Emperor's Reckoning

( These fellows ) Avi squinted as she furrowed her brows. She gave them information but she gained nothing in return. The absurd bargain that Cecile proposed was impossible to fulfill, even if she took out her own purse.

“G-Good day, Miss Avi,” said Nafail before he bowed and immediately followed outside.

Avi raised her brows. ( I forgot, he is with them too ).

“Miss Avi, I’ll be seeing them off,” said Doma.

“Hold it,” Avi stood up from her seat. “I need to go outside too, after all, I’m still everyone’s cute receptionist.”

“Ah, you’re right,” said Doma as he wait for her to pass him.

The ground floor was immediately greeted with the same atmosphere as before, however, they saw Avi trailing at the very back.

“The guild is not bad,” said Lyon as he turned around. “However, it seems like we can’t get ourselves an agreement.”

“Agreement?”

“Agreement?!”

“Hey, did you hear that? He said agreement.”

The passing adventurers heard what Lyon had just said, moreover with how he elevated his tone a bit more than usual.

( This scoundrel! ) Avi raised both her brows as her eyelids twitched. She had never thought that such words would come out from the man. She thought Cecile had all the brain and brawn for negotiation, however, she failed to realize who was the sly one.

Doma had his lips gaped but immediately saved himself with a gulp, “I-I-uh, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“That’s the best the best you can come up with?” Lyon sighed before he turned he lazily waved at them before he left.

Doma and Avi were left astounded by his action. He didn’t pursue the matter nor was he further bloating it. However, that one sentence was like a ripple against the calm lake water, a falling domino to crumble the rest of the entire structure. It was well timed, it was on purpose, and it was perfect.

“Tch!” Avi clicked her tongue as she saw the man she had been playing with, playing her guild with a single sentence. She might not be the target, but her entire guild was getting attacked indirectly. Rumors will start to spread and so will the group’s enigma.

“We hope to see you soon! Handsome!” shouted Avi.

“Woah!”

The adventurers gasped in awe whilst Doma felt a choke in his throat.

“Kha!” His eyes opened wide in disbelief before he said in a low voice, “M-Miss Avi?”

Avi swatted his buzz away by further waving at the leaving group and made a few skips.

The adventurers passing by immediately turned their heads and got their interest piqued. Their favorite receptionist seemed to pay some special attention to the cloaked group.

“She called you handsome,” said Lumina. “Aren’t you going to after her?”

“I know,” Lyon breathed like a pig. “I wanted to go there but I must not.”

“Oh, that’s rare,” said Lumina as she crossed her arms. “What makes you change your mind?”

“You,” Lyon turned and smiled at her.

“…” Lumina couldn’t hold his gaze and looked away with bright red on her pale cheeks visible to the naked eye.

“Who are you people…?” muttered Nafail as he gulped. He never had such attention in his adventuring career, not even once. However, now, with just a single sentence, a single action, everyone was talking about them.

“Let’s talk over at the tavern,” said Cecile.

“W-What?” Nafail raised his brows and stared blankly.

“That was the original plan remember?” said Luna. “You said that you would meet us at the tavern, however, things escalated to a different course and here we are.”

“It’s always escalation if you bring master, err, I mean young master with you, hehe,” Kesya chuckled.

“Hey, I don’t escalate things.”

“What about Afurnae? Not to mention Alchemy Union’s pride building?” Lumina jested at the side.

“Well, they deserved it,” Lyon raised his chin and gave a proud snort.

( Afurnae? Alchemy Union? ) Nafail gulped ( What are they talking about? ). He had his lips dry and trepidation nigh as he thought about the unthinkable. The word ‘escalate’ somehow made his goosebumps rise for a flash of a second.

“B-But, why?” asked Nafail. As far as he knew, the group already asked what they wanted to ask him, to Avi instead. His knowledge was considerably less than Doma, let alone Avi, the true person that held the power over Harp Guild in Arkham.

