Nesterin, Jharteel, Thalanil, Gormon, and Zeno were in a bar in a small town near the Royal Palace. They sat on a stool and drank a few sips. The rest of the Black Wolves was hiding in a forest. Nesterin couldn't let their movement be known. If thousands of men suddenly entered the town at once, the Royal Palace might notice it and confronted them. His experience in turf wars gave him some valuable knowledge.
The bartender wiped the mug in his hand and put it in the drawer before taking another mug. The bar was full of chattering. Each person had a drink at minimum, while some ordered a plate of steak with rice, and a bowl of soup on the side.
Nesterin and his men stayed silent. They tried to hear any relevant information about the Royal Palace. Though Nesterin didn't have any hope they would get something from norms, there were a few cultivators there enjoying their time.
"Why don't you go home yet. You're married now. You shouldn't spend your time in the bar."
The man sighed. He grabbed his drink and took a sip. "Being home is stressing me out. To be honest with you, I prefer being at work rather than at home."
"Why is that? Everyone in town knows you love your wife."
The man sighed again. "I don't know. I love her, but sometimes I can't stand her, you know."
"This is why I refuse to marry. At least, not yet."
"You've been with that girl for over 3 years. You've slept with her too, why don't you get married yet?"
"So I don't be like you. Look at you now. A few years ago you would always look for your wife, now you avoid her like she was a pest."
"How's that related to marriage?"
"When you're in a relationship, you tend to show your best side and hide your worst. Tell me, isn't that what you did?"
"Yes? But that's only natural."
"Yes. It is good to show the best of to our lover. But in marriage, all of that disappear. You're not only getting the good but also the bad. The wife you are living with right now is the true her, you just didn't know it before."
"Then what should I do?"
"The one you fall in love with is the old her. What was it that you say? Charming? Kind? Sweet? Now all of that disappear. She's not what she used to be, right?"
"How do you know?"
"My dad was just like you. My uncle too. I don't want to make the same mistake as them."
The man gave another sigh and throw back his head as he drank the whole mug.
Nesterin told the waiter to refill his drink. As he paid the waiter, he noticed Jharteel was in a daze. "What are you thinking about?"
"Is that why you're not married yet, Nesterin? You're afraid that the woman you love will show her true side?"
This kid. What was up with the big question all of a sudden? Now that he thought about it, this bar was filled with people complaining about their wives.
A man sighed and pulled out his hair. "I don't want to go home. She doesn't love me anymore. I think it's because I'm gaining weight."
Another man put his face on the table. "She used to sing me a song every day. Her voice was like an angel. Now she screamed every time she see me like I'm a ghost." His eyes turned red and wet. He sobbed.
"You don't fall in love with who she is, but with who she was."
That last line seemed to stab deep into people's hearts. Like a huge hand crunching their chest. Some of them had a hard time breathing. Regretting their decision to tie the knot, they drown themselves with alcohol.
Poor lot.
Nesterin noticed Jharteel letting out a breath. He was probably nervous or something. "Don't let them scares you from finding a wife. Just listen and learn what to avoid."
Jharteel shook his head. "We're here to spy on the Royal Palace. I don't have time for that."
Nesterin bit his own lip and whispered. "Lower your voice next time you say it. There are cultivators here. don't ruin our disguise."
"There's no information to obtain here—"
"Shush," Nesterin stared at the mug in front of him, but his mind and ears were elsewhere. Beyond the wail and whine of regretful husband, a pair of cultivators gulped their drinks.
"Are you sure the Dark Reckoning will come?"
"Yes, it will be the second Dark Reckoning in history."
"Then we should leave this continent."
"Where there are dangers, there are opportunities. Haven't you heard of this saying? We travel far and wide, searching for wisdom and power. And have you seen someone leave the continent before? Only the mid-level cultivators can have the chance to leave."
"The wisdom I got tells me to leave this continent. As long as I stay alive, opportunity will come."
"So be it. Leave this continent if you can. But I will remind you that the Sea of Monsters or the Strait of Death is not easy to pass."
The cultivator clicked his tongue. "Hiding in the forest is the only way then."
"Fighting them is the only way."
The man scoffed. "I might not be in the first Dark Reckoning, but the event has been written meticulously. I don't want to die a meaningless death and got my soul consumed."
"There is no safe place. It doesn't matter where you hide. They will find you. The living have a strong smell, you see."
