Chapter 8: The Assassins' Tavern
The Assassins' Tavern in the Seawall District of Storm City was located on Lighthouse Street, south of Albian Square.
Lighthouse Street was a well-known nightlife district in Storm City, frequented mostly by sailors taking a break from their voyages.
These sailors, having been at sea for months, would indulge themselves as soon as they hit the shore.
They would spend their last Imperial Mark on gambling, women, and drink...
Once penniless, they would return to their ships to await the next voyage.
To avoid the trouble that Ela's appearance might cause and to save time, Lucas stayed away from crowded places, moving quickly across rooftops.
After spending some time and effort, he finally located the highly concealed tavern.
The tavern had no signs outside, only a tightly closed door hidden among some bushes.
Lucas knocked on the door.
A small window in the door opened, and a large yellow eye appeared in the darkness behind it.
"A stranger elf, this is not a place you should be."
Lucas spoke the passphrase, "I heard the call from the shadows. It told me the color of blood can only be seen with closed eyes, and a dagger washed in wine cries the song of death."
The person inside responded, "I don't know where you learned that passphrase, but this is still not a place for you. Go back, do not let the darkness swallow you."
"I have spoken the passphrase. By the rules, you should let me in. Evil Eye Tess..."
Hearing his name, Tess opened the door to the tavern.
Evil Eye was an underground creature, resembling an octopus. His spherical head had a large yellow eye that took up half of his face.
"It was my mistake to question you. Come in, elf... I wish you luck in coming out alive. I can see that your value is higher than most of the bounties on the list."
Lucas walked past Tess.
"Tess, you're as talkative as ever."
Inside, a dim light illuminated a staircase leading downwards. At the bottom of the stairs, two men were talking. Hearing the door open, they looked up to see the elf descending the stairs.
As Lucas reached the bottom, one of the men blocked his way.
"Stranger elf, are you here to place a bounty? You can directly entrust your task to us, no need for extra commissions or deposits."
At that moment, Tess called out from above, "Hey, don't break the rules here. If you want to do anything to the elf... wait until she leaves."
The man had to step aside, letting Lucas pass.
Around the corner was an underground tavern. Due to the tavern's nature, all the patrons quietly drank and ate. Even their conversations were in hushed tones, using various coded phrases.
The arrival of a stunning elf naturally caught the attention of everyone in the tavern.
All eyes turned towards the elf, each calculating... how much she might be worth.
Lucas scanned the tavern's patrons.
Comparing them to the guide's descriptions of the Seawall District Assassins' Tavern, he matched a few individuals with the common heroes of the tavern.
All were three-star heroes. Under their gazes, Lucas approached the bar.
The bartender, a lizardman, poured a drink and placed it in front of Lucas.
"By tradition, first-time visitors get a free drink. Beautiful elf lady, what can I do for you?"
Lucas picked up the glass, drank half of it, and placed it back on the bar.
Drinking half indicated that he was here as an assassin to take on a task, while finishing the drink would mean he was a client looking to place a bounty.
"I want to see the bounty details for the Horned Demonkin Jumu of the Mad Axe Gang."
The lizardman bartender glanced at the half-empty glass of wine, then back at the female elf standing before him.
"I find it hard to associate such a beautiful elf with an assassin. You should be enjoying fine food and the service of servants in a noble's mansion. Any scar on your body would be a desecration of beauty..."
At this moment, someone nearby chimed in, "And it would significantly lower your price. Elf, instead of dying at the hands of the Mad Axe Gang for a bounty, you should sell yourself for a good price. I can introduce you to some high-quality patrons."
Lucas knew Elarion's appearance would inevitably cause trouble, so he ignored the person beside him and addressed the lizardman bartender, "Looking at the details won't cost you anything, will it?"
"Of course not."
The lizardman knew the first rule of survival was never to argue with customers.
He found the bounty details for the Horned Demonkin Jumu of the Mad Axe Gang from under the counter.
After placing the documents in front of Lucas, he said, "This is the information you can see. If you want more details to increase your success rate, there's an intelligence consultation fee."
Lucas had come to the Assassins' Tavern to confirm if the bounty existed, as there were some differences between this world and the "Epoch" game.
Fortunately, the bounty for Horned Demonkin Jumu was still active.
The reward was also 5000 gold notes.
"I'll take this task."
The lizardman bartender dutifully added, "Beautiful elf lady, I think it would be wise to buy some information about Jumu from us. For just one gold note, you can increase your chances of earning 5000 gold notes."
One gold note! What a rip-off.
And the information he has is probably more comprehensive than what tavern has.
"No need, I'll bring back Jumu's head soon. Have the money ready."
Lucas finished the rest of the drink in one gulp and walked away from the bar.
The lizardman bartender called out, "Elf lady, I need your name for the records."
"Ela."
As he reached the door of the tavern, Evil Eye Tess opened it for him.
"The Canine brothers should be outside... Poor elf. I told you, you shouldn't have come in."
"Thanks for the warning, Tess."
Lucas stepped out of the tavern, the heavy door closing behind him.
The small window in the door opened, and Tess's eye appeared behind it.
"You shouldn't have gone out."
"Tess, that elf chick was right, you do talk too much."
After the door closed, the Canine brothers emerged from their hiding spot.
Lucas had found information about the Canine brothers on his phone.
They were frequent patrons of the Seawall City Assassins' Tavern.
Their abilities were obtained through secret arts, giving them werewolf blood. They could transform into werewolves for combat, with their powers enhanced at night. On a full moon night, their powers would significantly increase.
[Rating: Three stars (Combat power on a full moon night reaches three and a half stars)]
Lucas looked up at the sky, and a full moon had just risen overhead.
"I have never seen such a beautiful elf; she's truly a gift from the gods. Brother, be gentle with the elf lady. If her face gets damaged, she won't be worth as much!"
"I understand, brother. I really envy those rich folks... If we had money, we wouldn't need to sell her."