“There is always something that you know that they don’t,” said Cecile. “They sit high in power for a long time, they might even forget how to look down.”

“Yeah they got themselves too comfortable, they forgot important details,” added Kesya.

“But, what else can I offer?” asked Nafail. They definitely did not need his power, nor his knowledge, he was nothing compared to the entire group. One of them could knock down Arf with an invisible fist.

“We don’t know that yet, that’s why we are going to the tavern of your choosing,” said Assid. “You better not disappoint though, unless you want to have your throat elsewhere.”

“Eek!” Nafail shrieked as if he saw a ghost.

“Alright Assid, stop scaring the poor boy,” said Cecile with a smile.

“Hmph, yes, young miss,” Assid bowed.

“Alright then,” Lyon put his arms around Nafail, “Show me the tavern.”

“Y-Yes!”

The group immediately left the open road and went for the tavern of Nafail’s choosing. Along the way, they caught the onlooker’s eyes. Word had spread in the city that was surrounded by thick walls, about how Arf was now on a bed with his jaw being fixed.

“Woah, this is shit,” said Lyon the moment he arrived at the tavern. There was no one else but the group and there was no one behind the counter. “Who will serve us food and drinks?”

“Hmm, one sec, old man!” said Nafail. “Old man!”

“Yes, yes, I can hear ya,” an old hunchback old man came out from the door right at the end of the bar. “I just threw out some trash, oh, Nafail, you came back boi, ready to spend your dime again?”

“Hahaha, you know how it goes,” Nafail laughed behind his back.

“Hehehe, oh…?” The old man squinted his weary eyes. “That’s rare, you’re here with the party again, my, this sure brings some nostalgia to this old soul.”

Nafail looked down a bit before he uttered a smile. “No, old man, these are my… uh…”

“We are his friends,” said Lyon as he stepped forward. “Serve us something strong old man.”

“Strong durian juice?” asked the old man as one of his brows raised.

“We have a durian here?! What?! Yeah go serve me that!” said Lyon before his body froze. He turned around with supreme nervousness before he smiled at Cecile. “Can I?”

“It’s a fruit,” Cecile chuckled. “Go indulge yourself.”

“Yes!” Lyon made a small victory fist before he said, “I changed my mind, this perhaps is the best tavern I have visited so far.”

His voice echoed against the cobwebs, the unaligned paintings, and also broken furniture around the place. Cecile looked at the long table before she smiled.

The group sat at the long table with Lyon tapping his feet and shouting, “Old man, is it done yet?”

“Be patient boy, you can’t rush a masterpiece.”

“Woah, that’s a good answer,” Cecile chuckled.

“Do you want onion rings with your juice?” asked the old man.

“What the fuck? You have onion rings too?! Give me that!” shouted Lyon as he laughed and slapped the table repeatedly.

“What’s an onion ring?” asked Luna.

“It’s the ring inside an onion? You basked it in batter and fried it, simple and delicious, then you can dip it in mayo or sauce!” said Lyon excitedly.

“Assid,” said Cecile.

“I was going to, young miss,” said Assid.

“W-What? Where are you going?” asked Lyon.

“I’m going to ask him to teach me how to make these onion rings that young master excitedly wanted to eat, and also perhaps I can ask for more durian fruit.”

“Oh yes yes do that! Hahaha!” Lyon laughed merrily.

“Wow, this is the first time that I see him in such euphoria,” said Luna.

“He has gone through a lot, let him have his fun,” said Cecile before she darted over to Nafail. “You seem to have something in mind, your smile is wry.”

“Ah, no, I just reminiscing the old days, that’s all,” said Nafail as he looked down and slightly pressed his lips.

“What’s wrong Nafail, you look down,” said Lyon.

“Well he is looking down, you’re stating the obvious Lyon,” said Lumina as she sighed.

“You know what would make you feel better Nafail,” said Lyon as grinned at the old man he saw coming out from the other side of the bar.

“Durian juice?” jested Nafail with a smirk.

“No, a brothel.”