The cultivator slapped the table lightly. "So does the dead. Let us prepare for the worst, then."
Both of them stood up and left the bar. They of course didn't pay, but the owner was grateful enough for them not destroying anything or killing anyone.
What they talked about was very confusing. Something about the Dark Reckoning. Nesterin didn't know what that was. In fact, he never heard of it. They also mentioned something about their souls being consumed. What kind of creatures could eat souls?
"Dark Reckoning," Nesterin mumbled under his breath. "Consume souls."
"What did they talk about, Nesterin?" Jharteel asked.
"I also don't know. But we don't come here for nothing. I heard them say about preparing for the worst. If that was the case, then maybe we should also do the same thing. I think something big is about to happen."
"We can't return to Hax with such vague information."
"I know. That's why we are going to the Royal Palace."
"But only cultivators can enter that place."
"That's not true. There are norms that can enter the palace."
"Who?"
…
Nesterin came out of the kitchen and strode to the dining hall. A group of armored cultivators with golden spears on their side sat on the cushioned seat as they talked with each other. Nesterin avoided eye contact, focusing on stabilizing the food tray as he put the food down one by one in front of the diners.
Jharteel followed suit from behind. He wore a white tunic wrapped in brown jackets that had six golden buttons loose except the bottom one. With what seemingly assured steps, Jharteel put the drinks in the right place.
After both of them finished their task, they went to the corner and put both hands behind their back.
They didn't speak, move their heads, or twitched even a little bit. At maximum, blinking was the only thing they did.
For hours, Nesterin and Jharteel stood like a statue, listening to every bit of words the cultivators said.
"Pass me the jalapeño."
"I really like this spiky eel."
"Meh, these timberwolf giants are much better."
"You guys don't travel the world enough to know what a real delicacy is. This hard geoduck is the best thing a woman can ask for. A man is also welcome to try. Look it fits perfectly in my mouth."
"You're doing it wrong. You need to slap it first."
"Really?" The woman slapped the geoduck and it turned hard. "Oh, you're right! Where did you learn this."
"I'm experienced."
Nesterin stayed silent as he listened to all the bull crap. The cultivators loved to talk about the foods in their mouths. Despite being immortal, they still like eating nice food, just like any other norm. They truly weren't so different after all. Nesterin wondered what similarities they had.
Do they fart or poop too?
Probably not, because no one had seen them go to the toilet.
"Hey you," A cultivator called to Nesterin. "Get me some bronze durian. "
"Right away, sir. Come on, Jharteel."
They strode out of the dining hall. Closing the gate as the sound of utensils clanging against the plate dimmed. Side by side, they walked along the hallway and saw two men with brown trousers and yellow jackets, sweeping the floor and paintings on the wall.
With a quick movement, Thalanil, who was disguising as a cleaner, slip a small note to Nesterin's hand while he swept the floor with his broom.
Nesterin and Jharteel kept on walking to the kitchen. When they arrived, Nesterin opened his palm and read the note.
"What does it say?" Jharteel asked.
"It says that the king is going to hold a banquet. He will invite every sect in the kingdom to the Royal Palace in about a month."
"They must be preparing for the Dark Reckoning."
"We can't say for sure. For all we know, the ramblings about the Dark Reckoning might be something that doesn't affect us at all," Nesterin said.
"That's impossible. The cultivators are planning to prepare for the worst. Surely the worst for them is also not good for us too. In fact, I've been suspicious of their movement. The sect is gathering their forces, but they didn't attack the norms. How many weeks has it been since we eliminate the Royal Army? Yet the Royal Palace didn't even send a single cultivator to attack the rebellion army. Even the Nefarious Sword sect is silent. It seemed like they wanted to avoid killing.
"What are you saying, Jharteel?"
"I am saying that they have something bigger to fight. Something a lot more dangerous, that the entire kingdom has to ignore their pride against the norm."
"What you said is merely speculation. We don't know if that is true. We can't rely on that. We need more information," Nesterin said.
"The banquet is the best time. They will surely talk about the Dark Reckoning."
"I hope it's that easy. Sadly, it's not. The palace held a few banquets before, and none of them let any norms to join even as a servant. The guess that comes will be the sect leaders and the elders. Maybe even the guilds and unions will come too. These are important people and the Royal Palace is not going to send norms to serve them."
"Then what should we do?"
"We'll let the night disappears."