Chapter 114: The Impact of "Fate/Zero" (Part 2)
While chaos reigned at the Imperial Mage Academy due to the movie, the Edward Tavern remained calm. Anyone considering causing trouble would be dissuaded by the sight of a certain headless horseman standing at the bar.
After the screening of "Fate/Zero," patrons continued to discuss the movie in the tavern opposite the theater. As a result, the number of visitors drawn by the tavern's name increased.
This surge in patrons led Wiz, the tavern's proprietress and poster girl, to recruit new staff. However, the new crew members from the recent production were busy with their own affairs and unavailable to help. Thus, she had to post a hiring notice.
For reasons unknown, whether it was the intimidating presence of the headless horseman or the rumors of the Edward Tavern always operating at a loss, the recruitment didn't go well. In the end, only one applicant showed up: a girl who appeared to be barely twelve or thirteen but insisted she was of age.
Even though this world had no laws against child labor, Wiz hesitated for a long time before reluctantly hiring her due to a lack of better options.
...
Edward Tavern, second floor.
"Ahh..."
Durin finally finished the script for the second chapter of "Fate/Zero" after several days of effort. Relieved, he descended the stairs, surprised to find the tavern unusually crowded for the afternoon.
Perplexed but unconcerned, he headed to the bar, where the headless horseman and Saiki seemed to be deep in conversation. Recently, the relationship between the undead and the undead knight had grown quite amicable. Zat, Aya, and Helena were also gathered, seemingly discussing the same topic.
Durin greeted them instinctively and asked, "What's going on? What are you all talking about?"
The group turned to him, and the headless horseman spoke first, "Ah, Director Durin, you came at the right time. We were discussing the new staff member and wanted your input."
"The new staff member?"
Curiosity piqued, Durin looked in the direction indicated. There he saw a small, delicate girl.
She was clearly unskilled at handling basic tasks, struggling even to carry drinks. Her nervousness made the simple act of serving drinks seem as tense as a brawl. The seated patrons, unsure whether to help her or not, watched awkwardly as she clumsily placed their drinks before them.
Despite her outward appearance as an ordinary girl, Durin's keen senses as a grand mage allowed him to notice subtle clues.
"This girl seems to be a beastman..."
As Durin spoke, those around him chimed in agreement.
"She's a beastman…"
"A beastman, indeed."
"Definitely a beastman…"
"Huh? Really? Is she really a beastman?"
"Yes, a beastman…"
"..."
Seeing that everyone except Aya had recognized the girl's true nature, Durin was taken aback. He stood in stunned silence for a moment before asking, "How did you all figure it out?"
Indeed, even with Durin's heightened senses as a grand mage, he could only discern her true nature through the distinct difference in her magical energy flow compared to humans. But how was it that everyone else could so easily tell the difference between a beastman, who could conceal their traits, and a human? Naturally, Durin excluded Aya from this realization.
Upon hearing Durin's question, Saiki was the first to respond. "Well, if someone deliberately hides it and we don't have prolonged contact, most people wouldn't notice. But this girl seems really bad at these simple tasks. She let slip several Orc Kingdom idioms while greeting customers, and her movements when helping with chores are distinctly different from humans…"
"Is that enough to determine she's a beastman?"
Durin's subtle expression prompted the headless horseman to speak up. "That girl… when she first saw me, she was so scared her tail popped out. It seems she never realized it happened…"
"Pfft…"
Durin struggled to hold back his laughter. Once composed, he quickly added, "So, why are you all so interested in her? Don't tell me you're all beastgirl enthusiasts."
"What's a beastgirl enthusiast?"
Zat looked puzzled, clearly still unaccustomed to the strange terms their leader often used.
Durin, not in the mood to explain, said, "So what if she's a beastman? Why make such a fuss?"
"Uh, Director Durin, haven't you heard? Relations between the Orc Kingdom and the Empire have been tense recently, with frequent skirmishes. For an unknown beastman and orcs to appear and hide their identity now is quite suspicious," Saiki pointed out, echoing the concerns of the group, even earning a nod from the bewildered Aya.
Durin couldn't help but laugh. "And? This is just an ordinary tavern, at most a film company, not a military stronghold. Are you suggesting she's a spy from the Orc Kingdom, inspired by our movie to find state secrets here? If that's the case, I might as well set up a Bureau of Strategic Deception, tricking the Orc Kingdom into surrendering. Even a beastman wouldn't be that foolish, right?"
"But…"
The headless horseman, though understanding Durin's joke, couldn't shake his innate caution from his military past. The Empire's long-standing mistrust of beastmen and orcs stemmed from their history—when the Empire was newly established, it was these neighboring beastmen and orcs who led an allied force against them. Such deep-seated racial animosities don't easily fade with time.
Understanding their concerns, Durin finally sighed and waved his hand dismissively. "Look, we don't have any secrets here. Even if she really is an orc spy, we don't need to worry about a little girl. As for potential danger? We have you as a bodyguard, don't we? And there's an even more formidable guard upstairs. Even if an entire orcs army came, I doubt we'd be in any real danger. So, stop worrying about it and focus on running the tavern well. Next time, I'll discuss with Wiz about buying the foot massage place next door and expanding. Maybe we can turn this place from a senior activity center into a full-fledged gym."
"Well, if you're so confident, Director Durin, I guess there's nothing more to say," the headless horseman conceded, though not entirely at ease. He did acknowledge that the clumsy beastman girl hardly seemed like a spy.
...
After a long day, the tavern's operations, despite some hiccups, came to a successful close. Exhausted from her first day of work, Juno closed the tavern doors at Wiz's instruction and finally retreated to her room, collapsing onto the bed.
"Why am I, a proud spy of the Black/Dark Blade, stuck doing such menial tasks…" she muttered, venting her frustration into her pillow. Despite her fatigue, she forced herself to sit up, grab a pen, and begin writing her first report since settling in Norsrick.
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