Chapter 254: The Viscount's Second Son's Journey (2)

On their first day in the land of their dreams, the two dream-chasing youths suffered a severe blow. They might have to sleep on the streets tonight.

Carrying his bundle on his back, Edie Campbell leaned against a pristine white wall with a look of utter despair.

Beside him stood a brightly lit wooden door. The establishment was bustling, filled with the shouts of human mercenaries playing drinking games, the peculiar howls of gnolls, and the thunderous laughter of Ogres. The mingled aroma of ale and food drifted out from the lively tavern.

As the rich scent reached his nose, the young noble felt a pang of hunger.

But the thought of sleeping on the streets like a homeless refugee ruined his appetite. Even though he was only the second son of Viscount Campbell, he had grown up wearing fine clothes and eating exquisite food. He had never suffered such an indignity.

Just then, Edie's merchant friend walked out the door, looking completely crestfallen.

"It's full here, too."

Edie felt the world was full of malice, though this was to be expected. Pushing off the wall to stand up straight, he looked up in distress at the bright moon rising in the east.

"Let's go. We'll keep looking. There has to be a vacant room somewhere."

The merchant Milne pulled a long face and groaned.

"That was the eighth inn. Go on your own if you want. I can't walk another step."

Edie put on a serious expression and spoke earnestly.

"Trust me, Milne. It won't happen nine times."

Milne punched the nearby wall in indignation.

"It's no more than three times, my friend! You've been saying that since the third inn! And the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth were all exactly the same!"

Edie's face instantly fell.

"Then what do you suggest we do? Are we really going to sleep on the street? It's winter!"

"It's not as bad as you think."

Milne shook his head and pointed at a long bench by the street.

"We can sleep on the benches. I checked when we arrived; they were installed less than two months ago, and someone cleans them every day. They're very clean. We can lay down our clothes, cover our faces, and make do for the night."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than two other humans, also carrying bundles and dressed for a long journey, hurried past and claimed the two benches by the road.

Edie watched the two strangers take out their clothes and lay them over the benches. He shrugged, looking at his twitching companion with mixed feelings.

"Let's go. We'll check one more tavern. If there still isn't a vacant room, we'll find a bench."

"Fine. The last one."

Feeling utterly exhausted, Milne weakly dragged his feet.

Grumble.

Edie glanced at his merchant friend's stomach. Milne was just an ordinary human; he didn't have the robust stamina of a Mid-Tier Warrior like Edie.

"Let's get something to eat here first," Edie said.

With that, he took the lead toward the tavern, and Milne quickly followed.

Before entering, Milne looked up at the wooden sign hanging above the door. Painted on it was an abstract gnoll holding a drinking cup, alongside a few crooked words.

By the light spilling from the tavern, Milne read the large letters:

"Wolf and Wine."

Milne muttered under his breath.

"Sooner or later, I'm going to own my own tavern in Snowsurge City."

At that moment, the wealthy merchant's son harbored a deep grudge against taverns.

Edie stepped over the threshold and into the noisy room. The first thing that caught his eye was a mahogany bar. Behind it stood a flamboyant gnoll wearing a red-checkered vest.

Yes, flamboyant.

If it were just the red vest, Edie wouldn't have found the gnoll so showy. But aside from the loud vest, this gray-furred gnoll sported a bright tuft of red hair right on top of its head, and three gold rings dangled from each ear.

The crude, booming laughter of the mercenaries and monsters made the pampered young noble frown. He called out loudly.

"Boss, get us..."

Before Edie could finish, the red-haired gnoll interrupted him.

"None left. We're fully booked."

Clearly, the gnoll had mistaken the bundle-carrying Edie for a traveler seeking lodging. Ever since the sea route opened, there had been far too many humans like him.

Edie felt a little awkward—not because of the gnoll's misunderstanding, but because of his own. The gnoll's voice belonged to a woman.

This gnoll was actually female!

Having said her piece, the female gnoll went back to wiping the oak tankard in her hand, leaving Edie hanging at the door.

Milne's voice rang out from behind Edie, breaking the awkward silence.

"Ahem. Madam boss, we just want to get something to eat."

"Oh, is that so?"

The gnoll proprietress finally looked up. She vaguely remembered Milne from a previous visit.

"We have fresh sea fish and shellfish. Of course, if you're not used to seafood, I also have beef and mutton. The price is just a tiny bit higher."

To avoid any conflicts when the bill arrived, the gnoll proprietress made sure to state the terms upfront.

However, looking at her smile, Edie couldn't help but feel she looked exactly like the profiteering merchant standing next to him.

Unaware of his friend's silent slander, the merchant Milne stared at the tiny gap between the gnoll proprietress's thumb and index finger and secretly rolled his eyes.

Was that just a tiny bit?! It was several times more expensive!

