Chereads / A Very Normal . . . / Chapter 24 - A very normal mercenary

Chapter 24 - A very normal mercenary

"Say, how about we visit the tavern tonight, eh," the veteran mercenary asked the boss.

"Sure, why not, come along to Sem, you deserved it," he had a grin plastered on his face as he praised the rookie, named Sem. The boss didn't look that threatening when he spoke with his men, he most likely only put a front to outsiders.

The trio waltzed two blocks down from their inn, arriving at a tavern. The wooden signboard that hung above the tavern had an icon of a mug of ale splashed against a four pointed star. Pretty generic for taverns in the Moonshine Kingdom.

Entering the tavern, it was half full with chatter filling the interior. It was a relatively live atmosphere, anyhow the trio found an empty table and seated themselves. They were going to have a hearty feast today due to the earnings they made earlier.

This was the usual life of a mercenary, to go around killing beasts or clearing bandits. Though here in the Tanz Fort City, it was mainly just culling beasts and with the lack of hands in the frontiers, jobs weren't heavily competed for, so life was very carefree for mercenaries around here, if one discounted the higher danger due to the lack of culling.

Sitting down at a small circular table, it could fit around five people on it. The boss called over a barmaid,

"We'd like the special, a plate of chicken and some beer," the boss didn't really know what they had for sale here, but it'd be a small surprise for him.

"Alright, I'll bring it over in a minute, tell me if you need anything else," she winked at him as she left. It was an act to keep customers coming here. She was quite attractive with a dress that exposed quite a bit of her bosom.

Whistling the other mercenary commented "She's quite the beaut, isn't she? Not somethin' you'd expect to find in a pub,'' It was a tavern. Not that the mercenary had a large enough vocabulary to know that.

"Shut up, Ken, I don't need your voice ruining my meal,"

"Hah, you think so too, you just don't want to talk aloud about it," The two bantered with each other.

Sem felt mildly out of place in this atmosphere, he had only joined this mercenary group a week ago, and he still felt a bit stiff in situations like this.

"Do you mind if I sit here," a deep echoey voice appeared from behind Sem.

"Ah, ye, sure," startled by the sudden question he just answered, randomly.

"Thanks," looking at the guy who asked the question, Sem was even more startled, standing at around eight to nine feet he towered over Sem even more so now that he was sitting.

Seating himself at their table, he made them look like midgets in comparison to him. The seat he sat on, like a stool. The guy was incredibly tall, yet not bulky. He was covered in leather armour, with plate mail protecting his shins, arms, chest and other vital regions. He wore a visored helmet, with a blue cloth attached to the back of the helmet, sort of like a plume. He had a couple of short swords scabbarded around his person, though in reference to his size they would better be considered daggers.

Pulling Sem to the side the veteran mercenary whispered harshly,

"What the hell Sem! Why'd you invite this maniac here!"

"What, I didn't mean to. Plus who is he anyway?"

"Tch, you may not know this but he has quite the reputation. The Armoured Savage, Metal Savage, the Savage! Well, you get the point. He's a gods damned savage!"

As he finished that sentence, the 'Savage' turned his helmeted head to look at him.

"Ah, what, I meant savage as in what a badass you look like,"

He still stared.

"Hahah, don't take what this fool says to heart, he just has some screws loose up there." The boss took the initiative to cover the veteran. The veteran felt a bit hurt with how the boss covered for him, but he sucked it in.

With that, the 'Savage' stopped staring, though the atmosphere around them was still tense, even 'till the barmaid came with their orders. Even she could feel the frosty atmosphere around them. However, as she tried to slip away after doing her job, she was stopped,

"Could I have a special," grated out the 'Savage,'

"Sure, sure," she let out a sigh of relief, hearing that that was all the 'Savage' had to say.

Needless to say, no one spoke as they ate. Sem couldn't really enjoy his meal, with how the 'Savage' just sat, towering over them, not to mention how flustered the other two were, it only gave him an uneasy feeling.

The 'Savage' ate with his helmet on. Only briefly lifting up the visor to take spoonfuls of the meal presented to him. The special was apparently, some kind of river fish simmered in cheap alcohol. Quite the expensive dish for small mercenaries like them.

Eventually, the 'Savage finished his meal. Getting up from his seat, he left silently. This caused everyone to heave a sigh of relief.

That was when the boss suddenly realized something.

"That guy didn't pay his bill!" the boss looked around but found no sight of the 'Savage,' it was clear that his intention for sitting on the same table was to eventually ditch his bill onto them.

"What a bastard!"