand still tightly gripping the Magic Staff. Even her fingertips were trembling slightly. "Your... taste in friends used to be pretty awful," she said.

He screamed internally, "What a completely undeserved disaster! A total disaster!!!"

On the surface, however, Lorin didn’t dare show the slightest hint of disrespect. He weighed his words for a few seconds before explaining, "I just saw him once while working in the past. We’re not friends."

Erin picked up the juice from the table, took a fierce gulp, and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "He said you hauled sacks for people?"

"Uh... yeah, I used to work for a merchant caravan. I haven’t been an Adventurer for very long," Lorin admitted honestly.

"Not very long? Do you take me for a three-year-old? You dare lie to me?"

If someone could become an Official Professional in "not very long," then what did that make her—a genius Mage who had studied Magic theory since childhood and only graduated from the Olast Royal Arcane Academy at nineteen? Erin let out a cold snort and ignored him.

The three of them finished their lunch in a tense silence. Afterward, Lorin walked up to the bar and asked about the price of lodging.

The old bartender, Gustav, flipped through the registry. "Guest rooms are two Silver Coins a night. How many do you need?"

"Two adjoining rooms. Book them for ten days to start." Wincing at the cost, he pulled out two Gold Coins and placed them on the counter. Although he had quite a bit of savings now, spending so much money on lodging all at once still felt a bit extravagant. He planned to stay here temporarily for a few days before looking around the city for a cheaper house to rent.

Gustav raised his eyelids and glanced at Lorin, then looked at Erin in the distance. A meaningful smile surfaced on his face. "Young girls, they’re all like this. Sharp-tongued, but they don’t really mean anything by it. Just coax her a little and she’ll be fine."

He placed two keys on the bar and pointed toward the second floor. "Two adjoining rooms. Take a left; they’re the third and fourth doors."

Lorin nodded helplessly and thanked him for his kindness.