The Overseas Archipelago was rich in seafood, making it cheap, but cattle and sheep were scarce. Their meat cost several times more here than on the mainland. Even a wealthy merchant's son like Milne felt a pinch in his wallet when eating it.

"No need. We're already tired of beef and mutton. Bring us a roasted sea fish and a plate of braised scallops."

Milne glanced at the voracious warrior beside him and added, "And give us twenty mud-turtle eggs, ten steamed buns, and two glasses of ale. That will do for now. If it's not enough, we'll order more."

Milne placed the order with practiced ease. He was always the one to negotiate with tavern bosses, and through these exchanges, the astute merchant gathered plenty of useful information.

Things like the prices of goods across the Overseas Archipelago, the locations of other taverns...

After ordering, the two men peered around the tavern.

There happened to be an empty table in the corner. They navigated past the loud, laughing patrons and sat down.

Milne placed his bundle on a wooden stool and massaged his aching thighs. Edie, meanwhile, studied the patrons at the other tables.

There weren't many humans. The crowd consisted mostly of monsters like gnolls and Murlocs. There was even an Ogre hugging a whole keg, throwing its head back to chug the contents.

While they waited for their food, Edie carefully observed the Ogre, who was taller sitting down than Edie was standing up. To take down a creature with such terrifying brute strength would require at least five Intermediate Warriors, or one High-Tier Warrior—and even then, there was a risk of capsizing in a ditch.

However, Edie wasn't afraid. Along his journey, he had seen quite a few Ogres. It was no longer a surprising sight.

It wasn't long before a Murloc waiter carried their food over on a tray.

Right at that moment, the Ogre sitting on a solid wood stool noticed his keg had stopped pouring. He shook the barrel, realized it was empty, and slammed it down viciously on the table.

Crash!

The massive noise drowned out every other sound in the tavern, and the room instantly fell dead silent. Milne wiped cold sweat from his forehead and reached down to pick up the spoon he had dropped in fright.

The Ogre, entirely oblivious to the tension in the room, wiped the ale from his chin and mouth with a hand the size of a millstone and bellowed.

"Little Red! Bring me another keg! Hic!"

"Hawke! You damn bastard! What are you roaring for?! You scared the life out of me!"

Although the gnoll proprietress barked furiously, a smile remained on her face as she ordered a kobold bartender to bring the keg over.

The Ogre, Hawke, took the keg and resumed his furious drinking. The startled patrons didn't dare pick a fight with an Ogre.

Edie pried open a shell, sucked the savory scallop meat into his mouth, and took a swig of ale to soothe his violently pounding heart. Like the rest of the guests, he chose to endure it in silence.

The two returned to their dinner.

Soon, the tavern's lively atmosphere returned.

As they ate, they listened to the surrounding conversations. The tavern was a melting pot of different walks of life. With alcohol loosening tongues, it was the perfect place to gather intelligence.

A red-faced human mercenary leaned in and whispered mysteriously to his companions.

"Did you guys hear? The Forgotten Adventurer Group discovered an underwater ruin in Storm Bay!"

A second mercenary looked disappointed.

"Tsk, I thought it was something important. I heard about that yesterday."

Although the second mercenary sounded dismissive, the corners of his mouth curled into a smug smile. He was clearly very proud of being ahead on the gossip.

"But most of the Forgotten Adventurer Group can't even go underwater. They can only stare blankly at the ruins! Hahaha!"

A third mercenary took a massive gulp of ale.

"Sigh... it's a shame. The ruins are at the bottom of the sea. Even if we rushed over, we wouldn't get a single sip of the soup."

At a neighboring table, a Murloc's eyes lit up with sudden inspiration. At yet another table, a human merchant chuckled and chimed in.

"If you really plan to dive in and make a fortune, you can buy an Underwater Breathing Potion! My shop has a Master alchemist. As long as you can afford the price, hehehe..."

Another mercenary slammed a hand on the table.

"Give it a rest, Madi! In that rundown little shop of yours? A Master alchemist? He's probably just some apprentice who got kicked out of the academy! Hahaha!"

The whole tavern erupted into laughter. Having his bluff called didn't anger the merchant, Madi, in the slightest. Instead, he seized the opportunity to stand up and promote his business.

"Everyone, everyone! I am Madi, the owner of Pandora Alchemy Shop in the White Shark District! Come find me if you need anything. Just because of this wonderful encounter today, I'll give a ten percent discount to anyone buying from my shop for the first time!"

"Oh! Madi, you bastard! Tossing us old friends into the latrine just to score some new ones! You'd better give us an explanation today!"

"Yeah, exactly! Give us an explanation!"

The crowd began to jeer. Unable to fend them all off, Madi hastily begged for mercy.

"Tomorrow, old friends get ten percent off too!"

"Hahaha, a toast to our generous Boss Madi!"

