Two servers stood beside me with kind smiles. One of them recited the menu while the other waited with a notepad and a quill for me to give my order.
I randomly nodded my head at whatever sounded the best since I didn't know anything there. I couldn't depend on any of the two men with me there, who probably wouldn't have a problem eating grass and raw meat.
Another server had already brought Uncle Albert a jug full of drinks without him ordering anything, which confirmed my presumption that he was a regular there.
My brother nodded his head at the mention of the first three names they uttered, after which they left us alone to prepare our orders.
Finally getting time to catch a breath, I looked around at the people within the tavern. There were 10 customers there, including us, and with my senses, I was able to hear what most of them were talking about, which was nothing more than casual chit-chat.
Sunlight wasn't allowed inside the tavern since there were no windows where we sat and the only source of light, the door, was closed. Therefore, beautiful lamps, shaped like budding flowers, were fixed on the wall radiating a bright yellow shade to everything. It gave everything an aesthetic feel and soothed our weary bodies.
The beauty of the lamps wasn't limited to the walls though. On each round table with three chairs around them, a lamp was set up as well. This made it so that even though the tavern was quite deserted, it looked elegant and tasteful.
At that time, three of those tables were fully occupied and I was able to hear the casual conversation of the people on the other two tables but a table placed in the corner was occupied by a lonely man.
My curiosity in him peaked when I saw him emotionlessly peeking at us from time to time. At first, I was about to mind my own business, but as I kept looking at him, the sense of mystery surrounding him intrigued me.
He wore a worn-out hooded brown robe that was tattered by the sides and rugged pants and boots that met the same fate. His long and rough black beard and his domineering physique, with a height even taller than Uncle Albert, told me that he wasn't someone that can't afford better clothes.
I noticed that he wasn't just peeking at our table, but at every table now and then, as if he was scrutinising something. Such obvious caution made it clear that he was there with a purpose, one that likely wasn't any good.
As I was pondering what it could be, our order was done. One by one, the three servers came with our dishes. Mine looked the most exotic and savoury. It was a meat dish, of a creature I didn't know, with garnishing that I rarely enjoyed.
My brother was the most pitiful, on his two plates were green crumbs scattered in an arrangement, making it clear that both of them were appetisers, and if that wasn't enough to make someone retch, then along with grass, they bought a black liquid that stunk.
Rowan's reaction to that was a minor twitch as he began tasting his dishes. Uncle Albert didn't mind that and continued with his drink in silence.
It was an ambient and peaceful atmosphere, in contrast to the crowded streets outside.
The unknown meat that I was served was very tender and refined, almost melting in my mouth with each bite. I closed my eyes to enjoy that, savouring it slowly.
I realised why aristocrats would pay exorbitant prices to sit in quiet places and eat small quantities of that same meat that I could make 100 times cheaper at home.
Perhaps, they were just tired of being a part of the soulless, violent mob all their life, and only wanted a moment for themselves, even if that cost them a lot more than it should.
BANG!
As I was thinking all that, a loud sound startled me. I turned to stare at the source and there, I saw the huge door at the entrance had fully opened up. Another hooded figure stood there, but this one was even shorter in height than me.
Although it was very faint, I could smell a womanly fragrance from that figure, a perk of having tried hundreds of perfumes from Aunt Enka's shop when I was young.
Her robe was also different from the mysterious brutish man in the corner. It was dark black and seemed to be absorbing all light that fell on it. The long hooded robe might have successfully hidden each part of her body but it still wasn't able to diminish the curves on her chest.
Quite frankly, even though I had never been the sort of girl to be jealous of a woman's body, the covered silhouette of that figure gave me that feeling.
Subconsciously, I opened my ponytail, let my hair hang to the side, and puffed up my chest a little.
The broken door that fell to the side with a handprint on top made it so that none of the people present inside the tavern dared to question the perpetrator.
The employees and servers stood far away, blankly staring at her as she glared at everyone carefully. This instantly reminded me of the knight-like guards that I saw at the entrance of the city. Would they be able to do what she did? Would they be able to stop or capture her?
As I was thinking of all that, her 'eyes' fell upon our table, Uncle Albert stood up and strutted in front of us, blocking her sight, but it didn't seem to have fazed her as by that time, her head was already fixed towards the corner table.
Even though she didn't look at me for more than a single moment and I couldn't even see her eyes, it was enough to fascinate me for some reason. Instinctively, I wanted to go closer to her but I stopped my mind from wandering and brought my focus back on the moment.
I connected the dots in my head and came to the surprising conclusion that perhaps the barbaric rag-wearing guy was trying to hide from the frail-looking monstrous lady at the entrance.
But obviously, his quest seemed to have failed. Looking at his visibly shivering body as he stiffly kept looking down at the table, I was even more sure of my assumption.
Curiously, I turned back to look at the lady, but in the blink of an eye, she vanished from her place and appeared on the table of the mysterious guy I was just looking at.
I was amazed, but more so, I was frightened. This was even more terrifying than anything I faced back in Crimson Lake with Sister Hin. After all, even though the monsters over there were scary and cursed my best friend to a state of suspended sleep, we were still able to escape from them.
Their movement was noticeable by naked eyes, unlike the figure of the lady that seemed to have vanished. I knew that it was an illusion caused by her quick movement.
But how quickly had she moved that even with my enhanced, half-awakened senses, I wasn't able to trace her movement?
The thought sent chills down my spine. Even the unfathomable and steady Uncle Albert didn't dare to make any movement, for fear of incurring the wrath of that dangerous individual.
The brutish individual, on the other hand, had his head pressed down on the table by her slender hands. He appeared to want to make a sound but all that came out of his mouth were hoarse yelps and soon even those were replaced by terrifying hollow gurgles and gasps as an exquisite knife pierced a hole in his throat.
I was afraid to blink my eyes and miss anything but even then I was only able to see her shadow move as she disappeared from that table again and appeared at the entrance of the tavern, where she casually reached into her robes and threw a gold coin towards the direction of employees, after which she calmly walked out of the door, just like another customer who was satisfied with their drinks.
From the moment that door had been broken to the moment that she had disappeared only a few seconds had passed, but my world had already turned upside down.