"Yes! To Boss Madi!"

Watching the mercenaries raise their glasses to celebrate their collective victory, Milne shook his head. He couldn't help but admire Boss Madi's tactics.

Madi hadn't gotten angry when his lie was exposed; instead, he immediately pivoted to drum up business. Such broad-mindedness—or rather, such thick skin—commanded the young Milne's deep respect.

That was one thing.

For another, Madi's stunt had successfully roped in a wave of new customers. And as for the old customers who thought they had scored a bargain with the ten percent discount—did they really come out ahead?

The answer was yes, but the bargain wasn't nearly as grand as they imagined. Madi had specified the discount was only for tomorrow. Unless they had an active mission, mercenaries rarely purchased expensive alchemical goods.

So the lost profits from Madi's ten-percent-off promise would be minimal. Furthermore, the move instantly boosted his reputation among the mercenaries. From now on, whenever they needed alchemical supplies, the "generous" Boss Madi would be the first person to come to mind.

Even if the mercenaries did have missions and rushed to buy supplies tomorrow, Madi still wouldn't take a loss. A shop's highest costs were the initial setup. Madi's funds had to be tight right now—he might even be saddled with loans. Selling goods to the mercenaries would help him recover his capital.

From this, it was clear that Madi was destined to be a successful merchant.

Milne picked up his tankard and walked over to his fellow merchant's table, intent on introducing himself.

A successful merchant could never have enough excellent connections.

Edie's focus was distinctly different from his merchant friend's. He was far more interested in the news of the ruins.

However, he wasn't like those reckless mercenaries who actually thought they could strike it rich inside. Edie had received a noble's education, allowing him to see through the situation. On his journey here, he had heard the great name of the Forgotten Adventurer Group many times.

An adventurer group with official backing was guaranteed to have ties with the Murloc higher-ups. When those fools heard the rumors, bought out all the Underwater Breathing Potions, and rushed over, how were they supposed to compete with elite Murlocs underwater?

The most likely outcome was that they would lose everything they had invested.

But to Edie, this news was still incredibly valuable. The higher-ups of the Forgotten Adventurer Group would definitely be present around the ruins. Such a powerful, officially backed group was exactly what a newcomer like Edie desperately wanted to join.

Edie's eyes shone brightly. He debated whether he should buy some Underwater Breathing Potions and head to the ruins in Storm Bay to show off his skills in front of the Forgotten Adventurer Group's brass. If he could win their appreciation, he might secure an invitation to join them.

There was a world of difference between applying on his own and being invited to join.

The two men were highly satisfied with their meal, having gleaned a wealth of information. Just as they prepared to get up and settle the bill, an earth-shattering lion's roar—rather, a wolf's howl—erupted from the bar.

"What?! Not enough money?! Hawke! Are you trying to skip out on your tab, you bastard?!"

The two of them instantly understood what was happening.

The Ogre, Hawke, had drunk way too much ale and didn't have enough money to cover the tab.

But that was none of their business. The two stood up and walked to the counter.

Hawke the Ogre was just trying to plead his case to the gnoll proprietress when she waved her hand impatiently, cutting him off. She then turned to the two well-fed outsiders.

"You two travelers from afar. If I recall correctly, you don't have a place to stay yet, right?"

"Oh... yes."

Edie was taken aback before replying in pleasant surprise.

"Has a room freed up?"

"No."

The gnoll proprietress spread her hands.

Edie was speechless.

"But I do have a solution."

The gnoll proprietress pointed to the heavily intoxicated Ogre next to them.

"This guy Hawke lives nearby, and it just so happens he has a spare room. If you can help him pay his tab, I'm sure he'd be more than happy to take you in. Isn't that right, Hawke?"

Hearing this, the drunk Hawke nodded.

"That's right! I have a guest room!"

Letting them stay for a night wouldn't cost him a piece of flesh, and it would save him from paying the hefty bar tab. Only an idiot would refuse.

Edie and Milne looked at each other.

...

Under the bright moonlight, on the pristine white streets of Snowsurge City.

Edie and Milne, the pair of homeless travelers, followed behind the Ogre, Hawke. His massive frame blocked the moonlight, enveloping the two humans in shadow.

Milne felt like he was in a dream. He leaned close to his companion's ear and whispered.

"So, we're really about to lodge at an Ogre's house?!"

Edie nodded numbly. They had agreed to the gnoll proprietress's suggestion and paid off Hawke's remaining tab.

As for why they agreed, both Edie and Milne already knew it was a strict fact that the monsters of the Overseas Archipelago never ate intelligent creatures.

But even so, both men felt their nerves stretched to the limit by the sheer absurdity of the situation.

Humans boarding at an Ogre's house!

The merchant Milne covered his face with his hand.

Good heavens! This world is completely insane!